The Duke rubs his beard. "You should be able to look up peerages in the library. Given your rather surprising ignorance of the matter, it would be useful to have a foundation of knowledge before you move onto current affairs. I believe we keep a few almanac copies on hand, once you're ready for those."

Useful for learning about the history and lineage of the Ridelham region and family, but not exactly riveting reading. "Would you mind if I discussed all of this with the Captain first?"

The Duke gives you a look you eventually interpret as being highly skeptical. "If you think you can get anything out of Clarissa, feel free," he says. "I will assume you already know the risks in doing so."

You certainly hope you do.

"Whiteford is still a few weeks away," the Duke says. "You will most certainly know when the trip draws near, should it happen. The circus will be quite impressive. Give it some thought until then. And if Clarissa has any opinions beyond following orders, please do report it to me." He pauses. "Or tell her to report it to me herself, if at all possible."

You will have to get used to being the more approachable liaison for your commanding officer's moods, if you wish to remain a knight-apprentice. You remain at your best attempt at attention as the Duke departs to join his son for dinner.

> Go for dinner yourself, Clarissa's probably there by now
> William is still stuck in Clarissa's office, maybe he has some insights

>>36260517
>> Go for dinner yourself, Clarissa's probably there by now

>>36260517
>Go for dinner yourself, Clarissa's probably there by now

I guess you just started at an off time.

>>36260511
>> Go for dinner yourself, Clarissa's probably there by now


First time I ever made the start of one of these. It doesn't help that it's currently 3am.

Lacking anything better to do, you head to the kitchens yourself for some dinner. Once again, you're not that hungry, possibly due to your late lunch, but you should still keep up those three meals a day.

Dinner is pig, dressed and roasted and generally prepared with stupendous care and attention. You wonder if this is some special occasion or other, or if it's considered normal for a meal in the Duke's household.

Clarissa has just finished piling her plate with her usual impressive portion of food. She has already showered and changed, and looks refreshed in both body and mind. In fact, she looks almost cheerful.

Maybe this will be a good chance to ask her about her family. You'd rather not bring her mood down, but with such an apogee, the nadir might not be as dangerous to everyone involved.

You collect your own food, and take a seat at the same table as Clarissa. She gives you a nod of acknowledgement as she starts in on her dinner.

You pick at your food in silence for a while, trying to think of a good way to broach the topic.

> "How did you find your day off, Captain?"
> "Do you think you'll be able to go back to work tomorrow?"
> "May I ask some questions about your family?"

>>36260517
> William is still stuck in Clarissa's office, maybe he has some insights

>>36260717
>> "How did you find your day off, Captain?"
From here we can segue into what she was avoiding because of her day off.

>>36260717
>> "How did you find your day off, Captain?"

Don't ask it in public. Ask it perhaps before we turn in.

>>36260717
>> "How did you find your day off, Captain?"

First thread I've managed to catch and I have to take a leave of somnolence. You assholes better not have fucked everything over when I wake up.

>>36260801
We'll assassinate our mark, don't you worry.

>How'd you find your day off to be, Captain?

An easy question should be a good segue into the more thorny business of gaining some more information on why someone in Clarissa's own family would be trying to cast spells on her.

Besides, you're curious about how Clarissa could have spent most of the day hammering away at the training dummies and not gotten bored. "How did you find your day off, Captain?"

"If you are trying to be considerate of my feelings, Nicole," Clarissa says, still working through her food, "don't. As I said earlier, I am not made of glass. I will not shatter so easily."

You contrast this confidence with the black mood that had overtaken Clarissa when you first discovered the conduit cube. "The question still stands, Captain."

Clarissa slows down long enough to give you a look of contentment. "I found it quite productive, in its own way. I know I was supposed to be relaxing, but this is, in point of fact, how I relax. I was out of practice anyhow; I must thank you for your suggestion to the Duke to find me an assistant. Perhaps it might give me some time to set aside for training."

Paperwork, training, and self-improvement. Maybe a little music on the side, if Clarissa ever remembers that she used to play the flute. You don't even know if Clarissa has a flute in her possessions anymore. The whole business with the nightmares and her family's possible involvement simply exacerbated her existing bad habits. "I think the point was for your free time to be used for something other than more work, Captain."

"We all have our ways of relaxing," Clarissa says.

If you're going to keep bringing up the point, you should probably come up with a hobby of your own. Maybe you could learn to play a musical instrument too.

>[1/2]

"What did the Duke wish to discuss with you?" Clarissa asks. "Assuming it is not confidential. It is just a little curious that he should seek you out, instead of, well."

Instead of herself or William. You have been wondering the same thing yourself. Maybe the Duke was just polling everyone who is close to Clarissa, and going down the list. You clamp down the desire to be present when the Duke gets around to asking Victor.

> "There's some ceremony in Whiteford coming up, and the Duke was invited."
> "It's nothing important."
> "I don't think I should say, Captain. At least not right now."
> "The Duke can probably explain it better."

>>36260961
>> "There's some ceremony in Whiteford coming up, and the Duke was invited."

>>36260961
>> "There's some ceremony in Whiteford coming up, and the Duke was invited."

>"There's a ceremony in Whiteford coming up, and the Duke was invited."

>>36260961

> "There's some ceremony in Whiteford coming up, and the Duke was invited."

If Clarissa doesn't find out from you, she'll probably find out soon enough, possibly from the Duke himself. "There's some ceremony in Whiteford coming up," you say. "The Duke was invited. He, uh, told me you were specifically mentioned in the invitation."

You see the faint twitch in Clarissa's expression only because you are watching for it. Clarissa starts counting under her breath, calculating dates. "Is it that time of year already?" she says mildly. "How time flies."

"What ceremony is it?" you ask.

"The annual Feast of Saint Walther," Clarissa says. "Celebrating his deeds in Whiteford, supposedly in the early days of the Old Empire. Bringing Whiteford into the Empire, and befriending and converting the animals and spirits of the land. Standard religious imagery. Invitations to other nations is a matter of formality, and everyone sends a representative or two. Human nations only, though; tradition dictates it."

Something about the way Clarissa says the word "tradition" catches your attention. A slight emphasis, laden with more emotional resonance than a simple pronouncement of facts about the festival. "Do the elves attend?"

"Esteria will probably send an ambassador," Clarissa says. "As a pointed message to Whiteford. Crystal Vale is too snooty to muddy themselves with human politics, and Ayrich is busy with their own affairs."

Including something about elven marauders, which you recall vaguely from your first day in Alvar. You can't quite remember the details, since you've only heard about it via eavesdropping, but it should be general news and thus not too difficult to learn about.

>[1/2]

"The Feast of Saint Walther is known for its wide variety of cuisine," Clarissa continues. "Most of the delegations from other countries will be trying to outdo each other in showcasing their regional delicacies."

"Is there anything else Saint Walther is known for?" you ask.

Clarissa shrugs. "Romantic liaisons. Such things never did interest me much."

You silently wish Victor good luck.

> "Do you have good memories of the Feast of Saint Walther?"
> "Will you be going? You'll probably have to meet your family."
> "If you don't mind my asking, Captain, has there ever been anyone you've been... interested in?"

>>36261205
>> "Do you have good memories of the Feast of Saint Walther?"
This can easily tie in with if she'll be going or not. After all, she is from there, IIRC.

>>36261205
>> "Do you have good memories of the Feast of Saint Walther?"
>> "Will you be going? You'll probably have to meet your family."

>>36261205

> "Do you have good memories of the Feast of Saint Walther?"

You don't know much about Clarissa's past. Until the Duke had informed you, you didn't even know that she was not from Wellsbet, although her name should have given it away. Her Whiteford accent had been worn away in the time since she arrived in Wellsbet; you wonder if it was on purpose.

"Do you have good memories of the Feast of Saint Walther?" you ask.

Clarissa's gaze fades into memory. "It was all about the food for me, back in those days," she says. "From all around the continent, and even the world; there was one time Kajata sent an entourage, all the way across the oceans. Divine only knows how they received an invitation. There was some kind of fruit, all hairy and angry-looking, but sweet and juicy inside. I laughed when my brother told me the translation of the name was literally 'hairy fruit'. It showed me that even people from a strange, faraway land were really not all that different from us."

You reassure yourself that none of that was aimed in your direction, despite your skin tone. Silden was one of those places which was familiarly exotic, after all; strange and outlandish, but still with a shared history in the Empire.

Clarissa shakes her head, emerging from her reverie. "The Feast of Saint Walther began to lose its appeal when I grew up, and learned about the ceremonies around it. All prepared at great expense, to much fuss and effort, but resulting in nothing useful or productive, save for tradition. I hated the ceremony, and the pointlessness of it all. Most everyone else I knew hated it too. Saint Walther is long since past caring. And yet we continue a dead ceremony for no reason other than we have always done it that way for a thousand years."

>[1/2]

A complex piece of nostalgia, this Feast. This had the feel of something shaped and moulded over the years into an Opinion, which in lesser beings would be cause for thumping of tables and shouting in debates. For her part, Clarissa recites the litany as though she has just unearthed it from underneath the detritus of several years of life; a relic from days long past.

Clarissa gives you an apologetic smile. It is obvious she has not used that expression very often. "I did not mean to regale you with my own views and opinions. I am sure you will enjoy it, when you do go."

"Am I going to Whiteford as well?" You're not sure the status of knight-apprentice is lofty enough to be considered for an official delegation.

"Of course. As a squire-"

"Knight-apprentice."

"-knight-apprentice, you will have to be at ease in all forms of social situations. This will be a good opportunity for you to learn on the job, as it were."

You can only hope you will be able to catch up on your etiquette lessons by then. "And yourself?"

Clarissa swallows a sigh. "I will have to cope, will I not?"

> "The Duke said he was willing to decline the invitation for your sake, if you're not ready."
> "I will try to support you in any way I can, Captain."
> "Maybe we'll be able to get more clues about that spellcaster."
> "How long have you been away from Whiteford?"
> "You mentioned a brother?"

>>36261496
>> "I will try to support you in any way I can, Captain."

>>36261496
>> "I will try to support you in any way I can, Captain."

>>36261496

> "How long have you been away from Whiteford?"
> "You mentioned a brother?"

>>36261496
>> "I will try to support you in any way I can, Captain."
>> "You mentioned a brother?"

>>36261496
> "Maybe we'll be able to get more clues about that spellcaster."

>>36261496
> "I will try to support you in any way I can, Captain."
> "I will try to support you in any way I can, Captain."
> "You mentioned a brother?"

At Clarissa's current mood, meeting her family will either lead to an explosive confrontation, or another black depression. Frosty politeness may be the best you can hope for.

That, or some way to improve her outlook on the situation before the trip.

"I will try to support you in any way I can, Captain," you say. You're not sure how much that would be, but it's the thought that counts.

Clarissa evidently has the same opinion of your potential usefulness, but she is kind enough to mask her skepticism. "Thank you, Nicole. With any luck, it will not come to that."

"You mentioned a brother?" This seems like as good a time to ask about it as any. After all, Clarissa mentioned it herself.

"Ah, yes." Clarissa's face clouds. "Martin. You will probably meet him, should we go to the Feast of Saint Walther. He is in charge of the district of Ridelham, while my father deals with more... national concerns."

The nightmare spell requires some sort of close bond with the target, such as the bond of family. This does not leave a lot of suspects for the spellcaster, if Clarissa does not have a very large family. No wonder Clarissa is reluctant to talk about her brother and father. You don't think you've heard anything about her mother.

"What is he like?" you venture, with more than a little trepidation.

Clarissa purses her lips. "If you had asked me a week ago, I would have told you that he is a fine, upright man who deals even-handedly with all who make his acquaintance. A man of honour and skill. A good man, and a good brother."

Even you can understand the implications of that.

>[1/2]

Clarissa stands, collecting her empty plate. "I will see you later in our room, Nicole. Oh, and one more thing."

"Yes, Captain?"

"While I have no objections to your probation being lifted, and allowing you full freedom of movement... please don't get into any more trouble."

You hadn't planned on it, but plans always change. "I'll try not to, Captain."

"Do better than try." Clarissa fixes you with her best Knight Captain glare, before departing.

> Freedom of movement means a chance to visit the basement vault
> Second time's the charm for the wizard's tower
> Stay out of trouble, go back to your room

>>36261760
> Stay out of trouble, go back to your room

>>36261760
> Freedom of movement means a chance to visit the basement vault

>>36261760
>> Freedom of movement means a chance to visit the basement vault

>>36261760
>Second time's the charm for the wizard's tower
Let's NOT go to the basement the moment we're allowed to.

>Slightly Damp @QMdamp
>Sudden AFK for an hour or so, sorry.

Might want to post these notices in the thread too

>>36261760
You and your trap options, Damp!

>>36261760
>> Stay out of trouble, go back to your room

>>36261760
> Stay out of trouble, go back to your room

>>36261760
> Stay out of trouble, go back to your room

>>36261775
>>36261947
>>36261948
>>36261990
I SUPPOSE we still have a lot of reading to do...

>>36262003
Well, the DUKE HIMSELF did say we were sorely lacking.

Though I think it was a little unfair of him.

Given that you have just been allowed back into the good graces of the palace authorities, you should probably not test your luck so soon. The vault will still be there tomorrow, and the day after, and so on.

You hope.

You return your plate as well, and wander back out into the Great Hall. Evening in Alvar palace is a relatively busy time, with servants and guards changing shifts and nodding greetings to each other as they pass. Few of them pay much attention to you, which should remain the case while you remain within the areas you are expected to be in.

If you're to explore the vault, it might be a good idea to pick a more quiet time.

Nothing of note happens as you return to your room. You begin to feel the need for a shower, given that you have been wearing the same clothes for two days.

Clarissa is already there, seated at her desk, upon which are a few official-looking documents. She looks up guiltily when you enter.

"This is not work," she says defensively. "I am just looking through these to, er, prepare myself for tomorrow."

You're more impressed that Clarissa has somehow managed to smuggle these documents out of her own office while being watched by yourself and William for the entire day.

> "Please remember that you are supposed to be on break today, Captain."
> "It's all right, Captain. If you feel better doing some work, it's your decision."
> "How did you even get those papers here?"
> "Don't mind me, Captain. I'm just going to have a shower."

>>36262216
> "Don't mind me, Captain. I'm just going to have a shower."

>>36262216
> "Don't mind me, Captain. I'm just going to have a shower."

>>36262216
> "How did you even get those papers here?"
> "I'm just going to have a shower and when I get back you better not be doing any 'not work'."

>>36262216
>"Why don't you imagine new training regiments/tests for the guards, like what you had me do?"
> "Don't mind me, Captain. I'm just going to have a shower."

>>36262216
>> "It's all right, Captain. If you feel better doing some work, it's your decision."
>> "How did you even get those papers here?"
>> "Don't mind me, Captain. I'm just going to have a shower."

A kvesthon, Damp:

When there is no >Other option, is it safe to assume it's still there or are you going to take the options given only?

>>36262216
>> "How did you even get those papers here?"
>> "Don't mind me, Captain. I'm just going to have a shower."

>>36262341
Write-ins for >Other are always welcome, subject to the same voting standards as the other options.

The exception is if I think it's astoundingly suitable, in which case I'll just steal from it unrepentently.

>>36262374
Roger doger, good to know.

It would probably be amusing to someone, somewhere, that you are now acting in the role of a disapproving parent or nanny for your disobedient commanding officer. Given that your commanding officer is Clarissa, though, you don't think it would be safe to crack even the slightest of smiles.

"Please don't mind me, Captain," you say, edging casually towards your wardrobe. "I'm just going to have a shower."

Clarissa nods. She also tucks away the paperwork unobtrusively, which is a positive step.

You collect your toiletries, towel, and a change of clothes. The silk nightgown stays in the wardrobe for now; you have enough clothes from your recent shopping trip to use a few of the more comfortable ones as pyjamas, thus extending the lifespan of the nightgown.

Some of the showers are in use, but you find a empty stall for yourself. The hot water is still available, which is a pleasant change; you spend some time soaking, revelling in the luxury. Maybe you can visit the communal bath on the first floor for the servants next time.

You are on your way back to your room when you see William walking towards you, on his own way to the showers. He looks as though he has just finished with his work. To your complete lack of surprise, he is also not wearing a shirt.

> "Good evening, sir. How was your work today?"
> "Do you really walk around like this all the time?"
> Ignore him and walk past
> Stare silently

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>36262430
> Ignore him and walk past
Rolling to avert gaze

>>36262430

> "Good evening, sir. How was your work today?"

>>36262430
> Ignore him and walk past

>>36262430
>> Ignore him and walk past

>>36262430
>> "Do you really walk around like this all the time?"

>>36262430
> "Good evening, sir. How was your work today?"

>>36262430
>"Good evening, sir. How was your work today?"
>"I regret to inform you that the Knight Captain managed to sneak some papers into our room. I wonder if doing so was fun for her?"

>>36262430
>> "Good evening, sir. How was your work today?"

Once again, you refuse to let William provoke you, although in this case you don't think William is even aware that his state of undress is in any way improper. He does not even appear to notice you, except merely as a moving obstacle to avoid on the way to the showers.

Of course, just because you feel the faint pang of sympathy for him does not mean that he deserves more than the minimum level of politeness, at least until he puts on a shirt.

"Good evening, sir," you say. "How was your work today?"

William squints at what is undoubtedly an indistinct shape blurred by fatigue that may or may not be a fellow sentient being, until it resolves into you. "Oh. Nicole. Next time I volunteer to take over Clarissa's duties, please remind me what a terrible idea it is."

Maybe Clarissa should consider delegating more of her work to William; it would solve part of her problem with the workload, and it would make William too exhausted to indulge in his smugness. You compare this to the early days of your knight-apprenticeship, when Clarissa appeared to be handling William's added workload with little more than a bit of extra grumbling, even while suffering from the nightmares. "What form should this reminder take, sir?"

"A punch should be a clear enough message," William mutters.

You have your own reasons to hit William, but any excuse will do. "Understood, sir."

William slouches off towards the showers with a distracted nod. You hurry off before his tired brain can replay the conversation and pick up on the obvious warnings.

Back in your room, Clarissa has apparently resigned herself to an early night devoid of work. She is looking speculatively at the books on your desk.

"Would you like to borrow them to read, Captain?" you offer.

"No, thank you," Clarissa says. "I already have, a long time ago. Well, the book of law, at least; the history I learned from elsewhere. Have you finished the books yet, Nicole?"

>[1/2]

You have, since the previous night. You should return them in the morning, just before your other duties for the day. Maybe you can borrow another two books to replace them, including one on the nobility of Whiteford. "Yes, Captain. They were very educational."

"Do you read because you wish to, or because you were on probation?" Clarissa asks, curious. "I commend you on your studiousness, but books alone will not teach you all you need to know."

A bit of both; prevented from exploration, you were left without much else to do. "I have much to learn," you say, with absolute honesty. The Duke himself had rebuked you about it, after all. "Reading about it is, uh, quiet. It doesn't bother anyone else."

"Would that you were born in a modern city like Alvar. I mean no offense to the village of your birth, but you clearly have potential that might be better brought out with more education and experience."

You need to tread carefully around this one. "My teachers did the best they could, Captain. I don't think they expected this."

"Oh, of course." Clarissa readies herself for bed. "You are meeting Alain tomorrow, are you not? Guard Commander Hendersworth, I mean."

"Yes, Captain." Assuming nothing else happens between now and tomorrow. Given your time in Alvar thus far, you would not want to lay odds either way.

"Are you looking forward to it?"

> "It'll be good to get out of the palace and into the city. Sometimes it feels a little confined in here."
> "The murders must be stopped. I want to help."
> "I don't like the thought of having to skulk in the shadows, but I'll do what I can."
> "It's a duty assigned to me, Captain. I will do my best regardless."
> "To be honest, I'd rather stay here and keep an eye on you."

>>36262746
>> "I don't like the thought of having to skulk in the shadows, but I'll do what I can."

>>36262746
> "It'll be good to get out of the palace and into the city. Sometimes it feels a little confined in here."
> "I don't like the thought of having to skulk in the shadows, but I'll do what I can."

>>36262746
>"I don't like the thought of having to skulk in the shadows, but I'll do what I can."
but

> "It'll be good to get out of the palace and into the city. Sometimes it feels a little confined in here."

>>36262746

> "The murders must be stopped. I want to help."
> "I don't like the thought of having to skulk in the shadows, but I'll do what I can."

>>36261867
I wish he'd outsource less of his posts to twitter in general. Especially now that he's on the QM directory he should really be more picky about what to tweet and what not to tweet.

>>36262746
> "It's a duty assigned to me, Captain. I will do my best regardless."

>>36262789
eh, if its related to the quest its fine there

>>36262746
>"It'll be a good way to see the city, both in its highest and lowest points."

>>36262836
Yes and no. The primary purpose of being on the directory is tweets about run time and schedule. Things that relate to your quest are kind of okay but would usually belong in your thread where the people who care already are. Sending them to Twitter seems like an unnecessary detour and doing it a lot will eventually annoy people who don't follow the quest because it clutters the directory.

>>36262905
>sending messages to twitter will bother people who don't check that twitter

Are you stupid?

>>36262954
OP's tweets are retweeted to the QM diretory so they will bother people who don't check his twitter.

>>36262954
https://twitter.com/Eisenstern/lists/quest-runner-directory

Lists, anon. They're amazing.

>>36262976
If its about the thread its fine, if its spamming crap about GG or other unrelated things, then you've legitimate grounds to whinge.

Your answer remains the same as it was when Clarissa first proposed the assignment. "I don't like the thought of having to skulk in the shadows," you say. "But I'll do what I can."

"I do not think Alain will send you off without backup," Clarissa says. "He is rather short-handed on staff as well, however, so you might have to learn to work with someone a little less... professional."

With William as your direct superior, you do not foresee any difficulty with this potential complication.

"I am sure you still recall our conversation about the ideals of knighthood and its various forms," Clarissa says. "So I shan't repeat it. In any case, you must be glad to have a chance to explore the city further, now that your probation is lifted."

"It will be good to get out of the palace," you admit. "And into the city. Sometimes it can feel a little confined in here." And you'll get to see how the Alvar underworld works, if you remember the terms of your assignment correctly. You're not sure how the City Watch can insert a knight-apprentice into the lower society of people not quite welcoming to most forms of official authority, especially someone with a distinctive appearance like yourself, but maybe Guard Commander Hendersworth has a plan.

"Your schedule should be determined by Alain," Clarissa continues. "If he is done with you by the afternoon, be sure to return to the palace for your lessons. Although I believe the subjects being taught are math and Elvish, so you should just attend the language lesson if you feel you have to."

"Captain?"

"What is it, Nicole?"

"You're still not supposed to be working."

Clarissa makes a face of chagrin. "This enforced holiday is more stressful than any of my actual work days have ever been."

You're not sure if this is hyperbole. Knowing Clarissa, she may be telling the unvarnished truth.

>[1/2]

"In any case," Clarissa says, "you may request help and advice from myself or William at any time you wish, although I must add that we do not keep many records of-"

She stops abruptly, for the fairly good reason of being distracted by the nightmare-absorber flaring into life.

At least now you know the hostile spellcaster is not varying their tactics. You now have to start worrying about why not, and why the conduit cube had activated long before the nightmare-absorber had, but those are matters for another time, preferably with Elise present and wide awake.

"I believe that is the cue for us to take an early night," Clarissa says tightly.

You would count yourself lucky if either of you could sleep very well now, nightmares or not. You are not the intended target of the spell, but all this is making you feel just as uneasy as if you were.

> Go to sleep anyway, wake up early tomorrow
> Maybe chat with Clarissa a while longer

>>36263091
>Lie in bed and wait for Clarissa to fall asleep before doing so yourself.

>>36263091
> Go to sleep anyway, wake up early tomorrow
Nicole hasn't had a proper night's sleep ever since she started this whole knight-apprentice thing, has she?

>>36263091
>Go to sleep anyway, wake up early tomorrow
Before Clarissa. Wouldn't want to scare her by sleeping.

>>36263091
>Go to sleep anyway, wake up early tomorrow

>>36263091
>>36263103
This. Have faith in the wizzard, but let Clarissa feel comforted with her squi-knight apprentice watching over her. Or possibly creeper out. Who knows

>>36263091
> Go to sleep anyway, wake up early tomorrow

>>36263091
Go with >>36263103.

You had intended to quietly wait until you are sure Clarissa is safely asleep before you drift off yourself. Unfortunately, having only had a nap this morning to make up for your vigil the previous night, you are only aware of the futility of this plan when you are awakened through sheer force of habit in the pre-dawn light.

For once, you have awoken earlier than Clarissa, who is still deep in restful slumber; the nightmare-absorber continues to do good work.

You quietly pad out to the washrooms to clean up and prepare yourself for the day. You do not meet anyone on the way, including William, with or without a shirt. The palace is quiet, although the murmur of activity from below-stairs is a sign that the servants have had an even earlier start to the day than yourself.

Back in your room, Clarissa is still asleep, but slowly drifting back into consciousness. You are in the middle of changing into your uniform when you finally hear her speak. "Good morning, Nicole."

"Good morning, Captain." You begin braiding your hair with practiced ease.

Behind you, you hear Clarissa rise from her bed. "Did anything happen last night?"

"No, Captain. Nothing to report." You are fairly confident that anything untowards would have awakened you, or at least caused some commotion in the rest of the palace. Everything seems refreshingly normal, this morning.

On cue, the nightmare-absorber flickers off.

"That never ceases to remain eerie," Clarissa declares.

"What are you planning for today, Captain?" you ask, wrenching the subject back to something not involving hostile magic.

"I intend to report to the Duke, first thing," Clarissa says. "And then I shall see what William has made of my work. He is competent," she admits, "but I would feel much better after I check for myself."

"Should I remind you that you are supposed to be getting an assistant, Captain?"

"That is an entirely separate matter," Clarissa says breezily.

>[1/2]

It's not as though you can change Clarissa's workaholism in just one day. Presumably William and the Duke have been trying for far longer than you have. "I will meet you in the kitchens for breakfast, Captain."

"Feel free to start without me," Clarissa says. "You do have an appointment to keep with the Guard Commander."

Which was never actually confirmed, much less given an exact time, but you should probably turn up bright and early anyway.

"Do you know where the Southgate Watch House is?" Clarissa asks.

"Er." You assume it is at the southern gate of the city of Alvar.

Clarissa gives a moderately complex set of directions, which you attempt to commit to memory. "If all else fails," she says, "ask one of the maids to bring you there."

Or you could ask around. Or obtain a map. There should be maps for tourists, shouldn't there? Maybe you can check the library later.

The palace of Alvar is still waking up for the day, and the skeleton shift of night guards are winding down in preparation for their shift change. Therefore, as you step into the Great Hall, you are pretty sure you are the only person to see a flash of movement heading down the stairs to the basement.

> See suspicious person, chase suspicious person
> Probably just a maid; ignore it and go have breakfast

>>36263408
> See suspicious person, chase suspicious person

>>36263408
> See suspicious person, chase suspicious person

I don't think there are any guards or normal posts in the basement are there?

>>36263408
> See suspicious person, chase suspicious person

Oh, probation lifted? Let's go fix that.

>>36263408
> See suspicious person, chase suspicious person

>>36263408
> See suspicious person, chase suspicious person
Recent events give us an excuse if it turns out to be nothing.

>>36263408
> See suspicious person, chase suspicious person

>>36263408
>See suspicious person, chase suspicious person
We can't help it. We're just too curious.

It's not like we WANT our captain to scold us. Honest!

>>36263397
> See suspicious person, chase suspicious person
Curiosity killed the cat, but eh.
It's doubful a not suspicious human like Nicole does risk anything suspiciously sneaking down suspicious stairs in order to suspiciously track a suspect shadow to a suspicious basement countaining suspicious artifacts suspiciously used as a suspicious mean to arm our beloved captain, is it ?

>>36263565
Good thing we're not a cat and are 100% genuine human.

>>36263597
Yes, nothing strange about us. At all. Just a boring old (deliciously brown) human.

>>36263597
>Good thing we're not a cat and are 100% genuine human.
No, we're Clarissa's childhood cat who became human and wants to protect her master.

>>36263643
That would be surprisingly adorable and I am 100% okay with that.

Theory, the spell was less useful than the bond implied by it. Whatever effect the spell was having on her mental health, the revelation that it could only have been cast by someone who she trusted and loved is clearly having a much more devestating effect. The longer it goes on without some closure, the more it will hurt her and make her paranoid, as the only people who COULD be responsible are those whom she trusts. Soon, she will cease to trust anyone, becoming a recluse.


I approve of this mystery mage's methods.

>>36263669
Too bad she has an awkward cute brown squire now. But they couldn't have predicted that.

As far as you can tell, the guards seldom patrol the basement, on the basis that there is very little worth stealing from there. Given the recent break-in to the vault, though, the Duke may have stepped up security.

Or he might trust that the rest of the palace guards are sufficient, since the patrols that were in place failed to detect the intruder, and it is of little use to guard the metaphorical barn doors after the livestock have already escaped.

You had not seen more than the impression of something moving fairly swiftly. This could be simply a maid heading down to the basement to sweep up; it was certainly well-maintained, which lends credence to that theory.

You'd rather make sure for yourself, though. And if it gives you an excuse to check the vault of artefacts, so much the better.

You descend the stairs cautiously, ready to react to any sudden surprises. Or surprises not so sudden; you begin to formulate excuses for your curiosity should you discover some innocent servant or guard performing their rightful duties down below. As a knight-apprentice, you are well within your rights to investigate strange occurences, especially when they may have something to do with the exciting series of events surrounding your commanding officer.

You are faintly disappointed when you finally reach the bottom of the stairs, and see nothing but an empty basement corridor.

>[1/2]

On the one hand, you have not caught a guilty intruder in the act, which is always a little embarrassing after all that build-up. On the other hand, you know you saw movement heading into the basement, which makes it all the more suspicious that the source of that movement is nowhere to be seen.

You don't see anything else out of place. The vault doors appear firmly closed as they should be. The long straight corridor is completely empty. The various storerooms off the sides might be a different matter, though; you can't tell whether anyone is hiding in them from here.

"Nicole? What are you doing here?"

You hadn't noticed Lily approach behind you, which is a feat in itself. Given that she is behind you and not in front, it is highly unlikely for her to be that movement you saw. "Uh. Good morning, Lily. What brings you here too?"

"I'm here to pick up a bottle of wine," Lily says, puzzled. "For the kitchen. Is something the matter?"

> "I thought I saw someone suspicious come down here, and I wanted to check it out."
> "Did you see anything unusual when you came down?"
> "It's nothing. Just my imagination."
> "It's nothing. I just had something I wanted to do down here, but I won't get in your way."

>>36263716
> "Did you see anything unusual when you came down?"

>>36263716
>"I thought I saw someone suspicious come down here, and I wanted to check it out."
There's actually nothing wrong with the truth for once. And she may react in interesting ways, maybe.

>>36263716
> "I thought I saw someone suspicious come down here, and I wanted to check it out."
> "Did you see anything?"

>>36263716
>> "I thought I saw someone come down here, and I wanted to check it out."
No need to mention it was suspicious, else she might get flustered and think we're after her secrets and are trying to strongarm her by appearing in out-of-the-way places 'coincidentally'. And no-one likes misunderstandings

>>36263716
> "I thought I saw someone suspicious come down here, and I wanted to check it out."
maybe question her about her fake suspisciousness from earlier

>>36263716
>"Did you see anything unusual when you came down?"
>Are you secretly better at this sneaking thing than I am?
kidding, don't actually say that.

>>36263716
> "I thought I saw someone suspicious come down here, and I wanted to check it out."
> "Did you see anything unusual when you came down?"

>>36263716
> "It's nothing. I just had something I wanted to do down here, but I won't get in your way."
"But if you could guard the entrance while I check the shelves, it wouldn't be bad either."

>>36263685
>squire
Knight-Apprentice.

>>36263921
Damn, over 20 minutes before someone corrected me. You anons are getting sloppy.

>>36263943
Just like Nicole?

"I thought I saw someone suspicious come down here," you say. "I wanted to check it out." Which is most of the truth, and a decent reason for your presence here.

Lily cranes to look past you. "There's nobody else here, though. Are you sure?"

You're quite sure you saw movement in the stairs leading down to the basement. Now that you think about it, you're not sure this actually means someone had gone into the basement. Of course, continuing that line of thought would probably lead to trying to find secret passages behind every stone from the stairs to the end of the basement corridor, which you definitely do not have time for today. "Did you see anything unusual?"

Lily's lips move slightly. You're pretty sure she just named yourself as the most unusual thing she's seen this morning. "Not really."

You move deeper into the basement, with Lily following behind. You probably can't indulge your curiosity about the basement vault with her present. "Why don't you take that wine back to the kitchen? I can handle things from here."

Lily shakes her head. "If we encounter that shadow I saw before, I don't want you to face it alone." She takes a deep breath. "Um. That is, I don't want to face it alone."

She does look a little pale. You can't imagine seeing a strange shadow would scare anyone that much, a month after they saw it for the first time, but given your own tumble down the wizard's tower, you are in no position to criticize.

>[1/2]

>>36263943
>>36263967
Just like Lily more like.

You begin a brisk search of each of the rooms in the basement, finding nothing more than the usual items placed in cool and dry storerooms. Lily sticks close to you, until you reach the room designated as the wine cellar. You wait patiently as she darts out and selects a bottle, apparently at random.

She returns to your side instead of heading back to the kitchens. Either she really is that scared, or she's keeping a close eye on you for reasons of her own. Given her recent behaviour, you're not sure which is more plausible.

You reach the vault doors, which are very firmly closed. Security had indeed been increased, via a heavy chain and padlock that had been wound around the door handles, making it technically more difficult to break into. Lockpicking is not one of your skills, although you've been thinking about picking it up one of these days. Certainly not in time to pick this particular lock at this particular moment, Lily's presence notwithstanding.

"I saw the shadow around here," Lily whispers, gesturing at one of the storerooms on the other side of the corridor. It appears identical to every other room, save for its location directly opposite the vault.

You still don't see anything suspicious. A longer, more thorough search might turn up something, such as convenient secret passages, but you have a schedule to keep to.

> "I don't think we'll find anything here. Sorry for wasting your time, Lily."
> "How often do the maids clean down here?"
> "Do you know who has the key to that lock?"

>>36264087
>> "How often do the maids clean down here?"
Followed by
> "I don't think we'll find anything here. Sorry for wasting your time, Lily."

>>36264087
> "How often do the maids clean down here?"
> "Maybe we should go back, for breakfast."

>>36264087
> "How often do the maids clean down here?"
> "I don't think we'll find anything here. Sorry for wasting your time, Lily."

And make sure to let Clarissa know and have some guards check it out.

>>36264087
>"How often do the maids clean down here?"
Do wine cellars smell particularly unique?

>>36264087
> "I don't think we'll find anything here. Sorry for wasting your time, Lily."
As we head back to the kitchens:
> "How often do the maids clean down here?"

>>36264087
> "How often do the maids clean down here?"

>>36264087
> "How often do the maids clean down here?"
lewd

>>36264087
> "I don't think we'll find anything here. Sorry for wasting your time, Lily."
> "How often do the maids clean down here?"

Thanks to Victor, we know there used to be secret passages through the palace before its renovations. We should look at old structural maps of the place in the library, see if there's another hidden door in the basement.

I also think we should tell Clarissa of our concerns. Like ask about the history of the building, then drop in the thought of secret passages.

"How often do the maids clean down here?" you wonder aloud. Sweeping and dusting the entire basement must be quite a chore.

"Every day," Lily says. "In the afternoon. Unless we're busy. Then we do it in the evening, before we turn in for the night." She shudders; you guess that her encounter with the mysterious shadow was during one such evening.

"Including the vault?"

"Oh, no, that's off-limits. The archaeologists don't want us to break something by accident when cleaning. I don't think it's very clean in there," Lily says, with professional disapproval.

You glance down at the floor. The events surrounding the discovery of the cube had been fairly chaotic, and you can't remember if there had been any footprints leading from inside the vault to mark the intruder's exit. You don't think so, and neither William nor Elise had mentioned it, so it was probably not a factor.

There are no footprints on the floor now, that you can see. Whatever it was you saw, it has disappeared beyond your capability to investigate.

"I don't think we'll find anything here," you tell Lily. "Sorry for wasting your time."

"It's all right," Lily says. "If there was something down here, um. I'm glad I didn't run into it alone, you know?"

Because if you hadn't decided to investigate, Lily would have been collecting that bottle of wine by herself. You don't think she would have encountered that unknown being, but fear is not an emotion open to rational arguments.

>[1/2]

The two of you return to ground level without further conversation. You consider asking Lily about her odd behaviour the previous day, but without any real proof, you can't exactly pin her down and interrogate her. Not when you already told Anders not to do so.

And Anders seems to think Lily is not a threat to the security of Alvar. He probably know what he's doing.

In the kitchens, breakfast is, once again, bread and butter. You don't see Clarissa anywhere; she must have come and gone while you were busy in the basement.

Lily disappears into the cooking area of the kitchens as soon as she can, with only a parting squeak that might generously be interpreted as a quick farewell.

You finish breakfast alone, mindful of the time. That delay looking for the intruder in the basement means you will probably be late for your intended bright and early meeting with Guard Commander Hendersworth, so it's a good thing that was never officially on the schedule anyway.

> Head to the library to return your books and pick up a city map
> Go report the mysterious movement to Clarissa
> Report to the Guard Commander at the Southgate Watch House
> Find a guide, then report to the Guard Commander at the Southgate Watch House

>>36264400
>Head to the library to return your books and pick up a city map

>>36264400
> Go report the mysterious movement to Clarissa
then
> Find a guide, then report to the Guard Commander at the Southgate Watch House

>>36264400
> Head to the library to return your books and pick up a city map

Don't bother telling Clarissa.

>>36264400
> Go report the mysterious movement to Clarissa
Ask for instructions again, write them down

>>36264400

> Go report the mysterious movement to Clarissa

>>36264400
>> Find a guide, then report to the Guard Commander at the Southgate Watch House

>>36264400
>>> Report to the Guard Commander at the Southgate Watch House

>>36264400
>Head to the library to return your books and pick up a city map
Nicole would just end up everywhere except where she should be.

>>36264400
> Find a guide, then report to the Guard Commander at the Southgate Watch House

>>36264400
> Find a guide, then report to the Guard Commander at the Southgate Watch House

We can't postpone that forever.

>>36264400
>> Go report the mysterious movement to Clarissa

Whoops, was writing before the last vote came in. Sorry.

You run through the directions you received from Clarissa once again. In theory, it should be able to lead you to the Southgate Watch House, which, as far as you can tell, is indeed somewhere in the vicinity of the southern gate of Alvar.

With your proven propensity to never end up quite where you intend, you decide that you'd much rather play it safe. You do not want to end up lost in the city and wasting even more time.

You need to find a guide, though. Your first choice would have been Lily, if only because you don't know very many people in the palace whom you'd be comfortable asking. Lily is still busy with her duties, though, and you would rather not pull her away simply to escort you.

You also recall some regulation or other about knights needing to be armed when out and about on duty. Clarissa keeps her sword in her office when not in use; you're not sure what arrangements William has with his sword, but it probably doesn't matter. Maybe you can ponder the problem of the guide on the way to the armoury.

The training courtyard has the usual complement of guards in the middle of training. They glance over at you as you cross the yard; a few of them grin, wave, and pat their pockets, in an obvious reference to the training exercise several days ago. You wave back awkwardly, unused to the feeling of brushing up against camaraderie.

Roderick is ready with another proverb as you approach. "The test of the author against the plagiarist is in the sequel," he states. You don't know this one.

"Good morning, Roderick," you say instead. "I'm here to collect my sword."

"Right. Wait one moment." He ducks back into the armoury.

>[1/2]

You spend the time observing the conduit cube while you wait. It is still glowing ominously, the patterns flickering to a new configuration every so often. Probably forty seconds, in some arcane timing significant to whomever created the thing in the first place.

A guard arrives at the armoury to return her training weapon just as Roderick returns with your sword. The guard smiles at you in greeting. "Hi. Going out into the city?"

You nod, as you accept your sword. "To the Southgate Watch House. Um..."

"Myra," the guard introduces herself. You finally recognize her as the female half of the pair of guards you first met on the first day. "And you're... Nicole, right?"

"That's right." Myra probably does not need to work through the intricate details of your full name. "Pleased to meet you, Myra."

"Weren't you headed to Southgate yourself, Myra?" Roderick comments.

Myra makes a face. "Yeah, I need to pick up some paperwork for the Knight Captain. Some bureaucratic thing."

> "Would you mind if I tagged along? I'm not too familiar with the city, and I'd rather not get lost on the way."
> "I still have a few more things to do before I go. I'll make it there on my own."
> "I still have a few more things to do before I go. Would you mind waiting for a bit?"
> "Is it a lot of paperwork?"

>>36264831
>William has with his sword
He keeps it around for Clarissa

>>36264842
> "Would you mind if I tagged along? I'm not too familiar with the city, and I'd rather not get lost on the way."

>>36264842
> "Would you mind if I tagged along? I'm not too familiar with the city, and I'd rather not get lost on the way."

>>36264842
>> "Would you mind if I tagged along? I'm not too familiar with the city, and I'd rather not get lost on the way."

>>36264842
> "Would you mind if I tagged along? I'm not too familiar with the city, and I'd rather not get lost on the way."

>>36264842
>> "Would you mind if I tagged along? I'm not too familiar with the city, and I'd rather not get lost on the way."

>>Whoops, was writing before the last vote came in. Sorry.
No worries.

>>36264846
All swords are to be kept for Clarissa's use.

>>36264842
> "Would you mind if I tagged along? I'm not too familiar with the city, and I'd rather not get lost on the way."

>>36265071
Meanwhile, on Guardcaptain Clarissa Harem Quest...

>>36265094
The waifu wars are heating up as the various factions argue over exactly what Nicole meant by "I will support you in anyway I can." Fapfics have already been promised.

And the problem of finding a guide is thus solved. "Would you mind if I tagged along?" you ask. "I'm not too familiar with the city, and I'd rather not get lost on the way."

"Sure," Myra replies immediately. "Always glad to help. It's not too difficult to find, but it's a bit of a distance."

The palace of Alvar is located roughly on the northeastern quadrant of the city, if you remember correctly. At a brisk walk, it would take somewhere under an hour to reach the south gate, but you had gotten turned around a few times the first night you arrived in Alvar, so you'd probably make better time if you knew what you were doing.

Myra leads the way out of the palace, with the nonchalant air of someone who has traversed this path countless times before.

"Do you often collect paperwork from the Southgate Watch House?" you ask.

"Lots of times," Myra says. "Always more and more documents for this and that. Sometimes they send couriers, sometimes we do. We're told over and over that we're not supposed to read it on the way, but it's an effort to read anything anyhow. Me and Marcus didn't get much schooling, see."

Marcus is the male half of the pair, you recall. You wonder if they are often assigned the same duties together.

>[1/3]

Myra turns out to be a bit of a chatterer, but she does point out useful landmarks on the way to Southgate. You make appropriate murmurs of response and appreciation at her observations on the city, the duties of guarding, and life in general. If what Myra says has any truth in it, the world outside Alvar is a howling wilderness of barbarism and poor manners, and only the decent hard-working people of Alvar can maintain their place in the world as the most sensible and proper of all sensible and proper sentient beings, with those from Gracewell maybe coming in at a grudging second place. No offense meant, of course, and your presence here in Alvar is just another sign of the Duke's highly-enlightened immigration policy, aimed at civilizing everyone who had the misfortune not to be born as a right and true citizen of Alvar.

On the upside, the torrent of opinions means Myra never gets a chance to ask about your past, beyond a cursory check on where you claim to be from. The usual answer of Silden is easily slotted into the blank spaces reserved for foreign parts which may well have their own charm, but are still not worthy of the respectability of Alvar, through no fault of their own.

You finally reach the Southgate Watch House, which has a sign above the entrance proclaiming it to be so. To your surprise, it has only taken a bit over half an hour since your departure from the palace. It certainly felt much longer.

"I'm headed for the records room," Myra says. "You'll be seeing the Guard Commander? Head up to the second floor and go into the big office on the right. Can't miss it."

>[2/3]

The big office does turn out to be unmissable, due to being the only office. To the left of the stairs is an open room with more cabinets and shelves packed with files and folders, as well as a small desk, currently unoccupied.

You hesitate outside the office, which does claim to be that of the Guard Commander, based on the plaque on the door. You can just barely hear voices inside; not loud enough to be able to eavesdrop, but still a familiar enough situation to remind you of your first day as a knight-apprentice.

> Knock politely and enter
> Wait until whatever conversation inside is finished

>>36265360
>> Knock politely and enter

>>36265360
> Wait until whatever conversation inside is finished
Then knock & enter

>>36265360
Yeah, >>36265376 is about right.

>>36265360
>> Knock politely and enter

>>36265360
>>36265376
This

>>36265360
>>36265376
Yeah, this. As soon as there is a pause, knock.

>>36265360
This >>36265376

>>36265323
soon this will be like Princess Guard Quest.

>>36265360
>Knock politely and enter
If we can't listen in, the conversation doesn't deserve to continue.

Forgot to add: for

> Wait until whatever conversation inside is finished

and variants, please roll 1d20, best of three.

>>36265601
We're not nearly as autistic or circle-jerky enough for that.

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>36265652

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>36265652

File: ThatFuckingCat.png (32 KB, 200x200)

32 KB PNG

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>36265652

What could possibly go wrong?

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>36265652

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>36265670
>>36265675

What.

File: Drink and smoke.gif (1.96 MB, 220x165)

1.96 MB GIF

>>36265670
>>36265675

>>36265671
Well for one you could cockblock two nat 20s in a row.

File: KyubeyThinksYouGotItWrong.png (77 KB, 500x500)

77 KB PNG

>>36265670
>>36265675
>>36265683

What the flying fuck, /tg/ dice

>>36265660
Yet.

File: kawaii as fuck.jpg (217 KB, 822x556)

217 KB JPG

>>36265670
Whenver Nicole does something that matters, it is with UTMOST PERFECTION!

>>36265724
When we start to even reach 300 posts regularly you can talk. I don't remember any other quests that almost reached 1000 posts that was mostly relentless waifu-faggotry and random screaming.

>>36265758
Let's hope that never happens.

Of course we got a 20. It's for sneakiness to hear what they are discussing.
We're naturals at stealth and combat.

>>36265758
Well, Hellborn and A Tale of Witches isn't. I'm getting similar vibes from this quest as in Hellborn so I think shit might stay in control.

Although SOME Anons got a little heated in the last thread over shadowruns.

>>36265768
It would require a major shift in demographic for this quest.

I mean we have 41 IP's, but nobody is trying to waifu anyone, which I actually like.


>>36265796
Yeah, but shadowruns and waifu wars are different. Not completely, but a little.

>>36265810
Anon is mai waifu

As a new knight-apprentice, and one assigned on to the city guard for training on the job, it is not your place to interrupt a conversation in progress. You're not sure how the Guard Commander will react to your presence; while he did request the help of a knight of Alvar for the murder investigation, he probably expected someone more experienced. William, perhaps, or the as-yet unmet Donovan.

Unfortunately, they only have you.

Even so, you intend to be as helpful as possible. You're not all that thrilled with the idea of lurking in the shadows, but you have to admit it is your best talent, as far as anyone else knows. How the Guard Commander plans to use your skills is entertaining to speculate about, if rather worrisome.

The conversation inside seems to have ceased. You raise your hand to knock on the door, which is about as far as you get before the door is suddenly flung open, and an unexpected bundle of energy barrels out at high speed.

From the moment the door opened, though, you had smoothly stepped to the side, thus avoiding the almost inevitable collision. As an afterthought, you snake your hand out and grab the collar of the woman who had dashed out of the room, arresting her forward momentum and preventing a rather messier collision with the stacks of paperwork in the room directly across from the office.

"Thank you, knight-apprentice," a voice calls out from inside the office. Based on the fact that it is a basso male voice, you assume this to be Guard Commander Alain Hendersworth.

>[1/2]

The woman you had snagged makes several choking noises, and you release your grip on her collar. "Sorry," you say.

The Guard Commander steps out of his office to survey the damage, or lack thereof. A tall man in a set of full, well-used armour, he looms over you, but his gaze is very much approving.

"Knight-Apprentice Nicole," he rumbles, "welcome to the Southgate Watch House. May I introduce Constable Marianne Farnston, your new partner."

"Ack," Marianne says by way of greeting.

> "Are you all right, Constable?"
> "Thank you, Commander."
> "How did you know my name?"
> "Did I interrupt something?"

>>36265849
"A pleasure to meet you, Guard-Commander Hendersworth. And you as well Constable Farnston."

>>36265836
> "Thank you, Commander."
> "Are you all right, Constable?"

>>36265849
> "Thank you, Commander."
> "Are you all right, Constable?"
> "I hope I did not interrupt anything."

>>36265849

> "Are you all right, Constable?"
> "Thank you, Commander."

>>36265849
> "Thank you, Commander."
>"Are you all right, Constaple?"

>>36265796
Well we have plenty of shadowruns...
Back to our regular scheduled parody, the readers are treated to another flashback of Clarissa's family. It once again raises more questions then answers.

>>36265905
Damp's piling questions on top of questions like they were... pilable things. Pilable is totally a real word.

>>36265834
personally I prefer Anon over Anon.

>>36265849
> "Thank you, Commander."
> "Did I interrupt something?"

>>36265849
>"Are you all right, Constable?"

>>36265918
But anon is clearly superior to anon. Don't even get me started on what an annoying bint anon is.

>>36265758
Man many other quests have reached 1k posts, it's not a rare occurrence, not should you feel special about it. The reigning king of them all is still BFQ that regularly had 1.5k+ threads every day, and sometimes twice a day, for 125 threads, with several eclipsing 2k and 2.5k post counts.

>>36265836
> "Thank you, Commander."
A Knight respects the hierarchy.
At least its appearance. Somehow. When (s)he remembers to.

>>36265918
youre waifu a shit

>>36265849
> "Thank you, Commander."
> "Are you all right, Marianne?

>>36265953
I just said that I remember, not that they never happened.

And I don't feel special about being in PGQ. I just shake my head that I even stayed long enough to see the first super big explosion that knocked off a huge chunk of players.

>>36265849
>> "Are you all right, Constable?"

>>36265985
I'm amazed that QM still has any players, you cannot find a better example of how to not QM a quest than PGQ

>>36266126
He has a very small group of dedicated players that are more than likely still there because their waifu won.


It's sad because he's not necessarily a bad story writer, just a horrible DM/QM.

>>36266126
Nope! This is Quest General stuff.

Super careful now.

>>36265985
>>36266126
Oh yeah out of curiosity which waifu won? Since I dropped it before something like that was reached.

>>36266184
Luciana, the lewd princess

>>36266184
The other princess girl, Marianne's friend whatserface. But >>36266163
is right, we should probably stop.

Getting pretty off topic there anons, take it the the /qtg/ if you wish to continue that conversation.

>>36266208
Take it to your moms a slut.

Anyways. Is there any current consensus on what's up with Lily?
I don't think we got any resolution on that family conflict of hers.

>>36266234
No, largely because we no absolutely fuck all about Lily besides she's an elf, likes cake, works as a maid and is being deliberately suspicious.

>>36266247
We should probably ask her about that, but I feel that may be an invitation to make her ask about us and I don't want that.

>>36266247
Clearly a lesbian.

File: Quest-Marianne.jpg (69 KB, 601x965)

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Your first meeting with your partner in the City Watch is quite a bit more intense than you had expected, but you manage to fall back on polite civility. "Thank you, Commander."

You help Marianne back onto her feet. The young woman recovers quickly, and snaps to a salute. "Pleased to meet you! I hope we can work well together!"

You take a step back in the face of the blast of sheer enthusiasm. "Er. Pleased to meet you as well. Are you all right, Constable?"

"Never better! That was really something, how you just got out of the way and then grabbed me and then you just did it all like you do it every day! Do you do it every day?"

"Not as such," you say, nonplussed. You're not sure you can work for extended periods with someone so aggressively cheerful, but to be fair, Clarissa did warn you about this.

"While Clarissa said you are quick on your feet, I didn't think you were that quick," the Commander says. "I am very impressed. How is Clarissa, by the way?"

"She's fine," you report. "I think the Captain is happy to get back to work, though."

"I can imagine." The Commander gives you both a nod of polite dismissal. "I have to make my rounds, but Marianne should be able to brief you on the case. I'd be happy to give you a more detailed briefing should you need it, later."

"Yes, Commander." You glance uncertainly at Marianne, who is vibrating with excitement. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything important."

"Not at all," the Commander says with a chuckle. "Marianne was just about to go fetch you, in fact. Consider yourself fetched."

"Come on," Marianne says, grabbing your hand. You flinch at the contact on reflex, but Marianne doesn't seem to notice. "We'll talk more down at the canteen."

>[1/2]

>>36266247
They want word from her about how she's doing at the college of pie bakers, and she's panicking on how to tell them that she dropped out because she hates pies and loves cakes and is working as a maid.

You suffer yourself to be led down the stairs back to the ground floor, and across a maze of corridors and cubicles. Various guards on paperwork duty glance up at Marianne's passing, and then do a double-take at your presence. You try to look as unobtrusive as possible, which is quite easy to do in Marianne's vicinity.

The watch house canteen is clearly designed to be able to feed large numbers of hungry people as efficiently as possible. Long tables and benches are arrayed across the sizable space, and a large kettle is set prominently on a stove in the corner. The canteen is populated by a few off-duty city watchmen, who keep to their own small huddles, paying only the minimum of attention to you. Marianne leads you to an empty table, and bids you to sit.

"This is the main Watch House of Alvar," Marianne says proudly. "Or Guard House. Same thing. There's four more all across the city, but Southgate is our headquarters."

"Constable-"

"Please, call me Marianne. Anyway! What did you want to know about?"

> "Could you give me details about the case? Who are the victims?"
> "I'd like to know more about my partner."
> "I'm curious to know what you've heard about me."
> "Are you always this cheerful?"

>>36266234
No clue. That goes for basically everything though so I just limit my votes to seemingly inconsequential stuff.

>>36266266
We're going to have to break down some time, we're currently walking a minefield of not asking people things but we're going to have to at some point.

>>36266269
Don't see it.

>>36266278
Amusing at least.

>>36266285
>> "Could you give me details about the case? Who are the victims?"
>> "I'd like to know more about my partner."

>>36266271
... Amelia isn't my first choice for "clandestine investigations" work. This should be fun.

>>36266285
> "I'm curious to know what you've heard about me."

> "Could you give me details about the case? Who are the victims?"

>Could you please let go of me?

>>36266294
Gay sex causes blindness m8

>>36266286
I'm not sure if you're not roleplaying hard enough or roleplaying too well.

>>36266285
> "Could you give me details about the case? Who are the victims?"
> "I'd like to know more about my partner."

>>36266308
That would require me to have had sex in the first place anon.

>>36266285
> "Could you give me details about the case? Who are the victims?"

>>36266285
> "Could you give me details about the case? Who are the victims?"
> "I'd like to know more about my partner. Skills and such."

I bet is always this cheerful and we do get to know even more about her.

>>36266294
>We're going to have to break down some time, we're currently walking a minefield of not asking people things but we're going to have to at some point.
Seeing how long before we break down is the best part

>>36266329
wooooooooooooooooooow what a loser

>>36266346
I want to know who we're going to risk angering first.


We already pushed Victor, but Clarissa and Lily are much harder propositions.

>>36266285

> "Could you give me details about the case? Who are the victims?"

>>36266351
Probably.

I've done some stuff, but just not sex.

>>36266285
>> "Could you give me details about the case? Who are the victims?"

>>36260801
10 hours later and you lot are still at it. I bet you all live on the moon.

>>36266386
>some stuff

L-like h-hold hands?

>>36266316
Well we know basically nothing about practically everyone. It's hard to commit to any theories when there's so little to go on.

>>36266408
Hold hands

Kiss

Kiss more.

HJ

Touch boobs

>>36266395
Still at what?

>>36266422
I meant that Nicole is trying her best to limit her actions to seemingly inconsequential stuff as well.

>>36266433
Still at playing. Don't you understand, Anon, we should be outside playing with out friends!

>>36266329
>>36266386
>>36266425
This isn't your personal blog.
That said, don't fret about being a virgin.

>>36266285
> "Could you give me details about the case? Who are the victims?"

>>36266449
I know, on both counts. Just replying to other anon. I'll stop.

>>36266285
> "I'd like to know more about my partner."
This gonna be fun
And let's talk about the case in a more confidential place.

>>36266449
I coaxed him. Coaxed him good!

I'll also stop now.

>>36266433
Questing. I figured the thread would be wrapped up by the time I got up. I obviously over/underestimated you moonpeople

>>36266126
At times it felt more like Fantasy Slice of Life Quest. So much nothing through so many threads. I tried to read through the archives but gave up eventually.

>>36266479
Second loser found.

>>36266285
> "Could you give me details about the case? Who are the victims?"
> "I'd like to know more about my partner."

Did the thread die?

Business first. "Could you give me details about the case?" you ask. "I don't even know who the victims are. I hear they are members of Alvar's underworld?"

Marianne sobers, in that she goes from an intense enthusiasm to an equally intense attempt at being serious and solemn. "Four victims," she says. "All people with a long history of crime. The first was, uh, half a year ago? Sometime around then. Known sneak thief and pickpocket, goes by the name of 'Freddy'. We never did find out his real name; nobody claimed the body."

Marianne seems rather sad about that. You take a moment to recall that some people believe that dying alone and unrecognized is a terrible fate.

"We don't know the identity of the next one, but he was apparently a thug-for-hire, based on the people who remember seeing him around before. He was found a week after Freddy. After that, nothing until a couple of months ago, when we found Black John, then his partner Dark-Eye a few days later. Black John and Dark-Eye are... were... burglars who liked to advertise their successes."

"How do you know all of these murders are connected?" you ask.

Marianne shudders, and points to her forehead. "All of them had at least one hole burned through their head. Definitely a burn, according to the mortuary guys. They also said the brains are all mushed, which is really yucky. We've never seen anything like it before, so Commander Hendersworth is calling it cruel and unusual."

You've never heard of anything like it before either. Which, you admit, is not saying a lot, given your inexperience. "Are there any leads?"

>[1/3]

"Not much," Marianne says. "Freddy the pickpocket was found really far outside his known turf, across the city, near the slums, which was also where Black John was found. Dark-Eye and Victim Two were found in more or less the same place, at the warehouse district. The closest we've had to a real breakthrough were the reports of weird shadowy people moving about in the warehouse area a few days after Victim Two and Dark-Eye were found, but they ran away whenever anyone comes near. Ran away really quickly, too."

You have a sneaking suspicion about your role in this investigation. "It seems a bit morbid to have to wait until someone else gets murdered before the investigation continues."

"I don't like it, but Commander Hendersworth says we don't have any other choice," Marianne says. "We're pretty much stuck until something happens. Nobody knows why the victims were killed the way they were. We've asked."

You can't think of any other suggestions.

"I know they're all criminals, but that shouldn't matter," Marianne says with some heat. "They're still people. And none of them deserved to die like that. I know we're short-handed, but I still think Commander Hendersworth should have put more people on this case." She stands indignantly. "It's just not fair!"

Your entire knowledge of legal rights and responsibilities comes from the Useful Manual of Wellsbet Law, which does not have a great deal to say about the moral obligation to seek justice for lawbreakers who meet fates they may or may not have deserved. "You're really passionate about this, aren't you?"

"Someone has to be," Marianne says with conviction. It sounds like an article of faith for her.

If you're going to be partners from now on, you should get to know this fiery constable better, if only because you have the impression she's more likely to get herself into trouble than even you. "Could you tell me more about yourself? If you're willing, of course."

>[2/3]

"Huh? Oh." Marianne sits back down. "Uh, I don't really have much to say. I joined the City Watch because I wanted to make a difference. I'm pretty new myself; I've only been part of the King's Own for a year."

More than your one week of knight-apprenticeship.

"They've put me on patrols for now, until they figure out what to do with me," Marianne continues. "This is actually my first case. I'm kind of nervous about it. But nobody else seems to care about it, so it's up to me."

Marianne seems to be bearing up well under the pressure. Or she might just be masking it under her incessant cheer. "Any skills or talents you're proud of?" you ask conversationally.

"Commander Hendersworth says I'm really energetic," Marianne says brightly.

A brief silence descends, until you realize that Marianne is done listing her achievements. "Oh. That's pretty good, right?"

Marianne nods. "I think so too!"

Well, you've also been reluctant to reveal your own talents, until they became relevant. Even if Marianne's sole good point is her energy, no doubt the City Watch could still find plenty of uses for that.

> "Is there anything I can do to help right now?"
> "When's your next patrol? Could I come along?"
> "Thanks for the briefing. If there's nothing else, I think I'll report back to the palace."

>>36267151
> "When's your next patrol? Could I come along?"
> "Thanks for the briefing. If there's nothing else, I think I'll report back to the palace."

Gotta babysit Clarissa.

>>36267151
> "Is there anything I can do to help right now?"
> "When's your next patrol? Could I come along?"

>>36267173
She is not a fragile flower, damn it.

>>36267151
> "Is there anything I can do to help right now?"

>>36267151
> "Is there anything I can do to help right now?"

>>36267186
She's an armored fragile flower.

>>36267151
> "Is there anything I can do to help right now?"

I'm getting a Jack the Ripper (Mike the Musher?) feeling from this killer.

>>36267214
She's a knight captain with family issues.

She's not a fragile flower.

>>36267186
>She is not a fragile flower, damn it.
She's OUR fragile flower, dammit!
I kid

>>36267151
> "When's your next patrol? Could I come along?"
Gotta work with genki girl.

>>36267261
She's a knight captain with a penchant for over the top displays of diligence and depression, often simultaneously.

She's a fragile flower covered in armor and buried under work.

>>36267336
I'd at least argue that she's a mentally fragile flower at most.

Oftentimes fragile flowers are actually physically fragile, which she is not.

But she does have many unresolved mental issues.

>>36267331
They specifically are setting her up with Nicole to try to get Nicole to loosen up. It's a conspiracy.

>>36267443
Nah, its the opposite, they want her to cool down. And maybe learn a few things from the surprisingly competent knight-apprentice.

>>36267364
Oh. I hadn't considered literal physical fragility (or lack thereof).

I could really like this buddy cop routine. You have the hyperactive and clumsy one acting as a perfect foil for the competent and calm one.

>>36267579
A real dynamic duo

As it stands right now, you're not sure what you can do here at the Watch House. You could try observing how a city guard goes about their duties. "When's your next patrol?" you ask.

"At eleven," Marianne replies promptly. "I usually have lunch on the way. There's this stall over at High Hill Street that makes these really good pies."

As good an observation target as any. "Could I-"

"Hey, do you want to come along?" Marianne asks. "It'll be fun! We'll get to walk the city and meet people and help them with their problems!"

You should have expected this. "I'd love to, thanks."

"Great!" Marianne beams at you. "I'm looking forward to it!"

Eleven is too soon to head back to the palace and do anything substantial, but it does leave you with some free time. "Is there anything I can do to help right now?"

"Hm, I don't know," Marianne says. "Oh, right! Why don't I give you a tour of the Watch House?"

You allow that this may very well be a productive use of your time. "That would be nice, thank you."

"Here, follow me." Marianne does not give you much of a choice, grabbing your hand once again. She still does not notice the reflexive flinch.

>[1/2]

The Watch House is a fairly new construction, and intended to be airy and spacious. This being a building for city guards, it immediately turned into a cramped, closed space, heavy with the gloom of city guards who just came off duty from seeing the worst that the city had to offer, as well as tense with the apprehension of those struggling with their reports.

"Most of us spend our time off the streets here, finishing up our reports for the day," Marianne explains. "We just grab any desk that's free. There are some spares in storage in case there are too many of us, but we just use the canteen in that case. Oh, by the way," she adds to the guard she just passed, "that's fifty-eight, not fifty-three."

The guard blinks, and double-checks his work. "Hey, you're right. Thanks, Marianne."

"No problem!" Marianne lowers her voice conspiratorially to you. "I help the others with their reports and accounts. We're supposed to do it by ourselves, but I always finish first, so why not help the others, right?"

> "That's very commendable."
> "Did you just correct his arithmetic after only a glance?"
> "Could you please let go of my hand?"

>>36267642
>> "That's very commendable."
>> "Did you just correct his arithmetic after only a glance?"
>> "Could you please let go of my hand?"

Dammit, I like all of them.

>>36267642
> "Did you just correct his arithmetic after only a glance?"

>>36267642
>>36267683

Agreed.

>>36267642
>> "That's very commendable."

And since I am seriously fading out, I'll have to call the thread here, sorry. (I'd been hoping to at least hit bump limit, but that's probably not going to work out.)

I admit I wasn't really in the mood for running the quest today, but it was scheduled, and so I ran anyway. I hope it ended up all right; apologies if it did not.

Next thread will probably happen within the next three days. I don't want to pin down a date, to prevent a repeat of today, but I'll definitely run again within the week.

Thanks for joining me on the quest.

>>36267741
I liked it, you did a good job. Now get some sleep.

>>36267741
Thanks for running! I like Marianne so far.

>>36267642
>> "That's very commendable."
You're going to have to get used to hand holding, Nicole.

>>36267567
Well, does it count as physical fragility if her comrades, equipment, and pretty much all of reality can't keep up with her?

>>36267642
>>36267683
Eh why not. Seconding.

>>36267741
And thanks for running, OP.

>>36267683
Eh I'm all for the Captain. New girl is a bit too hyper for me.

>>36267997
>Not going for the Duke

>>36268011
Stick with the age of appearance and go for Victor.

>>36268084
But Guard Captain quest has claimed him.

>>36267997
>>36268011
>>36268084
>Not waiting so we can evaluate all potential suitors

>>36267876
Perhaps in the sense that she needs to rely on those less fragile things to avoid discovering her mortality status.

>>36267997
Er...I was referring to all three dialogue options, not waifus/husbandos.

Nicole doesn't seem to be romantically interested in anyone. She even wished Victor luck in persuing the Captain.

>>36268224
Yet

Side note. Any of you DnD guys know of any creature/being of an alternate plane who may act like Nicole? Summoned creature may not be entirely accurate nor Golem.

I'm thinking it some sort of planer? Plainer? creature? Sorry not familiar with the terminology.

>>36268224
She loves all of them she just don't know what that feeling is.

>>36268224
We've got to at least figure out her secret before we start thinking about a waifu or husbando.

>>36268289
Maybe a summoned demon of sorts. At least it matches pointy ears and claws.

>>36268311
So we can put off the discussions until after the reveal in Act 3? Assuming we don't reveal too early and get bad ended

>>36268356
Where do you get Act 3 from?

>>36268438
The ask.fm

>There are four major arcs I have planned for Lessons In Knighthood. The "proper" discovery of Nicole's origins should happen in the third arc (the "Paladin arc").
http://ask.fm/qmdamp/answer/121585548750

>>36268438
http://ask.fm/qmdamp/answer/121580976078
http://ask.fm/qmdamp/answer/121585548750

>>36268483
Well that really takes the wind out of my sails.

>>36268483
>>36268499
Thanks for the links, anon

>>36268514
Don't worry anon, we'll still shadowrun. I figure the reveal is formally the characters, but we should be able to figure it out before then. We have been right once, just need to find what it was...

>>36268568
If someone could just gather all theories from the 8 or so first threads we'd have a finite list of possible solutions.

>>36268568
Well he says plainly right there we get the bad end if we find out early. Unless everyone just decides they don't care, which how can you at this point? It seems to be relevant to her at every turn, even though we have no idea why.

I guess we'll just have to keep dragging it out or...something.

>>36268741
I guess we should just ask Damp at some point.
Anybody want to ask his ask.fm, or should I?

>>36268741
What he says is that we'll get bad end if don't have enough people "on our side" when the truth comes out.

>>36268772
Nah. Most people seem to like not knowing. I guess it'd be best if it stayed that way. It's just annoying me.

>>36268931
Which we can't do until the second act at the earliest, even though we could find out sooner. So like I said, I guess we'll just have to drag it out.

>>36269059
Or become super social and befriend everyone and make them trust us.

>>36269095
Which is hard to do because Nicole is so secretive and weird because reasons.

>>36267642
Oh look, another fellow [thing] like us who can do math at a glance, like some sort of computer golem

>>36270879
Or a math demon or someone of superior elven intellect.

>>36271220
Or we could be a mild mannered accountant devil.

>>36271292
Accountant and lawyer devils are the best ones

>>36271314
Glad you know the score, anon.

>>36271350
You're a man of wealth and taste, good sir.

>>36265836
>You're not all that thrilled with the idea of lurking in the shadows, but you have to admit it is your best talent, as far as anyone else
knows.

>as far as anyone else knows.

>>36271541
And? We can't exactly speculate on what it is at the moment.

>>36271622
It definitely is something very impressive, since her lurking skills are pretty great. Since it hasn't come up yet, we have a little bit of context. Or context exclusion maybe.

Some kind of magic? She has an affinity for the cube, any deeper skills could have been glossed over in the posts to avoid giving them away.

>>36272009
I think poisons or stealth kills with her daggers.

>>36272009
It can't be magic, or at least not normal magic. We didn't understand enough of the technobabble if that was to bee the case.

>>36272082
And we seem to react badly too magic, and was especially afriad of the orb that was dangerous to summoned creatures.

>>36272082
I was thinking of some somewhat obscure branch of magical science, not straight up fireball slinging and ward making. Artificing, astrology, planeswalking, that kind of stuff.