>>515509
>>Go meet up with Orion.

>>515509
>Go meet up with Orion.

(Writing and drawing.)

File: 78.png (12 KB, 600x600)

12 KB PNG

(Sorry for the delay)
>>515526
>>515550
You slide open the glass door to inside and walk in with Aima. On the side of the hallway, part of the wall had disappeared, revealing a staircase to somewhere below. When Orion pops her head out armed to the teeth, you remember that the path led to the armory. Carrying a battle axe, a sword, a crossbow, and a black potion under a single arm, she closes the wall with a spell, her other swords and knives jingling on the belt around her waist along with pieces of armor.

Aima nervously asks, “What are you doing with those?”

“Fight,” Orion curtly responds.

“Toss me something?” you say.

The battle axe flies over to you, almost crashing you into the ground. You can swing it, but you doubt it’ll be good in an actual fight. Picking out some armor, you find it highly unfitting to your current choice of clothes.

“W-what?” the little girl stutters, “I… I think that’s Aunt Fy’s brother…”

“The first time we met, I tried to say hello and he tried to kidnap me,” you explain, and then you turn to Orion. “Do you… have anything magical?”

“You had taken your staff when you left for your journey.”

The maid golem, stumbling next to you, gives you an idea. It’s imbued, meaning you can use the magic stored in it, oddly enough. You watch as Orion pops the cork from the potion and sticks her sword in. The black liquid, quickly flowing up the sword, coats the steel and quickly fades away. As much as you’d like to see Kae rot for eternity, you realize with the death of one enemy you’d find yourself with another.

“…What are you going to do?” Aima asks, “I don’t want to fight.”

She’s wishy washy, a terrible place to be right now for you and everyone involved.

>Try to talk your way out, and have them help if things go sour.
>Fake surrender.
>Immediate frontal assault.
>Write-in.

>>515673
>>Try to talk your way out, and have them help if things go sour.

(Ending voting)

>>515673
>>Immediate frontal assault.
Aima doesn't have to fight if she doesn't want to but I doubt talking things through will help at all.

>>515683
I don't suppose I could get you to change your vote to Fake surrender? Doesn't seem like a situation where talking will help much and Aima can sit this one out if she doesn't want to fight.
Could have sworn I made a post, ah well.

File: 79.png (12 KB, 600x600)

12 KB PNG

>>515683
“I’ll try to talk with him, and if things go sour, I’ll need some help. Me raising my hands is the signal,” you say, “Aima, you can sit this one out if you don’t want to.”

Orion adds, “Elena, you should stand back lest you get injured.”

She doesn’t answer. Heaven forbid that Aima switches sides at the wrong time, but you shake off the hesitation. Handing back the axe to Orion, who’s nodding in affirmation, you take a peek outside through the peephole of the front door. You turn unlock the door and open it, stepping outside to greet your guests waiting outside.

“Hey Kae, long time no see. How’s it going?”

Fifteen men, their armor shining in the sun, stand behind the Scout.

He ignores you, “Here to surrender?”

“To talk,” you reply, strolling closer.

“There’s nothing to talk about, abomination.”

You watch as the men behind him tense up.

“Like my list of crimes?”

Kae scoffs, “Besides existing, there’s hijacking an airship, attacking a member of the Order in multiple occasions, the murder of two civilians, kidnapping of a child, the list goes on.”

“Okay, there’s too many things wrong with that. I attacked by you first, I wasn’t the one who crashed the airship, and it’s not kidnapping if she followed me.”

“Even if what you babble on about proves to be true, it doesn’t change the fact I need to take you in. You and your necromancer inside.”

Swords are being drawn. You wish you had the necklace with you. Or the golem. Or one of the gemstones from the chamber.

>Make a break for the mansion.
>Feign surrender and signal Orion.
>Let him arrest you.
>Write-in.

>>515921
>>Feign surrender and signal Orion.

>>515921
>>Feign surrender and signal Orion.
I won't mess up this time.

>>515921
Keep talking for a bit, I just want to see his justifications for shit we had dumped on us.

Then
>Feign surrender and signal Orion.

(Calling votes)

File: 80.png (18 KB, 600x600)

18 KB PNG

>>515971
>>515985
>>515988
“Whoa hey wait a minute. You could’ve just asked me to come with you when we first met,” you say, backing up, “Everything that’s happened, doesn’t it seem a bit unfair?”

He laughs, “Why does it matter for a tool like you? Having a slightly larger brain than the average monster doesn’t mean anything.”

Having enough, you put your hands up, feigning surrender.

“Alright, fine,” you say.

Almost instantly, you hear the door behind you open and watch the axe from before fly out, spinning into the armed soldiers. There’s a couple of cries as they scatter, the weapon embedding itself into the ground a few feet beyond.

“You-!” utters Kae.

The men quickly order themselves into units of five as Orion bounces out toward those in the middle. Drawing his knives in a flash, Kae intercepts her, blasting in-between them in a fraction of a second. His blades clashes with Orion’s, a shower of sparks flying into Kae’s face as he’s propelled back by the sheer strength of her swing. His expression darkens, and so do the men behind him.

The soldiers, managing to gather themselves and their courage, start to approach her. When one of them swings, Orion catches the blade in her hand, crushing it easily with a faint glow of magic. You glance behind you and see Aima shyly poking her head out of the doorway with a worried look as the maid golem bumbles outside.

>Try to find a weapon.
>Tap into the magic from golem.
>Ask Aima for help.
>Write-in.

And pick one.

>Help fight Kae.
>Hold off the soldiers.

>>516195
>>Tap into the magic from golem.
We're probably not that skilled with weapons anyway.

>Hold off the soldiers.
Get rid of the mobs first, we can trust Orion to handle Kae.

>>516195
>>Try to find a weapon.
Try the axe.

>Hold off the soldiers.
After they back up a bit, see if we can knock out the pissy crybaby with the handle.

>>516195
>>Tap into the magic from golem.
>Hold off the soldiers.

(Writing and drawing)

File: 81.png (15 KB, 600x600)

15 KB PNG

>>516210
>>516225
>>516304
The golem clumsily walks down the hill, its parts clanking as the rocks collide with the silverware and armor. You tap into the energy imbued inside and watch as it falls flat on its face; the flow of your mana feels warm and comfortable. Out of the corner of your eye, the soldiers are visible getting closer, cautious to not get in the way of Kae. One of them takes a step forward, and you send him flying into two other men. Their armor, nosily crashing into each other, makes them struggle to get up.

Meanwhile, the clashing of blades rings in the air as the Scout unleashes a flurry of attacks, flying all around Orion and landing countless hits, although none of them even sinking past her clothes. Kae’s daggers, suddenly glowing red hot in mid-swing, dive in, sweeping clean through her right arm. Black ribbons fly out, and he’s not surprised at all. Flashing forward, his foot sends the detached limb far away, slicing the ribbons when they try to connect.

“Oops,” Orion plainly exclaims.

A dagger slides out of her right sleeve, and she draws another sword from behind with her left hand. It shines with magic. Her speed quickens, the first blow splitting the earth where Kae was a second ago, the second smashing one of his daggers far away.

Peeling your eyes away from the fight, you concentrate at keeping the guards at bay. Carefully rationing what little mana remaining, you repeatedly blow them back, often enough that they hesitate to even approach the ongoing battle and turn to you. The men charge, their attentions affixed, and raise their swords.

[Roll 1d100, Bo3]

>Render the soldiers unable to fight.
>Expend the last of the magic onto Kae.
>Write-in.

>>516490
>>Render the soldiers unable to fight.

>>516500
Second

Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>516490
>Render the soldiers unable to fight.

Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>516490
>>Render the soldiers unable to fight.

(Calling votes)

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>516618
Rolling again since no one seems to want to roll and I'd rather do better than a 60.

Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>516500
Shit. Just realized I forgot to roll.

Let's take care of that... Now.

File: 82.png (12 KB, 600x600)

12 KB PNG

>>516500
>>516591
>>516611
>>516618
>>516635
[Rolled 62, Success]

A thought appeared in your head to knock all of them unconscious. Unfortunately, that also comes with the risk of actual brain damage. Opting for the safer route, for them that is, you decide to manipulate their armor. Swords soar into the air with helmets and chest plates, changing directions and launching off into the side when reaching their peak. The soldiers stop from surprise and the fact that their boots are now entrenched into the ground. Using the last of the mana, you proceed to pack the dirt and entomb their lower halves.

“Don’t hurt him!” you hear calling from the house.

And as you turn your attention back to Orion, you see her holding the axe from before up high, both hands back where they belong, right above Kae. She brings it down, clonking his head with the handle. You look on, and she makes eye contact with you and lights up a smile.

“Thanks for the assist.”

The soldiers’ moods range from grumbling to cowering, but you leave them be; they’re not getting out anytime soon. Probably.

Aima runs out of the house and looks at the unconscious Scout.

“Is he going to be okay?” she asks.

‘He’ll be fine,” you answer.

Aima pauses before continuing, “Can I call Aunt Fy?”

“…Huh?”

Vaguely, you recall way back in the caves when Kae was talking into his pendant. Or rather, to... his sister?

“I just need to tell them everything’s okay.”

>Don’t allow her.
>Let her talk with Fy.
>You’re the one who's going to talk with Fy. [Write-in]
>[Write-in].

>>516750
>You’re the one who's going to talk with Fy. [Write-in]
First let her talk, then let them know what is going on.

>>516750
>>Let her talk with Fy.
How about she tells her to chill out as well. See if we can use Fy to get these guards off our back. Maybe use Kae as a hostage if Fy refuses.

>>516768
this. Be frank, they attacked us when we didn't do shit other than exist (that we know of). Don't give away we lost our enemies.

(Writing and drawing)

File: 83.png (7 KB, 600x600)

7 KB PNG

>>516760
>>516768
>>516811
After mulling it over momentarily, you give her the go. She unpins it from Kae’s clothes and brings it up to her face. Following a pause of silence, a voice comes out of the pendent.

“I’m a little busy right now. Who is it?”

“It’s me, Aunt Fy.”

“Elena, heavens! Are you okay?”

“I’m okay - I’m with Helios.”

“You’re with WHO!?” Fy erupts.

“It’s okay! You don’t have to worry about me, okay? I’m just going on an adventure.”

“Elena sweetie, you can go on all the adventures you want, after you’ve been recognized,” she scolded, “Is Helios nearby? I need to talk with him.”

“Yes…” Aima says, handing the pendant over to you.

Grabbing it, you speak. “Hey there.”

“The fact that you two have a pendant means you’ve met with someone from the Order. What’s going on?”

“Before you even ask - no, he’s not dead; he’s unconscious. Your brother-“

“What!?” Fy interrupts.

“He came after me rearing to go with a whole lot of guards behind him. Kae attacked first, alright? I swear, I didn’t do anything.”

“That sounds like him, but I know you’re lying. I heard about what happened on the airship. Bring Elena back, immediately.”

Aima, overhearing this, shakes her head at you.

“That’s miscommunication; I haven’t hurt anyone. What do you want me to do? Go back to Luxia and get thrown in a dungeon?”

“Leave her with my brother, along with the pendant.”

“You say that like she’s going to listen. She’s the one who followed me onto the airship, you know.”

“This isn’t a good time,” she grumbles, and an explosion can be heard faintly. “Fine! Keep her safe, and I’ll come to you. If anything happens to her, I swear to the gods…”

“Deal, but only if you get these guards off our backs. A stray arrow might hit her, you know.”

“Yes, yes. Remember, I can find you anywhere, Helios; it won’t be hard. Now, give the pendant back to Elena quickly, I need to talk with her.”

You oblige, and when you do, you see Orion finishing mending her clothes with magic.

“I doubt we can stay here,” she says, “we should get going.”

A road trip must be nice for her, being stuck in this place for so long. You nod as a small smile appears on Orion’s face, betraying her enthusiasm.

You add, “But first - really quick - my chamber.”

(Sorry for the delay, and thank you for playing! How would a short session on Tuesday sound, same time as usual?)

>>517101
Sure, that works. See you around, OP!

>>517101
Sounds fine. I might be a little late like I was today but I'll be around. Thanks for running.

>>517101
I'd love it and this time I'll make sure to roll!

>>517135
>>517149
>>517189
(Alright, I'll be running then.)

Let's not forget to cover/hide well the chambers. Like really well. Not sure if Aima will babble.

File: 84.png (9 KB, 600x600)

9 KB PNG

The steel door to the inside is deformed, twisted from exposure to heat and energy; with help of the mana seeping out, you rip it from its hinges. You can see the interior, the soft glow of leaking magic aiding your eyes along with the moonlight from the sky.

You probe into the crystal command central, soon finding yourself cursing at the lack of history recordings. The system’s been overloaded; whether it was due to drawing extensively from the other plane for too long or too suddenly, the resulting cracked gemstones continue to bleed out, unable to hold an iota of power. The wafting energies in the air bother you greatly, like insects crawling underneath your skin.

As for what the system was built to do...

[Roll 1d100, Bo3, beat 75]

Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>520582
Here goes...

Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>520582
Fingers crossed.

Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>520603
Nice save Anon.

(Nice roll. Writing and drawing)

File: 85.png (101 KB, 600x600)

101 KB PNG

>>520603
[Rolled 91, Crushing Success]

Despite it being completely gargled and esoteric, a faint familiarity can be found in the handiwork. Suddenly, it clicks. Everything was set up, your death being the condition, so you would be revived without a connection to the plane of magic. To be reborn without a well - a scientific and magical impossibility. With the passing of every century, every life form on this planet has developed a crippling dependence upon mana, even the most basic of biological functions made unsustainable without it. To boot, a golem’s artificial brain would never be able to learn, but yours can. Pride swells inside you, and to your horror you want to jump around cheering. You did it! It worked after all!

...?

In any case, sulking won’t do you any good. Shaking your head, your brain empties itself as you gaze at the functioning jewels. Perhaps you should take one with you; after all, you doubt you can find one that has a magic well anywhere else in the world. Just one won’t hurt.

You take a…

>Ruby: Has a small well compensated by a timely flow rate. You can use it for small, successive casts.
>Aquamarine: Is the opposite of Ruby with a bigger well and slow draw. Commonly used for reserves.
>Sapphire: Poor in both capacity and refill speed, but can be useful for spells with a long duration due to its properties.

>>520738
>>Ruby: Has a small well compensated by a timely flow rate. You can use it for small, successive casts.

>>520738
>>Ruby: Has a small well compensated by a timely flow rate. You can use it for small, successive casts.
Out of curiosity, did you make up that math nonsense back there or maybe used a reference?

(Ending voting)

>>520757
(Oh, I Googled it)

File: 86.png (12 KB, 600x600)

12 KB PNG

>>520746
>>520757
With a small pop, a ruby comes out with ease. Tying up the sack of shattered gemstones, you neatly put the hatch back onto the door of the chamber, and then hammered it into place with a spell or dozen. The only way anyone could find the giant ball of steel is if they knew what your mana tasted like.

It takes you the next hour to get out of the hole and fill it back with dirt. At least a third of that was you waiting for the mana to refill, but thankfully you didn’t have to do it by hand. You stare at the two bare, awkward patches of dirt in the backyard and scratch your head.

…How does one make grass?

As you stand there dumbfounded, you recall the conversation you had with Orion after the soldiers carried Kae’s unconscious body away. You’ve went on a journey with its purpose now forgotten, and you agreed the most obvious way to remember it is to retrace your steps.

Except apparently you started on the other side of the continent. Damn the gods, maybe you’ll just take a detour.

(Welp, that was really short. Sorry about that, but thank you for playing. Next session is Sunday again, twitter's @sunphei, and comments and criticism would be nice.)

>>520863
No problem, thanks for running.

>>520861
Is that the hand we're supposed to be missing or is it the other one? I wouldn't have noticed >>515673 if you hadn't said that you messed up somewhere.

>>520899
(Missing the left hand, so the other one.)