>>18204314
Fantastic! Let's put on some pretty nice clothes for this.

>>18204314
Seconding >>18204342 , we need to look fancy for this.
Also bring along a hammer if we can get one. Not THE hammer, though.

>>18204314

So, you set lunch with Ashwood at his penthouse apartment Downtown, for 12 noon. It is currently 11 AM. You'll need about 30 minutes of time either by taxi or public transportation to make it from the Campus to there in time. So you've got 30 minutes of time to do stuff in, if you have any arrangements you want to make, or tasks to accomplish.

>>18204391
Let's put on some decent clothes considering that Ashwood is from a rather classy family.

>>18204391
Get fancy, get normal hammer, get awesome.

Wait, scratch that last one, we already have much awesome.

Btw, won't be doing it long today, gotta get up at 6 am tomorrow, and I'm in GMT+1...

>>18204408
Me too, on both acounts.

>>18204403
>>18204408
>>18204352

You head on back, and decide to get dressed up a bit. Don't want to look like a total slouch in front of the aristocracy. You get on a good pair of pants, shoes, and a nice collared shirt. The shirt isn't great at covering up your lines and sigils, but with your gloves on, it should suffice for just walking in the street. Sadly, you're lacking in a classy hat and good sunglasses now, you'll have to settle for a flat cap and your cheapo sunglasses. You decide to take your ritual kit with you, because the leather satchel looks good, and you can store stuff in it. Like the tiny hammer you found while rummaging through some stuff your Dad gave you. This takes you all of ten minutes, so you still have about 20 left. Leaving now would put a dent in your "precisely on time" streak.

>>18204535
Let's see if there are any legit healing rituals, something that takes a lot longer than a restoration/necromancy spell but takes far less specific knowledge.

>>18204535
Try and find a top hat in the 20 minutes we still have left.

And perhaps a monocle, but that's optional.

>>18204584
I think that would be seen as mocking.

>>18204535
I say we try to find some better shades with this time.

>>18204595
Yeah, I guess. Wasn't very serious with it though.
supporting >>18204579
Just make sure we don't lose track of time.

>>18204579

Do you want to just employ Google, or do you want to head back to the library for a quick search?

>>18204619
library probably takes too long, let's use google/wikipedia.

>>18204535
>Leaving now would put a dent in your "precisely on time" streak.

do we really need to enforce this?

>>18204656
Yes.
Suave as hell, never early or late, is part of our character now.

Yes.

>>18204673
It has been since thread 1.

>>18204656
"A wizard is never late. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he aims to."
>mfw I realise we're gandalf.

>>18204656

(It's not a hard and fast rule, but it is something you guys have gone out of the way to do in the past)

>>18204639

(2x1 and 2x4 on Research)

You do some quick google-searching, check some magic source sites, etc. In only 20 minutes, you don't know enough to cast a ritual yourself, but you do know that a Healing one is possible. Faith Healers do certain things as a ritual practice, which can cure ills or heal wounds, but this is a ceremonial thing involving some religious elements you're not familiar with. Supposedly it requires "Pure Faith" too, and you're not sure you qualify for that.

There are also numerous references to meditative or actual magic rituals done to speed natural healing, to help you recover from your ills quicker. Like that movie Wanted, but with magic circles. From what you can tell, these take time to work, but compared to a hospital stay, or a whole day's worth of bedrest, ditching a few hours to heal your ills might be worth it. You take some notes for later, but now you have to go.

>Take a taxi? The lunch hour traffic could get you, but you'll be dropped off right at Ashwood's building
>Take the Monorail and walk? You'll have to do some walking through downtown crowds at lunchtime, and also have to find your way to the building on foot, but no need to worry about car traffic or cab fare.

>>18204753
monorail. If the crowd's bad, we can still use parkour.

>>18204753
Monorail and walk. If we run into a crowd, we can circumvent it with Air Parkour. Also, later, let's definitely look into the meditative rituals for healing. That sounds super-useful. Let's keep knotting while on the monorail, by the way, and while walking, if we don't have to Air Parkour much.

>>18204740
*when he means to

Derp.

>>18204753
Monorail.

>>18204776
>>18204773

You decide to save yourself the cab fare, and take public transportation. After all, you can circumvent crowds pretty easy now anyway. While on the monorail, you continue your work on the knots. You've got one shoe's worth of laces down, and are starting the second. You don't know if you *have* to have a matched pair, but decided its safer to just do both feet.

The City Center station is packed right now, people zipping all over town on lunch-break, or enjoying their day. It's also packed because this is an actual train station too, not just for the City's public transportation system. You obtain directions on your phone, finding the building is right on the edge from the city center and the financial district, and begin to make your way there.

You have two ways you can get there. Take sidewalks on main streets, packed with people and cars, or you can employ your free-running skills, and take the back route, using alleys, side-streets, and other circumvention methods. Shortest route between two points, and all that.

>>18204753
>and also have to find your way to the building on foot,

Check google maps first

>>18204966
Parkours. Maybe use our air evocation too if we're running a bit late.

>>18204966
Let's bring up an appropriate pedestrian map app on our smart phone. We'll take streets where there aren't enough crowds to slow us down, parkour when we need to get around places where there are.

>>18204991
But we will be sweaty and shit
you want to get there like that?

>>18204999
Hmmm, true, that wouldn't be classy.

>>18204999
I didn't think of that. Let's do what >>18204997 said. We'll only do parkour insofar as it's necessary to arrive exactly on time.

>>18205026
Indeed.

>>18204966
You present us with 2 options?
>>18204997
>>18205026
Clearly, we shall chose 'both'.

>>18205026
>>18205034
>>18204997

Using the advanced power of the app store, you simply stick to roads with the least foot traffic, which precludes the need to parkour around, for the most part, though you do use your natural agility to move over or around some obstacles which people otherwise have to avoid.

You arrive at the building at 11:55, to discover it has a doorman. You inform him of whom you are seeing, and are let in shortly there after, pressing the button to got up at 12:00 exactly. You figure it counts, since the doorman had to ring up to see if you could be let in.

Pleasant elevator music plays.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urXvUmhd05k&feature=fvst)

>>18205126
Oh gods, the elevator music! it deals 5 dice killing damage to our ears!

>>18205160
3x9!

>>18205160
Well, it's actually not THAT bad, but still, not my style at all.

>>18205172
SQUAD BROKEN! MORALE SHATTERED!

>>18205160
What? Girl from Ipanema is awesome!

>>18205229
Not the instrumental version
http://youtu.be/Pvwr3OrexkY

>>18205229
see:
>>18205183

>>18205242
True

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y5TuWlvNkI
I think this version is better though

>>18205276
I would agree with that.

>>18205126

*Ding*

The elevator arrives at the penthouse floor, and you step out into black marble foyer, reminding you that Ashwood is phenomenally rich old money. Well, that and the butler standing there waiting to greet you. He gives a bit of bow and says "Afternoon, sir." Sounding very butler-y, his pronunciation of 'sir' making it more sound like 'sah'. "Hat rack on your right, sir." He says. You nod, and remove your cap and hang it up. "Do you need to put you satchel somewhere, sir?" He inquires, ever so polite. "No thanks," You reply. "I prefer to keep it on me." You pat the ritual kit. "Of course, sir, we understand. If you would follow me, please." He turns on a heel and starts walking deeper into the building. You look around and examine the decor, which is a combination of classic stuffy British decorations, paintings of ancestors, one of Admiral Nelson, and so on, and some more modern stuff. Ashwood has a couple of armor stands, one of which is platemail, and the other traditional samurai armor. Some ultramodern abstract gewgaws also litter the surfaces.

(cont)

>>18205327
I would have been disappointed if you had used any other butler than an incarnation of Alfred. I am glad you have not.

>>18205337
He is simply the best there is.

Welp, gotta go now, already stayed an hour longer than I intended. Good night to you all, good sirs.

>>18205327

You enter the dining room, which has a table far to large for Ashwood to use on a regular basis, and find him sipping a snifter of brandy and looking casually upper class. He is also standing and speaking with a young woman with raven-black hair and naturally pale skin. Wearing a full maid uniform. The proper kind, too, not the sexy version. Her face is a stoic, marble visage, as Ashwood idly converses with her, her responses are monosyllabic, or shorter. The butler coughs politely, and says "Mr. Fortesque for you, sir." He pronounces your name with such class and eloquence, you feel your income bracket going up as he says it. Ashwood turns around. "Ah, thank you Walter. If you would be so kind as to get Grandmother? I believe she is speaking with Mr. Graves in the study." Walter nods and silently walks away, employing that secret art of servants. Ashwood turns to you. "As soon as Grandmother is here, I'll have cook send in lunch. It's nothing big, so try and relax." He says. Uh-huh, sure. "Gespenst is back in the display case." Ashwood says, casually, and points to a large glass-fronted display case at the far end of this room with his snifter. Very macabre. It gets more macabre as you look at the skull in the case, and its eyelights light up, then one of them blinks out for a second, like its winking at you.

(cont)

>>18205599

You turn back to find Ashwood and the girl in the bloody maid outfit in that direction, offering you no relief. Ashwood notices, and looks back at her then at you. "Fortesque, this is Amelia. Amelia, Fortesque." He gestures between the two of you. This is all he says. Now that you're closer to her, you notice she's of a height with Ashwood. And also the leggings or stockings or some kind you thought she's wearing aren't quite, and appear to be made of some iridescent black material, which reminds you of a certain sneaking suit someone was wearing last night. She says nothing at you, makes no acknowledgement of the introduction. You lean toward Ashwood and say quietly out of the side of your mouth. "Is she a robot?" Ashwood laughs. "No, Fortesque, don't be silly."

(Sorry this update took so long to get out guys. I had to split the post three times, and find the right images)

>>18205599
>Gespenst winks
How horrifying.
>>18205608
Ninja maid, calling it now. CYBORG ninja maid. Maybe with laser eyes.

>>18205608
I don't remember the sneaking suit from the previous night. Anyone care to refresh my memory?

>>18205642
Gotta be.

>>18205669
Ashwood probably was wearing one. Not that I can specifically recall at the moment either.

>>18205669

The wolf girl was wearing a black body-glove, which was oddly shiny, much like what Amelia appears to be wearing under her uniform.

Dan may or may not be able to recall/guess that such things are woven from artificial spider-silk, and supposed to be bulletproof. Or at least, that's what it looks like. You could stare at Amelia's legs longer, to see if you're sure.

>>18205703
Hmmm... We should look that up in the catalog tonight.

>>18205703
Eye-candy though she may be, and though she probably doesn't care if we did stare, it'd probably be in bad taste to oggle the help in front of the guy we're somewhat trying to impress.

>>18205608
...that thumbnail
She looks like she shat herself...

>>18205720
...maybe we could get some leggings for Roxy? Just a thought.

>>18205736
That's the right attitude, but it's too early in the relationship for that. Remember that Dan's known her less than a week.

>>18205736
It's a full-body glove. Like a skin-tight, full-body kevlar vest.

>>18205746
Okay, fair point.

>>18205703
Don't stare, it's rude.

Instead, just enjoy Ashwood's company with conversation until he decides to set the pace of either meeting his grandmother or having a chat with Gespenst.

Gespenst is already scheduled for after lunch, conveniently.

>>18205855

You attempt to not stare at the supposed not-robot that is Amelia, and talk a little with Ashwood. He offers to get you a drink, but you decline, deciding to wait for lunch.

Shortly, Walter opens the doors from another part of the Penthouse, with two people following behind him. One is Mr. Graves, the lawyer from last night. He continues to look gaunt at lawyerly. The other one is clearly Lady Ashwood, herself. She looks pretty well for a woman in her late 80s, wearing a white dress in a fashion that is now probably out of date, a huge edwardian hat, a long white flying scarf draped in a particularly dashing fashion around her neck. She walks slowly, with a cane. She is also wearing some dark tinted goggles, like a combination between snow glasses and flying goggles.

Ashwood walks over as she enters, gesturing for you to follow. "Ah, Grandmother, so good of you to join us. Fortesque, may I introduce my grandmother, Marchioness Victoria Ashwood. Grandmother, this is Daniel Fortesque, a colleague of mine from the University." Lady Ashwood stops in front of you and Alexander, and wraps her cane against the ground "Ah, yes, the psychic cum magician, yes. Alexander mentioned you last night. How do you do?" You're about to politely reply, when she cuts you off. "No need for formalities here in the colonies, young man. Lady Ashwood or Lady Victoria will suffice, what what?" The woman is so cheery its infectious. "I heard you thrashed those villains at the Museum last night, right and proper. So good to see young people doing a little of the old adventuring these days. I've tried to convince Alex to do so, but his Mother keeps talking him out of it. Says he should do his duty for Queen and Country in the military or the civil service."

>>18205747
That sounds like something we could easily wear ourselves. It would probably keep our blue lines from shining, fit with ease under clothes and breasplate both, and could be passed off as bicycling clothes.

>>18206065
>the psychic cum magician
> cum magician

I don't even know what original word is supposed to be

>>18206065
"I fancy myself more of an adventurer than a wizard, and a wizard more than a vigilante."
>>18206092
That's the correct word. It's based on Lating, like magna cum laude and mecum. It's pronounced 'koom.'

>>18206101
>Lating
BASED ON LATIN GOD DAMN IT FINGERS.

>>18206092

Like >>18206101 said.

It would probably sound better spoken then written

>>18206101
>>18206140
what does it mean?

>>18206140
Better spoken THAN written.

>>18206154
Uh, read the context.
We were a psychic, now we're a magician. That's basically it.

>>18206154
It means "combined with", or "along with".

>>18206154
Either 'with' or 'become.' Magna cum laude is with great honour and psychic cum magician is a psychic become a magician.

>>18206175
I see, thanks

>>18206154
Seriously? This is a pretty common saying in English.

>>18206154

Couple of things. In this context, she's employing it to mean "Psychic along with [being] a magician".

>>18206161

ALSO PROBABLY WOULD BE AS BAD IF IT WAS SPOKEN.

I BET YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE.

>>18206182
That can really depend on your exposure

>>18206101
Back on topic, I agree with this guy. Be charming, dashing, and only slightly self-deprecating.

>>18206204
I'm betting I would. One of my friends exclusively says 'then' instead of 'than' and it's like nails on a chalk board to me. I feel the same way when people use 'who' when they should be using 'whom.' Anyway, let's get back to Metahuman Renaissance Quest instead of continuing with English Lesson Quest.

>>18206211
>>18206101

"Well, really, I fancy myself more of an adventurer than a wizard, but more a wizard than a vigilante." You say, trying to stay humble. Lady Ashwood makes it real easy. She was WW2 fighter Ace at age 16. "Well, of course." She says. "Vigilante is such an ugly word. Nobody used it in the good old says. Capes or Masks was as droll as they went. Most days they simply called us heroes." Her voice takes on a wistful tone at the end there.

Ashwood quickly uses the break in the conversation to signal Walter, who silently stalks into a different room, then returns shortly with the cook, a pudgy, middle-aged, friendly faced woman, who is dressed like a cook. You wonder how many servants Ashwood normally has, and how much of an entourage Lady Ashwood brought. You, Alexander, Graves and Lady Ashwood sit down, the Marchioness taking the head of the table. You are seated to her left, across from Alexander. Walter stands nearby, ready if needed. Amelia also stands ready, but you can tell from her body language, she is more tensed to spring. Like a cat ready to leap for its prey.

>Anywhere you want to steer the lunch conversation?

>>18206389
Honestly, I imagine that Lady Ashwood as some pulpy, Indiana Jones-tier adventure stories. Ones more about the journey and the quest than the fighting. That would be seriously neat to hear about.

>>18206389
What happened at the museum last night. Lets ask Ashwood what we should do about the Wolf-girl.

>>18206410
This. As a historian, this is what we live and breathe for.

>>18206389
I'm damn curious why and how they have Gespent's skull. But that might not actually be a suitable lunch topic.

>>18206410
>>18206428

She was an active member of the League for 30-35 years. Any particular periods or stories you want to hear about?

>>18206488
Her favorites.

>>18206500
That's very noble and a little romantic - but I think he was asking for a direction for what he should write about.

How about some of her fights with Gepenst? We should know what the guy we're about to learn from was REALLY capable of.

>>18206539
I don't really want to hear about fights. I want to hear about ADVENTURE.

>>18206488
I want to hear about that time that she explored an ancient ruin with our dad, revealing yet another element of him that we never knew. The deeper into metahuman society we go, the more he keeps popping up. Later, when we confront him about it, shit gets interesting.

>>18206613
Seconding asking if she knew our dad.

>>18206613
Hahaha.

"Do you have any interesting adventure stories?"

"Of course I do! Who do you take me for? Hmmm, let me think. Well, back in the day, I was accompanying a Doctor Fortesque on an exploratory mission in Africa..."

>>18206633
>>18206613
I like it

>>18206539
>>18206443

You steer the casual conversation in the vein of Lady Ashwood's past adventures, as you admit you're studying to be a Historian. After a little questioning on your part, and some in return from her, you covertly nod your head in the direction of the display case. "So what can you tell me about the old skull and bones." She shakes her head. "Oh, that old relic. Always so mysterious was he. Even now, nobody is sure what is real name was. In fact, nobody knew he existed for the first part of the war!" Muffled, as if by a layer of glass, you hear, in a thick German accent. "Neither did they know you, old woman! To think, you calling *me* a relic." Lady Ashwood shoots a glance at Walter, and says, with frigid politeness, "Walter, I do believe the old boy wants out. Would you be so kind as to open the display case for him?" "Grandmother, is that wise?" Alexander asks, but she shoots him a glance that could sink battleships. You think you saw that comic book once.

Walter goes over to the display case, and lifts the lid, while you watch. Gespenst wiggles himself to the forefront, and looks like he's about ready to speak, when faster than you thought possible, Lady Ashwood plucks up one of the lunch forks and wings it across the room in a blur, the prongs smacking right into the skulls forehead and sticking. It vibrates ever so slightly filling the room with the faint song of ringing metal. Gespent's eyelights wink out. She turns to look at Amelia. "Amelia, would you be a dear and fetch me another fork? I appear to have misplaced mine." She says calmly, as if nothing had happened. She turns back to look at you. "Now, m'boy, what did you want to know?"

>>18206755
"How dangerous is he, really? I mean, I've heard stories, but they're always third hand at best. Or, well, is and was, since I expect there's a relative difference."

>>18206613
>>18206633
>>18206661
>>18206670
Oh shit, I imagine that Dan would be rather shaken by such an unexpected series of revelations.

>>18207007
Naw, he'd be more like "He's a great man, but he never tells me ANYTHING."

>>18207007
Dan's a pretty chill dude. It takes a lot to make him flap.

>>18206910

(Assuming there is a revelation to be had.)

>>18207007

"How dangerous was he, really?" You shoot a glance back at the be-forked skull. "Actually, it's probably more relevant to ask how dangerous is he now." You decide, aloud. Lady Ashwood makes a little 'humph' sound. "Gespenst, as a full Revenant, was a very powerful enemy that none of us could best on our own, except for maybe Phantasmo. We always had to act in concert to best him. Now, however, with the rest of him fragments and dust scattered across the globe, he is only as dangerous as you allow him to be. As I'm sure he'll tell you, his art is very hard to work without arms, so what he can actually do is limited to the local area of his phylactery, as I believe those of you in the mystical business call it. Most he's good for now is *parlour tricks*." She amps those last couple words up, making sure that the skull can hear her. You nod, taking it in. You're not quite sure what she means by "as dangerous as you allow him to be".

>>18207326
Let's ask! "As dangerous as one allows him to be?"

>>18207326
"You mean, how much you let him talk?"

>>18207414
>>18207353

"You mean, like, how much you let him talk?" You ask, thinking about it for a second. Lady Ashwood laughs heartily, and gives you a friendly smack on the shoulder with her cane. "Yes, very good comparison! The fossil cannot do much but talk these days. But he knows many things. And thinks he knows even more. If you wish to consult him on some mystical matter, I would take his word with a grain of salt. Phantasmo always praised his mastery of the arcane, if not his choice of pursuits with it." You thank her for the advice, and by the time this conversation is done, lunch is over. Walter and Amelia police up the dishes and take them off somewhere, before returning to stand around like reverse-vultures, hovering to see when they are needed.

>You can remain at the table a little longer and talk, or go ahead and speak to Gespenst.

>>18207615
Let's mention off-handedly how we were surprised by Professor Blackstone mentioning that he had worked with our father. That we always thought his tales of Aztec mummies were just fun stories for his young son, rather than that he had some involvement in the metahuman/supernatural community. AND THEN MORE PATERNAL REVELATION.

>>18207615
How did your family come into possession of his skull, i tought it was destroyed and his soul cast into a another plane.

>>18207653
Then pause, and add, "Or is that just the official line?"

Cause… I'm not actually sure where I was going with this now.

>>18207725
Ah, here we go: I'm sure we've learned in our studies by now that History and What Really Happened can be quite different things.

>>18207725
>>18207653

You decide to stay seated a little while longer. There's still some information to want to know before you go talk to the Necromancer. "So how did the Ashwood family end up in possession of him? From what I understood, the League broke his body up and had his Soul sent somewhere else. If that's actually what happened." You say it with more curiosity than accusation. She leans forward a bit. "Alright, since you know he exists, there's no point in not saying, though try not to spread this one around." The looks up at the ceiling for a second, remember. "This was 1964. I remember because my daughter, Minerva, was still very young. We'd heard rumors that Gespenst was active again, this time in Argentina, trying to find former Nazis who were willing to support his experiments, trying to reclaim his research again. So the five of us, since the Citizen died in 1952, went down with some of the junior members, those who had joined the League since founding. Phantasmo had been working on a permanent solution for a number of years. After all, we were getting tired of re-killing him. Having to do Hitler twice was bad enough for us, I think." You love how people keep dropping shocking statements in the middle of the conversation casually.

(cont)

>>18207914

"So, we tracked him down, and we fought another fierce battle with him. Really, we were distracting him long enough for Phantasmo to complete a ritual to send his spirit to a pocket dimension Phantasmo hollowed out in some dark corner of the universe for this purpose. Then, to complete the ritual, we broke up his skull." She makes a demonstrative gesture. Elsewhere in the room, a fork vibrates slightly, as if the surface its embedded in is shaking. "This released him out and Phantasmo tucked him away, and each of us took parts of him and went back to our corners of the globe. Well, Phantasmo disappeared five years later, in 1969. We didn't realize it at the time, but when this happened, Gespenst's soul got out, and latched back on to the biggest piece of his skull, a piece, conincedentally, that had been Phantasmo's. From there, he simply was able to reconstitute himself, though the process took years. I don't know what he did in the intervening time, Minerva acquired the skull during the Cyrean war, while working for the British Government, but she managed to scatter or destroy most of his body. The skull can reform itself if broken. It is, as far as anyone can tell, indestructible. If you break it, he hangs onto the largest piece until it comes back together, which is faster the closer together he is." Huh. That is some potent stuff, this Lich stuff is.

Crap, I'm late.

So is this really what we're doing then? The majority really thinks learning "healing" necromancy from the skull of an evil nazi lich is a good idea?

>>18207991
Yes.

>>18207991
What could possibly go wrong?

>>18208002
>>18208000
Ok, how are we actually going to go about this then? What are we going to do if he decides to try and steal our body or something? Remember that weird thing he did when we first met him in the museum.

>>18207942
"What would happen if you loaded his skull on a rocket and fired it at the sun?"

>>18208029
When he looked at us and offered to teach us necromancy? Yes. If he could steal a body so easily, I'm sure he would have done it by now.

>>18208029
We hit him with a hammer. It seems to work for the Ashwoods

>>18207991
Good idea? Perhaps not. Awesome idea ? Hell Yeah.

Other than everything, of course.

>>18208058
Damnit. That was supposed to be referencing >>18208002

>>18208043
Thing is, we don't actually know what the fuck he was doing. Actually, maybe we should ask about that.

>>18208108

He made the room go a little dark. In the local area.

It was very ominous. A great SFX.

>>18208128
Honestly, I think it was a basic illusion, a telepathic missive aimed at us so that Ashwood wouldn't overhear.

So, next stage, guys? Still talking, or we going to get this necromancy business settled tonight?

>>18208651
Move on to chatting with the lich about lessons. My internet is just SUUUPER shitty right now.

>>18208651
Let's go chat him up. Take the fork out of of his head first though.

>>18208688
>>18208673

You excuse yourself from the table, saying you'd like to go ahead and conclude your business with Gespenst now. "Perhaps you'd prefer to talk in the study?" Ashwood says. "Amelia, please show Fortesque the way." She give him a bow, and then goes back to watching you as you walk over to the open display case. "Sup, skullface?" You say, being dreadfully casual in attempt to downplay how creepy this is. "Ah, herr Fortesque. Excellent, I was hoping we could continue our conversation from last night. It was the most intellectually stimulating discussion I've had with a human being this decade." He pauses, and the lights kind of go cross-eyed. "Erm. Would you mind pulling ze fork out? It itches something terrible, and as you may have noticed, I don't have ze hands." You oblige him. "Zhat is better." You notice that not long after the fork is displaced, the small holes in the skull seal up.

(cont)

>>18208962

You pick up the skull and walk off, following Amelia into a side room, which has a desk, some bookcases and some comfortable leather chairs. You place the skull on the desk and pull up a chair. Amelia doesn't leave the room, but waits patiently just inside the door. You look at her. Silence reigns. After about a minute, you ask "Are you going to stand there the whole time?" "Yes." She says, simply. You continue looking at her, then eventually give her a 'go on' gesture. "The skull is a dangerous artifact. It would be unwise for it to be left out of sight of the Ashwood family." You calmly reach into your ritual kit, and produce the tiny rock hammer. "Got you covered." You say, blithely. "I do not think that will suffice. I will remain." She insists. The skull's eyelights swivel to face her. The room suddenly feels several degrees cooler. "Little girl," The Skull begins, in a quiet, deadly voice, "If I was capable of more than sitting and talking, there would be NOTHING you could even DREAM of doing about it." The room gets a little dim, as if the lights were several magnitudes less powerful all of a sudden. "LEAVE US!" Gespenst snarls, and the books rattle on their shelves. Amelia looks almost shocked for a second, then regains her composure. She nods. "Very well. I will be outside if you need me." Then she leaves.

>>18208967
"So, you offered to teach me necromancy. I must admit, I'm interested - specifically in things like healing, de-animating undead, countering offensive necromancy, and so forth."

>>18208967
"Tell me about necromancy - what it can and cannot do."

>>18209016

This. Basically, we should refuse to learn any truly offensive variants of Necromancy.

He's going to call us a pussy, of course, but we always have the quick retort that we'd prefer to keep our body.

>>18209142
I more expect that he'll be like, "Bah, those are all just methods. By learning how to do any of them, you learn how to do them all. What you choose to do with the tool that is knowledge is up to you."

>>18209080

"Oh, such a good question..." the skull muses. "At its core, Necromancy is the manipulation of the fifth element. Quintessence. Aether. The Life Force. Call it what you like, but living beings, especially sapient beings, are bound and fueled by a force other than just chemical or electrical. This is the force that makes up that spark of life. If you lack that spark, you are dead. Poof." The lights flicker dramatically on the line 'poof'. "Easiest thing to do with necromancy, if you're in to brute strength, is to snuff out that spark. Or try." The eye-lights shift to chest height. "A little hard to see through your new enchantment, but I can smell that that two-bit hack from last night tried to snuff out your spark." He shifts back up to looking at your face. "More complex Necromancy allows one to fill that which was once alive with this force, to take dead flesh, and have it move again. And of course, to disrupt that flow. You can also learn to hold power over those made of this energy, like ghosts and spirits. It is a diverse field, who's study is not undertaken... lightly."

>>18209213
"It sounds like it could be useful for many things - healing most prominently. Why, historically (because we're a historian, damn it) did it get tethered to the stigma of undeath rather than become known for its curative functions? After all, doctors know anatomy well enough to kill with ease, but they're seen as healers first and foremost."

>>18209213
How long will it take before we can smell magic too?

>>18209291
We probably already can. I think our 'psychic sight' applies to whatever sense makes the most sense to Dan. He mostly sees it, as a result, but I imagine there are also certain magical sounds, that undead smell of rot even if they're perfectly preserved, and so on.

>>18209291

"Do I get to smell magic?" "Maybe, maybe not. I understand you were not born with your gifts. For some of us, it is natural. Others can learn to change how they sense magic, let that gift work in different ways. I only was able once I granted myself the power of undeath. Since I lack the ability to smell normally." The lights go crosseyed and point at the void where he has no nose. You wonder how he must smell.

>>18209282

"So, why all the hatin', as the people of my generation say? There must be some historical basis for the stigma." "Two reasons," starts the Skull. You feel that he must have spent some time lecturing in the past, he's pretty good at it. Maybe Ashwood could rig him to a lectern and have him dole out a guest lecture at college sometime. "Firstly, healing with Necromancy is costly, for lack of a better term. I believe Einstein had a theory, that energy is not created or destroyed? Same rule applies here. To heal yourself, you must pull the energy from somewhere else. To heal others, you need to transfer it from yourself, or from another source. Most people are not dedicated enough to do this, or not selfless enough not to go around gobbling the essence of everyone they meet. Also, if you know what you are doing, those are parlor tricks, compare to the true power of necromancy. Which is what most sorcerers are after."

>>18209411
"And that 'true power' is?"

(Note, you've got like, 15 minutes before I need to call this a night. So deciding if you want to go for the Necromancy or not is probably a good idea.)

(PS, guys guys you should totally do it)

>>18209450
I'm all for pursuing some necromancy.

>>18209450
Despite what could go wrong, this is just far too interesting and exciting to ignore. Also, Veritas would throw a fit if we forsook it at this point. Like, seriously. No joke.

>>18209450

Dan Fortesque has never backed down from an intellectual challenge.

TEACH US YOUR WAYS, NAZI SKULL.

>>18209495
>>18209478
>>18209470

"Okay, I guess. Teach me your ways then, Nazi skull." You're really glad he can't grin. "Alright boy, it is simple. I am made from spirit. You must take some of that spirit. It is the basic operation of Necromancy." "I dunno, that sounds very dangerous and creepy." "Not as much as you'd think. I swear on my own grave." Well, you found this rabbit hole. Time to jump in it.

You place your hand on the Skull. "Concentrate..." He says. "Feel the force." You can, you can feel the skull radiating with a powerful magical energy. After all, Gespenst is nothing but spirit now. "Now... Move it!" You clench your hand around the skull, and draw a small sliver of the force into you. You feel the power coursing through you, as the band of power around your wrist flashes brilliant green. Knowledge floods your mind. Then,

Blackness.

METAHUMAN RENAISSANCE PART 17 END

>>18209587
Fuck yes! We done fucked up! Finally! That is the core to any good adventure. Trying to backpedal from mistakes.

>>18209587

Didn't the skull possess Phantasmo, an extremely powerful wizard?

Well. This is going to be exciting.

>>18209587
Woo, Nazi Necromancer Renaissance Quest.

Has this been archived? Would be a shame to loose it.

>>18210714
Probably... Yup, it has.

>>18210731
Are you sure? I can only see part 16, this is part 17

>>18210731
>>18210744
Nvm. There it is, cheers.