Succubusekai: The Demoness Just Wanted To Stay With Her Friends! [Original-Ish] [Quest]

[X] (Diplomatic Development Plan) They might instead agree to hold off entirely for now, let the kobolds literally and figuratively dig in, and focus on the larger objective - the Cult of Chaos who the kobolds were previously hoping to align with.

Helen pauses for some time, as if thinking, before Eira happens to speak up first. "I mean, I know this is uh kinda funny for me to say after the last couple days, but… I think it might be good to be more patient here."

You pause. "... Keep going?"

"Well, let's look at our resources. We've got this Kobold keep who are currently mostly scared of us, but could destroy us in a straight fight given the chance. We've got a room at an inn in Arnstey Keep - a room we can relatively reliably return to even when the gate is closed."

It takes you a second to piece that one together - but it's right. If they're inside the apartment and you're not, you can move the gate, and you can teleport into the room. Or, for that matter, back here.

"Now, let's look at the most important thing we don't have."

Helen nods. "The primary location of the Cult of Echidna, or their exact plan."

You continue, "... So working on integrating the Kobolds in with the Keep is less relevant."

Eira nods. "Plus, if we can stop the cult and save the area, we'll be heroes of the Keep - which puts us in a position of advantage to negotiate long term peace and trade - and with it, Helen's opportunity to start raising the technology of the entire area, and quickly."

It takes Helen a few seconds before she responds, "... So. That leaves where we investigate next."

You pause to consider… "The Cult's base would either have to be self-sufficient, or they have to get materials of one or more stripes somehow."

Helen pauses. "That leaves the question of which one. But I think you're going someplace with this maybe?"

"If they were self-sufficient, the base would need to be larger. Like, a lot larger. We're talking hundreds, potentially."

Eira blinks. "Which would be harder to hide unless the cave system bordered on a proper underworld."

Not implausible, you know - there's Underworlds all across Aridia, and many but not all are connected -

Shit. That invalidates your guess. Your shoulders droop. "And if an Underworld is possible, it's also possible it's connected that way, which means where I was going with this - namely, that the cult's base has to be close-ish to a road for materials transport if it's not self-sufficient - isn't reliable."

"But if they want to attract aid," Helen responds, "it would be easier if the road - or above it or similar - was a way there."

You pause. "That… Hmm. It seems almost silly to suggest something as basic as 'check the road', but…"

Eira nods. "Could lead to things."

Helen sighs. "Until we get something that might make a better idea…"

You nod. "Okay, so. Looking at the places we know, basically everything relevant's east. The road's closer to the keep, so if we're going to try that route, there's three options that I can see. The first is I teleport to near the road, call the door, you come out, and we get moving. Gets us there faster."

Eira pauses. "True, but is that really much faster than just hiking back the way we came, see if we spot something?

Helen nods. "Or we can, albeit having to deal with more of the rivers most likely, trek a bit east, then north, see what we run into on the way to the road. Or if you're going to teleport, we could start from the Keep."

Eira considers for a moment. "... Two rivers converging, though. That could mean swampland. Ick."

You nod. "But who knows what opportunities await within the bog?"

[ ] (Travel Plan) Teleport to the road, get moving. Fast, risk of the door being discovered, but lowest risk of encounters before you reach the road.
[ ] (Travel Plan) Hike along the path you know. Moderately fast, no risk of door discovery, modest risk of encounters before you reach the road.
[ ] (Travel Plan) Go east then north. Slower, no risk of door discovery, higher risk of encounters before you reach the road.
[ ] (Travel Plan) Teleport to Arnstey Keep then go out from there. Moderately fast, risk of door discovery, lowest risk of encounters before you reach the road.

---

I came up with the fourth plan at almost the last minute - write-in mix-ups are potentially open.

[X] (Travel Plan) Go east then north. Slower, no risk of door discovery, higher risk of encounters before you reach the road.

After some more conversation, Eira accepts that checking the probable bog is probably good for improving the overall safety of the region.

Starting east, the forest turns to a grassy field. Then the grass turns wet, and Eira's eye immediately starts twitching. Helen seems perfectly fine with this… But then, she's got taller boots.

You think to quickly remind, "There's a hair dryer in the bathroom, we can clean your feet and shoes off safely once we're out of here."

That… seems to help her a little.

And then you pass under a tree, and feel something wrap around you, pinning your arms.

"SNAKE!", Helen shouts. Which you guess is less obvious to Eira than to you. The fox turns quickly, looking first at Helen, then you, than up to the creature's head. The snake is… massive. Tens of feet long. And it looks hungry.

(The Snake hit with a surprise-round Constrict on Senaz. Her resistance lowers the damage to 6, leaving her at 10 HP. Initiatives: Senaz 16, Helen 12, the snake 11, and Eira a nat-1 for a 4.)

A split second of option considering - if the thing keeps its tail on you, it's not constricting the relatively more fragile Eira or the comparably fragile Helen. On the other hand, the pain of your bones being pressured by this thing is a rather strong motivator, and your options for attacking are limited.

What you can do, though, is speak. "I'm not gonna be tasty, I'll probably taste something like Faerie Fire!", you declare - outlining the snake in violet light. That should give Eira and Helen a better angle to -

(Helen's Longsword attack: [17,3]+5 = 22 - hits, 13 damage)

The snake shouts in pain, but doesn't lose grip on you yet - but nor is it tightening its grip on you, instead reaching down to attempt to bite Helen - but her armor keeps its fangs from finding purchase. (You recall that constrictor snakes tend to not be poisonous, so the fangs are just deadly sharp. Some good news, at least.)

Which gives Eira an opportunity to jump the thing with her shortsword.

(Eira's Shortsword attack: [17,1]+5 = 22 - hits, 9 damage + 3 sneak attack damage)

The second hit still isn't enough to get this damn thing off you. You consider teleporting to escape - but instead decide to try the more normal route, squirming and moving to -

(8+4 = 12 Acrobatics vs. 23 Strength check)

- Nope, that's not gonna work. But with the Faerie Fire -

(Helen's Longsword Attack: [10,3]+5 = 15 - hits, 12 damage)

- How tough is this thing to take two solid longsword hits and still be moving - crap, it's tightening on you!

(Snake's constrict attack hits. Senaz's resistance lowers the damage to 6, leaving her at 4 HP. She passes the Concentration check to keep Faerie Fire going.)

You can almost feel your bones cracking - you're going to have to get loose, or that next grip could-

(Eira's Shortsword attack: [13,14]+5 = 19 - hits, 6 damage + 5 sneak attack.)

The pain is too much. Rational decision-making falls to your demonic reflexes, and you teleport away a good fifty feet, gasping for air as soon as you drop, almost prone, into the muddy water.

Helen spares you a glance before taking another swing -

([9,3]+5 = 14 - hits, 9 damage)

- while the snake, confused at the sudden loss of its intended meal, attempts to bite again - this time deflected by Helen's shield.

Eira shouts as she swings-

([16,2]+5 = 21 - hits, 9 damage + 2 sneak attack)

- Oh thank fuck, that one goes into its head and, with a screech, it stops moving.

You clamber up - ugh, your entire outfit's a mess - and approach. "Damn it…"

Helen sighs, checking you over. "Cure Wounds," she declares, bringing positive energy to bear to help your bones… Your brain defaults to 'unscrambleunscromble', but really it's more internal damage getting back into order.

(Senaz recovers 11 HP, bringing her to 15.)

"... Could've gone better," Helen says. "But you chose to teleport only when you did, right?"

"So it'd focus on me," you respond. "But the pain got to be too much."

Eira is busy cutting into the thing, as if checking its stomach for any valuables it may have swallowed. "... Not much here. Hopefully we won't encounter too many more of those things."

You nod, shaking yourself off a little. "... We keep moving."

You curve toward the north, mostly, only to stop at a strange-looking hillock.

Helen pauses. "... This isn't natural."

"... Someone created this, then," you respond.

And then you hear a shout - one that your natural sense for languages as a Succubus helps you translate immediately to "Intruders!"

And then there's a group of Lizardfolk around you - six, three on each side.

Helen seems to tense even more. "Fiendish," she mutters, as you raise your weapons.

"More importantly," Eira observes, "Too many."

This leaves one obvious option -

[ ] (Order of the Stick Plan A) Run to the north, toward the river - the Lizardfolk will hopefully give up the chase rather than deal with the rather cold water.
[ ] (Order of the Stick Plan A) Run to the southwest, back the way you came - if they're REALLY persistent, you can get the kobolds to help you.
[ ] (Order of the Stick Plan A) Run to the east, atop their mound, because if you're already in danger what's running headlong into more am I right?
[ ] (Order of the Stick Plan A) Time to use the door-teleport gambit!
[ ] (Order of the Stick Plan A) Try to fight anyways - you've handled worse odds! You think.

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An entire encounter and still under 1000 words... Sheesh. HOPEFULLY this coming week will be more prone to some proper creative time.