>>37462811
Time for some fresh air. Sitting inside all day will give us a deathly pallor, plus garden work is nice and mind numbingly simple.

>>37462811
read a book

>>37462811
>Go get started on a garden

>>37462811
>Go get started on a garden

Some fresh air would be great right now. You’ve kept your house pretty closed up since you can’t afford anyone peaking in and accidentally noticing some of the more…colorful books on your shelves. Nothing illegal, you’re just aware at how odd your tastes can be and you’d prefer to minimize the rumors about you in town.

Putting on some plain clothes and grabbing the dried seeds you’ve been saving, you decide to get started on a garden. You can’t grow any vegetables or fruits and expect a lot of success since the summer is about to turn to it’s second half, but there is definitely time for a few herbs and some flowers. You smile as you think back to your castle at home and how your father took time away from his magical studies to help you plant your first batch of sunflowers. You work like this for a few hours, turning the soil, planting the seeds, and walking to a nearby creek to get water. You’re about to break for lunch when you see your friend Michael coming up the road.

“Hello!” Michael calls out, rushing up to your door. He’s holding a small pot in his hands which he immediately presents to you. “Happy Solaris! It’s from my father” You take the pot and open it up, it’s honey, high quality too.

“Thank you. This is a nice gift, but what exactly is it for?” You ask, putting the honey inside and returning to your doorstep.

“Oh, that’s right. You’ve not from around here so you wouldn’t know. Every year we have this festival celebrating the longest day of the year! The Baron comes over and so do a lot of other people from nearby communities. There will be a performance and free food and everything. Plus the Baron’s son is planning on propsing to some damsel he rescued from a dragon or a demon or something. Do you want to walk down?”

Do you
>Walk down with him now
>Tell him you’ll catch up later and clean yourself up
>Decline to go to the festival

>>37462811
>Go get started on a garden

Green thumb, zombie thumb, what's the difference?

>>37463086
>Walk down with him now
>Tell him you’ll catch up later and clean yourself up

Combine the two, cleaning up shouldn't really take too long, should it?

>>37463086
>>37463128
Dis un

>>37463086
Clean ourselves up. We're a gentleman afterall, and we do need to think of what people will say about us, both on the necromantic magic and the societal side of things.

>>37463128
Yeah, this should work.

>>37463086
>>37463128
This, a gentleman never appears to a party with ragged clothes. Michael can also point out the important people to us so we don't out ourselves.

>>37463086
>Walk down with him now
>Tell him you’ll catch up later and clean yourself up

>>37463086
>>37463128
Supporting. We've been working in the garden for a few hours. Wouldn't do to attend all scruffy.

You ask him if he’d be willing to wait for you to get yourself cleaned up so the two of you could walk over together. He seems a bit torn, looking towards the town with a slightly guilty look on his face, but he agrees. You head inside and let him wait in the front room while you clean yourself up in the bedroom. You wash some of the dirt off your face and hands and slip on a white shirt and a green doublet on top of that. In about ten minutes you’re cleaned up and ready to go.

When you come out, you see Michael is looking over your books. You tell him that you’d be willing to lend him one if he wants to read, but he suddenly gets sheepish.

“I…i don’t know how to read.” He admits, and he looks embarrassed.

“It’s fine. I lived a privileged life.” The two of you walk out and you lock the door behind you. “Maybe I could teach you? I love reading and it’s a great thing to share.” He just responds with a maybe and the rest of the walk is spent in relative silence.

- - -

The town is more alive than you’ve ever seen it. The main road is nearly packed with travelers and stands put up from the local business. Street performers doing fantastic tricks for a spare silver and people dancing every few feet. You’ve never been to a festival like this, and it’s a bit much to take in all at once. In the distance you see Michael’s father yelling at someone, and Michael groans.

[1/2]

“I have to go. My father is trying to play the merchant and given how much ale Carl gave him this morning, it can’t go well. Just enjoy yourself! The Baron will be giving a speech in about an hour and we can meet up then!” You barely hear the last part before he is lost in the crowd. You have a few options on how you can spend the time. The bar is open and giving out drinks for cheap, and the apothecary is selling all sorts of potions and salves for cheap, which would give you an opportunity to meet the girl and see how she’s doing after the assault by those adventurers. Finally, there is the notary and book shop, which is selling all sort of newly imported tomes your could browse through.

Do you
>Visit the bar
>Visit the apothecary
>Visit the notary

>>37463449
Let's make our way towards the apothecary, whilst enjoying the bear jugglers and other carnies. Let's spend silver here and there, stimulate the economy and such,

>>37463449
>Visit the Apothecary
I wanna meet the girl and see if there's any potions worth buying also
>Visit the Notary
Tomes, Tomes, Tomes!

>>37463449
>Visit the apothecary
I'm curious about her.

>>37463449
>>Visit the apothecary

>>37463449
Unrelated to current events; I have an idea for if/when we do something about the trolls.

In the Ask, it says our zombies are semi-autonomous. Presumably that means we could give them a set of instructions and set them to it.

Could we make a zombie animal (something small, like a weasel or something), rig it with some poison, and order it to avoid humans and search the area for trolls?

Or is that to complicated for them?

>>37463516
+1

>>37463449
>Visit the apothecary

You head to the apothecaries shop, dodging the crowd and sliding inside the door. It’s small, and there is something pungent in the air and definitely smoke, but it seems nice. There are glass jars and earthen pots filled with all sorts of ingredients. At the front desk is the apothecary, speaking to someone and filling some specialty order it seems. The man is dressed in noble robes and has all sorts of finery.

“I don’t know what you think is going to happen, but I’m following it to the letter.” The apothecary says, throwing another dash of something in and continuing the mixing.

“Don’t worry. Just follow the instructions.” He slides another piece of gold across the table and smiles to himself. Something rings a bit odd, but oh well.

As it goes on and you wait to speak with her, you notice that some of the ingredients being used have magical properties. The apothecary doesn’t seem to have any sort alchemic practice, so it must be just on the order of the noble. You know enough about magic to know that there is something else at work than just a paste for the noble's receding hairline. Your mother was on the track to be an Archmage before she met your father, and she insisted on a basis of training in more than just necromancy for you and your brother.

Do you
>Try to talk to the noble
>Try to talk to the apothecary
>Wait until he leaves

>>37463993
>Wait until he leaves

>>37463993
>Try to talk to the noble
Just strike up a casual conversation as we brose the shop.

Also, actually brose the shop, we might find something we want.

>>37463993
>Wait until he leaves
No reason to draw any unnecessary attention to yourselves.

>>37463993
>Wait until he leaves

Browse the shop. Afterwards ask the apothecary what ingredients he used so we can try to determine what it was he was making.

>>37463993
>>Wait until he leaves

You browse the shop, looking through the different jaws and taking note of just how extensive the apothecary’s stores actually are. You wouldn’t have guessed just how many possible reagents and ingredients for magical workings are available. As you wait for him to be done, an armed guard comes in.

“M’Lord? We found her. She was hiding out in the notary, your grace.” The noble sighs and throws yet another gold coin on the desk as the apothecary pours the powder into a paper envelope and hands it to the noble. After he is gone, you slide over to the desk and introduce yourself.

“Oh! You’re the one that Senior was talking about who…dealt with the local pest problem.” She says, raising an eyebrow a bit. “My name is Elise. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Charmed.” You make small talk, making sure after the way she was treated that she is all right and that business is still good. After a little while, you decide to pounce and ask about the ingredients that the noble was inquiring about.

“Well, I’m not supposed to. He paid for a rather extreme level of discreet service.” She says, looking a bit unsure about the situation as well. If you try, you might be able to convince her, but you don’t even know if this is something you should stick your nose in.

Do you
>Try to convince her
>Try to bribe her
>Drop the issue

>>37464182
>Try to convince her
I've dabbled in Alchemy ma'am I know whatever he had you made has magic on it. If he didn't use ingredients x,y,z I would be thinking it was for hairline of other potions to fortify his body, but it seems unlikely. The little bit of magic I studied makes me very ill at ease.

>>37464182
>Try to convince her
Probably not a good idea inquiring too deeply into what the local nobles are up to but what the hell.

>>37464182
>>Try to convince her

>>37464218
I'm gonna back this

>>37464182
>Drop the issue
Don't want to pressure her into professional misconduct. We wouldn't like someone to do it to us.

Given our families profession, we probably have our own code of client confidentially.

>>37464182
Drop the issue.

We do not want her to get in trouble over us. I'm sure we can find out somewher eelse.

>>37464182
seconding this>>37464218

“Listen. I understand the need for secrecy, more than anyone I can appreciate that. But I’ve studied a bit of Alchemy and I’ve dabbled in potion-making in particular. Now, those things weren’t just to help his hairline. I think I heard Jacet Root? Dried Nightshade? Dragon Tongue? Those are potent on their own and together just spells out something unsettling.” She bites her lip, then relents.

“Fine. Here’s a list of some of the ingredients.” she spits off the ingredients quickly, and their exact amounts. You’re impressed with her memory, but the more she speaks the clearer a picture you get until it all snaps together. It’s a Love Potion.

Well, Love Potion is actually a misnomer. It’s better classified as a ‘Incapable of Saying No’ Potion. A very distasteful and in some places illegal potion that simulates passionate love in someone. In the past it was used to smooth over arranged marriages and as an espionage technique to have enemies loved ones perform terrible acts for love. It has fallen out of use since it was impossible to regulate and more marriages were scrutinized when it more popular, but since they aren’t used, it would be possible to slip one into the equation and no one would really notice.

Do you
>Try to probe Elise for more information
>Leave the shop

>>37464475
>Try to probe Elise for more information
Ask who that person was.

Did she know his name? The Baron is coming to town, was it someone working for him?

As a gentleman of honour, I think we have an obligation to do something about someone planning to use a rape potion.

>>37464475
>Leave the shop
He's probably using the potion to gain some more political clout which isn't really something we should be worried about at the moment.

>>37464475
>Leave the shop

Ok I think he's going to use it on the girl. Necromancer hero quest is a go.

>>37464475
this>>37464573

>>37464475
>Leave the shop

So are there any spells about stealing knowledge from dead in our book of necromancy?

you gotta know more.

>>37464548
>>37464573
I agree that we should do something, but taking 2 minutes to ask who that guy was and if she knows anything about him, will make the whole process a lot easier.

>>37464685
My money is on the Baron's son since Michal said he was going to propose to someone

>>37464749
Maybe it's Michael, maybe he's a gay noble.

>>37464749
Someone connected to the Baron is likely. Relative, aid, whatever.

That gold was fake yes?

You thank her and leave the shop, heading back out onto the streets. Everyone seems to be moving towards the center of town, even the street performers have stopped and are walking the same way. You follow the crowd, eventually picking out Michael in the flow and meeting up with him.

“The Baron is just about ready to give his speech. Look, there’s the stage!” On one of the wides areas of the road, a small stage and table have been set up. You see a noble sitting in the center, surrounded by guards. He must be the Baron, the noble who rules over this part of the land. You ask Michael, and he tells you his name is Baron Humbert Geoff IV. He chuckled a bit at you, probably laughing at how little you know, but you’re more distracted by the others sitting at the table.

You see there is a younger man, probably 17, with a wide grin on his face and the same features as the Baron, and Michael confirms your thought that the kid is Humbert Geoff V. He’s rubbing his hands all over a woman who looks utterly disgusted and a bit bored with being there. She has lovely red hair that is tied in a very intricate braid and a stunning golden dress that you’d believe was actually inlaid with gold.

“Good people, I welcome you to the Solaris Festival!” The Baron exclaims, and the people cheer after him. “This has been a difficult year for us all, with the Inquisition expanding ever further to root out evil in our midst. But we must remember the good that is being done, and take comfort in the small joys.” He waves a hand over to his son and the lady. “I am proud to announce my son, and my heir, has successfully rescued the Duchess Lilliana Contessa from the clutches of the Red Wyrm in the North. And as per the ancient tradition, will have the first rights to wed her!” The crowd cheers again, and Lilliana looks absolutely disgusted as The noble child is moving his hand somewhere under the table, you really don’t want to imagine where.

[1/2]

[2/2]

“But the wedding plans can wait, for now, we need a drink! Everyone, lift your glasses!” The Baron scoops up a cup from the table, and you see many people in the crowd lift their cups and steins. That’s when you catch the slight, incriminating nod of the Baron to someone offstage, and the noble from before comes out and presents a cup to Lilliana. She takes it without very much excitement, and only half-heartedly lifts it.

That’s when you realize the cup is probably spiked, and the Baron wants to lift his son up through the rankings. You don’t know how potent the spell is, but at the very least you imagine that they’re planning to have a quick wedding and make her pregnant so that she can’t escape again. You feel enraged at how despicable the act is, but you aren’t sure if you can risk your own safety to fight injustice.

Do you
>Try to stop the toast (write-in how)
>Do nothing

>>37464919
>Duchess Lilliana Contessa
Well, we've found the target of the rape potion.

I suggest the first thing we do is write a note warning her they are planning to slip her a potion to make her more 'pliant'. We can pass it to her anonymously.

If she's on guard for being slipped something, it will be harder for them and buy a little time for us to help.

>>37465024
Not much we can do unless we can whip up a spell super quick.

>>37465024
>Do nothing
We may be a gentleman, but the games nobles play amongst their own are not our pergotative. Let us keep a low profile, lest we are ousted as "evil"

>>37465024
>>37465049
Well.... shit. I wasn't expecting it so soon. Thought it would have taken more than 5 minutes to brew.

>>37465024
>Try to stop the toast
Issue a formal challenge to the Baron's son and the winner gets the Duchesses hand in marriage.

If we're gonna be heroes we gotta go all out.

>>37465024
>Do nothing
Just slip her a cure and a note about what happened at a later date.
Or we could be super ballsy and set the inquisitors after them on her behalf.

>>37465092
It was a powder, so it can probably be slipped into a drink. Essentially, she's being magically roofied.

>>37465105
Huh...I like this.

>>37465024
>>Do nothing
He's surrounded by guards. Getting our ass beat by them won't help anyone.

>>37465024
>Try to stop the toast
I got nothing other than challenge the guy to a duel.

Casually spill the drink.

accidentally knock it out of her hands.

>>37465024
>Do nothing
We can send inquisition after them

>>37465105
>>37465024
Question for QM.

Can we actually do this? What are the customs here?

Would a challenge mean anything, or just get us dragged of and beaten by the guards?

>>37465024
I guess we could pretend to be one of her relatives and go over to wish her well. Maybe "accidentally" spill the drink.

Challenging him to a duel is stupid as fuck though.

>>37465156
>>37465172

Were in the middle of the crowd watching them at a table. We can't physically do this.

You can't send the Inquisition, because despite it being illegal in certain areas, the New Kingdom actually has no laws overseeing that.

>>37465184
Huh. Yes, it is allowed. But I'd get to pick what the challenge is.

>>37465212
Assuming we can't into sword
>Do nothing

>>37465212
What do we know of the noble families? We were a noble once, right?

Do we know anything about this duchess?

pretend to be a relative, happy to see she's alive, when we go to hug her
>the drink is spiked, don't touch it.

I have to go do a thing really quick. So talk among yourself and come to some kind of consensus.

>>37465208
Cause a distraction then spill the drink. They'll stop the toast if someone screams.

>>37465212
There really isn't any feasible way to save her other than a direct challenge. If we had more time maybe.

voting against duels, still. I say we James Bond this one. spill her drink, hug and whisper what's happening and be all like stay cool I got this, make her drink brine.

>>37465282
And start right back up once they realise it was us being daft.

we'll just have to slip the bride an antidote with a note explaining everything when we can. Right now doing something puts us square in the firing line and there is no point.

>>37465105
Holy shit this QM
>>37465024

>>37465105
ok seconding this

>>37465311
That's why you move through the crowd and spill the drink. You think we're just going to scream and not do anything?

>>37465024
>Try to stop the toast (write-in how)
duel for the lady's honor

>>37465308
Only we're not going to be able to get anywhere near her. Go reread QM's post.

>>37465347
Go reread QM's post. They're not just sitting somewhere where we can easily approach them.

Voting for everything but suicide and making ourself a fool AKA duelling noble when we have no skills in swords

>>37465347
Yes, because as soon as we do, the guards will stop us moving forward.

Situational awareness: We are not in a position to do shit that is not entirely verbal based. Unless you fancy throwing our drink at the bride or something equally as dumb.

>>37465347
They're sitting up on a stage, separate from the crowd. Just bumping her to spill the drink isn't an option unless we climb the stage, full of Nobles, and armed guards..... Yeah, not going to work.

>>37465024
Do we have any spells that would be useful in this situation? Like remove effects or something?

>>37465435
We can make antidote and give it to her later
And unless this thing is a curse we can't do shit

>>37465435
We can't instacast. Any spell we have would need to be prepared.

>>37465465
Yeah I know, I'm assuming they're not leaving as soon as she drinks the wine.

>>37465460
How are you going to give it to her exactly?

You're right
.>>37465418
>>37465399
>>37465374
I'm wrong. Can't read

The only options we have are
> Challenge to a duel
> Don't do anything

We can't get close to her. Preparing an antidote takes time we don't have. The only option is
> Duel
Ergo, that is how I cast my vote.
>>37465267

>>37465485
I doubt they would be, but she'll probably be proposed to quickly after she drinks it.

>>37465498
maybe see about Martin swapping her wine with someone else's that way even if we lose the duel she doesn't drink the potion?

>>37465485
We could grab some paper and a pen and duck into an alley to make a quick curse to make her throw up.
Might be unpleasant but it'll save her.

>>37465498
And how do you want to win duel in thing challenged will choose?
Unless he challenges us to necromancy we will probably lose and even in necromancy we kinda suck

>>37465522
If you can think of a method to spill or swap the drink, let's hear it.

>>37465502
even then, it will still take time for the wedding to be sorted etc, which gives us time to brew it.

All we have to do is find a way to get close enough to give it to her in private.

>>37465533
That's good thinking. Better than getting ourselves killed, anyway.

>>37465533
Voting for this
It actually sounds like something not suicidal

I'm back and this became a bit of a clusterfuck. So, let's just whittle it down to the two major decision and re-cast the vote so I can tally them correctly.

>Do nothing to stop her from drinking
>Challenge them to a duel

>>37465594
>Do nothing to stop her from drinking

>>37465594
I think before you came >>37465533
was getting favor.

>>37465594
>Challenge them to a duel.

>>37465594
Either quickly curse her or

>Do nothing to stop her from drinking

File: 1403821105718.png (86 KB, 410x750)

86 KB PNG

>>37465594

Everybody, if we're gonna save this girl the only option we have is to duel.. It's moments like these that heroes are made; we either challenge him to a duel and save this girl or we sit back knowing that we let this guy ruin her life. Even if we lose the challenge which we probably will we can at least say that we tried to save somebody. So the real question is, are we heroes or are we losers?

I sure as hell vote to challenge.

>>37465594
There were quite a few more than that, QM.

I'll vote for >>37465533

>>37465594
Ok I'm fairly certain we've decided on ducking into an alley making a curse that will make her throw up the potion.So I guess we'll go with

>Do nothing to stop her from drinking
then make her vomit everywhere?

>>37465533
>>37465557
They're lifting the glasses for the drink right now.

We have /seconds/ here. Writing out a curse isn't an option.


WAIT! That's it. Write a curse to incapacitate her and make her sick!

At least, it would prevent her from saying yes to the proposal. It might even make her throw up the roofie.

>>37465024
Make a curse. Even if she's already drank it, we can still prevent the consequences.

>>37465594
>Challenge them to a duel

>>37465594
This >>37465644

DO THIS!

>>37465627

Real smooth mr hero. Lets go get our ass killed NOW instead of helping her in the long run.
This is feudal society, being a hero gets you a sword in the gut when the baron controls the law and could have the inquisition string you up on his say so.

> all these anons thinking we have time for curse

you're a special kind of stupid, aren't you

>>37465554
well surely everyone's attention would be drawn to the duel, during which timeframe someone may be able to swap out the drinks. maybe.

>>37465644
I'm fairly certain you drink after the person makes the speech. Who knows how long it'll take?

>>37465683
No, they're lifting their glasses to drink now. Go read the second post.

>>37465670
Still smarter than suicide.

>>37465707
By the time we make the curse, it's not going to matter. Making a curse takes around 15 minutes.

>>37465024
Scream TROLLS!!!!!!! from out of view.

>>37465707
agreed.

>>37465644
Depends on how long it takes for the potion to take hold

>>37465744
it's a risk I'd rather not take, honestly.

>>37465670
We have time. We don't need to stop her drinking, we just need to stop her agreeing to the proposal and being raped.

If we can make her sick with a curse, we'll buy the time we need to fix this shit.

>>37465751
its highly likely its fast acting. It'll probably take effect within the fifteen minutes it takes us to make a curse.

>>37465751
Even if she agrees to the proposal, she can call it off when she is cured and the affair made known.
Hell, it was said by QM quite a few marriages got dissolved over this stuff before.

>>37465024
What if Michael is able to bump into her and make her spill her drink, in the meanwhile we interrupt or add on to the speech by presenting ourselfs as the person who dealt with the trolls and wishes to thank the people of the town for letting us stay here and so on and so on ( basically a lot of bull to make time for Michael)

QM, can we get a word of god on how quickly the love potion takes effect?

>>37465744
>Depends on how long it takes for the potion to take hold

No, it doesn't. That's not the part that will hurt her. It's her agreeing to the proposal under influence and been taken home to be raped that's the issue.

If we can curse her so she can't agree to the proposal, we'll buy time to solve the problem.

>>37465533
>>37465751
If we know a vomit curse or a sickness one by heart we should do this. Just get out of sight and write it real quick

I guess you guys are also ignoring the fact that our spells have recognizable necromantic auras. If we activate a Curse, we'll be killed regardless.

>>37465797
The festivities will go on for a while, go prepare a curse to make her start vomiting will prevent her being raped long enough for us to go get the cure made.
After that, we take the cure as a pretence of medicine for the vomiting to see her, undo the spell and cure the potion effects.

Problem solved.

>>37465820
yeah I just remembered that, and was about to point it out myself.

>>37465820
>>37465827
No.

>>37465782
>it was said by QM quite a few marriages got dissolved over this stuff before.

The new kingdom has no laws regulating this. QM also said it's likely they're planning to make her agree to the proposal then get her pregnant quickly to trap her in the marriage.

That's what we need to stop. Who cared if the potions takes effect quickly. We need to drop her before she can agree to the proposal and be trapped into the marriage.

If you faggots worry about her getting raped so much we can curse this faggot that wants to marry her with case of death

>>37465851
Abortion?
Small spell to cause any fertilized egg to be flushed? Its not a hard thing to solve with a magic world.

>>37465594
Curse her or the guy with the Spicked drink real quick.

>>37465820
>The black and red marks on the paper come to life and wind off the paper and shoot at the adventurers.

We can cast it from 30 feet away and there's a large celebrating crowd here to shield against anything.

Magic squiggles winding their way through a mass of people probably won't stand out that much.

I vote we take the risk.

>>37465868
What, just assassinate him? Killing a noble is a bit different than killing some wandering adventurers.

>>37465908
See
>>37465820
>>37465728

>>37465883
I'd rather prevent her being raped in the first place.

>>37465868
We're from a formerly noble family. Ignore the brat. Challenge his father for his title under pretense of crimes committed against our ancestors. Duel the old man to death then strip his family of land and title, tell the girl to go home to her family and to keep a knife handy in case any other sleezebags try something like this. Then abdicate our title to someone qualified in town and go back to our garden.

>>37465935

dude, we can just skidaddle before anyone figures out what happened. it's still more viable than a duel. and turning a blind eye to rape is how necromancers turn evil.

>>37465961
>>37465594
This, QM.

>>37465594
Could we signal to her not to drink it?

>>37465961
This might work up until the king and his inquisition come to curbstomp us.

>>37465945
Yeah well we can't have everything all the time. Its all good for the best end to aim for but when you can not physically acomplish that, its a vain thing to just shoot for it and then bitch that you failed afterwards when it was obv out of reach.
Getting the son and baron revealed and therefore disgraced and also getting her good graces is the best outcome we can hope for without making enemy's of the people who own the damn land we live on.

Idealism is great, but without a reality check its just great at getting you killed.

File: 1363402608897.gif (2.03 MB, 383x207)

2.03 MB GIF

>>37465594
>Do nothing to stop her from drinking

We can undo the potion later, I think.

Or at least research something that will cure her.
>>37465961
>>37465974

That will just bring more attention than we need, you fucknuggets.

>>37465961
You do realize MC is in hiding?

>>37465961

we're from a formerly noble family of known necromancers, and I doubt dueling to death for... everything one owns is in accordance with any sensible law.

>>37465594
We're really not helping you decide with all these conflicting votes, are we.

Well.... I vote we slip away from the crowd and prep a curse to knock someone and/or make them really sick.

Find a spot within 30 feet but away from prying eyes and cast the curse on the girl.

That will prevent her from agreeing to the proposal and buy us the time to arrange the cure.

>>37466060
>medieval fantasy kingdom
>sensible laws
Ha, good one.

You turn away from the crowd, knowing there is little you could do now but perhaps you could try to figure something out. A curse? Maybe whipping up a cure? You can’t just turn a blind eye, but you wish you still had your families political clout to do something more viable. Michael follows after you, pushing through the crowds and trying to figure out why you are leaving so suddenly. You hear the crowd cheer and the collective drink and laughter. You finally emerge form the crowd, and you want to explain what is going on when there is a shriek.

The sky darkens in an instant, and you see bolts of something red fly down from the sky and strike the center of the crowd. You barely dodge the stampede of people running away, and from among the throes of the crowd you see what’s causing the panic. One the stage, standing among the wreckage, is a demon. Wearing a cloak of living shadow, and two bright red wings extending fifteen feet wide, the demon grabs the Duchesses wrist and, with her still screaming, flies away.

You are stunned, you see some people are hurt and might need help. But if you want any chance at tracking down the demon you need to hurry back to your home. You need to pursue the demon while the pulse of magic is still fresh and you have little time.

Do you
>Stay to help people
>Return home

- - -
I'm not discounting what people chose, your choice has wider consequences than you realize, and this part was already planned out.

>>37466126
>Stay to help people

>>37466126
>>Return home

Also, what do we know about demons?

>>37466126
>Return home

Find out were the bugger went or is going is the only way any help is going to reach her now.

>>37466126
Not much to help here, people just freaking out.
So
Pretend to be freaking out, run home, and start in tracking.

>>37466126
> Stay to help people.

But, if no one we care about is hurt (i.e., a local), then hurry home. We have a demon to find!

>>37466126
>Stay to help people
Michael get the apothecary?
Anyone else a mage that can track that thing?

>>37466126
Well now the duchess will do whatever the demon wants...

>>37466126
>Return home
>Prep some curses

>>37466126
>Return home

track that fucker

>>37466126
>>Return home

>>37466126
Assuming we vote to return home - that's what it's looking like - we'll likely want to prep some curses if we want to do anything.

Stop by the butchers and buy (or steal in the panic) a whole animal (or several smaller ones) so we can heal ourself after making the curses.

>>37466126
>Return home
We are just an elegant newcomer in town. I can't see what can we help here. (or what kind of help is needed)

You’re a gentlemen, and you can’t just let something like this stand. Your upbringing and very nature doesn’t allow injustice like this to stand without opposition, so you rush back to your home. Your legs ache, and every ounce of your body is in pain, but in very little time you are at your front door and with a turn of a key you fly inside and begin pulling books off the walls.

“Wait!” Michael has followed you the entire way, and now he’s standing in the arch of the door as you pour over you books. “What was that thing? what did it want?”

“That, my friend, was a demon.” You answer, pulling through one of your mother’s books on divination and flipping through the pages like a man possessed. “What it wanted, well, obviously the Duchess. Why is a bit more complicated but I might-Shut the door!” You order, and he shuts and locks is as you pull out a map and begin scrawling symbols into the corners of the map.

Michael stays quiet after that, watching in rapt attention as you manage to finish the scrying spell and begin chanting. The words peel off the pages, surrounded in a soft green light as the begin to make streaks across the map. You’re tracking any demon signature that has some power behind it. A risky business, since they could track you back, but you’re betting that whoever did this is distracted.

[1/2]

You are incredibly lucky, as just when the force of unnatural magic is being erased by the natural sway of nature, it coalesces and stops in a series of caves to the west. It seems to have stopped, and the demon isn’t exerting a lot of power so it won’t be moving any time soon. You begin to pack, you can try to work up some kind of purification curse on the way. It won’t be pretty, but you think it'll work. Demons aren’t actually that powerful in this world, since their existence is unnatural to the plane of existence and nature is constantly working to force them out. The only place they are powerful is when they are around extraplanar portals or dimensional gates, and you seriously doubt that there'd be something like that in those mountains that you wouldn't have sensed.

“Wait. I can’t let you do this alone! I can get us a horse and we can go together! you’ll need some protection…” Michael insists.

The horse is useful, but you’d be putting Michael in danger.

Do you
>Let him come along
>Tell him to stay behind

I didn't know you could scry on demons. are there any buffs we can give Marcus (or the horse, even) among these previously unmentioned spells?

>>37466490
>Tell him to stay behind
"You human me wizard you come and kill us both"

>>37466490
>Let him come along
We could use the backup.

>>37466490
>>Tell him to stay behind

I think this is the point where we decide what to do with Michael. If we bring him along now, then we are inviting him st stick with us.
The question is, what could he do, that we can't (besides the horse)

>>37466490
>>Let him come along

inb4 the Duchess (or a friend of hers) summoned the demon and arranged the 'kidnapping' to get her away from those fuckers.

Wait.... she was 'rescued' from a Dragon. In the first thread, it was said Dragons are mostly cool and fine conversationalists. Maybe the Dragon is saving his friend?

>>37466549
>>37466490
Screw, it, let's bring him along, hel'll be the Watson to our Holmes

Bring him with.

If he stays he could just get pissed and rat us out.

>>37466490
>Let him come along

Besides our spells we're not the most intimidating fellow.

>>37466562

it's clearly a demon, not a dragon.

>>37466490
>>Let him come along

>>37466490
>Let him come along

Brief him on what went down in the apothecary shop as well

>>37466599
Its quite obvious that anon was insinuating that the dragon either cut a deal or summoned it.

>>37466562
don't inb4 dude and don't overspeculate. If you are right you are ruining the fun, if you are wrong, well you are just wasting (insert stuff here)

>>37466653
>Trog no like thinking stop thinking so Trog happy

>>37466653
>If you are right you are ruining the fun, if you are wrong, well you are just wasting
Stop being a faggot. Doesn't ruin any ones fun to speculate.

In fact, that could be taken as perfectly valid IC speculation. Trying to figure out what's going on will inform our decision making, it's a big part of quests.

File: 1413425766113.png (30 KB, 112x196)

30 KB PNG

>>37466653
Wow. You must either not play many quests or you just hate fun if you think speculation is in any way bad for a quest.

>>37466826
It's my first quest, and yes it's cool if you can deduce something before it happens, but when someone is faster than you are, it's almost like a spoiler.

>>37466883
That's the beauty of it. It's speculation. Nobody knows if it's actually going happen but OP. Also welcome to the quest world.

You smile and tell him to come along. The two of you are going to save a Duchess. Rushing back to his house, without much explanation, the two of you grab his strongest horse, saddle up and blast through the road. Michael knows the mountains nearby well enough that he can navigate the horse while you carefully prepare a curse to bind the demon. As you write, you remember what you know about demons.

Demons, or what people call demons, are inhabitants of another realm of existence. Different from the afterlife, which is still technically in this realm, demons literally have to push through or be pulled from somewhere else and their existence is considered an affront to nature. The only way that they can stay here for prolonged periods of time or for anyone to go over to their plane of existence is a form of ‘naturalization’ which permanently shifts a person’s alignment and makes them an inhabitant of another realm. But other than that and a power to form soul binding contracts, there aren’t any overarching character traits. Some demons lie, some are noble, it’s as impossible to pinpoint as humanity.

- - -

It takes some time, but Michael gets you guys to the cave and you complete your new curse without much hassle. The cave has a deep, menacing feel and the same uneasiness that you know is common to people when they are near beings from other realms of existence. Michael reaches into his saddlebags and pulls his bow and arrows out, notching one and nodding.

As you enter the cave, you see the demon is bent over the Duchess, who is bound and gagged, and is muttering some spell over her. You could try to confront the creature, since demons are intelligent and might be willing to talk things out. Or you could just enact your curse and have Michael fill it full of holes.

Do you
>Try to talk to it
>Activate the curse

>>37466883
Sometimes doing so can save the Mc's ass, or reap other benefits.

>>37466927
>Try to talk to it
Have the curse at hand though.

>>37466927
It's a demon they're master wordsmiths.
>Activate the curse.

>>37466927
>Try to talk to it
But make sure we can shoot off the curse if need be

>>37466927
>Activate the curse

>>37466927
'soul binding contracts' + high social position duchess who can not currently say no = trouble.
We can not let this complete.

>Activate the curse

>>37466927
>>Try to talk to it
have curse ready

>>37466927
>Try to talk to it

>>37466927
>Try to talk to it

>>37466927
>>Try to talk to it

Tell Michael to take cover and watch. If it attacks, he's to fill it full of arrows and buy us time to curse it.

>>37466927
>Try to talk to it
If they are like humans, then we better assume the worst, (like a human would have kidnapped her)
Let's be civilized, but have that curse ready

You whisper to Michael, telling him to prepare for the worse and, holding your curse in hand, you step out into the wider part of the cave.

“Demon, what business do you have with that lady.” The demon groans and turns around, fire growing in it’s hands when it looks at you and stops.

“Wait….wait a damn second.” The demon drops the fire, letting it burn out on the ground and waving it’s claws. The shadows around it dissipates and you see that the demon is in fact a woman. She is very curvy, wearing a conservative, high necked dress and other than the pitch black skin and red tattoos looks very human. “Are you a Barsley?” You’re confused, and all you can do is now. “I knew it! I’m guessing your one of those kids, Marcus or Alex. I know your mother! You look SO much like her! God she was an impressive mage. Probably still is! What are you doing here?”

“Um…well. I’m here about the girl you kidnapped.” you point to the Duchess, who is still bound and gagged.

“Oh…listen. It’s a funny story. If you let me finish what I was doing I can explain everything. But I need to finish it now or this whole debacle would be useless. Please?” She looks at you with a smile, seeming genuine. But you have no way of knowing what’s going on here, and if something worse might happen.

Do you
>Let her finish what she was doing
>Stop her

>>37467245
"What exactly are you doing?"

Well... if she knew our mother, perhaps some good can come of this?

>>37467245
Tell her to explain herself, or we could talk to our mother and ask her about it?

listen, but with your hand on the trigger.

>>37467245
>Stop her...

They're master Wordsmiths like I said!

>>37467245
>>Let her finish what she was doing

>>37467245
>>Let her finish what she was doing

"Oh, kay. You seem friendly and polite enough, so I suppose you deserve the benefit of the doubt."

>be ready to use curse, just in case.
But I doubt we'll need to.

>>37467297
This
If she does anything suspicious curse her
This is a demon for all we know she could hate our family

>>37467325
>>37467309
these

>>37467309
Didn't we get that spell from marcus to talk to our dead relatives almost instantly?
If the demon knew our mother, let's ask for her advice

>>37467245
If she's willing to talk let's talk
Let her finish

Do we remember our mother mentioning anyone like her?
Welp, we already allowed our brother to release a giant abomination, it could hardly be worse.

>>37467378
Our spells take time and materials to prep. We might have the materials on hand, but it's won't be quick.

Apparently, whatever she needs to do is time sensitive and she can't wait for us to get confirmation from Mother.

>>37467393
She could be using virgin sacrifice to create portal into hellish plane of eternal torment with armies ready to conquer this realm right where the portal would open

>>37467245
>Let her finish what she was doing
OK but I expect a full explanation after.

>>37467245
>Let her finish
She's an old family friend!

>>37467446
Now that I think about it; Is there ANYTHING that needs to be prepared for a decade, a young noblewoman is needed for it, and can be good?

>>37467245
getting rid of the "love" poison ?

>>37467491
Magic rituals
Or arranged marriage
For all we know she can can be trying to fix world hunger
By killing everything that needs food

>>37467245
>Let her finish what she was doing
"This is probably a bad idea"

>>37467497
She knew a decade ago that she'll be kidnapped, rescued, and poisoned by her rescuers
>Just as planned

>>37467245
>Let her finish what she was doing
If you play me false , madam there will be heaven to pay.

Your mother had a huge array of friends from over her years, and you honestly believe that perhaps there were just some that she chose not to mention. Before settling on a mastery of necromancy alongside your father, your mother was master-level in at least three other magical fields. If there was anyone you know that would befriend a demon from another dimension, it would be Mother.

You keep the curse at the ready and allow her to finish. She politely thanks you and returns to chanting over Lilliana’s body. Suddenly, she freezes up and her eyes roll up in their sockets. The demon removes the gag and Lilliana starts vomitting. Black bile is mixed in with what you assume is wine and she starts heaving for a while. Eventually she stops and falls back, panting and dazed. The demon leans over her and smiles, cupping her head gently.

“Lily? Are you ok?” the demon asks, and Lilliana looks up at her in disbelief.

“Margaret?” Is all she says before she starts tearing up and goes in for a passionate kiss. The two are so involved in each other that you begin to feel a bit awkward.

Do you
>Let them continue what they are doing
>Politely cough to remind them that you are there

>>37467637

>Politely cough to remind them that you are there

>>37467637
Banish the demon and try to lift mind magic from girl
I bet she is being mind controlled by this fiend

>>37467637
>Let them continue what they are doing
Also Politely turn your back

>>37467637
>>Politely cough to remind them that you are there

>>37467637
>Politely cough to remind them that you are there
I assume whatever you did counter-acted the "can't say no" potion I saw the nobleman making at the Apothecary's? This explains your distaste at the nobleman who "saved" you.

>>37467637
>Let them continue what they are doing
Turn around, give them a minute.

>>37467637
>Politely cough to remind them that you are there

>>37467637
>Politely cough to remind them that you are there
Don't want to let them get to heated before realizing we're here.

>>37467695
>>37467736
>>37467742
Do keep in mind that Michael is here as well and he lacks the training to not stare. That would make things even more awkward.

So can we agree to calling mom the second we have chance and asking if this beast is her friend?

>>37467904
At this point, I'm not sure that's necessary.

>>37467904
Yeah, also if we do, we need to think if we should rat out Marcus or not

>>37467904
We have the spell for it, so sure why not?

>>37467904
We should call the parents at some point anyway.

>>37467958
We really have no excuse no that we know the spell for it.

>>37467958
"Hi mom. Do you have a friend who's a demon? And does she have a girlfriend? I think I just met them. Also I made a new friend in the town I moved to. His name is Michael. Is it alright if I bring him when I visit you next?"

start masturbating furiously.

>>37467958
We really should make more of a habit of it, now that we can. Im sure they miss us.

You cough a little, trying to be polite. They break apart and look at you, the Duchess seeming a bit sheepish all of the sudden from the sudden display of affection.

“I guess you are owed an explanation.” Margaret says, standing up and brushing her dress a little. “You see, Lilliana here has dabbled a bit in otherworldly magic, and that’s how we met and…well, we’ve been lovers ever since.” She smiles a little and grabs Lilliana’s hand. “So, we orchestrated one of my other friends in this world, the ‘Red Wyrm’ as you people call him, to kidnap Lilliana and12 then summon me so we could live together. Then that little brava ses tiros…”

“Dear. You’re swearing again.” Lilliana said, rolling her eyes. Margaret sighed and smiled at you.

“Well, I guess I should thank you for NOT just blasting a curse at me. If you’re anything like your mother, then I wouldn’t have stood a chance.” She laughs and reaches into her pocket, pulling something out. It’s a small scroll, wrapped in red ribbon. “Here, consider this a gift. I taught it to your mom and I guess you can use it too. If you aren’t against a bit of demon magic. Now…” Margaret scoops Lilliana up into her arms, making the Duchess start laughing a little and holding onto the demon’s neck. “I have a date to keep. Pardon us, boys.”

The shadow cloak returns, and in an instant the two of them are gone. Michael comes out form his hiding spot and starts scratching his head.

“Well….I can honestly say I wasn’t expecting that.” He says, looking at the page in your hand. “So, what is it?”

Do you
>Examine it now
>Return home

>>37468131
Burn this fiendish scroll

>>37468131
>>Examine it now

>>37468131
>Examine it now

>>37468131
>>Return home
some one else may have tracked the kidnapper we don't want to be caught here

>>37468131
>Return home
We will examine it in "laboratory conditions" along with the Unidentified Jeweled Dagger and the Unidentified Books

>>37468131
>Examine it now

>>37468213

agreed.

>>37468131
>Return home
give the lovers some privacy

>>37468131
>Examine it now

>>37468131
>Return home
"First lesson of magic, never, ever, read or use something you do not know without proper precautions"

>>37468131
>Return home

>>37468280
Seconded

>>37468131
>Examine it now
Have a quick look.

The demon scrying we did, could that track this thing? If so, ditch it and leave. Others will be on this trail too and might be here shortly.

If it can't be tracked, GTFO and go home via a different route. We don't want to run into a search party coming the other way.

>>37468131
Return home.

>>37468308
This. Pragmatic and tactical.

>>37468280
>>37468213
>>37468207
I suggest checking if it's giving off any sort of aura that can be tracked first.

If so, the search party that is likely on the way right now will probably follow it the same way we tracked the demon here.

>>37468131
>Examine it now

>>37468375

>>37468213 Here, I change my statement, your plan sounds better

You pack the scroll away, telling Michael you’ll figure it out later. The two of you leave the cave and go outside, and just as you get on the horse you notice the sounds of a group of someone’s coming this way. Michael is able to navigate the horse to avoid them, and before too long the two of you are back on the road and are on your way home.

As you go, Michael seems a bit concerned about something. You pry in a bit, and try to figure out why he seems so upset. All in all, this seems to be the happier ending compared to what could have happened.

“Well…the Church of the White Flame believes that demons are monstrous and that relations that can not produce offspring are a sin. I don’t much care for the church, but I’ve never seen a love between two women. Is the love between people of the same sex right?”

What do you say?
>Write-in

>>37468469
Dude who cares... The duchess isn't dead and she isn't forced into a marriage.

>>37468469
Not my position to say, It's a shame they aren't interested in men, but that's their affair, not mine. That being said love can bloom in the oddest of places.

>>37468469
"The physical form matters less than the soul. If two people love each other, whether or not they can have children shouldn't matter. Two spirits in heaven, as much in love now as they were in life, wouldn't be a bad thing, right? Yet they can't have a child in heaven. But I suppose it's all perspective. My parents can't have children together anymore, but their love still burns brightly."

>>37468469
"Frankly we live in a world of man eating monsters, denizens of the deep, monsters magic and fairy tale's come true. In the face of all that, someones preference to whom they find happiness with behind closed doors is a rather minor thing that is best left to a person's own privacy. Don't sweat the small stuff, they're not hurting anybody".

>>37468469
>This girl was probably under spell of that fiend

>>37468469
>Write-in

"I don't see anything wrong with it. I honestly can't see why it would be a sin to love someone who returns your feelings.

The real sin is forcing yourself on those who don't love you, like the pig that gave her the potion."

(I assume we would have mentioned the potion off screen on the way here. Long trip and we would have talked about something.)

>>37468469
>Well Michael, love is a complicated thing.
You know the birds and bees right? Well some birds f*ck other birds and some bees f*ck other bees.... and butterflies! Damn those are sexy. aaaaand some caterpillars.
Damn those sexy, sexy bugs!
Ehhhh anyways what was i saying?

>>37468469
>ehh... The way I see how can love ever be wrong? At least their love is true, not forced like how the Nobles tried to do today with their "Love Potion".

>>37468524
+1

>>37468524
Can love bloom on a battlefield anon?

>>37468941
Maybe, maybe not. But it certainly did in a summoning circle.

“Well, if they truly love each other, why is it wrong?” You say, seeing the familiar signs that signal your approach to home. “Would it be better if it were forced? If I had to choose between the true love of two women, and the boorish ‘correct’ love of that noble’s son, I’d choose for those two women to be happy every time.” Michael is quiet, and doesn’t look at you for the rest of the ride. Though you are a bit concerned for him, you still bid him farewell when you are dropped off at your home and bid him to come visit you again soon.

You walk in, and the first thing you notice is that it is extraordinarily dark. Like there is something blocking out the light. Even the faint light of the setting sun from your doorway does little to pierce the darkness. You’re concerned, until you hear a familiar voice.

“Hello, Alex.” The lights fade on and you see Marcus sitting in one of the living room chairs, flipping through the Barsley Family Tome.

“Oh, Marcus. I wasn’t expecting you.” You say, setting your bag down. Before you can sit, Marcus slides a letter to you.You quickly scan the contents and groans, collapsing on the table. “Really? I have research and I’m still looking for a job.”

“You know it and I know it. There’s no way we’re getting out of this.” He says solemnly, putting a hand on your shoulder.

“It’s Grandma’s Birthday in a few days, and we have to go visit Ma and Pa.”

- - -

I have to cut it short tonight, since I’ve got to cook dinner and I want to write a thing for when my RPG group meets back up.

>>37468990
>We have to go visit Ma and Pa
It's happening.

>>37468990
Have a good one Necro, thanks for running!

>>37468990
>Michael is quiet, and doesn’t look at you for the rest of the ride

Oh yeah, he wants us.

>>37468990
Thanks for running! Looking forward to family shenanigans.

>>37468990
Well no need to summon mom
But we still need to decide what to say about the freakshow living in Marcus's basement

>>37469064
I think he actually does. Which is REALLY cute.

But Alex is going to be bi.

>>37469154
Yeah even if he was gay he'd still need an heir, or six.

>>37468990
Thanks NecroMan. This quest is great fun. Looking forward to the next one!