Status:
The dam needs to be rebuilt.
The city needs to be rebuilt
The merchants still demand compensation for lost goods and wealth
The aristocrats are quickly becoming restless from their power being eroded away at
Duke Gagné escaped the citadel
Kelgris is still healing
Still captive: The mage neophytes, Gregov and Miranda

Are the homeless being given temporary homes in the estates of the nobles that were backing the Duke? If so we should get a status report on that, otherwise attend to the Dam and see what we need to repair it. with the Dam comes wealth, with wealth comes homes for the people. With more people our power grows.

>>17564941

What? Were we discovered? Who is the one talking in the OP?


>Still captive: Gregov and Miranda

How are they? Last thing I remember (months and months ago) was that they were tortured and probably hate us.

"My lord Famento, this is simply not sustainable. You're blatant disregard for procedure and ignoring of the noble council threatens to cause this dukedom to spiral into civil war. To move the..." The brightly colored, loose fit clothed and portly man pauses for a moment of precious silence, "...Riffraff, into the higher tiers is quite unprecedented, the nobles cannot stand the sight and smell of the degenerates any longer. If they wish to not live in flooded waters I suggest they be moved back out into the fringes of the city." His obvious disdain for the common-folk is readily apparent. But he does not pause there, but this time quietly so his voice does not carry far, "Your support among the nobles whom backed you is slipping. They are starting to believe that you are not committed to raising their status, titles and grants of land in return for supporting you over the former duke. They wanted to change the status quo, but they did not intend for you to do as you please and ignore them."

>Intro to quests are now done in a narrative of a scholar looking far back at this current era. If it didn't appear obvious.

>Gregov and Miranda are the aging master inventor/engineer and his young assistant girl. You've had them locked up for quite some time after you abducted them when you turned the dragon statue/marionette into a real dragon.

Are there any lands and revenues left over after we had reappropriated the previous Duke's lands?

/tg/ seems dead tonight. Wonder if its because of server issues or something.

>>17565271
The previous Duke's lands were primarily the city itself, renamed to Elvenfall recently by you.

The Dukedom itself is on this map provided here. The red dots are the major settlements, the most northern one being Elvenfall where you are currently. The population is approximately 130,000 souls, at least at last census, that does not include the serfs whom are tied to their lands and lords.

The yellow star are Dwarven ruins, long left untouched as a great and mighty steel door barricades the path inside. The dark green area is the Moonlight Forest, named so because those who enter say an eerie and inexplicable light illuminates the forest from within as if the full moon were shining on it always. No one ventures into the deep parts of the forest, no one who comes out again that is.

>More will be added to the map as you become more familiar with the land.

1) We need the support of the nobles, or else all will be for naught. How about we hold a special council session to address the concerns of the nobles? We could use the session to determine which nobles are still most loyal, and delegate to the loyal ones to various tasks that need being done. For an example, we could delegate the training of the military to one, the recreation of a fleet to protect the mercantile trade another (we have to make sure that they are loyal and able, however). This should allow them to increase their standing, increase their titles, and the Duke's lands leftover could be granted to those who were most loyal so far and during the council session.

2.) For the merchants, I thought that we had pressed a deal with Lourenz to allow free trade to their markets. The privy purse is needed for the restoration of the city and the dam, and compensation for the merchants trade will still take time. How about seed money for the merchants to tide them over and rebuild their wares and trade while the city gets back on its feet?

rolled 92 = 92

>>17565186

Call a meeting with the nobles, everyone should get up to date with the new plans.

The nobles want to become rich, do they?

And the city needs to be rebuilt. And a forest is located conveniently nearby.

We should inform the nobles that a "Public Works Project" is in order; displaced commoners will go to work farming land outside the city, cutting down trees from the Moonlight forest and working with architects.

On the other side, nobles will bid for ownership of forest acreage and also for the right to rebuild city blocks. By combining these two plans, a huge amount of labor should be completed relatively quickly, the Nobles should be satisfied with the ability to compete and fuck each other over, and hopefully Duke Famento will be seen as a wise and trusting ruler.

>>17565509
For long term:

1.) Rebuilding of the dam should be first priority, and we could make the captured engineers devise a plan to create a quick, cheap, and efficient dam structure. I am sure a man of his talents will welcome the challenge. The funds from Lourenz should be enough to help out, and we could pay merchants in the city for the supplies and help bolster their battered stocks and income. We could also hire the refugees to help in the building of the dam, as the faster that it is done the faster their homes could be saved from the watery prison.

2.) Rebuild the city. The dam's traffic (once built) should be more than enough to make this better, use the same means as for rebuilding the dam. Hopefully, the time taken to do this will be better used to helping increase trade.

3.) Use the master engineer to design new weapons and armor for our armies. They are small (compared to others). Discipline and quality will carry them through many battles. Also, make him design a new gun for us to use. I don't think a sword will carry us far in these modern armies.

4.) Use the mage neophytes (once corrupted to our will and built up to strength) to bolster the strength of the tower that was used to originally destroy the dam in the first place. Afterwards, set it up as a new Mage college, one dedicated to the more insidious arts, that corrupt students that come there to our will.

>>17565420
Tell the nobles they can have a share of the land of those who were disgraced after the workers get shelter again. Phrase it in such a way that shows the ultility of it, peons with exposure have a hard time mining and such. At the moment all disgraced manors are your property, as the lords reneged on their feudal duties. Eventually tear down the houses of the lords. Before that, strip the homes of all valuable furniture and such before the peasants get their hands on it. After tearing down the manors, give 1/3 to the surrounding nobles, 1/3 for peasant housing, and save 1/3 for Ducal lands.

Send out scouts.

Tired of the fat man's constant prattling you give a wave of your hand and tell him to call together the nobles of the land to a council, you will deal with their concerns, once and for all.

Upon gathering the nobles of the Dukedom of Angelfalls, this time with Catharine sitting on the adjacent throne, and everything as official as it can be, the dozens upon dozens of nobles stand before you in audience. A mixed din ushers forth from the mass before you, expectant, agitated, disgruntled all at once. Once you have waited long enough, and stared them down for quite some time, you finally raise your hand for them to quiet and you rise to your feet, towering even higher above them.

"The rebuilding of Elvenfall is a slower process than we would all wish for at this moment. The common-folk wallow in the streets and outside your homes, they move into your lands seeking food and shelter anywhere they can even beyond this wall, tens of thousands of souls. I opted to utilize the vast amount of open space of your lands and property, your mansions and villas for only but a short time and that time is over. The unused hands of the land will be used to repair this land, we shall claim land from the very Moonlight Forest itself, new lands for those willing to oversee its trees uprooted and turned into lumber that will rebuild the dam and our homes." Mention of the forest starts worried whispers and murmurs throughout the chamber, "If not, then people still starve, the merchants go poor and your homes and lands not your own for longer still, long enough that there may no longer be an Angelfalls." The murmurs cease, "We will rebuild the fleet, retrain the army and regain our prestige and wealth all in one swoop. I have the minds capable of doing it in my own.. employ. And those who want such loftier titles will claim the land from that forest."

...

>>17565716
...

"And a new visage for this city hereafter. The west citadel tower, it need not be the same rampart of war it is. We shall instead transform it, transform it into a new place of learning. An academy for the magic arts and academia. When this city is new, it will have people flock to it in droves. The artifacts of this city will be more than enough. The isolationism of this Dukedom, I plan to do away with, for now and forever."

The nobles stir and speak amongst themselves for a brief moment. Some begin to clap their hands and try to spurn the crowd into an agreement. It slowly spreads and a familiar group of lords see this as the opportunity they were waiting for.

"Let this be the first and final warning as well." The chamber once grows silent again, "This is a new image of this city, it will be grander than it was before, however..." Your eyes glint with a fire that would shatter the souls of those looking too deep within, "I will have no tolerance of obstacles based on pettiness. If I must tear down anyone to reach these goals, I will leave their carcass and their wealth to the others to enjoy, I will have no patience to deal with them otherwise.

And with that you send the nobles on their way, shaken, afraid, but enough committed, and only a part of them worried, but no longer disgruntled.

>>17565824
>>17565716

This is some good stuff right here.

rolled 47 = 47

>>17565824

The Magical Academy is going to produce so many avenues of corruption it's not even funny.

>>17565996

The weapon could also be corrupted and made into something incredibly powerful.

The days and weeks pass and the refugees are rounded up and directed toward the Moonlight Forest, a place where the superstitious quake with fear. A forest where people are said not to return from when they venture too far into the old growth forest. But for timber, that untouched old growth leaves for trees hundreds of years old to be harvested. Progress is made with the massive mobilization of manpower, the timber itself can quite easily pay for the grain and food needed to keep the labor force going.

If where they were going was not death and disappearance. The further the workers go into the forest, the increasing reports of missing people increases. It is not a gradual increase, it increases sharply, and at punctual increments of workers at a time. When word of it finally reaches your citadel, it is already a hundred, two hundred, four hundred missing in each of the last three weeks alone. Many groups, except but all of the most steadfast and stubborn of the nobles, merchants and taskmasters have ceased sending their men into the forest out of terror.

>>17566159

Whatever evil is there should be bent to our will. Also, we can begin to solidify our position as saviour even further if we can solve the problem of the moonlight forest. The only problem is that If we leave Elvenfall, it could give the nobles a chance to lead a coup and a civil war.

Could Catharine be trusted to keep everything in check while we put on our adventuring caps?

rolled 59 = 59

>>17566209

I'm feeling this strategy as well. Let's go into the heart of the forest and see if there are any beasties in there to make friends with.

>>17566209
Yes, because we need to do this ourselves. If she can't we better bring that evil out of the forest back into the city and take it back.

>>17566409

Catharine could keep the nobles in check while Kelgris serves as her backup. Think about it. Catherine addressing the nobles while Kelgris is curled at her feet. Would make anyone think twice about challenging us while we are away.

>>17566209
Well she can probably do it if we leave most of our loyal guards and Kelgris but we should still be fast who knows how long the nobles will go along with us if we aren't there.

rolled 51 = 51

>>17566464

We can always shadowstep back into the city at a moment's notice if Catherine gets antsy.

>>17566481
Good point. We should also look into advanced training for our guards/former and intermingle with the knights to try and convert the soldiers to our side so that even if the nobles try something we'll have the army and Kelgris.

Rising from your throne you call for your men to gather together and prepare to sortie. You leave Catharine to keep the affairs of state running, what should be her job in the first place but yours through force of will and her loyalty and service to you.

Along with a train of a hundred of your men you leave south upriver in a commandeered merchant vessel, the trip takes a few days, but you eventually reach Miregate, a small town south of the Moonlight Forest. The land has been diked off to make fertile soil, but outside of settlements the land is still all wild.

Heading north along the tributaries you make way to the forest where the marshes give way to meadow and small hills until reaching the few outcroppings of small forests until the wall of trees that is Moonlight Forest.

Strewen on the sceen are large piles of massive lumber, makeshift houses and lodges, large cutting tools, fire, smoke, blood and bodies. This first encampment, the closest to Miregate, has been completely destroyed. The bodies are few compared to the number that should be working in such a camp, you see that is because a veritable stampede has fled from the forest out into the hills some days ago.

The bodies left behind, not a single survivor, not even the most wounded remain, and of those bodies left, torn asunder and also broken and bent in many places.

>>17566481

i don't know if we have enough range for that. You are talking a range of several miles, and the last time we did it a shadow step of 300 yards drained us.

>>17565186
So we're the incarnation of a star made of pure evil?

imokwiththis.jpg

>>17566534

I would show appreciation at such a display of destruction. Could anything be gleamed from the surroundings, whether it was a group of creatures, whether they were intelligent, etc?

rolled 40 = 40

>>17566534

Freaky.

Examine the bodies to see if we can learn anything? Do they lead anywhere, were they fleeing from something?

Were the wounds caused by animals, or were they inflicted with weapons?

>>17566159
We're near mountain? have them start quarrying for rock while the forest is investigated, no reason to leave hands sitting idly, and stone makes for a better building material anyways.

We shall go investigate while Catherine keeps the court under sway.

>>17566534
Clear the encampment, then have your men burn the bodies and reinforce the defenses. If they came once they can come again to ripntear

The bodies left behind are mutilated, few teeth marks, mostly bruises with several parallel streaks on certain areas of the body, they are centered around where it is visible the bones were forcefully broken. A few bodies have axe wounds, but not many. The stampede of foot prints left lead out, but there are many smoothed out tracks, as though bodies were dragged back into the forest, the foot prints of those coming out, covered up by that dragging. You did not stay in Miregate long, and neither did you come across any fleeing workers from this camp on your way here.

You order your men to take what wood you have and make a barricade, and to burn the leftover bodies once thrown together in piles.

>>17566703
I'm thinking trolls, 'Berserk' trolls.

>>17566725
I've got my money of dwarves and warbeasts myself.

>>17566703

We should leave most of the men behind. It would give us an aura of power and strength if we went in alone and came back out alive, possibly bordering on hero worship. Furthermore, we will probably lose a lot of men going in there, and this could be used as ammo for any politically savvy politician back home as proof of our inadequacy. We need to end or convert this threat decisively, with no question to our abilities.

The other reason for going in alone is that we do not want to worry about a group of panicky soldiers who can easily be ambushed in a forest that hasn't had adequate reconnaissance. That just speaks of bad form.

One final reason could be that the forest hides a vestige of the evil that brought us into this world, and we don't want to be exposed to people just yet.

rolled 6 = 6

>>17566703

Sounds like orcish mischief to me. Anyways, no sense sticking around.

We should accompany a scouting party out in the woods while the barricade is built.

>>17566703
i think we should leave a small gap in the barricade facing out towards where the tracks are coming from and stand their and if some lost evil comes out we can break our facade and try to gain mastery of it. If that doesn't work it might funnel the beasts to us where we can slaughter them and preserve our men.

rolled 48 = 48

>>17566871

>break our facade
>show our men that the Duke Famento is less than a man.
>implying we even give a shit about the rank 'n file soldiers in the first place.

>>17566900
I believe we took our crew you know the guys who already know we are a monster so it should be fine but if we didn't and brought some random normal soldiers then yes breaking facade would be bad.

With a basic palisade built you inform one of the larger ones, guessing with this motley crew the biggest one being the leader by default, to mind and defend the camp. You would be going out into the forest, alone. Looks of puzzlement, but not concern show on their faces, and they know better to raise even one word of advise in any fashion.

With night having fallen you stride past the debris and come to forest, a wall of tightly packed and massive trees, side by side. They cut off from the clearing like a cliff. Sliding inside you maneuver amongst the fallen branches, shrubs and dead logs and leaves. As per namesake of the forest, you feel as though a full moon shines even past the thick and impermeable canopy above. There is no utter darkness here, as well as there is no utter loneliness.

After an hour of heading into the forest with nothing but the sounds of insects and bats, you come across a small clearing it he forest, the grounds dips down gradually into a large pit. Above the skies above visible as the canopy gives way.

Inside the pit, huddled together are many shapes, human shapes with torn clothes, missing body parts and flayed skin and matted hair. Your arrival causes each to stop, the sound of crunching and ripping ending, and slowly turn their heads toward you, the moonlight shining off the pure sick white sheen in their eyes, those with eyes still at least. Rising to their feet, they reveal a feast of carcasses, dead workers torn apart like bread with the stuffing pushed out like a flesh colored flower, sections missing from a need to sate hunger.

Dragging axes, saws, chains and ropes and stiff hands they march up the easy and gradual slope toward you, moaning incessantly as they come. The forerunner, one with two good legs and hip with an axe raised higher stumbles upwards toward you.

>>17566954

Dark tyranny power go! Shout only one word. "Obey"

>>17566954
ooo, zombies.

Make space, so the one in the lead is quite far ahead of the rest of the pack, see if its soul can be taken.

If it can, that's good, we'll be able to fight without difficulty, if not, we'll need to be more cautious than usual.

>>17566981
>>17567007
these two

Stepping backwards up the slope you goad the leading corpse further away from the pack until you've made some distance. Tensing the your left hand in an open claw with all your strength you gather the black and smokey tendrils and then casting your left index finger out with a snap of your elbow you command, "Obey". The figure stops in its tracks, mid stride, but as the others catch up behind it, hand stretch out and drag the corpse down, down into the soil where the others march over and trample the now both still and lifeless corpse into the dirt with the crunch of bones with each footstep over it.

>>17567085

Well then, I guess it's time to draw Kingslayer and get to some reaping action. Hopefully the sword can take their souls and stop them.

Attacking the shambling morons should be easy. Just retreat until one gets ahead, take it down, rinse and repeat.

rolled 2 = 2

>>17567177

This.

See if we can keep a few alive at the end to experiment with. It might be handy to have a zombie outbreak ready and waiting to be released on a country we don't particularly like.

Wasn't evil supposed to be banished by Valtir oh so long ago?

This is a mystery that bears further exploration.

Pulling Kingslayer from its sheath the blue-gray light and ethereal wisps dance along the sword's edge adding new light to the scene. Swinging down with the banshee like screech of the blade following after you cleave one shambling figure in-twain, the gray-blue arc of ethereal energy continues out for a short distance freezing flesh upon contact again. You take your first steps forward again and thrust the sword out into the skull of another and a dagger of light continues onward freezing more corpses. The frostbitten and cleaved bodies falling over and tumbling into the others, knocking others over and those others bashed aside, trampled and torn apart by their peers. The slaughter is easy as the numbers dwindle. The corpses slow and eventually all at once, like in some consensus or by some command unheard stop.

Thudding into an exposed root next to your head, an arrow shaft with black fletching. From behind the trees and appearing like shadows masked and heavily clothed, cloaked and veiled figures appear with bows ready and arrows notched but not yet pulled. Each one with flowing white hair and blank white eyes. One hunched over and supported by a staff with a glowing pale crystal on it pushes past them. The figure speaks in a strange language you cannot comprehend, the tone suggests they are questions, which unanswered turn into warnings and then finally commands as each figure around you pulls on their bow strings.

"Weapon... Down. Kneel. Hands. Head." Finally words you understand, but the accent is so thick with something that cannot be defined.

rolled 33 = 33

>>17567483

Lower our weapon, but do not kneel.

"Who are you?" We ask in return.

>>17567483
>>17567483

Sheathe the sword with a flair for the dramatic, but don't kneel. Instead ask questions of her. These are your lands, and she is your subject.

Lowering your sword you look at the apparent aged figure amongst the others and you reply in kind, "Who are you? These lands belong to me, and I do not kneel to any subject of mine."

There is a pause for a moment, until a sudden jolt from behind hits your shoulder. You do not feel the pain, as such things are beneath you, but you feel it bite into the flesh of your shoulder. Your head feels queasy for but a moment until you shake it off without even faltering and you remain standing tall. Another arrow is fired and hits you in front of your thigh, but yet again you hardly feel any pain, only a numb sting and the sick feeling doesn't even last a second.

After a few more seconds of silence, it is broken again by what you guess is an old crones voice, the same as before, "Kneel. Weapon. Ground." One of her sleeves points to your sword and the ground respectively with each word.

>>17567676

Return the gesture in a mocking tone.

>>17567676

I would say at this point that discretion is the better part of valor. Do as she says. Once we get free we burn the goddamn forest to the ground with her head on a spike (unless this is a huge misunderstanding).

>>17567708

Add some dark tyranny to that.

rolled 1 = 1

>>17567710

We're clearly not getting anywhere, so I agree.

>>17567676
Well we may as well be sensible about this put our weapon down and hopefully we may find the leader of this group and if necromancy is involved possibly offer them work in the tower (maybe put them in charge of the dungeons).

>People honestly thinking we would kneel to these talentless fucks AFTER we took the path of the TYRANT.

>>17567676
Tell them to kill themselves and use MAJOR DARK TYRANNY to back it up. Cuz fuck these pieces of shit.

>>17567735

THIS

Use >>17567708 and >>17567714


We are not cowards, and if we have problems, we can always shadowstep and murder them quickly
.

Demand that they kneel before we slaughter the lot of them for insulting us.

>>17567676
Thrust the sword into the ground, then lightning

rolled 18 = 18

>>17567676
If we can pinpoint the voice, shadowstep and get stabby if not just
>>17567708
>>17567714

>>17567710
their arrows do nothing, why kneel?

Mock her, if another arrow is fired brutally kill the archer.

We could shadowstep behind the witch and hold her hostage. Would that work?

Still standing tall, with two arrows protruding from your body you raise you place one hand on the buckle of your sword sheath belt, with the other hand you raise you hand and array your fingers to display a sign of defiance.

But with the next volley of arrows your eyes behind your cowl flash red and pierce through that shadow. Firing up from the soil around you and then tracing a circle a bolt of red lightning and crack of thunder spirals around your person etching a line in the soil. The shafts of each arrow as they face the brief red wall of light are lit, immolated and the arrowheads reflect and bound away in all directions.

Stretching out your index finger now with your free hand you point it downwards at the old crone, "No. Now you kneel." With a force of an iron beam from the sky the old crone slams into the ground. The next flight of arrows is ready but stepping forward into mist and shadow and rematerialized with your boot on the back of the old crones neck you stare at the figures arrayed around you now, frozen in mid action. Terrified and confused.

You lean over and look at the old crones face, one cheek buried in the dirt, the free eye looking up at you in pain, and you say...

>>17567909

"I expected more"

>>17567909
"Im not going to fucking ask you again WHORE. Who are you and WHY are you killing my slaves?!?!?!?"

>>17567909

"OBEY"

>>17567960

>Talking like a common thug

No.

>>17567964

This.

>>17567964
>>17567987

Thirding the Obey

>>17567909
"You belong to me now"

rolled 48 = 48

>>17567909
I like her malice, force her to OBEY and see how she feels about evil. If she is a whiny little bitch about MURDER, RAPE, and GENOCIDE soul oblit her and try and take her necro powers

>>17567964
>>17568049
I like these. I also like pie.

Start singing Taylor Swift songs, preferably "You belong to Me"

"Are you prepared to obey now?" You grind your boot into the neck a little harder and it creaks under the pressure. The figure only gives off moans of pain as the hands let go of the staff and flail around at your boots and leg. Letting go of the staff the crystal on top no longer shines and the corpses still standing in the pit loose the unlife in their eyes and they crumple and collapse into a heap. "I expected more from someone who was so defiant a moment ago."

"Enough!" A much younger and feminine voice sounds out from beyond the circle arrayed around you now. And appearing from the darkness a figure like the rest, but with a straighter back and longer white hair flowing from behind the layers of cloth and cowls. You stare back, hard, and the tone and language changes, "That is enough, please." The last word sounded like it had to be forced, forced with great effort. The weight under your boot continues to squirm.

>>17568124
Kick the staff up into your free hand with the boot that is on the old ones neck, and an demand to know who they are.

>>17568124

Give that person orders. All weapons on the ground. Any being in the shadows who tries to ambush you gets killed along with the creature under your foot.

Lastly, grab the staff. See what you can make of it.

>>17568179

Furthermore, demand what they think they are doing on your lands in your forest.

rolled 22 = 22

>>17568151

This.

You slowly lift your boot off the crone's neck and bring it down on the end of the staff, tipping it vertical as you catch it with one hand. It certainly is a magical device, some sort of singular scripted spell that only needs the appropriate training and mana supply to function.

>As I've said before many times, the magic you have is unique to you and also not of this world, and incompatible with the magical energy of this world.

After looking at the staff for a few seconds in quiet contemplation you make your own demands, "You will tell me who you are. Now. These are my lands."

The figure looks at you with her white eyes studying you, "We are the sisters of Moongrove Stone. This is our forest, and no one has trespassed this deep in the forests and lived for over a thousand years."

wild witches it seems. Trying to keep the forest to themselves, styled as druids perhaps?

They'll be nothing but trouble. If they're not amenable to slavery or leaving the land forever, kill and dissect to learn what we can.

>>17568366
Moongrove Stone? Sounds like its an important artifact.

Find out what it does. I'm guessing it maintains the forest somehow. If we corrupt it, we might be able to make your traditional Evil Woods.

>>17568366

Wrong, this was your forest. It is ours now. All the lands are subject to the Duke of Occiland, which I am. I wish to know more about my subjects, and what is this moongrove stone? Take me to it at once.

>>17568366
Ask who the last to trespass and kill whichever one is less important and use the other to find the secrets of the forest and if we don't need her for the magic (all artifacts or a library exists) then kill her too and use the secrets of this place for the academy (and depending on what other magical creatures exist a personal guard of corrupted humanoids).

>>17568424
Occiland is the continent you're on. The Duchy is still 'Angelfalls'. Unless you all wanted to change that name too to something more fitting at some point.

Do we have that magic nullifying choker thing on us? if so put it on, no sense letting there uppity hags waddle around with a gaggle of ghouls. Either way I support a combo of
>>17568418
>>17568424
>>17568440

>>17568461

Ah okay. I thought it was the Duchy of Occiland, with Elvenfall/angelfall as the major city. my mistake.

rolled 9 = 9

>>17568366

"Times have changed, it appears. I offer you a pair of choices.

Serve me, and your people will survive.

Defy me, and corpses of your people will be made to be slaves.

Choose. Now."

>>17568461
Looks like an evil star-being thing.

Nifty.

"Moongrove stone?" You ask. The figures around you stir uncomfortably at the tone of your voice upon asking that question. "There are more of you. Aren't there?"

The woman pauses, now planning her words with exceptional care, "Yes."

"You will take me there then." Again the crowd hesitates. The old crone still lying in the dirt, hurt and trying to get up starts speaking in that strange language again, desperately at her. She looks up at you once and then quickly back at the woman, pleading now with tears unbecoming of her.

She pauses for a short time, but spurred on by your wrath filled stare she capitulates, "Very well then, follow me."

The old crone shouts out even louder now with a hand clawing at the dirt one word she has yet to use jumps out at you, "Ahrithor!" Some other gibberish, but before she can say the whole word again

CRUNCH
SNAP

Your boot has somehow come to rest on the soil again somewhere else other than where it was before. But it is not on the soil per say, a thin layer of flesh, bone and cartilage keeps it ever so slightly off the ground. The crone's neck, snapped like a twig.

The group stops, but you order again, "We will go there, now."

Your body had reacted on its own, with no will of your own."

rolled 34 = 34

>>17568670

Ahrithor.

Perhaps it was our old name.

The sisters may have information regarding our nature. Maybe the Stone itself hold some of our secrets. We should get moving.

>>17568670

Raise her from the dead with the scepter. And put a smile on that old crone's face.

>>17568670
Awesome, if we aren't evil enough, our abse nature steps in and RIPTEAR

>>17568670
I am extremely worried at anything that can make our body act without our will.

We must investigate this thoroughly. We don't know if it was a spell that misfired, an unconscious reaction, or if our creator is still pulling our strings, whatever. We have to find out. Leaving something like that alone is foolish.

>>17568729
Our magic don't work with the staff

>>17568778

I completely missed that part. This deserves investigation. We need that collar that can negate this kind of magic, and we need to put it on.

With the woman in front and the other warriors in two single file lines flanking you they march you through the woods. The path slowly and gradually feels like it is sinking and the trunks of trees are soon replaced by roots and mounds of soil, a tunnel. Even as above ground where no sun or moonlight should shine, there is always a source of light in the distance at the end of the tunnel, but no mater how close you get you never each it or come merely to a corner or turn in the tunnel.

After several more hours, and with no idea of the route which you took to get there, the tunnel finally opens up into a large open cavern, a cavern large enough that a small town could fit within it. Inside and below, over the ledge you stand upon, are many moving bodies, most of them stooped over and looking old. Most of the moving bodies seem to be missing parts of their bodies or are almost skeletons. They are like the corpses outside from before, except now they are performing hard physical labor under the watch of the living.

Your guide draws her arm over the view, "This is the Moongrove sanctuary. The home of our people."

In the very center of the town, raised up on a plateau, surrounded by more luxurious buildings, far removed from the other buildings of this place a large building, like a temple or a town hall. between the columns a light shines forth and bathes the town around it in light.

Finally your escorts unwrap the excessive cloth from their bodies and bathe in the light, almost in ecstasy, like they have not breathed in fresh air for so long. Their skin ebony and their ears pointed.

>>17568861
Drow? but all evil creatures were supposed to have been died out because of the star.

rolled 29 = 29

>>17568901

Looks like they have their own.

And perhaps one we could use. Ask to see their leader. You know, so we get the enslaving and exploiting on.

>>17568861

Oh yeah, corrupting that light might corrupt all the minions who breath it in like fresh air.

We need to be taken to their leader. Let them know a new power has entered the realm.

>>17568861
seems like this moonstone thing might shield evil from that star faggot's curse, DO WANT! if that isn't the case then time to do some corruptin'

"Take me to your leader. Immediately," After so long in silence your order shatters the silence like porcelain.

The lead escort, suddenly distracted from her bathing, frowns and looks at you, "The Elder is old, and frail, it will... take some time to raise him and be ready to speak with you. For now you should rest, it has been a long trip here and it will be morning outside soon."

rolled 83 = 83

>>17568999

"I require no rest."

"Describe the history of your people to me, that should be sufficient to pass the time."

>>17568935
This is my guess. They seem to be dependent on the light of the moonstone.

Corrupt that, and we gain this entire forest. And hot drow mistresses that Catherine will never find out about.

>>17569017
>The Elder is old, and frail, it will... take some time to raise him and be ready to speak with you.

WAT????

>>17568999

We rest, preferably with a room near the star to get a closer view to it.

rolled 77 = 77

>>17569017

So what if she does?

DO HO HO!

>>17569013
This.

Accept no food or drink. Don't let them touch us, don't let them try to seduce us. We are an untouchable, unstoppable force that they must submit to. We must present the image of invincibility.

>>17569017
>>17569017
haremz of evil bitches
If this happens we can make this our lair

>>17568999
They clearly have knowledge of necromancy, therefore I propose we ask for books or scrolls to study/give to the neophytes

>>17569086
ask? fuck that we take

"I require no rest."

"Surely you may partake in some leisure while we-"

"I. Require. No. Rest." Each word you utter is laden with murderous intent.

"O-of course. I will take you to the Temple." The stutter is unavoidable in her voice. With a wave she orders the others who scurry off quickly. You notice each of them look quite old, middle aged with wrinkles and lines on their skin, strange for elves, famous for their longevity.

Your escort leads your through the streets, your towering frame well above the others gathered here, and you are forced to bend down to get through some doorways and arches. It is a sharp contrast to the massive tunnels and colossal trees above ground and outside. In this cavern, and these buildings that look more like ruins, everything seems so decrepit and just holding together, and that doesn't go just for the undead labor force.

Up a winding path, wound around the cylinder that is the plateau which the temple is built upon you climb. Upon reaching the top you are lead through the openings in the columns and notice now that you can look up from here, there is no roof, it has crumbled away long ago and is now rubble laid on the floor around you.

She leads you to an emblem on the ground, a giant spider, and before that a throne, empty and crumbling. Taking her leave you approaches the apprehensive and armed guardians on each side of the throne. Once again speaking to them quietly in that strange alien tongue a third figure appears who quickly disappears again.

...

...

You stand there for what feels like hours, it might possibly be, others have slowly gathered around, watching, wondering when you will stir again or even shift your weight.

Finally, after a great deal of time, with an arm lent to him by an aging handmaiden, an ancient looking elf is brought out, his eyes white, but they feel dull, blind, like most of his senses. They whisper into his ears, so at least he can hear and they sit him on his throne, guarding his sides and standing before him.

With a voice that croaks and is barely alive, "Who is it that summons me to my throne?" It sounds angry, wrathful, the others gathered wince, but it is just what looks like a harmless old man barely speaking.

>>17569277
"I do."

Ask him why he's killing our peeps, explain that the forest is now ours. He'll probably have a good deal of magical ability, so be ready for a miniboss.

>>17569277

The one who summons you to your throne is the one who determines whether you keep it. I encountered these "unknowing subjects" of mine and I demanded that I be taken to the lord here, one who is my vassal though he doesn't know it yet.

Your necromancy is quite interesting, though as decrepit as the city I am standing in. Old man, who has seen much, I demand your obedience and your knowledge.

>>17569277
"The one that stands before you is Famento. This name will soon encompass all that IS- What transpires here today, your actions will determine if you become all that WAS."

>>17569277
It is your master.

"I summon you."

"You? Who is 'you'? You dare address Ranyraenvyll Hlazynge by no name? Your arrogance is overwhelming, if you think you can come here and with that tone frighten me... Your stupidity is more frightening."

"I've come only to inform you that you act like King on lands that rightfully belong to me. If you wish to keep it, you will hold your tongue and swear allegiance to me. If you do not hold your tongue, you discover from hell I rule not what is yous, but what was yours."

You are not sure if the ancient Drow is laughing or coughing. In a mocking tone one would talk to a child he inquires, "I have seen more centuries than you have years. Who are, before I have you killed, you?"
"W̖̭͕̯̗̟̖͙̣͇̲̩̗̻̘ͣ̎͆ͪ͂̓h͇͚̭̯ͯ̏̍̾a̞̠͙͍̖̞̾ͧ̓tͧ̋̎̊̏̂̀
̟̪̫͓̙͚͔͖̖ͧ̃͛̑̉̌̊͌ͭͩͫ̚ͅͅ ̩̮̗͚̻̗͉̬̮͕̫͑̑̅ͮ̃̈́͂̓ͯ̾̔̓̋̔̐̎͌ẉ͍̞̭̹̻͕̩͖̬͙͉͚̪͑ͩͬ̓̂̌̂̉
͔͙͈͇ả̯̙͓̫̻̄̂̈͛̉ͥs̯̖̞̮͕̞͈̝̟͔̭̰̘̙͕͎̘͎͂̉ͮ͛̎ͭ̎̅͛̓ͮ ̭̦͇̣̼͇͚̖ͤ͑͛͆̃̀̏̎ͥő̞̻͓̬ͪ̽̂̌̒̊ͣͫ̌͂̿ͅn̈ͧ̌̅̉͒̾ͧ̄ͨ͗ͩ̌ͣ̌
̭̺̪͚̻̚c̘͍̯̟͉͈̱͎̜̯͙̲̘͖̲̻͛͑̓͗̉̆̌ͭ̿̎̉̈͆̄ͮ͗̎ͅͅé̓ͧ̾̽ͦ̒ͮ
̗̬͕̩̥̼̤͓̌̾ͯ͆̊ͦ̃̑ͦ̚ ͎̼̦̯̮͖͓̥̝̽̈ͭ͗ͅͅA͇͎̭̼̝͎͔͎̠̯͎̘͙͕ͭ̒͌̌̎͌ͅhͯ̉ͬͪ̒̑̓ͮͩ̽͒͆̀
̭̩͙̺̫̯̳̰r̫̯̱̠̝̮̙͈̭̯̬̲̗̃̄̈ͯ̓ͮ̊̀̃̍ͪͫ͊ͧͪͧ̚ͅiͥ͌̉̊ͬ͂ͥ͂ͮ̋
͓̫͔̱͈͎̠̫̹̗̱̤̭̩̣̔̍͆ͮͬͭͣt̗̻͔͙̣̮̮͊ͧ̂̇͋͂ͯ̔̓̌̚̚ͅhͧ͗͗ͪͥ͋ͤ
͉̲̥̜͇͖̘͇͓͖̤̫̟̆͛̇o̹̹̟̟̿͂͒͂ͪ̾̌ͦͦ̚r̝̲̞̟͙͖͇̪̽̌̈́̓̐ͯ̏̇.̐̊̓
̻̜͍̺͖͉̻ͬͩ́ͩ̈"

>>17569538
Apparently we come from behind the walls.

>>17569562
>>17569562

Indeed, this is troubling. Apparently this king can destroy the narration.

D̢̟͈̣e͘se̺̠̰r̳̙͈t̤͓̮̝͍ͅe̞̞͚̭r̺͕͍͉̕.̷͙͍

D̢̟͈̣e͘se̺̠̰r̳̙͈t̤͓̮̝͍ͅe̞̞͚̭r̺͕͍͉̕.̷͙͍

"̻̫̦͎̟̰̜D̲̣̜ó y̟͇̜̼͓͈ͅơ̥̱̘͙̰̣ͅù̯ he͔̗̣̗a̸̘̘͉̝͕ͅr̵ ̴̭̠̟̟̮m͍ę͙̗̣̝?͍̻̘̮́"̸̖

"I̪̳̰ ͉̰̗͇̬̖k͉̳̰̦ņo̩̣͖̤̜̝͔w̝͕͚̫̰͘ ͉͔̗͖̠̟̀y͔͓o̭̘͇̬͙̣ͅu̵ ̥̝͚̩͍d̦̤͖̦o̯̼̮͍͜.̷̩̝"

"Do I still frighten you? Do I still inspire such hatred in you? Either way, I do not care. I see you were drawn to this encounter. As I thought. I was as well. I know you could not resist it."

"Y̷̤̭̻̰o͏̞̻̬̤̙͚͎u̱̪̠̟'̷̯̣r̹̳͖̮e͍ ̘̀s͎͔͍͈͉͍t̥͖͟i͖̟͍̬ll̛̙ͅ ̮̦̖̹̦y̧͔͍͙̪͉o͏u ̢̞a̭̘͇̟ͅf͍͔͞t҉̯̘̰̜͕̩ͅe̥͔̩̹͡r̘̤̦͈̭̰ ͡a̜͔l̬̳͞l̢̮.̜͚̺̳̲̯"

>>17569538
summon a zone of nullification, it should proove as proof of who we are, without completely breaking our facade, or killing a potential ally/turning them all hostile.

"The deserter. The traitor. He sits before you now. He rots before you now, he lets those around him rot, he is rot, all there is to him IS rot. Weak. Weak rotten filth."

"Ì̟̭̩̮̤ ̝͓̜͚͓̳r̞͇̝̱͙͍̭e͇g͎r̥͉͡e̙̮̹̗t̷͔̬͇͔ ̭ͅn͙ͅo͈̬̻̩t̮͇͡ ̤̝̲͠b̴̭̼̩̳͓ei̦͙͓̻̪̫ṇ̯g̘̯͎͓͇͡ ͏̬̭̟̜͎ͅa͕͍͔̫͙͕b̺l̞̟͇̘̥̬e̬͇̠ͅ ̜̫̖̙͙t̞̣̙ͅo͚̦̰̟͉̬ ̺̺̺͕͍k̹̲̘̯͕i̛l̥̖̳͓̩̦l̨̮͓ ͖̯̟͜h͎̘͝i̡͙͇̙̟̥̖m̦̩̮̪͕.͎͓͟"

Zone of nullification sounds like a good idea.

We have to know what the hell is going on here. The king is obviously doing something. We need to match in kind or answer in kind if we can.

>>17569706
It's not the king, it's the previous lord of evil, potentially using our own evil aura to speak to both us and the king.

>deserter
>ancient elf

Like, 'could be a remnant from the armies of Evil from a thousand years ago' ancient?

>>17569675
Leap forward, kill him, eat his heart.
You will now be in command

Yup. Our creator is still with us. Fuck.

Apparently this dude was once a servant of darkness, then ran to save his own hide at the end.

Call him Deserter, see how he reacts.

Then, stick him to the throne with Kingslayer. We've no need for cowards in our ranks.

>>17569762

yep, call him deserter. Tell him his lord and master has returned, that Valtir could not end that darkness which threatens all.

Watch his reaction.

>>17569675
Ooh looks like our old creator might have left a little more in us then PURE EVIL. This is either a perfect opportunity to troll the shit out of whatever he left in us or the perfect opportunity to kill another "King"

"A summons to war. The final war. It would decide the next age, the next era of all history. Yet he and his kind stayed within their caves."

F̩͖͙̼̣́o̮̯̘o̳̱̣͈̙̜̟l̸͇̬͙͈̙s̴͕͚̤̗͎̫

C͏͓̥͈̣̺̣͉o̠̮͚̣w͏̲̥̻̬̻͉̣a͉̮͕̰̘̜rḍ̣̠s̠͕̘

"Strike them all down. Kill every last one. Every soul, every life. Make them suffer. The past is long gone, they are long gone, they are but a shadow. I created you. I created you to ruin this world. These people no longer have a place in it."

T̪̖͎̟̯̬he͚̣͚̘ ́C̻̱̟r̠̞͠o̱͕̪̬̪̫wn͏̺̺̟̮͎ͅ

"Looted from the battlefield long ago. The stone, a trinket, that which rests upon it is useless. Take it back. Take it back."

T̵̘̟̺͖͎̫a̟k̴̯̹͉é̜͖̳̻̭͎̞ ̶̥͍̣̥ị̞̲͡t͍̜̯̳̣̱ͅ ̠b͈̪͎͔̥̩a̜̹̮͎͉͈c͍̱k̴̟

>>17569794
Fuck the creator. We're our own monster now.

We call the guy out for being a deserter and not fighting against Valtir. Then we kill him, take the crown, and keep his people for ourselves.

And then we get back to the city and figure out a way to get that fucking voice out of our head. Plot device be damned.

Hmm, I thought we decided long ago that we determine what we do, not the voice of a long dead evil that has no control over us whatsover.

he can tell us much of our former powers, or his kind at least can.

>>17569794
Shut up, you do not command any loyalty from me, nor any action. I shall deal with those who stand before me with my own will, I am no pawn.

>>17569794
The stone is clearly an object of great power and importance. My guess is that it's like the stone that was implanted within us. Probably a way to bring the creator back to life? Maybe a focus for him to speak into the world?

In any case, if its such a trinket, there would be no objection to it being destroyed.

>>17569867
Hey anon, you should go to a workshop, your logic is borked and needs repairing.

>>17569897
I don't trust the voice for shit.

There was a stone implanted within us as well, which we dug out and destroyed. Why would the voice point out something that we might ignore as part of the crown?

You muster yourself to speak, "I am."

M̡̭̬̤͕̖̩͈̥͞y̡̛̰͇͠ ͏̨̟̗̥̻c͕̗̱̹ͅr̶͉̲̥̺̦̙̖̹͇̕e̸̸̩̩á̴͍̳͘ţ̬͚̠͔̳̺̥͉̹i̶̴̞̙̥͟
̪͉̲͍̙ó͓̠̠͟n̸͔͇̠̼̗̝͚̗͜͝.͙̥̙ͅ


"Griffith..."

M̫̱̠̘̝̹̳ͅy̸̙̺̖̝͚͉͉͝ͅ ̵̢̭͖͡ś͕͍̯̼̝̪̻̼ͅl̴̤̥̖̗͕͘͝a͎͉̣̞̩̗͎̜̗v̶҉̦̺̼͡e҉̲̞

"...Famento. Duke of Angelfalls. And a deserter has no authority to address me in any manner other than obedience and forgiveness."

The old elf freezes, he has no reply, his mouth simply remains agape for a time before asking in a hollow and shaky voice, "So. Have you come to settle things? Have you come back for...it?"

>>17569913
Your logic is borked because you're making completely unwarranted assumptions, if the voice was related with anything to do with the dark elves, it would have been bothering them for almost a thousand years, instead it's just now doing it, in other words it's far more likely that /we/ brought the voice with us.

>>17569922
Back? no, I am no pawn of that dark power, it may have created me, but it does not rule me or my fate, I came because these are my lands taken by right of conquest, and you will either serve me or perish under my boot.

I'd prefer the former, not least because it spites my creator who even now seeks to control my course of action, however I have no objection to the latter.

>>17569922
"I have come for many things. I have come for my land, I have come for my servants, and I have come here for you to settle your debt."

>>17570008
Why should we be listening to the voice?
That doesn't seem like a good idea at all!

>>17569988
I prefer this.

>>17569988

seconded

>>17569988
+1

Gives him a way out which is servitude, and pisses off our maker.

Seriously. Fuck him.

This thread better still be here or archived when I wake up later.

"I have come for many things." You take a step forward. The guards take a step back instead of forward. " I have come for my land." Another step forward and the guards back up again leaving the old man defenseless and vulnerable. "But am I back?" Another step. "No, I am not a pawn." And another. "You'll decide what happens to you today, as I decide what happens to me." Another step and you stand just before his throne looking down at him. "What will it be?"

"If you think we'll fight. We cannot. We will not. We knew what would happen that day. Instead he didn't listen. He decided to ignore fate, his inevitable fate and fight it." He grows a crooked smile, "Like you're doing now." We did not go, and we survived, even if only here, in this light, powered by one remaining part of his power and our magic. We decided to live our lives as long as we could and defend our home here. Damn his army, damn his alliance, and damn his crusade."

So.....how many powerful artifacts that could possibly mean the difference between ruling this world with an iron fist and ending up bleeding profusely while all our minions die are we going to end up destroying / giving away / ignoring just to spite our Creator?

>>17570105
He called us a slave.

We'll destroy every piece of him in order to remain free. WE are the evil now. We'll make our own dark artifacts.

>>17570093

well if you wont fight, how about any of you younger ones. Do you wish to toil long and continue to "survive" just because you can. Or will you decide to see how much the world has changed, to join not a crusade but a revolution. Feel free to put your own lives into hands that will not waste them in a cave but will show you the world and the riches its holds.

>>17570105
Who said we'd do any of that? ignoring his commands is done easily enough, refusing due to spite would just as easily lead it to control our actions.

In this case the suggested actions were clearly to our detriment.

>>17570093
Step foreward and remove our hood, walk right up to the king with our arm outstretched and soul obliterate him.

Look around and demand to speak with whoever else would like to object to our rulership.

Underscore it with dark tyranny.

"We have stayed here for a thousand years. A thousand years we've killed every human who has ventured into this forest. If you cut down our forest, build your houses on our land and sow the earth for your farms we will soon have nothing. We've suffered for far too long. For far too long we've been waiting for Valtir's curse to end. Another year, another decade, even just one more century we can endure. We'll wait in this forest, under the rocks and beneath the roots in this cavern. We'll outlast it and prosper again. Even without children to succeed us so we could enter the eternal slumber, we will continue here until the curse is gone. We wont let you, and your kind, and your people take what little we have left for ourselves. The stone will keep us alive, even as our bones begin to turn to dust, our elven blood known for long life will sustain us. Our magic and his crown is enough, to breath it in and linger on till the end of our purgatory."

>>17570192

"and like that you gave me an idea"
these people are afraid of us, and rightly so.
lets just calmly walk back to where we saw the crown and march it back into the throne room.
"and scene this is technically mine I'll just be leaving with it. You can keep a few miles around the entrance too your cave, I'll have the rest. Enjoy waiting for me to extinguish that star in the sky."

also we should offer to take any of them that wish too follow.

>>17570192
"Fool, Valtir's curse will never end of its own accord. It must be broken. I will do that. If your people will serve me, then I will ensure that they have a place when this world is mine."

>>17570192
You are a fool. You will outlast the curse? This time buried has addled you! Look outside. Look upon the Bane of our existence in the sky. You think by slumbering in the earth that you will escape its gaze?
No. You cannot outlast this. It is time to act.

Before, you were called to die and save Him.
Now, I call you to live and save yourselves. Serve me. And we will engulf that light in darkness.

>>17570288

better than mine

Removing your cowl you stare right into the old man's eyes, and allow him to stare right into yours. With an outstretched arm you muster the negative energy that fills you into your arm, and push it beyond that. Pouring out from your open palm like a snake it slithers through the air and wraps around the old man's neck. He shivers as his body tries to resist by instinct, but he is far too old, far too weak to do anything at all.

"You will serve me. You will help me break the curse, not wait for it to end, and you will walk free hereafter. I will engulf that light in darkness."

"I...will...not choose... to be... a slave again..."

"Then let a thousand years of your work, the very past you cling to and hope to ride to the future be undone. This is a revolution, not a crusade and it will decide the next thousand years."

Wrapped around his neck tight the 'head' of the smokey black tendril rears up and strikes at the forehead of the old man. His body has a seizure violently and then goes limp. Cracks form in his skin, and it begins to fall apart and crumple. A pale light shines from each fissure and the old man's body slowly disintegrates into dust. Left behind, is a stone, a a hunk of metal, half a helm, and half a crown, sinister and menacing, the stone, small, smooth and a soft pale blue.

And then the cavern goes dark. The light from before fades away and you cannot see beyond the temple. Around you the weathered and aged around you quickly become emaciated and the older most vulnerable crumple as their bones too frail to hold them up break and crack as they fall to the floor screaming and then becoming dust.

You can retrieve the crown. Or you can retrieve both, keeping the stone and crown together. The later will carry on old elf's curse, the former will strengthen you ever more. A new dark art to wield or to empower one you already have.

>>17570360
The crown will give us a power boost and the stone does what exactly?

I think we could use a good ranged attack. Some good ol' negative-energy lightning or something.

>>17570383
both would probably give us the dark elves as allies.

>>17570407
Do we really even WANT these useless pieces of traitorous shit as allies?

>>17570407
Also, if we go for the power boost I'd suggest another boost to sway emotions, something more subtle than the rather brute force method of dark tyranny.

It would be nice to have some magic users on our side. Lots of free labor the dead are. If they all haven't collapsed find the woman that brought us here and tell her of her new role.

Curse or not, if we take the stone then we have these folks over a barrel ready to serve.
I'd like to improve the draining attack we have. Maybe turn it into an area of effect or ranged draining.

If taking both allows the elves then go for it. Nothing like bound evil slaves that we can hide from the public and then use too assassinate our rivals with. Also they have some concept of necromancy which the mage children can learn from them making necromancers

and for powers, we should have an extremely low cost invisibility for 1-2 people so that we can have just encase assassins at our sides

>After this many hours I don't think we're going to decide one way or the other definitively, so I will leave the final decision for the next installment. To which I then officially end this one.

>>17570528

whens next time?