Bring it on world! I have a fist-load of dice! I can do ANYTHING.

>>19625105
Seems interesting, let the games continue.

File: 1340665461014.png-(95 KB, 221x361, Andromalius.png)

>>19625123
>implying you guys have ever rolled a die without failing terrible

That face.
Andromalius.
Who is he?
You suddenly remember where you had seen that seal before... those murderers who broke into Anton's house while you were sleeping. The ones who were carving things into the dead left and right.
It was the same symbol that appeared in their faces that you saw in the Void.
Andromalius...
Is he the one behind this?
You remember through the haze of the morphine; you told them to fuck off because you were trying to sleep, and they were set on fire while laughing that hideous laugh.
That laugh will haunt your dreams forever.
If you even still have dreams.
Every time Kaoru is around you now, you have a hard time differentiating between reality and the Void. The Void is empty, yes, but you fill it with your mind, and it's starting to become really creepy.

A thought hits you: what if I'm just insane?
You look at your arm, then at the stump to your left where there should have been an arm.
Insanity is probable.
That doesn't mean this isn't happening, though.

Kaoru is looking at you, as if expecting you to say something.
Anything.

>What do you do/say? Tell Kaoru about Andromalius? Try to get Big Ol' Butler to fetch you a TV and watch the news? Try training a bit more with Kaoru? The choice is completely yours.

>>19625191
Ask Karou what's next. Our master probably already knows of this abomination. Let's train some more.

>>19625191
Tell Kaoru about Andromalius, and ask about the 78. Even a cryptic answer is useful. If he says nothing, we just go back to finding out for ourselves.

>>19625206
I'm not sure what you mean by "what's next"
As in what's next for the training?

Let's just get back to our training, we can worry about Andromalius later.

You look at Kaoru. You’re beginning to see clearly now, the fog is gone.
You never noticed its existence before.
You’re beginning to wish you’d stayed with Gyatso, because it looks like it obfuscated some things you’d rather have gone without knowing. His eyes, for example.
Before, they were just empty. Now, you can see why you always felt uncomfortable when he looked at you. His eyes aren’t just a gate into the Void; they’re void of existence themselves.
You’re not even sure that’s should be possible.
“Andromalius. That’s the name I’m hearing.. or seeing, rather. I’m not sure how, but that name is in my mind. Reverberating, filling it with its presence. The seal I saw in the Void, I can see the name Andromalius written on it now. Is he one of the 78? Who are the 78, really?”
“72.”
“What?”
“There are 72.”
“But Gyatso said that we were to fight the 78.”
Kaoru gazes up from his nail-biting for a second. He’s still as emotionless as ever, but when he speaks, you can hear just a tinge of anger: “Gyatso is a fool who has no business trying to think. He’s not fit for it. You’d do well to forget everything he has told you.”
More than just a tinge.
“Then, who are the 72?”
He looks at you. You can feel him examining you with those black holes he has for eyes somehow.
“This is the only thing I cannot tell you.”
“You mean to tell me you do not know?”
“I did not say that. Do you wish to continue your training? Judging by the expression on your face, you are beginning to truly see.”

>>19625365
>mfw the new 4chanx finally tells you about post limits
>What do? Back to training?

>>19625374
Yup, training time!

>>19625374
Continue training. Think about the fact that the number of foes we are tasked to fight changes from moment to moment.

File: 1340666986568.jpg-(129 KB, 338x506, Trueseeing.jpg)

Well, Kaoru’s never been anything if not attentive to details. He's right that you can see now.
"Yes, Kaoru. I'm ready."
The fakir's really worked his magic on you, because you can limp around without your crutch now, although you'd really prefer your crutch. You take it under your arm and walk with a hirple over to Kaoru.
"Teach me."
"This time, you won't be going to the Void. You can't trust your eyes, only your sight. I will teach you to see without eyes."
You look at him a bit incredulously, not certain what to say, and he picks up on this rather fast.
"The simplest thing you will learn is to watch. What better way to start than watching the world?"
"So, I have to just.. look?"
"Yes. At the world."
"Uh, what exactly do you mean?"
"You are going to watch the entire world."
Woah.
"At once?"
"Yes. Time is no hindrance. The Void will replace your concepts of time and space, and in their stead, you will stand.
For now, you will use my eyes as a focus. One day, you will not need that."
You look him square in the eyes and try to visualize Earth.
This is probably going to be pretty hard.

>roll 1d10 for MAGICS

rolled 9 = 9

>>19625494

File: 1340667445066.png-(421 KB, 3000x2000, First try.png)

>>19625513
"Focus. If you ever fail, the Void itself will engulf you and consume you."

These are words to fear. You haven't known Kaoru for long, but he certainly isn't the kind who lies.

You feel yourself being swallowed up by the Void again.

"Embrace it."

You let yourself be surrounded by the nothingness again.

You can't see that singular light that existed in Kaoru's eyes before. That single spot of existence in a world of nihility.
The vacuum is filled by something else entirely. A small stain on the black that fills your sight.

You try to focus...

File: 1340667643707.png-(2.65 MB, 3000x2000, You learn fast.png)

>>19625585
Eureka.
The world.
All of it.
"It is in your hands, Dave. The entire world. There is no difference between here and there. It all exists within the Void, and the only thing you have to do is reach out and go wherever you wish."

The entire world...
Within your grasp.

>Success! You've successfully learned [Void Scrying]. You also gain +1 to all Void magic-related rolls (excluding other modifiers).
>Do you want to see any specific part of the world, say anything, or do you wish to move on? If so, what do you want to do now that you've managed to hold Earth within yourself?

rolled 7 = 7

>>19625585

File: 1340667907757.jpg-(1.75 MB, 3032x1888, 1340113762300.jpg)

>posting in case anyone forgot what Void magic can do
>Not everything on this picture is going to be 100% accurate, since I'm making a few alterations to better fit it into a quest context, since I'm not the guy who made it originally.

rolled 8 = 8

>>19625629
Check on parents, teacher, ruined town, and any loved ones who might notice that we've just gone missing after a trip to Africa. Also, brother.

>>19625629
View the site of the city we were once going to explore with Hayes. That's where our previous life ended, and this one began.

Then, just for the hell of it, try to see how great of an altitude we can visualize. Attempt to shift focus to the Moon.

rolled 70 = 70

>>19625677
i think we might should avoid looking at brother. i think we are better off not knowing what he is doing. the last time we found out what he was learning we took it the wrong way. but i support everything else

>>19625731
sorry forgot to turn of my dice

>>19625731
You sure? I've written most of the rest up, so just gonna wait a bit for you to reach a consensus

>>19625746
I think it would help us to see him. We should learn to deal with his supposed superiority anyway, because we will need to work together in the future.

>>19625746
sorry it is just i picture us looking in on him and one of 2 things happening.
1) we see him doing something awesome like making stone shatter by poking it.
or 2) him doing something awesome and then noticing we are looking. dont know how that would happen but it seems likely to me.

but >>19625782 makes a good point. something to motivate us would help our willpower. as long as he isnt too far ahead of us. and maybe void mages need to be above petty things like that

You decide to check in on what's going on with the people you've left behind.
Your parents are sleeping. You forgot there's a 10-hour time zone difference, approximately, between India and the States. They seem happy enough, although.. looking in their room, they seem to have absolutely no pictures or anything of either you or your brother.
Did they decide they'd rather forget you?

Deciding you don't like what you're seeing, you check up on Hayes.
You find it really interesting you can jump around the Earth so fast, and even know where specific people you know personally are. Well, you're not there in person, but you can see everything.

Some rather unsavory thoughts fill your mind, which you quickly clear out.
Willpower, Dave.

You're looking at Hayes and he's apparently drunk off his ass, unshaven, unkempt and unable to form a coherent sentence, if the look of his company at the dive bar he's located in is anything to go by. The presence of alcohol likely means he's no longer in Oman, but you can't hear what he's saying. You're going to have to work on your Void magic, you figure.
You check up on your friends from the university, but they're all sleeping too. You realize how easily you could've accidentally snooped in on one of them in a more... intimate moment, and quickly stop.
This time zone thing is getting rather annoying. Didn't Kaoru say you're be able to see all time?

>cont...

File: 1340669410395.jpg-(207 KB, 500x375, 459465283_3f068f3124.jpg)

>>19625854
You decide to check up on the ruins.
Still ruins.
There's nothing left of the city now, not even rubble.
It all collapsed into the chasm, and it's empty now.

You try to check if you can see beyond the world, and shift your perspective to the moon, but it's almost as if there's an invisible barrier preventing you from doing so. You try to fight against the barrier, but it keeps on getting in your way, and you decide to stop in fear of getting ejected out of the Void and being unable to do what you've been delaying thus far.

Your brother.

He should only be two hours ahead of you, so he's probably training.

Yeah, he's training. Doing push-ups with about half a ton of rocks on his back, with one arm.
He gets up and bows deeply before Gyatso, as if asking for his leave, which is apparently granted in a slow nod from the old monk. Your brother walks into the old temple on top of the mountain and picks up a little box inside his 'room'. What's that he's getting out of it, is that?
Yeah. The locket you gave him before you left for the university. That's years ago.
He still has it?
He opens it and looks almost sad while looking at the picture of you and him, before he quickly puts it back in the box and walks outside.
You don't feel like watching him anymore, but you hear... something. Something you're certain your brother couldn't have heard.

At the foot of the mountain, you see something very strange.
At least five thousand people. Walking.
Up the mountain.
>cont..

File: 1340669543119.jpg-(669 KB, 1024x768, 1325901045589.jpg)

>>19625981
They're.. they're not people.
As the fog that covers reality lifts itself, you begin to see so very clearly what they are.
Demons.
Thousands of them.
But the people are still there. The demons are just within them.

Thousands of people, possessed by hellish forces beyond your understanding.
And they're all walking up the mountain.

>whatdo?

Not much we can do by ourselves until such time as we learn how to do more than just scry. We should bring this up with Kaoru, he probably already knows mind you...

>>19626007
Attempt to warn our brother of the approaching horde. If that fails, ask Kaoru what to do.

rolled 99 = 99

>>19626007
go back to our brother. yell ineffectually at him trying to get him to hear. if that doesnt work then try using the locket as a focus if he still has it on him.
and when that fails we will bring it up with kaoru.

Oh yeah, and whatever we do, stay calm. No freaking out, losing control and being reduced to a fine paste across the multiverse.

>>19626065
Too bad this isn't a d100 system or that would be a very handy roll...

Someone please roll a 1d10+-4 if you wish to try and teleport to your brother's location.

rolled 9 = 9

Let Karou know and keep watching. Just make sure someone aside from us knows.

>>19626065
>>19626066

sorry. im keep forgeting to make sure my dice are off. i dont really know why they default to on.

rolled 1 + 4 = 5

>>19626092
might as well try. the worst thing that can happen is we break space time and end up in another dimiention

>>19626105
dice+1d10+-4
You get a -5 modifier because it's an untrained discipline, but a +1 because you're at least trained in Void magic.

(The only reason you even have a shot at doing this is, you're already in the Void. You can't crit fail entering the Void since you're already there, so there's no real consequence to trying and failing here.)

rolled 10 - 4 = 6

>>19626136
ohh sorry, didnt not see that negative. thanks for pointing it out

>>19626157
Nice, hope he takes it.

>>19626157
>GREAT SUCCESS!
You hurriedly travel back to the temple in your mind’s eye, and scream and yell at Gyatso, at your brother, ANYONE to listen. No use. You can see them, but you don’t actually exist in that space.
You try telling Kaoru.
“I already know. I informed Gyatso five days ago that a mass of people were traveling from your current location to his, but it seems he wishes to destroy the first legion.
This is the epicenter of Andromalius’ incursion into our realm, but it looks like the first legion is going for Gyatso. He welcomes them.”
You should’ve known Kaoru knew.
“Can’t I do anything to help my brother, at least? He’ll die if he fights all those things.”
“You could try and get him away.”
“How?”
“I’ve shown you how space makes no difference for us. Use this.”

You focus. The hardest you’ve ever done.
You still care for your brother, and you’re certainly not letting him perish in the fighting alongside an arrogant old man who thinks he can beat an entire army.
Well, he might be able to, but you’re not going to risk failure with your brother’s life on the line.
You leave out every notion of there existing a reality or laws of the same, and you force your will onto the material realm.
You’re now standing in front of your brother in the temple, crutch under your arm and foot as limp as ever.
You had forgotten what had happened to you while in the Void. The Void doesn’t care about your body, as long as your mind is whole, it seems.
“Brother!"

>cont..

“I’msogladtoseeyouohmygodwhathappenedtoyourarmareyouokaybrotherdoesthatmeanyou’reaMagitooohmyg
odthisissocoolIknewyouweregreatbrother!”
You’re used to incoherence by now, but that was still in its very own league.
He’s grown up to be quite a handsome young man. He looks like you, except he’s physically fit, and looks as mentally sharp as a razor blade.
He runs up to hug you, being careful not to disturb your balance or pressing too hard on your wounded limbs.
“Brother, you didn’t answer me! What’s happened to your arm? And your leg too! Brother I’m so sorry, I should’ve been there so I could’ve helped, but you’re a Magi too? I thought you were going to come and train with me, I told Master Gyatso that you’d be a perfect pupil for him, even better than me, because you’ve always been so good at discipline and stuff, ever since you went to university and stuff, and oh my God what happened to your arm?”
Yeah, the fact that he’s only 16 is definitely nothing you’re going to forget anytime soon while you’re with him.
>What do?

>>19626328
"We'll have time to catch up later. Right now there are thousands of demons headed straight up the mountain, and you're in no condition to fight them all. I can take you away from here. Will you go with me?"

>>19626328
lets see in order, a wolf ate it, i fell on it, yes i am a magi, and as i said before a wolf ate it. i think that covers everything. now on to the army coming this way

"Let's see. A wolf ate it, I fell about thirty feet onto a rock on it, yes, I'm a Magi, and as I said before, a wolf ate it. That should cover your questions. Now, we'll have time to catch up later. Right now, there are thousands of demons headed straight up the mountain, and you're in no condition to fight them all. I can take you away from here. Will you go with me?"

"Oh, I know they're coming, Master Gyatso told me so!"
He's smiling very widely.
"He told me I was ready though.. don't you think I'm ready, bro?"
He looks like a hurt puppy at the notion of his brother thinking he's not up to the task.
"Please, will you go with me?"
"I'll... I'll have to ask Master Gyatso first, but if I can't learn from him, where will I learn to better my magic?"
"Inner magic is the most common type of magic. There are several masters. I can have one transported to your location in the event of Gyatso's death."
Kaoru speaks with a cold, chilly monotone, as always.
"Oh, hi Kaoru! Does that mean you're bro's master? That's so cool! But I don't think Master Gyatso's going to die, do you think he's going to die? I hope he's not going to die, I like Master Gyatso, he's always so nice to me and he's pretty cool. Have you seen what he can do with coal, bro? Anyways... brother, if you think it's better, I can go ask Master Gyatso if he can let me go with you and Kaoru, but I don't know..."
He seems pretty concerned with letting Gyatso fight alone.
>what do?

>>19626468
"You have to make your own decision. Isn't that what the Path is all about? I won't take you with me if you want to stay. I'm just concerned for your safety, is all."

rolled 1 - 4 = -3

>>19626468
damn. on the one hand we have no idea how far he is in his training. for all we know he really could be strong enough already. we have been at this for only a few days and we teleported from India to Tibet.
but on the onther hand this is the first leigon, and it will need to be defeated somewhere.

i say we let him pick, if he picks to stay keep an eye on him if we can, and if we can get him out if he gets over his head. but, if he choses to go then fine. and now i realize that is a lot of if's

>>19626468
You can come with if you want, or you can stay and watch or you can choose to fight, I'm not going to make this decision for you. All I can do is provide options.

“You can come with if you want, or you can stay and watch or you can choose to fight, I'm not going to make this decision for you. All I can do is provide options.”
“But bro, I don’t know! I didn’t think there was anything wrong with my training, but now you’re telling me you’re all worried and I don’t know any more. You wouldn’t be worried if there wasn’t a reason, would you?”

"You have to make your own decision. Isn't that what the Path is all about? I won't take you with me if you want to stay. I'm just concerned for your safety, is all."
He looks at you for a second, and then he gets –that- look again.
That look he always gets when he knows exactly what to do and he stops acting like a child and starts doing exactly what he’s capable of.
You hate that look.
“Brother, I appreciate your concern, but Master Gyatso’s trust in me is not misplaced. I’ve been at this for months now. I didn’t get here until recently, but Master Gyatso has trained me while I was back home too, just more discreetly.
Brother, you’re in no condition to fight. Please, go back with Kaoru. I wish, oh how I wish I could come with you, but there is no option that will be ideal. Thus, I choose the one that won’t end in the death of my Master.”
You hate that look so much.
Kaoru looks at your brother and nods quickly before grabbing you.
“Do you wish to stay here, or come back to Anton’s manor with me? I advise against trying to get back on your own, as you will undoubtedly die.”
>cont

File: 1340672684405.jpg-(120 KB, 415x497, 1340113762301.jpg)

>>19626680
You can start hearing footsteps, and Gyatso is yelling quite angrily.
“Where are you boy?! They’re on their way! Stop acting like your idiotic brother and get out here!” he says as he enters the temple and sees you and Kaoru standing in a corner.
Gyatso is fuming with rage.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing here, you good for nothing pile of trash? And you, Kaoru, you should have a better handle on your disciple!”
Kaoru looks at Gyatso and shushes him. He immediately shuts up.
>what do?

>>19626689
>>19626680
>By the way, do you wish to name your brother, or should I take that liberty myself?

rolled 4 - 4 = 0

>>19626689
"Good for nothing pile of trash, eh? Fuck you too." Teleport the fuck outta there. (Holy shit come on dice gods, I sacrificed that goat for good rolls you better deliver.)

>>19626695
I say go ahead and name him whatever.

>>19626689
Give our brother a hug. Stay safe bro, I won't stop you but just don't die.

Then go back to the manor. We won't be of any help here.

>>19626695
Feel free to do it yourself.

>>19626680
>>19626689
Unfortunately, what little void magic we know probably won't be of much help in this battle, unless we are capable of using teleportation offensively or on-the-fly. If we could lock onto individual demons and teleport them, or if we could move our brother out of harm's way in an instant, perhaps we could be of use.

>>19626695
I suggest Ben.

>>19626725
You literally cannot teleport without being in the Void right now. You can't even scry without using Kaoru's eyes as a focus, as you don't have a connection with the Void right now.

(also, I'm getting hungry from all this talk of sacrificed goats)

>>19626689
i really want to say something to him, but you dont insult the person that can take on a thousand strong army by himself, so just leave with kaoru. after saying by to our brother and ignoring the monk.

and go ahead with the name

>Kaoru looks at Gyatso and shushes him. He immediately shuts up.

Once again Kaoru shows that he/she is the most awesome magi.

I would say to bro "If that's what you want, so be it. I'll be watching." Then it's time to go back into the Void.

>>19626824
Yeah, sounds good, get to work figuring out how to do this whole teleporting and seeing forever on our own so we can save our brother if he gets into a bad enough situation or somesuch.

You look at your brother and hug him as tightly as you can with one arm. You don’t care that it hurts, you don’t care that you’re losing your balance, you love him no matter how annoying, and Gyatso can go fuck himself.
“Stay safe, Sam. I won’t stop you, but… just don’t die, okay?”
He smiles. Not in that smug manner he usually does, or the enthusiasm he has at other times. A warm smile.
“I won’t, brother. You just train with Kaoru and we’ll be fighting these guys side by side soon enough.”
He takes off a gigantic sword off the wall of his room. You think it’s called a nodachi? It looks way too big for practical use, but your brother's handling it like it was a butter knife.
He ties the sheath to his waist and hugs you so hard it hurts, but you don’t care.
“We don’t have time for this! Stop wasting away and let’s get going!” Gyatso barks at Sam, breaking up your moment of reconciliation.
“I’ll be watching” you say to Sam before turning to Gyatso. You still have something to tell that old asshole.
“"Good for nothing pile of trash, eh? Fuck you too."
Kaoru grabs onto you and teleports away as you can see a fist moving so fast you can’t even hear its movement.
You’re not sure how he was able to react that fast, but then again, Kaoru knows all.
You’re back at the manor, a crutch short, standing up by leaning on the wall.
You sit with your back to the wall underneath the window and sigh.
“Do you wish to see your brother, or shall we stop for the day?” Kaoru asks.
>What do?

>>19626847
Do we have any offensive capabilities? Like, can we freeze someone in a bubble of time, and cause them to age hyper-fast, so they just turn to dust?

>>19626860
"I want to see them fight."

rolled 8 = 8

>>19626860
Attempt to enter the void by just closing our eyes and using the absent of light as a focus.

>>19626866
You could buy a gun, I guess. It'd be hard to aim since you only have one arm, and no prior training with a firearm though.

As for magical stuff, you have nothing. You can't even scry without Kaoru present.

>>19626908
I meant in the future, of course. Right now all we can do is beat people with our crutches.

>>19626860
i want to see them fight. and to know how i might be able to help with fights like this in the future, but i get the feeling that isnt the type of battlefield void magi typically fight on.

rolled 9 = 9

Watch the fight.

It seems like there's nothing we can really do at the moment. So let's ask Kaoru if there is actually anything we can do right now to help Sam (so glad he finally has a fucking name.)

You promised you’d watch. You’re going to watch your brother, no matter what.
You can’t rely on Kaoru forever, though.
You try closing your eyes, focusing on entering the Void using nothing but the darkness within your own eyes.
To your surprise, your eyes feel like they’re beginning to burn. Not a good feeling, obviously.
You’re not sure you should keep going, but you push on through the pain.
“Stop.”
You quickly open your eyes at Kaoru’s command.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I tried entering the Void myself. I, well I can’t always rely on you being present when I need to use the Void magic, can I?”
“You do know what ‘Void’ means, right? Once you learn to see through the Void, it’s because there’s nothing left of your original sight. Mind you, it won’t make a big difference in your perception, at least not at first, but if you’re not ready, you’ll be blind until you learn true sight.”
Seeing as you could clearly feel your eyes starting to become nothing, it’s probably good he stopped you, although how he knew what you were doing, you’re not sure.
Oh wait, Kaoru knows everything.
“I want to see them fight.”
“Then look into my eyes, and see.”
You look, and you don’t even have to try very hard now. It’s becoming easier and easier to actually see through the Void, and you’re no longer beset on all sides by questions of your own existence.
Your mind moves over to the scene of the battle, and you still can’t hear anything, but what you see… it terrifies you.

There were at least 5000 when you saw them move up the mountain.
There’s not even a thousand left.
Gyatso seems to be using his fist, while your brother’s cleaving through dozens of people within seconds with his comically oversized sword. Apparently, once you have the strength for it, bigger is better.
“It… it doesn’t seem like they’re having any problems at all, Kaoru.”
“Of course not. They’re fighting the first legion. Andromalius’ kin need time to take root in the soul of humans. Right now, your brother and Gyatso are fighting completely normal people. They’re even unarmed. Andromalius must’ve possessed a couple of thousand Indian beggars.”
Your brother… your brother is butchering thousands upon thousands of beggars?
You feel yourself retch at the thought of all the killing that’s taking place, but your mind has hardened since you began on this journey. Your heart’s not as bleeding red as it was back when studying pots and vases.
“How could I possibly contribute in such a battle?”
“You seem to think this is somehow impressive. If a single legion were enough to kill a Magi, we’d all be dead by now.”
A single Magi is supposed to be able to take out an entire army like that? And these are the weak ones too, once they get stronger, they’re supposed to be felled by Magi on their own? This is absurd.

“And how can Void magic contribute, then?”
“With time, you will learn. Mostly however, when the Earth is overtaken by the 72, you will infiltrate. Our kind is rare, very rare. Few have the willpower and ability to overcome the Void to become Magi of our Art.”
You can’t help but wonder how many of your kind there actually are.

You watch the fight die down as the demonic forces are whittled down to the last hundred or so. Then, suddenly, Gyatso is struck down.
Sam hurries to his position, but he's being beat up pretty bad, which is impressive, given the circumstances.

"Gyatso's kind never train finesse or understanding of their Art. Combat is the only thing they focus on, and it weakens them."

Kaoru's quite harsh against Magi who use the Art of inner magic, you've noticed.

Gyatso seems like he'll live, although he's certainly in no condition to fight any more. Sam quickly dispatches the last dozen or so stragglers before carrying Gyatso into the temple.
Serves that asshole right for being so arrogant, you figure.
You notice that strange metal is still lying next to your bed from when that "surgery" was performed on you.
You're getting quite tired from the day's exertion too.
The battle is over, Sam's safe, and you exit the Void and are looking Kaoru straight in the eyes.
>What do?

>>19627159
Ask Kaoru if there's anything else he wants to teach us today. If not, I guess get some sleep, since we're still a horrible mess.

>>19627159
Kaoru, quick question. What is that metal you brought with you when I was having the surgery performed on me?

>>19627159
well we are going to thank kaoru for his help definatly. we are still new at this and he did save us from gyatso. then kaoru if there is anything we should be working on until the next lesson. (dont say this if the next lesson is tomrrow of something) then at least take a look at the metal, then sleep like a ton of bricks

>>19627159
now im starting to wonder if a lot of possible void magi were "lost" to inner magi training. disiplin and high willpower are very similar in most modern situations. so it is possible that at least some of the void magi were thought to originaly be inner magi. and then when they could not do it they washed out.

just some rambling, pay no attention to me

"Is there anything else you wish to teach me, Kaoru?"
"No. Today has been long enough. I will come again in a few days, and I'll expect you to be ready."
"Right. Thank you. Before you leave, however, I've got a quick question. What is that metal you brought with you when I was having the surgery performed on me?"
"When the time comes, it will reveal itself to you."
Annoying that even Kaoru gets cryptic at times, but hey, at least he has a higher coherency/bullshit ratio than the other Magi thus far.

"Well, thanks anyway, Kaoru. I might've been hurt pretty bad by Gyatso if you hadn't been there."
He's already disappeared halfway through the sentence.
You look at the pile of whateverthefuck-tonite and realize you have no idea what it is.
You decide to get some sleep. It's been a long day.

>Do you want to play through tomorrow and hang out with Anton/Check out the metal when you wake up, go straight to next session with Kaoru, get some guns, get a job, get enrolled in the local one-armed underground fighting scene, star in a Bollywood movie, get rich or die tryin'? What do?

>>19627298
Let's do tomorrow, I want to investigate the metal and Anton while he isn't our master we should learn more about him. We are staying at his house.

>>19627266
Oh no, do feel free to put out as many ideas and such in the thread as you want. I don't think there's a danger of hitting the autosage limit, and I always find it interesting to see what people think of what's been going on. If I don't know what you're thinking when I write something, I might make something completely incoherent and expect you to do something that you have no idea what is.


(also, this whole Void magic thing was completely unplanned. I was expecting you to stick with inner magic, and before that, I expected you to, well, not follow Gyatso up the mountain and just stay at the village. Which would leave you up one arm and a broken leg)

>>19627298
>star in a Bollywood movie.
The demons won't expect a big flashy song and dance number!

Seriously though, let's check out this metal, maybe see if we can talk to Anton without having a panic attack and assuming the foetal position...

>>19627298
lets see, check out the metal, i would say get some guns but we have little to no money (im guessing because we are a grad student) so we arnt getting any unless our host is nice and lends us one or we get more money. but after that go to the next session with kaoru. be careful learning about anton as ruthlessness is one of the key traits of necromancy.

>>19627368
Depending on how object teleportation works, we might not require guns. No need to fire when you can simply make the bullet appear inside your target with a reflex.

>>19627266
I'd say part of the issue is probably just a very different philosophy.

Void Mages look outward, letting in the universe and learning to see beyond. Inner Mages is all about focusing on and perfecting yourself, and keeping everything else out.

At least that's how I see it.

>>19627298
Lets get a light melee weapon rather than a gun, if we're going to be able to manipulate space, then couldn't we simply poke them across whatever distance separates us from our target?

>>19627393
Mm, it'd be hard to actually do damage that way. You'd have to displace the vital organs first before you could move the bullet in there, which isn't within your reach (at least not yet).
Much easier to just teleport a rock or something into the heart's cavities and killing them that way.
Right now, though, you're not even close to being able to do that.

Anyways, people want to wake up the next day, so gon' go and writefag it up

>>19627347
i know it was probably just coencidence. but it seems like, if void magi are at least partly similar to us, then the mix up could be possible. again unless put in very specific situations high willpower/determination look very close to diciplin. and inner magic and void magic are surprisingly similar in what they require. well void, inner, and mental are all very similar in what they want out of a perspective magi. at least in that a lot of what they want is usually found with at least some of what the others want.

>>19627393
Reloading would be a bitch anyway. Let's focus on learning how to manipulate time and space, once we do that having something which shoots bits of metal really fast might seem rather pointless.

>>19627347
I think I rather prefer the way this quest has gone. Something about playing a time-travelling cripple appeals to me far more than magical-kung-fu-quest.

>>19627414
they all have very differing philosophies, but what they want in someone before that someone knows those philosophies is at least slightly similar.

Of course part of the reason Kaoru might dislike Gyatso is because he's a dick.

Just sayin'.

A question for The Tutor: What exactly are Magi? Are they humans who can use magic, or are they supernatural beings pretending to be human? It's probably been stated at some point, but when I read the past threads the information seems inconsistent.

>>19627517
At least Gyatso knows better than to piss off the master of time and space.

Sorry for being slow, but I'm gonna get something to eat, probably just some noodles. I'll be back in ten minutes or so.
Feel free to discuss combat tactics/the way the quest is developing/how much I overuse 'oh'/the dance choreography of the inevitable Bollywood "Movie of the Story" or who will play you in the Hollywood movie (protip: it's Shia LaBeouf)

>>19627517
Actually it's because I want you to like Kaoru while I set up for the betrayal that will come and is going to railroad you into fucking up time by jumping back in it and killing the first Magi before he manages to propagate his kind amongst humanity.
Or so you think.

>>19627534
What measure is a human? What does it mean to be truly human?
When you were born, were you human because you lacked abilities? Was the humanity stripped from you at the moment you learned there was more to humanity?
Do your abilities have anything fundamentally different from the gradual mutations that created our species from our ancestors? Are you me? Is you I? Who is phone?

>TL;DR: I never stated it, and you're supposed to wonder just what the fuck a Magi actually is. Suffice to say, it's a TWEEEST

>mfw faggots ITT not going with nature magic
>Super baller fuck bitches get money all day erry day swag tier
Nature
>Shit tier 0/10 would not bang someone with
Everything else

GUYS
YOU COULD'VE MADE A FUCKING SHARKBEAR
OR A LIONBEAR
OR AN ELEPHANTBEAR
OR A FUCKING WOLFBEAR
HELL IF YOU WANTED TO BE INNOVATIVE, YOU COULD'VE MADE A FUCKING BEEBEAR
(or beear, for short)

>>19627587
Meh, better hope we don't decide to just go and explore the multiverse if you do that, we'll turn this into something that's just like one of my animu's, also visit them.

>>19627627
Sounds too French, also we could have made a double bear or Bear^2

>>19627662
The moment we put on a butler outfit and start referring to ourselves as swag and dapper I'm skipping the fuck out of that train wreck.

>>19627662
But didn't you know, this is an animu? I'm copying every single word from one of my South American mangoes.

Nothing I say is true, I'm full of shit.

>>19627685
If that ever happens, I will do an acoustic rendition of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrU_ef7DQgs

>>19627685
What if we put on a nice suit and acquire a pretty blue police box?

>>19627685
What if it's just a bowler?

Also my vote for rapier as a weapon for Dave David Davidson

>>19627627
Did the nature magi even bother contacting us? I thought she just decided not to because we weren't nature magic material or something...

>>19627674
Half polar bear. Half grizzly bear.

All deadly.

He's exercising his right to bear arms in the summer blockbuster of the year:

>BEAR SQUARED
>coming to a cinema near you this december

File: 1340677258718.jpg-(134 KB, 413x395, gaha.jpg)

>>19627627
>playing with animals
>impressive
>not faggot furry shit

File: 1340677333702.png-(23 KB, 643x146, 4356435646746476546547654.png)

>>19627724
Apparently the DM is too much of a railroady nigger to let us.

>>19627738
>not having sex with anything that moves
>2012
Are you even a fa/tg/uy?

>>19627724
I believe that the choice of necromancy and space were presented because they were the runnerups when the quest started.

Fuck nature, nature took our arm. I say if we see any wolves after we've become a badass Void Mage, we teleport them into space.

>>19627719
I vote for teleporting cars into people's faces.

>>19627797
Take less effort to just poke them, gotta be efficient, or if we want to go the "Dave is a pansy route" we could use a taser.

>>19627797
I get the feeling that Void Magic is supposed to be more subtle than that. Though developing a magical fighting style around mass car teleportation is a glorious image.

Infinite Auto Works!

>>19627718
I find that idea perfectly acceptable.

Also if we're in a straight up fight we're doing something wrong, our biggest strengths are scrying and teleportation, knowing what's going on, where people are most needed, where the enemies forces are and the ability to bring the best person for the job to the right place. We won't get much in the way of time fuckery for a long time, but even without that we are really good with information acquisition which is what we need to take down the 72.

>>19627860
Indeed, let's leave the gruntwork to our brother, he seems to enjoy jumping around with a giant sword like in one of my korean cartoons...

>>19627735
>Implying we wouldn't just take two polar bears and combine them into a four armed two headed bear.

>>19627890
>korean cartoons
I don't remember any swordfighting in the Simpsons, I must admit.

>>19627835
With time, that will be perfectly possible.
In fact, teleporting into the ocean and teleporting out again with a blue whale, then dropping said blue whale on a shitload of adversaries is a completely legit move in my book.

>>19627772
Sure, let's go with that.

>>19627771
Choo choo choo!

>Had to bike down to my local store since I was out of noodles, and turns out, despite it being sunny and shit, it's still 4:30 AM. 7-11 is a godsend at this hour.

On to waking up!

File: 1340679021905.jpg-(26 KB, 400x267, Lamb-Korma-and-Masoor-Dahl.jpg)

You wake up feeling completely famished. You didn't even have dinner last night, you remember. It was tiring to see Sam outshine you yet AGAIN, but in some way, knowing he's safe (and that jumping around with a gigantic fucking sword) makes you feel a bit better about the whole ordeal.
You call Bob, as you've taken to calling him (in your mind at least), over the intercom, asking for a bit of food.

Once again you are surprised by his speed and culinary ability

"Where's Anton?"
"He's still at work, Master Dave. He will return in an about an hour."

You decide to spend the time examining the weird slab o' metal that Kaoru brought to you.

What the hell is this thing?
It doesn't seem to respond to your touch. You're not sure what you expected.
You look at it for a while and decide to ignore it.
You think about your brother's huge sword. How did he manage to actually use that thing on so many people without even having second thoughts? He was even smiling...

Huh, that's strange. The metal elongated a bit.

>What do you want to do with the metal?

>>19628236
So it's metal that reacts to thoughts. That's pretty handy, I guess try thinking about a few shapes and experiment with it a bit.

>>19628236
Think about our mother, and how we feel about her completely forgetting about us and our brother, casting us off. Harness that delicious mix of anger and sadness. Let's see what happens.

If that doesn't work, think about our plans for the future. Basically the various ways we could kill people that were discussed, and where we want to go with our powers.

>>19628236
lets give meaning to this metal. think about a screwdriver. really focus on it. imagine every time we have used on.
>i want a time screwdriver and this is the first step of many

>>19628236
Give it a poke.

Tutor, please stop tormenting me with delicious Indian food.

>Huh, that's strange. The metal elongated a bit.

I'll admit that I snickered a little at this.

Can you describe the metal in detail? Its shape, color, weight? Maybe even a photo of it?

The first thought that comes into your mind is to test this thing's capabilities out.
For some reason, you figure a screwdriver is a perfectly good place to start.
You try imagining a screwdriver, and nothing really happens. You try harder, yet nothing happens at all.
Weird.
You decide to stop bothering with the screwdriver and go back to what worked the first time: thinking like you usually would.
You think about what you saw while you were seeing through the Void for the first time.
Mother.
Father.
How they had deleted you from their minds.
Was it the work of the Magi, or did they simply not care?
Considering the only one who bothered to even contact you while you were studying was your brother, you're fairly certain it's the former.

Melancholy. Hatred.

You decide to give the metal a good poke, and to your surprise, it wraps around your finger.
It spreads across your body until you can barely move.
It's changing colors too, depending on your feelings.
Great, you've been imprisoned by a fucking mood ring.
You decide to stop feeling so strongly about the issue, and it stops spreading.
Just before it went for the eyes too.
You're still feeling all right, just suppressing the feelings, just like mommy always taught you to when you were disturbing her anything.
Or when daddy decided to shout at you for being such a useless sack of shit and playing video games all day, even it was a day off.
You ignore all that and quickly get the metal off while it's soft and flabby.

>>19628522
With the metal off, you look at it for a while. You're not sure what it's there for, although you have some ideas.

You could play around with it for a while longer, it's only been around fifteen minutes or so.

>What do?

File: 1340680230880.png-(285 KB, 1280x960, no.png)

>>19628389
>Implying I will stop with the Indian food
Also, the metal's shape depends on your mood, the metal's color depends on your feelings, and you're not really sure what it weighs.
No photo, since such a substance does not exist in our world.

>>19628542
Mess around with it, see what emotions do what and how strongly they need to be felt to affect it, but be careful never to let it completely cover us or even go beyond our arm.

rolled 3 - 4 = -1

>>19628569
ok so it is a mood ring. why woudl Kaoru give us a mood ring that can eat us?

/rambling
well we have noticed that kaoru seems emotionless. he might not actually be, he could just be containing it like we are. so that implies that either it is part of the training or a result of the training to be outwardly emtionless.
/rambling
so maybe this is an objective observer of how much we are letting emtion cloud our judgment? kind of like a way to answer that eternal question of "are you ok?"

>>19628522
Think about breast, and put our penis on the metal.

>>19628598
Let's be careful with that, remember this is the stuff they used to do surgery on us, last thing we need to discover after it's wrapped around our arm is that one of the emotions we try out makes it slice our arm off or something, we're fast running out of appendages...

On the other hand, if we could learn to control it well enough to make a new arm out of it...

>>19628654
No thanks, let's not get our dick torn off by magic metal.

Well, that was unsettling. It's probably not a good idea to fool with it until we learn more.

I guess Dave would like to take a walk around the house. He's probably getting cabin fever (and no, going into the void and teleporting once doesn't relieve that.) A change of scenery would be good.

>>19628678
FOR SCIENCE!

>>19628658
Actually, it wasn't used in your surgery. He just coincidentally brought it in during your surgery so (meta-wise) you'd think it was some kind of time-travel super substance (which it very well might be).

>implying I make sense.


>>19628598
You try to harness the power of your emotions, but it turns out, switching on and off is quite difficult. Try as you might, you can't really feel without, well, actually having that feeling. At least not now.
You try being happy, and it does nothing. You try being sad, and it does nothing.
You figure you have to actually be happy or sad for it to work.

On the upside, it's not much heavier than maybe a pound, despite it being much, much bigger than it should be at that weight.

>>19628700
You decide to spend the last 15 minutes or so before Anton comes home walking around the house. Bob has brought you some crutches, but your foot seems to be healing at an abnormally fast rate. Good, you guess?

You know of several rooms in Anton's mansion. There's a door that leads to the garden, there's the kitchen, there's the living room (with a TV), the library, a bunch of toilets, you could go on top of the roof, the secondary living room, the garage, the Men's Lounge, or just walk around and explore for a bit.

>>19628769
The roof, we haven't seen the area surrounding where we're staying yet, we should get some fresh air and take in the view.

>>19628769
We've already used our memories to influence our emotions in a negative way, why not try the same but with a positive memory.

Let's go up to the roof. I want to see where this mansion is, maybe get some idea of where we are.

>>19628769

Go to the living room and briefly see what's on television these days, maybe you'll catch a sign of what's to come.

You figure you have time enough to go on to the roof and check out your immediate surroundings. Scaling the stairs is an arduous task, but somehow, you manage, and what you see is *cough* *cough* *cough*
Holy shit is there a lot of smoke here.

Why does Anton have a manor in such a hellhole, you wonder? Surrounding the place are dozens upon dozens of small hut-like contraptions clearly designed by and for extremely poor people.

The place seems desolate though, as if every beggar, lowlife and bum decided to just walk away one day.

You decide to head to the living room and check on the news, but it's all in Hindu. You'll have to ask Anton to get CNN or BBC or anything you'd actually be able to understand.

Wait, you might not understand Hindu, but you definitely understand what a riot is, and the streets are filled with insane people just throwing themselves at the police, throwing rocks and beating their riot shields with their fists.

Are they..?

You really hope not.

You head back to the room and think for a bit.
The metal responded badly to a bad memory... maybe it'll respond well to a good memory?

You decide to think back to your first girlfriend, a pretty gal named Susan. She had the best tits you'd ever seen back then, and bedding her was quite an accomplishment for you, you remember.

You place your hand on the metal while thinking back, but responds in very much the same way.
Maybe it's not what you feel, but how you feel it? You're not certain.

>>19629017
You hear Anton coming in the front door, but it doesn't seem like he's coming for your room. Maybe he's busy or something?


>What do?

>>19629095
See if Anton needs help with his groceries.

>>19629095
Put the metal back down, stand up, stretch. Head to the library, grab some interesting books and go to the garden to read them.

If we see Anton on the way politely greet him, but unless he seems like he needs our help or wants a conversation continue on our way.

>>19629180
gonna support this. we cant really do much right now

Let's go ask Anton what's happening out there. I assume that all the shit that's happening is Andromalius' work, but is it? And if the earth is under attack from demons, and this is just the beginning, how long will it last? If just one of them can do all this damage, and there's 72 of them, it seems like the Magi have their work cut out for them.

File: 1340682927437.jpg-(125 KB, 431x471, Anton.jpg)

You walk out of your room, quickly getting the metal off you and head for the library. You feel like going to the garden, since the air is probably (somewhat) cleaner there.
On the way, you see Anton sitting on his seat, same way he did when you first arrived, but he seems extremely agitated.
"Is something the matter?"
He looks at you and you notice how you're not really scared of him any more. At least not to the same degree as before. He's still intimidating, but that's mostly because of his body language and demeanor.

"Something the matter? Oh no, nothing. Nothing except having to cover up the murder of about fifty thousand people. I swear, this could not have come at a worse fucking time."

"What?"

"Andromalius, you idiot. The first ten legions have appeared, and our Magi have gotten rid of most of them. They're getting out a lot faster and they're a lot stronger than they used to be. We've lost at least two dozen Magi already, and that's juts ten fucking legions. At least those two dozen were just apprentices, but fuck, we can't get recruits through the process fast enough to combat these assholes, and we're not even getting through a percentage of the 72's forces. Things are going to go tits up soon, kid. Not everyone's as fast as your brother. Most people need years to learn what your brother's done in a month, and we don't have years. At most we have a couple of months.
If only we had the fucking seals."

You're not exactly sure how to respond to all that.

>What do?

Hopefully, this'll get some discussion out of you.

Also, the post limit counter thing in mayhem's 4chanx is a fucking godsend

rolled 9 - 4 = 5

>>19629411
humm. havent we been getting visons of seals whenever we have a lesson with kaoru? just discribe the one we remember to him and see if he knows anything about it

I swear the magi are doing this on purpose now.

"I haven't mentioned how awesome your brother is in the past five minutes, better slip that into conversation somewhere!"

Anyway, let's ask him what the seals are, and hope we get a straight answer for once...

>>19629439
So seals like the symbol/medal Kaoru showed us or something?

There really isn't much we can say to that. It just confirmed what we already suspected. However, there is an obvious plot button waiting to be pushed...

"The seals?"

"The seals?"
"Yes, the fucking seals. The 72 can be identified by the seals. When we know what we're dealing with, we have a hell of an easier time actually dealing with it."

You can tell for sure he's not telling you everything there is to know about the seals.
"I uh, I saw Andromalius' seal. It-"
"We know how Andromalius' goddamn seal looks. Those nutjobs who broke into my house carved them all over the bodies. It's the rest that's a problem."

Now, that's confusing. Why would they show you something that's apparently beneficial for them to hide away?

You have a lot of questions to ask Anton, and here's your chance.

>>19629701
>uh, this is your cue to write up any dialogue you want to have with Anton, sorry if that wasn't clear

>>19629701
Listen, maybe things would move better if we weren't all so fucking cryptic? I'm not going on TV and spilling all the secrets to the world about the goddamn 72. Let me in on this shit and it won't feel like your talking to a fucking preschooler!

>>19629701
How many Magi do we have and at what level of training? How much is the attack going to escalate and how fast? What is the ultimate plan, are we just going to try to weather this or do we have a method of striking back at the source?

>>19629701
More information on what they did in the past would certainly help us.
Ask about the previous invasions, like if the 72 had individual motives when they attempted to take earth before.

>>19629701
It'd probably piss him off if we asked, but I'm wondering why his house is not secure against nutjobs, despite being well-equipped otherwise.

>>19629814
"Listen, maybe things would move better if we weren't all so fucking cryptic? I'm not going on TV and spilling all the secrets to the world about the goddamn 72. Let me in on this shit and it won't feel like your talking to a fucking preschooler!"
"The reason we sound cryptic is that you're too fucking stupid to understand what we're trying to tell you!"
He looks very, very angry but you've ceased giving a shit. If you've been taught anything by your time with Kaoru, it's that you're not afraid anymore.
He seems to see this and calms down a bit, letting out a resigned sigh.
"Listen, Dave. I'm sorry. I have to deal with keeping the deaths of literally tens of thousands of people secret, and I don't have your privileges. What I have is political savvy and a keen mind for diplomacy. That's it. I don't have a stranglehold over the media, I don't have supreme thought control, we don't have mind-wiping units patrolling the streets and making sure all the fucking peasants are paying their due respect to their Friend Magi and being happy little capitalists, blissfully unaware of reality.
I don't have that, but I still have to deal with this shit, and it's tiring.
Ask me any question you have and I'll try to answer it."

>cont

>>19629962
>and I don't have your privileges. What I have is political savvy and a keen mind for diplomacy. That's it. I don't have a stranglehold over the media, I don't have supreme thought control, we don't have mind-wiping units patrolling the streets and making sure all the fucking peasants are paying their due respect to their Friend Magi and being happy little capitalists, blissfully unaware of reality

Is he suggesting the United States is a Magi-controlled dystopia? Holy shit.

>>19629962
Do the seals have any magic significance, or are they basically just name plates for the 72, that allow us to tell which ones eat babies and which ones shit lightning?

>>19629962
Ask him what all the magi are doing at the front. We know a little about what the Void magi are doing since Kaoru explained it to us earlier.

>>19629995
I think he's saying that India is a Magi-controlled dystopia.

First, I would ask how the seals can be used against the demons. Second, I would ask why Kaoru doesn't know the seals.

Also, this one >>19629858 and this one >>19629865

>>19629962
Do the 72 have any game plan beyond waves of possessed soldiers that they know of?

>>19629962
"How many Magi do we have and at what level of training?"
"We've got about 6000. Being a Magi is rare, it's a one in a million type thing. And a bunch of potential recruits are currently unknown. Like you and your brother were not long ago.
About 20 of those are Masters. There are 7 Masters of Inner Magic, 4 Masters of Nature Magic, 5 Masters of Mental Magic, 3 Masters of Death Magic, and then there's Kaoru. Of those six thousand, they're split up about the same way the masters are."

"How much is the attack going to escalate and how fast?"
"I'm not sure. There are supposed to be 72, but the only one who's actually old enough to have been through this before is Kaoru, and he never tells us what's going on."

Hm.

"What is the ultimate plan? Do we even have one? Are we just going to try and weather this, or do we have a method of striking back at the source?"
"I have no clue, Dave. Kaoru just told us we need the seals, and he's not telling us why. From what I figure, the seals identify the 72, the amount of legions they control, and is an actual seal on their existence. I'm not sure how it works, but I think those guys who broke into my home were Andromalius' first agents, and the symbols they carved everywhere are letting his demons loose. I'm not sure when he himself gets free, but it's sure to be a hoot."

"Did the 72 have individual motives when they attacked Earth before?"
"I'll be fucked if I know."

It really does seem like they're in the dark as much as you.

>>19630129
Or, that could very well be what he's trying to get you to think.
There's nothing that guarantees he's telling you the truth, after all.

"Do the 72 have any game plan beyond waves of possessed soldiers that we know of?"

"Ah, see, that's one thing Kaoru in his infinite arrogance deigned us puny mortals worthy of knowing. Apparently, they're going to be running the world in a bit of time, and we'll be la resistance, fighting bravely to liberate humanity from their claws."
He lets out a disbelieving guffaw as he says this.

>Any other questions?

>>19630160

Wait, so Kaoru is the oldest of all of you? Does every master of Void magic get an extended lifespan or what?

>>19630160
I get the feeling that you aren't the biggest fan of Karou. I don't know him that well, but he's always been rather honest, at least as far as I know, with me.

>>19630160
Why not let the militaries of the world get in on this? Can demons survive a tanks? bullets? nukes? Why leave all the work to the magi? Why leave the whole world-enslaving/ending things a secret?


(Also, guys, we need to ask him questions in a way to get him to contradict himself and reveal he really knows more. Also, OP, don't read this part.)

"Now I'm sorry about getting mad earlier. I only just found out that magic was real. I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing. But you're a master, and it seems like you're just as much in the dark as I am."

(The master of necromancy seems strangely lacking in ruthlessness right now. Hmmmm.)

>>19630185
"Now I'm sorry about getting mad earlier. I only just found out that magic was real. I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing. But you're a master, and it seems like you're just as much in the dark as I am."
"I'm not so much ignorant as I have more important matters to attend to. I have to keep the people in the dark, as you would put it. This... takes extreme measures, some times.

"Wait, so Kaoru is the oldest of all of you? Does every master of Void magic get an extended lifespan or what?"
"The only Master of Void magic anyone I have ever talked to has known is Kaoru. For some reason, his disciples never quite get to the same level of expertise. In fact, quite a few die from being coated in some kind of strange metal. We don't really talk about it with him, since it's his prerogative, but it's still fairly weird. As far as I know, he's always been the only Master of Void magic."

"Why not let the militaries of the world get in on this? Can demons survive a tanks? bullets? nukes? Why leave all the work to the magi? Why leave the whole world-enslaving/ending things a secret?"
"The problem isn't with letting the world leaders know, it's that when you start using the military, the normal people get all uppity, and when that happens, the demons... well ask Kaoru. I'm not sure why, but he's told us all to keep the normal people in the dark no matter the cost."

"I get the feeling that you aren't the biggest fan of Karou. I don't know him that well, but he's always been rather honest, at least as far as I know, with me."
"Of course he's been honest, you haven't had a question that hasn't been easy for him to answer. Ask anything about his more clandestine affairs, and he'll stay silent. Have you talked to him about the 72? What did he tell you, pray tell?"


>mfw Kaoru might come across as a Mary Sue because he's now your teacher too, when this is how I planned everyone from the start. Perspective changes things.

>>19630328
> In fact, quite a few die from being coated in some kind of strange metal.

Oh dear...

>>19630340

A strange metal you say. He left something in my room that fits the description you just gave me. I'll have to make sure I don't suffer the same fate as his other disciples.

I don't think Kaoru is a Mary Sue. I think he's... suspect. The other Magi we've met all have qualities you could describe as human, even if they are apparently immortal and can destroy mountains with a thought. Not only is Kaoru totally alien in demeanor, he doesn't even seem to be TRYING to pretend to be human. This raises some rather uncomfortable questions.

File: 1340686226707.png-(125 KB, 704x732, Not a single fuck.png)

>>19630328
>>19630340
Trying to kill us so soon? Maybe? No? Whatever, if he ever ask us to grab that metal saying "we're ready" in the future, we just don't. Write a note for our future selves and send it to future land.

File: 1340686380482.jpg-(12 KB, 170x206, dapper gazelle.jpg)

>>19630233
>implying I'm not going to read every single part of every post made

>>19630407
Then everything is going according to keikaku.

>>19630364
>>19630361
>>19630416
I always find the best way to get someone to become paranoid and not know what the hell is going on is telling them exactly what's going on and then not explaining it

>>19630416
I don't know about that. You could just as easily assume that the previous apprentices fooled around with the metal like Dave did, couldn't control it, and got eaten.

>>19630463
So there are plenty of Void Masters, they're just all Kaoru?

And the metal is probably a tool so we can learn to control our emotions or die in a somewhat safer and easier environment than in the middle of messing around with the void.

So current theory for the metal is that it serves as some sort of warning when void mages get too down in the dumps so they don't get sucked into the void. The metal either kills them before their mind can be lost, or preserves them in case they find their way back.

>>19630504
I'd agree, I don't think it's some purposeful attempt to kill us, I think it's a training tool, left by a master who's not really all that up on health and safety standards...

>>19630534
Considering the fact that Void magic is the only Art that can splatter you across the multiverse if you don't focus, I'm not surprised at all

File: 1340686954412.jpg-(9 KB, 410x410, I come from the land of the ic(...).jpg)

So uh, what do you guys want to do?

I'm just going to sit here and wait, thinking up more conspiracies to throw at you.

>>19629995
>>19630096
These ones picked them up quite fast too.

>>19630340
He was tight lipped about the 72, didn't give me anything about them. It was odd as he is usually forthcoming, but at least he was blunt about not telling me instead of shrouding it in riddle.

I think it's just that you've been withholding information from us, and now that we got to ask some questions, we don't know what to do with the answers. I think Dave might feel the same way.

"So what am I supposed to do now? I don't want to just sit around this house while the world literally goes to hell. But I don't have enough power to fight the demons."

New day? Alternatively go out and buy a nice sharp knife, in case of wolves.

Tell Anton that Kaoru told you almost nothing about the 72. The only thing that he did tell you is the correct number of our adversaries.

>>19630650
Yah, let's get a knife and start practicing with it in our good arm. Well. Our only viable arm.

So, ask about the things posted now, and then sleep I presume? I have it all written out, so I just need to know if I need to add anything else/you want to do something before sleeping.

>>19630739
Oh, we can't go out knife shopping on our crutches after this? Or is it late? Didn't we just wake up?

>>19630739
Also ask Anton about a good place to get a weapon, specifically a nice long knife, acquire said knife, then sleepy time.

>>19630762
You did indeed just wake up, and you can indeed go knife shopping if you want. I'll make the adjustments to the post.

We could do with a little reading before we're off to bed.

>>19630765

Why do we need a knife? We are pretty safe in this mansion, and it's not like we're on the path of Inner Magic anymore.

For now we should just focus on healing and training.

>>19630792
Yah but it's not like we can...

If you teleport something does it keep it's momentum?

Getting a knife seems kind of pointless.

>>19630818
Not from what you've seen.
Maybe you could make it, if you clap your hands and believe enough. You won't know it before you try it.

>>19630792
>implying this mansion is safe

It was invaded the first night we were here, and I think separating someones spine from behind while being 50 yards in front of them is a tad more efficient than dropping whales, when we get to that point.

As for now we won't every have to rip out something jugular with our teeth again.

JESUS CHRIST WE DON'T NEED A FUCKING KNIFE

(I think it's good to just wrap up the session with the stuff you have typed out.)

>>19630790
Anything specific you'd like to read?

Also, is there a lot of dislike for getting a knife? Because it's not like it'll set you back any. You don't have the cash to buy it, so if anyone does get it, it'll probably be Anton

>>19630873
It just seems kind of silly, we're learning mastery of time and space, and facing enemies who are a credible threat to people with those powers, what good is a knife going to do...

>>19630911
>Create two portals.
>Cut someone's head off through portals.
>Close portals.
>Enjoy tea and perhaps a pipe.

>>19630911
Stabbing people.
I thought its purpose would be obvious.
Right now, you can peep on people taking baths and shit.
Have fun killing people by embarrassing them with tales of what they did last summer

>>19630873
I honestly don't know why anyone thinks being able to defend yourself is a bad idea.
>>19630650
>>19630839
These are me, so one vote from me for getting a weapon.

>>19630873
I just think it's a stupid thing to go looking for right now. A knife wouldn't protect us against the kinds of threats we're up against now. Even with a knife, Dave would be pretty hosed in a physical confrontation. And we're learning Void magic, which means we could realistically end up in another dimension, where a knife would be about as useful as rollerblades in the Himalayas.

I would ask Anton if he has any books about the Goetia. If we're up against demons, it's best if we learn about our opposition.

>>19630873

A knife is fucking stupid right now. If we get into a fight we're going to die, knife or no. We're wounded, have 1 hand, and have little to no fighting experience. If we get into danger right now, our only chances of surviving is to run the other direction, as fast as possible.

>>19630933
It's not like I would stop you from not getting a knife, but you wouldn't actually go out for a knife yourself, you know.
This is India. You have manservants for everything.
Trust me, I've been there.

Anyways, I'm writing out the knife thing since it seem like the majority doesn't want it. Give me a second to write in the Goetia stuff.

Ask Anton if he as any special equipment used for dealing with demons. Maybe be can loan us some of his stuff.

>>19630925
>Knife
>Cut someone's head off

I think you might mean a machete. Unless you've got a lot of time to spare.

>>19630639
"He was tight lipped about the 72, didn't give me anything about them. It was odd as he is usually forthcoming, but at least he was blunt about not telling me instead of shrouding it in riddle."
"Shrouding it in riddle? Why would we hide anything we know from you?
Maybe you should just listen instead of presuming."
"Well, he did tell me that there are 72 and not 78, so I guess that's something."
"Wait, who told you there are 78?"
"Oh, Master Gyatso did."
"I've never known Gyatso to say anything without knowing it... then again, I've never known Kaoru to be wrong. Something's odd here.... It's not important for you, though."
He's getting on your nerves, but he is right about one thing. Withholding information from you isn't going to benefit them, is it? Maybe it will, but you can't think of any reason they'd do it.

"So what am I supposed to do now? I don't want to just sit around this house while the world literally goes to hell. But I don't have enough power to fight the demons."
"Kaoru's your master, not me. Ask him. I saw Kaoru kill once. I never, ever want to watch that again. If you can learn his techniques without dying horribly in some gutter somewhere, you'd be an immense asset to the war effort. Until then, there's not much you can do."

You look at him and know he's probably right. That said, there's probably not much more you can do right now without Kaoru's training.

"Master Anton, do you have nay books about the Goetia? If we're up against demons, it's best if we learn about our opposition."
"Well, I do actually have some books on the subject. I think they were a gift from some admirer or other. I'll have Melvin get it to your room."
"Uh, who's Melvin?"
"Your... butler. You mean to tell me you haven't asked for his name since you got here?"
"It, well I thought it'd be rude."
Anton doesn't seem to know what to say.
Neither do you.
Awkward silences are the worst silences.
"Right, well do you have any special equipment for dealing with demons? Something I could borrow?"
"I've got a shitload of recently deceased that I've raised from the dead. Otherwise, no.
And no, you can't borrow the dead. They obey only me, or any other Master who decides they'd like control over a bunch of dead people."
You'd almost forgotten what Anton's specialty was.

You decide to head for your bedroom and read up on the subjects, but of course, what else could happen other than the pages fucking disappearing from the books while you're reading it.
Again.
You can't even see how it's happening, which is sure to disappoint Kaoru.

>what do?

>>19630928
By the time we're good enough at teleporting around to be assassinating people, we'll have better means at our disposal than a knife.

>>19631029
Get another book, and before opening it try to open our senses and mind up to everything around us, and then try.

If that fails and it disappears and we don't see it that time try it again while poking the strange metal.

>>19631076
...
>roll a 1d10

rolled 2 = 2

>>19631093

>>19631100
God damn it.

rolled 10 = 10

>>19631093
rolling.

>>19631100
Hey, at least you didn't die. A lot.

>>19631129
Hah, too late.


>time to writefag up your horrible, horrible fate

>>19631076
I distinctly remember something about going blind if we try to see shit without kaoro being around.

Writefag faster! I can't stand this suspense!

(Though really I kind of don't want to know how fucked Dave is now.)

File: 1340690525078.png-(980 KB, 530x873, The Bound Great Earl of Hell.png)

You decide that Kaoru's unwillingness to let you study the Ars Goetia in a normal manner isn't going to stop you. You're going to learn it his way, but learn you will.
You get another book from the cart, trying to get in tune with the Void.
Your eyes start burning again, and you open them to see whether the pages are still there when you open the book.
Success! The pages are still - nope, they just disappeared again.
Damn it.

You throw the empty book away and get a third one, this time place the weird slab of metal on your lap.
You start poking the metal while reading the book, and something clicks.
You can see the pages being violently torn out and in their place, he stands before you.
http://vocaroo.com/i/s01yf9SZW223
He screams at you, before he disappears just as suddenly as he came.
Your heart is beating faster than ever.
Who was the woman in front of him? His captor?
Andromalius.
It was really him.
His face looks different, but it's really him.
He's breaking free.
The metal wraps around you as your fear pumps adrenaline through your veins.
You try to calm down, you try to stop the metal from engulfing you, but to no avail.
It's coming.
There's no stopping it.
Slowly, but surely, your entire body is covered in the strange metal. You try to overpower it with your apathy, but it was killed by your fear, by the sheer terror.
The last thing you see before the metal covers your eyes is the emptiness of space.
And the emptiness of your own life.
>And that just about does it

I hope you enjoyed Mage War Quest pt 3. It's 8 AM here, and this concludes the 7th hour of the quest, after which I'll be signing off.
Sorry for the slow progression of plot tonight, but hey, exposition is important.
For what little good it does.

Feel free to discuss if you think there's any reason to. I certainly enjoy a good discussion.

As always, please tell me everything you thought could be done better/was done terribly/should be done more of.
The vocaroo inclusion in the description is an example.
More/less very raspy screaming? No sound bytes at all, just text?

Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Oh, and uh
>implying I'm ever going to start making sense

File: 1340690834495.gif-(510 KB, 256x144, angry Simon.gif)

FUCK YOU TROLL GM

There'd better be another part...

(Is this how the other apprentices died?)

>>19631433
Who said they died?
Oh right, the necromancer whose job it is to kill people if they get troublesome.

>trusting anyone in this game
>ever

But yeah, there'll be a pt. 4. I'm having too much fun with this game to let it end THAT easily.
You'll have to do something monumentally stupid (like getting eaten by a wolf) for me to let it end unceremoniously.

That said, I do want there to be a credible threat of death, and this metal thing can and will kill you if you do very, very wrong things.

Tutor, you are even more fucking cryptic than the fucking Magi.
How the fuck did you go from "CHOOSE MAGIC! FIGHT WAR!" to "Extra-dimensional demon incursion that must be fought tooth and nail by underdog Magi guerrilla style!"

Archived like a motherfucker http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html

rolled 32 = 32

I dont suppose you could start the next part by taking that ten instead of the two?

>>19631377
what the hell. i go to bed, and when i wake up yall have managed to kill us. great job

Tutor likes to fuck with us, I guess.
He's saying there'll be a part 4 though, so maybe we're not dead and just stuck in the metal?
[nospoilers]Or maybe Dave is the demons[/nospoilers]

i have no idea what went on here but i think i like it