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>>44323982
"Cherry, what are you doing in that lantern?" you ask, slowly.

"I was cold," Cherry admits, in a small voice. "Daddy said I should wait right where he left me, but I got cold, and this was warm."

"...How long ago did you daddy leave you?" you ask in a low voice.

"I dunno. Days? I can show you."

You exchange concerned looks with Amy and Nathan, and hold the lantern up. "Alright Cherry. Show me where your daddy told you to wait. You haven't done anything wrong, okay? You were a good girl."

"Yes ma'am," the little ghost says dutifully. The spectral mist within the lantern forms a thin arrow, which points deeper into the woods.

It doesn't take long for the smell to hit you, and the taste of drawn-out, miserable death.

Cherry's body is still slumped against a tree, in a plain, rough dress. The insects have already started to get to her, but she's been dead maybe a week. You don't see any food or water nearby, which means she took, at most, three days to die.

"Daddy said I was too 'spensive," the little ghost explains, wistfully. "So he took me to the forest to wait for a new mommy. He said a new mommy wouldn't care that I'd killed my old one. His face was red."

You draw in a shuddering breath. "What happened to your old mommy?"

"Daddy says I killed her when I was born."

That soulless piece of shit.

> Cherry, where did you live?
> Nathan, Amy, we should...we should bury her mortal form
> Cherry, I'm going to give you to a friend of mine. I need to walk off and express some adult feelings and you shouldn't have to see it

>>44323982
TFW I forgot the fucking thread title.

Anyway, WE BEGIN!

>>44324058
> Cherry, where did you live?

>>44324058
>Cherry, I'm going to give you to a friend of mine. I need to walk off and express some adult feelings and you shouldn't have to see it

>>44324058
> Nathan, Amy, we should...we should bury her mortal form
>Did you love your Daddy, Cherry?
>Do you like books?
Look, we can't go investigating around. We'll do our surface business, come back, and maybe send someone who CAN to investigate where she lived.

We'll focus on getting her someplace nice in the Dungeon. Maybe talk with other dead folk.

>>44323982
.....AHAH, VOX YOU'VE FINALLY MADE A MISTAKE!

THE SUBJECT LINE. IT IS TRUE, NO MAN CAN BE PERFECT

>>44324058
>> Nathan, Amy, we should...we should bury her mortal form

She deserves that, at least.

>>44324199
I can only try my best, anon. I never claimed to be perfect.

...Hell, this is /still/ my first quest.

But yes mock me freely that shit's hilarious.

>>44324058
>> Nathan, Amy, we should...we should bury her mortal form

Be professional. Be polite. Bury our feelings deep.

Votes called. Writing.

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>>44324058
>Other

Fume silently with well-contained fury at the uncaring and casual unfairness of the universe and at our own vain and arrogant refusal to tolerate it.

>>44324387
kids can notice that shit really easily

>>44324058
>Cherry, I'm going to give you to a friend of mine. I need to walk off and express some adult feelings and you shouldn't have to see it

>>44324510
Man, tell me about it. A few years back my grandmother passed, and I was really beat up about it until one of my young cousins put her hand on my shoulder and reminded me that every day we live is an act of defiance in the face of our inevitable defeat at the hands of death, and every moment is an inch of ground that must be contested bloodily if we are to say we truly lived.

From the mouths of babes, ya know?

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>>44324058
"Amy, Nate, we should..." you sigh. "We should bury her mortal form."

You hang Cherry's lantern on a tree branch and take your shovel from where you've strapped it to the saddle. Amy gives you a concerned look, but both of them start helping you clear the ground and begin digging.

The spring soil is wet, and heavy, but it's not the first grave you've dug, and it likely won't be the last.

"What are you doing?" Cherry asks, her voice small and frightened.

"You died, sweetheart," you explain in a soothing voice. "And I think you know you died already. You're a ghost, Cherry."

"...Daddy /promised/," the little girl wails. Amy takes her lantern down from the tree and starts singing a soft lullaby to it while you dig.

You leave a small cross to mark the grave, with Cherry's name carved into it.

"We should find -" Nathan starts, but you hold your hand up and shake your head.

"We don't have time," you murmur. "I could banish her, but she'll just be back. She's...stable...in the phylactery. We could take her with us."

"You're not seriously suggesting that we involve a little girl in this," the Hero says, incredulously.

"I'm seriously suggesting that we involve a ghost until we can make better arrangements," you correct. "She's dead, Nate, it's a little hard to hurt or kill her further."

"What about your duties? There needs to be justice for this."

You freeze for a moment, and then sigh. You dig out your pipe and pack it slowly, to give yourself time to think.

> You're right. But we need to do this quick and careful.
> I have a duty down there, too. I can't attend to this right now.

>>44324826
>> I have a duty down there, too. I can't attend to this right now.
If we get caught like this, it's over for me, maybe over for you two, and NOONE will be there for Cherry. You'd have to take her to River, and try dumping THAT situation on her.

>>44324826
>> I have a duty down there, too. I can't attend to this right now.

One screwed-up ex-father, probably half-mad with grief at his wife's death in childbirth, is not the kind of threat that should make us turn aside from our seriously important quest to save the Dungeon from forces that can imprison angels, just for what paltry /justice/ we might be able to inflict on him.

If we were turning aside to try and *help* him, that would be a different matter...but even then, I think it's the kind of thing that should, at most, be turned over to the relevant local authorities.

Have Nate or Amy inform Glen next time they get a chance to come up there legitimately.

>>44324826
> I have a duty down there, too. I can't attend to this right now.

Siding with >>44324874 and adding my opinion that's it's more important that the victim be helped than the villain be punished.

I care more about the girl than her father.

>>44324826
> You're right. But we need to do this quick and careful.

>>44324826
>I have a duty down there, too. I can't attend to this right now.
"Not now" doesn't mean "never," we can come back to this later when we don't have a chance for stupid mistakes that only hinder the main quest.

>>44324826
> Cherry, where did you live?

>>44324889
This. Yes, the guy deserves some seriously bad stuff happening to him, but we are not exactly short on things to do.

We might pay a visit after we deal with the poet.

>>44325312

...Half my point was that maybe what he *actually* deserves is some serious therapy. From the sounds of things, this is a man who just couldn't cope anymore.

I mean, it's possible that he is, in fact, a heartless bastard who deserves retribution. It's just not certain.

>>44325545
If he needs therapy, is not a total bastard and has a concience, he is curently moping. So we can say that bad things, like horrble regret, are allready happening to him, as I said he deserves. So all is well either way.

>>44324826
> I have a duty down there, too. I can't attend to this right now.
The father is an asshole, however much therapy he may need, but the girl doesn't hate him, and won't be helped by us hurting him. Our duty is to help, not to punish, and right now that means helping her.

I just wish we weren't about to take her into a deathtrap. At least she should be fine physically (ectoplasmically?).

>>44324826

> I have a duty down there, too. I can't attend to this right now.

If the guy did this in a drunken rage, he's already killed himself by now.

If not, he'll probably still be around for us to take apart later.

>>44325694
>I have a duty down there, too. I can't attend to this right now.
>The father is an asshole, however much therapy he may need, but the girl doesn't hate him, and won't be helped by us hurting him. Our duty is to help, not to punish, and right now that means helping her.

This

Votes called. Sorry about extended IRL interruption there.

Writing.

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>>44324826
You light the pipe and puff silently for a long minute.

"I've got a duty down there too, Nate," you say at last. "Look at her. Does that look like a ghost who's thirsting for justice to you?"

Nathan looks at the lantern cradled in Amy's arms. "...No."

"Frankly, there might not be a good way out of this, or at least not a simple way. She wants to be loved and cared for. That's not the sort of business you can resolve, Nate. We may just have to make her death comfortable until she's ready to move beyond the Veil."

"And the man who did this to her, he just gets away with it?"

"Yeah," you say, breathing smoke from your nose. "He does." You put a hand on his shoulder and look him in the eyes. "...This is why my family exists, Nathan. To make the rough choices with a calm heart, because someone needs to. I'm sorry, but...I don't think it's wrong to care more about Cherry than her murderer."

"See, when you put it like that I feel bad about myself," Nathan admits.

"Feel my spiritual advisor powers, Nate. Feel them in your soul."

The Hero laughs, weakly, and you walk over to Amy and Cherry.

"Cherry," you say gently. "We have something important we have to do, and we can't stop to leave you somewhere just yet. Would you like to come with us?"

The little ghost sniffs. "Don't leave me. Please don't leave me."

"It's alright, Cherry. My name's Brianna. I take care of dead people, like you. I need you to do something for me though. If people know we're carrying you around, they'll be upset with us. Can you be quiet, until we tell you it's safe?"

"Yes," Cherry agrees.

"That's a good girl. We'll have a nice long talk in a bit, okay? We've got a long ride to where we're going."

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>>44326421
It's a long ride to Kurt's Crossing, and it's going to be sunset by the time you arrive.

"How'd she even get in that lantern?" Amy asks, riding next to you. The half-harpy sits uncertainly on her horse; mounts are a new idea for her.

"Phylacteries contain a soul. That's their essential function. The completed process of lichdom lets them intercede in the usual workings of death and passing, causing the soul to migrate back to the chunk in the phylactery rather than dying if the body is slain. At that point, the other spells seek out a suitable corpse, transform it into a semblance of your old body, and kick most of your soul into it."

"That sounds...icky," Amy admits.

"Completely unnatural and disgusting, yes," you agree. "But handy for a few things. I'd been considering it so I could survive long enough to train an apprentice. But quite aside from my death button being broken, I've got River now. I don't need it."

"That doesn't explain how she got in," Amy points out.

"Right now, it's basically a soul bottle that she can leave when she wants to. It's like. It's like a house. She's inside it, and the door is locked. To get in, you either need to kick the door in, or have a key. So she feels safe in there, and it helps preserve her from dwindling across the Veil. The process that would cause her to lich out was never completed."

"Could it be?"

"No. We'd need her physical body and a bunch of other shit, and at the end I'd have an immortal seven-year-old and nobody needs that in their lives, least of all Cherry. It's theoretically possible but it'd be completely pointless and unhelpful."

"How did you family learn all of this?" the half-harpy asks.

"Trial-and-error, mostly. We weren't always this calm about everything, you know. Time was in our lives that zombie armies were a pretty regular occurrence. Then people with a lick of sense got put in charge of the family and decided that we weren't going to be like that any more."

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>>44326634
Amy gives you a warm smile. "That's...actually really nice to hear. Most of the time in the stories the bad guy goes completely insane at the end and ends up killing themselves trying to get revenge on the Hero."

"Yeah, that used to happen a lot," you admit. "That's pretty much what happened to Aunt Carol. Bit of an occupational hazard, that. It's why we make a big deal out of being there for each other, keeping perspective, and treating the living and dead with respect. This knowledge shouldn't be lost, but it should be handled responsibly."

You Kurt's Crossing is a small village on the western edge of the forest, located on the banks of the Ribbon River. It serves as a way stop for ships heading to or from the sea, and produces wool that clothes the local region.

You have not been run out of this town, amazingly. Still, you keep the robe with hood on.

"Hey," Nathan murmurs. "Look, it's Brooks. That must be her gentleman."

You look, and see the healer walking down the street with her hand laced in a young man's, laughing and talking. Nate gives them a crooked, wistful smile.

> Encourage Nate to catch up with her while you sell the horses
> Ask Nate to sell the horses while you find the book in the library
> Fuck the horses, hitch them up at the inn, leave a note explaining they're free to a good home, and get moving

>>44326733
>Ask Nate to sell the horses while you find the book in the library
Maybe pick up a new bottle of rum too? We've been drinking a lot lately.

>>44326733
> Ask Nate to sell the horses while you find the book in the library
> Fuck the horses, hitch them up at the inn, leave a note explaining they're free to a good home, and get moving

Either of these. Nate has done nothing to deserve being placed in such an awkward situation.

>Ask Nate to sell the horses while you find the book in the library

>>44323982
quest goes in the subject. dunce.

>>44327145
>>44324074
Wow, reading comprehension!

>>44327228
Great ability to recognise jokes
>>44324214

Votes called, writing.

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>>44326733
"How're you feelin' about that, Nate?"

"Happy for her," Nathan says honestly. "But I'm not sure I could handle a conversation without it getting all awkward and blushy."

"Self-awareness. Careful, that's a rare trait in a Hero," you note. "Sell the horses. I'll take Amy and Cherry inside the library and find the book."

Nathan agrees, and the three of you hitch the horses up and split off in your respective directions. The library charges a humble fee to browse its stacks - you've paid more for worse libraries - and you start browsing. You're a little reluctant to ask for help finding the book in question, but the file system is easy to understand, and you silently bless whatever scholar settled in this small town and organized the books.

You find the volume you're seeking and go around the shelf to find Amy - and see Captain Marsh, with a soldier at his side, speaking to the librarian at the reference desk.

"The missing girl's name is Cherry," the soldier explains in solemn tones. "Her father says she ran away from home. Have you seen her?"

The librarian looks at the paper in Marsh's hand and shakes his head. "No sir."

"Would you mind if I asked the readers?" Marsh asks, politely.

"Not at all, sir. Please, whatever you need."

Ffffuuuuuuck.

> What do?

>deny knowing anything and if we get a chance write down how cherry died, where she's buried, and why her father did what he did. send that in a letter to captain marsh by messenger.

wait wern't we 50 miles from our lich planning place? why the fuck is the investigation here?

>>44327696
Great question!

>>44327696
This

>>44327696
Marsh is a LAW AND JUSTICE kinda guy. He may well get into THIS far away search for a case of an innocent little girl.

>>44327641
I don't know how we could go about explaining this to Marsh without getting arrested.

Maybe Amy and Nate can bring the phylactery to Marsh and explain what happened. Hero-boy has points with the militia, and he's probably seen enough weird shit in his life to believe what they tell him.

>>44327641
>Give phylactery to Amy, have her show it to Marsh, explain that this was a necromancy supply left behind by Bri which she went to pick but which got haunted. Explain the event, Nate for confirmation. Avoid mentioning Bri being out there at all. Also tell the ghostie that Bri is playing hide and seek and she should not mention her lest she makes her lose the game.

>>44327696
>>44327774
Not trying to influence the vote, but do recall that the last time Bri had a face-to-face conversation with Marsh he acted like the only right thing for him to do was exile her to her death.

For saving his life.

>>44327780
Is this a vote, anon?

>>44327780
>>44327881
Don't be stupid, he sent Bri to death for saving his life, what do you think he'd do to the phylactery, even with it being evidence? It's necromancy, he'd destroy it. We have to think of more than just solving the murder, we need to think about the ghost as well.

Remember anons, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished.

>>44327892
What could he even do if he found us, Vox? We've already been banished to the Dungeon, after all. What's the next level of punishment?

>>44328066
Execution, not to mention the prosecution of any found to be aiding and abetting your breach of exile.

>>44328066
Remember, while we have a get out of death free card, Amy and Nathan don't. If we are all executed, odds are good it'll be a day later and they'll both be gone.

>>44327892
Hmm. Considering the points that the other anons have made, I'll have to vote;
>Quick, Amy! Use your wonderful harpy-magic to throw us up to the rafters! We can wait up there till Marsh leaves.

>>44327964
Practicing necromancy is illegal. Products of necromancy are fine, see Nate and Marsh's own brother. He would get more angry at Bri for leaving this shit laying around, sure, but we are NOT showing him Bri is here at all.

Okay, there is a way out of this. We are in a hood, we are considered possibly a wizard. Wizards are weird. But not neccecerily evil.

So: We write down what we know, we give a piece of paper with what we know to Marsh without looking at him, we leave before he starts asking questions.

It might just work.

Just realized I've been talking a lot, but haven't actually voted. I vote to go into the book now if he can't see us from here. Amy can talk to him, fetch Nathan, and follow Bri in a little later.

Know what?I have a solution if Amy can get to him first.

>Amy knows a diviner down in the Dungeon who could locate Cherry. She can ask them where Cherry is if she has some relevant items from Cherry's belongings, and pass her location up from the Dungeon.

>>44328141
I think it would depend on the product. Sure, revived humans are fine, but something like a phylactery who's only possible purposes involve Necromancy? Probably illegal.

>>44328151
No. He came this far out of Glen to track down a missing girl, he's not going to let a stranger walk away if they know anything.

>>44328321
Which is why we give him the note with details. He gets the knowledge, we get to stay out of this. We are possibly a wizard, and there are certain risks to asking a wizard to do more than they allready did by force.

I'm not fully caught up on the quest yet, so perhaps my fellow anons could help me out; is there any harm in trying to get to Amy before the Captain spots and questions us, and have her tell him about finding the body of a girl on her way into town?

>>44328371
"possibly a wizard" doesn't cut it. Wizards are subject to the same laws as everyone else. Odds are good they have ways to deal with wizards if we were caught the first time.

>>44328428
He might take us in for more questioning, and that's the last thing we need, especially in a time-sensitive mission like this one.

>>44328151
Marsh isn't exactly a paragon of wisdom, but he's not nearly stupid enough for this to work.

> We have the book. Grab Amy and Nate, open the book, and start walking. Complete the teleport quickly, before Marsh has a chance to stop us.

>>44328488
Nate is off selling the horses, remember? To get him we'd have to leave the library, and to leave the library we'd be moving right past Marsh.

>>44328428
She was in the middle of a forest, so Amy wouldn't have found her unless she was in the forest for some reason.

We could have Amy mention she was trying to pick up some of our stuff out there. Not exactly a crime to gather our belongings if he doesn't know what they are.

If he asks why she doesn't have anything, she can say she couldn't find the stuff, and needs to talk with us again for more precise directions.

Why don't we just leave? Go a roundabout way to the exit?

>>44328515
Alternatively say that she was asked by Brie to destroy a cache of dangerous necromancy equipment, since she wouldn't need it anymore and it's not good to leave that stuff lying around. It's actually technically true.

>>44328583
That works too. He might suspect that Amy's not telling the truth about destroying the stuff, but she doesn't have any on her and can't prove anything, so she could go.

He might be Lawful Stupid, but that still means he's Lawful.

>>44328566
The argument is whether we do what we feel is right at risk to ourselves and our friends, or keep our head down.

>We leave. Nate explains this to Marsh.
I don't want to be in the same building. Ideally not the same town.

>>44328627
The only problem is if he knows that Amy is a friend of Bri, he might be suspicious of the heavily cloaked person right next to her. And by might, I mean "Take off your cloak now Bri, I know it's you."

>>44328678
Whoops, Nate's not here. Please change to
>Bri leaves, Amy explains.

Internet finally working again.

Votes called. Writing soon.

>>44328950
Not to throw a wrench into the works after voting has finished I just got here but, could we write down everything and hand it to the librarian Marsh is talking to and ask her to deliver it 'later'/'after we leave' or somesuch?

Alright folks. With some great discussion but no clear vote winner, I'm gonna be combining some of these ideas.

Writing now.

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>>44327641
With a combination of shushing motions and frantic 'come hither' hand gestures you manage to get Amy to come to you without alerting Marsh to your presence.

"That's the guy who got me exiled," you explain in a low voice. Amy pulls a knife from her belt and you grab her wrist. "Areyouinsane?"

"...I generally kill people who try to murder my loved ones, yes," Amy murmurs patiently. "Was that not what you wanted?"

"Puttheknifeawayyoucrazyshankbird."

Amy frowns and tucks the dagger back into its sheath.

"Listen. He's looking for Cherry. He's going to go through the entire library looking for Cherry. So you're going to bring her to him. Cherry, I need you to not talk about me, okay? As far as the nice Captain is concerned, it was just Amy and Nate."

"Why?" the little ghost asks. "Isn't that lying?"

"It's definitely lying," you agree. "But it would be very complicated if he knew I was here. He would have to do things he doesn't want to do, and that I don't want him to do, okay? So we're going to lie about who found you."

"Is he even going to listen to her?" Amy asks dubiously.

"There's legal precedent for ghosts being admitted as evidence. If she says she'd rather stay with you, he has to respect her wishes."

"Where are you going to be?" Amy asks.

"Up in the rafters, where you're gonna throw me."

The half-harpy doesn't need telling twice; she hurls you up at the rafters, which you catch lightly and scramble atop of.

"Captain Marsh," Amy calls, holding up the lantern. "I think someone needs to talk to you."

You spend nearly an hour up in the rafters while Amy explains - long enough for Nathan to walk in, witness it, wisely decide he shouldn't get directly involved and vanish behind a shelf. In the end, Marsh shakes Amy's hand, claps her on the shoulder, and summons his subordinate.

"We're heading back to Glen in the morning," you hear the Captain say. "Call off the search."

"What about -"

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>>44329635
"Not here, private," Marsh interjects, not harshly, but firmly. The two soldiers tip their hats to the librarian, and then leave.

You let out a breath you hadn't realized you were holding.

"What was that about?" Nathan asks Amy.

"He was looking for Cherry. And now I have to get Bri from up there."

You give Nate a little wave when he looks up, while Amy hops atop a shelf, then up next to you.

"He asked me to tell you that he was wrong, and he's sorry," Amy murmurs, before dropping to the floor with you. The librarian starts to get up from his desk, mouth open in outrage.

"Time to go," you note. You grab Nathan, hand the book to Amy, and hold both of them around the shoulders. "Amy, do the thing."

"Start walking," the bird instructs. She begins reading out loud while the three of you take a step.

"You cannot just -" the librarian begins.

You feel a lurch, like the floor dropped out from under you all of a sudden, and your foot sets down on stone.

The floors of the Atheneum are clean, scrubbed stone, and the walls are lined with bookshelves that are full of neatly organized tomes. The room you've landed in is rectangular, with reading tables and comfortable chairs, and is warmed and lit by metal rods that glow with a clean, white light.

A succubus (or incubus?) in scholarly clothes, half-moon glasses on her face, looks up in surprise when you arrive. Then she flaps her wings to stand instantly and lunges for a small silver bell against the far wall.

> Nathan, stop her
> Amy, stop her
> Stop her yourself
> Let it happen

>>44329770
>Amy, stop her
Throw the bird at her!

> Amy, stop her

>>44329770
>Nonlethally stop her!

>>44329770
> Amy, stop her
fast bird

>>44329770
>Amy! Throw me!

>>44329770
Could we
>Let Kat get her?

Votes called, writing.

>>44329770
Can we catch her with Kat? If not;
>Amy, stop her.
Remember, she has demonic throwing axes.

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>>44329770
"Amy," you call out.

"On it," she answers, and you throw her by the scruff of her neck. The bird-bolt flies straight and true, tackling the suddenly-much-lighter succubus. The demoness yelps in surprise, and then again when Amy finds her feet and hurls her into Nate's waiting arms. The soldier crushes her into a hug while you draw your blade and dig the tip, just a little, into the base of her spine.

"I know this can't permanently hurt you," you note, "but two of the three people here can. Let's chat."

"Going to torture me, heritor?" the succubus asks in a strained voice.

> No, but I will stick you in a little tiny booze flask and use you as a conversation starter.
> Guess not. Nathan, kill her.
> You fucking bet, demon (bluff).
> I have unresolved emotional problems (actually torture her).

> No, but I will stick you in a little tiny booze flask and use you as a conversation starter.

>>44330150
>Play Good Cop/Bad Cop with Nate.
>Bri threatens her with unresolved emotional problems.
>Nate offers to protect her from Bri if she just gives us what we want.

>>44330150
I have unresolved emotional problems (actually torture her).
But no in all seriousness my actual vote is
> No, but I will stick you in a little tiny booze flask and use you as a conversation starter.

>>44330150
>No, but I will stick you in a little tiny booze flask and use you as a conversation starter.

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>>44326733
Here's a higher res of that pic. It's kinda been bugging me a bit.

>>44330150
> No, but I will stick you in a little tiny booze flask and use you as a conversation starter.
We honestly don't really /want/ to kill people this time.

>>44330150
>> No, but I will stick you in a little tiny booze flask and use you as a conversation starter.

>>44330150
>No, but I will stick you in a little tiny booze flask and use you as a conversation starter.
It's Sex in a Bottle (TM)

Votes called, writing.

>>44330150
> No, but I will stick you in a little tiny booze flask and use you as a conversation starter.
> I have unresolved emotional problems (actually torture her).

>>44330278
Based anon

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>>44330150
"No, but I will stick you in a little tiny booze flask and use you as a conversation starter."

"You can't make me talk," the succubus boasts.

"Amy, put the hood over Cherry's lantern," you tell the bird. She does what you asked, and you start cutting a design into the succubus's back. The demoness actually moans.

"Masochist?" you ask, mildly.

"Little bit," she confesses. "Especially since that's ordinary steel. Barely even hurts."

"Shame about your clothes though. Now, you've got until I complete the binding to talk. Who do you work for?"

"Brigette. Duh."

You pause to stab the demoness in her asscheek. She yowls indignantly.

"Um. Bri, she's sort of. This is very awkward for me," Nathan admits.

"Suck it up, I'm spellcasting. What do you do?"

"I assist in her research. Many of us do."

"Succubi?"

"Some. Not all," the demoness says haughtily. "Though we are some of the most useful. This library suppresses our fire, just as it's suppressed the magic your bird is carrying."

Amy looks down. "Hey! My armor's not on fire. And neither are my weapons. Fuck. Fuuuuck! The library laws are still in place?"

You narrow your eyes and blow a scattering of iron shavings onto the succubus's clothes.

"What laws did the Poet need broken?" you ask in a low voice.

"Wouldn't you love to know?" comes the mocking reply.

"I swear to fuck, I will keep you in that flask forever."

"Say it slower, lover," the demoness purrs. You stab her in the other asscheek.

"Fine," you growl, and slap your hand against her back. You take out River's flask, open it one-handed, and put it to the demon's lips. "Not gonna tell me what I want to know?"

"That you can't get pregnant from anal?" the demoness asks.

"Yeah, okay, you can get fucked," you growl. You start the incantation, feeling the lurch in your chest as your life force drains away. Binding demons is never easy, and this one's got a strong soul.

Note to self: someone is probably going to come after her.

>>44330652
Demon in a Bottle
how very Stark of us

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>>44330652
The succubus laughs as the flask sucks her in, stretching her essence and making her swirl like water heading down a drain. The container rusts along the edges, in runes that spell the demon's name in her own tongue.

In moments, the lid snaps onto it, and it's over.

"It smells like brandy in here," she notes from within, her voice echoing. "Who the fuck keeps brandy in a flask?"

You sigh. "You got a name, you cheeky little shit?"

"Isoldt," she says pleasantly. "Charmed."

"You're not even mad yet, are you?"

"Nope," she confirms. Nathan turns away to look at the room and coughs; Amy's busy patting herself down and swearing in offended chirps.

> Check the book the demoness was reading
> Try one of the two doors (left/right)
> See if Fetch is in range
> Write-in

>>44330716
> Check the book the demoness was reading
Clues to what Brigette's researching would be nice.

>>44330716
>> Check the book the demoness was reading
>> See if Fetch is in range

>>44330716
> Check the book the demoness was reading

Guess we should get to investigating, we still don't know what research Brigy was doing.

>>44330716
>Check the book the demoness was reading
>See if Fetch is in range

>>44323982
Way to evade filters, questfag.

>>44330831
WITNESS MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

>>44330716
> Check the book the demoness was reading
> See if Fetch is in range

>>44330716
I say we do;
>Check the book for clues.

Eventually, I'd like to see us reunited with our knightly familiar and his kin. They are way too useful to leave in the Lichyard (even though River enjoys the company).

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>>44330848
Oh Vox...

Votes called. Writing.

>>44330716
> See if Fetch is in range

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>>44330716
There are two books on the desk Isoldt was working at, one with a pen set down on the pages, and the other held open with a bookmark.

The tome with the bookmark /crawls/. The letters aren't precisely hard to look at - you're pretty sure your mind isn't being blown out the back of your soul - but they're like nothing you've ever seen, and they shift and shimmer, each word becoming dozens, hundreds of different words while you watch, in a language you couldn't recognize at swordpoint.

The tome next to it appears to be an in-progress translation, judging by the number of crossed-off sentences. One section has been circled repeatedly.

"And the gods said, "Be", and I was. In that moment I existed, when I had not before, knowing who I was and my own name, and full of the knowledge of my own purpose and meaning.

I comprehended that purpose, and I wept. Better I should be made with a heart of stone than to know my own terrible necessity in the grand design. Once I was a thought, an idea, a conception not yet bound into creation.

Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."

A note beneath, as an addendum, is connected to the word 'become' by a thin line. It reads, "Command tense?"

A freezing fog rises in the room, and from it issues Brigette's voice, tired, and melodious, and lonely.

"Thought I felt you," she says, plainly. "You'll find that I have a better idea of who and what is in my library than my predecessors did. Listen..."

You hear a clockwork lighter go off, and the faint sound of a breath full of smoke.

"Can we talk?"

> No
> I'm listening
> What the fuck was that, at the festival? WHY?

>>44331277
>> What the fuck was that, at the festival? WHY?

> I'm listening

>>44331277
>> I'm listening

>>44331277
> What the fuck was that, at the festival? WHY?

>>44331277
> I'm listening

Votes called, writing.

>>44331277
> I'm listening, and I want to let you know, this doesn't have to end badly. I'm all about this mercy thing. You and Victoria could have more time together, and all you have to do is give up the chain. I will go to bat with the Angel for you.

>>44331277
>....sure. I'm always open to dialogue. You want to go over what happened at the festival or should we focus on the matters on hand?

>>44331512

Damn, six seconds late. I really want to make that offer clear to her - I don't want to have to kill anyone we don't have to.

Right / Needed, after all.

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>>44331277
You're not sure what entirely the mix of emotions in your chest is, though it's probably predominantly anger considering how tempting it is to tell her to go fuck herself.

But instead you sigh and tuck your hands - and Isoldt's flask - into your pockets.

"I'm listening."

There's a sigh of /relief/ from Brigette. "You still have the letter?"

"I do," you confirm, calmly.

"Okay. That's...that's good. Listen. This isn't your fight. You didn't ask for this. So I'm giving you an out." A tendril of fog moves over one of the tables; when it retreats, you find a collection of beautiful, shining jewels, as well as a crown and a scepter. "I believe finding these was the condition on your exile. Take them, free of charge. For...for hearing me out."

Another smoke-filled breath. "Here's the deal. I'll show you what it is I'm researching down here, to prove to you that I don't have evil intentions. And then you leave. You take the crown jewels and you leave the Dungeon, and you never come back. Let us finish what we started. Brianna, you're a good person. I don't want to fight you, especially not now that I have the power to kill you permanently."

"Say what?" you ask.

"I ain't kidding," Brigette says grimly. "So let's...not. What do you say? Can I show you?"

> Hear her out
> Flatly refuse
> Flatly refuse and throw the jewels back into the fog
> Write-in.

> Hear her out
just to understand her more

>>44331585
> Hear her out

>>44331585
>Hear her out

Least we can do is hear her out, then decide.

>>44331585

> Hear her out
> Write-in: "It'd better be damned good to justify what you're doing to the angel."

Not in any way saying we actually agree, but getting a better idea of what the fuck's going on isn't a bad idea. The write-in's for steering the explanation in the direction of what Lora has to do with this.

>>44331585
>Hear her out
but we'll probably refuse anyway

>>44331585
>Are you trying to bribe me? And what about your other friends that are killing people like the Vintner or trying to make a weapon of mass destruction and use it to extort kingdoms like the Moneychanger? You gonna do anything about that?

>>44331585
>> Write-in. Give me the chain, and then we walk away. You could give me all of the riches in the world but they won't be worth dirt if things stay out of balance between death and the Dungeon.

>>44331703
> THis

>>44331703
>This

>>44331703
>>44331715

These two work.

They probably WON'T work, but they work.

>>44331585
> Write-in. Give us the chain and wipe away the debt.

Called. Writing.

>>44331585
The big problem is that we've got an angel bound and being actively tortured, until thats dealt with we have business here, maybe not with this guy, but with everyone else on his friends list.

Still, it'd be nice to be able to show our face above surface again, granted, it'd be nicer to not be run out of town down here.

>>44331838

...Bridgette's a girl.

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>>44331585
You look at Nathan, and then Amy, and you sigh.

"How the hell are you smoking down here?"

"Lifted the ban on fire in my personal chambers. Didn't used to smoke. Then I quit drinking when I realized you were coming after me and I had to do /something/."

"...I empathize far too much with that statement. Show me what you're going to show me. Then we'll talk."

A figure steps out of the fog - it's Brigette, but made entirely of the freezing mist. She tugs her cloudy hood and gestures. "Follow me. We're going to the Tree of Tales."

She leads you through the door on your left and down an L-shaped corridor with two doors on its right-hand side and one at the end. The far door is opened, leading into a circular room that contains what is, unmistakably, a dead cherry tree. The tree is rooted in soil and surrounded by witchlights, and its room is, like all the others, lined with bookshelves. A single door leads out on the far side of the room.

"When I started all of this, I thought I was trying to learn the language of angels," Brigette admits. Her voice is sad, and distant. "It was very frustrating. Some of the oldest books in the entire world are here in the Dungeon, and none of them seemed to know what I was talking about. I knew angels didn't speak the tongue of mortals, you see. But none of the ancient scholars seemed to think they spoke a tongue of their own."

The Poet's misty projection turns and gives you that smile, the one that made your heart flutter when she stepped off the stage. "Then I found it. They're not speaking their own language. There is no tongue of angels."

She turns to face the tree. "They're speaking the tongue of the gods."

|<[Bloom]>|

You do not understand the word, but you /comprehend/ it; you feel its commanding tone, its absolute certainty, which echoes through the room and reverberates back from the stone.

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>>44331956
And before your eyes, the dead tree lives. Its wood vitalizes, its branches grow leaves, and then flowers, and the cherry blossoms scatter gently from it.

"The poetry of creation," Brigette whispers, her voice full of pride at her accomplishment. "Words not just to describe, but /create/."

She turns to face you. "I can give you back the years of your life. I can regrow Amy's wings, heal Nathan's lungs, cure any illness. I can shape the world as the angel shaped the Dungeon, /if you let me finish my work/. I'm still finding the words, piecing together the grammar, but look at what I can do already! Ten years of my life and this is just the barest /dregs/ of the possibilities."

She puts an insubstantial hand on your shoulder. "Please. Brianna, please."

> What do you say?

>>44332000
Uhhhh, I respect what shes trying to do, but this line of research definitely leads to divine armies, which are probably roughly as bad as zombie armies.

>>44331585
>Hear her out

Ultimately if her research really isn't overtly harmful we throw her own words back at her.

>>44332000
>Look at yourself and tell me you could be trusted with this power. And then give me the chain, because if you say yes, then I can't even begin to believe you.

>>44332000

>Why do you need the angel for this? Why do you need her /tortured/ for this?
>Life is for the living, death is for the dead.

The first, because Bridge's a fucking idiot if she thinks she's getting better results from torturing Lora than from just plain talking with her.

The second because obvious.

>>44332000
>That's a beautiful and wondrous thing you have here. It would be really fucking bad if people like the Moneychanger or the Vintner had this sort of thing.

>>44332000
She is level three, Master is the one realty in control here. sadly we cant let her finish that work under those circumstances. Under different employment however...

>>44332066
Chances are, anon, that she needed Lora imprisoned because of some manner of local or divine law that prevented mortals from learning this.

Just. Y'know. Saying.

>>44332000
>Please isn't gonna bring back those your friends killed.

>>44332000
I can't just stand by letting you and the rest of your comrades torture Lora. Not for something that was made for beings much bigger than ourselves. What do you even think this would do? This kind of power in the hands of petty mortals, thinking of nothing but the things close to them. It would cause nothing but people whose greed and lust for power would overshadow any sort of control you had over this. Any noble cause, any sort of "redemption" you think this will cause, worthless. And what of your colleagues? What do you think they will do with their extra time? Help you with your "noble cause?" No, I'm sorry, but I can't allow this horror to go on.

>>44332066
The books were "Not for mortal hands" Thats probobly the first rule she needed to break, the language itself is so complex a translation is probobly impossible without some sort of Rosetta stone (Ie. Lora) and do you really think Lora would give two shits about any of this mortal stuff if not for the chains? Shes a divine being and only talks to us because its her only real option.

>>44332000
Shouldn't we be asking why she wants or needs this power in the first place? She doesn't seem the type to want power for power's sake. There is a motive, that is the key.

A reminder - discussion is good, but greentext your votes.

>>44332343
Sounds like a good question to ask, yes.

>>44332343
It doesn't really matter since she is getting it for Master. shes a really shitty person and should feel shitty because of that. Dossn't mean we should crucify her for her search alone, how many la Croixs have been killed for searching for "Forbidden knowledge"

>>44332000

> What are you going to do with this power? What drives you?

>>44332343
seconding this

>>44332000
>So you have all this power at your finger tips, but who really benefits? I met the Vinter and the Moneychanger, with this power they would have slaughtered untold thousands, and I'm fairly certain they were chumps in comparison to those I will have to face after you.

Really lay on that shes a cog in a machine that would turn her hopes and dreams to ash.

>>44332000
> So you're telling me that you enslaved an angel, consorted with the worst sort of murderers there are, and are quite willing to kill me and mine, because you want /power/? And you expect me to be /sympathetic/ because you chose a pretty way to show me?

>>44332506
This

Votes called. Writing.

You know something, the only reason the Poet doesn't have dirty hands, is that she rules over the library. There's no people here, just books. So she did not have to kill, or enslave or other such things.

>>44332848
I'm sure there are people here just like the other levels, and she has the service of a number of demons. her goals are just a lot less aggressive, then the previous two. that and if anyone realy aposed her and she was unwilling to parley she could just say a word and poof. Power can lead to violence and damage but it can also lead to calm. The language of gods is a nuke basically.

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>>44332000
You sigh, heavily. "Let me light my pipe."

"Can't, not without turning on Amy's equipment. Which I'd rather not, because demonfire can burn me through this fog." Brigette smiles, apologetically. "But...here. You won't thank me but it's better than nothing."

The foggy projection hands you a lit cigar, the mist peeling away from it. You take a puff and feel the unending scorn of the gods ripping through your throat.

You cough and look at her in disbelief. "/You/?"

"...She said they made her life a little better," Brigette says in a small voice. "I gave her the cigarettes at first but after she gave them to you she asked if I could do cigars."

You take a few silent puffs (WHY? WHO MAKES THESE?) and exhale through your nose. "...Why do you want this power, Brigette? Tell me how your life got this way."

The misty Poet turns away and takes a few steps. You can see her smoking her own cigar, same as yours. "...Would you believe I was just a student when all this started? Talented, sure, but ten years ago I was nobody. But I was a nobody who was very good at research, at translation. Always had the gift of tongues, me. When the Master came to me, I saw a handsome, educated gentleman. He dumped a barge of money at my doorstep and said he needed help with a particular project. Research help, he said. So I set my family up for life, and I paid off my school, and hired some people to summon assistants. He told me I could do whatever I wanted, as long as I researched the Dungeon for him."

Brigette takes a deep drag and exhales fog. "The angel language thing started as a side project. Something to prove to myself that my education hadn't been wasted. The Master was pretty interested in it, and encouraged my research into angels. I was...instrumental...in Lora's binding. I didn't think it'd go this far. At first he just needed her out of the way. Then he needed exceptions in the laws. Then he needed her to obey. More and more people got added to his project."

>>44332947
>The language of gods is a nuke basically
And that's why we have to stop the poet, no matter what.

>>44332985
So this asshole took a naive and budding scholar, someone who really could've made a difference in the world... and used him to bind a fucking angel for his own gains. God DAMN it.

>>44333100

>used him

Bridgette is a girl.

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>>44332985
Brigette turns, and there's anger in her face. "I never wanted to work with scum like the Vintner or the Moneychanger or the fucking Traitor. But I was weak, then. Scared. I kept my mouth shut. I did my job. I did my job as I watched them start to take over the Dungeon. I did my job as the blood ran in rivers. I told myself there wasn't a way out. And then I found /this/, and now there is. I was weak then but I can be strong now. If I can finish my work I can take them out and undo the damage they've done. I won't need Lora then. She can...she can go. I never wanted to hurt her."

"You hurt her anyway," you murmur.

"DON'T CONDESCEND ME, NECROMANCER!" Brigette screams, her voice torn with fury. "You weren't there! You don't know me! You can't /judge/ me! I didn't ask for this, and you don't get to sit on some, some /throne/ from on high and tell me I should have known better."

"She didn't say that," Amy interjects.

Brigette looks like she's about to snap a retort, and then she takes a step back, and breathes. "What happened happened. I can't fix that. No one can fix that. There's no command tense for 'time' in the divine tongue. But right now all of those people suffered for nothing. If you take me out, everything I've done has been for /nothing/. Please understand. You of all people should understand."

You tap ash from the end of the cigar and take a heavy drag. "You're still helping them. Aren't you?"

"I'm bound," Brigette mutters. "I have to do their research. They won't let me leave unless I turn over all of my findings...including on the divine tongue. I can't do that. I'm /too close/, I'm too close and I don't trust the rest of them with this anyway. Especially not the Traitor."

She looks lost. And scared. And in that misty face you can see the student who left her home, looking to change the world for the better.

>>44332064
>>44332066
>>44332158
>>44332506
>>44332622
I heartily support all of these. We might not hate the Poet the way we did Lisa or the Vintner, but she still has to go.

is there supposed to be a
>write in
at the end?

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>>44333175
"Please," Brigette murmurs. "You have the jewels. I'll heal your compatriots, swear any oath you ask of me, on my blood and bone. Seal it with your magics to hold me to my troth but /let me finish my work/. Don't make all of this for nothing."

You look at Amy and Nathan, and see the discomfort, and the conflict, in their gazes. The harpy girl looks like someone ripped her heart out and kicked it.

> You can get out of this alive, Brigette. Give me the chain.
> It's already been for nothing. They're still using you. They'll never let you fulfill your dream.
> Listen to yourself. You've become obsessed. Is this proper academic distance?
> I'm sorry Brigette, but you've been party to unforgiveable crimes. I can't let you live.

Choose only one.

>>44333180
>>44333241

...Can we have our binding oath be to turn Brigitte over to Lora, when the job is done? Her goals are just, her mistakes were made, the damage is done, and most of all she knows what she's caused and hates it.

I say we give her what she wants, with the absolute promise of justice at the end.

>>44333241
> It's already been for nothing. They're still using you. They'll never let you fulfill your dream.

>>44333241
>> You can get out of this alive, Brigette. Give me the chain.

>>44333241
> You can get out of this alive, Brigette. Give me the chain.

Ugh I so want to pick the second option, but our goal is to eliminate the chains binding Lora and gain control of the dungeon, Bridgette could be useful to both those ends.

>>44333241
> It's already been for nothing. They're still using you. They'll never let you fulfill your dream.
You see what you want to see.

>>44333292
This could be an interesting solution, yes. Though it's potentially complicated by her obligations to the other chain holders; she'd still need to turn the chain over to Bri and forsake whatever oath is holding her to them, which will likely not be even remotely pleasant.

>>44333241
> It's already been for nothing. They're still using you. They'll never let you fulfill your dream.

It doesn't matter how noble her goals are, every route she goes will have the same outcome, they all end in death, destruction, and tyranny on a massive scale. Their are only three paths that don't end in bloodshed.

>We kill her. Let Lora claim her soul for her sins.

>She burns her research and walks away. Lives out a natural lifespan before the reaper comes to take its due (and Lora with it too).

>She repents for her sins. Saves her soul from eternal strife at the cost of a life devoted to righting her wrongs and stopping others from doing the same.

Holy shit, we're a goddamn paladin.

>>44333241
> You can get out of this alive, Brigette. Give me the chain.

>>44333349
Then we ask her about our options. I feel like she's shown the integrity of character to be willing to submit herself to the sword.

>>44333241
>It's already been for nothing. They're still using you. They'll never let you fulfill your dream.

Or they'll pervert it and turn it into something horrible. Can she swear to us that she's completely capable of making sure that no one unjust or unworthy would ever be able to use her research?

>>44333241

> You can get out of this alive, Brigette. Give me the chain.

She CAN. We aren't the one to judge her work or her life; that has to be given to Lora. And Lora'll probably be far more likely to be lenient if Bridgette gives over the chain willingly.

.1% chance is infinitely higher than none, after all.

>>44333353
Hammer of Justice when?

>>44333241
>You can get out of this alive, Brigette. Give me the chain.
Second one is essentially the same thing, third one is the judgment that she just yelled at us for, and I really don't like the last one.
This _will_ end in tears.

>>44333241
> It's already been for nothing. They're still using you. They'll never let you fulfill your dream.
They've already done all this damage, all this wrong. To finish the work, while they're still in power, risks making all that has happened already seem trivial. The only way this vaguely works out well is if someone else neutralizes the other chain holders.

> It's already been for nothing. They're still using you. They'll never let you fulfill your dream.

>>44333241
It's still tempting to offer her freedom, but there's way too much at risk. The other Chain-Wielders could show up at any time to take her research, and we'd have no real way to stop them.
>It's already been for nothing. They're still using you. They'll never let you fulfill your dream.

>>44333292
Ultimately, she must answer for her transgressions - whether to the spirits of those who suffered for her inaction, or to Lora, who was tortured and enslaved because of her.

>>44333430
Agreed, but I think she could right a hell of a lot of wrongs if we can make it happen. We just need to know how it'd work and what measures we need to take to make sure.

>>44333430
Can't she answer her transgessions by working towards fixing them?

You know, death ends things with finality, but with life she could actually do GOOD

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>>44333353
Ironically enough, there's a thread going on Undead Paladins. Pic related.

>>44333241
>It's already been for nothing. They're still using you. They'll never let you fulfill your dream.

Vox can we add a sales pitch to our choice?

>>44333241
>It's already been for nothing.

>Why not take an out? I'll go to bat for you with the angel. Why not spend the time you have left with this Victoria? Trust me, my family knows a thing or two about time, and life, and what they're worth.

>>44333241
>> You can get out of this alive, Brigette. Give me the chain.
Bri is a necromancer and by her very existence has broken natural laws to end up where she is. Judging her then leads into a horribly grey area of hypocrisy.

However I see this going basically "I can't, prepare to fight. I'm sorry" could we instead go with:
>"SHOW me the chain"
type stuff and loophole her to 'unwittingly' giving it up?

>>44333241
> It's already been for nothing. They're still using you. They'll never let you fulfill your dream.

>>44333519
At a minimum we could get lora to hold off on it. Regardless he needs to back the fuck off with what hes doing, although some of it is acceptable, also we can give his succubus back then.

>>44333241
>It's already been for nothing. They're still using you. They'll never let you fulfill your dream.
>Do you REALLY think they'll let you get away with that plan? How easy it is to mess it up when the language doesn't make you any less vulnerable to mortal tricks?
>What guarantee do you have that they don't already have most of your research, stolen from you?

>>44333241
>> You can get out of this alive, Brigette. Give me the chain.

>We can talk to Lora together. Give you time - time to spend with Victoria. Time to live the life you've been missing down here. Help me make this right.

>>44333561
this

Guilt trip from a la Croix is like the wooooorst.

>>44333612

Bridgette is a girl.

>>44333547
Yes. Actually. You know what, I'm gonna call the options vote here in eight minutes, and then ask anon to vote on the sales pitch, 'cause this is nice to see and it feels a bit fairer like that.

>>44333652
>>44333167
>>44331933

If they don't know by now...

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>>44333677

Will you collect the sales pitches we've thrown, for that post? Or should we keep voting for the ones we like?

>>44333561
Seconding for >>44333241

>>44333677
I need to go pass yon fuck out, but if you'll take it, my sales pitch would be something like this:

>I believe you have the best of intentions and the means to make it happen, but there has to be justice for what's been done. Work with me. Let me know the nature of your rules, so we can give you over to Lora for what you've done when this is all over. Bind yourself to that fate, and I'll happily let you finish your research and help make things right.

>>44333241
>It's already been for nothing. They're still using you. They'll never let you fulfill your dream... the only safe way to end this is to let us have the chain, end the suffering, and I promise you, we will do everything we can to keep you safe... or at least, buy you time. Time you can spend with the people you love. Time you can spend living the life you lost down here.


>>44333720

I could easily imagine that being Bri post-lichhood.

>>44333720
We'll re-vote on the sales pitches at that time. Except for this guy >>44333741 since he has to pass out and it's only two minutes to call, him I'll include in the vote post.

Votes called. Tallying, writing pitch-vote post.

>>44333677
Sales pitch for
> It's already been for nothing. They're still using you. They'll never let you fulfill your dream.

I'm not sure I can grasp the full complexities of your situation, but I get the feeling that there are things you're not telling me. Hell, maybe you CAN'T tell me them. Maybe you're close to blowing everything just by talking to me.... You're working with powerful magic. Magic...that's amazing and awesome to behold. Something so raw and fundamentally different that it could change the world

And I don't think a guy who took the name 'The master' is letting you play with the literal power of god without having some sort of failsafe or control mechanism. Something that even the language of angels can't get around.

He's got you over a barrel, and... I don't think he's going to let you go. Your research will be taken. You've probably imagined already what a person with anything less then the most just and upright of morals could do with it. Hell, I can think of a thousand horror stories this kind of power could inflict even by a GOOD person. Monkey's paw and all that...

Do you really think you can take the chance that whatever plan you're gambling on will stop this research from falling into the hands of miserable fucks like the vintner or the money changer? Are you willing to risk all of creation on it?

>>44333831

Vox, I have almost never said this to another DM, GM, or QM.

I want to be in any game you run. I wish I could sit at a table you're running.

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Alright folks. Our winner is:

> It's already been for nothing. They're still using you. They'll never let you fulfill your dream.

We will now have a 15 minute vote on the sales pitch. Please submit or second a sales pitch with your vote.

First potential option:

>I believe you have the best of intentions and the means to make it happen, but there has to be justice for what's been done. Work with me. Let me know the nature of your rules, so we can give you over to Lora for what you've done when this is all over. Bind yourself to that fate, and I'll happily let you finish your research and help make things right.

>>44333925
Honestly, that seems good to me. But I've been up 28 hours

Something Between >>44333561
>>Why not take an out? I'll go to bat for you with the angel. Why not spend the time you have left with this Victoria? Trust me, my family knows a thing or two about time, and life, and what they're worth.

and

>>44333625
>>We can talk to Lora together. Give you time - time to spend with Victoria. Time to live the life you've been missing down here. Help me make this right.

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>>44333904
I...I'm flattered, anon.

Also archiving thread so I don't forget to.

>>44333925

We can't let him finish researching FUCKING GOD SPEAK. We're going to need to offer him an out, he had good intentions and still does, but hes been dragged deeper and deeper into the pit by those around him. He will have to pay for what hes done, however we can conviniently offer him an alternate means, he needs to right his wrongs, he has a massive potential to do good in the world, to research things that are causing people to suffer and figure out how to stop them. But he needs to stop trying to become god, and needs to stop walking down the road to hell that the master has pointed him in.

>>44334040
Who are you talking about, anon?

Thread archived. Current winner at 2 votes is

>I believe you have the best of intentions and the means to make it happen, but there has to be justice for what's been done. Work with me. Let me know the nature of your rules, so we can give you over to Lora for what you've done when this is all over. Bind yourself to that fate, and I'll happily let you finish your research and help make things right.

Especially since it ties in to the options here: >>44333984

>>44334126
The person whose gender I keep fucking up because I cannot refer to someone as a woman for some damn reason because I'm retarded.

>>44333879
Voting for this as the sales pitch.

>I believe you have the best of intentions and the means to make it happen, but there has to be justice for what's been done. Work with me. Let me know the nature of your rules, so we can give you over to Lora for what you've done when this is all over. Bind yourself to that fate, and I'll happily let you finish your research and help make things right.

>>44334158
I know. Just Call her the Poet.

>>44333925
>No one deserves access to the language of the gods. The only things that can happen with that power are bad, bad things. No matter how good your intentions, no matter what you intended to happen, nothing good will come of this. Your dream, you`ll never fulfill it. The master and other chain bearers will pervert it their own gain and you have done nothing to stop it.

>>44334185
I will, I honestly don't know why I keep fucking it up, I'm genuinely that dumb actually.

Called. Writing.

>>44333925

Voting for >>44333879
with caveat that our family has a good understanding on what power can do, especially when it's fresh. With the way the Vinter and Money Lender, two of the weakest members handle the power, do you honestly think that the Master will not only keep his end of the bargain, but NOT use the words as a means to expand his power and influence?

>>44333925

Addendum to the rest of it.

>It can be in vain - because that's better than for evil. If you're heading down the wrong path, progress means turning around - and the person who does so first, is right.

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>>44333241
"Brigette," you murmur. "It's already been for nothing. They're using you, even now. You're afraid of me, aren't you?"

"...Yes," the Poet admits, softly.

"They threw you in my path to slow me down. Even if you win, do you really think they won't see your change of heart coming? They'll never let you fulfill your dream."

The Poet's arms drop slowly to her sides, and her shoulders shake as she starts to cry. On instinct you can't name, you close the distance between you and her misty projection, and pull her into a hug.

The fog feels almost solid, despite its wet chill.

"I believe you have the best of intentions," you murmur. "I want to believe, because I /do/ understand. I understand about power that scares other people, even though you want it for good. But there has to be justice for what's been done here, Brigette. Tell me how to get you out of this. Agree to turn yourself over to Lora after we've righted this wrong, and I'll be glad, all too glad, to let you finish, and to help you make things right."

"...I can't," Brigette whispers. "I can't. I'm bound, I'll die on the spot if I betray them. If you want the chain you have to take it from me. I have to do everything in my power to stop you."

"There has to be some way you can help," you press, gently.

"...The lich has some way of evading my sight, even here in my domain. It'd be pretty inconvenient for me if he taught someone else."

You tilt Brigette's chin up and give her a slow kiss; she sighs, in relief, in fear, and pulls away reluctantly. "If we /were/ to defeat you, you'd swear the oath?"

"Anything," the Poet whispers. "Anything. I never wanted this. I never asked for this."

"Go on. Prepare your defenses."

The fog ripples away, in strips, leaving you with soaked clothes and a half-smoked cigar.

"Before you ask," you say quietly, "the kiss felt like the right thing to do."

"I would've done the same thing," Amy agrees in a small voice.

>>44334450

Bam. Mercy is the sharpest knife.

We <3 you Vox. Thanks for understanding that we're not just weird for trying to offer her redemption.

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>>44334450
"We need a plan," Nathan notes. "...And we should probably go get those jewels."

The crown jewels are right where Brigette left them. You stuff them in your pack, slowly. They seem like such petty things, to risk someone's life over.

You're not sure how you feel, but you badly want to be held, and cry, and scream at the injustice of it all.

"How do we find a lich that can hide from her?" Amy asks.

"Simple," you answer distantly. "Cherry finds his phylactery. He'll show up to defend it."

"I can help?" the little ghost asks, brightly.

"Why not storm her now, while she's distracted?" Nathan asks. "It's a little cold, but, I mean. Now's kinda the time."

"We don't know where we are or where she is," you point out. "Might not be the best idea."

"Might be a map somewhere," Amy points out. "If there is..."

> Have Cherry help you find the lich
> Hunt down a map
> Take the (Left/Right) door; explore blind.

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>>44334450
>I never asked for this.

The Poet will now forever sound like a female version of Adam Jensen in my head. Goddamnit.

>>44334527
>> Have Cherry help you find the lich

>>44334527
>Have Cherry help you find the lich
The right thing is rarely easy or expedient.

>>44334527
> Have Cherry help you find the lich

Merry Lichmas

>>44334527
> Have Cherry help you find the lich
This sounds like a good plan. Plus it'll help Cherry feel like she's not a burden. I'll bet she needs that, judging by the conditions surrounding her death.

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>>44334508
...Why would that be weird?

>>44334527
>> Have Cherry help you find the lich

Make it into a game. Tell her you'll be proud of her, and build her up to it.

Then, if we can, return the crown jewels, so we can roam above the Dungeon as we please.

Does the book allow us to teleport out, as well?

>>44334546
Voiced by Jennifer Hale.

>>44334527
> Hunt down a map
We are in a library. Use it. Rather than using a ghost of a dead girl who doesn't even know what's up.

>>44334527
> Have Cherry help you find the lich

>>44334596
A lesser man might have viewed us as trying to Waifufag, or as weak, or naiive.

>>44334527
>> Take the (Left/Right) door; explore blind.
Yeah, no, I'm not a fan of using children we just met.

>>44334527
>Have Cherry help you find the Lich.
Since we still don't know what kind of defenses Bridgette has in place, or what kind of forces she's commanding (aside from some succubi). Also, let's also make sure to use the Death Sight to spot any traps and wards he has around it.

And when the powerful undead sorcerer shows up, let's try to be civil?

>>44334527
>Have Cherry help you find the lich

>>44334671

Not just civil, nice. We got anything we can offer him that he'd like?

>>44334634
Romancing Brigette would, ultimately, mean giving up on both Amy & Nathan, and I somehow doubt anon would do such a thing, nor do I feel like you have an interest in breaking up her relationship with Victoria.

As far as weak...that's a competitor for saddest thing I've heard all month.

I know Miles was an incubus, but I'm kinda surprised that Isoldt wasn't a little more courteous.

>>44334683
Sadly, some people think showing compassion and mercy to deserving enemies is weakness. Those people are /wrong/.

>>44334683
I dunno. Our discussions on here have been pretty depressing all week.

Bri make me think of a camel whose back broke ages ago but still keeps piling straws on her back while her companions insist that she let other people help sometimes jesus christ stop this burning your candle twice as bright nonsense.

I've updated the Characters and Places some. I should keep up on that a bit more than I have been.

Calling vote in eight while I handle some life shit.

>>44334714
Miles liked Amy, and liked us for killing the Vinter. Isolt was pretty professional and blase about the whole binding deal.

> Have Cherry help you find the lich

>>44334683
Quick question, and kind of off topic, but when you write a word or phrase /like this,/ what sort of intonation are you going for? Is it like a general emphasis, or something else?

>>44334808
Same use as italics; stress the word.

>>44334683
>Romancing Brigette would, ultimately, mean giving up on both Amy & Nathan.... breaking up her relationship with Victoria.

GET ALL FIVE IN HERE. NATHAN WILL BE A HAREM PROTAGONIST WHETHER HE WANTS TO OR NOT.

>>44334854
Anon... No.

>>44334854

pls no

>>44334854
Isn't their an anime quest for you to run or something?

>>44334854
thank god noone is taking this seriously.

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>>44334916
>>44334896
>>44334878

>>44334854
Anon, I am not a wig salesman or a barber. I don't hair 'em.

Votes called. Writing.

>>44334986

Goddamnit that hurt to read

>>44334986
Bad Vox, bad. Save the puns for the story, when comic release is needed.

Or delayed by SUDDENLY DINNER.

I'll be back.

>>44335128
>SUDDENLY
>forgot about dinner
>forgot that humans need to eat
Vox confirmed Lich.

>>44335153
Then why is he eating dinner? Clearly he just /thinks/ he's a lich.

I blame the painkillers.

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>>44335153
>tfw Lich prostitute QM

>>44335202
>Then why is he eating dinner?
he isn't. He's gathering souls and prewriting. Clearly the latter is more important

>>44335223
>Lich prostitute
I'd bone him

>>44335202
Nah obviously he has a pet or something and has trouble remembering that the living still need to feed.

>>44335128
Is Dinner one of your Johns, Vox? Or did one of them suddenly ask you to dinner, as a sort of pre-Christmas treat?
Is he cute, Vox?

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>>44335223

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>>44335253
>tfw you will never seen Vox silhouetted under a single, flickering streetlight, clad in trashy robes that show off far too much bone, crooking a painted finger bone at you to come closer, a painted smile on his teeth.
why even live, anons?

>>44324074
Welcome to my filter.

>>44335128
>dinner
>at midnight
what the hell is wrong with you

>>44335317
Because of coffee, sambuca, and the souls of the damned.

>>44335366
Necromancer hours, man. Midnight's the middle of the work day. And is still 2 hours away. It's only 10 pm.

>>44335317
>why even live, anons?
then dont? Become a litch, duh?

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>>44335317
So dinner was a euphemism

>>44335366
He meant 'after camp'.

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>>44335408
always.

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> Get back
> Refresh thread
> Witness ALL OF THIS
> Pic related

Eating, writing.

>>44335524
What'd you expect?
We're onto ypur madness, qm.

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>>44335524
Don't worry, Vox, it's how we show that we love you.
All of you

>>44335524
Vox. Tragedy has struck. I have run out of coffee, and am at work. I doubt I shall survive.
Remember me as I was! Completely anonymous and unremarkable.

>>44335674
cause I'm gonna start getting silly now.

>>44335674
We got another for the pit boys!

>>44335524
Eh, teasing of the QM is pretty traditional.

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>>44335674
Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... anonymous.

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>>44334527
You mull the options, then shake your head. "No, the lich is still our best bet. Cherry, I need you to leave the lantern now."

The little ghost looks much as her body did, minus the insects - an adorable little girl, her face surrounded by frizzy hair, missing a tooth in her wide smile.

Her ribs stand out, even through her shirt.

"There's going to be something else that feels like the lantern. Can you lead us to it? Slowly? Some of these traps might be able to hurt you and I don't want that to happen."

"Yes Mommy," Cherry agrees, and you wince. She floats towards the door on the right; Amy takes point behind her, with you next and Nathan in the rearguard. You drop your hat over your eyes and murmur your death sight spell, wincing at the pain in your ribs; your training with Nathan has helped your endurance, but you still lost a good solid two months off of your life, and it feels like you've been running all day.

Nathan puts a hand on your shoulder, and you give him a grateful smile.

Between you and Amy you're able to pick out and avoid the traps, disarming several in case you have to come sprinting back through. The library is quiet, and you notice a remarkable lack of defenders, which is either laxity on Brigette's part or an indication that you're heading away from her. Either way, it's a blessing for the moment. You're too tired to fight - tired in your body, tired in your heart.

Cherry stops short. "Um. This door wants a password."

"I don't suppose there's a hint?" you ask, wearily.

"...Come look, Mommy."

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>>44335822
The door is solid steel, reinforced with adamant, and contains a plaque.

"Those who wish to access this section of the library must pass a small test of skill and cunning. You are permitted one answer. Failure will result in your death. Touch the door when you are ready to begin.

We are little airy Creatures
All of d'ff'r'n't Voice and Features
One of us in Glass is set
One of us you'll find in Jet
T'other you may see in Tin
And the fourth a Box within
If the fifth you should pursue, it can never fly from you
What are we?"

You stare. "A fucking. Riddle contest." You drop the cigar and grind it into the floor. "Everyone, other side of the room. I come back if I die. You don't."

Amy, Nathan, and Cherry obediently shuffle away from you, watching with wide eyes as you touch the door.

> What is the answer?

>>44335701
Look, I just don't want to come home and find my phylactery covered in white substances of dubious provenance.

>>44335869
I'm gonna guess vowels. 5 related but different sounds, one per target word in each line.

>>44335869
>Vowels probably

>>44335900
Greentext your votes, anon. Please, it makes my life so much easier.

>>44335893
>implying you don't know exactly what that was.
And it only happened 3 times

>>44335912
>Vowels

Probably is right.

>>44335915
>>44335912
I'm sorry, I said I was out of coffee. All I've got is pipe tobacco for the next 5 hours.

>>44335869
> You'll find them all in 'a tennis court', it's vowels.

Hahaha yeah this is an old one.
>vowels.

>>44335893
We'd leave some money too, we're not monsters.
>>44335869
>Vowels

>>44335869
>> vowels

TFW I use an old reliable riddle and it turns out it was too old.

I shall note this for the future.

Votes called, writing.

>>44335893
And this is why you should always make your phylactery something spiky.

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>>44336011
>implying that will stop us

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Alright folks, gonna be writing this into NEW THREAD, so while this one is still open in the interim - THOUGHTS? FEELINGS? How's Part 3's opening been? How's our most talkative villain thus far been?

Anything stand out as needing to be done more? Less?

As always, your feedback is appreciated and valued; it helps me improve.

>>44336003
Nah, I think you just attract the smarter side of /tg/ with the realistic and compelling moral quandaries, etc.

>>44336045
Better riddles.

Little confused about kissing the villainess, but whatever.

>>44336045
Since we have the jewels and stuff needed to lift our banishment, who do we bring them to?

>>44336003
I had fun figuring it out. I personally hadn't heard it before. (I've little experience with riddles)

>>44336045
Lots of fun. I sorta hope this lich will talk in nothing but puns and limrics, though.

I know that's unreasonable.

>>44336082
Theoretically, Marsh. What one does is head up to Glen with them and tell the historian; he'll check the circumstances of your exile and authorize a runner to go get the nearest person of authority (80% chance to be Marsh unless someone higher up on the chain is doing inspections) to double-check it and pronounce the end of your sentence.

>>44336072
It was a gesture of...reassurance? The kiss was not romantic. It was "I understand, and I'm not angry."

As Bri said, it felt right at the time.

>>44336134
'fair 'nough

>>44336082
Marsh, obviously.

>>44336045
Your fantastic, Vox, and it still confuses me how you can be /this/ good on your first try.

Your pimp must love you.