>>24707557
But, when you said as much, your father shook his head. Nero was a man of honor. You decided that Marcus must be as well. He was kind, and curious, and most of all devoted. But there was a deviousness there, that grew with every “lesson” he had with Nero. Defiantly, you decided it would not erode the man you had come to love. Your father's words would ring in your head every time you caught your betrothed in a casual lie, a petty deception. He was a man of honor, and that distinction meant more than little lapses in character.

These are the lies we tell ourselves. Honor, love, family. These are things that men like Marcus can throw aside when it suits them, or when they are desperate enough. Honor is a joke, a bad one, and a deadly one. Your father learned that all too well, when his beloved 'son' killed him in cold blood.

That dishonorable act will be repaid in blood. This, you know. Father taught you the meaning of honor. It may be a joke, but it was his own jest. And it's honorable to pay one's debts.

>>24707569
Grandmistress Lucretia Le'Eforet

Marksmanship 4/5

Swordsmanship 3/5

Polearms 3/5

Charisma 4/5

Cunning 1/5

Strategy 2/5
Inventory:

Ornate Poleaxe, inscribed 'Sanguinem Narrabo"

Silver Handheld Crossbow, 30 bolts

Cavalry Gladius
Holdings:

Empire's End, Mountain fortress at the far south of the Protectorate.

Order of the Sanguine Altar, mounted Paladins, heavily armed and armored. 500 strong.

Estate in the Capitol, ceded to Lucretia in the aftermath of Marcus' scandal.


You are wearing ornate plate armor in the style of your Order. In place of the usual horsehair plume, yours is a metal structure with silver and crimson finish, as befitting the position of Grandmistress. The armor is ancient, worn by every head of the order since Louis Eforet himself. It required some alteration to fit your slim, lithe frame after sitting upon the broad shoulders of your father, Marcel Le'Eforet, for so many years. At twenty seven, you still have the face of a young woman, and would surely be a lucrative prospect in the capitol were you not in the position you now find yourself. Your dark skin is joined by long black hair, but offset by eyes of a striking emerald color.

>>24707557
>>24707569
>>24707585
Yes! Tavern quest!

>>24707585
>inventory
>no dignity

Previous threads here: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Tavern%20Quest

It has been mere weeks since you have seized your father's position at the head of the Order of The Sanguine Altar. The vote among the high council was mostly in your favor, with only Joslin Harcourt being against your ascension and initiation into the order. You face the five members of the council now, inside the grand tent your men have pitched. Meridia's harsh sun beats down on the camp outside, and you are glad for the respite, though it would not do to articulate such. The head of the order must be stoic, and you have not been much for displays of emotion in the last few months, in any case.

The high council is the gathering of the most senior members of the Order, each leading a contingent of one hundred Paladins, with their own structure. This is how it has been done since the time of the Order's march alongside the first Lord Protector.

Joslin Harcourt, a hard looking woman of around fifty, not that she will tell anyone. The most conservative of the bunch.

Liam Gerard, Father's second in command and your most fervent supporter and sponsor. Loose with tradition, tight with a blade.

Khaldun, the order's one and only Mage. A man of few words, and a recent recruit, though not so new as you. By nature a non-traditionalist, but has been extremely helpful thus far. Almost to the point of annoyance.

Severina Gerard, Liam's daughter, a bastard, though legitimized. Still new to the council, won her position through pure martial skill.

Fior Franko: The eldest member of the council, and one to go with the flow at any opportunity. No one really remembers him doing anything significant, but Father saw fit to keep him on. Currently asleep, and lightly snoring, to your annoyance.

>>24707884
You have called them here to discuss the situation. The Meridian Academy has cut off contact with the Protectorate, and expelled civil authorities, you are currently camped miles outside the walled Wizard's hamlet which houses it. Nero tells you that the Lady Protector is concerned, and demands the Order's full force on this matter. Hence you have called the entire Order to a war footing for the first time since the Sylvan Suppression.

What now, Lucretia?

>>24707903
I managed to Find tavern quest on the start? Yay!

Hit the table to wake up Fior and demand to know the situation.

>>24707760

You tend to lose that when your Husband murders your father and is implicated in a plot to overthrow the government. Doubly so if you are suspected of aiding him, and enter a military order out of lack of other options and a desire to silence your accusers.

>>24707959
Yet my husband retains his own through these events. Curious world.
I enjoyed that touch and figured that was the cause. Just thought I'd point it out.

>>24707903
We lead. Lay plans, get opinions and delegate tasks.

>>24707903
Situation, tactical and operational. We need to know everything going on the ground.

>>24708077
What do they have going against us, if we send our soldiers in what will they get hit with?

>>24708077
Second

>>24708077
>>24708062
>>24707931

You have work to do.

*SLAM*

Your mailed fist impacts the table, sending a few errant splinters through the air, and causing Fior to sputter awake, almost tumbling out of his chair.

"Bwah! I was awake, sworn to my heart!"

You stare bolts at the man. If he continues to be useless you will have to remove him.

"Give me everything you know about the situation and our own troop disposition. Now."

Liam nods, and begins to speak, but is cut off by Severina, who speaks for the first time that you can remember in the previous meetings.

" The town is sealed, and we aren't getting eyes in without scaling equipment. No one on the walls that we can see, and no sounds from within the walls. Our men are in standard camp formation, we're still a few miles out, so besides out lookouts we have yet to mobilize. We thought it best to leave overall force disposition to you, milady."

Liam nods his approval of his daughter. It was a thorough report, which you can appreciate.

" Milady, if I may..."

Khaldun. You nod, even as you watch Harcourt seethe at the mage daring to open his mouth.

" The Academy is a town of mages, and they don't need to man the walls to make them dangerous. I suggest sending only a small scouting party, a large force could trip any number of nasty wards, and so on..."

Joslin snorts her opinion of that. "This fool just wants you to go in alone, so he can take advantage of another power vacuum. It's what the slimeball does, and we all know it. This is a siege, I've been in sieges. Let me batter down the gate and we'll have the Academy back in Protectorate hands before sundown." You can't help but note Fior nodding in agreement, and Liam looks you in the eye, indicating his preference for this as well. Severina remains inscrutable, and Khaldun is leaning over the table like an overexcited child, awaiting your decision.

>>24708368
It seems reasonable to ask Khaldun if he can detect and possibly neutralize some of these wards. At the very least, we should try to knowwhat magical shit storm may or may not be raining on our heads.

>>24708368
Joslin, prepare the siege equipment and get the troops into position.

Khaldun, If you can actually scry the town, Now would be the time to shine. If not, I want you preparing some large scale wall busting magic.

>>24708368
"This is an academy and as such Khaldun's advice should be listened to. However this is also a siege and thus the advice of the warriors should also be listened to. A compromise then.
Khaldun will lead a small force over the walls and disable any wards and enchantments he can while Joslin is in charge of knocking down the gates."

>>24708368
This is a siege, we need not break it overnight. What do we have for siege equipment, what do our troops look like (all heavy calvalry?). Where is the town getting food and water from. Are they up hill or down hill from us. And yes have him attempt to scry and attempt to disable any wards.

>>24708589
I support this. No need to rush in who know what kind of horrors the mages have ready to defend this place.

>>24708470
>>24708477
>>24708570
>>24708589

" Harcourt, prepare whatever equipment you deem necessary to get us in the walls." You say, standing from your seat at the head of the table.

" On it, rams it is. No time for towers." She says, leaving the tent quickly, presumably to gather her men and set them to task.

You turn to the mage. "Khaldun, you will scry the walls, determine if the traps you were concerned about are truly there. Then, you will lead a small force in. Take no more than twenty men."

Khaldun's eyes widen for a moment, but he takes his task more or less in stride, to his credit. " Of course, milady. But please remember magic is imprecise at the best of times, I can make no guarantees..."

You wave the man off, his assignment given, and proceed out of the tent yourself. Reading your intentions, Liam and Severina move out into the camp, rousing the men and having them assemble before you in the center drill grounds.

Five hundred of the finest warriors in the Protectorate. Plate armor, poleaxes, crossbows. Equally effective mounted or on foot, in melee or at range. Deployment provides many options.

You see Harcourt preparing three rams off to the side, with the men chosen for the task, and Khaldun has picked his chosen men for the infiltration. Severina is among them. That girl is either brave or just bloodthirsty, you cannot tell.

You can make it to the walls with little trouble from the camp, its only a matter of time. After some time Khaldun comes up to you.

" Milady, excuse my presumption. I can detect no magical energy at the academy. This is troubling, as there should be some residuals from the daily lessons of the students. Apologies that I cannot provide more..." You nod in acknowledgement, this man is somewhat hard to stomach and you have no wish to legitimize him by speaking.

The way forward is up to you, and you alone. Such are the burdens of command.

>>24708865
Send a group of people forward to the gate and see if its actually locked.

If it is, send the rams in and once the gate is breached lead the way into the town.

>>24708919

Severina confirmed this already, though you can double check if you wish.

>>24708865
>" Milady, excuse my presumption. I can detect no magical energy at the academy. This is troubling, as there should be some residuals from the daily lessons of the students. Apologies that I cannot provide more..." You nod in acknowledgement, this man is somewhat hard to stomach and you have no wish to legitimize him by speaking.


Obviously they're masking that shit.

Why would they mask that shit?

Find out why they'd mask that shit.

>>24708919
That's a terrible idea. We shouldn't send men to be burned alive by pitch and oil just to see if the door is locked when Severina already said it was.

>>24708865
is there any way for Khaldun to contact us while he is inside? if we send him in first as a scou group that may work to our advantage.

Tavern quest time!

>>Empire's End, Mountain fortress at the far south of the Protectorate.
Good to know that Lucretia is physically as far away from Tallius as is humanly possible.... But weren't the Le'Eforet lands supposed to be in the East?

>>24708368
Since magic has only barely been explained we have no idea what the academy is capable of. We do know that Martellus was a rather dabbling mage and even he knew how to scry, so we can throw surprise right out the window.

Basically raiding the academy is an extremely dangerous idea, are we sure we want to do it?

>No magic signature.
Masking, or maybe somebody already slaughtered the mages? We know the automatons have been up some business.

>>24708865
Its a trap, no magical energy at a school? Do not go in blindly like >>24708919. Still have the mage take the walls with his small group, if he dies it will be his own fault. Do we have anything other than rams?

Also have we tried to parley with the Hamlet? Spoken with the rebel leader maybe the townfolk dont share his sentiment. Before Harcourt charges with a ram send her to the front gate and demand to speak with the town leader

>>24708973
>Masking, or maybe somebody already slaughtered the mages? We know the automatons have been up some business.
Worst case scenario:

They summoned something huge, masking the summoning, and now everyone inside is DEAD.

>>24708992
I don't think we should wast our only mage in a suicidal assault.

>>24708973
i dont think the automatons would be this far south. Its either a horrible magical incident that killed everyone or it is a trap.

>>24708973

The lands are in the possession of Lucretia's cousins. She gave up direct possession and decided to focus on the Order instead. Empire's End is the Order's not her family's

>>24709003
>>24709018

Well as paladins killing things made of DO NOT WANT should be our specialty, we'd hope. Unless we're the temporal, politically debased sort of paladin order.

Either way we need to figure out what's going on inside without risking our best troops and one of their commanders. We're already a social pariah without sending people to their deaths.

Any ideas?

>>24709091
Smash the gate down? Send in the troops? We don't have many options we could see if the mage knows any spells that could knock the gate down at a distance.

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>>24709161

Without counter-marching our orders in front of everybody we could discreetly ask Khaldun if he has any spells or stratagems that might be applicable to this situation. Losing senior commanders in our first major engagement would be a serious blow to our already awful reputation. I'd rather avoid it if we could.

A quick overview on magic: It can do many things, but always requires an exacting forumula to obstain results, usually focusing on a form of sacrifice or exchange. Anyone can learn magic, but its a lifelong pursuit, and the Academy is the only recognized place to learn it.

The problem with magic is its general unreliability. Sometimes, it refuses to work, for no apparent reason.

>>24709161
I think we should send an envoy to the gate and hail the leader, see there demands (make sure they are in there). If we can diplomacy them out then that would be best. Little to know deaths with a grand show of force.

>>24709220
so does it not work if you get it wrong or can disaster strike. Like say if we were trying to summon a bunny, could we accidentally summon Bun'Naee the Demonlord of the Fifth Darkness that would eat all of our faces and souls leaving our quaint hamlet to waste away with nothing inside?

So, it looks like you want to have Harcourt demand to speak with some leader within the town. Troop disposition besides that? You have five hundred men, and only a hundred are assigned to the rams, with another thirty with Khaldun's infiltration team.

>>24709269

It would simply not work. Magic is fickle, not sinister.

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>>24709223
We should go as the envoy after all, If the king does not lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow.

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>>24709306

That all depends on the city. If their walls are any sort of appreciable height scaling is out of the question. We could stop to build siege ladders and the like but that would take a prohibitive amount of time, as would sapping.

We don't have a lot of good options. The men either climb, line up behind the ram, or we wait....

>>24709355
That seems extremely dangerous plus it seems a little munchkiny to exploit a story critical NPC's plot armor.

>>24709355
I was only sending others if there were magical traps. If there weren't damn mages, I would advocate us at the front lines.

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>>24709355

It could backfire. Probably shouldn't put ourselves out as the envoy, send someone who's either disposable or harder to kill.

So, any opposition to sending Harcourt out once you arrive at the town, afterwards battering down the walls if they do not respond, as Khaldun infiltrates with a small team of wall-scalers?

This would have 370 mounted men arrayed and ready to move in, with 100 with the rams, on foot, and 30 with Khaldun and Severina.

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>>24709450
Very well lets send Harcourt.
>>24709548
No opposition from me.

>>24709587
lets do eet

>>24709548

Send Harcourt, array 270 troops behind rams is a spread formation (not like they're all getting through the gate in formation anyways) to minimize casualties. Command them to skirmish but not engage in any pitched battles without support. Reserve the other 100 farther out.

>>Bringing 500 heavy horse to a siege action.
That 1/5 cunning is showing.....

>>24709684
>>24709634
>>24709587

You array the men and move out, Liam riding at your side as you begin to make your way towards the Academy. A couple of farmers watch as you pass, their children with them as if the troop movement were nothing more than a parade for their amusement. You suppose their innocence would be endearing to someone more inclined towards it.

"There she is, The Academy. Meridia's own claim to relevance." Liam sounds wistful, the man was from the north, originally, but spent a good deal of time in Meridia. Sired his bastard there, for one thing. Severina's complexion was darker than even yours, a sure sign of Meridian descent.

On first glance it seems a town like any other, but a closer inspection belies it's purpose. The center of the town is neither a manor or governmental institution, instead an ornate and ancient structure you recognize as the Academy proper. The prosperous town you are overlooking from this rise exists only to meet the Academy's needs.

Your men array in the formation you had requested. The rams ready, and yourself behind the reserve troops. You see Harcourt ride forth to parley. Minutes pass with no response, and she turns back to the men, and calls for the rams to prepare for deployment.

Looking to your right, you nod at Khaldun and Severina, and they lead the scaling team to the walls as the rams begin their cacophonous beating against the door. They appear to succeed at going unnoticed, and before long disappear over the top of the wall.

Several more minutes pass, and you grow impatient. Your foot taps against the barding of your horse audibly.

"Your first siege, milady?" Liam is trying to be fatherly again. You decide you'll reprimand him later. It ends badly when people father you.

A sound resounds, louder than the rest. The great doors swing open before your rams, revealing Khaldun and Severina, apparently unharmed. The streets are empty, and devoid of the signs of life.

>>24710029
You ride up, the honor guard of riders and Liam surrounding you.

" Report."

Khaldun bows, likely in preparation for some bootlicking, but Severina speaks before him.

" Nothing. We checked the walls for half the length, and several of the houses. The place is silent as a tomb, milady. We have the men arrayed in the town center, awaiting orders. The entrance to the Academy campus is wide open, the doors were knocked aside by something. We await your word."

You nod your recognition of her information. This is troubling. New plans are likely required. Something is very wrong here.

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>>24710047

Unlock gates from within. Secure the city and prepare our best troops to clear the academy proper.

>>24710047
Search all the houses and the academy find whats up

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>>24710047

...is there a possibility they're hiding? Like ninjas?

More seriously, we should send scouts to scour the place. We need information.

Lets have some of our men knock on a few doors and see if we can''t find anyone to question.

Something is very, very wrong.

>>24710096
>>24710141
>>24710144
>>24710193

You move your force into the city, and order the council to send their men throughout the city, opening the gates and searching for anyone, anyone at all.

It takes hours, and you are waiting for the men to return before the more intensive task of searching the Academy itself.


Just before nightfall, you see the council riding to your command center in the town square, all of them together. That's odd, this must be big.

Liam speaks first. "Milady..."


Roll 1d10, please.

Rolled 10

>>24710301
"what"

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Rolled 2

>>24710301

>>24710336
Oh. Oh dear.

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>>24710336
Tens is a good number on this encounter table right? RIGHT?

>>24710301
I like how our plans keep getting more elaborate, yet continue to encounter zero resistance. Which just makes us even more paranoid,

>>24710336

"What, Liam?" You are growing very displeased with this situation, it suits neither you nor the Order.

" ...you need to see this, in person. I'll stay with the men. Go with the others, milady." He sounds somewhat disturbed, though you always thought him unflappable.

"... I'll stay too, I think." Fior. Not like he'd serve a purpose in any case.

The council leads you down a side street, to a goods warehouse somewhat out of the way of the main streets. Two Paladins stand at the door, and salute as you walk by, uneasy looks on their faces.

You smell it before you see it. Harcourt gags audibly, and only Khaldun and Severina seem unaffected.

" Shit." Even Severina loses composure sometimes, it seems.

You know why the walls were not manned. This warehouse is well stocked with the corpses of the town guard. Throats slit, bodies pierced by arrows, limbs cleaved from bodies. Butchery.

" Who did this? It's too precise for automata, too subtle for partisans. There was no trace in town." You are utterly flabbergasted, and it shows in your voice, which you struggle to keep from wavering in the face of the charnel house before you.

" I don't know, milady. But whoever did it, I think they are waiting for us inside the campus. There was no sign of students or civilians. Only the police and town guards, those who didn't leave when they removed the mayor." Severina is stalwart, her voice cold as stone. Khaldun remains silent, for once.

Rolled 5

>>24710617
Burn it to the ground. Get tinder, get wood and light that fucker up. Aint playin this shit no more. We are the fucking Grandmistress and this has gone on long enough.

>>too precise for automata
Glorious irony.

>>24710617
So do we want to go the big damn heroes route and lead a strike team into the depths of the academy. I'm just throwin this out here, we can always reserve the option to burn the academy to the ground along with anything/one in it. Probly not the best option but it's there.

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>>24710617
"There is only one man capable of such precise slaughter... Marcus Sertorius."

>>24710617
EEEEEEEELVES

>>24710757
Yea... I don't think even we believe that. Marcus proved himself to be a scheming opportunist and a murderer, but he hadn't quite graduated to systematic genocide yet.

>>24710734
>>24710718
As an addendum I'd like to say that burning down fantasy Harvard should probably be our last recourse, not first. It would be another serious hit to our bad reputation, but if things really get bad fire is the problem solvingest of elements.

>>24710884
Fuckin Elves man.

Seriously though, can we think of anybody who hates mages?

>>24710884
Ibettheelvesdidthis.png

Options suggested so far:

Burn everything

Strike team into the Academy

Strike team, with town ready to burn if needed


Anymore? Preference among these?

>>24710757
I know you're joking, but let's choose the option that doesn't make the Grandmistress of the Paladin Order look like a paranoid headcase, shall we?

>>24710975
>>Strike team, with town ready to burn if needed

We need to know what happened. Lead a team of our best troops including Khaldun inside. Demolitions teams will standby to burn the campus if we don't return.

>>24710975
>Strike team, with town ready to burn if needed

Yeah.

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>>24710975
>Strike team, with town ready to burn if needed
Indeed.

>>24711073
>>24711058
>>24711172

This has gone on long enough, you feel like someone is laughing at you and that makes you extremely angry.

" Khaldun."

"Milady..." Sickeningly helpful, as always.

"Prepare your combat spells. We are going into the academy, and figuring out just who the hell did this." Your voice is hard and loud, it is no longer wavering, instead nothing but a hard reflection of the rage you feel within your breast.

Khaldun sets himself upon his task, you hear him chanting out the preliminary verses of a number of spells useful in battle. Severina and Harcourt lock step behind you as you return to the town square, and the entrance to the academy.

Liam and Fior are conversing by your command post, they have gathered most of the men.

Liam has his helmet on, seems he knew what you would decide to do about this. "We're going in? I suggest a small group, no more than fifty. Our best men. We'll leave Fior out here to manage the town and the men while we're away."

Fior nods. "I am good for something, milady."

Liam nods.

" Liam. Order the men to ready the town for burning."

His jaw drops. "Lucretia, I don't think..."

" I do not care what you think, Liam! Someone is playing games with me and I am quite done with it. Do as your Grandmistress commands." You snap. Liam is too familiar, and you cannot have anyone second guessing you in front of the men.

"... Milady." His voice is quieter than usual, but he bends to your will.

The council, minus Fior, forms around you as you gather the fifty men for the incursion into the academy.

" We should split into groups once we're in, that way we won't get wiped out all at once if something goes bad. More versatile too." Harcourt has a point, but you wonder if it's wise to split up. You need to weigh your options soon, as you are at the doors to the main building itself.

>>24711477

Khaldun coughs. "Milady, I can feel some minor magical disturbances, first I have been able to. Deep within the Academy. The subbasement, I would say..."

You nod. It's time. The main room, you have been told, is a great hall that this doorway opens out into. Dorms are off to the sides. Beyond that are classrooms, and then the basement descent.

What now?

>>24711519
We should be especially prepared to burn all the corpses. Other than that, move carefully. Mages and wizards are tricky.

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>>24711477
>>We should split into groups once we're in
That sounds like red-shirt talk to me.

>>24711519
Clear the top floors first, room by room. -Maybe- split into two groups if there's too many people to assault one effectively.

>>24711519
2 Teams Both taking a wing but staying on the same floor. Work our way up the building clearing rooms, all rooms cleared will have a knock taken out of the door frame with our swords. Reconvene at the Grandhall before making our descent. Find out how many stair cases go down. If anything goes wrong in your group move down to the Grandhall, if continued danger send a squad of 10 up to the other group get out and light torches. Await my command before alighting the building, if you do not hear from me by nightfall retreat outside the walls, if you do knot hear from me by dawn, burn it all.

>>24711605
Man Seneshal we think to much a like. We each post relatively the same thing at the same time

>>24711519
>>24711605
>Clear the top floors first, room by room. -Maybe- split into two groups if there's too many people to assault one effectively.

We should gird our loins we no not what horror awaits us.

>>24711638
the knock out of the door frame is to keep our bearings, they are fucking wizards man they couldve turned the place into hogwarts with moving stair cases and shit.

So, splitting up into two groups seems to be agreed upon, are these to be of identical makeup?

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>>24711740

Seems logical.

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>>24711572
>>24710734
>>24710718
mfw anon-mind wants Lucretia to burn the world.

>>24711740
Identical makeup, we keep Khaldun and take point.

>>24711797
seconded

>>24711770
>>24711797

" Splitting up I can agree with, five times I cannot. Harcourt, take Liam and half the men, I will lead everyone else. We're searching this place, room by room, and then heading into the lower floors." Liam seems surprised that you placed him with Harcourt, but he says nothing of it, and you certainly will not.

You array in standard combat formation, pole arms in front, crossbows in back, officers in the middle. The first few rooms are eerily silent, a library room has books and study materials still out on tables, as if the students were called away at the height of the day. A few more rooms are mostly empty dorms, and a study area. The fourth is a lounge, with a fire still burning in a cozy fireplace.

" Feel like I'm back home..." A Paladin makes a remark, perhaps hoping to cut the tension.

" Silence." Unprofessional, and you won't allow it. The man says nothing more. Severina smirks beside you, hefting her polearm. Khaldun is still softly chanting.

There is a crack in the air, like lightning, and you look up instinctively, seeing a blurry shape fall from the ceiling-


Roll for either Polearm or Marksmanship, 3 dice for the polearm, 4 for the crossbow. The crossbow will have to be related. Also need a strategy roll of two dice. Please link them.

Rolled 49

>>24712206
Khaldun roll

Rolled 94

>>24712206
Time for strategery.

Rolled 14, 73, 96 = 183

>>24712206
Polearm!
Dodge and slap the blurry thing out of the way.

Rolled 6, 6, 4 = 16

>>24712308
>Roll
Or perhaps d10

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>>24712206
Strategy
>>24712237
>Dat roll

Rolled 18

>>24712335

>>24712308

It's one roll of a d100 per post.

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Rolled 32

>>24712206
You guys are slow, rolling another strategy.

>>24712327
It's always d100 unless barkeep sas no.

Rolled 80

>>24712308
Righto! 1d100 coming up from me then

>>24712453

Need two more Polearm rolls. A bit slow tonight so feel free to roll twice.

Rolled 34

>>24712474

Rolled 27

>>24712474
Needs more choppa.

Rolled 50, 56 = 106

>>24712453
>>24712488
>>24712495

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>>24712510

I think we got this, although in the future we might wanna stick to crossbow. We're better with it and it doesn't involve the Grand Mistress fighting at the front of her guard.

>>24712474

honestly I think it's because people think is some sort of side quest

>>24712625
It isn't?

>>24712668

well it is, and all I know is when I participate in Tavern Quest I am not really expecting a combat heavy game that's why I am sitting on the side lines today.

At dinner so I've slowed down a bunch, will be back, always watching

>>24712510

Figures are dropping from the ceiling, impossibly, and you struggle to fight off the one which has landed in front of you, and is attempting to pull your Poleaxe from your hands. You resist the assailant's strength, and force it away, before following up with a savage downward strike, rending the figure in two. The shadows seem to form around it like mist, hiding your attacker's identity even as it falls, apparently dead.

You see Severina knock one of the shadows to the ground, and stab it through the head with the spearpoint of the poleaxe, ending it's fight. You can see the melee around you beginning to become more and more chaotic.

" Paladins of the Sanguine Altar! To me! Do not forget formation!" You shout, carrying over the clang of battle and the screams of the dying.

" BreKash no Yur'Dir!" Khaldun yells out what you assume to be gibberish, and a gout of flame shoots out from his outstretched hand, his fingers bent into some resemblance of a claw. Four of the shadows are incinerated, even the very fog of darkness around them utterly disappearing under the brilliance of his attack.

The battle line coalesces around you, and you see it begin to turn to your favor. The enemy appears to be armed with short stabbing swords, though you cannot guess their type through the wreath of shadows. Your men are easily able to hold them off, and their numbers drop rapidly, until only ten are left, along with another who you assume must be the leader. He is covered by shadow as well, but it seems to fold in and out of a suit of plate not unlike what you would see on the officers of the Protectorate military.

Initiative is yours.

>>24712738

Well, Gaiden implies side story, and so this is. Its an experiment, as I have said previously. I get to introduce some characters and elements I wanted to, we get to try a bit of a change of pace, and I get to see if I can manage running more than once a week.

Rolled 78

>>24712858
Pick off some fuckers with your crossbow.

Rolled 12

Crossbow to the face of the leader

>>24712858
Kill off a couple more mooks then demand surrender of the leader. We need answers, not more corpses.

>>24712939
>>24712975

Need two more dice for a crossbow attack.

Rolled 58

>>24713060

Rolled 79

>>24713060
CROSSBOW!

Rolled 15

>>24713060

Rolled 92

>>24713079
>>24713087
>>24712975
>>24712939

You decide the tactically sound decision is to look for a target of opportunity to shoot with your crossbow. You place your Poleaxe in one hand, and reach for your holster with the other. As your hands cross over the ornate silverwork on the side of the weapon, you think back to the first time you fired this weapon, when you killed a man for Marcus' sake at the age of twelve. It is a somewhat bitter thought, all the more so considering recent events.

You aim over the melee and into your foes...

>>24713195

You squeeze your hand, activating the lever and firing the crossbow. The bolt flies through the air, over the heads of the Paladins and shadows both, and strikes the armored shadow on the helmet. The bolt bounces off, but the figure staggers, and falls to the side, apparently unconscious. The shadows life from your foe, revealing a confusing sight. These men are armed and armored in the exact equipment of the Protectorate Military. Less than four foes remain as the melee continues to go in your favor.

Rolled 66

>>24713272
Deduction, I guess: These shadows are manipulating the men!

Rolled 86

>>24713272
Lets call for a surrender if they don't yield kill the rest and interrogate the leader.

>>24713305
That kind of magic would be incredibly complex and and probably hard to sustain. More likely these are special operations troops using a relatively simple glamor spell to conceal themselves.

It reeks of -that- man.

>>24713353
Really now, are people going to keep doing that?

>>24713400

I think he means Nero...

>>24713349

Anyone opposed to this?

Rolled 98

>>24713353
>-That- man.
"MARRRRRRCUUUS!!!!"

>>24713474
Nah, I'm fine with it.

>>24713400
Nero Sertorius was in charge of the Protectorate's covert operations command. He's the guy who was sneaky enough to assassinate elves. That we kind of loathe him is just a bonus.

Now the question is, why are protectorate troops massacring their own subjects?

>>24713474
Mystery time is over. It's answer time. Substitute poleaxe for charisma if need be.

>>24713474

sounds good to me

>>24713349
Roll Charisma, four dice.

Rolled 82

>>24713579

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>>24713579
Put on your biiiiiggest smile.

Rolled 82

>>24713579

Rolled 18

>>24713579

Rolled 32

>>24713579

Rolled 3

>>24713579

Rolled 44

>>24713690

woops that was a 1d10

>>24713606
>>24713626
Awesome

Rolled 30

>>24713579
I get the feeling her idea of charisma is rather aggressive.

I wonder how pent up she is. It's likely been ages since she's been bedded.

>>24713782

Well we were essentially sold to some random dude who grew up to murder the only other person we've ever demonstrably loved.

I'd say all these burn down everything suggestions might not be -entirely- off base.

>>24713606
>>24713626
>>24713634
>>24713650

" Put down your weapons, and I will hear out your reasons! Continue to fight and I promise you nothing but death!" Your voice easily carries over the din of the waning battle. One more man cries out in pain as one of the poleaxes finds it's mark, but the others throw aside their blades and yield before he has even impacted the floor. They are quickly restrained by your men.

The ambush took it's toll, five of your men were slain in the initial attack, but once it became a melee the less armored assailants fared poorly. The once peaceful lounge room runs red with gore, as more than a dozen of your foes lie in various states of dismemberment.

The officer is roused by Khaldun, likely some slight healing spell or something of the like. Before you can attend to him, Harcourt and Liam enter the room with their men waiting outside.

" Milady, we were ambushed-" Liam stops short faced with the carnage within the room.

" Oh. Fuck. This." Harcourt's frustration shows through her strained tone.

" Harcourt, have the men take out fallen out of here. I'll make sure we get to the bottom of this." Liam is not Harcourt's superior by any means, but she does not make issue of it. This time. Ten of their men take the fallen Paladins and quickly leave.


Your attention turns to the officer.

" I do not have much time, and you far less, I am afraid. Now I only wonder how I am going to get what I want out of you. Any suggestions?" The man looks you in the eye, silent. You do, however, note his lower lip quiver slightly in fear.

>>24713974
Alright, we got this guy by the balls.

Firstly, how many men does are in this building, this town, the surrounding countryside. We'll roast this bastard on a spit if we need to to get the info.

Secondly, what are their standing orders, who sent them?

Thirdly, where are the mages?

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Rolled 45

>>24713974
Well lets take the gladius and start to work on his sword hand. Or we could threaten to geld him.

>>24714159
>Or we could threaten to geld him.
Man.

Maaaan.

Naw.

>>24714125
>>24714159
>>24714181

All options are on the table, but let's at least pretend we're a paladin for a while. Start with information he's likely to volunteer and work up from there. Also, can Khaldun use any brainbuggery spells?

>>24714274

Not without more time than you are willing to give him, as the downstairs has yet to be cleared.

>>24714274
How many men are in this building? Where are they set up, would it be easier for us to just burn down the place? Is it possible that they would give themselves up.

>>24714274
Define Paladin in this setting.

>>24714159
We can be meaner then that, we start with the feet, cut off the bottoms and have him walk out.

>>24714296

1. "Where are the mages."
2. "How many of you are there."
3. "Who sent you and why."

Promise him sanctuary from his boss if he cooperates. We'll make him disappear down to Empire's End if need be. If he refuses us take something. If he refuses us twice take something he'll miss. Nobody refuses us three times, we have things to do.

>>24714371

Paladin orders were once religious establishments. Nowadays they are sworn to the Protectorate or not allowed to exist. This particular order has a code of conduct, but it only extends to law abiding citizens and is vague regarding rebels and nonhumans.

>>24714436

Charisma, 3 dice, please.

Rolled 45

>>24714459

Take this, criminal scum!

>>24714459

>Tavern Quest fuck yeah
>Not on a Saturday

What is this glorious Paradise

Rolled 65

>>24714459

>>24714444
>>24714477

that embarrassing

>>24714459
Time to be... persuasive....

>>24714478

The kind I allude to on the Twitter no one reads!

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Rolled 74

>>24714497

>>24714478
Memoirs of a Gaiden Quest! Just as good as Tavern Quest but with more breasts on the main character!

Rolled 43

>>24714444
Cool, that's what I was hoping to hear. Enforcers Ho!

>>24714501
Yeah, I'm not much of a twatter.

That reminds me better namefag up

>>24714611
Curses! Not you again, you...you fiend!

>>24714501
I did

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>>24714650
Need a cart, friend?

>>24714475
>>24714512
>>24714480

You hand your poleaxe to Severina, and holster your Crossbow, before unsheathing your gladius.

" Listen, this is a gray area for me, so let us get this over with. I have questions, you are going to answer them. If you do not, I start with fingernails. We'll see where we go from there." You speak softly, and kindly. For dramatic effect.

The mages are downstairs. The two groups up here were covering for things beyond his paygrade occuring below. He does not know how many there are. His Centurion informed him of an opportunity to make a small fortune and retire early. All he had to do was a spot of murder. He bit.

His name is Hadrian Essus. He misses his mother. He doesn't want to die. He's sorry, so sorry for what he did.

He has two fingers left on his one remaining hand. He will likely bleed out before the apothecary can sew him up. He shouldn't have wasted your time.

Liam is looking on with a disgusted look on his face. Severina is inscrutable. Khaldun can hardly suppress his glee at the show.

" What we're looking for is downstairs. Take these men to the back, they don't know anything worth pulling out of them."

The survivors are carried off. They leave Hadrian's arm.

It's time to finish this. How to go about it?

>>24714815
>>Transport prisoner to Gearwatch.
>>Have cart salesman interrogate him.
>>We uncover the entire plot, plus somehow end up with a new cart.

>>24714815


Why yes, I wou...NOPE! NOPE!

I love that Tallius' biggest adversary is not the powerful ex wife who commands an almost private army, but that sly bastard who swindled him on a cart purchase.

Rolled 2

>>24714864
>His Centurion

Goddamn corruption is fucking everywhere.

March down there with ranged weapons at ready.

>>24714864
Bring in most of the order, surround all staircases, inform whoever's downstairs that they have no hope and that even if they defeat us, the remaining soldiers outside will torch the place.

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>>24715001

Whoever is downstairs aren't just mooks guarding a stairwell. Still, worth trying to threaten them. Do we have enough men to cover all the exits safely? If not I say we just blitz it in one group killing anything that doesn't immediately surrender.

>>24715001
seconded

>>24715074
I am sure they know we are here and upstairs kaldope threw a lot of magic around

>>24715074

You have more than enough men to seal every way out of the Academy proper, and still have around a hundred left over to strike into the interior, which is really all that can be combat effective in any case.

>>24715001

If you want to threaten them, you will have to enter the basement, and I will need a charisma roll of four dice.

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>>24715134
Rollan,

Rolled 46

>>24715167
Dice hate me tonight......

Rolled 46

>>24715134

Rolled 69

>>24715134
Slowpokes....

Rolled 12

>>24715134
rollan

Rolled 15

>>24715134
I'm our last hope.

Rolled 88

>>24715134
We should have some on the stairwells with crossbows ready.

>>24715186
>>24715256
>>24715336
>>24715354

You gather a hundred volunteers from the whole of the order, and head into the depths with Liam, Severina, and Khaldun following you. Fior and Harcourt remain to command the bulk of the Order, holding the town outside.

The huge stairwell leading into the depths of the Academy is completely abandoned as you move down it with your men. It grows darker, and damper, as you decent.

" Milady, I must speak with you about what just happened..." Liam. He thinks he's helping you, endearing, but you haven't the time.

" Talking about it solves nothing, Liam. It's not the first time I've killed a man, some of us start early. You are here as my second and as a member of the High Council. You are not here as my damned moral compass. We will speak later, for sure, but it will be about your proper place, not second guessing my decisions." You speak softly to him, taking care for your voice to not carry. It will not do for the men, or Severina, to hear this.

You come to the door to the basement chamber, and your men ready to enter. You and the three High Council members enter first, the other Paladins fanning out, crossbows raised as you march into the chamber.

The students are unharmed, huddled before you. That is relieving. But beyond them are a number of portals, and the mages who teach at the school are being marched into them. A number of soldiers wreathed in the same shadows you faced previously guard the portals. As you enter the room, they begin hurrying the remaining mages through the arcane passageways.

" Stop now, or we will fire! Close the portals, in the name of the Protectorate!"

They make no move to stop, and instead the soldiers, and some others similarly wreathed in shadow, begin passing through the portals, escaping and leaving many of the mages in the chamber.

If you want to stop any of them you don't have much time.

>>24715773

FIRE CROSBOWS

Rolled 10

>>24715773
Do it, aim for legs, bring 'em down and question them later.

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>>24715773
A) Kill soldiers, save mages.
B) Take soldiers alive, waste time not saving mages.
C) Little of A and B
D) YOU APES WANT TO LIVE FOREVER? INTO THE PORTALS!

I gotta sleep now, choose well anon. I think we can safely say that whatever happens here, Tallius is fucked. Seriously, we've characterized Lucretia as a cross between Jack Bauer and Aerys Targeryn. He is going to have to work his ass off to survive her.

Rolled 55

>>24715773
Fire away!

(On a completely unrelated note, I'm going to make an Ebook of Tavern Quest when the thread ends. I'll post the pastebin with the link then.)

Rolled 70

>>24716041
D?

>>24716041
I agree into the portals no time to stop them.

You have had enough of this.

" Fire! Aim for the legs, I want some of them breathing!"

Liam looks aside at you, a horrified expression on his face. You have given him no reason to believe in your mercy for those whom you take alive.

The cavernous space is filled with the sounds of a hundred crossbows firing at once. Dozens of the soldiers are killed instantly, no attempt to take them alive enough in the face of multiple impacts and shots inevitably going wide.

Their ranged weapons empty, the Paladins again turn to their poleaxes, and charge forth with a spirited roar. The few soldiers who remain standing manage to pass through the portals before they are overrun, leaving only the cries of the dying and wounded. That, and the single shadow wreathed figure, arms outstretched, who collapses to his knees as the portals disappear. The shadows quickly drift from him, revealing an ordinary looking old man, his ratty white beard beaded with sweat.

Looking at the few men on the ground who remain breathing, you somehow think this man is your best hope for any kind of information.

>>24716044

I very much appreciate that, thank you.

>>24716041
D lets get balls deep into this mess with as many men as possible

Rolled 52

>>24716263
See if Khaldun can keep this guy alive, call for the medics.

>>24716263

" Khaldun! See to this one, I have questions for him." You shout out as the men begin rounding up the students, mages, and surviving soldiers.

Khaldun kneels before his counterpart, lightly chanting.

He stops, and turns to you. "He's fine, just tired, no need to fear for his health, milady..."

The man suddenly springs to life, throwing his arms out, as a portal rips apart the air in front of you. You rush to restrain him, but your mind is instead flooded with images as you take hold of the man. You let a rage filled scream as your eyes are filled with images not of your choosing, but not wholly unfamiliar.

A flash. White. Father's grave. Just as it was mere weeks ago, the tomb of a hero. A tomb with no mourners. His moment in the sun over, just another soldier forgotten and left to rot. Your heart aches for the injustice of it all.

A flash, black. Nero Sertorius, riding at the side of the Lady Protector herself, through the normally busy streets of the Capitol, emptied for their benefit. You know not what they are saying, but you see Nero's face. You see his liar's blue flashing behind the kindly mask he wears.

A flash, red. You see an elf, a pretty one. Dark haired. An alpine forest, so somewhere in the north. Why are you seeing this? You have no connection to this woman. She's burying something. A knife. No, not a knife, THE knife. The one you've been looking for. Why are you seeing this? Does it matter? Your heart beats faster. The North. The North. The North...


************************

You awaken to darkness. Another delusion? Useless. They will show you Marcus! Not the knife, not some damned whore of an elf, MARCUS! It's not enough, you need more!

" Ah, you are awake, milady..." Khaldun. Why are you with Khaldun?

" Why am I here?" You speak, groggily.

" Milady, your condition was magical, not physical..." He laughs, a disturbing sound, like a rusty knife moving across one's throat.

Uh bump?

Rolled 97

>>24716925
Check to see if you're still clothed.

>>24716925
Ooh, the plot thickens.

I'm starting to really not like this Nero guy. Does he sell carts?

>>24716925
Grab Khaldun by the shirt, what happened after I blacked out. Do we have the prisoner still, what do we know

SO HERE IS WHAT I FIGURE HAPPENED WITH MARCUS RE: HIS INCIDENT

He and Lucretia married for political reasons. Marcus' father aided Lucretia's in the past. He never spoke of what it was, but with Nero heading the covert ops side of things, I think we can figure it was something pretty hush hush. Some sort of "profiteering" that would be shunned upon in normal society. Now when I say profiteering, keep in mind that it might not be just financial, but whatever the favor was for, it resulted in something beneficial for Lucretia's dear old dad.

Now, years later, after they were married, Nero was still up to his old games. As was Lucretia's father. However, in the eyes of the public, her dad was a righteous man. I don't know how, but Marcus discovered the truth behind him and his actions throughout the years. Maybe he just learned of something that was going on now, though? Irrelevant. Marcus discovered his true nature, and killed him. Whether it was through bloody intent, or if he was defending himself, who knows? But to the public at large, Lucretia's father was a good man, and Marcus killed him in cold blood.

Knowing that no one would believe him, or even be able to hear him, as he would be killed on sight either out of desire for revenge, or to be kept quiet, Marcus ran...

>>24717103
Or Marcus just fucked something up really badly.

>>24717103
Nah, Nero had her father killed and set up Marcus as a patsy.

>>24716925
" They thought me best to treat you. If it is some comfort, the man who did this to you died from the exertion."

That is no comfort.

" .. I saw things. Why?" Your voice is returning more and more.

He laughs again.

" Stop laughing or I will ensure you don't have a choice about it in the future."

You hear the mage swallow.

" Of course, milady. Teleportation involves a focus, an object visualized by the mage. It is a cousin to remote viewing, I would assume some of the mage's power bled into you as he tried to open the portal. You simply saw whatever was on your mind, milady..."

Yes, that makes sense. But then, you really saw it? He's really in the north! Your debt can be honored, it's possible! Marcus can pay!

" Thank you Khaldun. Find me Severina." You attempt to contain your excitement.

Moments pass before Severina enters the tent, blood still sticking to her armor and plastering her short, black hair to her skin.

" Yes milady?"

" Severina. How would you like to be an adventurer, for while? I hear the north has become very lucrative recently..."

You sent Paladins across the Protectorate looking for Marcus. They found nothing. But he is out there. And you will find him. You have your best woman on the job.


***************

That's all for today guys, thanks for tolerating the change of pace and I will see you on Saturday for the usual Tavern Quest.

Don't do anything Tallius wouldn't. Using Lucretia as a moral compass is likely a poor idea, however.

Thread archived here: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/24707557/

>>24717103
Naah, Marcus was framed for the killing, but knew he'd never be able to defend himself against the accusations, so he fled, knowing that his life and his love were gone forever.

Rolled 44

>>24717367
Alright, thanks for the thread!

As for the Ebook, anyone have any preference about the rolls? Leave them in, label them, remove them, or what.

>>24717470

Do as you wish, it makes no difference to me.

>>24717470
Leave them in would be my suggestion, I read through a couple of quests in the past and its fun to read them one by one, adds to the suspense while reading. Seeing who fucked up just like everyone else would in the actual game


>>24717481
Amazing as always! See you saturday

>>24717700
I was only including the rolls themselves, not the posts that went with them, so it won't be much suspense.

>>24717800
There we go, Ebook is done! Same pastebin as all the other Ebooks I've made, so far. http://pastebin.com/kbGzcbDb