[[Has it been too long? I know I said I would have the quest again about 2 days ago but real life got in the way. Oh well, bump for bump's sake.]]

One last bump.

>>15071574
How last is last? Because I wasn't around when you started this thread, but I'd play it now if you're still around to run it.

rolled 87 = 87

I was wondering where this quest had gone. I suppose we should start with binding with the judge of the damned, since we need to repay her and we'll be more rested after being "dead" for a bit. Any chance you could post the list of binds we have so far?

>>15074910
We should definitely not summon Acheron while we still have other binds going. Nor should we summon her while we are beneath the church. And frankly I'm rather leery of summoning her when we're this tired- we're in no state to bargain.

This day is going to be a fairly critical one, I suspect, since any holes in our actions will begin to emerge almost immediately. The Inquisitor might well notice the gap in his memory and seek to fill it; anyone who notices that the books we took are missing will question that and word might well reach the Inquisitor eventually, leaving him trying to track them down. Our actions were far from perfect; all we've done is sown confusion and bought time.

My move, I think, would be to release our binds, get some sleep this morning, and then this afternoon tweak our report to improve it a bit and then try to subtly gather a bit of news about what the Inquisitor's been up to. Tonight, we slip out and summon Acheron- it's cutting it close, but I don't know how much time we can feasibly spend basically missing from the world without attracting notice.

[[Well, I'm back now but it's awfully late to start up. I'll try this quest again tomorrow.]]

>>15076836
Damn. I'm still here wishing you'd run, you know.

I just got here, but I won't be able to make it today (beyond the next 20 minutes) or most of tomorrow. Good luck, Binder. I wish more people would take an interest in this awesome quest.

rolled 6 = 6

Dammit

I can't believe I missed this!!!

rolled 29 = 29

Dammit,

OP

will you run this today?

>>15080911
[[Yes I will. In about 30 minutes I'll start. No need to make a new thread. Just start posting in this one.]]

rolled 9 = 9

>>15081338
Great.

rolled 34 = 34

I noticed that REM did not yet say that the debt has been paid (for making a clock).

Also, ask REM if the hounds can hunt us if we speed the time around us to get a pool of time to use.

I say we need to go to sleep and see the next day how our nightly work has worked out.

>>15081432
[[Rem did indeed say your debt has been paid in the second to last game post of the last thread.]]

rolled 47 = 47

>>15081542
Ah,
alright then

>>15081432
[[Also, REM has confirmed that the hounds can only hunt you while time is stopped around you. This also includes when you end the pact and receive refunded time. It might not be wise to have to be forced into the hunting ground of the hounds if you should need to end the contract in a hurry.

>>15081582
]]

rolled 46 = 46

>>15081582
Yeah, well I wanted to clarify if SPEEDING the time around us (when we bank hours) would give an opening for the hounds to get us.

You rub your eyes wearily as you look around the room. You look down to your gauntlet and a question pops to your mind.
"Rem, if I were to stop myself in time and speed time around me, would the hounds be able to affect me."
~{Negative. The hounds can only hunt between moments. During reverse time dilation the individual exists over many moments, leaving them incapable of interacting with you. However, they still may be able to track the trace signature emitted by the effect.}~
"Thank you Rem."
Well, at least now you know you could save up some time if you wanted. But spending it would only become more troublesome unless you just used it to speed yourself up. Either way, it's a consideration now.
Glancing at your over-sized watch you realize the first bell of the morning is only a few hours off. What ever you are going to do with Mora and Xepoc you had better decide soon. It might be best to dismiss them before turning in after a long night.

rolled 75 = 75

>>15081748
Yes

Lets dismiss them, go to sleep and then when we wake up, we will observe the happenings in the military camp.

>>15081748
Seconding going to sleep, though after waking up we should try not to draw attention by snooping around the military camp. If the inquisitor notices that something is amiss we really don't want to seem even the least bit suspicious.

>>15081748
I think you're right. Release them, get some sleep. We still have our cover to maintain in the Monastery.

rolled 7 = 7

>>15081791
rolling.

>iillica findings
No, captcha, we didn't find anything about iillica.

The night has dragged on long enough. It's time to get some shut eye.
"Rutabaga"
~{Balance set. Goodbye, pact maker}~
The gauntlet clangs to the floor before quickly winking out of existence.
"And good night to you Mora"
#Ain't no nights where I'm goin'. But same to you lad.#
"Feldspar"
You arm is instantly released as only dust remains about your previously petrified arm.
You make your way to the stairs and climb out of your tunnels to your tiny room, closing everything up tight and secure. You look out the window into the black night one more time before collapsing in exhaustion upon the thin cloths.
In what seems like no time at all you awake to the bright mid-morning sun. You vaguely recall the bell passing by a long while ago and have no idea of what the current time is. You've never been exactly strict with your sleep schedule but it seems to be thrown off more and more by your recent late night adventures. Perhaps you should try to actually get a full night's rest some time.
You get to your feet and throw on a fresh pair of robes, pondering what you should do first. You are curious what the inquisitor is doing now but cannot stave off the hunger growing within you. It might not be easy to just walk into the kitchens for a snack as they may be locked up by now. But perhaps you could take your tunnels covertly to the store room.
Putting aside thoughts of food for a moment you hear some sounds of commotion in the streets of the town floating on the wind. It sounds like a crowd gathering somewhere nearby. The halls of the castle itself are quiet.

rolled 13 = 13

>>15081864
Better investigate the crowd

rolled 92 = 92

>>15081864
>Putting aside thoughts of food for a moment you hear some sounds of commotion in the streets of the town floating on the wind. It sounds like a crowd gathering somewhere nearby.

Uh-oh
Better see what that is about.

rolled 98 = 98

I have trouble posting, dammit!

You peer out the window but you can't seem to see what's going on in town from where you are now. You strain to hear, trying to identify the noise, and it sounds slightly like men marching in formation.
You turn to the hall and make your way quickly to the entrance. There are quite a few monks gathered there, trying to see what the commotion is and you have to push your way through them to see what the matter is. Reaching to front of the crowd you look down and choke back a feeling of dread.
Every soldier stationed here in town is lined up in perfect formation, row after row after row of men and women in armor with spears at their sides and swords on their hips in their full gear.
Pacing up and down the rows is the inquisitor with Ranta and the night watch captain following behind him.
"What's going on?" says a voice in the back. Many chime in to discuss the curious occasion.
"I dunno."
"Is it some sort of assembly? Is this the inquisitor's doing?"
"Most likely. Probably giving an inspection or something."
You look out to the inquisitor. He seems to be dressed in a ceremonial golden armor and marches about from man to man. He may be saying something but you can't determine what from this distance.
Is this everything that you had feared might happen? Did he somehow remember all that you erased from his mind last night? Does he remember it happening? Should you stay, get closer, or get out of here while you still can?

rolled 21 = 21

>>15082040
Leaving would look suspicious. As would getting closer. Remember, we're keeping a low profile. Just stay with the crowd.

rolled 3 = 3

>>15082040
Lets stay and see what it is about.

Hmm... how could he remember? We removed all the memories which concerned the affair, we looked into finding more people who know about that in his head and only Ranta was amongst them .. .we removed his memory too.
So what the hell?

rolled 32 = 32

Maybe he has some kind of memory back up thing, like an external harddrive for his brain.

>>15082144
that would require some kind of magic, and humans are incapable of magic aside from binding. And I strongly doubt he's capable of binding or he would have mentioned something when we talked about the Relic. Either someone else re-planted his memories, or he's got a new idea in his head. Whether it's close to his old schemes or not, I don't know.

You wait with the crowd continuing to listen to speculation of bystanders.
"I heard the inquisitor was looking into stepping up enforcement. Maybe he's rallying them to discuss it?"
"No, we already have the best defensive force on the frontier. He's just running a training drill, if you ask me."
"Well I heard from a guard friend of mine he didn't even know there was supposed to be a meeting. The men all assembled because they'd been told to but none of the captains remembered giving the order to do so."
"Really? How odd. Then what is the inquisitor doing now?"
"No idea. Maybe just covering for the captains?"
You look down upon the crowd of soldiers below and you realize that despite their discipline, there are quite a few looking around with puzzled looks giving the appearance that none of them know exactly why they are there.
It is noon now judging by the sun and the crowd is slowly starting to dissipate. The inquisitor is beginning to dismiss the soldiers one shift squad at a time to return to their posts. As he walks he turns to the crowd at the castle gate and, though you know it can't be, you feel his eyes lock specifically upon you. You hold your ground but the crowd is flowing both in and out of the gate now and you'll have to decide which way you're heading or risk looking suspicious.

rolled 65 = 65

>>15082196
Oh, wait, forgot, journals exist.

rolled 43 = 43

>>15082223
There was no mention of them when plumbing his memories. If there had bee, we'd have dealt with it like we dealt with the registers and history books in the library. We'll just edit them and slip them back.

>>15082214
Follow the group headed towards morning breakfast.

You fall back with the crowd heading back into the halls and head off unnoticed. You would make for the kitchens but it is already noon and it appears that all that remains there are the scullery maids to wash the dishes.
You end up back in your room, passing the library where most of the scholars return to. You look around and consider what you should do next.
It seems that the inquisitor is well aware by now that something is amiss and it may only be a matter of time until he calls upon you. But you're still very hungry.
What should you do?

rolled 78 = 78

>>15082214
Yeah, lets just go away.
we were just curious like all other.

he cannnot remember us, even if he could remember what happened, we were had Tennebroteps appearance and we weren't wearing the robe.

I say we just go to the tavern in the evening to find out more.

rolled 41 = 41

>>15082444
Where are we keeping the artifact anyway?
I say we move it into our room, and hide under the planks.

What if the inquisitor or someone else barges in and asks for it?

Anyway, after you do that go to eat.

rolled 70 = 70

>>15082491
That's a good point really, makes more sense than keeping it in our tunnels.

rolled 96 = 96

>>15082491
agreed

You open up and descend into your tunnels again and grab the artifact from it's display in the workshop. It would be wise to have the artifact readily accessible for if the inquisitor calls upon you to show it. You'd be in quite a predicament if he asked you to show him where it was hidden.
With the artifact in hand, you quickly take your tunnels to the store room. Peering cautiously out and making sure you are alone, you nab a few apples and pears from a nearby pair of barrels before disappearing and sealing the passage.
Eating greedily you make your way up stairs and close the passage, placing the artifact just beneath the floorboards. You look at it and think it might be better to make the passage a little more disguised, but no one would notice it if they weren't looking for it.
You look about the room to make sure everything is in order and it looks as though it is. You finish the last of your fruit and consider your next move.

rolled 91 = 91

>>15082624
Hmm...
We still need to make a report.

But Inqusitor still concern me. We could go to the tavern to listen to some rumors and find out what Inquisitor is doing.

Also, did we learn the identities of elven spies from Rantas memory?

>>15082624
With the Inquisitor suspicious, we can't afford to do anything that's not above-board. Grab some books from the library and spend the day researching.

You think briefly of the elven people identified by Ranta's memories. All of the names and faces you remember Ranta as having identified as having elf heritage were little more than the children or grandchildren of elves. If they had any affiliation with the elf spies then Ranta did not know about it or did not want to know about it.
You turn to your books and think you should likely return to your research on the artifact for the day. If you keep everything as it should appear it should keep the inquisitor from casting his suspicions onto you.
But what should you research? You have quite a few leads on what the artifact is but it would be difficult to fabricate a source of the information other than the supernatural beings you have conversed with. And even then, what information should you withhold from your still growing report?

>>15082721
Withhold everything that we've discovered from the supernatural beings- but use it to guide our research as best we can. Our report should be full of footnotes referencing our sources, like any good research paper, so that we can show exactly where we found everything out and avoid suspicion of binding.

This is kind of rough, obviously, but if we start with the books that were linguistically the closest to the language on the artifact, it will at least give us some logic. Or if we start looking through books of exotic materials and metals, it likely won't be overly difficult to find an accurate description of adamantine and thereby "identify" the artifact's substance.

rolled 84 = 84

>>15082721
Our language texts. Alter a few so that the riddle we've deciphered so far is different, then he can present the 'mistranslated' riddle as part of our findings. See if we can find any more similarities to the Void language in any of the texts. And look up any historical or metallurgical texts that could help us identify the Adamantine it's made from. Might as well learn everything we can about it. Dwarves used to make things out of it, and humans conquered dwarves, so we should at least have a handful of studies of their weapons, tools, and procedures that we've captured.

>>15082770
>Our language texts. Alter a few so that the riddle we've deciphered so far is different, then he can present the 'mistranslated' riddle as part of our findings.
I would really not advise altering our reference texts. We can expect our research to be replicated by others at future points, and they'd likely have copies of our sources and notice our errors.

Also, have we even gotten far enough to have a riddle at all, without using information from our binds?

rolled 72 = 72

We could work together with Leonardo to make a good fake report

You return to the library and seek out any historical texts you can find with any references to the dwarves. There isn't any documentation of their people or practices but perhaps there will be documentation of their warfare. And if so, more information about the incredible metal adamantium.
You pour through text after text after text and only find the slightest hints of it's nature.
Apparently some was recovered by the invading forces but they couldn't figure out how to use it properly. A blade of adamantium never dulls and never breaks. Anything cast in adamantium can never be melted down because there is no temperature that can melt it. In fact, how it was ever cast in the first place remains a mystery, or even where it came from, as no natural deposits have ever been found.
You make some notes about the unusual qualities of the metal in your report and your suspicions that the artifact may in fact be composed of this metal of legend.
Turning to other resources you look for any way to try to translate the mysterious language but the effort is as fruitful as ever, leaving you with nothing that seems to make sense. You still aren't even sure how you came to understand the cryptic riddle in the first place and you certainly aren't going to include it in the report when you can't translate anything else.
You hear a series of three loud thumps on the door. "Brother Gregory? Are you there?" says a voice you do not recognize.

>>15082936
>"Brother Gregory? Are you there?" says a voice you do not recognize.
Raise our voice enough to carry. "Yes, I am. Come in!"

"Yes, I am," you respond loudly. "Come in!"
The door opens and a member of the town guard you don't recognize steps in.
"Pardon me, sir, but I have a message for you. The inquisitor has requested your presence in his tower at your earliest convenience. He also asked that I tell you to bring him what you have been entrusted. That is all, sir. Now if you'll excuse me I'll be on my way."
And without another word the man turns and heads off down the corridor. You wonder what this message could mean for you besides the obvious. Should you prepare somehow?

>>15083092
While I'm paranoid enough to think that this could be trouble, ultimately we'll be in more trouble if we're caught with a binding than if all he has is suspicions. No preparations, particularly preparations which might result in evidence being on us if things go south.

Retrieve the artifact and any reports or notes documents we have created thus far; we will play this like we believed that he wanted an update, acting the part of someone who has dived into their research and is preoccupied with it, and is inclined to see most things through its lens. Then proceed to the tower with all speed like a dutiful monk.

rolled 89 = 89

>>15083092
yes,

prepare all your notes so that you have SOMETHING to tell him.

if he asks where we were last night, tell him were researching and/or sleeping

Perhaps we should bind a combat-oriented visage to us in case this is a setup?

rolled 29 = 29

>>15083331
They leave quite noticeable marks on us

You gather up all of your notes and form them into a semi cohesive report. It doesn't look like much but it's all you have to show. You consider grabbing the artifact or binding a vestige but it would likely only cause more trouble to do such.
You make your way down the hall, through the guard's station and into the tower of the inquisitor. You find the door to the chamber open and walk in to the windowless room.
The candle upon the central table is lit but there doesn't appear to be anyone within. The devices lining the walls are covered still, but the thick layer of dust that used to be upon them is no longer so thick. Perhaps you are too early? Perhaps you should wait? Or perhaps the inquisitor is at the parapet atop the tower or in his quarters?
Either way, you are free to search the room or look elsewhere.

>>15083385
>You consider grabbing the artifact or binding a vestige but it would likely only cause more trouble to do such.
Wait, what? Weren't we explicitly told to "bring him what you have been entrusted", i.e. the artifact? We should totally have grabbed it.

Anyway, call out loudly for the Inquisitor and do nothing that would cause suspicion if we were being observed as we did it. If he doesn't answer, we can check the rest of the tower, I suppose, but while we do make sure that we're being loud and obviously searching for the Inquisitor so that there's no reason to suspect that we're poking about.

Guys, he's a freaking inquisitor. He's going to know something's amok, and he's going to know we had something to do with it.

We are walking to our graves here. At least be sure to prop the door open so we can run if we have to.

>>15083424
Agreed. Also, let's check the room with a more critical eye for anything amiss.

rolled 77 = 77

>He also asked that I tell you to bring him what you have been entrusted.

>You consider grabbing the artifact [...] but it would likely only cause more trouble to do such.

What the fuck?
Who said not to take the artifact?

rolled 31 = 31

>>15083450
Messed up my roll.

>>15083424
>He's going to know something's amok, and he's going to know we had something to do with it.
How will he know this? At most he'll have suspicions. In the worst case, he'll torture us and lock us up for execution later, in which case we can call on a vestige or twelve and turn things around the minute there are no eyes on us.

rolled 69 = 69

>>15083423
>>15083458
Go and take the artifact...

what the hell man?

>>15083471
I would like to avoid the kind of torture the inquisitor can visit upon us.

>>15083385
[[Revising previous entry due to my lack of readin comprehension.]]

You gather up all of your notes and form them into a semi cohesive report. It doesn't look like much but it's all you have to show. You grab the artifact from beneath the boards and hide it as best you can within the leathers despite not having the twine. You consider binding a vestige but it would likely only cause more trouble to do such.
You make your way down the hall, through the guard's station and into the tower of the inquisitor. You find the door to the chamber open and walk in to the windowless room.
The candle upon the central table is lit but there doesn't appear to be anyone within. The devices lining the walls are covered still, but the thick layer of dust that used to be upon them is no longer so thick. Perhaps you are too early? Perhaps you should wait? Or perhaps the inquisitor is at the parapet atop the tower or in his quarters?
Either way, you are free to search the room or look elsewhere.
You leave the door slightly ajar and step into the room, knock loudly on the door as you do and being sure to leave it open.
"Hello? Anyone here?"
You wait, but the doesn't seem to be any response. You look around the room and spot, clearly in the light of the candle that at least one of the instruments has blood on the sheet upon it. It seems the inquisitor has been putting his toys to use recently. You try not to think about the vague stench the room is filled with. You're not sure you want to admit what it could be.

>>15083495
We can (and have) bind the avatar of hell itself, and we're upset at a little blood?

Damn, we need to toughen up.

>>15083495
>You're not sure you want to admit what it could be.
Could be, nothing. We looked in the Inquisitor's head. We SAW him torturing people for information. There is no ambiguity and no illusions here. We man up and face facts rather than deceive ourselves.

rolled 87 = 87

>>15083495
Call out his name a few more times. If there is no answer, head up the tower and look for him.
And for the love of all that is holy let's not act jumpy, if we did a decent job last night then as far as he knows we have no reason to fear him.

"Lord Inquisitor?" you call again with no response.
You circle the room looking at the strange shapes beneath the sheets. You wonder which one the poor old man was subjected to the day before. You touch the bloody patch upon the sheet and find it still fresh. You wonder how many have died in this room since the inquisitor's arrival, plucked from the streets without any trace left behind and no hope of escape. How many have died over the years for the sins of their fathers?
"Inquisitor?"
"I am right here, deacon."
You turn to see the inquisitor standing in the doorway. His face is obscured in shadow but it is undoubtedly his figure. He slowly closes the door behind himself before producing a key and lock the the door with a clicking sound.
"Please, have a seat young Gregory."

rolled 79 = 79

Huh

He might be torturing people for information on what happened last night or whatever.
The tools would have been clean or at least the blood dried if this was after the elven man he tortured. Clearly these are recent.

I say we sneak and try to peek before making ourself seen by inquisitor.

>>15083657
"Of course." If there are any chairs by a table, go to them and set down our research and reports, then sit next to them and shuffle them a bit, making it obvious that that's our expected topic here. And then look expectantly to the Inquisitor, since obviously he's in charge and will start this conversation.

>>15083695
Pretty much this, fumble a bit with our notes and wait for him to say something.

"Of course," you say as you walk to the table and pull out a chair. You place the report onto the top and pull the artifact out to do the same.
"Ah, thank the gods, you still have the artifact."
You place it on the table and the inquisitor moves closer to take a look at it. "No doubt you are wondering why I called you here. This conversation must be held in absolute secrecy. You see, I had to ensure that you hadn't been compromised. We've had a severe security breech. Troop placements, records, journals. All missing within the last 24 hours. They seemed to know exactly where to find everything. I believe me and all of the troop commanders have been drugged. Drugged but not killed. These facts leads me to believe that this attack came from within. And I believe that you are involved in this."

rolled 84 = 84

>"And I believe that you are involved in this."

Uh-oh

"Do you think this concerns the artifact?"

>>15084030
Time to be the most incompetent, idiotic person in the world.

"Involved? Do you think I was drugged too? Did they try to steal the artifact?"

>>15084030
Look stunned. It shouldn't be hard. "I... drugged? How- who is 'they'? Why would anyone even care about us out here? And-" stop talking and swallow, then continue quietly "I'm involved? Are they going to come after me, because of- of that?"

"Drugged! Me, sir? Do you think this concerns the artifact?" you stammer, not entirely pretending to be surprised by the accusation.
"Yes, you see, these intruders were looking for something. And the only reason I can think that they would strike now is because something has changed. It can't merely be my presence, or I would not be alive this day. And there is only one other thing which has recently come about to this town. I think they were searching for the artifact. They know it is important, whoever they are. Which is why I must know what you have been doing. Have you discovered anything suspicious? Who have you spoken to about this artifact? Do you have connections to a heretic witch of the dark fraternity?"

>>15084144
Look nervous. Anyone would look nervous with that kind of line being thrown at them.

"I... connections!? No! I've not spoken with- that is, the chaplain made it very clear that I shouldn't talk about the artifact except with you, him, and Arnold. And I've hardly exchanged anything with any of you. I've been pulling books from the library, reading a lot... since the chaplain said I could skip my normal duties for this, I've been staying up later and sleeping in later all the time. I suppose... my room doesn't have a lock or anything. Almost anyone could have read my notes, when I was out."

rolled 57 = 57

"I have found out somethings, yes. But not anything substantial yet...- I don't know what to think.
Do you think I am in danger?"

"I... connections, sir? No! I've not spoken with anyone. That is, the chaplain made it very clear that I shouldn't talk about the artifact except with you, him, and Brother Arnold. And I've hardly exchanged anything with any of you. I've been pulling books from the library and reading a lot... since the chaplain said I could skip my normal duties for this, I've been staying up later and sleeping in later all the time. I suppose... my room doesn't have a lock or anything. Almost anyone could have read my notes, when I was out. And I have found out some things but nothing too substantial yet. Do you think I am in danger?"
"It is possible, but I will be assigning you a personal guard. I know His Majesty the King asked secrecy of you but it would seem as though it doesn't matter now. However, greater precautions must be taken henceforth. The enemies of the state are crafty and are not above setting witches to do their work under cover of night. Also..." says the inquisitor, turning from his pacing to look at you. "The Chaplain informed me that you were provided a private room with a lock precisely for this reason. Why did you not keep your studies there?"

>>15084300
"the Maids also have a key for the room, making the lock moot, as anyone could've potentially stolen the key from them, so i thought there would be no point"

>>15084300
>Why did you not keep your studies there?
...

Why didn't we keep our studies there? I can't even remember our player-logic on it. Shit.

rolled 6 = 6

>>15084300
"I had noticed that someone had been in the room after I used it. It was cleaned up .. so it was a maid, I presumed. Thinking that if maids have access to that room, then there is no telling who else has, I decided it was no longer safe to use it.
I didn't press chaplain or anyone, knowing that whoever has gotten access could have done so long time ago, perhaps even months. So taking the access away from cleaning staff would not achieve anything.

But a guard? Will it not draw even more attention to me?
...

Could you authorize to put a lock on my room and a [don't know what it is called, but a one-way lock that can be opened only from inside]? And I would like the guard not to stay in the room with me, as that would impede my research"

>>15084300
"I apologize, it was a lapse in my better judgement, when I wanted to consult some books that were in my room I took my notes and the artifact with me."

>>15084329
Also this, or we could tell him about our hiding place beneath the floorboards, saying that we thought that it would bee a better place that an obviously locked room in a monastery full of open doors.

>>15084329
That's ridiculous logic. The point of layers of security is to make nefarious activity very very hard, not impossible. You don't throw away security because it's imperfect.

I suppose the best logic I can offer is that someone commented that we hardly seemed to be around these days anymore, and we thought that we were attracting suspicion by spending endless hours cooped up in the tower. And it's more comfortable and familiar in our room than someplace fit for a noble. Reluctantly admitting personal weakness is usually good for making stories sound real.

>>15084370
>Also this, or we could tell him about our hiding place beneath the floorboards, saying that we thought that it would bee a better place that an obviously locked room in a monastery full of open doors.
We can't mention that. We have an elvish flute hidden there that will implicate us if he asks to see it.

>>15084366
>And I would like the guard not to stay in the room with me, as that would impede my research
Asking this will raise suspicion.

Hmm. The guard will make it difficult to do anything with vestiges. We may have to arrange their absences.

"It was partly because I was referencing books in my own room and partly a lapse in judgement on my part. Besides, some people were beginning to notice my absence from my own room. And the room was never completely private anyways, as the maids had access to it as well. Do you really think a posted guard is the best course of action? Wouldn't that draw more suspicion?"
"Perhaps, but subtlety is a secondary concern now to the safety of yourself and the artifact. If you would prefer I can arrange to have new quarters prepared for you in town or possibly in the military encampment. Though I would not recommend that as we still have not determined if the traitor is one of our own. There are only a handful of men I can be certain weren't behind the attack. And even fewer that I would trust with this assignment. If you would prefer, you can stay with me and I will watch over you personally when I am not otherwise occupied."

rolled 45 = 45

>"If you would prefer, you can stay with me and I will watch over you personally when I am not otherwise occupied."

"Thank you for your concern, but I would not want to impede you on your duties, especially in such critical times ..."

>If you would prefer I can arrange to have new quarters prepared for you in town
Depends on the quarters really.

>>15084471
"I... if I moved away, I would still need to return to the library at least once a day, to get books. Living in town would be nice, though. Someplace with strong locks and solid doors. I wouldn't want to bother you, but... only afford one guard? What about when he's sleeping?"

"Thank you, Inquisitor, for the generous offer but I would not want to impede your duties, especially in these critical times."
"Understandable, but I assure you that you will be taken care of in some manner."
"As for arrangements in town... What kind of arrangements did you mean? I would need to return to the library frequently for materials and references but it might be nice to have a sturdy secure door and some true privacy."
"I can either requisition a room at the local tavern for you or I could find a house for you to occupy. Neither would be too much trouble to procure."
"And about a guard, why only one? What about when he's sleeping?"
"Oh, I think I can find one who would be more than capable of the task. But, I can spare more men too if you feel one is not enough."

>>15084648
"If you think you have someone who can keep me safe on his own, I'm sure you know what you're doing, Inquisitor. A house would be good; the tavern is... not well suited to study."

rolled 33 = 33

>>15084648
>"Oh, I think I can find one who would be more than capable of the task. But, I can spare more men too if you feel one is not enough."

Better one capable guard than bunch of rabble.

>>15084711
Hmm
don't think that is good idea.
Staying in our quarters gives us freedom to access tunnels.
I really think we should ask double locks on our door and that the guard is stationed outside the room.

>>15084739
>Staying in our quarters gives us freedom to access tunnels.
Staying in a house would give us a hell of a lot more freedom to access tunnels, as soon as we get around to adding the tunnels to the house. It will be a much more secure location than our quarters, and sticking locks and guards on our current quarter door would restrict our actions unduly.

>Better one capable guard than bunch of rabble.
My point in asking after more guards was to imply to the Inquisitor that we're scared and supportive of his wanting to guard us, rather than distrustful. Lowers suspicion on his part. Obviously only having one person will make them more vulnerable to our corruption and control.

>>15084648
"I think a house would be most agreeable, as the tavern may be a bit to noisy for my studies. And if you have a man that can do the job I have the utmost faith in your decision, inquisitor."
"Very well then, tomorrow I will have a house requisitioned for your needs and a guard and escort posted at your door around the clock. If there is anything else you need just let me know. Now, if you don't mind, I will take the artifact and keep a close eye on it for now. I will return it to you when we have prepared the safe house, but until then we cannot take any risks. You can keep your report for a few more days until you feel it is completed. Agreed?"
"Of course"
"Very well then." says the inquisitor as he unlocks the door and pulls it open. "You are dismissed."
You stand and make your way from the room, with your report in hand and don't look back. You breathe a deep sigh of relief as you step out of the tower and into the halls. What should you do with what may be your last day of unrestrained freedom?

>>15084943
We need to do three things:
-Keep our bargain with Acheron. This happens last, since it will take a while and make us creepy.
-Speak with Arnold and ensure that our stories are consistent; don't want him panicking. He is at particular risk as someone who knew about the artifact and could potentially have carried out an inside job, though there's no reason to think that he'd have known about troops placements and such. If all else fails, Arnold can potentially run away to take shelter with the Order and thereby draw the Inquisitor's suspicion away from us.
-Contact Rosemary/her uncle and tell them that we will be under close observation, probably for some time, and that they should be exceptionally careful and keep all secrets they know very close. They may be in danger as well, though there is no reason to think that they are in any more than anyone else.

rolled 16 = 16

>>15084943
Bind Acheron outside the monestary somewhere so we can pay that debt off before it gets much more difficult to do. (originally was going to post 5 minutes after last update but forgot verification and forgot to repost)

rolled 5 = 5

>>15085019
I agree at the first 2 points but not the third.

It would be better to have Arnold convey information. Someone might notice us and that would suck.

And yeah, Need to summon Acheron. I guess it would be best to do it in the evening.

>>15085382
If we do end up using Arnold as a distraction, then anyone that he's been noted associating with is in danger. I'd rather keep him away from Rosemary. He doesn't know anything about her other than that she's our crush.

You decide if there is anything you need to take care of it is your debt to Acheron. After today you may have a lot more difficulty finding the time to summon vestiges freely and it would be wise not to have an outstanding debt that could cost you your life. But Acheron is sure to have a price for her binding and it may not be entirely favorable.
Before you do anything of that sort, however, you need to take care of a few other things. You make your way to Arnold's room while trying to think of what to tell him. At the very least, he should be warned that the inquisitor may cast his suspicions on him as the culprit since he was the only other one that knew about the artifact as far as he knows.
You knock lightly on Arnold's door but there is no response. You knock again but still silence.
This does not bode well. Maybe Arnold's not here? Or maybe you should just take a peek.

rolled 29 = 29

>>15085629
>This does not bode well. Maybe Arnold's not here? Or maybe you should just take a peek.

Take a peek

>>15085685
Agreeing with this. I value Arnold's confidence that we respect his privacy less than I do knowing what's going on.

You push the door and find it swings open. Inside the room papers are strewn across the floor, books are laying spread open and a black well of ink is shattered to one side. There is a cracked plate of stone and the hidden cabinet on the wall has been raided with the bottles of wine and whatever else was previously hidden there now gone. The bed is askew and the window ajar. It looks like the inquisitor had someone search the room before he even sent for you. You wonder how much the inquisitor discovered before he sent for you.
You look around but there's no sign of Arnold. If you had a vestige you might be able to find him if he is bound still but right now you cannot.
There is nothing of importance immediately visible within the room and it might be best to just leave without searching through or giving any indication you were here. But where could Arnold be? Has he been taken by the inquisitor? The fresh blood you saw on the sheets in the tower so recently returns to your memory as a dreadful possibility.

>>15085859
Let's get out of here. Hopefully no one has noticed that we went to check on Arnold; try to see if we've got anyone tailing us and go for a short walk, taking a good look around the area. Casing the whole building will hopefully prevent suspicion from being thrown on us for going any specific place; likewise, stop and exchange a few innocuous sentences with many people that we know, mostly because they're there and it will confuse anyone watching us. Rosemary might be around, and if we can I'd like to drop words to her quickly and as inconspicuously as we can manage rather than leaving for her home or that of her uncle.

Is it day or night? If night, we could bind Tenebrotep and skulk around to find stuff out. If day, let's skedaddle and do other things.

>>15085999
[[It is day, a little past noon.]]

rolled 23 = 23

Well, this sucks.

We could go around searching for Arnold.

Hmm...

Think of where Inquisitor could hold Arnold. The top of the tower?
And go look at it.

You turn and leave the room, replacing the door as it was when you came. You return to your room, casting your glance about as you enter to see if anyone might have been assigned to follow you but there doesn't seem to be anyone but a few monks about. You drop your report onto the table and place your pile of books on top of it.
You leave the room again, unable to shake the feeling you're now in this way over your head and that you're being shadowed, and head into the library. You talk to the custodian briefly and chat with a few monks in passing, talking about your scar now showing clearly on your unbandaged face and grab a few books seemingly at random on human history and biology before returning to your room. You snatch up your notes and a few books and make for the eastern tower, quickly depositing them on the desk there before relocking the door and heading back down.
You feel an intense wave of paranoia but you need to find out what happened to Arnold. If the inquisitor did take him then he may still be in the tower somewhere. But first you need so clear your head, so you stroll off to the gardens and walk around. Seeing Rose working to hang laundry again in the sun, you wave and approach her with a smile.
"How have you been, Brother Gregory?"
"Not so well, Rose. My father seems to think me up to no good and and has been pestering me all morning." She seems surprised to hear you mention your father but doesn't say anything in response. You hope she can read the meaning in your words.
"Is that so..." says Rose curiously, but she seems to have caught on. "And have you been up to no good?"
"Oh of course, my usual fare, but I couldn't let him find out. He'd lock me away in my room with no supper for sure."
"That would be unfortunate. Best to avoid him until he forgets."
"Indeed. See you around Rose."
"And you Gregory."

>>15086194
You finish your walk through the gardens and re-enter the castle. You look at the inquisitor's tower, looming over the courtyard, dread filling your heart. If Arnold has been taken by the inquisitor, he will likely be locked up in the tower somewhere.
Perhaps you should arm yourself before proceeding? You have nearly a dozen spirits at your disposal and surely one of them could be of help. But would it be worth the risk? What if he doesn't even have Arnold at all?

rolled 31 = 31

Hmm

We need to wait till evening if we are to summon anyone.
And since we NEED to summon Acheron .... wait, Holy grounds ... then that is a no.

As soon as the sun sets, we could summon Tenebrotep.
But I still feel we are being watched.

Ask chaplain if he has seen Arnold, then go around asking everyone when they saw him last. Perhaps people who might have been near the tower at the time.

rolled 6 = 6

>>15086366
Maybe if we left the holy grounds before summoning Acheron, and using her water far-sight ability to look in the tower..?

rolled 89 = 89

>>15086411
Hmm..

But we still wont be able to help out Arnold if we do that though. And who says there is water she can peer in?

>>15086366
>Ask chaplain if he has seen Arnold, then go around asking everyone when they saw him last. Perhaps people who might have been near the tower at the time.
If Arnold was snatched by the Inquisitor, then this will send up red flags. It would be unwise to share the fact that we're looking for him with anyone.

>>15086411
Her not going onto holy grounds might well extend to the use of her powers. It's a risk.

>>15086224
Can we get our list of vestiges again? I feel like staring at my options for a while.

>>15086456
[[As a reminder, this is the full list of Vestiges you now know how to summon:

-Xepoc, the Harbinger of Eternity’s Repose
-Seno and Eno, the Dichotomous Serpent
-Tenebrotep, the Lurker in the Night
-Asam’Ano Mora, the Architect of Misery
-Kuzo, the Storm Warder
-Gourmander, the Hungering One
-Quorim, the Stalwart Blade
-Narcosis, the Indomitable Force
-Red Jack, the Gambit of Buffoons
-Acheron, the Stygian Judge

You have discovered that you can, in fact, call upon them without the book. Though what the full limitations of this are remains a mystery.

If you would like I can give you a short list of what you have discovered each is capable of.]]

>>15086480
Please review any information-gathering powers that we know any of them have. I recall that Acheron has all the knowledge of the dead, but can any of the others help us find things out without sneaking around with them bound?

rolled 65 = 65

>If Arnold was snatched by the Inquisitor, then this will send up red flags. It would be unwise to share the fact that we're looking for him with anyone.

Why would that?
We are genuinely worried about our closest friend

>>15086535
[[As far as you now know, Acheron is the only vestige you possess with scrying powers.

However, Jack the Red has boasted that he can give you anything you wish to know for a price.]]

>>15086537
Arnold isn't our closest friend, either in fact or as far as anyone else knows. At the start of the game, we hardly knew anything about him, and indeed I'm pretty sure that we strongly considered killing him more than once.

[[Still waiting for a suggestion of what to do. If no one has a better suggestion then you're heading to the woods to call Acheron.]]

>>15086835
Im cool with this.

>>15086835
Agh. Sorry.

I don't think that we can locate Arnold at the moment. It sucks to leave him out in the cold, the more so because he'd be able to implicate us in a dozen ways, but... that's what happens at the moment. Perhaps tonight we'll be able to do some more nefarious work in the dark.

>>15086895
[[Then what do you suggest you should do? Research for the rest of the night?]]

>>15086914
Head to the woods to call Acheron, like you said. It was next on our to-do list, after all. Failing to call her and then being compelled by our oath to do so at a moment not of our choice just before the time limit runs out would really suck.

>>15086714
We apparently don't really have any friends. So really, he kind of is.

>>15086984
>hardly knew anything about him
>strongly considered killing him more than once.
>STILL our closest friend
My god... you're right. What the fuck is wrong with us?

As much as you hate to admit it, there may be nothing you can do for Arnold now. The best thing may be to call upon Acheron to fulfill your obligation to her and to bargain for her powers of scrying. With any luck, you'll be able to figure out where Arnold is.
You decide not to take the direct route and risk being spotted or followed and instead go back to your room and take the tunnels out to the woods, being very careful to make sure the tunnel is hidden within your room.
You walk out a good distance into the woods until you are certain that you've come far enough that no one will accidentally see or hear you. You stop at a small pond and sit down upon the rock beside it. You close your eyes and recall the words of the pact.
"Acheron, the Stygian Judge, flow forth through rivers clear. Rise up again to claim your due, inspiring mortal fear. Come hither and stand before me!"
The first skeletal hand reaches up from beneath the earth, and the bare skeleton stands again upon the earth.
"You certainly took your time. It is not wise to keep me waiting. One day you will stand upon the Styx and I may keep you waiting."
The skeleton walks to the tiny pond and casts water about in a circle on the ground until you are surrounded by a circle of frost. She draws up water into her own form, this time to create a watery cloak, long flowing crystalline hair and a gentle blue femine figure about her bones glittering in the sunlight. She steps back into the circle with you and stands with as much poise as she can muster.
"Now, what do you seek this time, pact maker?"

rolled 87 = 87

>>15087155
"Today I seek knowledge. I require the use of your powers to locate Brother Arnold."

>>15087155
>"You certainly took your time. It is not wise to keep me waiting. One day you will stand upon the Styx and I may keep you waiting."
"My apologies if you felt there was undue delay. You said three days, and I took you at your word.

"I seek your powers of scrying and knowledge, that I may find Brother Arnold, whose location and health I am somewhat concerned for, and know of his fate." Smile slightly. "I know we all meet you for good, soon or late. But I do hope that his day isn't just yet. What would you ask in return, Ash?"

"Today I seek knowledge. I ask to borrow your powers of sight to locate some I have lost."
"Then the price is the same as it was last time I offered." She holds out her hands and from the waters of her form creates a lily of glowing white ice before placing it in her hair. "Twenty years from the life of a mortal, though I leave the choice to you"
You were afraid of this. Acheron is very uncompromising in her deals and you still aren't sure if you're willing to pay such a price.

>>15087457
"Is there no other price which you would ask for? We are all yours in the end; is it so desirable to hasten our arrival?"

Chat for other players: This would be a hell of a lot easier if we were to ruthlessly kill people left and right. I see that we don't want to, that it would generate questions... But what is our objective, ultimately, anyway? What are we doing here?

Right now we're just going with the flow, trying to keep our head down- that's no way to live. Is it even worth it to maintain a facade of being an innocent monk? We could hit the road with Rosemary and spend months or years hunting down information on Bindings and learn how the world really works. We could throw all in with the Inquisition and king, gamble that Arnold's bunch are as evil as we've heard. Or we could side with them, work with the shadowy organization and hope that we'll be something other than just a pawn.

Delaying and keeping our options all open is dangerous, and I don't think that in the long run it's sustainable. We need to decide what to do and then take decisive steps in that direction rather than hesitating.

>>15087679
[[I believe, at least so far, that the majority of the players are enjoying the idea of being completely self-interested and just playing everyone against each other while being the only one with all the cards.

Maybe you guys are just waiting until you finally mess up before you give up that route? Perhaps every player has a different group they want to align with (or none of them). But we'll see what happens. The house of cards may already be falling down.]]

>>15087752
Pah, "may" nothing- it IS.

The shadowy organization could potentially know everything that dead agent of theirs knew thanks to binds with Acheron; they can literally send in people to die investigating things and call that a success. Even if they haven't, they've obviously got substantial resources, Arnold may have told them more than he claimed to have, and with him running into trouble they will certainly start taking steps. And we just don't know enough about them to be certain, and we have no control over them or what they know at all; worse, they have unknown magics to deploy against us and centuries of mastery of our very powers. Planning to stay off their radar or keep them duped is playing with fire.

The Inquisitor we might be able to deceive, at least for a while- but we're simply not good enough to avoid throwing everything into chaos. And we might not be- he might be interrogating Arnold even now, in which case he knows far too much and will move against us. And his whole agenda is based upon genocide anyway, so supporting or appearing to support him will quickly lead dark places if our powers ever come out.

>>15087886
The Baron has some skill and much research but no broader power and seems interested in never doing anything with all the information he's gathered, just sitting back and looking down on everyone else equally. He can't offer us any safety or influence, just a small amount of backup, and he's far too confident in his own abilities and security.

Thinking that we have all the cards here is utterly ridiculous. We are in an extremely precarious position and the longer we hesitate the more likely it is that we and those close to us will pay for our waffling. Even if we can successfully make it through the next few days with the Inquisitor, which is far from certain, ever more shit will begin hitting the fan- he's launching investigations, more people will be coming in, assassins from the Order will come, the elves might sit on their ass (and get attacked again, and endanger our brother again, making our efforts thus far useless) or they might go to war and get tons of people killed. But these things will happen regardless of our presence.

I don't think that staying here is tenable. I think we should fake our death, steal the artifact, disappear with Rosemary and take what research her uncle can give us, then go on a binding-powered quest to discover the truth of the world and everything in it, answering to no one but ourselves and taking down all who get in our way through sheer power with no regrets at all.

But that's just me.

>>15087893

I completely agree with you, we need to leave this town but I think we should try going to where the artifact originated as the people across the Hallowed Sea could know why it was created and how it works

You look the eerily beautiful figure of Acheron in the eye, trying to be as serious as possible.
"You know I can't agree to those terms, Asch. If you are as patient as you claim then surely you can wait a little longer for their souls. Is there no alternate price you could ask?"
"None. My price is non-negotiable. If you wish to peer through the waters of life you must fill my chalice with the lifeblood of the living. I require twenty years of life, and no less, however you choose to pay. Of course, you could sample one of my other favors for a different price."
As she says this her watery dress turns slowly into her familiar icy armor, encircling and encasing her in form-fitting beautiful white ice.

rolled 66 = 66

>>15088243
"And what other favors do you offer?"

[[Guess I'm going to call it a night on this thread, even though it was short. I'll try to do another one tomorrow.]]

>>15088571
Normal time? Will be looking forward to it OP :3

rolled 71 = 71

>>15088571
as always, thanks for the quest! Enjoyed it as always. Can we get it archived?

[[Archived:

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/15070728/

Thanks for playing everyone.]]

>>15088571
Ah, sorry about always responding slowly. We didn't get much of a crowd today, and I'm not the most active player, I know.

>>15088588
>>15088637
If you guys are here- any comments on >>15087886 and >>15087893? We really need a better plan of action than our current one. We can't keep our head down forever, and all we're doing right now is surviving, not gaining anything.

rolled 35 = 35

We should compliment her on her looks or something.

[[Sorry guys, looks like no quest today. Having some unexpected visitors over. Quest will resume Monday.]]

rolled 47 = 47

):