rolled 91 = 91

>>14934742

Ask him about the artifact we have first, since its of dwarven origins he may know more about it.

Ask him about himself, especially why is he called architect of misery, that sounds very ominous.

Then ask him what is his price and what we cane expect in return.

You decide to ask him about the artifact that you have been entrusted with, a steel disk with strange engravings upon it and something to do with dwarven-kind. "What can you tell me about..." But you stop short. You curse your forgetfulness. You left the artifact hidden beneath the floor boards in your room, half way across the monastery. And you can't leave the summoning circle until the pact is complete.
But as you look around you realize that there is no circle of any kind anywhere that you can see. There is only the vestige standing a few feet away from you.
"Um. never mind. That'll have to wait. So you're a dwarf, huh? You're not anything like what I imagined. Why are you called the Architect of Misery anyways?"
"Aye, that one always comes up eventually..." He looks down and the strong figure before you now looks very sad and pathetic in a way, his broken arm adding to the appearance. "It's a'cause I'm the last of the my people, an' even I don't exist no more. There ain't none left. I searched the whole world with a half 'a dozen pact makers and only found ruination ev'rywhere we went. And now all that I build be a monument to my lost people. A mark of my misery so others can know my pain." He looks up, breaking his nostalgic gaze. "But that be nothin' but ancient history now. I spent me time in mournin' and I know they ain't comin' back."

rolled 70 = 70

>>14934830

True true, we dont have the disc with us. Describe it to him and ask if he can tell us anything without seeing the damn thing first hand.

If not then proceed with questions about the rules and price of contract.

"Anyways, I have this disk of metal that I need to identify. I've been told that it's dwarven in origin. It's not here but maybe you can tell me what it is. It's circular and has runes engraved about the edge and has and angel on one side and a dragon on the other. Does that sound at all familiar?"
"Sorry lad, can't say that it does. I'm a stone mason, not a metal forger. Although..." he says scratching his beard with his shovel. "Maybe if I saw the darned thing instead of a vague description I could be 'a more help to ye. Me brother did some 'a that there kind of work, see?"
"Alright, thanks anyways. So what do you ask in return for your pact? What is your price?"
"As much as I wish I could say gold, I don't have much of a use fer it now. Instead, all I ask is just one simple thing. Evra'thing you create, destroy, or shape in stone by my hand has to be given the symbol of Moradin. Me people may be dead, but I'll be damned if I don't keep the memory alive. So, how long'll ya be needing me?"

Binder Quest!
sweet, just a sec till I catch up

>>14934967
[[Take your time. I'll be here all day. Maybe we'll get some new comers too, although we may be at the point now that the quest is too long for people to want to read through the whole story.]]

rolled 41 = 41

>>14934944

One hour.

Seems like a good vestige and not very dangerous, probably useful for stonework. Lets get what he has to offer and try our those powers, perhaps we will be able to tunnel through stone or shape it. Walls are stone yes? Other, smaller items from stone in the room?

rolled 78 = 78

>>14934944
When we make a pact, what kind of mark will you leave upon me?
Can you wait till I fetch the disk, or do we need to forge a pact first?
What kind of powers will you give me, I admit, I am new at this thing.
Do you know other Vestiges (tell him about the ones we know)

rolled 23 = 23

>>14934944
>Evra'thing you create, destroy, or shape in stone by my hand has to be given the symbol of Moradin
That means only when we are binded by contract, yes? We don't have to leave any markings when the contract end.. right?

Hey, could we restore his arm using the Snake Sisters? He is made out of rock, all we would need is a rock to restore him.

rolled 68 = 68

>>14934976
(I caught up btw, just wanted have some time to influence the binding before people jump on it)

>>14934989
>>14935006

Thinking you have a little more than an hour until supper you decide that an hour will be a safe and reasonable expenditure. "I'll require your services for an hour's time. But before we make our deal I have a few more questions. What is your mark?"
"Aye, wise of ye to ask," says the dwarf. He takes his spade and taps the end against his arm. "You'll have to carry me arm with ya. On the right side. Careful, cause she's heavy for most humans. And don't worry, I'll be along with ya ter explain it. Lads like you don't understand the finer points of craftsmanship. You need some kind 'a guidance."
"Can you wait until I fetch the disk I was talking about before we make the pact?"
"Yer not to sharp are ye? Look about," he says as he point out the stone walls of the tower with his shovel. "Yer inside the circle and ye can't leave til we agree ter somethin'."
"Well what are your powers then? Sorry, I'm still, new at this."
"As long as ye got a healthy supply a stone you can do pretty much anything you want. That's the beauty of it. 'Course, you got to be a little creative to really use it right."

rolled 88 = 88

>>14935060
Can we converse with each other during the contract?
I couldn't talk to the last guy so that was inconvenient.

As long as I don't show my hand, no one will see it, right?

Also apologize that you have called him but don't actually intent on making anything. (I bet inquisition recognizes the mark he is talking about... actually, ask him... actually, ask him what his symbol is )

rolled 64 = 64

Ask him about other Vestiges, the void and the language of the void

"Will we still be able to talk during the contract?"
"That's what I just told ya lad, pay attention. Can't trust ya to make something that'll stand on its own without some direction."
"About that, I'm sorry but I don't know if I'll be able to make much. I'm trying to keep a low profile and your symbol might... What is this symbol anyways?"
"The mark of Moradin a course. The hammer and anvil. And it's alright if ye 'ent making nothing just yet. Ye will eventually."
"Alright. So when I have your hand, I'll be able to hide it so no one can see it right?"
"Well... I wouldn't exactly call it subtle. You never seen a dwarf before though so I can't blame ya."

"Can you tell me anything about the language of the Void or the other denizens of the void?"
"Can't say that I really pay much attention to the rest of em. Not a dwarf among em sadly. And as for the language of the void, I never cared for writin. Know a few bits of Dwarven script but that's it."
"What's the void like?"
"Lad, surely you know? Ya been there once already after all. You still got a piece of er in ya too."

rolled 22 = 22

>>14935140
>"Well... I wouldn't exactly call it subtle. You never seen a dwarf before though so I can't blame ya."
So I guess we'll have a massive disproportioned right arm. Hopefully we can conceal it under our robes.

You know what, lets make this contract shorter, like 30 minutes, or 20 even. We can later summon him if we need. I don't think it will take so long to get back to our room for the disk.

Also, be lookout for a big-ish rock. I have an idea what to make.

rolled 3 = 3

>>14935156
>Ya been there once already after all. You still got a piece of er in ya too

If I have been there in the past, it was either in another life or I have a memory loss.
What do you make of me? Do I look/feel like a normal human, something else or a mix of things?

rolled 91 = 91

>You still got a piece of er in ya too.
What piece?
Tell him we don't know what he is talking about but the more he can explain the better.

>>14935182
>If I have been there in the past, it was either in another life or I have a memory loss.
No, this is wrong. Tenebrotep sent us there once, when we were stupid enough to give him complete command of our body.

rolled 5 = 5

>>14935251
OOoooOOoOOhhhh

Okay than, disregard what I suggested.

You recall your bargain with Tenebrotep and your loss of your body. Did you really go into the void when you Tenebroretep came out of it?
"What piece?"
"It's just a trace but you've got the faint feel of something that ain't supposed to exist. It's not strong but it's there. I wouldn't even be able ta notice it if I weren't a part of ya right now."
You worry about what he said about his mark and how it wouldn't be the most subtle of things. "I think we should shorten the contract for now. I may call upon you later but an hour might be too risky for me. How about twenty minutes?"
"Fair enough. So, are we all set?"

>>14935314
"Unless you think there's something else I should know before going into this, and would care to tell me, I think so."

This dwarf seems like an okay guy. A dangerous belief, I know, but I am nevertheless tempted to make it.

rolled 11 = 11

>>14935314
Alright, lets do it.

Oh, ask him about the arm. We could fix it with Snake Sisters and a rock... I think (he is made out of stone, right?). Though on the other hand that might fuck up his abilities... but who knows? Never hurts to ask.

rolled 28 = 28

>>14935327

He seems more honest at the very least.

rolled 33 = 33

>>14935314

Lets do this for twenty minutes. Lets try creating a hidden stash in the wall with his power. With some king of push-pull-lever mechanism for unlocking, big enough to hide the book and our letters/flute/artifact.

"Alright, let's do this. Unless there's anything else you think I should know..."
"Nay lad, you'll be safe with me."
"Okay. And about your arm. I could fix it for you."
The dwarf laughs a bellowing and hearty sound. "Don't you worry about me boy. If I wanted it fixed I woulda fixed myself a long time ago. Nah, this be a reminder to me. A reminder that a part of me still lies with my people. Now then, I agree to this deal."
"And I as well."
The dwarf explodes instantly with a loud bang and shards of rock float about the room. Then, one by one, the shards imbed into your arm. The process isn't entirely without pain, but it doesn't seem to be harming you. The slivers pierce your arm through your robe from your hand to your shoulder. The rock piles upon itself over and over and over until your arm is little more than a huge spiked club. Two fingers and a thumb appear upon the end of your massive right arm and impaling spikes protrude from the ball of your shoulder. The dwarf was right. This is anything but subtle.
#I warned you as much,# comes a voice inside your head. #You get used to after a while though. Great use for digging that thing is.#

rolled 66 = 66

>>14935366
Oh, that's a good idea.
Since he seems to be legendary craftsman, make it very complicated so that no one can stumble on it (or find it if they are actively searching it)

rolled 35 = 35

>>14935388
Aw, dang it. We can't come out looking like that can we now.

do this
>>14935394
>>14935366
Super special hiding place.
Put the symbol inside the chamber, on the roof if possible

>>14935388
Well, this will be utterly impossible to hide. We never make a pact with this guy again without an escape clause- i.e. "the pact will also end immediately if I say 'feldspar'".

>#You get used to after a while though. Great use for digging that thing is.#
Ask if it's also usable for high-detail work, because honestly we'll get a lot more out of being able to make relatively small hidden things than big impressive ones.

rolled 43 = 43

>>14935448
>"the pact will also end immediately if I say 'feldspar'".
Yeah, that seems a good idea for future.

"Useful for digging..." you think in response. "Can it do anything a little more detailed than that?"
#A 'course it can lad. Touch it to the rock and picture what you want it to become. I'll do the rest.#
Confused, you touch the massive arm to the stone wall, hefting its heavy weight with some effort. You close your eyes and envision a tiny secret hideaway hole like the one Arnold had in his room. You open your eyes to see the stone moving like fluid and reshaping itself before your eyes. After a few seconds there is a nothing but a tiny crack in the wall where you touched it. "Nothing happened."
#Oh yes it did. Run your finger along that there little crack from bottom to top.#
You do so, running your normal finger along the crack. When you reach the top a small section depresses, and you hear a click. A soft whirring begins and a square plate retracts into the wall by some mechanism and the two halves slide into the wall. Behind it is a perfect cube of a hole with a small crank on one side. On the back of the hole is an engraved crest of an anvil with a hammer across it.
#Just be sure to crank it up again before you close it. Otherwise you'll need ter break it cause it'll never open again.#

rolled 32 = 32

>>14935546
Oh wow, that's amazing.

Lets make another behind the closet (can we move the closet with our own strength) and bed.

The stone walls are pretty thick, no? How about we get some stone brick from behind the wall (as in, make a hole inside the wall to get some rock). Using that stone, we will make a perfect replica of the disk and have Asam'Ano look at it and tell us what he knows.

>>14935546
Nice!

If we care to get ambitious, Asam'Ano Mora might be able to help us make whole underground safe areas, protected by well-concealed secret doors and passages, in which we'll be able to do whatever we please. In fact, even if our abilities get completely made and we have to flee, with this kind of construction prowess we could potentially get ourselves set up anywhere. Makes me feel quite a bit better about things.

"That's... Incredible"
#Ah, yer too kind. It ent hardly nuthin'#
"Mind if a make a few more?"
#I'd be insulted if ya didn't, lad.#
Thinking to make a few more hideaways for safe keeping you shove the cabinet aside and make a similar one behind it. Then you do the same to the bed. You move the furniture back into place, then turn to the still-open hideaway upon the wall. You touch the rock within it and envision the disk in your mind.
#Sorry lad, no can do. I can't carve somethin' I ent never seen before.#
You drop the weighted arm disappointedly. So much for that idea.

rolled 75 = 75

>>14935592
Oh, that's right!

Ask him if he will be able to make underground hidden lair in the forest.

On which level is our room? If it is the first level and if there is no basement under it, we could make a secret hidden room under it with tunnels leading to different places.

>>14935627
>>14935592
>>14935546
Anyone else see the potential shenanigans possible with secret underground tunnels and stopped time?

rolled 27 = 27

Did we bring the books from library with us?

We could summon Xeloc, give him a book and make a contract akin to the one we did before (contract ending when we say the safety word). Then stop time and go to our chamber. If our chamber is on ground floor, make a secret room below it.

>>14935652
That is flagrantly unnecessary. We don't need to do all this -right now-. Plan it out first. Remember, we have to lose as much time as we gain, with Xeloc; when will we be able to stand around frozen for a few hours?

rolled 72 = 72

>>14935681
True that.

I'm not sure about taking and losing part. Remember the first time we used the time stopping ability, we didn't store time before that... it's just that after we release the time, everything seems to speed up and have greater force.

I'm still not sure about Xelocs powers, next time we have to question him before the contract or make a clause that he converses with us during the contract.

You consider the many options you have for reaching your room and what you could do with the potential of this new power.
Your room is on the first floor and the castle sits upon a solid sheet of bedrock. You could have access to create tunnels below and never worry about discovery again. But this returns to the problem of getting back to your room again. Perhaps you should just wait and call your dwarven friend another time.
#Aye, lad, slow down a minute.# says Mora in your mind. #The arm ent as much a curse as ye think it is. Here, watch. I'll do this for ya.#
Your arm begins to melt and reshape itself soon your arm is no more than it was before, only made of stone and of a dark coloration with a polished sheen. Where your massive spiked shoulder was there is now a small stone pauldron emblazoned with the crest of Moradin. A small armored stone bracer rests upon your arm with the same symbol. The arm is still as heavy as it was before so it seems the same amount of mass, just more dense.
#There, that should be a tad more manageable fer ya.#

>>14935734
Xeloc tried to explain but his way of speaking made it hard to understand what exactly he meant. Looking back it seems to be that we are able to enter time debt, (slowing time we don't have) or time surplus (speeding time we have not slowed). We are able to do this for a maximum of the amount of time that those two separate hands display. Before the contract ended, he checked to make sure that both sides were in equilibrium.

rolled 14 = 14

>>14935770
Thank the dwarf

Except for our hand the entire hand can be concealed by our robes now, yes?

If so, go to our chamber.
Either stash our shit in the hiding place behind the bed or take them all with us (we could make more stashing places in our chamber).

Mora confirmed for total bro.

>>14935770
That... is handy. Hmm.

Still, we only have him for twenty minutes. Even with his incredible speed, it will likely take a matter of hours to make any kind of decent underground base. Better to do that throughout the course of a night, I suspect.

That doesn't mean that we have to waste this time, though. Explain the situation and our tentative plan to him- we need to hide our bindings, our room isn't secure, and we'd like to create a secure area. Discuss potential entries and exits, layouts, how large is reasonable, passages to different parts of the castle, that kind of thing. If he's an architect, he'll probably be just as good at planning as he is at creation.

rolled 78 = 78

>>14935858
That works too.

Tell him we might call upon him later this night.

"This is much more manageable, thank you."
#No trouble at all lad. Just what I do.#
You change your shredded robes into a new pair and find the robes cover the arm almost completely except for the small bulge of your shoulder. You turn to the hideaway and cranking it up until it clicks. You remove your hand and the stone plates slide back into place, leaving almost no trace of their presence. You stash the book and the tattered robe into your pockets and turn to make your way out of the room after locking the door.
As you make your way to your room you explain the situation to Mora. "I'll need you to help me make a place to stash away the secret of my bindings in my own room. And then I'll show you the artifact I was talking about."
#Aye, but you better do it quickly lad. Ye only got a few minutes of my time left.#
"I'll call upon you for more help later tonight then."
You enter your room and close the door. Everything is still as it should be and time is short. What should you do first?

rolled 85 = 85

>>14935952
Is he gone already or do we have some time left?
If he is still here, show him the disk and ask him if he knows anything.

After this, wait till the contract is over and then proceed to do daily duties, have supper or whatever till the night.

>>14935952
We already have a concealment location for the book here, so we might as well go for the artifact first. We can worry about more elaborate secret locations and bases later.

You quickly pull the artifact from its hiding spot and turn it over in your hands. "Do you know what it is?"
#Can't say for sure but it's definitely dwarven work. That's adamantine, and only the dwarves know the secrets to it's crafting. Hmm, it does look vaguely familiar... Probably a commission from a human or some such thing.#
You put the artifact back in its place.
#Well, that's that. I'll be off now.#
You feel your arm lighten and the presence within you vanishes. You are left alone again.

[[Be right back. Gotta take care of something.]]

rolled 52 = 52

>>14936061
What did he say about the writing? Could he read it?

Alright, I'm not sure what to do till the night, so do some daily shit, pretend to research (or actually research).
At night we have some shit to do.

>>14936061
Let's catch a short nap before supper, since we'll want to be active most of the night. Aside from that, continuing our research on linguistics should give us something to talk to the Inquisitor about when asked.

You tidy everything up in the room. A short nap would do you some good since it seems you will have quite a bit to do tonight. You close your eyes and reflect upon all that you have learned.
You awake to the sound of mumbling in the halls. All of the monks are on their way to dinner and that is your cue to join them. You put on your robe, the tattered one now secure below the boards, and make your way to the dining hall.
Dinner is uneventful and you eat sparingly, your head too full of thoughts of other things. You catch Arnold's gaze at one point and he shakes his head from side to side and mouths the words 'not yet'.
You attend to the evening service, deciding you might as well since it would seem odd for you to slip away now. At the start of the service the chaplain introduces the inquisitor to the assembled masses. Aside from that it is without incident and you return unmolested to your room.
The book sits just below the floor waiting to be reopened. You could also work on the report for the inquisitor and do some more research to add to it. You've also had several experiments you've considered attempting...

>>14936303
Report for the inquisitor first. Binding can wait for when all others are asleep.

You decide to wait until the rest of the castle turns in for the night before you make any more bindings. You pull open your books on linguistics and pull out your parchment and ink and begin to summarize what you had found about the language of the void, without to referring to it as such of course. You go on to compile a nice long list of ways it has appeared in nearly all recorded languages and your theories on what it means.
A few hours pass by in this manner before you stand and walk to the window. The moon is high and the time is late enough. You finish your notes on your current subject before closing the book. You could make a note about the metal that the object is composed of but you would have to be very indirect about what it is. You certainly don't want to mention that it is a 'vessicle', since you don't even know what that is yet.
You are now free and the night is yours. There is much to do, but where to begin?

rolled 36 = 36

>>14936303

Research about mythical gods/beasts. Search for those we already know are vestiges but also for similar beings. We have those 6 bindings but obviously there are more.

But first resummon the dwarf and create a hidden chamber under the room, with secret door, stairs, some space and an escape tunnel out of the monastery. His powers are amazing so this will take only some time.

>>14936449
[[Do you wish to perform the summoning right here in the room?]]

>>14936427
Firstly, we know that binding Asam'Ano Mora will cause loud noise; accordingly, we need to do it somewhere else and then move quickly away from anyone who might come to investigate. It would be prudent to bind Xeloc first to facilitate that.

My inclination is to slip away, bind Xeloc and Asam'Ano Mora both until we speak a certain word of unbinding, stop time and return to our room, speed up time so that we have a few subjective hours to spend, then spend those hours carving out a small set of secret underground rooms where in the future we will be able to work in peace. Depending upon how fast we can work, we may wish to also include passages which will let us enter and exit the castle unseen by others.

rolled 98 = 98

>>14936373
Report what exactly. We have at least a week to make a report so don't hurry.

>>14936427
Alright, we should set up the plan of making secret chambers and tunnels leading to different parts in monastery and the town in motion.
Should we do in through Xeloc or just using the dwarf.

rolled 57 = 57

>>14936460
>>14936460

AN EXPERIMENT!!!

Instead of opening the book and summoning the dwarf try to not use the book at all, just utter the incantation and see if that works. Maybe we don't need the book all the time.

rolled 88 = 88

>>14936477

Do it this way. First xeloc then Architect, gather time - spend it building.

[[Just a note, his name is Xepoc, not Xeloc. I don't know if I misspelled it at some point or if his name is just too similar to Xelor. That was entirely by accident by the way. I didn't realize it until I had already named him.]]

rolled 29 = 29

>>14936477
>also include passages which will let us enter and exit the castle unseen by others.

Yes, preferably leading to nearby woods and/or outskirts of the town.

>>14936510
Honestly, I usually just copy/paste the spellings of these things from the last person who wrote the name, so mistakes carry.

rolled 16 = 16

>>14936510
>his name is just too similar to Xelor. That was entirely by accident by the way. I didn't realize it until I had already named him

Really? I thought it was intentional.

You decide to begin by calling upon Xepoc, as his power may help you to accrue some time to work in safety and you can likely use it in combination with Asam'Ano Mora's gift to great effect, making all of your noisy digging take place in a single instant. You decide not to take any foolish risks now and grab the tome and an interesting book as you promised Xepoc and make your way to the tower through the empty halls. You reach the room and lock the door behind you.
But then an idea strikes your mind. You walk to the hideaway on the wall that you made a few hours ago and open it, placing the books within and closing it with the hand crank. You then walk to the center of the room and take a deep breath, recalling the words you spoke just last night.
"Xepoc, Harbinger of Eternity's Repose. Halt times's toils and cease day woes. Come hither and stand before me."
Instantly you hear the clanking of metal, but you turn around and cannot see its source. Then, with dawning horror you feel, not see, where they are. The clockwork spider is climbing out from your back and shreds the back of your robes, ruining yet another set of clothing. The legs spread about you until all eight form a circle, then with with a jerk you feel the form of of a man pulled from your back and you fall to the floor. You stagger to your feet and turn to see the metal form of Xepoc with the book you loaned him in hand.
"Are you alright? That was a little unusual. I can't say I expected that."

>>14936587
[[I actually was originally going to name him Epoch when I drew up the designs for all of the vestiges, but I wanted it to be a bit more distinctive so I added an X. I only realized the similarity later.]]

>>14936549
Same.

rolled 54 = 54

>>14936595
Sweet we can summon without the book!
Aw dang, we ruined our clothes.

"Umm... just trying something new. Probably better to leave that for dire situations...."

Give him the book you brought.

When making the contract add the clause that Xepoc will be among for the ride and explain the features of his device.

>>14936595
God dammit. I am tempted to declare that we should be naked for all future bindings, because ruined clothing is going to be a bitch and a half to explain or conceal if this keeps up.

Still, glad it worked.

Greet him as calmly as we can manage. Ask if he enjoyed our book, tell him we brought a new one, and propose a pact until we speak the word "tachyon".

>>14936650
[[No using 'tachyon'. Pick a less meta word.]]

rolled 83 = 83

>>14936595
Ask him how he is doing and how he liked the book.
Ask him if he knows anything about the language of the void.
Ask him if he knows other Vestiges and incantations to summon them.

rolled 53 = 53

>>14936650
>>14936659
Just use the word which we used before (whatever it was)

>>14936668
Rutabaga iirc

You gather your wits about you again, shaking off the surprise of what just occurred.
"Oh. Ah, just trying something new. Probably better to leave that trick for more dire situations..."
You feel the hole ripped from the back of your robes. This is beginning to become a nuisance. You've already ruined three sets of robes and if this keeps up people are going to start wondering how you go through them so fast.
"Did you enjoy the book?"
"Oh yes, quite. We enjoyed it very much. Read it cover to cover, three times. Very interesting stuff in there. We won't have legends and tales like that when I come from." He hands you the book and you notice it looks quite worn from what you can see. It was nearly new when you gave it to him last night.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Here, I brought you something else. It's one of my favorites." You hand him the book on anatomical studies of coastal fauna you brought to give to him.
"Oh good. I was most grateful for your remembering, Greg. That was your name, right?"
"Yes, you are correct. So tell me Xepoc, do you know anything of the language of the void?"
"Oh yes, I've had lots of time to become fluent in every language I've encountered. Only," he says with a disheartening tone, "I wasn't aloud to talk about it. Knowledge of the future hidden in it and all that. You knew how it was."
"Oh, right. Do you happen to know anything about any other vestiges?"
"Not a very talkative lot usually. And I'm usually sequestered away outside of time anyways. Makes conversation awfully difficult."

rolled 92 = 92

>>14936736
So you can't teach the Void language to me?
Could you help translating the book I have then?

Also ask why the book is so worn down, and tell him to be more careful with them in future.

And why is he referring to himself as "we"


OH!
When we stop time (with bunch of hours in reserve) we could visit that Leonard asshat and steal his thingmajing he showed us.
Also, we need to experiment what happens when we touch a living being during the time stop. I suggest doing it on an animal.

rolled 75 = 75

>>14936736
Ask him if being outside of time as he called it has an effect on things he carries with him. ie:the books

rolled 6 = 6

>>14936736
>"Not a very talkative lot usually. And I'm usually sequestered away outside of time anyways. Makes conversation awfully difficult."

So you don't know any incantation to summon them?
How many Vestiges do you think there are?

"How many vestiges do you think there are?"
"Oh, I couldn't say. Not too many though. Maybe thirty or so, myself included?"
"Does being outside of time have any effect on the things you have with you, like that book?"
"It seemed a reasonable assumption. It might not have been safe for unprotected things over long periods of not-time."
"Alright, well let's make a pact again then. The same as last time. Until I say the word 'rutabaga'. But this time can you come with me? Possess me or inhabit me or whatever? I'd really like to have you along in case I have any questions."
"Pact, yes. Rutabaga, yes. Come along for the ride, no can do. I'm afraid part of my conditions for using the book as my ticket home is that I can't re-enter the normal time stream. I can, however, send Rem along with you again just like last time. She's been programmed to answer any questions if you ask her directly by name. Oh, can I say that? I guess I did already. Oh well."
"Rem?" you ask, puzzled.
"Yes, she will be my greatest creation and companion." Xepoc reaches up and taps the clockwork spider. "Say hello Rem."
~{Hello again, pact maker,}~ says a familiar mechanical voice.

rolled 10 = 10

>>14936845

Fine, make the pact, start the work. There is much that needs to be done.

rolled 76 = 76

>>14936845
Oh..... would have been useful the previous time.

Okay lets do the pact then.


Ask Rem her basic functions and how she works.
Ask her if stopping time without having anything in reserve harmful or not. Ask her if we can store time by fast-forwarding but not depleting it before the end of the contract, so that it carries over when we make contract again.

Ask Xepoc if he has any other creations like Rem, from the way he talked it seemed so.


Since we have already ruined our clothes, lets summon the dwarf without the book too.... well, just to be safe lets undress to our pants.

rolled 40 = 40

Next time we speak with Arnold alone we should ask if having the sigil is absolutely necessary for binding a vestige and what would happen if it was attempted without one.

"Hello Rem," you say, a tad startled. "Do you have any other creations like Rem?"
"Oh, I will have plenty. But they won't be invented for some time yet, when I will be a young man seeking to explore other worlds."
"Alright, let's just make the same deal as last time then. You keep the book and I have the gauntlet until I say 'rutabaga'."
"Done and Done," says Xepoc, and with a tiny whisper he and the contraption wink out of existence again. You look to your left arm and the gauntlet is already in place with the current time showing and both gauges at zero.
"Rem," you say to the gauntlet. "Can you tell me what happens to accrued time when I end the contract? Does it carry over until next time?"
~{Negative. All time must be balanced before the end of the contract, as the can be no assurance a next time will occur. Accrued time will be refunded at the time of the pact's nullification.}~

You prepare to attempt to call Asam'Ano Mora without the aid of the book, but out of precaution remove your robe and shirt leaving only your pants and shoes on.
"Great and ancient Asam'Ano Mora, the Architect of Misery. Raise you again your crafted works, engraved and carved for all to see. Come hither and stand before me!"
You brace yourself for whatever may come, but nothing happens.
"I'm over here lad. Are ye alright?"
You turn around and again see that Mora stands in a corner leaning against his shovel. This time you can see his wings still emerging from the stone wall, like a fluid flowing slowly outwards before cooling into it's shape. He steps completely out and the wall behind looks unchanged.

>>14936943
"Oh! Yes, I'm fine. It seems my clothes keep suffering, when I do this sort of thing. I would make a pact with you, for your abilities and advice until I speak a word to end it."

rolled 56 = 56

>>14936943
Oh...
well put on your clothes again.

Make a similar contract with him but use the word "Feldspar"

Also ask Rem about all of her functions, what each and every button and gauge does.

rolled 28 = 28

>>14936943

Make the pact, strike the earth!

Also get information about the gauntlet from Remi. And seek other informations it may have.

>>14937002
>well put on your clothes again.
Not until the pact is made. Remember how our robes were destroyed last time?

"Ah, yes, I'm fine. It seems my clothes keep suffering whenever I engage in these type of things."
"Aye, that's why I never bother with em much myself. Too many hassles." He looks curiously at the gauntlet upon your arm. "Nice piece a work you got there. Simple, plain, ordinary. Obviously human work. A dwarf could'a made it better."
"Yes, well, I called you here for another contract. Hopefully a bit longer and I should have a lot of work for you."
"Well it's about time. I only been waitin' six and a half centuries to hear that."
"Well then, I'd like a contrct extending until I speak the word 'feldspar'."
"Strange way a doin' things but sounds good. Only if ya promise I can make somethin' nice before we call it a night."
"Of course. Let's do this then."
And with your last word the dwarf again explodes, into fragments and begins to encircle you. But this time the slivers lay flat on your arm and compress one into another, recreating the same rocky armored version of your right arm as before. You look at yourself with one arm of stone and one of steel and smile at the image. You feel as though there is nothing you couldn't do.
"Rem, can you give me a basic overview of all of your functions?"
#Rem? What the devil are ye talking about boy#
~{Affirmative. Time dilation is accessed vis the switch. Left will cease time's flow for the world while right will cease time's flow for you. The cost is one to one. Debt may be incurred up to six hours but must be immediately repaid upon deactivation of time dilation. Credit may be accrued up to twelve hours with no cost. The first button will cause you to operate at ten times normal speed for one minute. The cost is ten to one. The second button will release an individual from halted time or place them into halted time. The cost is two to one and cumulative. Later functions are currently disabled and cannot be used without advance payment.}~
#That's a strange piece a work you got there boy. I don't like it.#

>>14937096
There was a loud explosion when we bound the dwarf. It is likely to have attracted attention. Get your robe back on, stop time, and get moving.

>#That's a strange piece a work you got there boy. I don't like it.#
"Strange doesn't begin to describe it, but it's much too useful to pass up."

rolled 83 = 83

>>14937096
(damn, that's a bit confusing)

>#That's a strange piece a work you got there boy. I don't like it.#
Don't worry, I this piece from another vestige. it will help us to work unbothered by anyone.

>Later functions are currently disabled and cannot be used without advance payment
Explain.

Ask Rem what will happen if we touch humans and other living beings while we stop time around us.


We might want to notify the dwarf what we are going to do before speeding the time up and stopping it so that he is not confused too much.

Reform your arm into the more sleeker form and put the clothes on (undamaged ones).

>>14937165
I honestly think that the time stopping will creep the hell out of him either way but, advance warning hurt.

rolled 24 = 24

Goddamn Binder Quest, you are like the Energizer Bunny of quest threads, they just never stop going.

>>14937135

Agreed, let's get to work with what we planned. What's the limit to how long we can timestop?

>>14937210
Based on what Rem said, the upper limit is 18 hours since we can store 12 and go 6 into debt. Currently our limit would be 6 hours since we have no credit.

"Strange doesn't even begin to describe it, but it's far too useful to pass up. I got it from another vestige and with it I can stop or speed up time. I'm going to do this in a minute so don't be alarmed."
#Time don't matter unless it's dinner time or workin time. But whatever you say, lad. You're the boss.#
"Rem, what do you mean by advanced payment?"
~{Elaborating. You must make an additional payment during the initial binding to activate them. Currently, they are disabled.}~
"That's disappointing. Rem, can you tell me what will happen if I touch another person while time is stopped?"
~{Explaining. Vital force can only be affected while time is in motion. The two are intrinsically linked. Things containing vital force cannot be affected by any means during time stop. However, their time can be restarted with the tertiary function in order to interact normally.}~

rolled 40 = 40

Depending on how fast we can make tunnels we should dig a way to Baron Leonards place, into his cellar and just walk and steal that thing he showed us during the time-stop.

rolled 13 = 13

>>14937258
>Explaining. Vital force can only be affected while time is in motion. The two are intrinsically linked. Things containing vital force cannot be affected by any means during time stop. However, their time can be restarted with the tertiary function in order to interact normally

That means we can touch them as much as we want and they will not know better? Could we take something out of their pockets then?
I want more and more to steal Leonards thingie now.

>>14937268
>can stop time
>implying we need a tunnel

>>14937300
A tunnel would be far more convenient than needing to stop time whenever we wish to move about unseen. After all, any time we take must be paid back- and standing about frozen anywhere that others might come across us is a dangerous thing.

rolled 25 = 25

Alright, lets continue with our plan.

Make sure the door is locked.
Store about 3 hours worth of time.
Take all the shit you have hidden with you and go to your room. Make a spacey secret room under it with secret hatch. We could make the entrance under the bed ... but in such a way that the bed returns to its original place when we close the hatch (wouldn't want anyone to suspicious why our bed keeps moving around).
After we finish the room, start making tunnels to places of note in the monastery: the base of the tower we keep visiting, the kitchen, library (if it is on the ground floor). Then a tunnel leading outside the monastery to a secluded place. Then a tunnel leading to the Town (I doubt that place has sewers we could run into)

>>14937359
>Make sure the door is locked.
>Store about 3 hours worth of time.
>Take all the shit you have hidden with you and go to your room.
This is the wrong order of operations. Leave this place first in case someone comes to investigate the noise. Go into debt to dig our secret rooms. Then, when we are safe and secure in that location, pay off our time-debt there.

>>14937379
[[Please roll so I can decide who's decision to go with. Or I'll wait to see if he changes his mind.]]

rolled 81 = 81

>>14937393
Right. Dice. Rolling for >>14937379, then.

rolled 49 = 49

>>14937379
Okay, do that then

You figure now would be the best time to make your tunnel for secret escape. You put your robe back on with the hole in the back, having no spare clothing and prepare to leave. The tome is secure in the wall and should be safe there and you can alway retrieve it later. Before you leave you stop time by switching it to the left, then leave the room quickly locking the door behind.
You walk to your room and close the door. Pulling the bed aside you lift up the floorboards and move your things out revealing the bare stone below.
"Alright, let's get this project underway. Let's make a nice trapdoor here so we can come and go as we please undetected. Then we can make tunnels to the castle sewers, the town, and anywhere else we need to."
You wait, but no reply comes. You place your stone hand on the floor and envision the cavern you wish to create, but again nothing happens.
"Asam'Ano Mora? Are you there?"
Again, no response comes from within you.

rolled 42 = 42

>>14937470
Aw shit.
Ask Rem to put Asam'Ano Mora into our timestream (as in, let him experience what we are experiencing so that we both can do stuff while the time around us is stopped.)

"Rem," you say, staving off panic. "Can you put Asam'Ano Mora into my time stream so that we can interact?"
{Negative. That would require access to the tertiary function.}
This wasn't the plan. You don't seem to be able to use the power of another vestige while time is stopped. You could restart time and pay your debt and work through the night at normal speed. Or you could end the pact with Xepoc and try to activate the other functions of the gauntlet. Or you could just try to accomplish what you can with Xepoc's power alone and save Mora for later.

>>14937470
Damn.

Well, check to see that we still have his mark, then ask Rem about letting him into our timeframe, then restart time if that fails and see if it'll bring him back.

>>14937567
Ask what we would need to do to enable access to the tertiary function.

rolled 7 = 7

>>14937567
We already made a promise to Mora that he could build something nice before we ended the pact, so we should hold up on that.

rolled 29 = 29

What about that 10x speed ability? Can we use Mora's powers there?

rolled 71 = 71

>>14937592

seconding

rolled 12 = 12

>>14937567
Don't we already have access to tertiary functions?

>The second button will release an individual from halted time or place them into halted time. The cost is two to one and cumulative.


Anyway, if we can't get out of this.. .well, we should work in normal timestream then.

You check to see if Mora's mark has vanished but it is still intact, your arm as stony as ever.
"Rem, what do I need to do to enable the tertiary function?"
~{Repeating. You must make an additional payment during the initial binding to activate the secondary and tertiary functions. Currently, they are disabled.}~
You decide to restart time and converse with Mora again. You flip the switch back to the center and you feel time restart.
"Mora, are you there?"
#Aye lad, what the devil are you playing at? First you vanish and reappear here and now you don't answer me for a full five minutes.#
You glance the clocks. They are both even and the gauges read zero. It seems time stopped for you to repay your debt back before returning you to your normal time stream.

rolled 77 = 77

>>14937632
Apologize.
Explain him what happened, and that it seems our plan will not work as well as we intended.
Tell him again that we are new at all this and are still experimenting.

Set our bed against the door and continue with our plans for secret room and tunnels in normal time. We will have to talk to Xepoc about additional payment later.

>>14937632
Apologize and explain- Rem is another binding, one which lets one start and stop time. The price for moving about while time is stopped is to let time flow while you stop.

Then move on to discuss our plans for a secret passage beneath our room. Warn him that we cannot afford to alert others in the area of what we're doing, so it will have to be done fairly quietly.

"Sorry about that, it seems like my time stop froze you too. Hadn't considered that. And the price for stopping time with Rem here is that I have to give up an equal amount of time myself."
#Alright, just don't do it again. It's awfully boring waiting for you to stop dilly dallyin and a tad disorientin.#
You move the bed against the door quietly and pile your valuables on top of the desk, including the artifact. Then you kneel down and touch the stone again with your marked arm, picturing a trapdoor, stairwell, and tunnel. You immediately see the crease of the trapdoor form as the rock flows about like liquid.
#Well go on, let's have a look.#
You lift open the latch in the door and descend down a straight stairwell until you reach a small square room. The roof is supported by ornate pillars and each one bears a stone shield hanging upon it with the seal of Moradin emblazoned across it.
You consider which direction to tunnel next. You could dig towards the sewers of the castle that would lead straight out into the forest across the river. Or you could dig for the town and try to make your way into the cellar of one of the buildings there. In yet another direction is the store room and buttery beneath the kitchens where you could make a hidden entrance. Or you could return to your room and organize your valuables somewhere safer.

>>14937805
I think our first priority has to be arranging things so that we can access our tunnel system from our room and leave the room looking entirely innocuous behind us. Correct me if I'm wrong, but currently our bed is in the wrong place and there's an open trapdoor in our room, is there not? That would give away the game.

Perhaps setting up some kind of counterweight system so that we can trigger the opening of the trapdoor even while the bed is still in position, and put everything back to an innocuous appearance behind us after we're through.

rolled 76 = 76

>>14937805
Did you consider this >>14937359 when making it?
>We could make the entrance under the bed ... but in such a way that the bed returns to its original place when we close the hatch (wouldn't want anyone to suspicious why our bed keeps moving around).

If we could set up the mechanic which allows the bed to get back to its previous place, that would be fantastic.
And make the entrance secret and concealed.

>>14937805
How much time did it take us to do this?
Alright. Lets make a stone table, chair and closet in this room to store our shit and have place to work if we need to.

>Or you could return to your room and organize your valuables somewhere safer.
Yes. Bring your stuff here.

>In yet another direction is the store room and buttery beneath the kitchens where you could make a hidden entrance.
This. Lets make secret tunnels and entrances all over the monastery.

then this
>You could dig towards the sewers of the castle that would lead straight out into the forest across the river.
But not through sewers, we don't want the stink to give us away.

If after all this we still have time left.
>Or you could dig for the town and try to make your way into the cellar of one of the buildings there.
Dig a deeper tunnel to the town and then try to get to Leonards mansion.

rolled 58 = 58

>>14937805
>>14937873

Other secret places to include for our Monastery:
The tower
The library
several entrences in the halls.

Of course, memorize them all Gregory.

[fuck it, I just want to build an entire magnificent mansion right beneath the town]

rolled 99 = 99

>#Alright, just don't do it again. It's awfully boring waiting for you to stop dilly dallyin and a tad disorientin.#

Next time I'll try to include you as well.

>>14937873
>This. Lets make secret tunnels and entrances all over the monastery.
A note on this: When we make these secret tunnels and entrances, don't make them all part of one obvious system. Interconnect the tunnels with more secret doors between them, so that in order to effectively move between any given place and any other place one must know exactly where the connection is in advance and how to go about opening it. If someone else stumbles upon one of the entrances, they should find that it leads "only" to a single room like this one.

rolled 18 = 18

>>14937939
Second.

Heck, lets make another room next to this one connected through secret door where we ACTUALLY going to store our incriminating shit.

rolled 20 = 20

Minecraft thread?

You ascend back up to your room and look about. The bed is out of place and the floor boards to the side. There must be a way to make it so you can leave your room without the appearance of such.
#Grab that twine off the table there lad. Tie it around the foot of the bed and make a few knots at the other end. Then leave the rest to me.#
You do as instructed and move the bed back against the wall, but no over the trap door, tying the twine about the back leg.
#Leave it on the ground. Touch the stone for me.# You do this and you see a tiny spike of liquid stone shoot out from the stone wall and grab the twine. It pulls the knotted end of the twine between the wall and the boards and you sense some mechanism take shape below you.
#Just be sure to pull the boards back in place overheard before you descend. The lever below will drag the bed back into place. No one will notice unless they specifically look at that leg.#
"That's amazing."
#Nah, just a little dwarfish ingenuity.#
You gather up all your valuables and carry them into the tunnel, replacing the boards above you before closing the latch. You see the lever, fashioned in the shape of a hammer, and pull it. You hear the faint sound of stone gears turning and the tiny sound of the bed being dragged back into place.
You descend into the room again with your lantern lit to light the way and set about your work.

[More coming.]

rolled 63 = 63

>>14937999
No!

We don't want to convert entire mountain into huge-ass castle!

rolled 51 = 51

[Well, I'm off to sleep.
Thanks OP, this is a great Quest and I love your writing.
Hope to see you next time!]

You carve room after hidden room with passages connecting each and another hidden mechanism for opening each, hidden in the decorations made in tribute to Moradin. You create a workshop to store all of your valuables adjacent to the initial room beneath your your room and hidden by a weight plate behind a pillar.
You create secret tunnels with a hidden failsafe in each, walking and watching the rock flow away before your hand held aloft before you. You create a passage through the wall of the store room connecting to the library and into the lower levels of the kitchens so that you can access them without the halls. You dig parallel to the waterways and create a disguised exit directly connecting to the sewer exits so you can escape into the woods if needed. You try to dig all the way to the forest and under the river but Mora tells you it's not wise to dig through damp stone.
You are just finishing a passage into the eastern tower when Mora interrupts.
#Lad, ye been workin all night. Perhaps you should get some rest before you collapse.#
You check you clocks and see that it is almost daybreak. Time has slipped by you unnoticed beneath the earth. You finish you tunnel, fetch the tome from it's hideaway, place it in your new workshop, and return to your room, exhausted from a long night's work. But it will all be worth it now.
You return to your room and emerge, pushing the floor boards and the bed aside. You quickly replace both and consider your next move.

>>14938134
Call em off and sleep.

rolled 27 = 27

>>14938196
Seconding

>>14938134
Could we make a small stone dagger of some sort for self defense?

>>14938134
I believe that Xepoc's binding makes noise when it ends. Be wary of that; either cushion it somehow or be somewhere that a loud clang will go unnoticed.

Aw shit
we forgot to ask the dwarf to read what is written on the artifact and ask him if he can make heads or tails of it.

Thank Mora for his help.
utter the special words of release and go back to your room and have few hours of sleep.

>>14938226
I don't think we need one. It would be difficult to explain where we got it if anyone saw, and talking our way out of things is a far better method of defense for now.

Secrecy remains the order of the day.

You decide to dismiss your two accomplices for the day. Holding your arm over the bed you say quietly, "Rhubarb".
~{Releasing. See you next time}~ speak Rem as the gauntlet lands silently onto the bed before collapsing into nothingness.
"Thanks Asam'Ano Mora, you've been a huge help."
#Aye, don't mention it lad. And call me Mora. No need for family names and honorifics. Their time is past.#
"Then thank you Mora. Feldspar."
And with that your arm is released of it's stony container. You flex both of your arms and feel a great weight lifter from your shoulders. Literally. You look at the bed longingly but day has come. It might be wise to at least get something to eat before sleeping the day away.

[[Three more minutes then defaulting to sleeping since it was already suggested and seconded.]]

go to sleep, and wake up for dinner

last time we decided to take a snack after a night of working, gregory went to sleep anyway

Deciding you need the rest more, you collapse upon the bed. Normally you would complain about it being too solid and uncomfortable, but after working with stone all night the meager cushion feels extraordinary. It isn't long before you fall into a much needed sleep. You have a brief dream about you and your father walking through the woods outside of town. You remember him telling you something important but you can't recall what. All you remember is his smile and the happiness and safety you felt around him.
You awake with a start to a someone shaking you.
"Calm down Greg, it's only me. I got a response. We need to talk."

"Alright, lets go to my secret room first."

just kidding!

Lets see what he has to say.

"What's going on?"
"They want us to move Greg. Tonight. Not just me. Us. We need to find out more about what Baron Leonard's up to. Apparently they sent another agent and he disappeared into thin air, probably dead. They want me to let you try a binding tonight. I don't know why but they think that you should be able to. It's insane. They sent me a seal and directions for a ritual and... Look, I'll explain more later. Just meet me in the gardens at sundown again, alright?"

rolled 100 = 100

Can it be new seal tiem? Gotta catch em all!

>>14938530
[What moving aftet all the work we have done!?]

Tell him you cant move with the inquisitor here. You neet to compile the report and swnd him on his way either with the artifact or not.

ask where they want you to move
ask him what was that about the other agent, did they give info aboit that?
what did they say about Leonard?

agree to meet him for binding (I hope it is not someone we have called on before or they will act friendly and blow our cover)

[also I want to see where this thing witj Rosemary will lead to]

>>14938530
"...right. I'll be there. Is there anything I should bring?"

"Okay Arnold, I'll meet you tonight. Should I bring anything?"
"No, no. I'll handle it. I gotta prepare everything and... Everything is just messed up I tell ya. I was never meant to be no field agent and getting you involved when you probably can't even bind. It ain't right. I'll see you later Greg."
Arnold leaves still looking like he's in a panic. You shake your head and consider what to do, still tired. Perhaps you should just finish sleeping. Or you could stage your own investigation into the Baron's affairs. Or you could just go off to dinner and prepare for tonight's events.

>>14938614
[[He doesn't mean move as in get out of town. He means move as in make your move against the Baron.]]

[[Is anyone still here? Not that I'm complaining as it gives me time to make a new vestige and flesh it out in my notes, but if no one is left that's interested I'll close the quest for the day.]]

>>14938641
Things to consider:
warning Rosemary
finding out what type of payment we make to gain tertiary time (I was going to add that we might want to consider going to the meeting with Xepoc, but he's probably still too noticeable, especially given Arnold's likely paranoia coming up).
we probably want to start deciding on what we can report soon: among other things, any other well-read scribe might note that the disk runes show up in other languages, albeit in small bits. Not mentioning this may be bad. We could also try and come up with some form of red herring for what they could mean, but that could be very dangerous and may require us to spend time figuring out more ways to advance or cancel that herring.

But we mostly desperately need sleep right now, followed by a meal.

Alright guys, a question for anyone playing: should we come clean with Arnold?
Would certainly help us to have an ally


anyway, go grab a snack
...
hmm, if chaplain or the inquisitor comes and asks for the artifact we will be in a pickle as we hid it in the secret room. How about we take it out and hide it in our old hiding place?

then go to sleep again, I dont want to do any personal investigations now before we see what kind of seal we are getting

>>14938734
+1 to current players, back from lunch.

>>14938734
I'm around. I may not be present for any given twenty-minute span, but I'm watching when I am.

>>14938748
>Alright guys, a question for anyone playing: should we come clean with Arnold?
Not yet, no. We need to keep our cards close to our chest. His order is no more free of their own agenda than the Inquisition is. They can't be trusted to leave us to our own devices; they'll either seize the book or induct us into their service.

It would be nice to have someone else on our side... but we can't look to anyone else affiliated with a major organization for that.

...Rosemary might work. She has no higher loyalty, as far as I know, though she must have learned her magic somewhere.

Without even leaving the bed you collapse back in exhaustion and wait for sleep to carry you off. You rise again shortly before dinner and make your way, starving, across the courtyard. You bandages are feeling tight and sticky, but that could just be the wound scabbing over beneath them.
You feast greedily upon the supper and finish only just before the evening service. As the halls begin to empty and people head for the chapel Arnold approaches you and grabs you gently by the shoulder.
"Let's go," he whispers.
The two of you make your way to the entrance hall, completely barren except for a few guardsmen heading back towards their wing to skip the service as well, and you make it out to the gardens without incident.
"I don't like this, not one bit. I don't even know why they gave me this seal. This vestige is dangerous for anyone, let alone someone who's never been bound before. If we're lucky nothing will happen and she won't even answer your call. Oh yeah, here," he says handing you a small bag. "You'll want this if it does work."
The bag is small and looks like a coin purse, and when you shake it you hear the sound of coins clinking together. "We need the running water of the river for the ritual so we'll need to circle around to the east side where no one will see us by accident."

[More coming.]

So guys, should we come clean to Arnold about knowing how to bind and having the book? If we are going to assist the order we will have to at some point..

>>14938842
Giving myself a slowpoke for this.

>>14938842
I dont know
I was 50/50 on the matter thats why I opened the suggestion
then this guy >>14938832 gives a pretty solid argument against it, so I think we should wait first

You reach the bottom of the gardens and begin circling around the base of the hill, following the curve of the river.
"Greg... I didn't want you to have to get this involved. But I want to try to make this right. I want you to bind with Gourmander. Gourmander is a powerful ally too but his desires are far more base and more easily sated. Acheron isn't just powerful, she's dangerous to everyone around her, including the binder. As a trained Animus I think I'll be able to better control her, but the Loremaster said that you had to do this. If you want to go through with it I won't stop you. What do you want to do Greg?"
You stop at a small area concealed behind an outcropping of stone. Beside the water there is a bag. The river is especially shallow here where it's diverted into the fields across the way by channels.
"Well, Greg?"

>>14938917
>"Well, Greg?"
"Arnold... I have no idea who Acheron is. What's dangerous about her? What does she want, if her desires aren't base or easily sated? I can't make this call blind."

I think we should just laugh off all the rituals and shit, and summon with just the incantation. If he asks how we did this, just say our dad taught us.

Acheron.

God dammit, OP, did you think we would chose something else?

Ofcourse I advise to be very careful with the contract, make it as safe as possible.

rolled 66 = 66

>>14938917

Trust me, I think I can manage Acheron, and you should probably go with whatever you're most comfortable with.

rolled 2 = 2

>>14938946
We can't let him know stuff like that.

>>14938946
>I think we should just laugh off all the rituals and shit, and summon with just the incantation. If he asks how we did this, just say our dad taught us.
Let's not tip our hand. That would already reveal that we've lied to Arnold, and might make him suspicious.

>>14938954
Use this line only AFTER he tells us what he knows about Acheron.

"Arnold," you say cautiously. "I won't put you in any more danger just to save myself. You bind with what you're most comfortable with. What makes Acheron so dangerous?"
"She's a devil, Greg. Plain and simple. She's a being fed by death with a heart made of ice. You be careful what you say to her. She's been making these pacts a lot longer than you have."
"Alright, what do I need to do."
Arnold explains the procedure of the ritual to you very carefully, then hands you a crest. It's cold and made of pure gold, glistening in the low light. Arnold says he'll watch to see if the ritual even works for you, and if it does he'll return to the woods where he'll bind with Gourmander and for you to meet him there when you're done negotiating.
"And whatever you do, don't agree to anything you don't understand, alright?"
"Okay. I'll be careful, I promise."
You walk to the bag and pull its morbid contents out, steeling yourself for the ritual as Arnold watches from the bank.

[[Continued in next post.]]

we should have asked arnold to be here when we make the contract to he can indwntify loopholes and help wording the contract better

You take the bones in hand and place the cloak upon your shoulders.
"The bones of father, a mother, and their only son," you intone as you walk a circle in the cold waters of the Rime. You place the bones in their places, one at each of eight points, then return to the center and lay the cloak down beneath the chill flow on the river bed.
You step back and speak in Samoyan:
"Acheron, the Stygian Judge, flow forth through rivers clear. Rise up again to claim your due, inspiring mortal fear."
As if from the bed of the river itself a hand of bone juts out from between the pebbles. It climbs out revealing a full skeleton that stands before you. The skeleton reaches down and pulls up the cloak, throwing it about its shoulders before drawing it over its head. The skeleton then touches a single finger to the water and rivulets of ice quickly dart about the circle. You stand still eyes locked with the bag in hand, knowing not to move as the river freezes solid within the circle, trapping you within. You look back to the bank where Arnold still stands, eyes wide, before giving you a nod. As instructed, you pull the bag of coins from your waist and hold it read in your hand. When you look back the skeleton stands upon the frozen water with black icy veins coursing throughout the figure, forming a suit of formidable armor. The robed head tilts as the skeleton begins to walk around you in a circle.
"Who so foolishly calls upon Acheron, the Shepard of the Damned? Show me why I should not leave and take your life as tribute."
As instructed, you draw the coin purse out and dump it upon the ice, scattering golden coins across the circle.
"Very well," says the eerily commanding female voice. "We shall talk. What is it that you seek, pact maker?"

[[Aaaaand as much as I'm sure you guys would like to continue, I'm going to take a break to go out to dinner with my lady. Leave things at a point of suspense. We'll resume again when I return. Hope this doesn't 404, although it shouldn't be long enough for that.]]

rolled 24 = 24

>>14939150
"Many things, knowledge among them. I know you have great power, and want to know what you can grant me. And at what cost.
I'm also curious about your story, if you'd indulge someone curious."

>>14939150
Hmm. Tricky to word, but for an opening I'm thinking:

"I seek knowledge of the abilities you can grant, I seek knowledge of the weaknesses others may use against you, and I seek the use of your power until midnight."

rolled 90 = 90

Introduce yourself.
Ask him if he can actually do that, he cant just go and take the life of the pactmaker. None of the Vestiges could, they all abide Rules and he must be too.
Ask him if this silly ritual is nessecary and if in the future we forgoe this meaningless acts and just cut to summoning he'll be angry with us.
Ask him when the last time he was summoned and if he never gets bored, other vestiges seem to love getting out of the void.
Ask him to tell about himself, how he came to be a vestige
Ask what kind of payments he takes for the contracts
Ask him if he knows the language of the void and if he is willing to teach us it
Ask him what kind of powers we get from him
Ask him what Mark he will leave on us

>>14939265
Acheron is female, not male. Further, based upon Arnold's advice, it would likely be unwise to take a frank and curious approach in which we ask a whole slew of questions. Particularly unnecessary or redundant ones (what kind of Mark, for example, will become apparent as soon as we make a pact, so it's a bit of a waste).

Remember that not all the vestiges are friendly, they all have their own things that they want, and that they have very real power over us. Tread lightly.

>>14939265
...wouldn't asking some of those immediately clue Arnold into our extended antics and not just what we've watched him do?
A few leading questions might be better.
If nothing else, we could ask some of the other questions later on a different summoning, but just leaving out references to other Vestiges (and taunting them about taking our life might not be the greatest either, though I'd agree we shouldn't assume she's as correct as she sounds).

rolled 2 = 2

>>14939368
I thought arnold is away summoning Gourmander or whats his name

>>14939437
He was watching from the bank immediately before she popped up. Unless we look around to see if he's left, safe to assume he's still there. It would be prudent to consider that he might still be watching even without it, or that he might return before she finished answering all of those. Not to mention
>>14939339 's point.

rolled 42 = 42

>>14939254
I support this.

rolled 25 = 25

>>14939578
good, but it will need to include what the price of forming a pact/using her powers is

>>14939743
A pact is only what is stated. She states a price after we say what we want. She can't charge us without telling us about it, even if some kind of insane oblique fashion like Xepoc.

rolled 65 = 65

meh
I still think my questions wont be harmful. The whole danger aspect might just be overblown. I am not saying she's safe to deal with like Xepoc or Mora but I believe there are LAWS and RULES which prohibit from vestige harming the pactmaker

>>14939895
But laws and rules don't prevent the vestige from getting butthurt about questions and demanding more from the pact in return >Tenebrotep

rolled 39 = 39

>>14939920

Yeah, Xepoc and Mora are bro-tier, but we can't expect every vestige to be as accomodating as they were. Our...experience with Tenebrotep should've taught us the lesson of making sure to always read the fine print before agreeing to anything.

Make sure to determine exactly what she wants as payment for the questions and that we understand what the payment entails.

>>14939895
And she probably knows those laws and rules, whereas we're just piecing them together still. We've also been warned that she has been the bane of many a binder before us.
For instance, what if they get to choose a payment if one is not agreed upon? What if making a binding initially through the book puts us on more favorable terms than just using a seal?

All in all, we're just advocating some caution in how we go about it, especially when observed and dealing with a dangerous unknown.

rolled 35 = 35

sigh

alright.... just wanted some more background info and fluff...

>>14940226

No, no, no don't get me wrong. We all do too. But for some of these pacts, those questions do not come freely. We just want to make sure we're not doing anything stupid before asking of her time to answer them.

rolled 35 = 35

>>14940226
We can ask a bit now but we can't go too in depth when we're being watched.

[[Alright, I'm back. Just need a minute to decompress and I'll read all your responses and formulate a course of action.]]

rolled 88 = 88

sweet

Without flinching you answer he question in the most direct manner possible. "I seek first the knowledge of the abilities you can grant. I seek next knowledge of the weaknesses others may use against you. And I seek finally the use of your power until midnight."
"How very forth coming of you," she says in the same tone, the very air freezing in a cold mist from between her teeth. "My sight can be yours, for I watch in wait all the living. For a price. My cold grip upon the waters and their many forms can be yours, for as they flow to the sea all things in time are carried to me. Again, for a price. The grip of damnation can be yours, cutting short the threads that bind one to the worlds above. Yet again, for a price. My counsel of all the dead, my knowledge of all that was ever known, and even the secrets carried by men to the grave can be yours." She waves a hand and from the ice a throne erupts in front of you. She takes a seat, her dead eyes of crystalline water focused upon you. "But that would demand a great price indeed."

[[More coming.]]

rolled 61 = 61

Well I'm off to bed for tonight. Before I leave, just reminding everyone DON'T DO ANYTHING RETARDED.

WHEN SHE SAYS "A HIGH PRICE", SHE'S PROBABLY NOT KIDDING.

"As for my weakness, there are none, for the workings of the dead are infallible. They do not need of food, drink, or rest. However, while you walk the earth in my service, you will never enter a place of worship. Such places are hallowed and the dead will not impose upon the workings of gods."
She looks at you a long while, seeming to drink in your pain. The ice is beginning to cause you to lose feeling from the waist down.
"And as for a pact until night's half mark," she says with what almost seems to be a smile if she had lips. "That remains to be seen."
You stand shivering, barely able to move and feeling the warmth drain from you. "What is your price then, what do you ask?"
"That all depends on you, so-arrogantly called binder. But let me remind you that you are now bound to me, and not the reverse. I am eternal and will always exist. But you," she says and you you are certain you feel the ice grow colder. "You will be mine either sooner or later. The choice is yours."

rolled 24 = 24

We really need to summon her via book later, to see if that has anything to do with her disposition towards us.

rolled 27 = 27

Everything dies, sooner or later. I do not argue that.
But I cannot form a pact without knowing the price for each service. What do you ask for knowledge? What do you ask for your powers?

>>14940764
"I will not argue that all which lives, dies; it would be foolish to say otherwise. For your sight alone, from now until midnight, what is the price?"


Let's not ask for too much here. The knowledge bit is interesting, but I would rather ask specific questions only than whatever the hell she wants. And not right now; later, when we are somewhere secure and unobserved. "Anything that the dead know" is a very broad thing.

rolled 85 = 85

Ask her what the price is for the knowledge of the language ofthe Void

rolled 32 = 32

>>14940866
Arnold doesn't know we know about that yet.

"I will not argue that all which lives, dies; it would be foolish to say otherwise," you say, shivering furiously. "For your sight alone, from now until midnight, what is the price?"
"Ah, how simple. The price will be equally so then, as is fitting. You will deliver to me twenty years of the life of another. Before the hour of midnight is reached, you will lay your hand upon the mark of your choosing and give them my blessing. If you fail to do so by the end of the last hour, you will pay the price in their stead. This is my price."

rolled 40 = 40

>>14940896
great, we gotta cut someones life down 20 years.

no, we aren't choosing ourselves, you fucking pacifist hippies.

>>14940896
Well. That's... nasty. And speaks ill of Arnold's bunch, that they would send someone who asks that kind of thing to a supposed newbie.

"All that is required is that I lay my hand upon another of the living and speak your blessing? Nothing else, to fulfill the pact?"

rolled 15 = 15

Specify "another"

20y for only the sight?
How much do other services cost then? How much for the command of the water, deathgrip?
How much for the knowledge of what happened to the agent sent before?

How much for the sight for 10 minutes (seconds)?

rolled 6 = 6

We should find a homeless guy who's probably not going to last very long and take the years from him.

>>14940660
Well fuck. This one is worse than Seno and Eno.

rolled 43 = 43

Wait, is she giving her sight for 20years or only till midnight.
This is not what I call equal trade if it is till midnight

rolled 27 = 27

>>14940971
A homeless who has few years left might not qualify for 20 years exchange.
I say we cut our losses and make a contract for 1 second .... at most she can take 10 minutes of life from it

>>14940979
>This is not what I call equal trade if it is till midnight
Yes, she's gouging us, but we're in no position to argue given that she's actively freezing us, possibly to death.

>>14940911
>>14940971
If she doesn't specify a human we might be able to age an animal or a tree or something. Seno and Eno weren't that particular about where their life came from, and "another of the living" as mentioned in >>14940949 could be said to include animals; they're certainly living.

But yeah, if it's human years only then we draw them off either an enemy (like the guy we're spying on) or some random.

"Twenty years is your price, for sight until midnight? And all I need do is lay my hand upon another?"
"No hesitation. I like that. But yes, all you need do is touch your mark and call for me to claim my due."

[[Hold on. Important business to take care of.]]

rolled 45 = 45

Gregory isn't kind of guy to steal third of a life from people, especially random ones.

Tell her that those terms aren't even close to fair

what if the marked doesnt have twenty years left? Does it have to be a human?

rolled 77 = 77

What is ANOTHER?

I honestly do mot think we can loophole out of this by using animals or trees.
Lets ask her knowledge for something that might not cost much or her powers only for few short moments.

rolled 88 = 88

>>14941074
She made knowledge seem like the most expensive. I reckon we have to kill someone for it.

rolled 56 = 56

>>14941080
True. But depends completely on the knowledge

rolled 32 = 32

Dont make contract yet.
At least till we can find a better way out of this. Besides, her powers don't seem all that useful to me, heck, we hardly know what they do. Certainly we can use other vestiges to fulfil the mission.

we should just agree to something extremely cheap... unless we can use the lives of animals or trees

Honestly, her pact sounds kind of terrible. I mean, the powers are probably great and all, but DAMN that's a inconveniently high price to pay. I mean, if we knew for certain we were going into a combat situation, we could use that as an additional power and tap someone to suck away all their life, but as it is... urgh.

It might even be better to just give up on her and bind someone else. The Storm Warder sounds like a pretty good vestige for potential combat.

You are very troubled by this bargain. It seems like no matter what someone is going to have their life altered forever and you aren't sure you are able to reconcile with that kind of a consequence. But you must make some kind of a deal. Acheron has made it very clear that she will keep you here until you die of hypothermia if that is what it takes.
"When you say another, what exactly do you mean."
"You know precisely what I mean. The life of a another living breathing human being is the currency of my trade."
"Is there anything cheaper you have to offer?"
"What is this pact maker? Losing your nerve? Is not the life of another as nothing before the life of yourself? That is the way of the world, you naive young fool. Kill or be killed." Her voice echoes with irritation. You look down and realize the ice is beginning to rise. Or you are being drawn slowly down. Either way, the end result is the same. "But if you really have qualms with this I suppose I could give you my mastery of waters for a discount. But my price is thus: You will carry me with you until dawn and you must summon me again within three day's time. Perhaps I can break you of your idealistic notions."

roll 1d100 + 1d4

rolled 31 = 31

We're on a sneaking mission, not a combat one.

rolled 6 = 6

>>14941307
What do you guys think? This sounds pretty good, we just have to remember to do this. Hydro/cryomancy is nice.

>>14941327
I think its fair enough. Lets use the book next time though and skip the ritual. She may have less power over the situation that way.

rolled 34 = 34

Accept.

rolled 26 = 26

This is not my idealistic nature talking. I am well aware what kind of world I live in.
The fact is, that the deal does not seem fair no matter how I look on it. I don't know what I will be facing or even if I will need the use of your powers at all.
If I need to take lives to preserve mine, I will not let ideas of justice stand in my way... but as long as there is another way, I will refrain from taking unesecary lives.

I will agree to this term as long as mext pact does not oblige me to take life of anyone

rolled 11 = 11

Do not accept yet
lets see if we can get even less binding pact

Add "in fact I have alrwady compiled a short list to of people if I were to agree" to>>14941389

rolled 9 = 9

>>14941389
This.

"That I can accept," you say through gritted teeth.
"And so it shall be."
The skeleton sinks through the ice leaving nothing behind. The ice quickly melts back into water and flows into the river again. You don not feel warmth return to you, however. Rather, the cold clings to you all the tighter. The cold no longer bothers you though. You feel nothing at all, having lost all of your sense of temperature. You reach your hands up to your face and feel to your horror that you now have an empty skull in its place, suspended above your shoulders and your vanished neck. Your skin feels grey and pale and you would likely be immediately identifiable as unnatural. Your wrists have rivulets of water dancing around them, floating in slow circles about our hands and waiting for direction.
**I suggest you wear the cloak,** says the frigid feminine voice within your head. **Most do not take kindly to the walking dead.**

rolled 31 = 31

hey!

we hadn't agreed yet!

>>14941514
Clearly we have. Can't turn back now.

>>14941469
...what cloak? If we have one, wear it. Then go over to Arnold and see if he takes kindly to the walking dead.

rolled 66 = 66

Experiment witj our new powers I guess.... dammit

[[Sorry guys, the rolls to agree were higher. ...And I didn't see all the shouts not to agree until I had already posted. But if it's any consolation you were a few minutes from being too cold to talk anyways.]]

You grab the cloak from the riverbed and throw it over your shoulders. You wish it weren't so damp bu it will have to do. But as soon as you think this thought the water flows off the fabric, as though it were waterproof, and pools in the floating droplets about your wrists.
You turn and step from the riverbed to find Arnold is already gone. He must have gone off to complete his own bargain. You walk alongside the river back towards the gardens and the crossing there. As you walk you look at the tiny droplets of water about your wrists. With a little mental flexing you discover you have complete control over their motion, even able to turn them into sharp slivers of ice at will. You wonder just how far your control over the water extends.
Expecting a mental response, you find yourself disappointed. It seems that Acheron is not as free with her speech as some of the other vestiges you have met. Never the less, you look to the water and ponder what you should try as you walk back towards Arnold's meeting place.

>>14941638
I am tempted to see if you can surf on an icy board atop a wave of water, but that might be shifting genres too much.

Just see if you can shoot off ice shards like crossbow bolts, then go talk to Arnold.

rolled 71 = 71

See if ypu can shoot a razor thin waterspay at insane speed to cut down trees.
See is you can shoot ice shards at high rate of fire.
See if yoi can make a water construct.
See if you can pull water droplets out of ambient moisture, make ice shards out of them and then shoot then.
see if you can make ice sabre and armor... an ice knight of sorts

go meet arnold

>>14941570
Well... at least you could have used the speech so that we dont seem like naive fools

rolled 84 = 84

See if you can scry through water
then think of watering hole back in monastery and see if you can see through it
the same with the well in town

then see if you can feel bodie of water and their proximity

rolled 96 = 96

we should ride a wave of water to the meeting place with Arnold. It'll be awesome

You consider trying something offensive with the water in case you encounter any danger. At a mental command the water of the river floats up and joins with the circles around your wrists. You point with a finger at a tree across the lake and three bolts of piercing icicles fly forth at high speed, impact the tree with great force. Trying something slightly different you spray the water in an arc, turning it to crystalline shards. Leaves fall from the branches, shredded to ribbons. Excited by this, you pull up the stream from the water again and blast a constant stream of tiny shards the size of a needle. They fly fourth one at a time at an extremely fast rate off into the darkness of the fields beyond.
You draw the water up about your body beneath the cloak and create a thin armor against your skin. More water pours into it and compacts, creating thick black ice of great durability. Then, repeating the same process you create a saber, it's blade a translucent blue. You test its sharpness and holster it within your belt for safe keeping. The armor seems to remain solid so long as you remain focused.
You kneel down and peer into the water. You try to envision another place far away.
**No pact maker. You forfeited that offer. Perhaps next time.**
You give up on the pointless pursuit and step out onto the water. As you suspected, you can walk on it as though it were solid ground. At a mental command you flow onward to the meeting spot, driven by a small wave against the current.
You step off of the river as the wave deposits you on the opposite shore and head up the incline towards the spot where Arnold last summoned Gourmander. You reach the edge of the forest and pass a large dog, similar to the one you saw Arnold create a few nights ago but bigger.
"Bloody hell Greg, you look like... well, hell."
You turn about to find the source of the sound and realize it came from the dog.
"Are you really all that surprised? Have you even seen yourself?"

rolled 6 = 6

>>14941743
"WOOOOO!
Look at me, Arnold, I am a freaking skeleton riding my ice surfboard on a tidalwave!!!"

I approve
do this

rolled 63 = 63

This quest is now diamonds.

We've hit the crowning moment of awesome. That's it. Nothing more to see here. Everybody go home.

"As a matter of fact I have, Arnold."
"I'm surprised you're taking it as well as you are. I honestly expected you to lose your head. Oh... sorry about that."
"No need to apologize."
"Anyways, how did it go? What kind of deal did you strike with her? ...Is she there with you now?"
You consider telling Arnold the truth, but it might complicate things if you mention the agreement to call upon Acheron again within three days. You are already unsure if it was a wise decision and Arnold does seem prone to panic in these sorts of situations.

rolled 70 = 70

Can.....can we make an ice frisbee and play with Arnold's dog form?

>>14941790
"Well, the binding worked, obviously. Considering that it was your order which gave me Acheron's ritual and crest, I would have expected you to be more unsurprised. Anyway, let's get going; we should have plenty of time but there's no reason to waste it."

rolled 32 = 32

Ask Acharom how come that sight is so mch more expensive.
"yes, I am a freaking skeleton! Awesome, right?"

Ask Arnold if he transformed into that dog, if that is one of the powers of Gourmamder
then ask him the next course of action

>>14941881
"She'll be with me until dawn, unfortunately... but at least I don't have to kill anyone. It was a close thing. Does Gourmander normally start... I don't know, gnawing on you or something if you take too long making pacts? I suspect that Acheron was well on the way to freezing me to death."

rolled 12 = 12

>>14941881
"For now... not too much but I will have to carry her till dawn"

less we say the better

"Well, the binding worked, obviously. And yes, she's here with me now. She'll be with me until dawn, unfortunately... But at least I don't have to kill anyone. It was a close thing. Does Gourmander normally start... I don't know, gnawing on you or something if you take too long making pacts? I suspect that Acheron was well on the way to freezing me to death."
"Nah, I think that's just her way of doing things. Usually the vestige can't harm the summoner. But with her, it's the ritual itself that'll kill ya. And she knows it and she'll take her dear sweet time. Shame you had to go and give up your good looks. A skeleton head huh? That's creepy."
"Considering that it was your order which gave me Acheron's ritual and crest, I would not have expected you to be so surprised by all this. So is turning into a dog another of Gourmander's powers?"
"Remember what I told you? "You are what you eat'! I can take the form of whatever living thing I've consumed while bound. It's pretty useful."
"Anyway, let's get going; we should have plenty of time but there's no reason to waste it."
"Agreed. We'll make for the manor on Belrime Avenue. That's where the Baron makes his home. He's an intensely private individual though and he'll probably be there so we'll have to be careful."
You walk off towards the city streets, you in your cloak and Arnold at your side. It occurs to you that without your face no one would be able to identify you. You head quickly to your destination passing only a few drunken stragglers. You arrive at the manor and look it over from the shadows across the street.
"So how do you want to go it?" asks Arnold from your side. "I can turn into a mouse but what about you?"

>>14941967
"Before we go in- what exactly are we looking to do here? Confront him? Sneak around and look for evidence of... whatever? If we run into someone unexpected, what's the plan?"

rolled 82 = 82

I will ride a wave to the balcony and enter from there ....... wait, what is our mission anyway?

>>14942032
Our mission is to find that guy and make us tell him everything he knows, plus get whatever crests he has so that we can acquire more vestiges for our pokedex. Erm, I mean tome.

But that may not be precisely how Arnold sees the situation, and as long as we're playing the newbie...

"Well first off, what exactly are we looking for?"
"The crest you saw for a start. And anything else like it. If we find it, we gotta get it out of there and back in our hands. Also, if we find any evidence correspondence between the Baron and others about Binding we need to take it and send it to the Order so they can tie up any loose ends. Then, once we complete this mission, we wait to hear what we need to do to the Baron himself. The Order likes to be thorough so if there's any chance he's let a leak loose we need to eliminate him. But most importantly we need to figure out where he learned about this in the first place. Understand?"
"Yeah, I got ya."
You look the building over. The second floor is only about ten feet up, but the balcony is still too high to reach without something to stand on. There might be a storage cellar in the rear that comes up onto the kitchens, but its equally likely to be locked. And then of course there's the shuttered windows and the front door. Your armor is beginning to drip a bit and you refocus your attention on it to harden it once again. You have a plentiful supply of water right upon your chest if you should need it.

>>14942067
"Right. So, if we run into him, capture and interrogate, I guess."

Ice ladder right up to the balcony, then reclaim the ice for later use.

rolled 44 = 44

I am telling ya
an ice wave all the way up to the balcony

"I'll go in on the top floor. You sneak in on the ground."
"Sounds good. See you inside."
You walk across the street looking to make sure there is nobody watching you. You convert your armor back into water and gather it beneath you in front of the house. With a quiet command a pillar of ice rises from the puddle and propels you up and onto the balcony.
Pulling the water quickly up after you you reform your black ice armor and tip toe to the large glass window. You hear muffled voices inside and decide to take a peek. You dart a glance around the frame then draw back quickly.
What you saw leaves you startled.
The room is an ornate study, filled with furs and with a fire burning in a stone fireplace to protect against the cold night that you cannot feel yourself. Within the room is the Baron, talking to his guest. And standing within with her back towards the window is none other than Rosemary.

[[And that's it for the night folks. Don't feel like running a full 24 hour quest this time. Got to get some sleep. But we shall continue again soon, most likely on Tuesday.

As always feel free to leave suggestions or continued ideas for the next thread. They still may be implemented in the opening of the next thread.

Have a good night everyone. Thanks for playing. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.]]

>>14942222
Well, the obvious choice is to eavesdrop until we find out what she's doing there. We can probably use the ice as a hearing aid by pressing it to the window glass in a cone, classic trick.

Rosemary might be there because she's working for him in some kind of supernatural capacity, or because she's sleeping with him, or any of several other possible reasons. Important to find out which. Either way, if we burst in and act hostile she might unleash some kind of blasty black magic on us, and as we're still holding out hopes of enjoying her charms ourselves harming her is to be avoided. So that would be all kinds of awkward.

rolled 13 = 13

Thank you too op
I was wondering when you were going to finally wrap up ;)

See you later!

[[Archived: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14934742/
For your viewing pleasure.]]

If the House is so magnificent, he should have a sewer access to dispose of waste. There's a potential entry/exit, now that we wield the powers of water. I think we need to play this really stealthy. Honestly, I think we would be better off whipping up Xeloc and just time-jacking what we need. Sneak in, find a large enough jacket and pants combo in the Baron's wardrobe to hide our Marks (both from prying eyes and from Arnold), then get temporal.

>>14940974
[I like Seno/Eno. Straightforward, and not particularly expensive. Offensive and defensive powers. I think you give them too little credit. If we have to pick a long-term specialty, they're definitely my top vote.]

[[Sorry, the manor has no sewer access. Only the castle has a sewer.]]

rolled 6 = 6

This is too god to pass up and obvious some kind plothook.
Well we need to listen in to their conversation.
I agree with >>14942284 we should make some kind of tube of ice which goes right under the door into the room.

rolled 19 = 19

>>14944991
Hey, are you gonna update today?

>>14945072
[[I might... Considering if I want to do that or actually put my full focus on my University work. For the past week I've been working on my Thesis on the side while running the quest whenever I didn't work. Needless to say, it's been more than a little distracting.]]

rolled 80 = 80

>>14945960
Ah, alright.

Just don't let this get into the way of your university work ;)

>>14946004
[[Well, I'm going to put in a few hours of work and see how I am on time. I may just do a story recap and Q&A thread this evening during prime-time.]]

rolled 61 = 61

>>14942284

This, as soon as you get back that is.

Also bump.

[[I'm here, just otherwise occupied.]]

[[Bumping to see if anyone interested is still around.]]

>>14949359
You better believe we are.

>>14949374
[[Alright, I'll start up again shortly then. Won't be a long one but there should be some interesting developments.]]

>>14949457
[[Actually... Ignore that. I'm going to turn in early tonight since I have an early morning. Will resume the quest tomorrow at some point though as originally planned]].