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Though the demon has no eyes, you can feel it looking you over, evaluating every minute detail. "Speak," it says in a voice that sounds like a knife being sharpened.

"Greetings Telemok," you say with a bow and practiced politeness. "I am Marcus. I have called you here to ask for your assistance in a delicate matter."

"Specify," Telemok replies. It seems that this particular demon is unusually laconic.

"There is a man, James Selkirk. I need you to compel him to accept a deal offered by one Gabriel Bauer, then leave the town of San Laurent and travel to Eronsreach with haste," you say, outlining what Aisha requested of you. "I am prepared to offer payment in both blood and art." You hold up the amethyst cameo that Aisha gave you, a tempting morsel for any demon.

"Show me," he says holding out one of his larger arms to the edge of the circle, hand open expectantly.

You very pointedly do not place the cameo in the demon's outstretched hand, as that would allow it to take the sacrifice without providing anything in return. "In addition to this," you say instead, "I can provide you with more rabbit's blood. Last blood."

Telemok withdraws its arm and ponders that for a moment. "Ten rabbits," it says finally. "Drained completely. And the cameo. In advance."

Experienced as you are, you manage to avoid visibly balking at the last point. The total amount is not an issue, but the demand that it be all in advance is patently absurd. Your eyes narrow slightly as you realize his game. He's testing you.

Pick one:
> Bargain weakly. You're not the one footing the bill for this, Aisha and David are.
> Bargain aggressively. This is more than just a single job, this is your audition and you need to make a good first impression on this demon. His skills could be very useful in the future.

Also pick one:
> Summon Remeer for more assistance. His illusions will let you easily sneak in with Telemok. However, he is a fourth circle demon so his price will be high.
> Summon Setra. Her ability to put people to sleep will help you get close to Selkirk. She is a second circle demon so her price will be lower.
> Summon one of your other demons. (Specify)
> Do not summon another demon.

>>2600947
>> Bargain aggressively. This is more than just a single job, this is your audition and you need to make a good first impression on this demon. His skills could be very useful in the future.

>> Summon Setra. Her ability to put people to sleep will help you get close to Selkirk. She is a second circle demon so her price will be lower.

The previous thread can be found here:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2570027/
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Demonologist%20Quest

I also have a twitter that can be found here:
https://twitter.com/DemonologistQM

>>2600947
>> Bargain aggressively. This is more than just a single job, this is your audition and you need to make a good first impression on this demon. His skills could be very useful in the future.

>> Summon Setra. Her ability to put people to sleep will help you get close to Selkirk. She is a second circle demon so her price will be lower.

>>2600947
> Bargain aggressively. This is more than just a single job, this is your audition and you need to make a good first impression on this demon. His skills could be very useful in the future.

Yeah, no. He is ripping us off and he knows it.

> Summon Setra. Her ability to put people to sleep will help you get close to Selkirk. She is a second circle demon so her price will be lower.

Putting people to sleep won´t require any extra work for any of us, like a disguise or making excuses about why we want to meet the young master. Better make them all sleep, even if it is kind of weird.

>>2600932
> Bargain aggressively. This is more than just a single job, this is your audition and you need to make a good first impression on this demon. His skills could be very useful in the future.
>> Summon Setra. Her ability to put people to sleep will help you get close to Selkirk. She is a second circle demon so her price will be lower.

Looks like the winners are aggressively and Setra. Now writing.

>>2600947
>Bargain aggressively
>Summon Setra

>>2601055
Bargain Setra.
Summon aggressively.

>>2601194
>>2601055
Bargain Summon.
Aggressively Setra.

Aww yiss

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You hand the cameo to Ibrahim. "Head up to the lodge, I'll meet you there."

He nods and departs.

You turn back to Telemok. "Six rabbits now," you say. "Then, once we have successfully infiltrated the lodge where Selkirk is staying, I will provide you with half a pint of my own ensouled blood. Finally, once the task is complete, my assistant will provide you with the cameo."

The demon remains silent for a few seconds, and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as you feel it evaluating you again. "Torien," it finally says. "Yet not a novice. Interesting. Agreed."

You step up to the circle, then pause for a moment. Breaking the protective wards with the demon standing over you would let it easily crush your skull in a single motion. You're fairly certain that it won't, but the primal fear lingers despite your rational calculations. Still, you haven't come this far as a demonologist by being skittish, a certain amount of risk comes with the territory. You smear a portion of the circle.

Telemok does not move, and the two of you stand there in tense silence, until finally you say "I will need to summon another demon in order to reach Selkirk."

The demon steps to the side, almost prowling around you before finally settling in the far corner of the room. One by one you bring him the six rabbits that you promised, they each squirm in your grip when you present them to the demon, then suddenly go still. Blood seeps from their eyes and nostrils and mouths, snaking through the air as Telemok draws it out of them.

With that matter resolved, you set about summoning additional help. You restore the circle, then retrieve another batch of wooden coins and carve out the symbols to call Setra. You place the coins into a bowl and pour a little bit of leftover rabbit's blood on top of them, then set the bowl in the circle. Unlike Telemok, Setra responds promptly to your summons.

The smoke takes the form of a beautiful woman with large feathered wings emerging from her back and a pair of talons in place of her lower legs. You politely avert your eyes slightly. As usual, Setra doesn't seem to be wearing much in the way of clothing. The soft curves of her body are on full display, with only a few artfully draped scraps of feathers and fur for modesty.

She also doesn't seem to care about the effect that has. Instead, she smiles broadly and greets you in her familiar musical voice. "Daniel!"

"I go by Marcus now, Setra," you say with a shy smile.

Setra's smile turns into a teasing grin. "Ah, got into bit of trouble did we Marcus? Let a few things slip to the wrong person?" She leans as close as the summoning circle allows, and whispers "It was a pretty girl, wasn't it?"

You say nothing. If Setra knew the exact circumstances under which you abandoned your Daniel persona, you'd never hear the end of it. Unfortunately, you start to blush slightly at the memory, and Setra takes that as confirmation.

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"It was!" She laughs, a sound like an expert choir. "You always did have a weakness for a pretty girl's smile."

She would know, wouldn't she? "Yes. Well." You clear your throat, trying to retake control of the conversation. "I've called you here because I need to bring another associate of mine to meet with a merchant prince, and his guards might object." You motion toward Telemok. Setra's face becomes as serious as it can as the two demons nod to each other, but she giggles slightly as she turns back to you. "I'd prefer to handle this without bloodshed," you continue, "and I thought that you would be perfect for the job."

"Flatterer." Then Setra pauses, her eyes widening slightly at something. She raises her head, turning it from side to side as if trying to hear something better. Then she peers over your shoulder, and spies another of David's rabbits.

"Oh," she says. "Oh my. What do we have here."

You turn and walk over to the rabbit, picking it up and bringing it closer to Setra.

"Oh Marcus," the demoness coos, "you shouldn't have." Her arms greedily reach out for the rabbit as you draw close to the circle, but you stop just slightly out of her reach. Realizing you're not about to hand the morsel over, she pouts as best she can. Which is very well, all things considered. A weaker man would probably fold instantly at the sight. But while seeing her beautiful face turn downward in disappointment is certainly heartbreaking, you steel yourself and hold firm.

"You can have one upfront, and another upon completion."

She licks her lips at the sight of the rabbit, then looks up into your eyes and gives you a sly look. "Throw in a little bit of your own blood at the end, and we have a deal."

You roll your eyes and sigh. "Very well." You smear the circle, letting Setra step forward and take the rabbit in her arms. The tiny creature doesn't seem to realize what's about to happen to it, and it remains quite relaxed as the demoness holds it.

"Oh, aren't you the tastiest little thing," she says, holding it close to her breasts and stroking its head gently. "Don't worry, little morsel, just sleep." Her musical voice takes on a hollow sound, like a song echoing in a vast, vaulted chamber. "Go to sleep." The rabbit's eyes close and it nuzzles against Setra's breasts. After a moment the only movement from the animal is the slow rise and fall of its breathing.

Setra suddenly bites down hard on the rabbit's neck. Though it remains asleep, its body twitches slightly in response as the demoness hungrily sucks the blood from it.

When she is finished with her meal, she smiles contentedly at you. "Alright, shall we be off?"

Night has descended on San Laurent in earnest. The town is dark, but there are still a few people about. The lodge is across the river, on the other side of town. How do you want to go about trying to get there with your demons?

> Go directly to the lodge on foot, together, rely on Setra's powers to make any between you and there too sleepy to notice.
> Try to sneak around the edge of town. Better to avoid any potential confrontations for as long as possible.
> Have Setra fly Telemok there while you travel on foot. This might delay you, and the two demons will be at the lodge unsupervised for a time.
> Write in.

>>2601373
> Try to sneak around the edge of town. Better to avoid any potential confrontations for as long as possible.

>>2601373
> Try to sneak around the edge of town. Better to avoid any potential confrontations for as long as possible.

>>2601373
>> Try to sneak around the edge of town. Better to avoid any potential confrontations for as long as possible.

this the start of a new quest?

>>2601420
It's the second thread

>>2601373
>Try to sneak around the edge of town. Better to avoid any potential confrontations for as long as possible.

Sneaking wins, roll 7d10.

>>2601420
Sorry, I forgot to include the number in the subject line. This is thread number 2. The first thread is still up, it's here >>2570027

>>2601373
>Try to sneak around the edge of town. Better to avoid any potential confrontations for as long as possible.

Rolled 5, 10, 3, 4, 2, 10, 7 = 41 (7d10)

>>2601442

Rolled 1, 9, 1, 6, 1, 1, 8 = 27 (7d10)

>>2601442

>>2601454
> 3 successes = Minor Success
Writing.

>>2601442

>>2601351
>Hey you should make a pastebin whenever you have the time!

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You stow a bowl and your ritual knife into your kit and close it. You can come back to retrieve the rest and clean up the summoning circle later. Right now, it's time to head up to the lodge.

"We'll take the long way around. Better to avoid the notice of any bystanders."

"Acknowledged."

"What, you're not ashamed of us, are you?" Setra asks, looking hurt. When you give her a disappointed look she just laughs and says "I'm only teasing Marcus, there's no need to pout."

The three of you skirt the edge of town, heading upstream and circling around to approach the lodge from the west. Between the night and the forest that crowds around San Laurent, you're able to make it there largely undetected. A few townsfolk spot a collection of shapes moving in the night, but beyond that they see nothing. The lodge itself is a fairly impressive affair, probably the reason why Selkirk chose to stay there. Telemok waits hidden among the trees near the lodge while you and Setra approach the building.

With Setra's help, flying you up to some of the windows, you get a general feel for the layout. You spot two burly men, both armed and armored, loitering in the hallway outside one of the upstairs rooms. You can hear snoring from the room across the hall from the guarded room. Unfortunately, the rooms are all dark at this point, too dark for you to see much of what's inside them.

When the two of you return to the ground, Setra informs you of what she saw when peering in. "There's one person in the room with the guards outside, two in the room next to it, and one big man in the room across the hall." It seems that her senses are significantly sharper than your own.

"Put all the people in the rooms to sleep if they aren't already."

Setra flits up to each of the windows, pausing for a moment to do her work, then returns to you. "Done."

"Selkirk is probably in that room," you say, pointing to the window of the guarded room. You think for a moment, look over at Telemok, and then look back to the window. It's a small thing, far too small. "Telemok is probably not going to be able to fit through that."

"Nope."

"Damn. We might be able to get him in through the window at the end of the hall, but we'll need to put the guards to sleep. Can you handle that Setra?" When she doesn't respond, you turn toward her. "Setra?" Or rather you turn toward where she was a moment ago, as she is no longer there. You start looking around frantically when Setra lands next to you again.

"Guards are asleep," she says proudly.

You pause and stare at her. "In the hallway?"

She blinks at you and starts to look nervous, picking up on the fact that she might have done something she wasn't supposed to. "Yes?" Setra replies hesitantly.

You press your face against your open palm. "Just get me up to the room they were guarding."

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Setra takes you in hand and flies you up to the guarded room's window. It's a tight fit, but you're able to squeeze inside. Sprawling out onto the floor of the room, you quickly get to your feet. It's dark, but your eyes have adjusted enough that you don't knock anything over. One of the few things you do see is a bed, and in it a single man. Creeping over to him, you're able to just barely make out his face in the darkness. You recognize him as the well-dressed man you saw arguing with the mayor on your first day in San Laurent. James Selkirk.

You unlock the room's door, open it, and peer out into the hallway. Sure enough, both the guards are lying on the floor, sound asleep. Sighing, you drag the sleeping men into the room, step out into the hall, and shut the door behind you. You head over to the window at the end of the hall, which is thankfully much larger. Setra's head is poking up ever so slightly from below the sill, just enough for you to see the apologetic look in her eyes.

"Sorry Marcus, I was just a little too eager there."

You sigh again. "It's alright Setra, just go get Telemok."

She darts back down into the night. A minute later Telemok climbs up through the window. You make sure that there is no one about to come through, then motion for Telemok to go into the room. Following him in, you close the door behind you. Setra has also flitted over to that window, and is now peering inside from above.

"Blood first," says Telemok after a moment.

You did promise Telemok half a pint of you blood at this point. You take out the knife and bowl out of your ritual kit and make a cut upon your arm, letting the blood drain down into the bowl. Once that is done, you hand the bowl to Telemok, who quickly sucks up its contents into his fingers.

"Half a pint, as was agreed," you say as you start bandaging up your arm. "Now, the compulsion."

Telemok reaches up and plucks a red crystal from the collection circling around his head. Holding it in two of his hands, his other four hands begin jabbing at it, prodding it sharply and suddenly, causing it to warp and deform until it settles into the shape of a dandelion. He holds it up, its many facets reflecting the sliver of moonlight streaming in through the window.

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"This will compel Selkirk to accept the deal offered by the man named Gabriel Bauer, then leave San Laurent and travel to Eronsreach."

You nod. "Excellent."

"Then," Telemok continues, "after six days, the compulsion will fade and Selkirk will realize what has happened."

You freeze. Wait? This will only last six days? Your mind begins to race as you process the revelation. Is he trying to cheat you again? No, if he was, then he wouldn't have told you. Is that simply a limit of his abilities? Does Aisha know about that?

> Question Telemok. He might be trying to cheat you.
> Say nothing on the subject, continue as planned.
> Tell them to stay here while you go downstairs and speak with Ibrahim. If he can go get David, then David might be able to contact Aisha. Maybe, just maybe, you might be able to sort this all out.
> Sabotage the plan somehow. (Specify)
> ABORT.
> Write in.

>>2601887
Damn this deal sounds bad as fuck. We need to somehow either alter the plan or make this guy accidentally die.

>>2601887
>Question Telemok. He might be trying to cheat you
Try to not insult his abilities

>>2601767
I'll try to do that sometime Tuesday. I'll be too busy for a full session then, but I should have some time to make a pastebin for inventory, characters, demons, and stuff like that.

>>2601887
>> Question Telemok. He might be trying to cheat you.

>>2601887
>>> Question Telemok. He might be trying to cheat you.
We need this to succeed,

>>2601887
> Question Telemok. He might be trying to cheat you.

>>2601887
I think his compulsion might have a limit, and this is a fairly believable limitation. Problem being, we need him gone longer than that, and he might be trying to test us again.
>Question Telemok. He might be trying to cheat you.
Unfortunately, it would be on us for not first confirming the limitations of his abilities or this compulsion. In the future, we should probably remember to ask those first, before we get started.

Now writing for questioning Telemok.

Guys, we need to question him and all, but even if he realizes it after a few days, we will have already gotten our reward and be long gone from here, Aisha and the shit lizard can fuck themselves dealing with what happens

You try your best to hide your surprise. Adopting your best neutral tone, you ask the demon. "It only lasts six days?"

"Correct." Telemok's complete lack of a face or really any human features makes it difficult to tell if he's lying. His metallic voice also does not help matters.

"Can you make it last any longer?" you inquire as politely as you can.

"No."

Well that's not getting you anywhere. Still, on the off chance that he is trying to cheat you, then perhaps he might be motivated by a greater incentive.

"What if I were to offer you a second one of those cameos? To be delivered eight days from now if the compulsion still holds then?"

"Nothing would change," Telemok replies. "To extend length, another compulsion must be implanted sometime prior to the end of the first. I would require access to him again. That compulsion would also fade six days after its implantation."

You rub your mouth with one of your hands. "How much will he know when it wears off?"

"That he did not want to take any of the compelled actions, and only did so due to an external force."

"Why tell me now?"

"I was reviewing the results of the implantation. That was one. I find it best to confirm before implantation."

Though it's difficult to say for certain, you're pretty sure that he's not trying to deceive you. That really is the limit of his ability. But if that is the case, then why would Aisha put you in contact with him? If she needs Selkirk gone permanently, then why give you a demon that only provides a temporary compulsion? She said she needed him gone, and that killing him in San Laurent would draw unwanted attention to the town. But wouldn't she need a more permanent solution than this to keep him gone? And if the compulsion wore off, surely Selkirk would realize that something was rotten in San Laurent.

Unless...

Roll 5d10
Unless you piece this together yourselves, in which case we'll just continue.

Rolled 5, 5, 2, 7, 3 = 22 (5d10)

>>2602144

Rolled 8, 8, 2, 7, 3 = 28 (5d10)

>>2602144

Rolled 3, 9, 2, 9, 6 = 29 (5d10)

>>2602144


Don't this just make him go after us and she can pin the blame of us being a demon summoner and shit on us?

Rolled 7, 4, 7, 6, 6 = 30 (5d10)

>>2602144

>>2602144
Dirt drake already has a plan to kill Selkirk, just not here, but through natural means.

Landslide on his path is my bet. Funny, if this quest was from the dragon's perspective that's literally the best option to cover one's trail in this.

>>2602164
Bingo.

>>2602164
She said that killing him in San Laurent would bring unwanted atttention. Chances are she wants to off him in another city that way San Laurent is free.

Rolled 10, 7, 8, 8, 7 = 40 (5d10)

>>2602144

she is going to kill him somewhere else, but then again, not our problem

>>2602168
>>2602180
We have a winner. Writing.

>>2602164

nah, he wouldn`t know it was us, he would only kow he didn`t want to do it, if anything he will blame the guy he made the deal with

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Unless Selkirk is dead before those six days are up.

You think for another minute. Aisha said that killing him in San Laurent would bring too much attention to the town. Eronsreach. That's why she wants to compel him to go to Eronsreach. They're going to kill him there. That way any attention will be on Eronsreach, not San Laurent. And if they did it right, there might not even be much of that. Clever.

And ruthless. That's how Ibrahim described them. And if they're really devoted to tying up loose ends, who's to say they won't try to do the same thing to you?

"Marcus?" Setra asks, jarring you from your thoughts.

"Hmm?"

From her perch above the window, hanging upside down and poking her head in, Setra looks at you quizically. "Something up?"

"Shall I implant the compulsion?" Telemok asks, still holding the red crystal in his hand.

> Go through with the plan.
> Sabotage the plan somehow. (Specify)
> Write in.

>>2602189
That roll though.

>>2602257
>> Go through with the plan.

>>2602257
> Go through with the plan.

>>2602257
he is going to accept the deal, but he ain`t going to Eronsreach, he is going back to his lands, away from here and to a safe place. if anything, just to fuck with this guys, they are surely going to want to kill us, we are the only ones that know they are here and that they deal with demons, if they are willing to kill a guy as powerful as selkirk they will be more then willing to end us.

also, offer another sacrifice to Setra, we are going after Aisha and putting her to sleep, I want my other demon and I want her restrained while she gives us it

>>2602286
also, my vote is to sabotage

>>2602257
>Go through with the plan.
I'm not gonna go ahead and assume that they aren't planning something for us. But I'd like to go through with this in the spirit of the deal, and get paid.

What we know is they won't try to kill us while we're here because it will draw attention. We should probably pressure Aisha for answers when we receive the remainder of the payment.

>>2602257
>> Go through with the plan.

>>2602257
>Go through with the plan.

Winner is going through with the plan. Now writing.

>>2602286
I'm all for sabotaging this lizard, but let's not give ourselves away too early. If we ruin their plans with selkirk now, we'll show our hand and possibly accelerate whatever they have in store for us. We should probably get strength from vedek just in case, or at the very least ask Keboro about our safety, like we did at the last village.

>>2602430
>ask Keboro about our safety
I wonder if that would get them found out though. I recall them saying they didn't want any demons to know they're here, as then Hell would find out too.

But if we're just asking about our safety and it just happens to let Hell know they're here through some weird prophetical feedback it's not really our problem anymore, right?

>>2601213
Setra Aggressiely.
Summon Bargain.

>>2602542
woah

>>2602542
Howdy internet explorer

>>2602447
Exactly.
But no matter what we do, it'd probably be best to leave this place asap

>>2602542
That's the stuff

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>>2602543
>>2602548
>>2602576

You're all good friends of mine now.

Blessed be thee, friends of underwatch.

I'm making a video reading this story keep it going

You take a deep breath and try to think things through rationally. While you might not like Aisha or her god, and giving them a bloody nose would be enjoyable, you dislike dying a lot more. If Aisha and her god are planning to kill you, sabotaging this won't actually help you much on that front. It might make you feel better to foul up their plans, but it won't resolve the issue of them trying to kill you. And if they aren't trying to kill you, then you probably shouldn't give them a reason to want to.

"Yes," you say to Telemok. "Do it."

Telemok turns to the sleeping form of James Selkirk and presses the red crystal against his head. The spines sink slowly into his flesh, sliding into his skull with only a little resistance. Selkirk doesn't stir and continues sleeping, oblivious to what is happening.

You walk to the door, unlock it again, and poke your head out into the hallway. Seeing that it's clear, you quickly drag the two sleeping guards back out into the hallway. "Go out through the hallway window and wait at the tree line, please," you say to Telemok. "I'll be back with Ibrahim and the cameo." The demon does as you ask, clamoring out through the window and down the outside of the lodge. You go back into Selkirk's room and lock the door behind you.

With a little bit of help from Setra you're able to wriggle your way out through the window of Selkirk's room and descend to the ground without incident. You head around the building to the front door and find Ibrahim still waiting there for you.

"It's done," you tell him. "Let's go."

Ibrahim nods and follows you to the tree line where Telemok is waiting in the shadows. At your direction, Ibrahim hands the amethyst cameo to the pale demon. It crumbles immediately upon touching the demon's palm, the pieces absorbed into his skin.

"You are one to watch," Telemok says to you after a moment. "I am interested in what other opportunities you might offer, if you survive. This is Torien," he adds, as if you needed a reminder.

"Indeed," you say wryly. Then you smile more genuinely and bow. "Farewell Telemok."

"Farewell Marcus." With that, Telemok evaporates into a plume of smoke and blows away into the night air.

You turn to Ibrahim. "I'm going to head to David's to pack up and finish paying Setra. You should head back to the Giant's Thumb and get some sleep." He nods, and starts off into the night.

You look off along the route you took to get here and sigh. Tired as you are, you are not looking forward to the long walk around the outskirts of town. "Come on," you say to Setra. "It's a long way back to David's."

"I have a better idea," she replies.

You're about to ask what when the demoness grabs you around your back and behind your knees, scooping you up into a bridal carry. With a swift beat of her wings, she takes flight. The ground plummets away beneath you and the cold night air whips around you, briefly stealing away your ability to think, let alone protest.

"Oh come now Marcus, there's no need to be scared." She smiles at you with a distinctly predatory grin. "I won't bite."

"That is patently untrue."

Thankfully, it doesn't take long to reach David's home by air. Setra sets down in the yard behind the house and you scramble free of her grip. While you're clutching the dirt, wishing to never be separated from it ever again in your entire life, you can hear Setra cooing over one of David's rabbits. You look over and see her literally playing with her food.

"Oh, look at the little feet on this one," she says picking one up and fussing over its legs. "Aren't you the cutest, most helpless thing in the world." She nuzzles her nose up against its own, her voice sinking low into a soothing echo. "Don't be afraid, just go to sleep." The rabbit's eyes drift shut, and soon after Setra has her teeth clamped around its neck. Once she's done, she sets the rabbit's body aside and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. Then she looks over at you, a hungry gleam in her eyes. "Now then," she says, advancing on you. "For the rest of my reward."

"Ahem," you cough, backing away. "Yes. Some of my blood." You stumble back inside David's home and start fumbling for your ritual kit. "Let me just get the bowl and-"

Setra interrupts you, pushing you down into a chair. "Oh Marcus, don't be such a spoilsport." She slowly sits down on top of you, her legs straddling your lap. She presses her chest up against your own, her breasts, clad only in a decorative collection of feathers, gently rubbing up against you. She smiles at you, in a way disturbingly similar to the way she smiled at those rabbits. "This way is much more fun," she says in a soft, melodic purr.

You try to say something in protest, but the feeling of her body pressed against you strangles the words in your throat. Slowly she takes your arm in hand, the one that you cut to pay Telemok, and unwinds the bandage to reveal the wound. It is still seeping blood, and Setra leisurely licks away much of it. Then she seals her lips over the cut and begins eagerly sucking from it, slowly rolling her hips as she does.

You're not sure how long the two of you sat there, but eventually Setra releases your arm. She sits up in your lap, licks her lips, looks into your eyes, and gives you a teasing smile. "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

There's not much you can say to that. Indeed, there's not much you can say at all. Your hands slide up along her bare thighs, shyly wandering closer and closer to her rear. You lean forward her, bring your lips up toward hers.

Setra breaks away just before you reach them, standing up and stepping back. That smile is still on her face as she stifles a giggle, raising one hand and wagging a finger scoldingly.

"Goodnight Marcus," she says with a wink. "I'm looking forward to seeing you again." Setra purses her lips and blows you a kiss, then gives you a fluttering wave goodbye as she melts into smoke and blows away.

It takes a moment for reality to catch up to you. You feel dizzy. Probably from blood loss. Yes, blood loss. That's it.

You groan and stand up, you've still got a little bit of work to do before you can finally sleep. You clean up the summoning circle from earlier, stack the dead carcases of all the rabbits who have died tonight, pack your things, and step out the door into the night.

David is there, waiting for you. "It done?"

"Yes," you say with a tired sigh.

"Alright then," the old man says, removing a small bag from his belt and handing it to you. "Aisha asked me to give you this when you were finished."

You open it and look through the contents as best you can with only the light coming from inside the house. Sure enough, you find 5 gold Karens, a collection of wooden coins with more symbols carved into them, and a scrap of paper with those symbols written on it along with 'Preferred name: Thalia.'

"Everything in order?"

"Yes," you say, closing the bag and hooking it to your own belt. "It looks like that's it for tonight."

"Well, in that case I'm going to turn in." He walks past you and into his home. "Goodnight Marcus."

"Goodnight David."

Your walk back to the Giant's Thumb is uneventful, and you collapse onto your bed, exhausted both physically and mentally. In your dreams you are greeted by someone you are honestly quite tired of seeing.

"From the fact that you're going to bed late tonight," Aisha says "I take it you handled the issue with Selkirk?"

"Yes," you reply. "And about that..."

> Say nothing about what you have learned and realized.
> Bring up the six day limit casually.
> Confront Aisha about the fact that you know they're going to kill Selkirk in or en route to Eronsreach.
> Call her a whore. (Free)
> Write in.

>>2602664
>Say nothing about what you have learned and realized.
Nobody likes a loose end

>>2602664
>> Say nothing about what you have learned and realized.

As far as they should be concerned, everything went off without a hitch.

>>2602659
Setra Aggressively Marcus.

>>2602664
"Shame about Selkirk."

>>2602668
>>2602670

>>2602664
Actually this, instead of my vote.

>>2602670
>>2602668
Supporting

>>2602664
>> Say nothing about what you have learned and realized.

>>2602664
>Politely imply she is a whore.
>Say nothing.

>>2602664
>Bring up the six day limit casually
They know but do they know that we know that they know? Best to let them know in order to foster goodwill.

Say nothing wins. Now writing.

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You're once again sitting in a deserted version of the Giant's Thumb. Aisha sits across from you, though this time you are conspicuously lacking something to drink.

"It was a simple affair," you say with a tired wave of your hand. "In, done, and out. Much like what you're used to, no doubt."

Aisha once again amazes you with her ability to frown even more than her face naturally does. "Charming."

"Now, is there something else that you or your patron wanted from me? Because if not, I'd like to have my dreams to myself again."

"Just the request that you remain discreet about what transpired here."

"You don't need to remind me," you grumble.

"In that case, our business is concluded. Farewell Marcus."

The next day greets you like a kick in the head. You would resolve to never again stay up late doing the bidding of the small gods, but then again you didn't really want to be involved in their affairs in the first place and yet somehow it happened anyway. You groan as you try to crawl out of bed and only partially succeed.

Thankfully, something much more pleasant occurs soon afterward. A knocking sound comes from your door, along with Hannah's voice. "Marcus?" she asks. "Are you awake?"

"Yes, Hannah," you say, rising shakily to your feet. "I'll be right there."

You take a minute to straighten yourself up. After the times she's made you wait after saying she would be right there, you figure it is only fair. Eventually you open the door, and are greeted by Hannah's smiling face. That alone does wonders to improve your mood.

"Good morning Marcus," she says cheerfully.

"Good morning Hannah." You chuckle softly. "It seems the shoe is on the other foot today."

"We all have our good days and ill," she replies. Then she gives you a sly smile and whispers behind one hand. "Though I don't know if Ibrahim will be as forgiving. The town's children have already descended on him. You might want to hurry and save him."

The two of you head down to the wagon, where sure enough Ibrahim is once again beset by San Laurent's children.

Roll 7d10 for today's COMMERCE.

Rolled 2, 9, 1, 4, 2, 8, 1 = 27 (7d10)

>>2602784

Rolled 8, 5, 1, 7, 1, 3, 7 = 32 (7d10)

>>2602784

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>>2602797
At least it wasn't pic related.

>>2602797
> 2 successes = minor failure.
Care to bargain? A +2 will get you up to a minor success, while a +4 will get you a major success.

Rolled 6, 6, 3, 4, 6, 1, 3 = 29 (7d10)

>>2602784
I legit don't remember if you take best of (insert numeral amount of posts) or just the first post with the rolls.

>>2602808
That's okay, you just gave me an excuse to repost the dice rules which I totally didn't forget to include.

Here's an overview of how rolling works in this quest (for now, anyway, subject to change as I figure stuff out).

Players roll 5 d10s and the number of rolls that meet or exceed the DC determines the outcome.

0: Critical failure
1: Major failure
2: Minor failure
3: Minor success
4: Major success
5: Critical success

Players can have allied assistance with a roll, in which case they roll a number of additional d10s determined by the skill of the ally.

If the result is a minor or major failure, players can choose to add a bonus to a roll through bargaining. This comes at a price in the form of negative consequences unrelated to the success or failure of that particular task. The amount you need to boost the dice roll by determines the probability and severity of the negative consequence.

>>2602808
Also, only the first roll counts. Bargaining and ally dice are your shield against the RNG for now, not taking the best of X rolls.

>>2602829
Thanks QM, that actually clears up a lot.

Since no one has expressed a desire to bargain (and to finish up for the night so I can sleep) I'm going to go ahead and start writing for minor failure, no bargaining. Next story post will probably be the last one for today.

Also in future threads I'll be putting the dice rules right after the OP in order to avoid this kind of confusion.

>>2602856
btw DQM, this quest is awesome. Love the characters and attention to detail. Will be sticking around.

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Business is a bit spotty today, though the man that Tobias said would come by yesterday morning to talk about purchasing the equipment you 'salvaged' finally does come by today. He's a bit portly, but has hints of muscle under his fat. "You Marcus?" he asks.

"Yes," you reply. "Can I help you?"

"Name's Garrick," he says. "The mayor sends his apologies about the delay, he was swamped yesterday and wasn't able to send someone over until today. I'm here about the equipment for the militia."

After Garrick spends some time looking over the arms and armor, the two of you hammer out a deal. You decide to keep the sword and one of the bucklers, selling the rest for a total of 15 silver. Not as much as you had hoped, but considering you picked them up for free off of four dead men, you decide to call it a win. You also manage to sell another sixth of your textiles for 8 silver, leaving you with a third of the original amount remaining and a total of 45 silver by the time noon rolls around.

Unfortunately that's when you get another visitor.

He wears the red-brown robes of a priest of the Ephesian church. You're pretty sure you saw him before at some point, talking to some of the town children if you recall correctly. One of the children mentioned a 'Father Hammond,' so this might be him. In all honesty you're not surprised by his arrival, as this is usually how it goes in a town that has its own priest. The first day is purely business. The second day the children start asking question. Then by the third day the children have had time to talk about what you've said. And since children keep secrets about as well as a strainer holds water, it was only a matter of time before you got a visit from the local priest.

"Excuse me," he says in a gentle and measured voice. "Marcus, is it?"

"Yes, that would be me," you say.

"I am Father Hammond. I wanted to ask you about some of the things that I've been hearing from the town children since you arrived."

"Such as?"

"These tales you've spun about the elves and the 'other world' they supposedly come from." His brow furrows in a concerned expression, though his tone remains friendly. "You seem like a good man. Aren't you the least bit worried about lying to children?"

"I'm not lying, nor am I spinning tales. Those things are simply what the elves themselves teach about their history."

"And they are wrong," Father Hammond says without missing a beat. "Moreover it is widely known that they are wrong and a man as knowledgable as yourself must surely be aware of that. So to present these fanciful myths as if they they were true, and to children no less." He shakes his head disapprovingly. "It is a most troubling thing."

> Apologize and tell him that you will endeavor to be more truthful in the future.
> Tell him that they are not in fact widely known to be wrong. Only people in Torien reject elven history as myth.
> Brush him off. They're stories, what harm can telling children stories possibly do?
> Write in.

>>2602968
> Tell him that they are not in fact widely known to be wrong. Only people in Torien reject elven history as myth.

Okay, I'm going to do something that I'm probably going to regret and call it a night here with an open vote. I'll be back Wednesday at 5pm EST, 2pm PST, at which point we'll see if this was a good idea or not. In the mean time, I'll be working on setting up a pastebin with some quest info.

I'll also be around to answer questions, and I'd love to hear any comments you might have.

>>2602968
laugh it off. You're telling them scary stories. Elves are just another bogeyman that the youngsters love to hear about. Of course they're not ACTUALLY from the moon, but you know, ghosts and whatnot.

Just a bit of harmless fun!

also dear god are these dudes actually everywhere???

>>2602974
I don't see why you'd regret it. contrary to popular belief, you are allowed to sleep.

Q: What, if anything, do we know about "Thalia"?

>>2602977
Supporting

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>>2602977
Seconding this. We don't want to be broken on the wheel, martyring ourselves won't help us spread demonology, so we need to laugh it off.

>>2602977
I'll support this, but if he keeps pressing the issue. Then we should apologize, we got to keep up some appearance of looking like we were doing things on accident instead of purpose. That usually keeps them sated for the time being.

>>2602979
Just last thread you said QMs weren't allowed to sleep! You're still using the same name!

A: Just the symbols to summon Thalia and the fact that Thalia is a minor flesh sculptor capable of changing a person's appearance.

>>2602993
it could be anyone using the name orca! It's only 4 letters, quite easy to type. Frankly the odds are that I'm not me!

Which circle? Is there anything that we can glean from the summoning info?

>>2602977
Regarding these guys being everywhere, not exactly. In Torien they are kind of supposed to be everywhere because you're technically not supposed to be doing things like naming kids, getting married, or inheriting property without the blessings of an Ephesian priest. In practice, however, the enormous challenge of having enough trained clergy to serve an entire population (a lot of it rural) makes that impossible. So instead you have tons of priests in major cities, a single priest in the sort of middle-weight towns, and a more sparsely populated rural area will have a single priest that travels from village to village along a circuit.

That circuit priest basically arrives in a village or town, sees all the things that have happened in his absence that technically weren't supposed to happen without a priest there, and blesses them as if he were there at the time. It's kind of an under the table acknowledgement that really people are going to name their kids, get married, and inherit property whether there's a priest there or not, while still trying to preserve the idea that the church is supposed to be the one managing those things.

There isn't a priest everywhere because the Ephesian church tries to maintain a relatively high standard for priesthood. Rather than delegating authority out to relatively poorly trained locals so that there really is a priest in every village and town, they try to ensure that every single person who has the social authority of an Ephesian priest has all the training in all of the theological questions that your average villager or townsfolk might have. You know, things like "where did we come from," or "what happens when we die," or "good God how is that man shooting lightning from his fingertips?" It's basically a tradeoff. Do you want to always have someone in place regardless of quality, or do you want the people you have to always be good enough to deal with something? The Ephesian church went with the latter.

Easterbrook, being a podunk village between nowhere and who cares, had a circuit priest who only came through ever once in a while. It's just that him coming through was the thing that forced you to get out of town before things turned ugly. For the vast majority of the time Marcus was in town, there wasn't a priest there at all.

San Laurent is a bit more important (though still a bit remote), and also has been on the up and up lately. So to reflect their rising statues, they just recently got assigned a shiny new Ephesian priest all for themselves, hence Hammond being a lot younger than the old and prickly circuit priest you ran into in Easterbrook.

>>2602997
Marcus can't tell what circle just from the summoning info, though a demon might be able to tell you that pretty easily. Just show a demon the symbols, and if they don't recognize them right then and there, they can always pop back to Hell, ask around the water cooler, and come back with an answer that might not be complete lies.

It's also highly unlikely that anyone would just give out the summoning info for something higher than a 5th or 6th circle demon, because that would be like just giving away big crates of explosives. Not a good idea if you want to avoid getting blown up.

On the flip side, a 1st or 2nd circle demon would be unlikely to be able to do the things that Thalia is described as being able to do. A 1st circle demon's magical power beyond its own physical form is generally quite limited, and being able to mold flesh in a way that isn't hilariously lethal is not an easy thing.

So even without knowing Thalia's circle rank for certain, Marcus is pretty confident that Thalia is a 3rd circle demon. Maybe 4th, but probably 3rd. Call it 60% chance of 3rd, 20% chance of 4th, 5% chance of 2nd, and 5% chance of 5th.

>>2603048
What happens when demons "level up" and ascend to the next circle? Do they get a thematically similar power, a better version of their own, or something totally different?

>>2603050
Usually a mix of thematically similar or direct improvement, it's a bit of a toss up. They have their general domain from the day they're spawned as a 1st circle demon, and that mostly stays with them. They don't really start developing serious magical powers until 2nd circle though. From there on, sometimes they gain new powers related to their domain, while at other times ascending in rank merely improves their existing powers (though never in a small way).

Take Setra for example. Back when she was still a 1st circle demon, she was a demon of sleep even then. But in terms of abilities she was just an unusually strong/fast/tough person (like basically all 1st circle demons) with wings, talons, and a mildly hypnotic voice that could slowly lull a person to sleep. Upon becoming 2nd circle, she gained the ability to outright knock people out at range and keep them knocked out. If she rises to 3rd circle, her magical powers will improve further. That could take the form of a new ability, though it will almost certainly be one related to sleep, or it might take the form of an improvement to an existing one.

Demons are chaotic in nature, and it's somewhat hard to predict exactly how they will grow. Some of the powers they develop can surprise even themselves. Sometimes a demon can luck into something extremely useful. Sometimes less so, though it's pretty much always substantial, the question is whether it's merely a large jump in power or an enormous one that could act like rocket fuel for their ascent through the ranks. Which, depending on how you look at it, might not necessarily be a good thing.

Speaking of sleep oh god why can't I this is awful.

>>2603060
it's the compulsion of the 10th circle of Hell: QM'ing

>>2602977

I can go with this

>>2602977
this
Telling kids these stories are stretched is like saying the sky is blue. No different than tales told in stage dramas! Surely he understands the children seek mere entertainment?

>>2603060
If you drop your core temperature by turning the AC on or taking a warm shower then getting out, you'll go to sleep easier.

>>2603060
Are we able to deliberately invest in upgrading a demon to the next circle, or would that be far too costly?

>>2602972
> Tell him that they are not in fact widely known to be wrong. Only people in Torien reject elven history as myth.
everything but this! This will get us killed asap.
Better this:
> Brush him off. They're stories, what harm can telling children stories possibly do?
in a way that makes it seem like we were trying to use their own stories to make them seem even stranger.

>>2603106
>>2602977
Seconding along these.

>>2602968
If he feels the need to continue pressing, just don't frame it as an argument. We're not arguing after all, nor are we exactly lying to children, we're entertaining them about the world.

The difference to spinning tales and lying is that however rare it might be, should they meet Elves they will be equipped with what Elves think of themselves, as wrong as it is. We did point this out to the children when they asked us. They are travel tales to us, stories for children, and history to elves. And knowing what elves think of themselves makes them more equipped in understanding the importance of knowing their own, true Torien/Ephesian history. Because an Elf may be unwise enough to challenge it.

Admit though we aren't being entirely educational since that's not our place, we are certainly entertaining children because it would be just cruel to turn them away, right? As cruel as outright lying would be.

Since they like knowing their authority in these matters is being acknowledged, we could offer he sit in on the next story session and even help if he has the time. In fact, why not? We probably have a true enough story that he could bounce off with his Ephesian doctrine and depending on how well we frame it he may wind up accidentally validating our entertainment. Ofc it's also a risk.

>>2603166
I'm also very curious about this. Tethis would be interesting as a second ring.

>>2603166
>>2603552
In theory you can, but it takes a long time. Moving up through the circles can take centuries. Given a few decades time, you might be able to boost a demon up a circle rank. For the purposes of this quest though, it's not really practical for Marcus.

>>2603552
>>2603166

QM said that even a demon that goes full speed for ninth rank takes hundreds of years to get it, with each level being significantly more difficult than the last.

Perhaps, if we invest HARD on Tethis, we might be able to allow him to rank up. But I don´t think it is really worth it, even more so when talking about higher ranks.

>>2602968
Could say just because the church did t preach something doesn’t make it untrue or doesn’t exist, though if he wants we can stop talking to the kids and we will be own our way in few short days

>>2603678
Would be funny to see the demons with an exp bar or at lest a friendship meatter

>>2603691
I'm assuming the demons we know we have a solid rapport with. Chances are they like us well enough, to want to not only willingly work with us but, do their job well.

>>2603691
can't wait to max out the Setra social link

>>2603962
Maybe she then we’ll hold our hand

>>2604403
then we can evolve her Persona

You decide not to tackle this head on. Instead, you adopt a more casual and conciliatory tone. "Come now, Father," you say with a smile. "What harm is there in telling a few stories?"

"The harm is that they might actually believe it," Father Hammond says, clearly still worried. "And once they believe something that contradicts their lessons, they might look at their other lessons and start doubting those too. And if they do that, who knows what might happen."

You don't tell him that that's exactly what you're hoping might happen. Instead, you give the priest another warm smile. "Father, while it's good that you're so concerned about their education, I think you're forgetting that these are children we're talking about. They're not just looking for lessons, they're looking for entertainment." You walk around to stand alongside Hammond, place an arm around his shoulder, and start walking with him down the path away from your wagon.

"So maybe the elves are wrong," you say with a casual shrug as the two of you walk together. "I'm not in a position to say really." You place one of your hands on your chest. "I'm a simple merchant, cosmology is not my expertise. But in the end that's not the point." Father Hammond is about to protest when you quickly continue. "The point is that these stories are fun. Children love hearing about strange and wonderful things that are exciting and exotic. Feathered and scaled elves from an alien realm beyond the world's end," you say, leaning closer to Hammond but looking off into the distance, one of your arms gesturing out toward the horizon. "Living in cities of silver and rainbow-colored glass. What child wouldn't enjoy hearing about that?"

"And that's precisely the problem," Hammond replies quickly, still clearly distressed. "It is both appealing to them and it goes against what we are supposed to be teaching them. They hear tempting talk from you about other worlds, when in truth there is only one creation, and they might start believing in your stories instead of their lessons. And then there's this talk of God changing His creation to make room for the elves, when in truth God's creation was perfectly complete at its inception. If they start to believe that, then they might end up with a completely wrong idea of God and that would put their very souls in danger."

He speaks hurriedly, reciting church doctrine as if to comfort himself as much as try to convince you. If you had to guess you'd say he was newly ordained and unused to people not simply accepting that these are the way things are. It strikes you as sad in a way. He seems to be honestly concerned for his charges, yet the doctrine he's trying to teach disgusts you. The idea that a being as compassionate as Solace would punish a soul simply for thinking the wrong thing about Him disgusts you. The idea of slandering Solace by telling others that He is that petty disgusts you.

But you say none of that, instead you continue in your cheerful, casual tone. "Children hear plenty of things that go against each other, happens all the time." You chuckle. "Why, I remember when I was growing up, my mother and father were always telling me to do completely different things. One would say to go clean up the old shed, and the other would say not to go anywhere near it or else one of the thousand poisonous spiders living there might kill me. One would say to stay away from the lake or else a bog demon might snip off my feet with a pair of giant silver sheers, while the other would tell me to go swimming in the lake if it was too hot out."

Father Hammond looks a little confused by your words. "That sounds like it would be distressing," he says with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe, maybe not," you say with an unconcerned wave of your hand. "But after a while, children learn to sort through these things. I'm sure you're doing your best to give them the good, quality education that the church always provides," you say, patting him on his shoulder. "Just keep hammering at that, and it'll all turn out well in the end. They'll get to have their fun with some silly stories about elves when they're young enough to be entertained by such things, but by the time they're grown up they'll know they're just silly stories."

Hammond spends a moment mulling that over. "Perhaps," he says, somewhat conflicted. "But I'd still prefer it if you would refrain from telling them anything too outlandish. My job as their teacher is difficult enough already."

You smile and chuckle again. "Of course, Father. I'll try not to step on your toes any longer."

He lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Marcus," he says with a grateful smile. "That's all I'm asking for."

You smile back and release Hammond from your grip. "Always happy to help the church." You then start walking back toward your wagon, waving goodbye to the priest. "Farewell, Father Hammond."

"Farewell, Marcus."

With that handled, you have most of the afternoon left ahead of you. There are a few things that you could do with it.

> Start preparing to leave. Between Father Hammond and Aisha's cult, you think it's best to move on.
> Head down to the market to buy more trade goods. You have a large amount of money and you should use it to acquire more items to sell elsewhere.
> Continue selling your current stock. You still have a third of the textiles left, best to unload them as quickly as possible.
> Write in.

Sorry for the delay. As an apology, here are some pastebin resources. So far I've made a character list and a short inventory.

Characters: https://pastebin.com/SN1j50bJ
Inventory: https://pastebin.com/4azYmrHh

Future additions include locations, both inside Torien and beyond, and a brief primer on Ephesian church doctrine.

>>2606066
>continue selling and buying. Mabey hang out a bit more with the priest I like him.

Lets do >>2603417 Idea and do a lession with him it would be fun. And if we get someone in thr church to like us it would get out name spread around and we can be slightly less likely to be hanged on a molments notice.

>>2606071
>> Continue selling your current stock. You still have a third of the textiles left, best to unload them as quickly as possible.

>>2606071
>> Continue selling your current stock. You still have a third of the textiles left, best to unload them as quickly as possible.

>>2606071
>Head to the market.
Textiles have a pretty long shelf life, maybe some tools and local art or hard to come by foods would be good.
But the problem with food is the spoilage time.

Continue selling stock wins.

Roll 7d10.

>>2606071
>Continue selling your current stock. You still have a third of the textiles left, best to unload them as quickly as possible.

Rolled 6, 8, 10, 2, 7, 10, 4 = 47 (7d10)

>>2606144
We really should bring Hannah on these little trips so she can learn to fend for herself and a pretty face does wonders for marketing.

>>2606152
Seconding.

Also Hammond's an alright dude. He just wants what's best for the chilluns.

>>2606152
Hannah is helping you sell your stock. That's why you have more than 5 dice. She's been watching and learning, and steps in to take over when you're busy entertaining children.

Also,
> 5 successes = Critical Success
Writing.

Rolled 3, 2, 8, 4, 8, 8, 5 = 38 (7d10)

>>2606144

>>2606163
Oy vey our shekels.

>>2606155
>Also Hammond's an alright dude. He just wants what's best for the chilluns.
true.

Did we stock up on minerals to sell to the next town yet? We'll want to do that at some point if we haven't.

>>2606180
You have some raw gemstones and some gemstone jewelry that you picked up at the market two days ago, but you had somewhat less money at the time. You've got a fair bit more now, so another trip down to the market to buy up more goods could be a thing.

Guys after selling and buying we should move.
Probably before midday tomorrow.
After the cultists finish the deal with Selkirk they Will come tô kill us

>>2606208
maybe. We're likely one of very few or the only demonologist that has been willing to play ball. We should go, but maybe not assume we're next on the block. We should still play it safe for a while.

>>2606208
Agreed. I don't see more reasons to stay and plenty to leave after buying stuff to sell.

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Sales pick up in the afternoon, and you're surprised by how quickly you're able to sell the last third of your textiles, given that the previous day was mostly quite. You're able to offload them for 26 silver, bringing your current total to 71 silver Trents along with the 5 gold Karens that Aisha paid you for handling the issue with Selkirk. With so much money just sitting around you're starting to feel uncomfortable. As you're counting through it, Hannah's eyes bulge slightly. You honestly doubt that she's seen this money in one place in her life.

Thankfully, you're able to spend at least some of it on more goods. The afternoon is winding to a close when a burly man stops by with a selection of furs. They're mostly small, but of fairly good quality, and you're certain that people further north will pay handsomely for them. After a little bit of haggling, and Hannah cooing at the feel of the furs, you're able to acquire them for 18 silver, leaving you with 53 silver at day's end.

You're buttoning up for the night when an older boy, around fifteen if you had to guess, approaches you. He has short red hair and looks uncertain, like he feels like he's going to regret what he's doing. "Excuse me," he says. "Mister Marcus?"

"Please, just call me Marcus," you say with a reassuring smile. "There's no need to be so formal."

"Marcus." He gives a clearly fake cough, probably buying time while he summons up more courage. "I heard some of what the younger kids were saying about you. They were saying you knew some things about magic."

"Well," you say, putting on an air of just as clearly false modesty. "I've seen some of it in my time, if that's what you mean."

"Yeah, I was thinking about that. It's just-" He flounders vaguely as he searches for the words. "I mean-" Then he stops, and after a second asks, "where is it?"

"Where is what?"

"The magic. The other kids, they said you were talking about color-changing cities and magical stones that keep you warm and islands rising from the ocean. But if there's really magic that can do all that, where is it?" He looks and sounds a little bit frustrated now, gesturing at the town around him. "Why isn't there any of that here?"

It appears that he doesn't know that there actually is magic at work in San Laurent. Hannah has slowed in packing up the wares for the night, clearly waiting to hear what you have to say on the matter.

> Tell him that magic is here, it's just subtle sometimes. He just needs to look around for it.
> Explain that there are restrictions on magic here in Torien, be positive regarding the church's role in that.
> Explain that there are restrictions on magic here in Torien, be subtly negative regarding the church's role in that.
> Discourage his desire to see magic.
> Offer to show him some magic.
> Write in.

>>2606285

> Tell him that magic is here, it's just subtle sometimes. He just needs to look around for it.

>>2606285
>> Tell him that magic is here, it's just subtle sometimes. He just needs to look around for it.

>>2606285
>The magic is all around you friendo

>>2606304
Hello internet explorer

>>2606214

we are next man, they are ruthless, and we are the only ones that know their secret, hell, I would kill us if I was them

>>2606285
>the magic is in you.

>>2606285
>> Tell him that magic is here, it's just subtle sometimes. He just needs to look around for it.
"That's the beauty of magic Marcus. It doesn't need to be flashy or big. It just has to make an impact in a meaningful way."

>>2606309
Nah it's me being retarded and forgetting to hit the Auto update checkmark

>>2606285
> Discourage his desire to see magic.

>>2606313
You're Marcus. The boy hasn't given his name.

>>2606326
kek

For real though magic is dangerous as hell and practicing it in Torien doubly so. Encouraging this boy is likely to get him killed.

Anyway, cheesy option appears to be the winner. Now writing.

>>2606285
> Tell him that magic is here, it's just subtle sometimes. He just needs to look around for it.
> Explain that there are restrictions on magic here in Torien, be positive regarding the church's role in that

we can put the two together, for being restricted, you have to pay very close attention to find it around here

>>2606326
Forgive me, I seem to be going beyond full retarded today. Perhaps this will remind me to actually take my time in reading.

>>2606338
Cheesy options best options.

>>2606285
> Tell him that magic is here, it's just subtle sometimes. He just needs to look around for it.
> Explain that there are restrictions on magic here in Torien, be positive regarding the church's role in that

>>2606285
>Tell him that magic is here, it's just subtle sometimes. He just needs to look around for it.

>>2606336
Well the difference is, with Hannah we had some context to be able to see who she was and where her talents were.
This kid not so much. Maybe we should talk to him and learn a bit about him.

"What's your name?"

"Nicholas," the boy replies.

"Well Nicholas, there is magic all around us." You avoid gagging at saying something so sickeningly sweet, but only just barely. "It isn't always grand and obvious. You've heard of the old manor upstream from town?"

"Yes," Nicholas says, then adds, "People who go there don't come back."

"That's a little bit of magic, leftover from long ago. The Fallen Age and the Scouring littered this land with slivers of magic," you say, gesturing to the landscape around you now bathed in the orange light of the setting sun. "Remnants of an era long past."

He waits in silence for a few seconds, as if waiting for you to continue. "That's it?" he finally asks. "Just some dead scraps that kill you if you get close?"

"Some of it is dead, yes. And some of it is dangerous to be sure. But some of it is just hidden. Many of the larger cities are built on top of older ones that were destroyed in the Scouring," again making sure to use the proper Ephesian term for the Great War. "They still unearth new tunnels and catacombs sometimes, and brave adventurers still seek their fortune delving into them to search for relics of ages past."

"But in some places it isn't hidden, is it? A city that can turn all the colors of the rainbow doesn't sound hidden to me." Then he comes back around to his original question. "So why isn't it like that here?"

"There is some magic here. The church has its saints, who wield magic given to them by God. And there are sorcerers who can draw power from the aether."

Nicholas sighs at that and seems to deflate. "And both of those wouldn't be caught dead out here. The only thing I ever hear about the saints now is that they're fighting in some army or other. And the sorcerers stay in the big cities where there are rich folk to pay them." His head drops slightly, his eyes looking at the ground in front of his feet. "Doesn't leave a whole lot for the rest of us. Just little scraps that don't even help."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Nicholas."

"It's alright," he says slowly. He turns and walks away, his head still hanging low. "I'm used to it."

You join the others packing up for the night. Ibrahim says nothing, as usual, but Hannah is also uncharacteristically silent. Once you're finished, some unspoken message seems to pass back and forth between the two of them. When you start walking toward the Giant's Thumb, Ibrahim does so briskly enough that you and Hannah are quickly left alone together. For a minute the two of you walk in silence.

It's Hannah who speaks first. "You didn't tell him."

"No," you reply. "I can't just tell anyone."

"You told me," she says gently.

> Tell Hannah that's because you trust her.
> Tell Hannah that she's in the same boat as you now.
> Tell Hannah you made a mistake and you regret that.
> Tell Hannah that there's a lot you're still not telling her.
> Tell Hannah that you have a weakness for pretty girls.
> Say nothing, proceed to the next day.
> Write in.

>>2606658
> Tell Hannah that's because you trust her.
Remind her of the danger and need for secrecy in all of this

>>2606658
>> Tell Hannah that there's a lot you're still not telling her.

>I told you because there was something in your eyes that wasn't in his. I get the feeling that he didn't want discovery for the sake of such. There was a reason he wanted to know. Something that I'm not entirely comfortable with condoning. This knowledge is...it has its detractors. Powerful ones. And people who would use this magic for ill deeds just strengthens those detractors. It's for this reason that I frame what I tell as fables, stories, legends, most of the time. Many ears would want me silenced for saying such things, regardless of the truth or fiction of them. It is...distressing.

>But from you, I felt a kindred spirit. Someone who wants to know for no purpose other than knowledge of the truth of the world itself. It is like...the feeling you get when you see a a bird caged and merely wishing to fly away. I got that feeling from you. I did not from that boy. I do not think I was wrong in sharing a bit with you- but I did not feel such comfort with him.

>>2606658
>> Tell Hannah that's because you trust her.
Taking everyone that is interested would make us a much easier target if we get found. There's safety in remaining small. If he is persistent, he will find the truth on his own, like many others.

>>2606698
For the record, you don't necessarily need to take him with you. Marcus has in the past just left people with enough information to get started on their own. Just leaving someone with enough to get in touch with a demon like Vedek can be a much stronger (and safer) start than what most new demonologists in Torien get.

>>2606658
> Tell Hannah that's because you trust her.
We took a chance, it's not wise to take many of those

>>2606658
>>Tell Hannah that's because you trust her.
People have been executed for less Hannah.

>>2606713
Then I would also like to ask Hannah if it would satisfy her if we left him some more tonight.
We can get Setra to leave a crumb trail dream to a note and some drawings to get him started.

no matter the winning choice I vote to make a polite remark about her good looks too, I mean, Marcus doesn't miss a chance

>>2606658
>>2606658
>Tell Hannah that's because you trust her.
"Also, I had an idea of who you were when I did."

>>2606658
>> Tell Hannah that there's a lot you're still not telling her

Looks like trust is the winner, though I'll make sure to add a dash of "this is dangerous" and "I got to know you a bit." Now writing.

>>2606713
Yea I personally don't want to bring some stranger's kid with us just because he's curious about magic

>>2606789
We don't have to bring him with.
I'm sure we could leave him in Setra's capable claws.

>>2606817
if you're serious then that would be bizarrely out of character

>>2606817
We don't even know if he's even going to have the willpower to not crack and turn us in.

>>2606829
>>2606827
>be me
>depressed teenager looking for magic because my dog just died and he's my only friend
>heard this traveling merchant knows magic and shit
>maybe he can revive my dog.scroll
>necromancy is legal, right?
>i didn't go to school, dammit.
>this merchant is going on some speech about how there's magic everywhere and shit
>useless dude doesn't know shit. He's just a con artist.
>better go to sleep
>sexy lady in dreams
>oh yeah.acrylic
>says I should talk to her again sometime
>wish I could
>wake up with instructions on how to summon her
>wtf... lets try it

This horny teenager will be none the wiser.

>>2606873
>summon sexy dream lady
>she tells me she can only put people to sleep
>let her out of her magic cage
>demands random ass worthless coins and shit
>wants me to bring her all my dad's chickens we need for eggs
>pissed when I say no
>wake up a day later pale, tired, and dizzywith a cut in my arm
>panic.exe
>go to priest
>I summoned a demon
>massive investigation
>whole family broken on a wheel
>Ijustwantedcujoback.jpg

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>>2606873
>What you just wrote
>mfw
M8 he's a fuckin kid. A kid who from what we gather, is way too easily persuaded with the half-assed answer we gave.
A fucking demon would turn him into a damn doll just because of how naive he is even in comparison to Hannah.

>>2606873
I probably shouldn't say this but...
Horny teenagers may have played a large roll in Setra's ascendence to 2nd circle status.

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>>2606976

>>2606976
USED GOODS
S
E
D

G
O
O
D
S

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"Well, you're not just anyone."

Hannah scoffs at that. "I'm a weaving girl from Easterbrook," she says with a wry smile. "That's practically the definition of anyone."

"That's hardly all you are." You give her a playful nudge with your shoulder. "I've had a chance to get to know you, both in Easterbrook and now traveling together."

She rolls her eyes but her smile remains. "Even put together that has only been two weeks."

"But that was enough time to see what I needed to know, to know that I could trust you." Hearing that, her smile turns to a look of confusion. "We all have a place where we are comfortable, and most people never wish to venture outside of it. And if they see something that isn't a part of it, that strays in from the outside, they scream and shout and demand that it be destroyed. If those people knew what you know about me, they would kill me. Painfully. That's why I need to be careful, sometimes even secretive."

"Then why tell me?"

"As I said, you're not one of those people. You don't shrink back in fear of something new or strange. You look at new sights with wonder, not fear or hatred. And even when you do feel fear, you have overcome it. I told you because I trust you, and I know that you won't simply recoil at the sight of what lies beyond what you find comfortable."

Hannah rubs her arms as you finish, looking away to try to hide her reddened cheeks. "You really think that highly of me?"

"I do," you reply. A few long seconds pass in silence, then you add, "I also have something of a weakness for beautiful women."

At that Hannah laughs and gives you a playful nudge back with her own shoulder. "Good job working that in there."

"I try," you say with a slight bow.

Entering the Giant's Thumb, the two of you head back to your rooms for the night. This time your dreams are mercifully bereft of any small gods or exalted. Instead you dream of golden hair, and a dress sliding off a slender body.

You wake just before dawn. Another day, another chance to make money. Or spread heresy. Or make money while spreading heresy. Of course, it's entirely possible that you might have a cult of a small god looking to kill you. Thankfully, you do know a demon who might be able to help confirm that.

> Head to the market to buy some goods with your newfound wealth.
> Go looking for Nicholas. Maybe David will know where he is?
> Leave San Laurent. (Skip to vote on next destination)
> Summon Keboro, he might be able to tell you if your life is in imminent danger. Have Hannah present.
> Summon Keboro, but without Hannah present.
> Write in.

>>2607070
>Head to the market to buy some goods with your newfound wealth.

>>2607070
>Summon Keboro, but without Hannah present.
No need to wake her.

>>2607070
> Summon Keboro, but without Hannah present.

>>2607070
>> Head to the market to buy some goods with your newfound wealth.
Gotta buy to sell more

>>2607070
>>Summon Keboro, but without Hannah present.
Safety first. We need to find out if it is safe to buy goods with our wealth before we risk it.

Now writing for summoning Keboro without Hannah.

We should look to exchange our silver for copper before we leave.
20% return right away

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First things first, you need to determine if it's safe to remain in San Laurent today. The small gods that Aisha serves are quite ruthless according to Ibrahim, and you've become a lose end that they might want to tie up.

You mark out a summoning circle, carve wooden coins with the symbols for Keboro, and place them along with a wooden figurine in a bowl at the center of the circle. After a minute reviewing the arrangement, you speak the words to summon the silver demon. When he emerges from the plume of smoke that follows, you welcome him with a bow.

"Greetings, Keboro."

"Ah, hello again Marcus." Keboro briefly glances around your room at the Giant's Thumb. "I see you successfully relocated since our last conversation."

"Your assistance was most helpful in that regard, and once more I find myself in need of your counsel. I believe that there may be people in this town plotting to kill me. I wish to ask if you would concur."

Keboro pauses and lifts his head, testing the air. He turns his head from side to side, as if straining to hear. "I do not sense a violent end here, and the realm of possibilities does not hint that your actions will likely cause one soon. The fog of ambient death makes it difficult to predict very far into the future, but you appear to be safe for the next three days. Perhaps four. More than that, I cannot say."

You nod, and open your mouth to say your thanks, when Keboro interrupts. "Although," he says, "since I would hate to see a beneficial relationship such as ours end, I feel I should offer you a word of warning."

"What?" Did he not just say that he couldn't see much else?

"There is something that might become relevant to you in the future. Word is spreading through Hell that something strange is happening in Torien. There is someone there, an Inquisitor, who has been behaving in a most unusual way."

You raise an eyebrow at that. "How would demons know what qualifies as unusual behavior for an Inquisitor? Inquisitors don't summon demons."

"This one does."

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You stand there, frozen in shock as your mind reels at Keboro's claim. "What?!" If there is an Inquisitor out there willing to summon demons, then your life has become much more dangerous than it already was.

"He does," Keboro confirms. "But he's not very polite about it. It seems he doesn't know the rules very well. His selection of demons is also meager and he instead relies on hunting demonologists to claim any summoning symbols they might possess. Aside from interrogating the demons he summons to discover the locations of other demonologists, he has also been asking a bizarrely specific line of questions regarding the forging and removal of memories."

You register what Keboro has said, but your focus still remains on your own immediate safety. "Do you know where he was last seen?"

"The most recent recounting of such a summoning placed him in Soufen, near the mouth of the Ultor river." That puts him well to the south of you. It lessens the tension, but only slightly. "Beyond that, I have not heard much else. I only learned of this a few hours ago."

You take a moment to try to collect yourself before speaking. You find it pays to only talk in a demon's presence if you have a level head. You take a deep breath, then exhale for as long as you can. Finally, you bow again. "I thank you, Keboro, your assistance it greatly appreciated." Taking your ritual knife, you cut your arm and let some of your blood drain into a bowl in silence. After a quarter-pint has drained into the bowl, you bandage your wound and offer the bowl to Keboro. "Please, take this offering as payment with my gratitude."

The demon holds out one of his masks and the blood flows up out of the bowl and into the mask's mouth, disappearing from sight. When the last of the blood is gone, he bows slightly to you. "Farewell, Marcus. Try not to die." With that Keboro evaporates into smoke, leaving you alone in the room. You sit down on your bed.

You don't need to panic. He was just at the southern coast. He's hundreds of miles away. You don't need to panic. He probably doesn't know about you. He doesn't have a reason to come after you. He'll probably just stay in the south and keep killing people there. You don't need to panic.

> PANIC (Free)
> Go to the market to buy trade goods.
> Leave San Laurent. (Skip to destination choice)
> Write in.

>>2607469
>Try not to panic
>PANIC
>Go shopping, Its safe right in public

>>2607469
>PANIC
>buy more gems and jewelry to resell for profit

>>2607458
> PANIC (Free)
> Go to the market to buy trade goods.

>>2607469
>> PANIC (Free)
>> Go to the market to buy trade goods.

>>2607469
>Leave San Laurent
To the NORTH!

>>2607469
>PANIC INTERNALLY
>Go to the market to buy trade goods.
>Go tell Ibrahim about the Inquistor

>>2607469
>> Go to the market to buy trade goods.
buy buy buy! once the cart is filled it's time to GTFO of here!

Market PANIC.
Writing.

Oh, I almost forgot.

Roll 7d10 for market shopping.

Rolled 2, 3, 2, 7, 7, 8, 3 = 32 (7d10)

>>2607537

Rolled 4, 5, 2, 10, 5, 2, 10 = 38 (7d10)

>>2607537

>>2607547
> 3 successes = Minor Success.
Now writing.

>>2607569
How strong is an inquisitor? On par with a 5th or 6th tier?

Suggestions for later

-Learn the name of the Inquisitor, or at least a physical description

-Ask our demons to try to ask the inquisitor sacrifices in his ensouled blood. We will pay them a bit for every time they do this.

-Then, we anonymously denounce the Inquisitor, try to ask Aisha to see if she knows anything about the Church hierarchy and send a letter to someone who might have bad blood with the Inquisition in general or that Inquisitor in particular, noting how he his arms are heavily scarred because of his dealings with demons.

Possible strategy QM?

>>2607648
It is a good idea but considering that Demons are gossipy as fuck, they might let the cat out of the bag and end up letting him know who we are. Which is the last thing we need in the realm of Inquisitors.

>>2607630
I thought that's what a chosen or whatever was on par with.

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You don't need to panic, but you do anyway.

You start frantically cleaning away the summoning circle, as if hiding that bit of evidence would somehow help you avoid being discovered by someone on the other side of Torien. Once the room is spotless, you bundle up your ritual kit and dash out the door. You're pretty sure Galen says something to you on the way out, but you don't hear it. You run toward the wagon. You can see Hannah and Ibrahim are already there. Good. You can all get out of here and get far away from this place. You don't have to lose them. You don't have to go through that again.

Your mad dash is cut short when you stumble over a root and slam face first into the ground.

You're lying there for a moment, out of breath, with your face in the dirt and a sharp pain right at the bridge of your nose, when you hear a voice. "Marcus!" That voice. You recognize it. But that can't be right. You clutch your face with one hand while the other fumbles around until it finally pushes against the ground and you roll over onto your back.

"Marcus, are you alright?" There it is again, clear as day. But it can't be her, she's gone. She's gone and she's never coming back.

You slowly move your hand away from your face and open your eyes, fearing what you might see. You see red hair in a long ponytail hanging down over you. You see a pair of bright blue eyes, full of concern, framed by two locks of loose red hair hanging down from either side of them. There she is, looking down at you like nothing happened. Like she never had any reason to hate you.

The words you wanted to say to her come spilling out immediately. "I'm sorry, Sarah! Oh Solace, I'm sorry!" You have no idea how you got this chance, but you're not going to waste it.

Then you blink, and she's gone.

Hannah looks at you, confused. "Marcus?"

"I-" You stutter for a moment, trying to make sense of what just happened. She was right there just a moment ago.

Hannah helps you sit up. "Marcus, take it easy," she says. "Just breathe. We're right here, Marcus. Take as long as you need." Ibrahim kneels next to you as well, clearly puzzled.

Your mind finally catches up to you. No, she wasn't here. She can't have been here. She's gone. You were just seeing thing, that's all. That is all.

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You brush away Hannah's hands and stand up, dusting yourself off and collecting yourself as best you can. "We need to leave today," you say. "Preferably heading north."

Hannah and Ibrahim exchange a look, then return their gaze to you. She speaks first. "What? Marcus, what's going on?"

"I'll explain once we're underway, but right now we should start packing up the wagon."

"Are we in a hurry to leave?" Ibrahim asks.

"Not yet, no." You pause, then clarify. "I mean, we should still leave today. But I think we can load up at the market as we head out."

"Are you certain?" asks Hannah.

"Yes," you reply. "Yes I am certain." You look back and forth between Hannah and Ibrahim. They're both looking at you like you're telling them to dance on their heads. "Why wouldn't I be certain?"

"If you say so," Hannah says as she goes to start preparing the wagon. Ibrahim says nothing. He doesn't need to.

After loading the wagon you bring it around to the front of the Giant's Thumb. Hannah and Ibrahim head upstairs to retrieve their things from the rooms. You apologize to Galen for brushing by him, blaming nightmares. He just laughs it off and wishes you well.

The three of you are quiet as you bring the cart around to San Laurent's main market. You manage to find a good deal on some copper ore and some wrought iron tools and cooking ware, purchasing them for 30 silver. You're also able to find enough people willing to change some of your silver Trents for copper Darrens, bringing your total to 200 copper Darrens, 3 silver Trents, and 5 gold Karens.

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Hannah is silent as you and Ibrahim load the cart. It's just as well, you're not entirely sure how to explain what just happened. As you're preparing to leave, you're sure you catch a glimpse of long red hair, somewhere off in the crowd. Shaking your head to try to clear the thought from your mind, you climb up onto the wagon and get underway.

That's it for tonight. I'm sorry about that last story post taking forever. We'll resume Friday at 5pm EST, 2pm PST (hopefully on schedule this time). In the meantime, I'll try to answer any questions between now and then.

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>>2607688
>>2607687
>>2607681
>>2607679
FUCKING DAMN GHOSTS OF THE PAST! TRYING TO HAUNT OUR ASS! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

>>2607688
Now that I got that out of my system.
Is it possible for Ghosts to haunt the living?
And what other monsters haunt this world that we live in?

>>2607630
> How strong is an inquisitor? On par with a 5th or 6th tier?
Most inquisitors are mundane humans with no magic. Their combat skills put them roughly on par with a 1st circle demon. Their power is largely political.

The highest ranking of them, however, are sometimes also Ephesian saints. They do have magic and are generally considered slightly superior to one of the exalted, though that is mainly due to the fact that exalted are still squishy humans (or elves, shar, merfolk, etc.) and aren't any tougher than they were before. Saints, on the other hand, are physically superior to a normal human. Magically, they're around the level of a 4th or 5th circle demon, though while demons tend to be very tightly focused on their domain, saints have a much broader array of abilities. They also possess even more political clout than the standard inquisitor.

>>2607692
> Is it possible for Ghosts to haunt the living?
Yes.
> And what other monsters haunt this world that we live in?
Haunt as in are incorporeal creatures that stick around somewhere? Other than ghosts, basically nothing. There are some spooky creatures from the aether that sort of fit that description sometimes, but then again there's stuff from the aether that can fit basically any description. If you can think of it, there's probably something like that in the aether somewhere.

Outer space is scary.

>>2607681
Where do you get these cool character art? Do you build your stories around these art or do you look for things that fit the storyline you have in mind?

>>2607687
Guys, before we go we should bring Thetis and investigate the Old ruins, we may find magic shit or even demon ritual markings

>>2607724
I don't think we will have time for that if we are planning to leave by today. It might also bring unwanted attention from the exalted. Also we should probably spread a rumor that we are heading east just to throw the Inquistor off our trail in case he is onto us.

>>2607719
Pinterest mostly. I have a vague image of what something might look like initially, with certain traits more firmly set in stone than others, then I go looking for art that fits it, and that sort of finalizes the parts of the description that weren't those starting traits.

Take Telemok for example. I knew I wanted something distinctly inhuman (preferably without a human face or even a face at all) with many spindly arms. I had this image in my head of basically a horrible watchmaker thing, constantly fiddling with the glowing crystal shards that were the compulsions. I then went searching through pinterest until I found something suitable, which is the OP image, and that was what cemented Telemok's body as looking kind of like a cobra's hood. That particular trait wasn't set in my mind at the start, but it fit, and I liked the art, so I ran with it.

Keboro's appearance had a similar thought process behind it. I started with the idea of a silver man with no face and a flair for the dramatic. I looked around and found a cool image of a silver man with no face and six arms each holding a mask. At that point, Keboro having six arms each with a mask became a thing.

With human portraits, it's similar and actually kind of easier. Take Aisha for example. The starting point in my mind was "dignified dark haired caster lady with a severe case of resting bitch face." And then I just searched around, found a bunch of portraits that matched that, and used them.

Would changing our appearance with the fleshcrafter demon be enough to throw the inquisitor off our tail?

Because I guess he just blindly asks his summoned demons 'who also summoned demons in the last month, where, when and how do they look like?' And I feel like changing names won't be enough this time.

>>2607737
This process is working out pretty well as these images really help in creating the imagery.
Another question I had was how long does it take to perform a summoning ritual? Is there any way by which we could perform a quick summoning in case of an unpredictable situation where we might need urgent assistance?

>>2607749
I don't think it would work as atleast one demon would know of our true identity and we are not in the best terms with that demon as we haven't summoned it before.

Also the transition would be temporary I think and he is probably not relying on appearances to locate us, if he is trying to locate.

Calm the fuck down you pansies.

What we need to do is to sic the church on him. It is very unlikely that they approve of what he's doing. Just paint the Inquisitor as a heretic and let them sort it out.

>>2607687
I’m going out on a limp here and gona day that the inquestor is the red head girl and she looking for us which is y she’s talking with demons

>>2608231
I'm gunna say if we try something like that they might torture us to death just to make sure our story holds up. And even if they don't odds are they will take his word over ours.

>>2608234
I think she was one of our followers who we failed, and she got broken on the wheel or some other horrible fate.

>>2608270
Don´t really have to confess to them. Just send an anonymous letter to a high ranking member, ask other demons to ask for payment in ensouled blood (so he has scars from bleeding) and we got a solid case there.

>>2608270
No one said that we should go to the nearest church and start throwing accusations.

We have access to demons. We can orchestrate events that will make the church stumble upon his heresy.

I just realized how stupidly easy it would be for someone to confirm we're into demonology. All they'd have to do is look under our perpetually bandaged arm. Good thing we've always had a coat on of some sort.

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>>2608907
>hey merchant, why you have these cuts all up and down your arm?
>i practice bloodletting because i can't afford decent healthcare besides my tithe for prayer
>oh okay carry on sir have a nice day
We need to think of more situations like this ahead of time so we have answers prepared.

>>2608940
I like this. The disappearing chicken explanation in Thread 1 was also quite good.

>>2608907
Bloodletting is a very popular medical practice in Torien.
>>2608940
In fact, in Torien it would be considered a standard part of "decent healthcare."

>>2608646
Inquisitors generally have access to a very large amount of ensouled blood (and ensouled last blood) as a result of their position without ever needing to use their own blood.

>>2608234
The Ephesian church only allows monks to become inquisitors, so there are no women among them. Also Keboro said "he" when referring to the inquisitor.

>>2607759
The prep work is the longest part of the summoning process, and marking out the summoning circle is definitely the most time consuming part (assuming you already have a sacrifice ready, otherwise that can be the longest part depending on what it is). Depending on how careful you're being, that could take anywhere from ten to thirty minutes. If you really trust a particular demon, you might be able to get away with cutting some corners, but that's usually a bad idea. Even if the demon isn't interested in hurting you, there are probably a bunch of juicy morsels nearby that it has fewer qualms about consuming. Like the portrait hanging on the wall or if it's Setra, your clothing. Marcus however is generally pretty strict about following proper safety procedures when making summoning circles.

In places where demonology is permitted and openly practice, some demonologists set up semi-permanent summoning circles so they don't have to constantly make a new one. A stationary one can be carved into stone and will feature a small separate piece with the last bit of the circle that locks firmly into place, usually with something like a set of metal latches or some other mechanism to hold it in just the right spot. That way, to break a circle and let the demon out, it's simply a matter of undoing a few latches, unlocking that little block, and removing it.

There are more mobile ones that can be carved into wood, with a similar locked block setup to break it, but these are considered less safe due to the fact that wood more easily swells and warps, potentially distorting the circle. People with wooden summoning circles usually try to avoid problems by keeping them in good condition, for example by storing it in a waterproof container of some kind. Of course, stone ones aren't entirely immune to being distorted, so it's still a good idea to double-check even a stone circle before you summon, it's just not quite as bad as it is with wood.

Marcus doesn't have one because that would be a little bit hard to explain to someone, whereas most of the items Marcus uses have at least some innocent purpose on their own.

>>2609579
Regarding summoning circles: would inking a circle onto high quality cloth/silk be a terrible idea? And if it is a workable idea could the circle be hidden inside a larger design. I. E. Could we have a portable cloth circle disguised as a decorative rug?

>>2609628
Cloth summoning circles aren't common because they tend to be a bit too flexible to be reliable. The geometry of the circle needs to be at least consistent if not exact. Certain parts of the circle need to stay specific distances from other parts of the circle to maintain a hold on the demon. With a cloth circle, the demon could potentially shift the cloth underneath it around with its feat, disrupting the circle. Similarly, the cloth might get stretched out in odd places, or even shrink, changing the circle in the same way a wooden circle might become warped. There are some summoning circles made in extremely heavy rugs that see occasional use in Masharak, but it's generally rare.

Of course, if you really trust a demon, a cloth summoning circle will work because it only needs to handle the summoning part and you don't care if it successfully restrains the demon. If you're at that point, you can make a summoning circle in almost anything. For example, the OH SHIT EVERYONE PANIC response for a merfolk tribe is to carve a bunch of summoning circles into the flesh of a whale, which also serves as the sacrifice. With the amount of blood present, you get a bunch of mid-tier demons bursting out of its flesh, gobbling it up, and then going on a rampage completely unrestrained. This is unsurprisingly quite destructive

If you guys want to, you could make one out of any of the possible materials, just be aware of the risks. Cloth is really unsafe, and if you made one of wood you'd have to be really careful about making sure no one else ever saw it. A cheaply marked out summoning circle can be cleaned up fairly easily between uses. A semi-permanent one, you'd need to hide.

>>2609833
>This is unsurprisingly quite destructive
In the good or bad way? How often do they help versus destroy everything?
>>2609833
>There are some summoning circles made in extremely heavy rugs that see occasional use in Masharak, but it's generally rare.
How good and expensive are they compared to wooden summoning circles?

>>2609833
Can demons procreate with mortals? Are there half demon children in this world?

>>2609875
given the state of medicine and general technology, i'd say rugs are more expensive and less useful than wood in summoning.
We just made good money selling cloth, mind you.

>>2609579
>>2609833
Ah so the stability structure composition of the items involved affects the summoning's safety.
That's actually really neat. Especially when everything else comes into play.

>>2609833
>response for a merfolk tribe is to carve a bunch of summoning circles into the flesh of a whale, which also serves as the sacrifice.
>you get a bunch of mid-tier demons bursting out of its flesh, gobbling it up, and then going on a rampage completely unrestrained.
That's fucking metal.

>>2609833
>>2609901
On top of being metal also makes me think of doing that to fresh corpses if we're really in deep shit. Won't get a hoard, but I'd bet Tethis would get the picture if we summoned him via a dead guy.

>>2609913
Pretty sure the whale is alive.

>>2609875
> In the good or bad way? How often do they help versus destroy everything?
It really varies depending on what demons the tribe has access to. Such summons are usually done with a special variety of summoning circle that builds the symbols for the demon into the circle design instead of using tokens. They're considered very unreliable and can often end up summoning the demon but leaving it completely unrestrained, so most people don't use them. But when menfolk carve them into whale flesh, they're already on a medium that doesn't make for a reliable summoning circle, and they're totally expecting to not be able to control it.

Instead, they try to work out arrangements with those demons they're summoning before hand. Usually it's a "if we summon you en masse from a whale carcass, kill everyone except for us" sort of arrangement. As for working, well, it works often enough that they still do it. But it also backfires enough that it's usually not their first resort. On the whole, it's much more likely to succeed than fail.

> How good and expensive are they compared to wooden summoning circles?
In most places, wooden summoning circles beat everything in terms of being cheap. Heavy rugs see some use in the Alkora desert because wood is rarer but you still need something you can cart around easily, but most demonologists even there will upgrade to wood if the opportunity presents itself. It's just safer.

For the really high end though, you usually see a mix of materials. There are metal circles (you want light weight, but also strength and the right amount of rigidity vs flexibility, so only certain metals will work well) that are sometimes combined with glass.

>>2609879
Yes and yes. As with most half-X the unstated other half is usually human, though there is a substantial number of elf/demon halfbreeds resulting from Mashari water demons and elves. This is due to the very cozy relationship between those demons and the elven populations of the cities they deal with.

>>2609901
And that's just the coastal/oceanic merfolk. The deep merfolk terrify the shit even out of them.

>>2609936
A very fresh corpse still works. Merfolk use live whales because they can be herded in a particular direction prior to "detonation."

>>2609950
> menfolk
For some reason my autocorrect turns merfolk into menfolk. There's a joke in there somewhere.

>>2609950
That reminds me. Is it possible for Demons to be binded into objects or people? Like having them be there on the spot and ready to go without having to resummon them? Or would that be too expensive/impossible to do because demons weren't meant to be a part of the mortal world?

just catch up the thread, keep the good work man

>>2610007
I mean, are you suggesting we have a demon possess someone?

>>2610127
I'm thinking that more dubious demonologists would not hesitate about that sort of thing. That and we might come across a possessed person or item in our travels.

>>2610136
I wasn't saying no, but it would need the consent of all parties involved for me to feel comfortable with it, and maybe some strict clauses.

>>2610148
Nah, what I meant that there's a good chance that there's going to be demonologists that will probably have done that sort of thing. So I figured that it wouldn't hurt to check and see if it was even possible to do in the first place.

>>2610007
It's not that they weren't meant to be a part of the mortal world. Both demons and small gods claim that they were each an entirely intentional part of Solace creating the world, and that they serve their intended function by interacting with it. They will even sometimes begrudgingly admit that the other side is too. The thing with demons is that they are all really a part of a single "organism," namely Hell Itself. They are each one of the many arms of Hell Itself, and they have to sort of "reach" over to get at the mortal world. It takes power to keep them there, and eventually they're going to bounce back to Hell. Keeping a demon in the mortal world requires providing that power. And the power requirement isn't linear, so it needs to be an ever increasing amount of power as time passes.

For example, imagine if Tethis were just loose in the mortal world. He's an extremely deadly predator, so he conceivably could kill things and drain their blood to supply the power needed to keep him there, but only for a while. After about a month in the mortal world, the upkeep costs will increase to the point that he could be doing nothing but guzzling ensouled last blood nonstop and he still wouldn't be able to supply enough power to keep himself in the mortal world. Eventually he'd run out of juice and bounce back to Hell, and probably a lot sooner than a month.

Binding a demon to an object or a person can slow that down a bit, but it's not going to change the fundamental problem.

There's also the issue that demons pretty much never agree to be bound to things. It's restrictive, and they're not generally fans of that. And because they can easily bounce back to the safety of Hell, it's really hard to get a demon to do something that it just plain doesn't want to do.

>>2610163
is there a general value of a pint/half pint of ensouled blood, or does it vary according to the demon's preferences, like you mentioned earlier that some exceptionally particular demons might only accept ensouled last blood?
What can a pint of ensouled blood generally buy among demons?

Also, am i correct in remembering the 'price' of services from higher circle demon would be greater, even for petty tasks, simply because they need exponentially more offerings to advance and they need it to be worth their time?

Oh wait, half-demons are a thing? Well, Setra just bumped a few spaces up on the waifu scale. Or not, as there wasn't any to begin with over her.

>>2610735

talking about Setra, this reminded me of something.

Do demons accept, other bodily fluids aside from blood? yeah, that one.

this question is purelly scientifical I assure you

>>2610738
> Summon setra
> Ask her to give you a lap dance
> Ejaculate on her face when she asks to pay up.
> Enjoy the rest of your days getting tormented in the depths of hell.
No regrets

>>2610782
More like that was the missing part she needed to get a lvl up to 3rd rank daemon and she gives you free lap dances when ever you Sbring her out

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You're a ways outside of San Laurent when the silence is finally broken.

"Marcus?"

"Hmm?"

Hannah's sitting up front with you while you steer the wagon. She's looking at you with a mix of curiosity and concern. "You said you'd explain why we needed to leave."

"Right. That. This morning I spoke with another demon." Hannah raises an eyebrow at that. She may be coming around to the idea that maybe demons aren't all monstrously evil like the church teaches, but it's clear that she's still not entirely comfortable with the idea of casually summoning one. "They can be quite gossipy," you explain. "Sometimes the rumors that are circulating in Hell can be useful to know."

"And something you heard scared you?"

You cough. After the way you came running in a frenzied panic, you suppose it's not surprising that she'd think that. You just hope she doesn't ask about what happened after that. "Yes, well, sometimes fear is a reasonable response. The demon informed me that there is an Inquisitor who has been summoning demons in order to hunt demonologists."

Hannah looks even more puzzled at hearing that. "But isn't that the sort of thing that Inquisitors are supposed to stop?"

"Normally, yes. But apparently one of them has turned to demonology recently. That's extremely dangerous for anyone who has contact with demons, since it means that the same grapevine that normally helps us could now be used to get leads to track us down."

She turns away from you, looking off into the woods around you. "Is the Inquisitor hunting us now?" From the slight trembling of her voice you can tell that she finally starting to realize just how much of a plunge she has taken.

"I don't think so," you reply. "He has no reason to be going after us over any of the other the other people scattered across who have contacted demons at some point. And he's far to the south right now. Still, I'd rather have as much distance between us as possible."

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Where to next?
> Rathburg, a coastal town to the north. The waters are cold, but the fish are plentiful. Its proximity to Dvergan and Argashk means that you should be able to find some exotic wares there. They'll also probably pay a lot for your furs.
> Tamren, one of the few cities in Torien that survived the Great War instead of being built on top of one. It dominates the Jorr river valley and also serves as the ducal seat, making it a major political and commercial hub. If you want to deal with high society, this is your chance.
> Mendorhal, a city that has fallen on hard times recently. A terrible fire swept through a few years back and it is still trying to recover. Many are bitter from loss, and you will no doubt find people eager for something to ease their pain, either by buying your wares or by exploring other, more heretical options.
> Geldor, a city of splendor, art, fast living, and excitement. It is a center for all kinds of new ideas in Torien. But while that makes it a fascinating place, it also means that the church keeps a close watch for anything that might be heretical.

Making camp your first night, you have another choice to make. The roads can be dangerous at times, and bandits like the ones you encountered after leaving Easterbrook are only one of the potential threats a traveller might encounter. What would you like to do for the purposes of protection?

> Summon a demon with Hannah present. Summoning a demon for something essential like your safety could help ease her into the idea. (Specify which demon)
> Summon a demon after Hannah has gone to sleep. No need to push your luck, and if things work out like last time she won't even know the demon was there. (Specify which demon)
> Don't summon a demon, but make sure your ritual kit is stocked with carved symbols in case you need to summon on short notice.
> Wing it.

>>2611488
>> Summon a demon with Hannah present. Summoning a demon for something essential like your safety could help ease her into the idea. (Tethis)

>>2611488
> Mendorhal, a city that has fallen on hard times recently. A terrible fire swept through a few years back and it is still trying to recover. Many are bitter from loss, and you will no doubt find people eager for something to ease their pain, either by buying your wares or by exploring other, more heretical options.

May as well be honest with her if she's to be traveling with us from now on
> Summon a demon with Hannah present. Summoning a demon for something essential like your safety could help ease her into the idea. (Specify which demon)
Tethis

>>2611488
> Rathburg, a coastal town to the north. The waters are cold, but the fish are plentiful. Its proximity to Dvergan and Argashk means that you should be able to find some exotic wares there. They'll also probably pay a lot for your furs.

I think we should summon to protect us, and I'm thinking either Tethis or Setra. However, I'm worried that they might be too conspicuous if we do end up running into trouble. What do you guys think?

>>2611499
>>2611488
forgot destination:
> Rathburg, a coastal town to the north. The waters are cold, but the fish are plentiful. Its proximity to Dvergan and Argashk means that you should be able to find some exotic wares there. They'll also probably pay a lot for your furs.

>>2611488
> Rathburg, a coastal town to the north. The waters are cold, but the fish are plentiful. Its proximity to Dvergan and Argashk means that you should be able to find some exotic wares there. They'll also probably pay a lot for your furs.
> Summon a demon with Hannah present. Summoning a demon for something essential like your safety could help ease her into the idea. (Tethis)