>>6419801

*Evil’s notes: Due to miscommunication I should clarify the limits of current dark arts (at least what has proven obvious thus far). I also apologize for last time, I lost internet connection for about two hours and just was not up to restart at that time.

-Imply is not a mind control spell. You can only influence and magnify emotions and beliefs currently held in an individual’s heart. You could not, per say, convince a lover to murder his beloved, unless you hatched a plot that would make Iago proud.
-Soul Obliteration needs an opportune time to pull off. A willing, stunned or weakened opponent are the only times it will work.

-One more act of greater evil will fuel your next metamorphosis and bring you that much closer to your true potential. Also known as getting one step closer to "KILL MAIM BURN! ALL THE TIME!" with less consequences.

>>6419811
As the great number of people disperse you spot Freyr turn his head one last time upon the gathered mass of nobles before giving a visible grunt of disgust. Around you armed soldiers have begun to carry away some of the more inebriated nobles to their rooms while your attention is lastly garbed by a swirling of visible wind leading you back to the great doors entering the hall, standing there is a robed man cowled speaking with great enthusiasm to a group of apathetic guards holding him back.

>>6419931
Let's go check out what he's ranting about to them then.

>>6419976
Edging closer to the door the robed man's ranting becomes clearer.

"I said I have official documents from Grand Mage Beatrice Thornson to enter the castle! It's absolutely dire!"

The guards continue to hold their spears crossed to bar his entry and roll their eyes with tired prepared responses. "Like I said sir, you'll have to wait, because we got orders to not let anyone of non noble decent enter."

"This concerns national security! You louts!"

>>6420054
Ahh, so He's likely here about us. If we've noticed any back door exits we can slip out of, keep them in mind.

If the guards look annoyed with him, and we think we can get away with it without being singled out, could we imply for them to get rough with him?

Have Catharine go up to him and ask if he wishes to convey a message to the lords through her. This will let us plan any countermeasures just in case it is about us, and take advantage if it is not.

>>6420178
Ooh Good idea.

>>6420111
You decide to move closer still and address the guards. They take quick notice of you and Catharine and stand at attention. "The evening is over and everyone is retiring. Why are you letting this... man create so much noise?"

"We were just dealing with it sir! Please, believe us! Hey! Get this sorry sod out of here!" The other guard with the but end of his spear begins pushing the man down the stairs toward the large wooden doors leading outside.

The robed man's cowl finally falls off and you notice he is quite young, probably an apprentice or simple messenger boy for whomever sent him. He stares at you with anger gleaming from his eyes, "You pampered fool! My mistress' visions are never wrong! You're only causing your own downfall!" Before he can create any more commotion he is tossed onto the snowy stone steps outside the castle.

>>6420178
Either that, or have him come with us and Catherine, then take him into a room alone and pump him for info.

>>6420246
Now that we've played bad cop, yeah send Cath outside to talk to him, and ask what message he needed to give, and she will relay it.

>>6420238
Now we can send her out to play "Good Cop" and apologize for us and such, promising to take whatever warnings to lord Freyr or even the King. Bullshit of course.

Also what is Lord Freyr doing now? Is he back in the hall or still meeting with the King?

>>6420285
>>6420288

You whisper for Catharine to go retrieve the message from the boy now that he has been thrown out. She looks at you with a cock eyed expression, so you assure her it was just so that he would see an easier way to deliver the message and hand it over. She nods and hurries after the boy brushing the dirt off his robes when Catharine kneels down beside him and gives her best smile and soothing voice. The boy becomes ridged and flustered immediately. You watch from a window inside unable to hear but it is only a few kind words later before the boy hands over the scroll, gives an embarrassed bow and runs off. Returning inside Catharine hands the scroll over to you. There is a red wax seal on it, it reads "Thornson GM Arwenken Mage Academy."

With the room mostly cleared and the guards escorting the nobles away there is a light thud behind you and a towering shadow speaking in a familiar voice, "Do you wish the lad dead my lord? He spoke nonbefitting to your person."

>>6420376
No, if Cath could manipulate him that easily then he could provide useful later, plus if he vanishes then whoever sent him might get suspicious.

Lets just find a nice little place to read this message.

>>6420416
Seconding.

>>6420376
No, he has the potential to be useful in time. Tell Kelgris to follow him and report back where he goes. If he goes to the mage academy don't follow him in, just come directly back.

Along with Catharine and Kelgris hiding in the shadows you find an unoccupied guest chamber in the castle's first floor near the west tower. Lighting a candle you remove the seal and read the letter...

From the desk of Grand Mage Beatrice Thornson:

My most exalted majesty, I speak on behalf of my master and in this letter delivered by this boy I urge your immediate attention to matters most dire. Upon the winds a most troubling development has gripped many of my colleagues with fear. Rumour has spread among the academies that the dark prophesy may soon come to pass. Many preachers within the circle of Valtir and even his most high holiness Aleric XII of the Apostle States has denied it, but along with Thornson’s recent vision induced coma I believe the worst might have come to pass. Here we plan to make preparations and alert the world that the King of Darkness may have returned. An expedition to the northern continent to the forbidden tower (Valtir curse its name to never be said again) has found a previously unmolested tomb. Along with Thornson’s warning upon returning to consciousness every few days over the last month we believe this means the great prophesy may come about far earlier then those who had taken its warning to heart. The world as it is will not be prepared, and I fear the worst may soon come to pass. Please, when able come visit my master at her bedside. I apologize for such inconvenience but her health will not permit her movement to your majesty.

-Your loyal subject Duke Geraldson

>>6420527
We need to find out this duke's master. And pay her a little visit. Catherine can ask for us.

>>6420527
Hmm. Is it possible to re-use the seal or copy it to send a forgery?

At the very least we've delayed some communication about us, and we know one of their important people in a coma of sorts.

>>6420603
You are not skilled in such matters, since you lack any experience doing so. You may wish to try and reseal the letter but the risk is yours.

>>6420527
Well this is inconvenient. I suggest we first investigate the nobles and see if any enemies are gathered under the roof for the ball tonight. Afterwards depart the castle, making sure the guards and any nobles in the grand foyer see us go. After we get out of sight search for a way upstairs, specifically have Kelgris lead us to the point he was able to enter at.

A little assassination is in the air, methinks. Best if we can find a noble who has an enemy already around, but every noble has enemies and it will be a good thing for us to sow some chaos regardless.

>>6420639
If there are no nobles with enemies that you or Cath know of then we can always make it look like peasants took revenge for the slaughter. Scrawl "Death to the nobles!" in blood or something when we are done.

>>6420639
Have Catherine discreetly find out who Duke Geraldson calls his master/mistress, then ask about her enemies. Time to convince those enemies to act.

Catharine informs you that from what the boy has said, the letter is supposed to be from that Beatrice lady. She is apparently a power mage skilled in scrying and divination magic. She guesses if you haven't already that she should reside at the highest point of the academy within the city.

Of enemies, There has not been a war between nations for almost a century. There are still tensions between the nobles of Telreinz, Casleinz and Lourenz since they all used to be one larger country. Naheland has a prejudice against other nobles, thinking they are weak and soft.

>>6420762
It doesn't need to be an ACTUAL enemy, like in the warfare sense. Some of the most brutal powerstruggles in history were cloak-and-dagger type political assassinations and manipulations in the Italian states during the 12th-13th centuries. Rich nobles need no concrete reason to hate one another, and family feuds and bloodline-based warfare was common.

If that's not the case here, well, that's just the way it is. But if this is a proto-feudal system then there need not be wars or battles for there to be nobles bent on killing the shit out of each other.

If she is in the tower in this town then we should take care of her quickly, while her health is poor.

We should perhaps go with Catherine to the tower. Explain that we delivered the message but the nobles laughed it off and continued their decadent affair. We wish to speak with her so we may send this message to the next society we go to. It will be better received by Catherine who is a noble.

>>6420762
Kiss Catherine

>>6420799
Of that, Catharine assures you that her time spent at Hinterport most of her life has shielded her from knowledge of the cloak and dagger politics. She understands what you are after, and doesn't disagree with your assumptions. Would a noble if asked about his secret feuds and hatreds reveal it to a stranger so readily? That she isn't so optimistic about.

You'd need to be pretty clever about it

>>6420762
If we could kill this Beatrice and make it look natural, we'd probably be securing more time before people act.

Unless that's part of the prophesy.

>>6420830
this

>>6420823
then this

>>6420762
Does Cath think that she would have attendants with her 24/7?

If not we could show the letter and pretend to be an envoy from the royal court. We had best be sure of our course before doing that, though, because pretending to be a royal messenger and then having it spread that we did so would be bad to say the least.

It would be more practical to pursue another course of action, but I'm throwing this out just in case we can't figure out anything else.

We could try to go to the tower, as long as we are sure they cannot smell our evil taint, as the paladin and the Mage on the boat both have. We might want to steer clear and have our minions work on something.

>>6420823
I like it. Bold. Direct. With a pillow.

>>6420823
Actually, this is a better idea than pretending to be a messenger. Act like a concerned noble who believes in their cause but was laughed off by others. The air of fellows in persecution will let them trust us far more quickly.

We could kill Catherine, or we could focus on generating another act of evil, and increase our personal power.

Maybe we can get another mage to take her out. Someone jealous of her power, or sick of taking care of her.

>>6420860
I had forgotten about this. She is also a divination mage.

We might not want to personally do the deed this time, could Catherine manage a pillow over the face by herself?

>>6420885
Er, kill Beatrice. I like Catherine, and of course she's useful.

>>6420896

She's a divination mage who has a tenancy to slip in and out of coma. She'll be far more dangerous if she ever becomes healthy again.

Our enemy is vulnerable. Exploit it.

>>6420830
You are quite lucky to have stumbled upon this woman. You might have thought of her as only a treasure for the eyes, but the mind too. You decide she deserves a reward and you sweep her off her feet and kiss her deeply. When you set her back on her feet she sways there red in the face and almost fainting.

>>6420823
Quickly changing the mood you decide to visit this academy and take care of some business.

>>6420860
You're sure last time that elf sensed the foulness on the ship from somewhere else other then you. You should be careful to not have anything with you that screams, "BLACK MAGIC!" Take a moment to prepare your plans before going.

>>6420896
Yeah, I think that Cath could do it. I mean she seems to be getting bolder and bolder. Perhaps if we praise her plenty, and talk her up, then ask her to go and do what she can to take care of this problem or find out all she can.

If she loses her nerves, she can just leave, if she admits to reading the letter, all she is guilty of is being nosy.

Can we do anything to interrupt her divination powers? It's far too dangerous to approach her ourselves, but soul-obliterating Beatrice would give us a powerful ally, or tool...

GUYS. GUYS.

>>Soul Obliteration needs an opportune time to pull off. A willing, stunned or weakened opponent are the only times it will work.

Guess what this Beatrice diviner is? Hows about we add a mage to our team?

>>6420885
Why would we kill Catherine? Right now she is the key to appearing a noble and the closest thing we have to a servant with independent thought, though a bit more "Dark Priestess" and less "Mindless Concubine" would be nice. But, eh, take what we can get at this point.

Take stock of our surroundings. What happened at the ball? Any politics talk? Where is the military headquartered? Where are all the guest rooms? Is anyone still in the ballroom, preferably a drunk we could pump for information?

>>6420935
>>6420932
SOUL OBLIT MIND

Sorry Kelgris, you can't come. Hold our dagger and any other dark artifacts we are holding.

>>6420935
The thought crossed my mind as well, but remember what happened with the captain? She's already weak and dying, not entirely sure she would survive it, and if she dies we have just made an entire mage academy angry at us while we are stuck at the highest point in it. Oh, and we just killed one of them, possibly their leader.

>>6420932
>>6420935

I like it. If she's in a coma, she may not be able to follow us to provide magic assistance, but having someone greatly trusted spouting false prophesies that promote our cause would be unbelievably helpful.

>>6420961
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I say it's worth the risk. I think we can escape any backlash without any truly major setbacks, but the potential rewards of having a powerful mage under our command are too great to ignore.

>>6420976

Despite the risk I'd have to agree. We may want Kelgris on the outsides to open our escape route since soul oblit releases A LOT of dark energy.

Also guys, remember that they will NOTICE if we Oblit someone. Doubly so if we do it inside the academy.

>>6420999
Why not have him cause a distraction while we kill her? That way he can draw guards and magical people away from us.

Why don't we try to cause some evil first before we piss off the mages? The prophet is bedridden, she's not going anywhere.

Can't we just make Kelgris kidnap the bitch? Fucker is pretty god damn stealthy when he needs to be.

>>6421020
>>6421012
Combine these

>>6421012
Very nice. Make sure the dagger isn't on us. Then let's have him take a wagon full of trade goods, and 10 minutes after we go into the tower he rolls up and gets into a big argument about how they ordered the goods and he's supposed to deliver them here (for an outrageous price, so they don't just pay him to go away).

>>6421003

Do you think our Dark Imply would work on a sleeping target?

If we could twist them while they slept...well, that would certainly be more useful than making them a mindless slave.

Hell, if they're important, we could corrupt the whole order from the top down.

>>6421050
In case you forgot, Kelgris is now a walking crimson skeleton with burning eyes, covered in armor and a robe. He gets away with being around because nobody looks to close at our retainers, having him get into an argument with guards is asking for trouble.

Sending him to kidnap a mage is also a bad idea for the same reason, he's a walking undead/demonic monstrosity at this point, I think they would probably notice the palpable evil that surrounds him.

>>6421085
then have him slaughter the guards while they sleep.

You tell Kelgris that he must stay behind. You can sense his protest even though he says not a thing. He will always blindly follow any order you give him, although the one thing he always does by his free will is remain and close as possible to you. You should expect him to be well within mental shouting distance.

>>6421012
Instead though, you decide to give him another take. He cannot comprehend your plan, but he will do so anyways. To make sure he is not late he leaves immediately and vanishes.

Leaving behind all your belongings that have some trace of dark energy in your guest chamber you venture to the mage academy. It is still within the grounds of the upper levels of the Arwenken plateau so it does not take long, it is however getting late. So late that when you approach the doors to the academy the guards in front are rather suspicious and ask what your business is as they blockade the entry.

>>6421050
Didn't the dagger+defiled paladin symbol get forged into an unholy symbol last time?

>>6421104
Show them the scroll (don't let them read it) and say that you must speak with Grand Mage Thornson immediately, the matter is urgent.

Wish we'd known the time, I would have had us come at a decent hour.

>>6421126
You reveal the scroll to the guards at the door showing the seal, but covering up that it has been opened. They both look at each other, shrug and move aside allowing you inside.

"Watch your step inside sir."

You enter the building and you notice first off the warning was not a lighthearted one. Despite the odd architecture of its outer apperence the inside looks unnaturally spacious. There should not be this much room. The air smells like ozone and other indisguishable chemicals while a sound of crackling energy and turning wheels echoes throughout the large interior. It seems most people have retired for the night, but people dressed in robes and carrying varying number of books walk the corridors and suspended walkways in every direction. That also catches your eye as you turn around and notice the large wooden doors you entered by are standing in the middle of a large open room, if you were to walk behind you would see the same doors from behind without being inside. Noticing the new arrivals a tall man with black hair and beard seemingly floats along the floor to you and Catharine.

"Are you lost? If this is your first time here do not be alarmed, it happens all the time. But might I ask what your business is here? Perhaps I can be of assistance?"

>>6421126

This

>>6421250

Yes, I have to see the Grand Mage. I realize she's very ill but I have a terrible sense of foreboding. I need to get her message so I may spread it quickly. I fear that the stakes are high and the time is short.

>>6421250
Say you are here on important business with the person who sent the scroll. Be a little skiffy on the details, but be polite and act serious, concerned and important. Ask if they mind leading us to who need to speak to.

>>6421250

Tell him we're here in response to the note. The other nobles couldn't care less, but we feel that if we come and get the news from the prophet ourselves, we may be able to properly convince the others to act.

>>6421250
"We recieved a message from the Grand Mage and wish to speak with her. There is a matter that she seems to have great concerns over, and unlike many of our peers we feel that the knowledge and power of your academy should never be dismissed out of hand. Unfortunately we are the only ones to think so, even the king refuses to see reason. If you could show us the way to her tower then we would be most grateful."

While enroute tell him that you are a recent arrival here and would like to know more about this... simply miraculous magic you see all around you. Flattery, ect. will be our assets, make him feel important and try to get as much about the mage academy as we can out of him. Also slip in some questions about the Grand Mage and how she is regarded.

>>6421379
>>6421369
>>6421337
>>6421321

He quickly looks around in panic and casts a quick spell. Appearing from the stonework floor below a basic staircase beings to spiral upwards. When you journey far enough up it beings to dissipate behind you.

"Please do be quiet about such things, the students don't know about the health of the Grand Master yet. It is so close to exams and we wish not to alarm them." Asking for the scroll you present it as briefly as you can and tell him the lies of taking the letter and trying to deliver it and the apathy from the royal court.

"So you read it then I assume?" He looks at you sternly for a moment, but his eyes relax and he continues. "I heard about it from the duke not long ago. Terrible business it is. I'd hate for magic to become so barbaric again."

You decide to push and flatter him for the knowledge that you can about this strange place. "Ah yes, well this is one academy of many. Not many left in the world as there were long ago, but they are not so violent as they used to be. There is self defence of course but magic research to better people's lives instead of taking them has been the focus for a long time now. It is sad though, countries like Ostland have taken funding from the magic arts to their, "enlightenment" projects. Think magic is archaic and hogwash. Think it's dangerous to give powers beyond a normal person that not everyone can have. Well even here magic power is amplified, it really cant do all this much."

While he prattles on and on you eventually reach the top of the large interior to a much more contricted and proper part of the building. "Just give a shout out to Dumpry, that me name, I'll take you back down when you're done. If you're looking to talk to the Grand Master, you'll have to go through the Duke first. She's ill and all that. Well goodbye."

>>6421379
>>6421369
>>6421337
>>6421321
some combination of these

>>6421497
Perfect. Let's go see the Duke, then.

Thank him, talk to duke

>>6421542
Heck yeah we gots some evil to do.

>>6421497
So um... look around? What area are we in, exactly? What is here?

>>6421564
Behind you is the gaping chasm that leads down to where you came from. In front of you is a hallway. In said hallway there are nine doors. Four on each side and one at the end. Along the hallway there are painted portraits and stone buffs of other Grand Masters of this Academy from the past.

>>6421589
Sounds like we should be discreet, else get jumped by several powerful mages.

>>6421589
Can't hurt to look in on the various rooms in the hall. After all, he never told us WHERE the Duke was now did he? We were merely misguided if we "accidently" poke our nose into something and get caught.

Specifically, look for books on history and magic. Especially look for any forbidden text type books that might contain spells more suited to our unique nature. They will probably be under lock and key if they even exist at all, but it can't hurt to look.

Then head to the end door, where I presume the Duke and Grand Master are waiting.

>>6421631
2nding this.

>>6421631

Sounds like a good idea.

Maybe we can pick up some regular magic skills in addition to our LOLDARKNESS ones?

rolled 93 = 93

>>6421631
I'm rolling for sheer chance here for something immediately perceived as useful, get 15 or lower.

The rooms are currently just empty rooms for all the other higher up teachers at the academy as you quickly open each one and investigate. Through the final door however reveals a large room. It spans forward again with unreasonable distance and adorned with a menagerie of skeletons from creatures long since gone from the world. Orcs, trolls, dragons, the like. Sitting working at a desk at the end of the large room is what appears to be a short man, grey hair balding on the top and a red robe. Seeing your arrival and scroll still in your hand he leaps up and with a staff in hand lurches over to you.

"Where is his majesty? I thought I called specifically for him." When he gets closer he pulls out a pair of glasses and puts them on. "Who are you two?"

>>6421714

"His majesty felt the matter did not warrant his concern, as did the rest of the nobility present. However, we think the matter deserves consideration, and believe that if we hear your master's words ourselves, we may be able to persuade him to come personally."

"We're messengers," *imply that if applilcable to make the disguise stick* "here to deliver an urgent message to the Grand Master, I was told to take it to you first."

"Messengers? This is ridiculous! Can't they stop their party for but a moment to listen to what I have to say?" He paces back and forth for a moment more before stopping once again. "But you haven't told me who you two are yet. You want to meet with the Grand Master. why? No one can just see her, she is in a very fragile state right now."

>>6421714

Let's see if we can influence the sleeping Grand Master through our Dark Imply.

Wouldn't it be lovely if we masquerade as a doctor, and slowly corrupt the head of the mages while she's defenseless?

"I'm Sir Cornswaddle, this is my wife. We're visiting from up north, here to escape the weather for a little while. While at the party, we noticed the guards stopping a messenger, and decided to deliver it ourselves, so as to see a little more of the palace. I hope we're not in trouble." Hand over the message and look embarrassed.

>>6421843

Blah blah blah, we're returning the noble's message back to the Grand Master! It's very urgent and the GM's counsel is needed.

>>6421885
NOT this, please.

>>6421910
damn, for future reference, what's wrong with it?

>>6421843
"I am Lord Griffith Femto, and this is Lady Catharine. We've come because we understand the dire nature of this matter and wish to aid in whatever way we can, but alas the royal court and nobles do not feel the same. When we presented your letter it was met with derision and even a few laughs. We have recently returned from the north, however, and know that perhaps things are as you say. Still, if we are to put our reputation and family lines behind you in this matter I feel we *must* speak to the Grand Master in person. This is a weighty decision for all of us, and not one to be taken lightly or merely on the basis of a single letter."

>>6421927
The message was to be delivered to the king, not to the duke we're talking to now. Also, Cornswaddle?

Mostly, we need to make the impression that we're the way this guy can convince the king of urgency, not two random people who have no sway. THAT's how we'll see the prophet.

>>6421948
ah overlooked the king bit, thanks. And Cornswaddle was humorous, though in retrospect a bit too memorable.

>>6421946
This.

>>6421946

Hmm, yes, I concur.

>>6421843
"The child was turned away at the door, My lover here went to speak with him to deliver his message, but the nobles and the party were Droll and complicated... And perhaps foolishly we read this document. I know it was wrong of us to come here, but I find its message to be both dire and interesting. As a noble and a leader of some growing forces I'd like to know what is going on despite the churches hopes to squash information to people who might need it."

<Insert passable, but fake noble names.>

Dunno if that will honestly, pass, but never know.

>>6421977
Well, I did chuckle at Cornswaddle. If we were going for a mustache-curling Bond villain style quest, or were in Bad Guy Quest, I'd be all for it.

But Evil, as a good DM for a serious-toned quest, makes us pay for mistakes.

>>6421946
"Lady Catharine Hinter?" The Duke seems very surprised as he hobbles back over to his desk. He mumbles to himself as he reads through a mess of scattered papers. "Ah yes yes, here it is. Not long ago while asleep she murmured 'Hinter'. And here she is! Really Thornson is an amazing person. To think a Hinter would come here in such short order. If you'll wait just a-"

Another orange robed man bursts into the room slamming the door open. "Sir, there is a problem outside!"

"What?"

"Some brute outside is trying to exhort money from the academy!"

"Tell the guards to deal with-"

"The guards were knocked out in an instant sir!"

The duke looks at the two of you. "Sorry, please wait here while I take care of this. I'll return and remove the locks from the door after so we can talk to her once I clear this up." Along with the orange robed man he hobbles away out of the room leaving the two of you behind.

>>6422054
No better opportunity than this. What kind of locks are we dealing with?

>>6422054
Woah, this prophet knows way too much about us. We have either got to convert or silence her permanantly. We can't be spied upon when we are still so weak, and without doubt need to avoid having our mortal servants flushed out.

Inspect the door into the GM's room, and the guardians around it.

>>6422079
>>6422081
Locks of the magic variety. Nothing else of note that you can see.

>>6422079
>>6422081
I think touching those doors is the dumbest thing we could do right now. Magic locks? Mages everywhere?

Let's follow the two and find out what is happening. The intruder may be important.

>>6422091

Can we LOLEVIL them open without alerting the other mages?

It would be awesome to influence the GM now, because lord knows the fatty won't leave us in there alone.

If we can't sneak in and back out without anyone noticing, we should just wait.

>>6422091
Do we think we can break the locks with any sort of power or force? Without sending up flares of course, perhaps with the distraction we could pull it off.

Anything in the room that looks like it could be used to unlock the door/in the desk? Anything important to take or change?

Allow us to test how stupid the doorman was. Look through his papers for clues to the nature of this door.

>>6422102
>>Let's follow the two and find out what is happening. The intruder may be important.

facepalm.jpg

The intruder is our own guy, causing the distraction.

>>6422091
Well, I doubt we can bust the magic locks, and even if we could it would probably not be so good.

Mentally call Kelgris off, but tell him to wait and commence slaughter if we give him the command to do so.

>>6422102
The intruder is Kelgris

>>6422142
Actually, strike that. Search through the papers while big K is making noise down there.

Did that guy leave his notes on the desk? Is anyone watching. We need to steal his books and notes and shit and find a way inside a gather all the info about the prophecy that we can.

>>6422142
Do this. Then we'll have Kelgris come back when the locks are off. The duke will get fed up and go out to teach him a lesson, and that's when we'll act.

>>6422172
>>6422171

Better than nothing.

>>6422172
>>6422171
>>6422180
This, but be discreet, and be sure to leave everything where it was when you found it.

You focus your will to Kelgris to tell him that the higher mages are on their way to deal with him and he should escape.

Moving over to the desk you see a collection of papers each recording over the past month everything the Grand Master has uttered in her sleep. Most of the papers have incoherent words on them and make no sense, but some of them tell of forbidding and terrible things. Well not to you, they make you feel quite warm and fuzzy inside. They tell of cities destroyed, noble houses slaughtered, people enslaved and country sides burned to cinders. They each blame it on one man, who remains nameless each time he is referenced. As for the locks, nothing comes up, it must be a spell of some sort, not that you are well versed in any of it.

Catharine makes her way to the door exiting the office. When she does so she tells you that there is no one outside and she'll keep a watch on it.

>>6422218
Is that everything? If so, I guess we should just wait for them to return.

>>6422218
Search the desk for any objects. Also look around the room for anything useful. Surely there is something here we can use!

Also look at the skeletons on the walls. Anything that jogs our memories? Ancient evil beasts we might reanimate to cause havoc after we do whatever we are going to do with the GM?

>>6422218
Good, keep learning what we can, and make sure there aren't any of those forbidden books around for us to get additional magic from.

I think it's really cool that Catherine is proving to have a head on her shoulders right now.

>>6422250
Previous memories remind you standing on a balcony looking over a scorched landscape, populating it was an army easily a million strong of feral men-beasts like creatures adorned in the panoply of war. The large winged reptile reminds you of something else. Soaring, soaring through the sky on the back of a mighty beast. Larger then the one here, but you remember diving upon masses of silver armoured men rending them with weapon in hand and talon, tooth and spike.

>>6422317
Is there a writing utensil around? If we could change some of these things, or write in some names or a name that could make it looks like she's predicted someone specific. Someone we want persecuted.

Or just to screw with them, just write things that allude to mages needing to break off and join this evil doer because while what he does seems evil it is actually for the greater good.

Grand Master? Are you awake?

>>6422361
He seems to have a pretty encyclopedic knowledge of the writings, and the hand would be different. Don't think that's viable.

Just chill and wait for him to get back for now, I suppose.

>>6422385
seconding patience

"He's back." Catharine rushes from the door and back to where you are standing by the Duke's desk. A moment later the clacking of his cane can be heard before he reenters the room.

"Fat waste of time that was. Bloke just decides to run before I can work some steam off." Realizing you two are still waiting he apologizes. "I'm terribly sorry about the delay. Now, I'm sure Thornson will wish to speak with you Miss. Hinter. If you'll come with me." Catharine coughs a little and pouts up. "My lady?" Catharine stares at him. And he switches his look between her and you. "I'm sorry my lady only people she foresees are allowed inside in her condition. It helps her wake up if you believe me." She continues staring at him. "Alright alright, have it your way. There simply isn't time. Things have to move quickly if we are to hold the initiative!"

Hobbling over to the door he waves his staff in a circular motion over the door and the locks fade from sight as the large oaken doors slide open. The three of you enter the room, which is surprising simple except for a large window spanning an entire wall of the room looking out over the night time panoramic view of Arwenken.

Inside there is a meek voice of an elderly lady. "Oh my dear duke. Have you come with the Hinter girl at last? There are things we must discuss."

"My lady you are awake! Joyous day!"

>>6422463
"Come closer the two of you." Thornson is sitting propped up on a large extravagant bed with four posts supporting a veil currently pulled away. Her hair is long and falls off the bed due to its length. It is grey from age as is her face wrinkled. Her eyes are completely grey and look as though they are not focused on you but behind you. As if she cant see you at all.

"I'm sorry My lady, but Hinter was insistent I being her company in as well."

"There is another here?" She remains silent for a moment longer before you notice she manages to become even paler and her voice even meeker. "Oh no. By Valtir. How is this..." She seems to be looking right at you. Terrified.

>>6422470
The jig is up, try and kill Duke as quickly as possible, and shut the door.

>>6422470
Now is time to act, hit the Duke with everything we have before he realizes what is happening, and tell Cath to close the door.

>>6422470
Hmm. I don't know if we can take a whole bunch of mages. Maybe we should talk calmly with her, but keep our eye on both of them. If she's all ready feeling really fearful, perhaps we can play on that with a subtle imply as we speak to her.

"Surely your visions would of told you I'd come to visit no?"

>>6422511
this, and be ready to fight.

Rabbit punch him, send Kelgris to renew distraction.

Catherine should put a pillow over the mage's face until we've dealt with the duke.

Tell Kelgris the door is unlocked behind you and he should join you as soon as possible.

Stall for time. Have Kelgris tell you when he is getting close. Stab the Duke in the back just as Kelgris enters the room.

>>6422511
I don't think the Duke is going to be inclined towards diplomacy though. He needs to be unconcious, then we can talk calmly with her. There was a runner earlier so there is not telepathy present here, we need to play it safe and get the weak old woman isolated and her bodyguard mage unconcious. She said "My dear Duke." so we can safely assume they are friends, we can use that.

Really just too much of a risk to leave the Duke up and about. He is obviously a mage of power, we can't afford to take the chance.

>>6422491
>>6422498
>>6422511
>>6422518
Drawing your longsword you ambush the duke and push it down through the back of the neck and sinking it deep into his chest. He siezes up for but a moment before his legs give out from under him as his small body hangs from your sword lodged in his insides. Lowering your sword and raising your boot you place it on his shoulder and with a sickening crunch tear the sword out from his back. Blood pooling on the carpeted floor below.

Meanwhile Catharine runs to the door and swings it shut.

You look up at the old witch sitting up in bed paralysed, "Surely your visions would of told you I'd come to visit no?"

She doesnt seem to be paying sole attention to you right now, "Hinter. How could you?..."

>>6422594
"Hinter"?
Whoops!

>>6422594
Crush her soul now! Don't fuck with my woman!

>>6422608
This.

>>6422594
We don't want the old lady putting crazy ideas in Cath's head, stride right up to her and ensure her attention is entirely focused on us. Begin asking questions about the prophecies she has seen.

>>6422608
This and order Kelgris to slaughter everyone he can and make his way to you.

You know, once we Soul Oblit her we need to have her make it look like she chased us off. Or get the duke's body gone, with a story, or something. Kind of hard for us to have someone spouting fake prophesies that get believed otherwise.

>>6422608
ARGH, the mages will notice us and we don't even know if she will survive! At least TRY asking her questions first.

What's the plan if the soul oblit yields less-then-expected results? We don't fully understand it yet.

>>6422671
Additionally, HAY GUISE remember that we are in the middle of the fucking royal palace here? In a mage academy? Let's not be suicidal.

>>6422671
We can't have her make Catherine regret her choice. Catherine needs to be loyal, and we can't have her doubting us.

>>6422660
Do this. Then we'll make it look like he killed the duke, and was driven off by the prophet.

Ideally.

>>6422685
She could use magic to contact others or to attack us.

If we crush her soul, she's on our side. We could pretend to be taking her hostage and have Kelgris slaughter everyone who doesn't surrender. Worst comes to worst, we see what kind of magic she could use on her students hehehehehe...

>>6422698
If we are ever going to make good use of Catharine then we are going to need to be able to trust her not to be swayed by the words of Valtirians. This is an excellent opportunity to let her be exposed to those ideas and be in a perfect dominating position to "correct" the things the prophet says. Think of it as an immunization shot, just with Valtir.

>>6422731
Seconding this opinion, question the witch and keep a thought on her words to Catherine.

"So, do you plan on killing me yet? You think the world will just let you walk across it again and let it burn and smolder in your imprint? In the end you will fall. All this death before hand is pointless. You wont gain anything in the end!"

>>6422756
Well.

Time to Oblit, I suppose. So much for talking to her.

>>6422756
"I've heard it's the journey that matters, not the destination." Begin moving towards her. "Regardless, you're right to call my position tenuous, but I believe you can be of assistance in that manner."

>>6422756
Soul Oblit her, or see if she is able to be manipulated through fear/persuasion.

"You don't have to die. No one does. You cannot trust in everything you read in books, everything you dream in dreams. I'm here to save the world from people like you."

>>6422756
"I do not to things in order to gain things for myself. I work to change the world.

I am not afraid of my own death. Unlike your people, I am not opposed to all change"

>>6422774
"Your destination is ruin. And your only comforts will fade. You will stop being human all together soon enough. Then even the whole world wont be enough. If your fire isn't snuffed out you'll burn out." Noticing you stepping closer she turns her head forward away from your direction. "Your fire doesn't burn in the heart of every man woman and child. As much as you wish for everyone to writhe in pain like you, not everyone will become like you because you wish it."

>>6422840
Is she telling this to Catherine?

"I don't need you old witch. I don't need your words, and I don't need a single person who sits alone, submissive and cold in this world. Fire -will- burn in everyone's heart until we smolder out. Or their flesh will burn until I do not have to look at them."

Don't soul oblit her, just prove the fact. Hand your sword to Cath and tell her to prove her fire is strong.

>>6422875

Cath's time to shine

>>6422840
"You would have the world stagnate as you have here, no fire in their hearts? Denying the fire of passion--that makes YOU the inhuman one."

>>Don't soul oblit her, just prove the fact. Hand your sword to Cath and tell her to prove her fire is strong.

Ummm, NO. We came here for the express purpose of soul obliterating her. We don't throw that away, plus revealing something is up, without damn good reason.

>>6422934
Sure if you want to walk up and place a mental connection with a mentally powerful person who wants to have nothing to do with us, and is not defeated or willing.

>>6422875
>>6422901

"Hinter. Why did it have to come to this? Your bloodline was supposed to end this nightmare from ever returning."

Catharine looks shocked that she is suddenly being addressed. "What?"

"It was long seen that the Hinter family, one of the great houses to fight against the Evil King so long ago, the only to survive would safeguard it if it were ever to return."

Catharine stands frozen on the spot all together.

"Its not too late, you can still end it, I'm sure. A noble sacrifice so the world can bloom forever." She raises her hand to Catharine in invitation. But she soon drops it. "Hinter? Where are you? Where did you go?"

Catharine walks away from the door and approaches you, with your sword held out toward her.

Meanwhile the Grand Master's voice still meekly calls out for Catharine. "My dear? Where did you go?"

Taking your already blood sword in hand she turns her back to you and walks toward the bedside. Pushing her long golden air out away from her face she pauses for a moment.

"Hinter my dear? Please, I know I can believe you. I know you know what is best for the world. How it will sing your praise ever after. The children will dance and sing, and the people will live in joy and... Hinter. He is drawing closer, please."

"I'm still standing right here witch."

Thornson's grey eyes become even wider for just a moment.

The bed sheets turn from white to red.

>>6422934
You seem to be new to this quest so let me help you out bro. When we use Soul Obliteration it won't always turn them to our side. It may just kill her considering how her will is no where near wanting to be with us.

Soul Obliteration is not the end all convert option.

>>6422972
FFFFFFUUUCK YEAH. We got us a right evil queen right there.

Congratulate her, take her arm, after making sure there is nothing of use here for us, and lets get a move on.

Hopefully Kel will have made enough distraction for us to slip away, if not, I guess we need to be ready for some combat. Make sure to destroy or take her notes on us.

>>6422972
What a good girl our Catharine is! Give her a hug and big attagirl! Dawww, yandere bloodshed is the truly the purest form of love.

Also, I think she is entirely ours now. No more spark that the oracle could see. Let's search the room for stuff we can grab after congratulating Cath.

Wanna see if we can make any use of the body? We're certainly not going to be disguising this crime scene.

>>6423035
Her eye, make a staff out of it, ala Sheogorath

>>6422972
Well that was awesome enough to warrant me not minding not being able to soul oblit the mage.

Kiss Catherine.

>>6423068
>>6423035
>>6423026
>>6423008

Holding out your arm she locks it with yours and rests her head and your shoulder. You then walk over to the now corpse of the seer and pull the longsword out from her face. Not much left there I'm afraid. You do however turn and notice a candle stick on the dresser next to the bedside and drop it there. After a few seconds the sheets begin to catch on fire. Taking that as a cue with both leave the room whistling a strange tune as the room begins to burn and fill with smoke.

Destroy the notes. And while we're at it. Burn the library. If the mages are going to resist us then it would behoove us to cripple them first. also this will cause rampant terror which is good for us.

Use Kel to give us the escape route we need.

Hell if we "run away" from the fire we can use Dumpry as an escort out.

Check the room for useful items. Do we want to take the recordings of the prophesy with us to prevent them being read? If we do, we let people know that they were important to us. Oh, and if we want to soul oblit someone, we can get the guy who showed us in. Call him, bop him on the head with the duke's staff, soul oblit.

>>6423124
Smooth. Are we feeling any more evil and manly?

Better yet, leave a suicide note!

The Duke was tragically driven quite desperately insane by his unrequited love for the Grand Master, caring for her every day in and out. He just couldn't stand it anymore. Burn the prophecy notes, though.

Then run downstairs screaming for help. "Oh god we tried to stop him! He kept saying that he couldn't take it anymore, but wouldn't tell us what. Then when he let us in to see her... he, he... he had done such THINGS to the body, oh dear Valtir it was...

He kept saying that if he couldn't have her love, no one would. The poor man, I wish we had been able to stop him."

>>6423175
>>6423140

Combine these.

Hey, since sup/tg/ is on the fritz, we may want to start archiving this on http://4chanarchive.org/.

The only people who met us was the guide who showed us in and the two guards outside, so yeah we'll likely get blamed for this if our faces are not forgotten in the panic and now the fire.

I'd say rough ourselves up some, make up a good story about a big monster man much like Kel' who tried to kill everyone. Fire was started in the scuffle.

If we can tho, I'd suggest just getting the heck out of the area/ even the city. We've sowed a lot of discord and made a strategic hit at a scryer, not a bid deal to cut out now ahead of the game.

>>6423165
Indeed. I really appreciate a bit of smoothness and manliness with our dose of evil.

>>6423240
The two guards are dead. Should we soul-oblit the guy who brought us in, we'd have a mage on our team and the only one who would have seen us in the entire tower would be the messenger kid.

>>6423124
KISS CATHERINE AGAIN. MAKE IT AN AWSOME KISS

>>6423165
You're feeling really good now, but not quite a 'level up'.

>>6423175
>>6423140
With the smoke billowing from the room still you stop by the duke's desk and write a brief suicide note as if written by a madman. If someone puts out the fire they should see it left behind. If not, no evidence anyways. With the smoke still pouring out you and Catharine leave the office and down the hallway to the chasm. Taking a brief moment to take a breath you then scream at the top of your lungs, "Dumpry!"

A few moments of silence pass until you hear the sound of clacking stone and you see the man appear from the darkness of the pit.

"Right right, what's all this screaming about? You don't have to... Is that smoke?" As he approaches the landing to the hallway floor you prepare your free arm allowing it to cover over with dark energy twisting and turning over and under your arm. By the time Dumpry arrives to meet eyes with you your palm is already on his face. With a shudder the black nail forms and pierces through his skull shattering blue shards out the back. His body freezes and turns cold in your grasp as white wisps of energy pour up your hand twisting between the leftover dark energy in your arm. You watch as Dumpry turns to white bones and fall apart to pieces down into the great chasm.

>>6423280
We can't oblit him without our evil presence being all over the place. We would have to discretely off him, but we can't do that seeing as we are without stairs when he is not there.

We've got to make the story good, because we need him to get down. Imply our tearful message of the murder-suicide. It's risky, but desperate times....

>>6423319
Well great, apparently he had protection magic and it just ate into our arm. Damn it.

>>6423321
Seems we just chopped the head off the local mage guild (in one case literally), so that might not be such a concern.

Too bad that Kelgris seems to be the only one tough enough to survive the soul oblit with body intact.

If we had convinced them all that it was a murder-suicide just think of all the evil feelings we would have generated? But no, we had to oblit the mage.

Sigh.

Well, book it out of there. Apparently nobody noticed the smoke from down below, so we should be able to scram pretty easily. Go pick up our stuff in the palace and take stock of the situation.

>>6423319
And that is why we had been trying to avoid using Soul Obiliteration. The chances it would work on people that are "good" is much to low.

escape is priority now. Then we leave this town. With luck the riders will come in and stamp out the remains and no one will be warned of our presence.

>>6423459
Well, had we gotten a mage servant, it would have been worth it. We took a chance, it didn't pay off. At this point, if the mage tower has only students left, we could have Kelgris come inside, and butcher everyone inside. Then blame it on Ostland.

Other then the raw magical energy surging through your arm as you just ate someone's magic potential?

Wait, did we just steal his powers?

>>6423542
You sure it's a good=blasted, evil=enslaved setup? It might be based on how tough the individual is. Your setup is more likely, I'm just saying it's not proven.

>>6423558
>>6423574

Well now. Things are looking UP.

I think its time for another spell crafting session. "Get the fuck out" edition.

>>6423550
Let's do this, testing out our newfound magical ability, maybe taking a couple more people's while we're at it.

I'm thinking cone-shaped darkness burst that could blow through walls.

>>6423626
Meaning?

>>6423626

Read my mind. I'm making a vote for a mass invisibility style spell. More useful in more situations.

>>6423558
Well it was none too clear what exactly happened there. It could have been anything from getting his power to innate magical defenses eating away at our power in an last act of spite.

Eating his power is progress though, I would say. Anyway, nobody currently in the tower knows what we were doing there. All the guards know is that we were on some vauge errand, and everyone we actually described it to is now dead. The students will be shocked and horrified once they find out the Grand Master is dead at the hands of her second-in-command and we have done some good evil.

Now we need to do a bit more. Did we sneak out of the castle to come to the mage tower or did they notice us go? This is important to our further plans.

>>6423576
When I say "Good" I mean anyone that isn't pro us. When it failed on the Captain of the ship it caused his skull to be left behind and we keep it in the ship. I forget if he was old or strong so I can't be 100%. It just seems we have had it work one time and the rest it failed.


Now on an upside it looks like it can drain magic power people we use it on. This means I'm going to quit my bitching when it comes to using it on mages.

>>6423646

Shadow passage. Step into a shadow, being able to drag someone along with us, and move through connected areas of shadow as if we were a shadow ourselves. Stepping out whenever we wanted to.

What has been our greatest weakness so far? We'll use the next spell to counterbalance that.

The fact we can't really fight beyond stabbity when they are unaware is a limiting factor, but I think invisibility would be better. Money has also been a limiting factor, so transmutation is viable too.

>>6423645
This is where I allow a new spell to be created, within reasonable limits.

>>6423657
The effect is always varied and arbitrary. What it does do is violently remove a soul from its body and your raw evil energy transforms and mutates the body left behind. Just as every person is different so too is their metamorphosis.

>>6423657
Honestly, it looks like we're going to get a unique effect with each person. Which is spectacularly awesome on Evil's part.

>>6423693
This sounds really awesome.

>>6423693
Shadow stepping! Go for it! Step into shadows and out of another shadow. Or virtually anywhere at night, since it's dark everywhere. This could come in very handy.

Range will have to be set by Evil, methinks.

>>6423693

Shadow walking is a staple of evil. Do it.

What about a spell that makes people subconsciously look away so we can move about people unseen? Kind of like, we magically remain in there periphery and once we're gone, they get startled and look to see there's nothing there.

>>6423693
By the way, in regards to making this reasonable, keep in mind that it does leave us vulnerable if someone knows about how it works--just light enough lamps and we have to bail from the shadow(s) we're in, possibly into an ambush. It doesn't have a super long duration, so long-distance travel is not going to be a useful application of it unless we're willing to arrive exhausted. And it takes at least as much shadow as we'd cast to step into--we can't step into a mouse's shadow in the street at high noon.

>>6423785
Of course, but being able to step into the shadows and appear across the city will be a great ability to have for all kinds of things.

Battle magic would be good too, though. We are sort of lacking in the combat department.

As the white pale magic swirls over and under your arm it begins to turn black until there is nothing left of what was once there. With your free arm burning with black fire your entire body turns from colour to black as well as Catharine who is still holding onto you. You find you vision set upon a strange place hallway black and desolate with no light or flame to light the way, but you know it well somehow. After a few steps a door handle of bronze stands out in the darkness. Placing your hand upon it you turn it and step through the doorway into a white wall. You find yourself standing in the shadow of a street lamp outside the Mage Academy. You are however, quite drained. You should have the strength to walk and not much else.

Limit: You can only step within a reasonable distance dependent on your Evil Power. You have to have either been to your location before or have it within your vision.

>>6423869
More than reasonable. Now, as for the guy saying we should have battle magic, how about using this to forcibly bring someone into a room with Kelgris ready to lop their head off?

>>6423899
Target will have to be willing. If the person doesn't want to turn into shadow. Tough luck.

As for part VII, I'll be ending it here since it is an appropriate time in the story to do so.

More evil to come later.

>>6423869
Very nice, we need to retrieve our items from the castle. Can't leave our stuff behind. What all is in our inventory/money reserves?

Well, we've added a spell to our repertoire, now it's time to get our evil power increased. Any ideas? Also, with us being drained, time to have Kelgris rejoin us and be able to watch our back.

>>6423941
Darn on both counts. Well, I had a good time.

Hey, before everyone leaves, vote for the thread on 4chanarchive.org -- let's not lose it.

>>6424010
We've only got one vote as of now.

2 votes so far. We need 7.

>>6424113
How many people were part of this thread, and yet we can't get more than 2 votes to archive it?

>>6424228
Make that 3, bub. So, we're almost halfway there.

>>6424228
To be fair 4chanarchive is balls. Whatever, votin. Better than it dying.

It is up to 5 now

>>6424274
Sup/tg/ is down. 4chanarchive is better than nothing.

2 more?

2 more /tg/. It can't be that hard.

I really hope we can either get 2 more votes, or suptg gets back up before this falls off. Otherwise, posting a copy on megaupload is the only way to save it for the people who couldn't make it.

Let's finish the archive, /tg/.

bump

bumping

Luckily for all parties, suptg is back up. Archived.