2/2 Buckwheat 2024/04/06(Sat)15:19 No. 1088092 ID: 15a025
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I’m able to pull this off once more and I knock the fucker out from behind!

>>1088092
Let's unmask this fiend!

This is distracting you from the wagon thief! What's this joker up about anyway?

Take their knives away and see if you recognize their face.

>>1088091
Beautiful work.
Prance over through the snow and buck him up...

>>1088092
...just like that!

Pull the mask of, but dont forget to get their knives away from reach.

Now that he is knocked out, drag him to your shed and tie him up. We are going to interrogate him.

If this isn't the thief that took your wheelbarrow, then maybe don't spend too much time bothering with him. Take the mask off, sure, but if it's no one you recognize, just leave him in the snow and keep after the wheelbarrow tracks.

Buckwheat 2024/04/07(Sun)18:02 No. 1088214 ID: 15a025
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>Let's unmask this fiend!
>Take their knives away and see if you recognize their face.

I grab the knocked out clown dog and rip the mask off.
No idea who this is, but it looks like I ain’t the first one to rough’em up. I pocket one of his knives and start scattering the rest in the snow. Have fun looking for those, jerk. Hope you poke your pads on one.

>If this isn't the thief that took your wheelbarrow, then maybe don't spend too much time bothering with him.

More time I waste on this clown, the further the real wood thief has to get away. Oooh when I catch up to whoever tried pulling this ‘heist’, they’re gonna wish all I did was knock them out with an ax!

2/3 Buckwheat 2024/04/07(Sun)18:02 No. 1088215 ID: 15a025
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I keep following the trail and the tracks stop over by some makeshift house. Well, more of a shabby cabin than a house. Where’s the wheelbarrow though! Tracks just end with none of my stuff in sight!

3/3 Buckwheat 2024/04/07(Sun)18:02 No. 1088216 ID: 15a025
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Oh. Oh is that smoke coming out of the chimney! THEY BETTER NOT BE BURNING MY WOOD!
How am I going to go about confronting this jerk?

Completely reasonably. Break down their door with your axe.

Axe the door open and scream "HEEEEEEEEERE'S GRETCHEN!"

You see a shabby cabin, I see getting your wood back plus interest.

Axe that door and glare inside.

>>1088216

Best peek througn the window before you go all jack nicholson.
Youll feel bad if its, i dunno, a pack of vagrant orphans or some other desperate folk.

Still getting your wood back but need to know how much gretchenrage to tap for the job.

>>1088226
This, basically. They also might be armed or something.

>>1088216
If the wheelbarrow isn't here then you can't guarantee this is the house of a thief. Let's not do any permanent damage. Knock on the door rudely and demand they let you in.

Looks like whoever this is is used to dealing with deer. Discretion will be the better part of valor here, I think. There might not be much chance for sneaking, though; if there's a fire already lit, then it must be someone cozying in to hunker against the cold. Once the target is alerted to your presence, there's no going back; when you enter, enter with gusto, prepared to fly straight at your adversary.

1/2 Buckwheat 2024/04/08(Mon)18:31 No. 1088319 ID: 15a025
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>Best peek through the window
Looking at the window up above the door, they’ve got the curtains closed. I see another window on the side of the cabin, but they got that blocked with curtains as well.

>Looks like whoever this is, is used to dealing with deer.
Now why’d you have to go an put it like that. Those antlers are lot more chillin now.

>Break down their door with your axe.
>Axe the door open
>Once the target is alerted to your presence, there's no going back; when you enter, enter with gusto, prepared to fly straight at your adversary.

I’d rather charge in aggressively on the off chance the thief does end up being hostile. If it’s someone desperate for help, I can at least apologize and explain later.

I get a quiet feel for the door knob first. It’s locked as expected.

I smash my ax as close as I can into the side with the opening, pry as much as I can and crack the door open.

2/2 Buckwheat 2024/04/08(Mon)18:32 No. 1088320 ID: 15a025
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I rush in to see another creep in a mask. They have a big knife and almost throw it at me before I can get a word out, they slam it into the counter though.

???: “Shut what’s left of that door and sit your ass down. It ain’t safe out there.”

I-what?

???: “Shut the door! You’re letting the cold in damn it!”

Not exactly sure what’s going on yet, but I let my hoof slip behind my back and try my best to close it.

Looking into the room, they’ve got a stove going. Something awfully bitter smellin boiling in their pot.

Lots I want to say and ask, but I get the feelin I better be careful with my words.

“did you take my wheelbarrow of firewood?”

>>1088322
What else is there to say?

>>1088320
"Where's my goddamn wheelbarrow. Where's my firewood. Why are you a plague doctor?"

If youre mad enough, ask them if theyd think it was cool for you to hang plague doctor scalps all over your house because those damn antlers are really insensitive.

Nice stove he's got there. Plenty of wood in it.

>>1088320
>>1088335

Oh.
And ask why its dangerous out there.
Or, if you feel like racking it up a notch
Respond with "I know it was dangerous out there but im in here now too."

>>1088320
Ask where your wheelbarrow is, and all your wood.

Nyaah, what's cooking doc?

"What's with you people stealing wheelbarrows and throwing knives at me?! I'm so angry, I'm going to show what for!"


Rip the bandaid on this guy's leg off!

Don't rip the bandaid off. That's just cruel.

Buckwheat 2024/04/09(Tue)18:21 No. 1088412 ID: 15a025
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>ask why its dangerous out there.
Gretchen: “It’s dangerous out there? Well it’s about to get dangerous in here!”

Plague Doctor: “If you think you pose a threat to me, you’re mistaken.”

Plague Doctor: “To answer though, there’s a group of harvesters lurking around these parts.”

Gretchen: “A harvester? You mean a combine.”

Plague Doctor: ”This really is the sticks… They’re a group of ruthless carnivores who- hmm…“

Plague Doctor: “Who… ‘harvest natural products’ from us herbivores.”

Gretchen: “What do you mean by ‘natural products’?”

Plague Doctor: “Skin and blood, bones if things go south.”

Gretchen: “Then just say they eat us! Don’t pussyfoot around the question.”

Plague Doctor: “Oh no no. That would-“

Gretchen: “Look, I don’t care about some violent wolves or a bear running around.”

>“did you take my wheelbarrow of firewood?”

Gretchen: “Did you run off with my wood and wheelbarrow?”

Plague Doctor: “Yes. I needed wood for the stove to-“

Gretchen: “To what? Shack up inside and hide?”

Plague Doctor: “Well, to an extent. I have-“

Gretchen: “I don’t care what you have to do or need. I want what’s left of my wood so I can go home and make my stew!”

Plague Doctor: “I am trying to-“

Gretchen: “Trying to give me back my wood and wheelbarrow? You’re not doing a good job at that.”

Plague Doctor: “INJURED. PATIENT. MAKING MEDICINE!”

>>1088412
Tell him you still need your wheelbarrow. Where is it.
Also you want to see the patient, so you know he's telling the truth.
Also if it was that important he could've just ASKED YOU.

...wait, ask how much wood he took. Maybe that other set of footprints was another thief who grabbed a bunch of wood by hand.

>>1088412
Do harvesters like circus masks?
Cause i might have met one.

Lets see this patient.

Oh, and dont they teach you how to knock at plague medical school or is it a silly mask heavy curriculum?
He could have asked and maybe got some help instead of a doe with an axe and a vendetta.

>>1088412
...And you clearly didn't think to ASK like a halfway decent being?!

Ugh.

WHY. NOT. ASK. THEN?
Doctor seems unprepared for a confrontation they should have been expecting, seeing as they stole a wheel barrow full of wood THROUGH THE SNOW

So these harvesters, they don't happen to wear masks do they? Like the one you're wearing?

"...Fine. Pay me for the wood. I'll order takeout."

>>1088432

Do they have cell service out here in the godforsaken snow-covered backcountry?

Medicine's fine anyway. But you're going to have a hard time surviving the winter without any wood. So he's curing one critter, by dooming two more. You can't just cut more wood either; that stuff needs to dry for a year at least.

He did take all the wood right?

1/2 Buckwheat 2024/04/16(Tue)17:47 No. 1088976 ID: 15a025
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>Do they have cell service out here in the godforsaken snow-covered backcountry?
Cell service? Are you trying to say shell service? We have a shell station couple miles down the road. I mean, I guess if we got cold we could gas up and stay warm in George’s truck. Not gonna help warm up a stew for dinner though.

>could've just ASKED YOU.
>dont they teach you how to knock at plague medical school
>you clearly didn't think to ASK like a halfway decent being?!
>WHY. NOT. ASK. THEN?
Gretchen: “Then why didn’t you just knock on the door and ask!?”

Plague Doctor: “If you had several dangerous folk hunting you down, would you knock on a random stranger’s door for help?”

Gretchen: “I…”

It’s a shitty point, but I don’t think I can really argue against that.

Plague Doctor: “I only took a wheelbarrow full of wood to get through the night. If you need it back, then take it. If you want to be a stickler about the wood, I have a small bit of cash but you’re not getting it back. I saw how much you had stored.”

Gretchen: “MY SHED IS EMPTY!”

Plague Doctor: “Maybe you should invest in getting a lock for your shed then. I only took one load. Don’t have the time or safety to keep running back and forth hauling wood.”
Plague Doctor: “Every second I’m outside, every set of tracks I leave, is more time and clues they have to catch me.”

>Do harvesters like circus masks?
>So these harvesters, they don't happen to wear masks do they?
Gretchen: “Okay, what do these assholes even look like? Do they run around wearing creepy clown masks?”

Plague Doctor: “Well, they do conceal their faces. Clown mask? Why do you ask?”

Gretchen: “Some clown dog bozo attacked me with throwing knives on my way here.”

Plague Doctor: “I can’t say for certain, but consider yourself lucky to make it here.”

>Also you want to see the patient, so you know he's telling the truth.
>Lets see this patient.
Gretchen: “Alright, I want proof. Show me the patient, doc.”

Plague Doctor: “See to them yourself if you desire. I need to keep watch on my stems.”

Gretchen: “Where are they?”

Plague Doctor: “Just walk downstairs into the basement.”

2/2 Buckwheat 2024/04/16(Tue)17:50 No. 1088977 ID: 15a025
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I grumble to myself and start stomping down the stairs. Not too bad, could make a decent storm shelter down here or something.

I find deer in rough shape sitting on a bed.

Patient: “I-who are you? ”

Gretchen: “Just an angry wife looking to get her fire wood back. I take it you're the patient?”

Patient: ”I- wait are you an actual doctor?”

Gretchen: “I-no? Do I look like a doctor?!”

Patient: ”Look, I don't know why she let you down here, but you need to get me out before we’re both trapped!”

they look to be in pretty rough shape to be running off anywhere. Ask them trapped by whom, the doctor or the harvesters?

>>1088977
Bite wounds. She's probably delirious from whatever it is. Go back upstairs immediately, ask what she's infected with.

I think it's worth asking for the patient's story now. The plague doctor is confident enough to give you free access to the patient, so let's make good on it, and confirm their stories jibe. The bite marks might suggest there's truth to the risk of predation tonight.

Bummer about that firewood, though. If we really want it back, then talking to these strangers is turning out to be a dead end. If there are theives still out there, they're getting away, and we should leave now to pursue a different set of tracks in the snow.

>>1088977
Theres a good chance you're about to hear a door close and lock behind you now gretchen, so you might as well ask for her story.
Lets hear from the deer.
Find out who the buck stops with.

Buckwheat 2024/04/28(Sun)14:14 No. 1089933 ID: 15a025
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>She's probably delirious from whatever it is. Go back upstairs immediately, ask what she's infected with.
Gretchen: “I’m gonna go grab the doctor, you don’t look like you’re doing too well.”

Patient: “N-don’t! Please, get me out of here!”

>they look to be in pretty rough shape to be running off anywhere.
Gretchen: “You don’t like you’re in shape to be running anywhere. Look, the doctor upstairs is-“

Patient: She’s not a doctor! Not the kind that’d help anyways.”

>I think it's worth asking for the patient's story now.
>you might as well ask for her story.
Gretchen: “Alright then, what’s the story here? Door wasn’t locked or anything when I came down. If you wanted to leave, why haven’t you?”

Patient: “I-I’m too weak to run or resist; I’m starving and thirsty. She let’s those wolves in here and takes my blood! They bite me- and- and..."

They get down on their knees and start begging

Patient: “YOU GOTTA GET ME OUTTA HERE!”

>>1089933

So.... blood harvesters? Vampires? People who think they are vampires due to being insane?

The plague doctor guy warned against 'harvesters' though. He trying to play both sides or something?

Sneak back upstairs and knoc the doc out. Hold out here for the night.

No way is that story true. This patient is a recently-turned vampire and the doctor is trying to cure vampirism. If the patient's story was true the doctor would not have let you down here. Let's just go get the wheelbarrow and the rest of the wood.

She has bitemarks aplenty.
That could back up her story or indicate an attack and infection.

No one is being completely straight with you gretchin.
Thats gotta be making you angry.
Angrier.

Dont let her close to you.
Just incase.
Time to see doctor snootmask.
What theyre doing when you sneak back up should be interesting.

Ask what her "treatment" entails.

God dammit you didn't come here for all this shit. Where's you wheelbarrow and the rest of you wood!

Now if she's telling the truth then the only reason the doctor would let you down here is to trap you. So if you can just walk right back up then this lady is probably suffering paranoia or schizophrenia or something. Either way you're not a doctor, so nothing to be gained yammering down here.

At this point, if you stay here any longer, you're gonna need to be ready to stay here for the rest of the night, because your wood is getting away. You can go up before you get locked in here, too, and ask the "doctor" to comment on the patient's story, but you don't have to stay any longer than you feel like, if you can't get any more wood back here. I'm curious to know if the wolves the doctor lets in here wear masks, though; ask the patient about that before ditching to go back upstairs.

Whatever's wrong with them, they need a real doctor. Some quack in the woods isn't curing anything.