>>Previous threads can be found at: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Sorceress%20QuestYou come to, screaming, and everyone has their hands on you."Lady?""Are you okay?"You snap your jaw shut with a click, and you're trembling.You'd seen men torn apart by those . .things.You'd seen buildings crushed, armies slain. . The entire people of your world allied with one another, worked together, relied on one another.The entire world was united, and still, it fell.And now the demons are here. Somewhere in this world, with Kiyara's father fighting them.
>>19385235Heavy panting"I need some time alone"Then retreat to somewhere private where we can recover
>>19385235"No. No no no no... Oh gods, why?"
demons has hit the fan
"I. .I need some time alone." You say, opening your eyes. Class and poise, you tell yourself, as your comrades look down at you, worried. Apparently you'd fallen over.You push yourself to your feet, and all but rush below deck, taking solace in the comforting hum of the crystals. You end up mumbling to yourself, eyes screwed tightly shut."No. No no no no... Oh gods, why?"
>>19385369try to recover
we not gonna let the demon win this timewe could try to warn every nation about them
get logical. define our objectives1) find out about these daemons2) find out about Kiyara's fatherfigure out how to accomplish these objectives. sorry, but im drawing a blank on how to do that. maybe scry on Kiyara's father again? but we need to let someone know what is going on. this realm might have a better chance than ours did. there is more magic here.
>>19385390>>19385402Fuck that shit.We're to scared and traumatized to go against them right now.
>>19385402It's fairly obvious her father is not in this world anymore. There is no need to panic, the world is not going to end tomorrow.
but we arnt going against them. we are trying to tell some adults to take care of it.
>>19385390I was thinking the same, but we first need them to trust us before we do something drastic. Or else we will not be taken seriously.
>>19385428We don't have to do jack. OP already said this is a sandboxy game with no "You are the Chosen One" bullshit wankery.I like the sandbox aspect and do not want to be boggled down by some inane, massive quest.No bad consequences will happen if we let this be.
A sudden pain in your palm brings you back to your senses, and you look down- your fists are clenching so tightly that your nails are drawing blood. You can hear your friends above deck, talking about something, but the humming crystals are making it impossible to tell exactly what they're saying.Thoughts whirl around your head. Go after them. Tell the world about them. Don't go after them. Run, cry, fight-Think logically, you tell yourself.You need to get information, first of all. Arcturus took a year to fall. How long do you have now? How long does this world have?You feel the panic bubbling to the surface, but you crush it down with raw force of will. You enumerate what you know.Demons come in many forms. The aged wizard theorized that they could change their form, but they prefer large claws, wings, and wield weapons of blackened bone.Their magic is limited- or at least, they were on Arcturus. The most they could do was throw around fire, but each demon had the ability.Portals. Demon portals opened themselves up anywhere and everywhere they wanted. Nowhere was safe. You look over to the other side of the room, as if a portal was about to open there. You squash your own panic again, forcing it down.
>>19385478Global anti portal magic? With the magic in the weave it might work...
>>19385478relax, calm down, keep coolno one is attacking, there is no dangerWe don't even know WHERE Kiyara's father was. For all we know he is in another realm.
rolled 14 = 14The first question to ask is why haven't you heard of any demons attacking anyone?... the worst public threat is the hobgoblins, and the lizardmen and the Coven is the secret threat.They might be a small force only or not even in this realm yet. Use your magic to sense where and how many there are in this world.
>>19385478Am I the only one who thinks we need to let it all out at some point? We've been suppressing pretty damn hard lately.
rolled 22 = 22>>19385534I think there are no demons in this world.But okay, lets try again
Perhaps we need to learn more of the world's magic, and should find out who to talk to about that.
rolled 73 = 73>>19385543Nope.I think so too.(You mean bawwwwling like crazy, right?)
>>19385551But of course!
You breathe deeply, screwing your eyes tight again. Relax, keep cool, calm down.Nobody is attacking, There is no danger, you tell yourself. You don't recall hearing of demons attacking anyone, so they must not be.We found Kiyara's father, but we don't know where he was. For all we know, he is in another realm. Or dead. . Perhaps demons come from the land of the dead?You get up, but you're having troubles stopping yourself from trembling, but you note that your eyes are dry.
Also, ExabyteDO NOT HAVE US LEAVE YET!We need to buy more crystals and another gauntlet. And more crystals. A lot of crystals. Maybe another battles dress.
>>19385568Yes! And we need more crystals!
>>19385568>Supplying yourself with that much orichalum, crystals, and supplies, would lower your 'medium funding' to 'low funding' because you'll essentially be buying everything Ell has. I'll need consensus for this.
>>19385568Let's not buy everything. And one battle dress is pretty sufficient. We're not even entirely sure we'll need it.Might not hurt to get some sword training in, though.
>>19385585(my idea is to eventually enchant/materialize a FULL BATTLE DRESS designed to enhance magic stamina.Basically a magical power-suit.)>>19385591Meh, who cares? It's not like we have anything else to spend on, we have everything we can possibly need. Besides, we will gain more money in the future.
>>19385591Funds can always be replaced but perhaps this isn't the right time to spend all our funds on crystals.
>>19385591We might not need EVERY crystal. But it would still be nice to have a couple of spare ones in hand.
>>19385622Not a couple but a shit-ton. At least a dozen more.
Also this >>19385543>>19385551
>>19385607It is for transformation purposes. If we fuck up, at least we'll have another.
>>19385677Oh, as a back up. Okay, I can see the merits in that.
It would be nice to have a couple extra crystals, you think, and get up. Just.. just in case you might be wrong. You climb abovedeck, where you notice your friends stop talking and look at you. You nod to them and step off of the airship, going back down to Ell's workshop."Greetings, Lady." Ell says. "Did you need anything else?""I would like a few crystals." You respond. "And some raw orichalum might be useful.""Very well. . Ones with spells, or blank slates?"
Blank slates would be best, we'll be doing most of our own enchanting.
>>19385720"Mostly blanks, but what spelled crystals do you have?"
"Blank slates would be best." You say. "I'll be doing most of my own enchanting.""I understand, Lady." He said, and grabbed a small pouch of crystals. "What spelled crystals do you have?""Mostly shields, flame, and wind magic." He says. "The flame isn't large enough to use as a weapon, and the wind magic is only useful for moving objects about."You pay for the pouch, and take it with you as you go back to the marketplace and get a second brigandine, just in case.You return to the airship, an extra set of armor on one shoulder, and the pouch of crystals at your hip."Are you okay, Lady?" Lewin asks. "What did you see?"
Yeah, blanks, I doubt any of the ready made ones are as good as we can manage with time and effort
>>19385764"I'm fine." Make it obvious that we don't want to talk about it.We might tell them later but right now we're to shaken to think about it and would really like to set our mind on other things.
I think the current course we are on, helping people in high places is the right thing to do to get rid of the demons. We need as many allies and people who will take us seriously as possible before we announce that the demons are upon us.
>>19385764"I saw... I saw a man I believe must be Kiyara's father, fighting a... A de- a great beast, the likes of which I've seen in my nightmares. I don't know where he was, though.
"I'm fine." You say, and don't answer his question. "Just went shopping. Now, let's go."Grayson and Bubbles are the only ones not giving you worried looks- You assume because Bubbles literally cannot be worried, and Grayson just doesn't exactly care."Go where, lady?" Fellwind asks. "We haven't cemented where we're going yet.">>Sandbox time! Your current location is the red circle.
>>19385962"I think I need to speak with some one very knowledgeable about magic. There are... things I need to learn."
>>19385962What can we remember about the terrain from our visions? Inquire with our companions about it. Kiyara's father could be in the lizardmen lands, the warped lands, any number of places in the savage backwoods of civilization.
>>19385982"Specifically portal magic."
>>19385993>The scrying wasn't very successful; all you remember is the blackened skies, red packed dirt, and lots of bodies.
"I think I need to speak with someone very knowledgable about magic. there are... things I need to learn." You say."Well, the crafters in the center prism might be able to answer some of your questions." Kiyara said."The magister in Ursae City is known as being very wise." Lewin added."The venerable king and queen are thousands of years old." Grubwort said. "If you can get them to talk, that is."
>>19386002Well. Our companions have traveled the world. Ask them what lands have blackened skies and reddened sands. Sounds like the Blasted Lands to me, but we need to be certain.
"What lands have. . blackened skies, and reddened sands?" You ask, looking around to everyone."I've never heard of such a place." Lewin said.You notice Fellwind look away."Nor have I." Kiyara said. "Could it be across the sea to the east? I'm still a bit wary of trying to cross the sea in this airship."
>>19386054Make mental contact with Fellwind and ask if he knows something.
>>19386054"Fellwind? Why are you turning away? Fellwind, this is important, if there's anything you know about what I saw in my visions... I need you to tell me."
<Do you know something?> You ask, touching the surface of his mind with your magic.<No.> He responded- he was very, very firm about that. <I do not.><Fellwind, this is important. If there's anything you know about what I saw in my visions... I need you to tell me.><I've heard stories.> He said, after a long moment of inner turmoil. < About the hobgoblin mainland. If you're going there, me and Lewin are staying here. We can make our own way back to the provinces.>
>>19386085<This is not about your petty fears! I saw my entire kingdom destroyed under the heel of these monsters and I will not let it happen again!>
>>19386106Make that "My entire world"
>>19386106World, not kingdom.
"This is not about your petty fears!" You roar at him. "I saw my entire world destroyed under the heel of these monsters, and I will *not* let it happen again!"Only then you realize that you yelled out loud, Fellwind is leaning back, wide-eyed at your vehement reaction. He opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again.
>>19386085"If what I saw in my vision was real, there will be no refuge from war."
"If what I saw in my vision was real, there will be no refuge from war." You continue. "Tell me, Fellwind."Kiyara looks between everyone. She looks as if she wants to ask what's going on. Grubwort is frowning- you've never seen him like that before. Grayson is watching the group intently, and Lewin is looking at his feet."Back when I was known as Rikar, as a soldier underneath High Lord Venus," Fellwind said. "There was a story told to me, by a maddened, feverish slave who had escaped from the hobgoblins on a homemade raft. He told me that the sky was black, and the ground was red, red with blood. A great wall had been constructed, he said, and it constantly shook and cracked. It was the slaves' job to rebuild it, to slap more and more clay on the wall. He said that as soon as the wall was built, it was constantly being destroyed. He raved, and raved, and then died to his injuries. That is all I know."
>>19386126"If any of you has even the slightest knowledge that I can use, give it to me, and maybe, just MAYBE I can save this world from the fate of my own."
>>19386232was too late, oops
We should probably say what we saw beyond the terrain, too. Now that we've reacted so violently to the idea that they may be here.
>>19386221"Then I know where Kiyara's father is. And I know where the demons who threaten this world- all worlds- are, too. Fellwind, whatever is behind that wall the hobgoblins continue to rebuild with their slave labor, is horror beyond any sane, human understanding. And it is a horror I know far too well. Demons, there is no doubt. Of leathery wings, flesh of brimstone and fire, wielding blades of obsidian and raping entire worlds for sport. I will have to keep scrying to pin down where your father is, Kiyara, but we are definitely not going to dawdle in the hobgoblin lands. We will be in, and out, and then, we have much, much more work to do."
>>19386275Lets not go on a rescue mission just yet. We have no clue what is over there and I think more information is required before we make that attempt.
"Then I know where Kiyara's father is." You say."What?!" She asks."Fellwind, whatever is behind that wall is horror beyond any sane, human understanding. And it is a horror I know far too well. Demons, there is no doubt. Of leathery wings, flesh of brimstone and fire, wielding blades of blackened bone and raping entire worlds for sport."Fellwind opened his mouth again. . but then closed it."I'll have to tell the king and queen about this, if it's true." Grubwort said."And what about the Coven?" Lewin asks.
>>19386354"The coven may or may not be able to offer us some help. They are from another world, like me. Perhaps another world destroyed by the demons. Maybe they want revenge, maybe they worship them. We cannot be sure."
>>19386354"Priorities, this is big."
>>19386354"The coven are nothing compared to the demons. They may well be common allies against them, from what little I've learned through tapping into Uriel's mind. First and foremost is finding Kiyara's father and rescuing him from the devils, as he no doubt knows the most about them, and how to fight them, and then, we have an entire world to rally."
"Priorities, Lewin, this is big. The coven are nothing compared to the demons. First and foremost. . is finding Kiyara's father and rescuing him from the demons, as he no doubt knows the most about them, and how to fight them. Then. . we have an entire world to rally."". . Can we really rally an entire world?" Grubwort asked.The spider golem tilts it's head, and speaks in its tinny voice."We will have to." It says.
>>19386451Ask it if it remembers anything from before we reactivated it and if what it remembers is related to demons. Though unlikely, it might just be taking us seriously so be prepared for that.
>>19386451"... Mr. Bubbles? You've been listening this entire time? You're not just a fancy golem, are you... What do you know?"
>>19386451Ser Bubbles, you talked. What do you know about this, you seem to be more than a normal golem.
"Do you remember anything from before I reactivated you?" You ask Bubbles, and it nods."Is what you remember related to demons?""No." It says."You're not just a fancy golem, are you?""I am simply a fancy golem." It says."What do you know about this?""I only know what you have said in my presence." It says.
>>19386505What do you remember from before I activated you, why is your shape so odd, who made you and what are you special characteristics?
>>19386523Let's leave it at "what do you remember" for the moment.
"What do you remember?""Many things." It says. "Being built. War with the lizardmen, as man and fey fight together. Being sent to sleep as my creator lie on his deathbed. Not relevant to the issues at hand."
>>19386552"Very well, our course is clear. Kiyara, you should contact any close friends or relatives you have that can fight. Any other knights you know, too. We will need all the help we can get. Grubwort, I assume your crew is as equipped for battle as it can be. We are off to the lands of the Hobgoblins."
>>19386552"But your creator must've been part of the politics between the men and fey, if he was a skilled enough crafter to make you. You know more than anyone here, as far as experience goes, when it comes to uniting bitter enemies or the coldly disacquainted against a common foe. And you're no doubt an expert militarily. It is what you were built for, was it not?"
"But your creator must've been part of the politics between the men and fey, if he was a skilled enough crafter to make you. You know more than anyone here, as far as experience goes, when it comes to uniting bitter enemies or the coldly disacquainted against a common foe. And you're no doubt an expert, militarily. It is what you were built for, was it not?""Yes. I understand your point. I shall dwell upon which groups we should speak to first, in order to unite the world.."With that, the golem's legs curled underneath it, and two of the three crystals in it's head went dark."Very well, our course is clear." You say. "Kiyara, you should contact any close friends or relatives you have that can fight. Any other knights you know, too. we will need all the help we can get.""Y-yeah, I'll get as many keepers as I can find. But first I need to go talk to Ell." She said, running down the gangplank.""Grubwort, I assume your crew is as equipped for battle as it can be.""Yes, it is." He said. "But they aren't trained knights. I recommend we go to Carved Fortress to pick up who we can."
>>19386703"Even though the Carved Fortress is completely out of our way, I think we might have no other choice."
>>19386703"We might have to talk to the coven. They might have the same origin as I do... and they could help us a lot."Can we somehow contact the guy we marked?
"Even though the Carved Fortress is completely out of our way, I think we might have no other choice." You say. "And we might have to talk to the coven. They may have the same origin as I do... and they could help us a lot."Reminded of the coven member you caught, you close your eyes and seek the mark you placed on him. . He's in Venerable Refuge, it seems.
>>19386703"Then we will make haste back there, to find the finest Orcish knights willing to undertake our quest. And the Venerable King and Queen must know, after all. Yet I worry. They have no love for the Coven, but we will doubtlessly have to gain their allegiance, lest the demons try to coax them to action against us. They are no slouches when it comes to trickery, despite their preference for slaughter and brutality."
>>19386773How very convenient. Looks like we're heading back to orc land in our new flying ship.
"Then we will make haste back there, to find the finest Orcish knights willing to undertake our quest." You say. Kiyara returns, with Ell at her side. . along with a small group of Keepers. The tallest keeper bows. "Councillor Absinad bid us to accompany you. You may call me Ser Verniad.""Have you decided where we're going next?" Kiyara asks."Carved Fortress." you say. "The Venerable King and Queen must know.""Got it. First we'll go to the northernmost prism, and then we'll leap off of the weave.""Is that. . wise, Kiyara?" Verniad asks.Kiyara shrugs, and you feel the airship shudder.
>>19386883"We shall find out in due time, Sir Verniad. If we have done our work with the ship properly, it should be fine."
"We shall find out in due time, Sir Verniad. If we have done our work with the ship properly, it should be fine.""I am glad to hear that, Lady." He responds."I'll go check on the power source." Kiyara says. "Want to make sure it won't blow up.""I'll come too. I want to check out how you accomplished this." Ell says, and follows her belowdeck.The keepers remind you a lot of knights, save for that they wear brigandines just like yours, and wield long spears, with a quiver full of smaller, cut down javelins on their backs. Verniad seems to be the leader of the group, it looks like. The orc crew watches them somewhat warily.
>>19386936Talk to Verniad, get to know him better. Ask of his rank, specialties, family and so on.
>>19386936Have a tea party between the orc crew and Elf knights. It'll help us calm down.
>>19386989We may simply become agitated whenever someone breaks etiquette, but we may as well try.
You quickly start up what you've been dying to do since you first reached this world- A tea party."Tell me about yourself, Verniad." You say, sipping."I am the leader of the Keepers alongside me, and a direct subordinate of Councilor Absinad. I'm also his son, but I earned my rank, despite what others say." He says, sipping his as well. "So, this is a custom in your land?" He asks."I think it's a stupid custom. These cups are *so tiny*." Grubwort says, frowning and dropping his saucer for the third time."Uh, Captain, isn't that rude?" One of the other orcs say, and drops his own saucer. He takes a deep breath and picks it back up. "Although I do agree- these cups are very small."
rolled 75 = 75>>19387063Magic them into teacups appropriately sized for Orcs.
You sigh, and reach out with your magic. . The cups swell, turning into. . you can only call them mugs."Much better." Grubwort says."We're almost to the northern prism." Kiyara says, ignoring Ell as he comes up."Please tell me how you did that, Kiyara." Ell says again. "That crystal is not normal."
>>19387141"The crystal is just as normal as i am.!
Make the orc cups bigger on the inside, yes
>>19387141I believe I was the one who altered them. The only answer I can give is "Magic".
rolled 32 = 32>>19387141"It was my doing, Ell. Please, join us for tea and I will explain what I did. Why don't you tell me about your father in the meantime, Verniad? Oh, and Elven culture. You simply must tell me about the culture of your people."
What do you mean I'm not normal?!??!
"It was my doing, Ell. Please, join us for tea and I will explain what I did."He sits down alongside you, and joins your tea party."Magic." You say.". .Oh." He says, and frowns."Why don't you tell me about your father in the meantime, Verniad? Oh, and Elven culture. You simply must tell me about the culture of your people.""That'll have to wait, Ishelda." Kiyara said. "We have to leap off of the Weave, and I have no idea if we're going to die or not."She clenches her fists on the ship's wheel, and focuses. . The airship shudders, but continues on it's way.Ell looks back at the prism, then back to Kiyara.He, Verniad, and the rest of the Elven keepers start clapping.
>>19387217"We're flying! Wheee!" and to Grubwort "She's flying congratulations it's a pegasus boat crossbreed!"
"We're flying!" You say."We were flying before." Grubwort says."But before." Verniad says. "We were on the Weave. I'm amazed this thing can store so much power. The last one who built a ship to do this was Kyvann. . But then he died.""He's not dead." Kiyara says."The council ruled him-""Ishelda scryed for him and *FOUND* him. You're here to help us rescue him."". . Really?"
>>19387282"Yes! And to save this world! Oh, imagine the tea parties! *squee*"
>>19387282Yes, long story but the world is in danger, we're gathering people up, and going to have the most excellent tea parties along the way. If only one day I can teach proper etiquette to the Orcs, Lewin and Fellwind, Grayson seems to understand it.
>>19387296Everything but the squee is perfect. Not that it isn't funny.
rolled 66 = 66>>19387282"Aye, but that is grim talk as much as it is joyous. We'll fill you in soon, Ser Verniad. But now is a time for celebration. Ladies and gentlemen, we have just set sail aboard the first and only airship flight entirely independent of the weave. We have just made history on this day, and are not likely to stop anytime soon."Meanwhile, side roll to reach out to whatever meager, metaphysical consciousness/idenity the ship or its components have, to awaken it, with a gentle touch. No need to exert ourselves, this thing is practically made of magic. Assuming it succeeds;"However, I believe this ship needs a christening, at such momentous news. Yet it is Orcish tradition that one names his or herself. And so I ask you, vessel; what is your name?"
>>19387320Dude what are you, 19? Ishelda's 10-14, at least try.
>>19387344But also a well educated princess.>>19387320Man, we told Grubwort we wouldn't do anything to his ship without consulting him first, and what you propose is doing just that.
"Yes." You say. "And to save this world."You try to put a lighthearted tone into your voice, but it comes out darker and colder than you meant."But that is grim talk. We'll fill you in soon, Ser Verniad. I believe this ship needs a christening, at such momentus news. Yet it is Orcish tradition that one names his or herself. And so I ask you, vessel; What is your name?"You place your hand on the ship, and close your eyes, reaching out to it.It shudders.Jormungandr, it says, and you get the mental image of an enormous, flying serpent."Did- did the rest of you hear that?" Grubwort asks, looking around. They all look at him like he was insane.
Yes I did... a momentous name for the task ahead of us.
>>19387381I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about Grubwort, it almost sounded like the ship named itself but that'd be silly, ships can't talk unless magic is involved. Would you like some more tea?
>>19387344She's young, but noble and educated, even for a noble girl. And also schooled in magic, to boot. Why can't she have occasional bursts of hypercompetent eloquence when she isn't being little-girl-like?>>19387374That's a point. But an awakening isn't TECHNICALLY modifying anything, it's just awakening what is already there.>>19387381Oh fuck, I didn't think Exabyte would take a roll for "awakening the entire ship" seriously! Shit, man. Fukken Exabyte-brand quests."The ship moves... And the ship speaks, too. Jormungandr, would you mind speaking up a bit? Most of the crew cannot hear you."
>>19387381I think it sounds like a nice name, don't you, Grubwort?
"Yes, I did." You say. "Would you like some more tea?""Yeah, I would." He says, and you pour some more into his... Teamug? Orcish Teacup? Who knows.Jormungandr approaches Carved Fortress, and you can see it in the distance. A great fortress carved out of the mountain, you can hardly believe it was made without magic."We should set down here." Grubwort says. "And then we sail into port. We don't want to alarm the knights.""Good point." Kiyara says, and she touches the wheel. It slowly sets down into the water, and the orcish crew gets to work."Good day." The customs orc says as you pull into port. "May I know the reason of your visit, Grubwort?""This Lady here is who's visiting." He responds."A man? But we don't normally. . ""This was the group that slayed the ancient troll."". . I see. May I know the reason of your visit, Lady?" He asks, turning to you.
>>19387477"I need to speak to the Venerable King and Queen about dire matters that the world may soon face."
rolled 89 = 89>>19387477"To speak with a king and queen about a matter of the security of the realm. It is of great importance.
>>19387495What if we say security of this realm, instead of the realm? You know slightly hinting we are not from this realm?
AWWWW YEAH finally found this quest while its running.I do so wish we'd act like a little girl more often.
>>19387552We are a princess first, we have class and decorum before anything else. We just had a tea party and we named the spider golem Bubbles.
"I need to speak to the Venerable King and Queen about dire matters that the world may soon face." You say. He nods. "Then you should hurry, Lady." He said, and led you up the long staircase to the fortress proper. You notice smiths, crafters, and what looks like a group of knights on a training field. . reading leatherbound books, their swords sheathed."Your name?" The orc in front of the large gates asks you."Lady Ishelda."He bows, and opens the gates. "Lady Ishelda enters the hall." He declares.The King and Queen are sitting there, mugs in their hands, as you enter, still wearing your armored brigandine. They seem to have been eating a meal. . no matter."Good day, Lady Ishelda." The king says. "To what do we owe this visit?"
>>19387573That's Sir Bubbles to you.
rolled 91 = 91>>19387593"I have discovered something of dire importance. The cause of the death of my world has come to invade yours.
>>19387593Demons, destruction and the possible end of the world. Also I have a flying ship now.
>>19387593"I am afraid this is not a social visit, though I wish it were, your highnesses. Nor is it a petty quest. There is a grave danger before the realm; yours, and all others within this world. I believe it would be wise only to speak of this with you, and the most trusted members of your court."Make sure to keep track of where the Coven spy is.
>>19387633I like this one. Though "we" rather than "I"
"I am afraid this is not a social visit, though I wish it were, your majesties. Nor is it a petty quest. There is a grave danger before the realm. Yours, and all others within this world. I believe it would be wise only to speak of this with you, and the most trusted members of your court.""We trust everyone in this honored hall, Lady Ishelda." The queen said. "You can speak freely of the Coven here."
>>19387663Do a quick can of where our marked coven member is, to see if he's in the room.
>>19387663Oh, but this is not about the Coven. This is about the monsters that ended the world i came from.
You close your eyes and check again for Ezekiel- he's in Venerable Refuge, on the other side of the orc territory."Oh, but this is not about the coven. This is about the monsters that ended the world I came from."The king looks to the queen."You. . speak the truth." The queen said. "Can you elaborate?"
>>19387663"The Coven? No. They are nothing but a lot of magically skilled tightly-knit scavengers, feasting on the carrion of the Ogrish empire and occasionally spying upon other civilizations, as a hungry crow might observe littering peasants. This is worse. Far, far worse. Demonkind has come to this world, and the only thing keeping the horde at bay at the moment is an untempered, oversized clay wall maintained by the Hobgoblins with massive amounts of slave labor. That's the reason for the constant slavetaking raids. The only man who knows anything substantial about the demons, that we know of, is deep within the hobgoblin lands, fighting the devils himself. This is a matter of grave importance; I humbly ask of you your finest knights to join my retinue, which already consists of Grubwort's crew, noble elven Keepers and the brilliant airship engineer Kiyara, my good friends Lewin and Fellwind, the living ship Jormungand, and the ancient golem now dubbed Mr. Bubbles, and continues to grow. The world hangs in the balance and I seek allies wherever I can to stop the madness before it begins."
>>19387789That I do. Give them the full gamut, demons, portals, claws, wings, blackened bone weapons. Took out our world and with the last of their magic our family sent us here.
>>19387808This is good.
>>19387887Woulda been good, but that parts already over, now we need to explain like with>>19387876
>>19387926It's still good, just leave out the first sentence or so.
>>19387808IT IS SER BUBBLES!
"This is worse than the coven. Far, far, worse. Demonkind has come to this world, and the only thing keeping the horde at bay at the moment is an untempered, oversized clay wall maintained by the hobgoblins, with massive amounts of slave labor. That's the reason for the constant slavetaking raids. The only fey who knows anything substantial about the demons, that we know of, is deep within the hobgoblin lands, fighting the devils himself. This is a matter of grave importance; I humbly ask of you your finest knights to join my retinue. the world hangs in the balance and I seek allies wherever I can to stop the madness before it begins.""I find this hard to believe." The queen said. "You may believe it, but. . how do you know the coven hasn't tricked you? How do you know these demons exist?""They destroyed my world." You say. "And with magic born from sacrifice, my family sent me here."The king and queen looked at one another, meeting eyes, and you can sense the edges of a quick magical conversation between the two.The king stood, and drew his blade. "I and my finest knights shall fight with you, Lady Ishelda."Some of the knights in the hall look to one another, and then they stand at well. You distinctly hear one knight telling another that the king hadn't been to war in five hundred years, and that this was a momentous occasion.
So the reapers are demons and Shepard is a little girl?
>>19387962Yes, it's glorious. He did always want to be the little girl.
>>19387962Eh, kinda, yeah.
while i support this action, i think we should scry some more on this walled area of hobgoblin land. we do not want to be doing all this without more informantion on this. i cant stop myself from seeing us do all this, then find out we didnt understand something about our 1 data point (that scry on the elf's father)
>>19388020Yeah, i have to agree with this. We should thoroughly prepare, with plenty of scryings done.
>>19388020You do have a point, that we should try to get more information. We should do that before we go.
rolled 11 = 11>>19388046Also, rolling to do that.
>>19388020>Turn up with the largest army this world's ever seen comprised of all species>It was just some coven member who thought the form was pretty useful for fighting inMy bad, guys!
rolled 28 = 28>>19388052Or maybe not.
rolled 31 = 31Rolling to scry the Coven's origins as well
alright, the dice gods do not want us to know a damn thing
rolled 91 = 91>>19388053Well, I don't think we looked for him by a description. We looked for HIM, which would probably prevent a false positive such as getting some one that simply looks like him.
>>19387961"I am greatly honored, and glad, Venerable King. First, however, we must go to Venerable Refuge. When I first arrived I confronted a Coven spy in the Provinces, by the name of Uriel. I stole the magic from his lips, and later touched his very mind, and learned things about the shapeshifters I doubt many know. More importantly, one of their other spies, in this very land, believed me to be Uriel- they seem to identify one another by their magic- and a link made between our minds allows me to track him. Before we leave for the southern islands, to rescue the fey in question, we must capture the Coven spy- we cannot simply leave him to spy further- and hopefully pressgang him to this cause. I cannot waste any assets, and to simply kill him would be a waste, when my unintentional acquaintance with it could be further used."
Meh, even if it were coven members using their forms the queen still confirmed we were telling the truth of how much of a threat they would be and it'd worth it to find out what exactly the hobgoblins are holding back if not the demons.
"Now, I need to scry." You say, and close your eyes.The magic burns, and you feel it drain into nothingness. . but you see nothing.You open your eyes, and rub them, then you try again.More magic burns away, and your muscles start aching. You take a deep breath, and frown."Having problems?" The queen asks. "Here."She raises her staff, and a few words in some gutteral tongue later, a burst of energy swells within you. You close your eyes once more, and seek the wall. . .You see red, packed dirt, and a great wall, being attended to by hundreds of slaves. You see lizardmen, humans, even an elf or two. Your view is limited, but as you watch it. . The wall cracks, and then part of it implodes, demons bursting forth.A hobgoblin looks forward, then turns back behind him. He roars something in a language you don't know, to someone you can't see. The hobgoblin has burned umber skin, and long tusks on an otherwise human face. He blows on a horn. . and you see trolls rampage forth into your view, slamming into the demons, and some kind of spell blasting them back.The spell ends, and you find yourself kneeling in the hall, looking to the ground.
>>19388131"There is no doubt. Not only are the demons here in force, but they are starting to break through the wall. They are pushed back, quickly, but the war of attrition is in their favor. The hobgoblins simply cannot kill them in any great number, merely push them back past the wall and reseal the breach."Followed by >>19388095
"There is no doubt." You say, your voice weak. "Not only are the demons here in force, but they are starting to break through the wall. They are pushed back, quickly, but the war of attrition is in their favor. The hobgoblins simply cannot kill them in any great number, merely push them back past the wall and reseal the breach.""First, however, we must go to Venerable Refuge. When I first arrived in this world, I confronted a coven spy in the provinces, by the name of Uriel. I stole the magic from his lips, and later touched his very mind, learning things about them that I doubt many know. More importantly, one of the other spies, in this very land, believed me to be Uriel- They seem to identify one another by their magic- And a link made between our minds allow me to track him. Before we leave for the southern islands, to rescue the fey in question, we must capture the Coven spy, pressganging him to this cause. I cannot waste any assets, and to simply kill him to be a waste."The queen stood. "You knew of this spy and didn't tell us?" She asked, a fire in her eyes.
rolled 42 = 42>>19388131even now the hobgoblins hold the wall against them, but I fear the vision I had showed hem to be having difficulties.
>>19388242When last I checked on him he was in the middle of the wasteland, him being here is completely new.
>>19388242"He was the one captured on the ship that escaped. I did not know he was in Venerable Refuge until recently."
rolled 82 = 82>>19388242I haven't been here long and whatever you might think of The Coven, the deamons are worse.
>>19388242"I am sorry, I may have been caught up within my own plans and schemes at the time. Also, he was the middle of the wasteland then. I had hoped to learn more of the coven before coming to a decision regarding him."
>>19388242I knew only that he'd be coming after myself, only very recently has he been within your lands.
>>19388242"The spy has not been in the orcish lands long- he departed elsewhere at the time of my leaving for the elvish lands- nor was the link strong enough for me to keep track from across the world. It has its limits, especially because I am human and it is... Whatever the Coven are. Had I known sooner of his, her or its whereabouts and been able, I would have told you; its first contact with me was appearing in my windowsill at the inn where I stayed in Venerable Refuge, mistaking me for Uriel, and then fluttering off to the Warped Lands after the link was made. I did not, was not, and could not. That is why I am telling you now, Venerable Queen, as he is within reach. Now, are we going to argue about who should have done what about the spy earlier rather than later, or are we going to rouse ourselves to action and catch him?"
"I knew only that he would be coming after myself, and he had been in the wasteland until recently." You say. "Now, Venerable Queen, are we going to argue about who should have done what about the spy earlier rather than later, or are we could to rouse ourselves to action and catch him?""You dare?" She asks. "You dare say that to me, to my face?""Calm down." The king says. "Think about this logically."The queen closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath."Go, then. We can speak about this after you retrieve the fey."
>>19388339Wait, the coven are fey?
>>19388353Nah, the guy we're going to rescue is.
>>19388339"I apologize for my brazenness. I do not like being so impolite or so disrespectful, but thousands of souls will be damned to oblivion if we fail to contain this threat, and keeping track of the Coven spy's every move seemed far less pressing to me than the first step of finding allies to rescue the fey. I will fully shoulder the blame for not bringing this to your attention sooner when the rescue is complete, assuming further interruptions do not arise. It is only proper that I do."
rolled 50 = 50>>19388339venerable king, as soon as you and your warriors are prepared we should depart. Time is of the essence with a stop at the venerable refuge(or wherever the spy is hiding) to collect the spy and give him an offer he cant refuse.
>Humans are 'Men'>Orcs are 'Orcs'>Elves are 'Fey'>Coven are 'fuck it, i don't even know what their species is called yet'"I apologize for my brazenness." You say. "I will fully shoulder the blame for not bringing this to your attention sooner when the rescue is complete, assuming further interruptions do not arise. It is only proper that I do. Venerable King, as soon as you and your warriors are prepared, we should depart. Time is of the essence.""I understand." He said.The king turns to some of the knights, and examines them closely, before collecting a small group of them."We are ready, Lady Ishelda." The king says. "Because you know these. . demons best, I deign to your judgment and will obey your orders."
rolled 77 = 77>>19388440my knowledge is not as extensive as you might think, but if thats how you wish it, so shall it be.be warned, we'll be flying there...it is, an unsettling experience, the first time you fly...
>>19388440Explain what we know of them and the likely effects of being in a realm with such greater natural free floating magic, compare what we used to be capable of with the great works we've achieved with access to this amount and what the likely effects on their natural abilities with fire would be.
>>19388440DO we actually know much about demons? Sure they destroyed our realm, but it didn't seem like any defenses were worthwhile.
>>19388440"I suppose I should tell of exactly what they are, then. A knight must know his enemy before he faces them. Not unlike the Coven, their forms are malleable. Unlike the Coven, rather than possessed of an alien yet still seemingly mortal mindset capable of empathy, they are wholly malicious and evil. They exist only to slaughter and burn and rape and pillage. They favor taking the form of huge musclebound brutes, part goat, part man, part bat. They wield their own bones, forged and blackened in hellfire, as weapons. And they wield terrible magics. My world was nowhere near as magically rich as this one, and despite this each demon was able to create a raging inferno on its own. Normally they appear wherever they damn well please, through planar gates, but somehow the hobgoblins have them mostly kept at bay, imprisoned behind the blood-clay wall; evidently they are unable to spread gates further until they break the walls."
"My knowledge is not as extensive as you might think, but if that's how you wish it, so it shall be." You say, and then you descend down the stairs as you explain what you know."Something doesn't add up." The king says. "If these demons can open portals. . why haven't they done so to get past the wall?"
>>19388576"It is possible they need to establish a foothold in a world and harness it's magical power to reach their full power.
>>19388576I'm not sure, but it may have something to do with the presence of much greater amounts of ambient magic, or the HobGoblin's might be doing an even better job of keeping them out than thought.
rolled 2 = 2>>19388576it might have some magic invested in it by the hobgoblins...or the blood of slaves ...I really do not know... they might have not gotten enough of a foothold to open targeted portals.
"I'm not sure." You say. "Perhaps it has something to do with the presence of more ambient magic in the air, or the hobgoblins might be doing an even better job of keeping them out than thought. Perhaps they need a foothold in the world to open targeted portals.""I see. . " He says. "Perhaps the fey knows.""Venerable King." Grubwort says, and bows to the king. The orc and his knights climb aboard. "Welcome to Jormungandr.""Where are we going next?" Kiyara asks you, as the orcish knights start talking with the crew on the ship."Venerable Refuge, to the east." You respond.
The airship shudders as Kiyara takes control, and the ship lifts directly out of port, slowly going to the east."This seems like it will last longer outside of the Weave than I thought." Kiyara says."Oh, my." The king says, eying the golem. "I've seen this thing before." He says. "Where did you get this, Lady Ishelda?"
>>19388696Some abandoned store room of the elf's. His name is Ser Bubbles, what do you know of him?
>>19388696I found Ser Bubbles inside Ell's shop and was able to reactivate him. He's agreed to think up a way to try and get the various factions and peoples to work together against the demons once they make it past the hobgoblins wall.
rolled 43 = 43>>19388650stand by the helm and prepare to navigate to the Coven spy's precise position.
rolled 42 = 42Scrying to discover the Coven's reasons for entering this world (Third times a charm??))
"Some abandoned storeroom in one of the elven prisms. His name is Ser Bubbles. What do you know of him?""Not much." The king admits. "But I remember his creator. . very well.""Who was it?" Ell asked."Eidolon."You see every fey's jaw drop. Simultaneously. It's quite a sight.
*sigh*
>>19388756I suppose that name is important, could someone tell me who Eidolon was?
>>19388767He was the one who invented the crystals, wasn't he?
>>19388777Right, he was. We should get more information on who he was still.
rolled 63 = 63>>19388756I don't suppose you could give me some context on that name? as I've said, where I am from I've never heard of any of this.to give you some context on how little I know the first orc I'd ever heard of was greyskin and I'd never heard of elves before either...
"I suppose that name is important." You say. "Could someone tell me who Eidolon was?""How could you not know who Eidolon is?" Kiyara asks."She's from a different world, remember?" Fellwind reminds her."Oh, yeah. He was pretty much the first keeper, crafter, and the leader of the elves. Invented the arcane crystals, wielded a spear made out of orichalum, and said, at the end of his rule, that being a king was a stupid way for a nation to live; feykind should start up a council or a republic." Kiyara said. "Essentially, he was responsible for the prisms, the weave. . . Everything that makes feykind what it is."
>>19388756"Ser Bubbles! You were created by, and personally knew Eidolon, the greatest Elven magician ever known?! How much do you remember of his work, Ser Bubbles? His magics and magically related sciences? Oh, my, what an opportunity this is!"
rolled 67 = 67>>19388820I wonder if bubbles was to Eidolon what Bob is to Harry B. C. Dresden
rolled 60 = 60>>19388821basically seconding this...
"Ser Bubbles! You were created by, and personally knew Eidolon, the greatest Elven magician ever known?!""Yes.""How much do you remember of his work?""Nothing." It responds. "He bid me to forget.""Oh. Well, that's a downer." Ell said."Also, I have deduced the question posed to me previously." The golem says. "But I believe this is a matter of privacy, between I and my new master." It says.
rolled 38 = 38>>19388939Venerable king, fellwind, lewin, Kiyara Bubbles, I think we should find a private space to discuss this.(((once there))) bubbles, these people are trustworthy enough for what you have to say.
"Venerable King, Fellwind, Lewin, and Kiyara. Come with Bubbles and I, I think we should find a private space to discuss this." You say, leading them below deck. "Bubbles, these people are trustworthy enough for what you have to say.""You asked me to use my knowledge of my master's skill at politics to help unite the world." It tells you, belowdeck. "And this is what I say; Use the threat of the demons. Exaggerate it. Use the elven council to elect a 'wartime' leader for elfkind, someone under your thumb. Have the High Lords to the same thing. Slay the orcish leaders and tell the orcish community that the demons did it, and you will lead them on to vengance. You are female; the lizardmen worship females, of their kind and of others- if you promise to allow them more land, they will undoubtedly follow you. If the hobgoblin nations are at risk, then by bringing the army of previous races to help them against the demons, they will revere you as their savior.""What is this thing saying?!" The orc king asks.
>>19389086"Bubbles, I was with you until the whole...slaying the Orc King and Queen part...other than that is seems fine, right?
>>19389086Extremely efficient at the cost of morals apparently. I don't have a problem with exaggerating the issue, but coups are unacceptable.
>>19389086That seems a bit... drastic.
>>19389086>dat spider>ooc:holy shit that is the most evil AI type cold calculating answer it could have possibly given, not sure what to say about that..
rolled 34 = 34>>19389086he is giving a logical and well reasoned way to unite the world against the threat.however I feel that there is nothing to exaggerate; and with the battle yet to come you will know why.I have brought you into this confidence so you would know what I know from Bubbles, this is his advice, nothing more.
"He is giving a logical and well-reasoned way to unite the world against this threat." You tell the orc king. "I have brought you into this confidence so that you would know what I know from Bubbles; this is his advice, nothing more."You turn to the golem."Bubbles, I was with you until the whole. . . slaying the Orc King and Queen part... other than that it seems fine, right?""That is an integral step." The golem responds. "Without such an event, I do not forsee orckind falling under your rule. The orc king and queen are too wise, and will see through your ruse; not to mention that Eidolon taught the orcish queen to detect lies. They will be a risk and a weak point for the unification."
>>19389231So that's where you learned it.I think it's easier to get them on our side than to kill them, there will be far to much fall out from killing them and other orks can detect lies.
>>19389231I don't want to rule everyone, I just want to get them fighting together against the demons.
>>19389231I don't think complete unification is necessary, just powerful alliances.
"I don't want to rule everyone, I just want to get them fighting together against the demons.""Oh. I understand now. I had mistaken." The golem said. "Just keep doing what you've been doing- it appears it's working so far."
>>19389231Oh, nononono! I don't want to rule over everyone! Maybe just a small kingdom somewhere!.. Or a medium kingdom...maybe all of humankind..."
>>19389292"Ser Bubbles. I asked you to think of a way to help deal with the demons, and then you... You... Plot a worldwide COUP! If anything, a federation of the existing states would be the realistic aim when it comes to interstate political maneuvering during this conflict. That would be naught but a secondary aim. The prime one is the destruction of every last demon invader, and the unification of the realm against them. To say the least, I am GREATLY unhappy with this misinterpretation and the plan you have come up with. Don't you have any... Any emotions, to temper your logic? I find it hard to believe Eidolon created you to be so intelligent, and yet left you without any conscience. Venerable King, have you ever seen him act like this, when you knew him and Eidolon long ago?"
>>19389302BAD PRINCESS. down.
>>19389302>>19389377I liked the "save the wasteland" plan. We get to be eco-warriors and forge a kingdom and not hurt anybody. Taking over the world seem like something that we should at least wait until we're a bit older for. They don't let you do that stuff without parental supervision, you know.
"Ser Bubbles." You say sternly. "I asked you to think of a way to help deal with the demons, and then you plot a worldwide *coup*. If anything, a federation of the existing states would be the realistic aim when it comes to interstate political maneuvering during this conflict. That would be naught but a secondary aim. The prime one is the destruction of every last demon invader, and the unification of the realm against them. To say the least, I am greatly unhappy with this misinterpretation and plan you have come up with. Don't you have any. . any emotions to temper your logic?""I believe the word you mean by 'emotions' is 'empathy'. No, I do not." Bubbles responds."Venerable King, have you ever seen him act like this, when you knew him and Eidolon long ago?""No, I haven't. But. . Eidolon preferred to come up with his own ideas. His golem was mostly to protect his body while he cast spells.""Ser bubbles scares me." Lewin said. "I'm glad the Lady is his master, though."
"Ishelda." Kiyara said. "We're at Venerable Refuge. You ready to pick up the spy?"
>>19389528I believe I am ready to pick him up. I should probably go with only my close companions with you to avoid arousing suspicion.
>>19389528"Yes."I'm not sure who we should bring. We need a big enough party to capture him but not big enough to scare him off early. The magic drain thing was a nat 100 so we can't rely on that again.
>>19389479>mfw we have a giant magical spider HK-47 in our party"I see... So Eidolon must not have planned for Ser Bubbles to ever be left masterless and free-willed, hence his shutdown. Yet Eidolon still made him far cleverer than the average golem, while leaving his heart and soul unfinished. I thought that Eidolon was meant to be wise? This is a clear breach in his wisdom." "You are intelligent, but unempathetic. Ser Bubbles, are you capable of developing or being given empathy? Would that even be wise, considering how long you've lived and what you were built for? You're not going to betray us, or act outside of my will, are you? Bother, I should probably stop treating you like a mechanical pet and more like a person, I've underestimated your mind severely. And your capacity for malice. You don't happen to want a new name, do you?">>19389528"Yes. I'll simply tell him to come aboard magically, and we'll restrain him- if necessary, considering his trust of me- when he comes below deck."
"I believe I am ready." You say. "I should probably go with only my close companions. Lewin, Fellwind, and Grayson, probably."Lewin and Fellwind nod, and you call Grayson via your ring. . and then you go to find Ezekiel, using the tracer.You find him pretending to be an orc, sitting on the street relaxing. He turns to you."Good day, Uriel." He says. "Or should I say. . Ishelda."His eyes flash orange."Good to finally meet you. My name is Azariel. I'm ... borrowing Ezekiel's body right now.">>End of thread 9!>>My twitter is @futureexabyte>>I'll stick around to answer questions.
>>19389605So is Ser Bubbles completely insane, or just moderately insane? Because he scared me witless, blindsiding us with his plan for total world domination back there.
>>19389605Azariel! All that trouble getting a non-weave airship so we could go speak to him and then he comes to us.Anyway, how are the humans ruled? Some kind of council of the High Lords or are all the provinces independent? Also you might as will fill in the politics of the hobgoblins and the 'misc races' bits while you're at it.
>>19389649>He has his own way of looking at things. To him, 'uniting the world' means 'uniting the world under a single rule', and he figured it would be best if his master were said ruler.
>>19389649Neither, he's just HK-47 in spider form as >>19389597 said.And that is fucking awesome.
rolled 94 = 94>>19389605can I post up a question to start the next thread with? I'll be at work and incapable of posting.hello Azariel, quite an impressive spell. I am ishelda and I might need your help. what do you know about deamons?lead into a conversation about needing a bit of occult backup
>>19389683>The provinces are independent, but high lords are pseudo-friendly to one another and their borders remain open to the other provinces.>The hobgoblin leaders are warlords, which have no official election process; the strongest or meanest rule. If one 'gob defeats the current warlord in fair combat, then the one 'gob is the new warlord.>The lizardmen are roughly arranged into a gender-based caste system; the females rule all. Some males are extra subservient to a specific female, but if they're asked to do something by any female, they're obliged to do it.>I'm not even counting trolls here because they're not even sentient, let alone sapient. Ancient trolls are individuals, but they have no such thing as society.
>>19389759I think we need to get ourselves a kobold army.
>>19390793>Kobolds mostly live in the small villages or out in the wilderness, which.. you haven't been to any. Only the major cities.
