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File: swamp 2.jpg (303 KB, 810x506)
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Salutations, Swamp Sorcerers, and welcome back to the eigth installment of Swamp Lord Quest! Once again, you are Lord Jakob Absol, heir of the Archmage Lord Arnveis Absol the Black, rival of the rebel sorceress Albeda Absol, Liege of the Absol Swamp, and Master of Castle Briarfast.

Last time, you got to know most of the eventual wife options in this quest. Keep in mind, if things go as planned, Jakob will be married and have children before the midpoint of this story (lords need heirs), so if you are a partisan for a particular girl by all means express your bias and state your case. Indecisiveness is a terrible thing, and the girls Jakob doesn't pick are all capable of surviving without a broken heart. In addition to this, you opted to give the Flame Dancer Naiada, also known as Sister Char, a fair trial. For all of her sad story, you decided that justice had to be done, and righteously condemned her to Death By Wall. She was crucified on the thorns with Albeda watching, as is only right and proper. Now, your army marches, and may your enemies tremble at the thunder of your tread.

Now (now that my internet is cooperating, that is), I'm able to post the new thread even if it's a bit late to do terribly much right now, and even if I still plan to run the game properly Friday. Although getting time off in the first week of the new year is always sketchy, I've put in to use some paid time off to really get stuff done then, and before then do all of the setup for the events that will transpire when the legitimate Absol army reaches the Well.
>>
File: Petrine Gwelm.jpg (67 KB, 564x804)
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...As you ride away from the castle, your mind keeps turning back towards that answer. The fact that you were so torn about it, for one thing. Indecisiveness feels foul on your tongue on an issue this pressing. Is it better to be ruthless and bloodthirsty, condemning everyone who questions your decisions to the wall, or to be soft and kind, beloved but easily taken advantage of? Albeda has been cruel to you before, a viper in your boot, but once upon a time she was not that way. You grew up together, and her cruelties were petty, childish things, never really that serious, were they? You can't take a young girl's threats seriously.

Besides, she voted against assassinating you. Or at least claimed she did. On the other hand that exploding bear statue could have maimed you. “Yes.” You told her, “Barring exceptional circumstances, I will spare her. That depends on how long this rebellion goes on, and how much the swamp loses as a result. There is only so long I can be lenient, even for family.”

Petrine smiled at you, “A good answer.” She says simply, “Pragmatic. Committing to an absolute would be foolish, and yet you only have a certain number of family members. Young rulers, historically, have this terrible tendency to lash out at whoever defies them, power blinding them to how a thirst for blood can drive people away. 'Look at me, grand and glorious. I can reshape the world to my will, and all that defies me will be broken and crushed'. Sometimes they are loved at first, great acts of generosity or valor bringing them support...but when all someone knows is the sensation of being unquestionable, anything that intrudes upon this feels like a mortal wound, and they react accordingly. I should know, I became Lady Gwelm at a young age, and I was such a terror that your grandfather was called to visit the island and take me in hand. Thankfully before I executed anyone who tried to feed me kelp salad.” She winked, “That won't be a problem for you, will it? After all, you had someone keeping you humble, no matter how immature her motives, and when you win it will surely be all the more satisfying for that reversal. All I will add is this, be firm, but be gracious. No ruler is completely good and without flaw. The rest is yours to write, my lord.” With that she bowed.


[Continue]
>>
Immediately after that, you were interrupted by the fact that Sister Char's burning blood was dripping onto the boardwalk, necessitating you to make a smokemass arch to keep it from inconveniencing anyone passing beneath her and showing you the interesting fact that your wall seems to be impervious to heat of that magnitude. Petrine went inside with the rest of the spectators, and as soon as some of your scouts returned to confirm that Albeda and her dogs had truly departed, the army broke camp and began its march.

Your father impressed on you the importance of supply lines at an early age, and the weaknesses of an army on the march in unfamiliar territory. One nice thing about being in your own land, and the legitimate lord of your domain, is that your scouts know the land intimately and your supply lines don't stretch at all. The downside is that this is a spring war, the nameless hamlets you pass through on your way don't have a lot of food either. Worse, you're traveling southeast, and the village to the south and the village to the east are in enemy hands, denying you resupply. Your wagons of food and drink are thus something of a liability, but an unavoidable one. Another downside is that, in your own lands, there is no question of living off the land, which is a polite euphemism for stealing whatever soldiers need or want from the residents.

Living off the land is a phrase that conjures prosaic images of soldiers filling their helms with blackberries from bushes they pass or practicing their archery by taking a few deer, but in practice it involves a lot more burning crofts and crying peasants. Still, the hamlets you pass through seem surprisingly keen on trying, and you can't blame them. Hostile magi on the doorstep? If you were a rice farmer, you would be overjoyed to see Lord Absol leading an army to deal with the problem too.

Especially if you were a rice farmer who had heard that Dampmeade had been occupied by lupomancers. From what you've heard, the Wolf King, the Ragged Elder, that cannibal beast known as Brother Grey is the sort to maintain control purely through fear, but you can see the propaganda advantage in being a liberator rather than a conquerer. However, things are not working out entirely in your favor.

[Continue]
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One morning, roughly ten miles from the Well and certainly THE morning before you reach it, while you're still abed in your tent, you're awakened by a sudden feeling. Ironically, it's a feeling difficult to describe because of your sorcerous training rather than in spite of it. Non-sorcerers frequently describe detecting magical influence as the hair on the back of their neck standing up, or a shiver down their spine, or the feeling of being watched. They misinterpret this sense of the eerie and try to ascribe some more readily understandable phenomena to it. You have no such excuse. You simply feel the sudden, powerful pulse of energy. As if reality's heart had suddenly beat faster. As if an electric current licked over your soul. Yet neither of those things accurately describes it. It's like trying to tell someone colorblind what yellow looks like. The feeling is potent, yet distant.

[Continue]
>>
And with that, we're gonna need a shitload of dice.
>>
Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>4595872
'ere we go.
>>
Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>4595872
>>
Also, L5R quest is a go. I was able to find the .pdfs I needed, so please look forward to L5R Chanbara Quest as soon as I make a few important decisions, namely about how hard I intend to de-flanderize the setting (I intend to remove everything dumb from it, like the prohibition on eating red meat, or massive "families" all using the same last name) and figure out if I'm even gonna allow Crab because they can be so disruptive.
>>
Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>4595872
>>
Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>4595872
>>
Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>4595872

>>4595883
Seeing as the only thing I know about L5R is that one Crab storytime, I'd be a little sad to not see them.
>>
>>4595890

Fair enough, I'd be a little sad to leave them out, so I'll probably include them.
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>>4595883

I'm looking forward to it, I don't think I've read an L5R quest from the male perspective.
>>
Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>4595872
Last roll of the night since I need to go to bed soon and I've already rolled four times.
>>
Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>4595872
>>
>>4595912
>>4595919
Wow, I sure hope this counts for something
>>
>>4595909

Were there many from the female perspective?
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>>4595921

I checked and it does.
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>>4595924

L5R quests are few, but I remember only reading a male-centric one on anonkun, with the rest being female-perspective.

I wouldn't mind, since most L5R quests die young, but I enjoy your writing and know you'll be back to finish the job(ish).
>>
>>4595909
>>4595924
>>4595929
Strange. Is that just a weird stroke if circumstance or does L5R lend itself partially well to female protagonists?
>>
>>4595932

I think girls look cute in kimonos. From what I remember most Exalted quests also were giga-lesbians.
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>>4595932

I'm not sure, the setting does lend to the possibility of playing as a medieval warrior-ess.

Tbh, it's mostly personal preference that I prefer male-centric fics.
I think there's still an L5R quest going on (anonkun), some female ronin mc, I think?
>>
>>4595935
>From what I remember most Exalted quests also were giga-lesbians.
I also remember that being the case, but I never read them in full so I couldn't say for sure. Something to go through for research purposes, I suppose.

>>4595938
Hmm, should have figured as much. Would have been interesting if there was some quirk of the setting or rules that subtly pushed female protags.
>>
>>4595943

I think it's because there's not many L5R quests or fics in general, so the disparity is noticed.
Mostly because they all die young.

Oh, and Wong's right a bit, never underestimate the thirstyness of anons when it comes to yuri-shit.
Female Protagonist but a man in every sense of the word except physical.
>>
Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>4595872
Ah dang I'm late to the party
Of course you would post the new thread 6 minutes after I checked.
I don't know if a "Shit ton of dice" was achieved yet...
So have another one!
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>>4595950

There is a reason why I insist on male protagonists. I have a longstanding hatred for female characters that are a man in every sense of the word except physical, as you put it, and I also find habitual yurifags distasteful.
>>
Also if I get this prewriting done before I go to bed I'm gonna post the other quest tonight. If I don't, I'll do it tomorrow.
>>
Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>4595872
Might as well put my dice in the bag, even if the rolling's finished.
>>
Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>4595872
DICE DICE DICE, let's set the tone for the new thread.
>>
Also L5R Chanbara Quest is up. I'll run it one day a week, and this quest one day a week, and try to be disciplined about it.
>>
>missed all the rolling action from driving
>why even live?

At least I didn't miss the votes, since there wasn't any yet.
>>
>>4596463

You can still roll.
>>
Rolled 4 (1d10)

rollin
>>
Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>4596646
How many dice left to go? You can give us a general number.
>>
Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>4596646

More dice for the heap then.
>>
Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>4596646
>>
Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>4596646
DICE FOR THE DICE GOD
>>
Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>4596646

More....Dice....
>>
Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>4596646
Dice
>>
Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>4595872
HE HAS CALLED AND SO WE ROLL
>>
Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>4596646
Give me dice or give me death!
>>
Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>4596646

Ask not what the Dice demand, for they shall take their toll as they please.
>>
Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>4596646
>>
Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>4596646
Continuing the roll train.....
>>
Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>4596646
Dice dice baby!
>>
Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>4596646

Rolling, rolling, rolling...
>>
Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>4596646
Roll high!
>>
Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>4596646
Oh shit a call for more DICE
>>
Rolled 5 (1d10)

>>4596646
Quick, someone put up the Dice-signal!
>>
Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>4596646
Doots for Dice!
Doot doot
>>
Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>4596646
TACTICAL GENIUS ROLLING
>>
Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>4596646
Nananananannanana- Diceman!
>>
Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>4596646
Doot doot dooty doot
Just dooten for dice
>>
Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>4596646

How much dice is enough dice? None. There is never enough dice.
>>
Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>4596646
Dooooooot
>>
Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>4596646
Huston, we have a problem, that only dice can solve.
>>
Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>4596646
BIG DOOT
>>
Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>4596806
>>4596814
>>4596646

Dice have been Dooted
>>
Rolled 5 (1d10)

>>4596646
I think we're hitting like 40 straight rolls of dice rolling.
>>
Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>4596806
>>4596814
>>4596815
>>4596646
Well alright then,
Watch none of these 10's be Dooten used
>>
Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>4596646
Rick rollin'!
>>
That is enough dice, thank you very much.
>>
>>4597120

>that is enough dice

Who are you, and what have you done with Mr. Wong?
>>
Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>4597120
aw man, I just got here. Have a spare dice just in case.
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>>4597165
perhaps you could use it to determine how fly our hair looks today.
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>>4597167
We have the best Helmet hair of any lord on this given day
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>>4597284
We sleep with our helmet on? lol
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>>4597347
In this economy? Wouldn't you?
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>>4595869
Question: should we be worried about the Thorn Wall being damaged by fiery blood?
>>
>>4597354
>Immediately after that, you were interrupted by the fact that Sister Char's burning blood was dripping onto the boardwalk, necessitating you to make a smokemass arch to keep it from inconveniencing anyone passing beneath her and showing you the interesting fact that your wall seems to be impervious to heat of that magnitude

So no.
>>
>>4597360
I thought that was in reference to our smokemass, my mistake.
>>
>>4597363
Np, God only knows how many times I fucked up my reading comprehension.
>>
>>4597347
Pretty sure at this point we just sleep in smoke armour Pajamas under our smokemass blankets ontop of our smokemass bed inside out smokemass tent
>>
>>4597541

If you knew Major Smoke Form you basically could do that. Structure requires everything to be one piece.
>>
>>4597938
All the more reason to put Major Smoke Form close to the top of the exp spending list then.
One man camp site spell!
>>
>>4597957
Eh.
>>
>>4597541
Remember that smokemass is basically rock-level hardness. So trying to make like clothes out of it would be quite uncomfortable to wear.
>>
>>4597973
We already have smokemass clothes
It's our smoke armour spell
>>
>>4597957

I mean, it'll be useful for if we need to make another smokefloor trap like we did for the Chimera. That way, we can use it to form a hatch, and slide bars of smokemass into place afterwards to lock it too. Lots of utility, but we've got a lot to look at picking up right now. Sense stat-up never.
>>
>>4598085
It's also light as a feather, so just keep that in mind when making structures.
>>
>>4598085
Major Smoke Form was already on the list of stuff to buy when we're discussing it.
But yeah, I do want to get Sense up soon if not at least boost Eerie
And it's more like Tactics and Strategy MD Never
>>
>>4598090

I know. You could make a hatch cover like that by leaving loops in the smoke-mass ice-floor sculpture, and feed the smoke-bars through them. Force against the hatch transmits to the bars, which are transmitting it to the smokemass floor. If the floor is wedged in, or weighed down by dudes and stuff, they'd have to put a bunch of effort into smashing through it. Just need to flex that creativity.
>>
>>4598090
It's also the version that has its duration length measured in Years by Width of the roll.
So more semi permanent structures like Bridges over Canyons, dams, battle ramparts for sieging enemy positions, mile high staircases etc...
>>
>>4598099
Ships, as light as a feather, weighed by cargo.
>>
>>4598104
Feather weight sandships skipping across the desert bringing our Battlemages in force to crush our enemies!
>>
>>4597970
glass frogs that lasts for years for Floofy Bard
>>
>>4598111
+1
>>
>>4598111

That way, even if she goes to travel as bards do, she'll have a reason to come back, even after a couple years pass along before she returns to Absol lands.
>>
>>4598157
+2
>>
>>4598111
Goddamn it +1.
If we really want a tactics MD, we could pick up the Battle Prophet spell, which can essentially give us a MD in tactics for an encounter.
>>
After all, spells are bought in 2s
>>
>>4596860
>>4596819
>>4596817
>>4596815
>>4596814
>>4596813

First roll.

>>4596810
>>4596809
>>4596806
>>4596804
>>4596802
>>4596800
>>4596796

Second roll. I figured, why let these go to waste? I hadn't marked them down or counted them up, so they might as well be freshly rolled to me.

You'll want to begin coming up with as much of a cool speech as you can, to make to the troops for that sweet +1 Might bonus.
>>
>>4599005
I got nothing, beyond this....


This is our SWAMP, and no dead men are going to take it from us!

[Insert Shrek meme here]
>>
>>4599005
I would help, but I am at a lost of where to begin and what point to come across, and my brain's a bit fried to help me out much. Any suggestions lads?
>>
>>4599005
I hate to admit it but I'm also drawing a blank as to what to say...
I can't seem to get my brain to switch gears from Weeb Samurai to feudal Lord mode unfortunately.
>___<
>>
>>4599168
>>4599005
>Today we undertake the task of eliminating traitors elements, and I ask you to fight against fellow men and women of the swamp. Know that I would never ask a single one of you to do a task I myself would not do, thus I March along side you and the Son of slaying our own falls upon me. We proceed with this grim task not because we want to or because it will be easy, we March down this path because it is what is needed to bring safety and peace for all of our families and loved ones who tremble across the swamp not knowing when these traitorous elements will appear before them to steal their crops or force them away from their homes. And so I ask that you be brave ane courageous not for me but for everyone whom you have at home that prays for your safe retuen!

Alright I tired, everyone add stuff to make it better!
>>
>>4599204
Bleh typos, but hopefully it's understandable enough.
The life of a filthy phone poster I suppose...
>>
>>4599204
This is Based. Yes.
Could use a little cleaning up of grammar and spelling, but the essence and enthusiasm is there.
Attempting to clean it up a little:

>Today we undertake the task of eliminating traitorous elements, and I ask you to fight against fellow men and women of the swamp. We proceed with this grim task not because we want to or because it will be easy, we march down this path because it is what is needed to bring safety and peace for all of our families and loved ones, all of ours who live across the bogs and fens of our province. These traitors seek to Divide us, to end the long-running reign of my family and end the prosperity of this land. Know that I would never ask a single one of you to do a task I myself would not do, and so I ask that you be brave and courageous not for me but for everyone whom you have at home that prays for your safe return!

>Now forwards, men of Absol! We go to War.

How's this version?
>>
>>4599204
>>4599238
Based. I'm glad to have such wonderful talent here.
>>
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You feel make your way into the camp, drawing your fur-lined cloak tight around yourself. It's a foggy morning, and cold. As if the ghost of winter was lingering in the air, drawn up from the depths of the earth to claw at you with windy fingers. You make a beeline for the nearest cookfire, your stomach rumbling.

Of course Doloranna is the one ladling out food. You aren't surprised at all to see her. You ARE surprised to see her in a modest spring-green dress with a white top, her hair held back by an equally modest bandanna, doling out a mixture of chopped sausage, eggs, and a few different vegetables, most notably carrots. Her ladle is paused in mid-scoop as she peers intently off to the Southeast. “Four.” She says softly.

“Four what?” You echo. You only felt two pulses.

She starts, then smiles at you, “Ahehe, so you didn't notice them all? Well then, it's a good thing I'm here.” She preens proudly, “Four grand uses of magic. The spell is easy, but loud. He must have taught it to all three of his apprentices, mustn't he?” She frowns, still looking off in the direction the pulses came from, “But where did he find the bodies?”

“Four corpses shouldn't be too hard to find.” You note.

“Four hundred.” She corrects you. “If he's doing what I think he is, and we don't know when he started.” She checks the position of the sun, “Mid afternoon, or maybe late afternoon, we'll feel them again if he is.”

“He hasn't been doing this for long, someone would have felt it at this intensity.” You fold your arms, “How many hours, would you estimate?”

She shrugs, “Nine, maybe.”

You swear under your breath. Even at a forced march, he'll get two more castings in before you arrive. Assuming each spell is a success, that means a minimum of twelve hundred husks waiting for you. They're stupider than living soldiers, and much less versatile, but fearless. You notice her eyeing you, surprisingly somber, and raise your eyebrows at her in silent question.

[Continue]
>>
“Gorol was...is...loved.” She says quietly, “We all liked him. We all respected him. We all thought when Grandmama, you know...we thought he would be the next. Young Grandpapa, or something like that.” She smiles sadly, “Lord Arnveis personally told him he wasn't allowed to go to war, for that reason, and because he wanted someone here who could marshall the dead for you if the need arose. If the Ryds invaded. I can't say it any better was, he was liked. A decent, good person. Now he's going to die for no reason. Is it wrong that I'm sad?” She lowers her head.

>[It's a natural emotion, but treason is treason. Remember him as he was.]
>[It isn't wrong to mourn a loved one's mistakes. Remember him as he was]
>>
>>4599343

>[It isn't wrong to mourn a loved one's mistakes. Remember him as he was]

Nobody gets through a rebellion unscathed, which is why the penalties for treason are so high. It has to be, otherwise people wouldn't be satisfied when it's put down. Doesn't make it hurt less when it's all over though.
>>
>>4599343
>[It isn't wrong to mourn a loved one's mistakes. Remember him as he was]
>Can I count on you not to be blinded by that familiarity when the time comes Dolorana?
>>
>>4599343
>[It isn't wrong to mourn a loved one's mistakes. Remember him as he was]
>>
>>4599343
>[It isn't wrong to mourn a loved one's mistakes. Remember him as he was]
>>
>>4599343
>[It isn't wrong to mourn a loved one's mistakes. Remember him as he was]
God I wish we had some of da's more advanced ability to unbind permanent magics.

If we hit the casters, the dead lose coherency, right?
>>
Hey Wong can we get an updated Character sheet posting before we head into the thick of battle so I don't have to scroll looking for the last one posted?
Pretty please!
>>
>>4599353
I don't think we even have one posted in this thread upon a quick scroll, unless I'm blind, and that definitely is a possibility kek.
>>
>>4599353

On it! It doesn't have your additional techniques yet since I apparently didn't have that saved, but I'll do it later.

Jakob Absol, Swamp Lord

Unspent Exp: 6
Total Exp: 30

BODY: 2
COORDINATION: 2
SENSE: 3
Eerie: +1
Empathy: +2
KNOWLEDGE: 4
Counterspell: +3
Language (Vartynen): +MD
Sorcery: +3MD
Strategy: +2
Tactics: +2
COMMAND: 4
Haggle: +1
Inspire: +3
Intimidate: +1
CHARM: 2
Graces: +1
Fascinate: +1

ADVANTAGES:
Lucky 1 (one reroll per session on a roll where NO sets turn up)
Thick Headed 1 (one extra wound box in the head)
Status 3 (Lord of the Absol Swamp, FREE for plot reasons)
Followers 5 (10 Threat 4 Unworthy Opponents, the Last Loyal, FREE for picking Swamp)
Possession ? (Castle Briarfast, FREE for plot reasons)
Possession 3 (Well-Made Plate Armor)
Literate in Vartynen 1 (FREE for plot reasons)
Greater Literacy in Vartynen 2 (FREE for plot reasons)
Wealth 3
Spells (1)
Spells (1)
Spells (3)
Spells (3)
Spells (5)

PROBLEMS:
Hated Enemy (+1 xp whenever the Hated Enemy harms or inconveniences you)

PASSIONS:
Mission: Solidify your hold on the Absol Swamp
Duty: Be a lord your people and ancestors would be proud of
Craving: Find a worthy and powerful wife

ESOTERIC DISCIPLINES:
The General's Visage: Words of Iron

SPELLS:
Aqueous Divination (Sense): Weather Wisdom, Clearwater Oracle
Smoke Sculpting (Knowledge): Minor Smoke Form, Smoke Arrow, Minor Smoke Structure, Smoke Armor
The Night Hunter's Art (Sense): Whiff of the Blood
The Way of the Wood (Knowledge): Blossom Freshness
Wings of Words (Knowledge): Spark, Soar, Words of Lesser Attunement, Minor Lightning Stroke
>>
>>4599365
Thanks Wong!
>>
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“It isn't wrong to mourn a loved one's mistakes. Remember him as he was. Can I count on you not to be blinded by that familiarity when the time comes, Doloranna?” You ask her.

She snorts, grabs a bowl, and fills it near to overflowing with breakfast, “Of course you can.” She smirks, “I'll fight. Don't you tell me to stay behind.” She thrusts the bowl against your chest, pats your hip, and resumes stirring the food.

After breakfast, camp is broken and the march resumes. True to Doloranna's prediction, you feel scattered pulses of magical energy again in the direction your army travels right around the nine hour mark. If the spell takes nine hours, and they have as many bodies as they need, you're facing at least twelve hundred undead, and the necromancers will have a few hours to nap after what can only be described as a marathon casting session. Damn it.

When one describes a province as a swamp, it inevitably conjures up certain images, of shallow water, cattails, rivers as narrow and interlaced as the threads of an old man's beard, banks of soft mud making for poor footing. This does describe parts of your domain, but others are simply damp woodlands, or brackish riversides, or foothills worn by gullies of snowmelt from the mountains above. Or, as here, heathery moors. The waving, purple foliage is knee-deep on a horse, and marked with ancient waystones to alert you to which of the lowlands conceal treacherous pools beneath a surface of grassy peat. North of the deep forest and west of the true plains, these moors describe rolling hills and shady dales, making for a relatively difficult march but not nearly as bad as it could be. However, as time rolls by, as day becomes night and becomes day again, your scouts return with troubling news, which soon enough you confirm in person.

The Well can barely be seen aboveground, it's simply a stony wall about the height of the average man circumventing a hole in the ground hundreds of feet across. Too far to simply cover with a casting of Minor Smoke Structure and consider the problem solved. Gates in this wall guard access to the stairways leading down into the Well itself and the passages dug out from it into the earth. However, the real problem is the river between you and the Well, swollen with snowmelt and burbling merrily in a southwesternly line, cutting off your line of march at a near perpendicular angle.

[Continue]
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Rolled 3, 8, 9, 9, 5, 1, 7, 4, 10 = 56 (9d10)

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>>4599398
>9,9,10
Oh boy, here we go again
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>>4599399
Only the 9s count, but that's still a high set.
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>>4599402
10 counts if the user has a MD
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>>4599399
If they've got a MD we're in for a world of hurt. Big OOF.
Brainstorming for attacking the well? Seems like they've stolen a march on us by raising dead before we got to cut their dead men supply.
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>>4599403
Actually, there might be a decent chance of that happening.
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>>4599404
Well since we can't just plug it with smokemass, there was an anon who had thought we could divert a near by river and flood it in past threads.
And with the streams being swollen with fresh snow melt from the mountains it sounding like a potentially good idea.
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You call together your officers, get your soldiers neatly arrayed, and address them personally. “Today we undertake the task of eliminating traitorous elements, and I ask you to fight against fellow men and women of the swamp. For this, I am truly sorry. We proceed with this grim task not because we want to, or because it will be easy, we march down this path because it is what is needed to bring safety and peace for all of our families and loved ones, all of ours who live across the bogs and fens of our province.” The sorrowful nobility of your voice swells louder, “These traitors seek to divide us! To end the long line of Absol and scatter the prosperity of this land to the greedy fingers of whichever sorcerer can frighten the most locals into obeying him! Know that I would never ask a single one of you to do a task I myself would shirk, and so I ask for your valor. Not for myself, but for everyone at home who prays for your swift victory and safe return!” You heft your thurible overhead like a sword, “Now forward, men of Absol! We go to war! This is OUR swamp, and no dead men are going to take it from us! Return them to the earth!”

Cheers erupt all over, billhooks raised to the sky.

>[Ford the river here, with a few braziers and your spellcasting talents it doesn't matter what condition the water is in]
>[Send your Stormtongues away from the main army to scout for a better place to cross]
>[Other, specify]
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>>4599404

Divert the river into the Well? We could do well with using smokemass to dam it temporarily.
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>>4599411

>[Ford the river here, with a few braziers and your spellcasting talents it doesn't matter what condition the water is in]

It'll last long enough, and it's a relatively short spell to cast. We should keep the Stormtongues around, to watch the outskirts for any hidden furries around the edges.
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>>4599409
>>4599413
Tbis being said, if I were a master Necromancer in a full river that the opposing army needs to deal with is EXACTLY where I would hide and ambush of undead....
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>>4599411
>[Ford the river here, with a few braziers and your spellcasting talents it doesn't matter what condition the water is in]
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>>4599411
Fording the river is definitely when we are most vulnerable. If they can hit us when our army is split partially on one side and the other, or have a way to suddenly collapse our fording structure, we could have a problem.
However, we do have an advantage, with Stormtongue Fliers we can redeploy at will a portion of our forces.
>[The undead must be somewhere, sent Stormtongues scouting for clusters of bodies, living or dead on this side of the river. Also, start preparing braziers for fording this site of the river.]
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>>4599411
>[Ford the river here, with a few braziers and your spellcasting talents it doesn't matter what condition the water is in]

>>4599417
Either create a wall of smokemass or smoke pikes spread into the soil.
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>>4599426
Yes this, better cautious than caught vulnerable and unprepared!
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>>4599426
Aye, sounds like a plan!
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Interesting, interesting. Begin rolling dice!
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>>4599416

Swapping this vote to this suggestion

>>4599426

Get the Stormtongues to gather intel, while we're preparing for the crossing.
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>>4599427
I like the thought of these kinds of spikewalls to slow down the dead when they try to climb it. Or, pillars of smokemass with razor-thin fishing lines of smokemass between each of them, undead probably can't see too well, and could get ripped to shreds on them as they try to rush our men. Can't go wrong with a good smokewall to stand on, tho.
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Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>4599441
It begins.
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And I just realized I don't remember which stats you boosted. Was it just Sovereignty, or did Influence get bumped as well?
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Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>4599441

Ask and ye shall receive.
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Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>4599441
Yes sir Bossman
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Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>4599441
>>4599449
I believe it was both but that could just be wishful misremembering
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Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>4599441
DESU I don't actually remember. Gimme a sec to check the archives
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Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>4599441

More dice!

>>4599449


Pretty sure we boosted Sovereignty. Influence was potentially an option, but one we were looking at in the next month, since it required Territory, and that was already depleted by raising Sovereignty.
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Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>4599441
Let the slice and dice commence!
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Rolled 5, 4, 9, 6, 4, 6 = 34 (6d10)

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Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>4599441
Better start DOOTING for dice again
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Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>4599444
I'm all for this plan as well!
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Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>4599441
Doot doot dice coming through

>Captcha wants tractors again
Wrong quest country Bot
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Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>4599459
A pair of 4s and 6s. What a lucky bastard.
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>>4599459

Oof, even with one dice too many rolled. No more dice for a while.
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The archives say we voted for both Improve culture AND Policing action. I think that was both, then?
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>>4599468
Oh boy.

>>4599469
I think that's just Sovereignty then.
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>>4599468
No more dice from You or from us?
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>>4599473
Probably us. Well, we can still work to turn this around with personal action. Commander helms on, gentlemen.
Goddamn I wish we had I Say Only Endure from General's Visage right about now.
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Your plans to send out scouts and build spike walls and similar all centered around one simple premise, that after spending twenty seven hours in intense spellcasting the necromancers would be exhausted and there would be time to get your forces in order. There isn't. Just as the first smokemass bridge goes up, the water churns and boils, and from it the dead march. Rank upon rank of them. Some have proper pikes, some just have sharpened, fire-hardened stakes, but they lower them to face you and they walk forward without stopping, stabbing everything in your way. Your troops are out of position, and although you fight valiantly and both sides take losses, you are driven back by the relentless fury of the undead. Worse, Gorol springs another trap on you. As your Stormtongues wheel overhead to spray lightning amongst the ranks of the husks, men stand up from behind the wall that guards the lip of the Well, climbing onto scaffolding built into well-placed platforms and drawing their bows. Arrows pour skyward like rain gone mad and flying backwards, dropping more than one winged mage into the river. Those who survive the fall do not survive the undead. As much as it galls you, there is no other choice than to retreat for today, to establish a defensible camp farther away from the enemy, and plot your next move.

Although you take no permanent hits to your stats, you are at -1 Might, -1 Treasure with nothing to show for it thus far.

That night finds you seething in your tent, facing your first defeat.

>[What do?]
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>>4599469

Yeah, pretty sure that's the Sovereignty option. Rise in Stature is the Influence one. We could probably go for that if we win at the Well. Whipping a wunderkind Shadowbinder should get us some bonuses to the roll if it goes good here.
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>>4599485
Try again tomorrow. Or we could send a special strike force (us plus friends) to sneak on the other side, try from there.
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>>4599485
Called it On hiding the dead in water... Unfortunately.
Now to think,
A protracted conflict is not in our best interests as every 9 or so hours they can bolster their ranks using our own dead against us.
We need a strategy that gets us either through, or around these undead and bonus points if we can take out their archers.
But how to do it
Welp time to bust out the siege engines and try to demolish their archers positions.
But as for their undead phalanx I'm coming up a tad blank at the Moment.
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>>4599485

They've got a very defensible position here, with the dead to tarpit our men and the living to take out our mage. If we use some of our Smoke Sculptors to Shovel The Clouds to cut off their ranged support's vision, we might be able to focus down the undead with our own ranged support. I doubt we'd be able to send infiltrators in with the dead hiding in the river, but we could probably whip up some siege machinery to fling bolts and boulders into their defenses to crack it up some.
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>>4599485
>We were overconfident, and foolish, and shouldn't have rushed into attacking. We KNEW they had finished their preparations, and decided to attack anyway, straight into it. And now our men pay for it. The obvious counter to fliers, archers.
Alright, clearly we need a different approach. I'm more than a little worried about a follow-up attack to attempt to crush us, honestly. What's the weak point of a horde of undead? The individual casters. Clearly we need to back off a bit and strike from a different approach.
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>>4599502
>>4599499

Honestly I'd prepare for an assault in the night while we are at it.
The dead don't need sleep or daylight tp be efficient killers
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>>4599499
I mean, artillery solves a lot of problems. Do our shadowbinders know any weaknesses of said mass corpse raise? Like, does it strain the caster more to direct many of them? Do they degrade over time?
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>>4599505
Range limitation on giving orders? Could we try and bait out a portion of the undead, then either slip behind or crush the baited out portion and their caster? Like a sort of feigned retreat, or choosing to pull back and leave several pickets to keep an eye out on the well?
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I'm gonna leave it here. Raw volume of words matters less than letting you guys participate and come up with clever strategems.
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>>4599505
They degrade over years. I'm in favor of a small strike force to move across the river in the dead of night, then storm the Well to take out their archers during a 'second crossing attempt'.
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>>4599505
I'm still heart broken We can't make Trebuchets.
But giant smokemass Ballistas firing flaming trees is always valid at destroying stuff and the undead generally don't notice they're on fire till they start falling apart.
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>>4599505
>>4599509

These I will look up. I know that Doloranna can inform you firsthand of the fact that Moldering Army's husks last for Width years. Also that the undead are about as smart as dogs, which is why pikemen are a good way to use them, they can walk forward with a pointy stick without stopping without much more thought going into it than that. The archers, though? They're alive, and that is worrisome because you don't know where they came from and there are enough of them to make a difference.
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>>4599511
A shame. Would like be to take another crack at it tonight. Night Wong.
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>>4599509
The casters must have line of sight for the zombies to follow orders. A small strike force to take out the 'leadership'.
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>>4599523
It's also my duty to point out that we only have one more chance at this attack, otherwise we have to retreat. We simply don't have the Treasure to sustain this momentum.

We could get our wolfboys together for an Unconventional attack.
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>>4599511
Alright, night Wong.
Night is when the Shadowbinders see best, I think. Them and their spells are best in total darkness, so trying to ford at night would be not ideal. Not to mention, a lot of our mages run off of smoke, which is very visible with fires to generate it. I forget, but I think their Undead might also see in the dark.
>>4599516
Shit I thought those Archers were undead, also. Well, this got a bit more difficult.
I'm thinking pulling something out of Alexander's playbook. We leave a small decoy force on one side of the river, armed with orders to distract and prepare smoke siege weapons, and attempt to appear more numerous than they actually are. Meanwhile, we ford elsewhere and attempt to approach unseen, launching the attack with cover of Shovel the Clouds from our decoy force, fixing their attention there as we attempt to get on top of the archers, or smoke scythes to cut down grouped up undead swathes.

We can alternate between Shovel clouds, then sweeping it away for a bombardment of lightning, then returning it to strike.

Of course, this falls apart if they 1- See it coming, 2- get enough undead out of the river to strike, or 3- exhaust us and get us stuck on the far side of the river.

I'm open to suggestions for improvements....
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>>4599529
I derped and meant basically alternating between covering enemy positions with smoke, clearing it for lining up targets on command, then covering again. Should be faster to line up targets if our men are expecting it, rather than total surprise, at least for the first few volleys. We could attempt to skirmish like this, hitting hard with some cover, then clearing and sniping, then covering again and retreating for a bit.
Would be less committed than fording the river, more akin to a siege than a straight up battle. Just trying to whittle their important ranged assets down over a series of skirmishes.
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>>4599529
Dead are slow, so if we get them to mass the hoarde out of position, then we get past the first hurdle.

We could just commit to a hidden strike ourselves, if we wish to. Once we get in close, behind their undead? Archers would be quick work for our personal guard, and the wolves excel at unconventional attacks.

We also need to make either a MD or more dice in general for Stratagy and Tactics. Bump them up on the list.
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>>4599544
I think we did opt to leave our Wolves out of this, because we didn't want packmates fighting packmates.

So the biggest deal would be getting the enemy to commit, then covering their anti-air, while letting us retreat in good order against the undead.
Or getting their undead out of position, then smashing them completely with AOE spells or artillery while taking minimal damage.
Either way, blowing smoke around to control both the archer's line of fire, and the enemy caster's ability to command their undead out of harm's way could be decisive.
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>>4599552
The question is, are these packmates? They have no pack among the Shadowbinders I believe.

Could we bind the undead together with our smoke, make it harder for them to move and maneuver?

Plus, there's only 4 Shadowbinders among them, and exhausted at that. We may succeed at a personal night raid, with only our MC and a couple of allies, unless that is considered a company action rather than a personal one.
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>>4599565
So
>Jacob (his body guards) and the waifu squad infiltrate behind enemy lines while Cailm waits with all the broboys and act as Bait
What is this SwampsEleven?
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>>4599565
We’re kinda shit wandering in ourselves for personal combat. We’re a flying brick, whose offense would be limited to either Stroke (loud, flashy, attention-grabbing) or smoke arrow(needs smoke and is thus obvious). Much as I’d like to roll in, it might be better off deploying some of our own shadowbinders for such an action....Doloranna, got anyone else you know who’s sneaky?

Only reason I’d hesitate to deploy them would be personal connection, and might have second thoughts about slitting former friends throats while they sleep.
The Pack might have more success, yes, if we set them on a night attack to cause mayhem. Even if we don’t have that many of them, and few of them being very experienced.
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>>4599511
Wong, how does combat work between Companies? Like, does it involve Company Stats or are we just rolling a character's strategy and tactics?
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>>4599574
Kek

>>4599576
I'm more for involving our MC in this, as it may be the only way we can turn this battle in our favor. I don't think there's any other way we can affect our battle stats in a positive way, whatever they be.
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>>4599581

It uses Company stats. Might+Treasure to attack, Might+Territory to defend. However you can roll Knowledge+Tactics against the enemy commander, with the winner receiving +1 Might. In this case, Brother Gloam did that successfully.
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>>4599641
Could we construct (presumably out of smoke) covered raised platform's for our Smoke-o-Mancers to cast that sycthing smoke spell they used from our castles ramparts to cut into the enemy formation?
We need to minimize our melee units time fighting the zombies and aoe magic is a good resource we should have access to with our Battlemages.
And making sure the raised platform's are covered should reduce their risk of arrow fire.
I'm also interested in discussing with Doloranna what Shadowbinder magics her and her fellow shadows could lay bas traps we should be weary of (aside from the obvious zombies in the river one....)
And of possible have a similar discussion with whichever rep from Grand Craig is here, presumably Nuncle Arad, butbless about traps and what we can do to minimize his fellow flappers exposure to the archers while maintaining some usability and not just have them hang back. If not we can always scouts investigate secondary and tertiary routes to begin manoeuvres for a rout.
Wish we brought some canons with chain shot, that would cut into their formation pretty well...
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>>4599696
I guess what I'm thinking of is something akin to a smokemass siege tower but instead of being filled window like openings for archers to shoot out of at castle ramparts, it would have a long slot like opening for the smokemass flying blade angled downward to come blasting out of into the enemy formation.
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>>4599701
Should work as long the Zombie Shadowbinders don't have a catapult to lob heavy objects at the light and presumably top heavy smokemass towers.
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>>4599703
If itnis true that the Zombies need active commanding to do anything other than simple actions like change and stop like the one anon waa saying.
Then our best bet may be to get those scouts to find us two paths to fors the river, one north, one south and have 2 smaller more elite teams hammer them for either side while our main forces function as a distraction until they our elite teams begin hammering their sides to split the caster/commanders focus onto 3 fronts limiting the effectiveness of the zombies.
Why does my brain suddenly wants to start working hours after everyone goes to bed?
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>>4599708
And for the record if we are splitting the party than I am of the opinion that Jacob is better suited to remaining at the main camp and using his SmokeForm magics to. Make siege weapons and the like even if they arw only acting as bait to deceive our foe or lulling them into believing that we are going to try and just ram through their phalanx head first with just brute strength.
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>>4599708
And while my brain juice is circulating.
Can I say that if I was using undead in a swampy overgrown area having them all be in a single trap location seems foolish when if the can be pregiven some level of basic command like wait here indefinitely until something comes along then charge it relentlessly.
I'd litter tjw entire area with small packs of hidden gorilla fighters that would lay in wait and then charge whatever or whatever comes across their area.
The fact we didn't get jumped by small groups of zombies worries me that we already marched past a group in wait that os going pincer us from behind if we try and dig in....
Probably just shadowruns beginning again haha...
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>>4599715
Also since smokemass is incredibly light would it be possible to make a sort of unit sized anti arrow shield that could cover our units and be held up by a relatively small number of units to. Cover their fellow squad members?
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>>4599720
A quick mock up
If the former info on zombie commands is true then I suggest using Chevron formations for our forces to maximize the number of fronts they need to give commands to.
Black chevrons our our forces biting into the red square enemy formation.
Blue is the river.
It was super fast and basic but should help visualize what I'm thinking.
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>>4599723
Left and right would be our elite forces proceeding with the rout.
And then our main force driving the no their front lines to cut up enemy forces amd their ability to communicate orders to their forces.
This does lead into who do we trust to lead each of the pinser teams?
Cailm I'm assuming for one but what about the other? Floofy bard surely not
Hannah may be a ferocious warrior but she has admitted she isn't much of a leader.
Doloranna is already on probation and I don't think has leadership experience.
Nuncle Arad Perhaps?
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>>4599725
I'm just realizing we have no real generals and Cailm is essentially our second and n command. And we don't really know ant of our military officers or what experience they have. Damn Dad really took the majority of his advisors and military leaders with him to the beyond didn't he...
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>>4599711
Going back to Jacob staying at the main Camp for a second.
If what Gloam thinks of our military knowledge is based on the garbage Albeda has been spreading, having Jacob remain at the Main base and be as showy as possible to play into that makes the rouse all the more believable for the enemy forces.
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>>4599723
>>4599725
More updated map to represent my thinking.
Orange semi circle representing my understanding of the Wells fortifications where the archers are.
Black square smudges being our siege towers and the black circles representing other siege weapons such as Ballista, catapults and the like. I'm assuming since this won't be a surprise attack once the enemies see our rout formations approaching from the sides they will have time for their Smoke-o-Mancers to create siege equipment for those forces as well. If not then prepared before they enter visible range of the enemy.
Probably should add a secondary black Chevron formation behind the main forces siege line in case my shadow runs from earlier are right about having Mached past a hidden force of zombies set up for a rear assault on a dug in force.
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>>4599736
Aaaand I forgot the map image.
So rear Chevron added
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>>4599737
Honestly this is where two squads of magically reinforced with smoke armour Heavy Calvary to act as a spear tip formation for our side Chevrons would have been amazing.
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>>4599738
I apologize for making 15 posts just talking to myself. And don't expect military strats from me everytime, this is just a case of my brain having an autism moment and not letting me sleep at 2am....
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>>4599745
Also I realize there is nothing stoping us from also having our birb mages in the siege towers to spit lightning, other than not wanting to have all our ranged units in potential death traps if the Zombie masters have catapults or some other method of knocking the towers over.
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We should dig some giant pit traps for the masses of undead to fall into after we bait them with our troops and then we crush then enmasse with smokemass.
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>>4599485
Hey Wong, can our stormtongue troops be able to control the weather? The skellies would be taken by the stronger tide and the strong winds would stop the arrows from reaching us
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Alright, so here's revised plan number 2 for baiting out the zombies, and cutting them down.
Orange curve to north is the Well's wall and the enemy archer positions- The big black smoke cloud is carried with us from a ways away, then moved into position over the river and the Well when the undead become committed, so the enemies can't give them different directions.
Black little Xs are spikey Hedgehog-like field fortifications we can pre-build, then throw into position to disrupt advancing undead lines, and funnel them into path of least resistance, when it's time to scythe them down in AOEs from the 3 major Brazier positions marked to the south.
From there, we have Sculptors lined up there alternating casting Scythe at the grouped up undead, all while our other AOE casters assist in whittling down the horde however they can, at the choked up positions.

This is very large, and very obvious, bringing a massive smoke cloud with us as we march, and as the smoke of our pre-lit braziers are carried with us.

If we have people actually capable of whipping up smoke Siege weapons on-demand (Like the Engineering skill needed for it), it could work even better. But I don't know if we do, so that's why I'm going with just simple Hedgehog spikes that can be dragged and stabbed into position, and Smoke Scythe for the AOE, which we know we definitely have access to.
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>>4599832
I like this idea. Though I got to ask, cant we just electricute all the skelly in the river or are they immune to that?
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>>4599832
Some of the thoughts for portable hedgehog-like spike walls. Would need to have more spikes, and razor-sharp hooked ends over the spikes, so that they can't be climbed over without being sliced to ribbons, and so they can be swiftly and effectively stabbed/hooked into the ground

I swear we need a fast way of getting smoke braziers into positions. That thought of an awesome lizard mount that carries our smoke brazier everywhere isn't a bad idea.

>>4599836
I'd imagine trying to electrify a massive river is probably a difficult time. Lots of energy needed, I'd imagine.

Anyone else got good ideas for what the other parts of our forces could be doing?
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>>4599842
Im just throwing this out. Why dont we burn the swamp and use the smoke in our advantage?
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>>4599842
Some more IRL field fortifications, that are what I'm imagining, kinda.

>>4599852
We could certainly try to start a wildfire, somehow, but we ARE on our land, and whatever we burn we're probably going to need to march through, which is a serious disadvantage.
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I think someone was mentioning earlier shields to be carried by our troops into position?
Something like a bunch of these, to bring mobile cover to the field and lessen the effectiveness of the archers?

Or just have a hit squad of stormtongues waiting overhead, out of range of archers, ready to zip in and juggle a mage to death with chain-casted Updrafts whenever one of them is spotted and marked by something.
"They're the one person NOT shuffling forwards in a sea of bodies. Calim, hit that man with an arrow. The rest of you, I don't want to see that grid sector anymore."
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>>4599884
Or if people prefer IRL versions of things that can just be hand-carried and not pushed.
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>>4599777
Giant pit, with a smoke mass covering. We retreat over it, they follow, we dispel smoke, and you got your trap. Bonus points for smoke spikes at the bottom of the pit.
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>>4599827
If the zombies are in the water, just freeze them in it. Since this is Winter's death, they won't notice the temperature chance too much and it'll be easier for us to move the temperature down to below zero.
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>>4600026
Only issue I see with that is questioning how we manage to dig a pit/trench close enough to the enemy lines that they'd get dropped into it on the retreat. It's why I'm advocating these more portable things that can be swiftly carried and placed into position.

Maybe if we set like a squad of our own undead to digging while we fought the battle at the front, then on the retreat fell back over the, as you mentioned, trench, and then crushed them in it.

>>4600027
We've got some limited weather control- not straight ice therapy. That also does take like 8 hours to start casting, but I do like that idea. Ice the river over, so we can march over it? Might be reaching a little, freezing a river completely takes a while. At least potentially get some of them stuck at the bottom of the water, if they're marshalling the dead down there. What is it, late fall right now?
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>>4599832
Stormtounges have a spell that creates fog. That may help screen our forces.

The problem isn't the dealing with the dead, the problem is how do we deal with the living. I'm telling you, a strike force with a smokemage to create stairs at the Wall will bring chaos to pur living enemies, and force them to stay and fight us in melee, or retreat further into the Well, lose the ability to commands their zombies, and are potentially forced into a reversed siege, and I imagine their supply situation will be comprised as well.
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>>4600040
Yes, and if we tell the Stormtongues to freeze that area right now, it may be ready come morning.
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>>4600046
Well, the first obstacle is crossing the river. We can do this with an obvious distraction force that makes it appear more numerous than it actually is, blowing smoke and trying to alternate obscuring the archers and focusing them on the force immediately with them, then when the dead march out of the river, have the majority of our forces cross elsewhere under cover of fog, then march on the ongoing battle?

Forgot that there was a Fog spell, also.
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>>4600054
Ye, that sounds good. Portable spike barriers to help tear the zombies up, maybe have the Stormtongues in smoke armor and have them flying around the back of the Well, making them split their attention and try to take some of their living unawares, then a strike force to get on their Walls proper.
>>
>>4600054
One good thing about our defeat, is that it may have given him a false sense of security/confidence, and we may use it to our advantage.
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>>4600046
Something like this?
Braziers with Sculptors focus their attention on the camp, with portable defenses and cloud of smoke, with objective to distract and block the other vision of the archers with smoke.

A flanking force, meanwhile, crosses earlier further upstream under cover of fog, seeking a point where they can cross undetected. The weather aims to be foggy to restrict the enemies sightline so they don't see the flanking force coming, but at the signal from the distraction force- Long Short Long on a horn's blast to signal the undead are committed, the flanking force sweeps south, carrying a few premade smoke assault ramps or ladders to climb the wall (It's only like as tall as a man), as the distraction force disengages and pulls back, attempting to cut down the undead in droves in the choke points, while cutting the casters off from issuing new orders to pull the undead back with more Shovel the Clouds casts.

Priority should be given to nailing the Mages, then Archers, then anything living.
For us, personally, we should be with the distraction force. Need to stop there from falling into a rout, along with judging when to time things, and we'll need every smoke sculptor we can manage to make defenses.
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>>4600081
Yes, but I think we should be on the strike force, for two reasons. One, to help establish a beachhead on the wall, as we can easily fly above it and clear the area as the ramps and ladders are set up. Two, we can help the flanking force achieve it's goals to win the day, as this will probably be our last attack of this month, and I want to try and make this endeavor as much of a success as possible.

Plus, this will make it seem like we tried something, affected the battle in a tangible way, instead of get our shit kicked in one post.
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>>4600252
I'm on the other foot, because I think we can survey and direct the battle best from the static defensive position, and coordinate those forces as best we can. We could try to go for best of both worlds, and fight from the defenses, then on the signal fly across the water and try to bring aid our attacking force, leaving another person to coordinate the withdrawal from the undead.
If we're keeping the archers suppressed with sight-blocking smoke or fog, it's unlikely to get our double-armored brick self shot down easily.

Our place is coordinating forces to make them better, with a little bit of dueling potential with our single-target spells. We don't have the army-killing spells like Char, or the "Hundred-strong raise dead cast", but we do have personal durability, and flexibility with our smoke spells and fly. Although, hell, if we could get some sort of signaling or swift messaging spell, we could survey battles from on-high and make tactical decisions on the fly. Something for the future, perhaps?
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>>4600252
And, uh, yea, I'm also a little down about getting our shit kicked in in 1 post. Was kinda trying to set up a "Gather more information" vote with my send scouts and prepare for crossing plan, rather than just rushing in, but bleh. Another reason why I'm trying so hard right now to set up another plan. That, and it's a Saturday and I've got nothing to do today.
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>>4600287
Other than Shoveling the Clouds to make identifiable shapes in smoke, I don't think there's an equivalent signal or messaging spell, at least with our current magical schools at our disposal.

>>4600292
So, mandatory 5 minute wait before voting, just so we're all on the same page? Otherwise we may just quick vote the impulsive option again just because we lack other responsible alternatives.
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>>4600303
Hopefully we learn a bit from this experience, just as Jakob does.
>>
Sorry for not knowing a lot about how the spells work but, Couldnt we make like, movable walls, or maybe some spiked wagons with our smoke since we cant make too complex structures? That might let some of the soldiers push forwards easier without getting overwhelmed if the try to get across the river again, and can protect them from the arrows.
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>>4600582
Welcome to the thread! Whatever we make, we need to have knowledge of the workings (I.E. we will have a knowledge, engineering roll to make catapults), and stuff made of smokemass is very light. So yes, we could make portable covers on wheels to defend against arrow fire. Still runs into problems with the undead marching up and pushing them over, as they are super light, but for blocking arrows would be a useful.
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>>4600407
I certainly hope so. Only what, God and Wong knows.

>>4599641
Wong, quick question. Does Blossom Freshness make you smell like the flower used up for the spell?
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>>4600867
God has no power here... For this is Wong's special realm!
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>>4600618
Cool, I was just thinking with those, and some soldiers to brace them, they would at least be enough to prevent our guys from getting swarmed on approach, which seems like one of the big hurdles of this fight.
On the other hand, if I knew more about the area,like if there was a good source of lumber or rocks, i'd say maybe we should try to get some guys to go further up the river and build a temporary dam, that way itd be much eaier to both hit as many corpses as possible, and cross the river, since theres no way they have enough of them to cover the whole length, or even if they did, theyd have to spread them too thin to prevent us from crossing...
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>>4600292

It's understandable, but Gorol won the tactics roll handily, and there was the misconception that there would be time after arriving at the Well to do something clever, which he anticipated and tried to avert with a surprise attack.
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>>4601330

To add to this, if you'd won the roll for the actual battle, you would have had time to send scouts out first, realize the trap, and take advantage of it.
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>>4601347
Live by the dice.
Die while getting horrible fucked in the butt by the dice.
This is how we choose to live our lives after all.
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>>4601410

Look at it this way. A problem that happened in Mecha Space Pirate Quest was that Roarke just flat-out never lost and eventually was so ahead of the power curve that meaningfully threatening him would have taken the kind of battle almost impossible to run as a quest. Getting an early loss in for Jakob reminds everyone not to be too cocky and that in the future to make plans before entering enemy territory.
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>>4601626
Defeats make the hard-fought victory all the more sweeter.
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>>4601626
Plz don't misunderstand me, I have no issue with Jacob losing in a fair contest of dice rolls.
This is the life we as dice addicts have chosen to live!
And it's not like Jacob just suddenly died from a single bad roll Yet (knock on wood)
>>
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Throwing some information in here, a lot of wire obstacles are designed to divert opposition. These can be from low-wire entanglements (causes running forces to trip or slow down to avoid tripping), obstacles like knife rests to get wrapped up in vehicles to foul axls and cut lines, and fences (apron, catwire, etc) to force them to take other routes by being sturdy as hell. These all work really well when it comes to get stand-off in ranged conflicts. Knife rests are light as hell, designed to crumple and entangle. Hedgehogs operate in the same way. Both of these types are generally ineffective against infantry, due to infanteers being able to just maneuver around them.

Most obstacle plans to divert infantry are wire fences (hard to cut, long continuous sections are hard to go around, and can't easily climb over due to snagging from the wire), pit traps to break up a charge, and explosives. Setting up abatees, fences and the like to disrupt a charge will work, so long as they are far enough ahead that they can't reach you with spears and pikes over them. Stationing heavy shields to absorb arrow fire, and billmen at the gaps to hew them down will help. Sending plumes of smoke to cover the advance will help, and we can probably send smoke arrows and the like to fire back too.

Overall, I think using an Unconventional Attack with raiders to try and disrupt their cover while we set up a kill zone might be called for. Whether it's by torching the platforms that their using to shoot from, or striking from a hidden position when we march again, if they disrupt the archers, it'll give our Stormtongues room to maneuver and blast apart the undead formations while the billmen take them down piecemeal.
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>>4602394
Damn Anon, that's some heavy thinking! Thank you.
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>>4602437

No worries, obstacles are an important part of mobility and counter-mobility warfare. This stuff is way more useful in the defensive, but considering that it can get done up by casters instead of sweaty combat engineers that are filled with bitterness and spite, it still helps on the the offensive. Set them up to cover a flank from counter-charges and raiding, while leaving room to maneuver where you have to. Being able to just pound stakes and smokemass concertina or razor wire around them makes it substantially easier than doing it by hand. They can still get blown apart, but the Well doesn't seem to have any artillery or casters that specialize in explosions RIP Char that can burst them apart or smash them to flinders. Just need to make sure that they can't use them on the defense if we get repelled.

>pic related is an abatis set-up

You use these by hacking down trees, and laying the leafy end toward the foe. Provides cover that you can shoot through, and it's annoying to climb over. Putting a trench for them to fall into and redoubt behind that for cover helps prevent you from getting shot. Downsides are that you need trees, and they can be set ablaze compared to earthworks or metal obstacles. Good for quick static defenses though.
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>>4602463
This is some interesting things. I definitely like the wire setup. What we need to do is essentially just pull our ultralight fortifications to make:
1. Cover from the archers, safe positions to return fire from
2. Channels to direct the uncoordinated undead, while delaying them.

The final problem we need to solve, is getting enough force across the river, that can overwhelm the close-in defenders.
Because the whole issue that nailed us last time, was being forced to stop and figure out a crossing location.
This is why I'm in favor of attempting to distract with a weaker force, while the larger force crosses the river elsewhere ahead of time. We could even try something like using most of our fastest troops for the distraction force, so they can swiftly redeploy to close on the enemy during the proper assault, as whoever left behind makes a swift withdrawal.

An alternate plan would be use a weaker force to try and disrupt them across the river early, while we just try to dig in and fortify hard, preparing to withstand the undead while they are distracted with raiders in their face, and just try and start some sort of artillery or skirmishing from the fixed defenses. Still ends up with us stuck on the non-Well side of the river, and in a battle of attrition vs corpse-raisers, which is why I'm favoring the previous plan.
>>
If someone can summarize this excellent tactical planning up into a single post or series of posts, I'll say it's worth a MD considering Gorol does not have the resources to counter instant siege weapons. The use of smokemass mobile covers in particular is a stroke of genius as they're perfectly suited for it.
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>>4602506
>Fastest troops
Some combination of smoke mage and Stromtongues, then?

Alternatively, the Stormtongues could attampt a fake flank, keeping the archers occupied and away from the gate wall while we assault it, and splitting our enemies attention on two fronts (the main distraction force and the flank distraction force).

>>4603087
I'll leave this to the others to simplify.
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>>4603087
Alright, attempt at the assault plan
Check weather forecast for tomorrow- if it’s possible to shift the weather to fog tomorrow, and we have spare casters on hand who can cast it, do so. (This is to provide less chances of being spotted for flanking force)

The next morning, smoke sculptors prepare mobile fortifications, both things (like the wire emplacements mentioned above) that can be placed down to slow/divert incoming forces, and mobile arrow shields that can be brought to the field to seek cover behind. In addition, prepare a few spare mobile braziers that can be brought with us for a lot of smoke.

These will be for building the siege weapons on-site, so we don’t need to carry those with us, along with a large central source of smoke for the AOE scythe spells that we are going to need to clear out those undead blocks.

Scouts obviously keep an eye out on the Well overnight, attempting to see if he’s preparing any additional forces in ambush positions, or if the archers are moving out places. We Will not be caught out again. If we hear back from these scouts, plans may change.

We make a short speech to bolster the spirits of our men, promising that we will do better. (Words of Iron usage)

A flanking force should be prepared with enough stormtongues to be able to sneak around under a cloak of fog, with some smokemass assault ramps and ladders to be able to get on top of and breach the wall of the well. Their job will be to cross unseen ahead of time, at a different point further upstream or downstream.

1/2
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>>4603087
The half of the army not in the flanking force arrives across the well, and digs in as fast as possible with the pre-built fortifications, place the braziers down, and prepare for the undead assault. If we are instantly swarmed, the fortifications divert them to choke points, where they are cut down.
If they are not instantly swarmed, prepare siege weapons on-site, and begin bombarding the wall.

Whenever the undead do attempt an assault, Shovel the Clouds a ton of smoke over the wall’s position to block sight lines from the archers and casters, then call in the flanking force while their sight lines are blocked. The forces at the fortifications either hold against the undead, or retreat in good order, depending on how they are weathering the assault, while we take whatever fliers we have across the river to aid the main flanking attack on the wall.

Biggest priorities are communication- have sound signals for calling the flankers in, clearing the smoke/adding more smoke, or specific force retreat/engage. Sound is preferable, because it’s not obstructed by smoke (obviously)

Does that cover about everything?

If anyone wants to make changes or additions, now is kinda the time.

2/2
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>>4603180
>>4603182
Ye, it looks good man. It'll do our father proud.
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>>4603180
>>4603182
looks about right
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>>4603180
>>4603182

Utterly based.
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Begin rolling dice, for the purposes of your speech.
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Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>4607550

First for Inspiration!
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Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>4607550
>>
Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>4607550

There's a fever in his bones, and the only prescription is More Dice.
>>
Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>4607550
Don't make me return to Gambler's Anonymous, Wong! They're going to take my dice away from me again!
>>
Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>4607550

A few more dice, to stave off the shakes.
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Rolled 5 (1d10)

>>4607550
Dice for the Dice Gods!
Sets for the Set Throne!
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Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>4607550

Let the dice fall where they may.

>>4607555
>>4607580

A set of 2x4 is something, hope we can get something more though.
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>>4607584

Or just keep rolling 4s, I guess.
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Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>4607550
Come on dice baby, papa wants a huge ancient Well!

>>4607585
Nice set, mate!
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Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>4607550

Pretty sure this will be enough for Command+Inspire, but better be on the safe side regardless. At least the threshold to trigger Words of Iron is 2 right now, so the 3x4 set should work alright.

>>4607598

If we get another good one, it'll be pretty dope.
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Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>4607550
Dice dice dice
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>>4607601
A set of 3x4 is still dope, my man!
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>>4607612
Imagine if Speaches duration was measured by width and quality by height
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>>4607613
>roll a 8x1
>everybody is bored to death by our 8 hour long speech
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>>4607618
I think that's grounds for being assassinated....
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>>4607619
>roll charm/fascinate
>assassin rolls to gobble
>no sets
>assassin gets too enthralled in our speech to finish the mission
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>>4607634
I mean, it's rolling Command+Inspire, so the Assassin would be more swept up in the wave of patriotism than really enthralled with our words. Although an assassin failing to roll any sets during a speech seems like it would end with a Teddy Roosevelt situation- You get hit, but finish the speech.
Or you get something like Andrew Jackson, where someone tried to shoot him, but the pistol misfired, and Jackson beat the stuffing out of the guy with his cane.
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>>4607618

Quite the opposite, width affects speed and competence. Despite being less than high rhetoric, you make a single pithy statement that encapsulates the mood needed to kill your enemies perfectly, mic drop, and walk away.
>>
I need one more dice roll.
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Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>4607766

Pls 4
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>>4607684
This is me, now just phoneposting
So the biggest question right now is Where did the archers come from?
I’ve been reading the archives a bit, and what seems to make the most sense is either Ryd playing both sides, or Albeda’s made an alliance with Ralf. There just aren’t enough other major players on the political field, and Ledo is Based, so he’s out. I doubt the King would send support to either of us in the swamp, assuming he’s got a grudge.

I doubt that pirates or rebels from an internal struggle elsewhere have the interest or reach to come here, so that rules out most of them.
Of the two, I’m betting Swaltz is trying to screw us over, because he could marry Albeda and take 2 provinces with her in charge. Ryd couldn’t marry his daughter off to Albeda. Ralf is also hungry for allies, reportedly.
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>>4607823
Ralf is also to the south, near the enemy's Area of Control. I wouldn't put it past him to try and secure allies wherever or however he can, and it doesn't hurt to be buddies with those sitting on your borders. You'd think he'd have bigger problems to worry about though, given the cult, the king's ire, and all the rest.
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>>4607832
Well, the kings ire is a common thread with Albeda.
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>>4607835
Also, Albeda even knows that the nobles hate him, on account of Char telling her about it through her tale.
More so, Ryd doesn’t have the time to order mercenaries in to support Albeda, if he wanted at all to attempt negotiating a marriage match with his daughter and us in good faith. (I think, at least, that the timing doesn’t work out)
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>>4607764
>Lord Jakob stands with his back to his men, trying desperately to come up with the words to which he can inspire his men despite their bitter defeat.
>He has been staring intently at the well for the past hour or so, almost as if he was trying to demolish it through sheer willpower along.
>Finally, he turns to address his men.
>He slowly raises one hand towards the well, points one finger, and shouts "Fuck those guys!"
>It was the greatest speech anyone has ever heard.
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>>4607823
Isn't the Swaltz currently dealing with being bled dry of men by the kingdom? I don't really think they have the troops to support a rebellion.
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>>4607851
Unless the undead were meant to help him with his problems after this.
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>>4607823

A truly excellent question that actually has a very simple answer.
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Rolled 10, 6 = 16 (2d10)

>>
Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>4607881
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>>4607823

I mean, it could also be over-thinking things too. They could also just be mercs hired on, or peasant levies from Dampmeade sent here on pain of zombification or being eaten by furries. Not always the complicated answer. Good to keep in mind though.
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>>4607886
>Get off work
>Shitton of stuff written
>Power on my street is down, dog panicking

Should just be a few hours but I swear the QM curse is real.
>>
Luckily I save everything, so we can get going as soon as it's back up.
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>>4608368
My man! No small curse will knock you down!
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You seethe for all of five, maybe ten minutes, ignoring everyone and everything. Then, you instruct your bodyguards to gather your officers and sorcerers. You relay your plan, a plan partially formed before Gorol's surprise attack, in terse words. There is little grand wordplay to the speech you make to them, merely an assessment of the resources at your disposal and how they can be used to make victory certain, which heartens them. Soon, the barking of orders and the sound of trees being hacked down to fill the braziers fills the night, as smokemass fortifications are erected around your camp.

The fact that there is no night attack is significant. A more cocky Shadowbinder would surely have used the cover of darkness to try to breach or scale the glass-smooth walls of smoke, but despite the numbers at his disposal Gorol's forces aren't infinite. In fact, you would wager he was throwing all of them at you at once. There are only so many bodies four Shadowbinders can turn into husks in the course of a few days, and while waiting so long to start reanimating them assuredly helped keep the Well secret...had it not been for Grandmama immediately reporting his defection and your own questions about the ruins, leading her to remember the Well, you would have had a much harder time ferreting him out and he could have spent years harassing you with small parties of monstrosities and deftly avoiding a decisive battle. For a man in his position, avoiding a setpiece battle, a confrontation of armies rather than an asymmetrical conflict, it is simply common sense.

This might be one of the Pentacle's greatest failings. Gorol's talent for making war is hindered by the moves already made by his fellows, which he might very well have voted against. If there had been no assassination attempt to harden you and make you look like a conquering hero in the eyes of your people, it would have been easy and eastern reaches of the Absol Swamp into an uncontrollable morass, with raiding parties of the undead and lupomancers making the roads unsafe and the people discontented. You would have been viewed in the eyes of your peers and subordinates alike as a weak lord, a child unable to defend his land, and Albeda's claim would have gained more weight.

[Continue]
>>
Moreover, there are the egos of the mages involved. Brother Grey is unlikely to defer to a mage as young as Brother Gloam, while Brother Gloam as a civilized Shadowbinder of Briarfast is unlikely to want to subordinate himself to such a straightforward savage. The outsider, Sister Char, was given the Night Hunters subordinate to the one teacher not currently in the province, who might not be as trustworthy to Brother Grey (especially given their defection) and essentially left on her own with no other oversight and support. In a way, if Albeda was older and more hypocritical, willing to establish herself as first among equals rather than one of five (and a junior member used to claim legitimacy rather than someone who can be deferred to and induce senior archmagi to work together, as you do with Grandmama and Nuncle Arad) she would be considerably more of a threat.

Her mistake is your gain. The five fingers of the Pentacle can be broken by the gauntleted fist of Jakob Absol when extended separately. Your Night Hunters report to you every few minutes, the occasional low howl revealing the use of their magics. You don't have many who are battle-ready, but most of them can call wolves, and the attuned ones can all turn into them. As you hunker down before a brazier, working harder at the center of your knot of fellow Smoke Sculptors, it barely registers on you that you are by far the youngest of them. White and grey blur in your hands as you spin them into shape, weaving the first of the great siege mantlets you have envisioned.

Then, you run water over your elbow, to and use the most basic of divinatory magics at your disposal to get the morning's weather. Light rain. It would be easy enough for a Stormtongue to turn it into fog, and you give the orders to the seniormost of Arad's apprentices attached to this force. A foggy morning, and moving within that fog will be a mobile unit of, primarily, axemen and swordsmen. Mostly local citizen-soldiers. Some of them are landowners and would, in other provinces, be considered knights, . If Brother Gloam wants to command the dead of this region, he will be reminded that you command the living.

These men know the river, and...given feather-light smokemass grapnel-ladders and fliers to scout ahead and clear the way for them...they will cross downstream and approach the wall of the Well from the rear, and scale it.

[Continue]
>>
Hmmm, before I post this...

>[Identify your position in the formation via your heraldry]
>[Remain anonymous to enemy view by hiding behind a mantlet that looks just like everyone else's.]
>>
>>4608540
>>[Identify your position in the formation via your heraldry]
Both the correct and dumb option.

Also I read Mantel as Manlet in the other option, thanks brain.
>>
>>4608540
>[Identify your position in the formation via your heraldry]

It'll keep the enemy focused on us, and distracted from our flank. Plus, it will help hearten our living, and terrify theirs.

Though I wouldn't mind the advantages of anonymity if we choose it.
>>
>>4608540
>[Identify your position in the formation via your heraldry]
Ah yes, the Distraction force.
I don’t want to get sniped, but it’s important to fixate his attention. We sure as hell better have Soar and Armor on.
>>
>>4608540
>[Identify your position in the formation via your heraldry]
If anyone should be taking arrows, its the guy with two sets of armor.
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>>4608549

I just assume you're going out completely buffed.
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>>4608551
If we're going to be taking more arrows, it may be useful to learn the Whirlwind spell, just as added insurance when taking arrow fire.
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>>4608553
Like I said previously, SmokeArmour Pajamas, gotta sleep Buffed even.
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>>4608554
Add it to the list- although with stacked armor we are protected from most arrows, short of a sniper that hits our visor, or a giant archer with a ballista.

Behind Battle Prophet and the “throw single target in sky”, but before “yearlong wall of smoke” methinks.
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>>4608555
Only if we can work it into a silky texture. I don't want to wake up chafing in our sleep.
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>>4608558
This is why we sleep totally suspended in the air, that and avoiding any sneak attacks via snake or poison nonflying insects.
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Later, historians will argue about whether there was just one Battle of the Well, or two, because at first light the air resounds with the sound of marching feet, and boots squelching into the peat. A skin drum beats out a measured pace, and down from the moors your siege mantlets march. These are massive shields, angled like arrowheads, extending over the heads of the soldiers pushing them and the sorcerers directing goat-drawn chariots each built to house a brazier. On this fog-drenched morning, they move like great fish through a sea of grey and white, the smog hanging thick all over the battlefield.

A big, grey timber wolf comes ambling up out of the fog, slipping behind your mantlet and rising up onto his hind legs. In a transformation that would probably look disturbing if it wasn't so quick, it becomes Twull, wearing a long hauberk of maille and with an axe riding on his hip. “My lord, the bridge from yesterday hasn't been removed.

It isn't hard to identify your position. Wherever your army goes, the Absol banner goes with it, and its flagpole has been woven into your mantlet so that the flag bearing the Eye flutters above you at all times. You want them to know right where you are. In your well-forged plate and additional coating of Smoke Armor, “It's a trick.” You opine, “Loose in its moorings, no doubt, ready to be tipped over by the undead in the river while we're on top of it. No, we draw into position and stop. If we're swarmed...” You glance at the other two Smoke Sculptors with you, a master and apprentice, new to the battlefield. They give you wan smiles beneath their hoods, and deep bows, “You know what to do.”

Your fellow Smoke Sculptors have, as your caravan of mantlets proceeds towards the shoreline, been working nonstop around the brazier, laying out fences of thorned wire with, every several feet, a long spike for the masked infantry behind you to hammer into the ground. Nobody knows more about fighting the undead than swampfolk, who so often employ them. With only a few necromancers to command them, most of the time most of the husks will be acting on instinct and they're no smarter than beasts. Just like a carnivorous flytrap, you will draw them in between your spines and crush them.

[Continue]
>>
An arrow pings loudly off the mantlet. Smokemass has a consistency very similar to glass, and while too thick for the arrow to shatter, it does make an annoying noise. It's only the first of many, as arrows whiz through the air. You glance down, spotting one of the markers the Night Hunters left in the night, marking the spot you have chosen to wage battle, and hold up your hand for a halt. One by one, the mantlets roll to a stop. The soldiers behind begin piling up logs, laying fresh-cut green pines across the mass, and soaking it in oil, setting great smoky pyres alight while the men pushing your mantlets stop, and begin pounding long stakes through loops woven into their lower rims for this very purpose, to anchor the siege shields to the ground and keep them from being pushed over.

For a moment, there is quiet. A defending force is loathe to come surging out against a prepared enemy with so much cover, but even as you give the order and the senior Smoke Sculptors of your force join you in slowly weaving into shape massive ballistae, walls of smoke shielding you from interrupting enemy fire, you force their hand. Again, the dead march in their ranks out of the river. They're not recent dead, you observe. Peat mummies. There is no telling how ancient they are. This time, however, they are not catching you on the march. It's true, the fact that they can easily and fearlessly simply walk forward with a pike makes them an effective pike block, but those pikes have weaknesses, too. As the long spears deflect off the front of your mantlets, the animalistic wielders lack the wit to carefully aim through the arrow slits, while the crossbowmen behind the mantlets have no such problems. A few husks fall, getting in the way of those behind. The drumbeat changes, and is joined by pipes playing Wet Boots Marching Home. It's both a traditional Absol Swamp march, and a signal. A signal to your locals, and a signal to your Smoke Sculptors, who cluster around the braziers and the large bonfires. Those around the braziers begin directing the smoke to flow over your heads and shroud the walls of the Well, further plunging them into mist.

The husk pikeline pushes forward. It has no choice, the undead feel the natural urge to surge forward and attack their enemies, and even if they didn't the pressure of the massed corpses behind them forces them forward. Squeezes them between the arrowheads of your mantlets. Between the long, tiered fences which have been planted so as to angle the undead into an increasingly narrow cone. Squeezed tight, their pikes have no room to maneuver, uselessly protruding in all directions like the bristles of a dying caterpillar, yet still they come forward through lanes angling them towards the bonfires, squeezing against the fences in a futile effort to get through the stiff, razor-edged wires and reach the people on the other side. Your troops oblige them.

[Continue]
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The Smoke Sculptors around the pyres take up great, ornate fans, and sweep them through the smoke, creating scythelike blades ten feet wide, and driving them right into the compressed zombies. The front ranks drop, and those behind them press forward, but more slowly as they are hindered by those fallen before them, giving the Sculptors plenty of time to line up their next volleys. Slowly, methodically, almost mechanically, you cut the enemy force to literal pieces. Of course, as the horde presses inward, the sheer pressure of the undead strains the fences, but you have plans to cut into them from the outside in on three directions, rather than risk any of them leaking out.

Like the talons of some great beast reaching through the brume, the curved edges and narrow tips of the shorter, more maneuverable billhooks reach through the wires. Cutting, piercing, and as the undead horde packs in tighter it becomes less of a fight and more of a butchering as your own polearm-wielders enter the fray. The billhook is a traditional weapon in swamp culture, your men are highly skilled at wielding theirs.

As Wet Boots plays, your locals creep over the wall, the Stormtongues shrouded in the mist as they hurl sentries into the sky, paving the way for the locals to come up and take the fight to the living soldiers atop the wall. Without the Stormtongues overhead as clear targets to shoot at, the archers have nothing to aim at, and even though they surely have infantry of their own they are spread out all along the wall, and individually devoured by the mass of warriors that sprint along the battlements, lightning flickering occasionally overhead from the magic of the winged sorcerers accompanying them. Your soldiers and sorcerers alike atop the wall were expecting the smoke, and are covering their faces accordingly, but it stings the eyes and lungs of the living enemy troops.

It isn't a short battle, it takes long into the afternoon to put all of the husks back to rest, time enough that you have to recast your protective spells, but well after noon a Stormtongue with the wings of a moth lands behind your mantlet and kneels, “My Lord, we have captured the commander of the living soldiers. The sky should be safe to go and assume command up above.”

>[“Stay behind me, my carapace will weather a stray arrow better if any yet remain.”]
>[“I will go on foot, just in case.”]
>>
>>4608587
>[“Stay behind me, my carapace will weather a stray arrow better if any yet remain.”]

Onwards! To victory!
>>
>>4608587
>[“Stay behind me, my carapace will weather a stray arrow better if any yet remain.”]
It’s either the air or head across by bridge..... so.....between the two I trust the air more.
Clear the smoke if the archers are down, time to make sure none escape.
>>
Incidentally, you do have the exp, do you want Battle Prophet and Major Smoke Form (different than Minor Smoke Structure, which does structures, this one makes large objects. A carriage, for example). When you learn every printed spell in a school, I'll start letting you create new ones (subject to my approval and the rules for creating new spells), so it's good to get all of Smoke Sculpting sooner or later.
>>
>>4608587
>>[“Stay behind me, my carapace will weather a stray arrow better if any yet remain.”]
>>
>>4608587
>[“Stay behind me, my carapace will weather a stray arrow better if any yet remain.”]
>>4608593
Damn, I'm torn.
I want, but at the same time I alsp really want to save to boost our sense stat.
>>
>>4608593
Oh god Wong stop dangling purchases in front of the crowd. It’s too damn tempting.
But we Need to finish out esoterics to make them useful dammit- or at least get I Say Only Endure from general’s visage for defensive boosts
>>
>>4608593
MD in Tactics would be lovely, but we should discuss how to spend our exp after the battle.
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>>4608603
It amuses me how we’ve got instantly 3 responses saying totally different things to buy.
Also MD in tactics can just be Battle Prophet, that’s basically what it does anyway. Unless we are stuck somewhere with no water to reflect from, like a desert.
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>>4608587
>[“Stay behind me, my carapace will weather a stray arrow better if any yet remain.”]
>>
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“Stay behind me, my carapace will weather a stray arrow better if any yet remain.” You command her.

She nods fervently, “Yes, my lord!”

You deftly kick off the ground with a subtle push of your toes, and she follows you as the two of you burrow through the fog, taking a steeply arching path to avoid just running headfirst into the wall. No stray arrows rise to greet you, it's almost disappointing. Down below, billhooks continue to rip through peat-preserved skin with a sound like tearing leather, then you're over the river. You surmount the wall, landing gracefully on the other side, the lip of the great hole in the earth that forms most of the Well. Men in maille or a breastplate-and-leathers wielding swords, axes, and kite shields, point you towards the main gate. Here and there, you pass by dead or disarmed men. They don't dress like your people. Their gear is relatively clean and well-kept, with kettle hats and tabards that are uniformly similar. At the gate itself, a man with black hair in a bowlcut kneeling with his hands tied behind his back. He's wearing fancy plate armor and a houndskull bascinet is set on the ground beside him.

“I request ransom.” He states the moment he takes in who you are, “My name is Sir Horton Melloch, my family in Magdal will pay for my safe return, and I will pay for my horse and armor, which are yours by right of conquest.”

“What is a Magdalian knight doing aiding rebels in my lands?” The sight of an Old Vartynen noble puts you ill at ease.

“My lord.” He responds politely, “My men and I are professional soldiers, so long as we are paid we go where we are told and fight who we are told to fight. I must complain, however, that we were told this succession crisis was far less one-sided than it appears be be in reality. A woman with the proper connections apparently put us in touch with Master Gorol, to lend some versatility to his forces. However, as you can see, my men are no longer in any condition to resist you and my employer has left the field for sanctuary deeper within the fortress. There is nothing more I can do, save surrender.”

>[“Ransom is acceptable, you will be kept comfortably secure until it is paid”]
>[“Fighting against me only ends in one way, and you cannot buy your way out of it.”]
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>>4608608
>[“Ransom is acceptable, you will be kept comfortably secure until it is paid”]

That's reasonable. Don't do it again though, I may not be so merciful a second time.
>>
>>4608608

>[“Ransom is acceptable, you will be kept comfortably secure until it is paid”]
>>
>>4608608
>>[“Ransom is acceptable, you will be kept comfortably secure until it is paid”]
>>
>>4608608
>[“Ransom is acceptable, you will be kept comfortably secure until it is paid”]
I will be having words with you, in the future, however. I grow tired of outsiders meddling in the Swamp’s politics.
>>
>>4608608
>[“Ransom is acceptable, you will be kept comfortably secure until it is paid”]
>>
“Ransom is acceptable, you will be kept comfortably secure until it is paid. We will be having words, however. I grow tired of outsiders meddling in the Swamp's politics. I don't think I need to tell you not to do this again, or that I may not be so merciful a second time.” You inform him with utter seriousness from behind your armet helm.

Despite his position, he bows, “I understand completely, my lord. When released, I will make a point of saying as much to anyone I know who operates a Free Company.”

You pause to take stock. With this victory, you know, the Pentacle has likely ceased to exist as a military force. You glance up and notice the flags flying above the gate, each showing the Absol Eye encased in a white pentacle. Your Stormtongues are already bringing them down, and replacing them with your own sigils. You glance down, into the deep, dark pit of the Well, crisscrossed here and there by long wires whose purpose is likely to ensnare attacking Stormtongues, and take a deep breath. Gorol is down there somewhere, down in the dark where he is at his strongest, and you will have to root him out. The battle is won, but the war is not over until the last of the Pentacle have been mopped up, and even without an army only one of them is permanently no longer a problem.

There is still work to do.
>>
I would normally say "game resumes Friday", but frankly I feel there is more to do before then. I'll keep you all posted.
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>>4608620
No problem, Wong. Good session today! Night mate.
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>>4608619
Thanks Wong, night
Was good to see our planning and brainstorming pay off
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>>4608619

Fucking A Wong and Anons. Missed most of the action due to getting hammered with friends, but enjoyed the read-up and choices taken.
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>>4608634

Absolutely kino strategizing and it was all you guys.
>>
As a side-note, your province's stats go up from this, although I'm not quite sure it should be mechanically represented immediately after the battle, and is probably better off being added at the end of the month.
>>
Alright, follow-up plans?
I'm now wondering how the Mercs got paid. Questioning them on that might prove not terribly fruitful, although at least learning who and what provided the coin might give us insight on whoever was bankrolling Albeda, or if she's just got some stockpiled cash from somewhere. Maybe we could try to find a retainer to set on tracing the money?

We've got like one or two months before we need to decide if we march north to aid Hannah, so we've got time for about one more decisive move against the Pentacle here if we are committing to taking a season elsewhere. I would suggest either attempting to march forces into the confirmed enemy bases of Dampmede, or attempting to scout out the ruined tower where they got out the Chimera.

This is, of course, all contingent on us managing to dig Gloam out of his hole in the next few days. I'm not sure that attempting to divert a river would be fast enough or actually feasible enough for it to work.
I'd almost suggest trying to collapse the ruin entrances on him, trapping him inside, and leaving a token force to keep an eye on it for a while, but that's just asking for a secret entrance somewhere to escape through, or for another member of the Pentacle to arrive to save him.
>>
>>4609020
I would laugh if Albeda was bankrolled by our enemies down South. More fuel for the Memes.

I say the Ruined Tower, because at worst, Shell will have to waste time moving her operations to somewhere more hidden, and at best, we can cut a deal with her; surrender now, and not only would she live, but there would be perks as well. I'm genuinely curious of her magic, and so long a she only created the Chimera and didn't cause more harm to the Swamp, she won't have the Char treatment done to her.

With the Ragged Eldar, we're probably going to have to force him into submission via mags duel, just like our father has done. I think it may be the only way he's going to calm down without further bloodshed, beyond the Pentagram collapsing in on itself. It would be a shame to waste more men due to one man's ego.

Our Shadow waifu can help us with finding and countering Goalm, as they know each other, and this is their element. In all honesty, I'd rather he surrender willingly. It's clear he lost, but his mistake of treason need not be fatal, and being a former opponent will make him a more loyal ally, because he has more to prove now, and by all accounts, he seems like a decent man.
>>
>>4609020

Ruined Tower's my next choice of place to hit up. Shell is going to be more vulnerable out of the remaining targets, and if we can persuade her that it's a lost cause, she's likely going to swap sides if it keeps Fleshsculpting traditions around. Plus, she's pretty much the only player left whose motives we don't know well.

As for getting rid of Gloam, if he's hiding in the shadows at the bottom of the Well with his Shadowbinder buddies, we could knock a hole in the exterior walls and start diverting the river into the Well. May take a while, but drowning them all is still on the table. No need to play his game, so may as well turn the Well into it's name-sake. It'll also probably ruin it as a bolthole for future insurrections.
>>
>>4609247
Or as a defense against our enemies to the South. If it was a whole tribe of Shadowbinders down there with him, then I'd be more inclined with flooding them out, but destroying an entire structure just for four dudes? Just smoke the man out (Shovel the Clouds), he'll have to come up for air eventually.

Plus, if there are more insurrections, we're doing our job wrong.
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>>4609020
And why collapse the ruin entrance when we could fill it in with smoke for a number of years?

It almost like none of you are thinking with portals (or in this case, smoke sculpting).
>>
>>4609020
Alternatively, we could just create a zombie army and start hunting them down with their own corpses, while we shovel more smoke to clear them out.
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>>4609278

Was just throwing some ideas out there. Smoking them out could work too, but it'll mainly depend on if there's more surprises that we might get sprung on us. Flushing them out is fairly low-effort endeavour, even if it just floods a few of the lowest levels before we dam it off again.

As for it being a good hard point, the big thing that I remember from Grandmama's talk about it, the big issue with the Well is that it's an extended position that has long supply lines to the rest of the province. Keeping as kind of like an observation post is a decent idea, but it's difficult to maintain a full garrison there due to isolation and poor surrounding grounds. If we station some troops there long-term as an OP, we can keep tabs on southern problems, as well as prevent it being used as a staging point for any seditious elements. Plus, having a place that can be viewed as an unfavourable posting might help with any discipline issues among the rank and file in the long-term outlook. Keeps them sharp, and provides a stick incentive to not be a shitbag among the troops.
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>>4609308
Ye. Plus, raise some zombies, and you get your manpower without the supply problems, if needed. That's probably the main reason why he chose the Well in the first place.
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>>4609234
I just don’t see us beating the Elder in a straight duel, not as we are, and not in a year, without an ‘I win’ gimmick. He just has all the physical prowess, and probably wouldn’t respect us beating him by another way, like, say, spamming updrafts to juggle him. Or he’s good enough at countermagic to stop other mages from doing that to him.

Smoking Gloam out seems like an interesting plan. I’m all in favor of things that don’t involve further risk to us and our forces. It just pins us down for a few days.

The pentacle may have suffered a blow to armies they can easily field, but their core of archmages mostly remains. They still have a considerable amount of Pack members, who excel at unconventional attacks, and our pack members will not fight them.

Also I laughed at the “historians argue over if it was two battles or one” statement.

time for battle number 3 at the Well, when someone else turns up for a fight
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>>4609585
I can. Our father did, and the Elder was much younger then. Father's magical school may be the key.
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>>4609689

To be fair, by that point your dad was an apex chad archmage.
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>>4609816
>implying we're not already a chad archmage
>implying we're not in the process of becoming the apex sorcerer of the Swamp

I have two questions, Wong. Does Blossom Freshness make you smell like the flower consumed in the spell itself? Two, what do we know of the Night Hunter school of magic? I ask this partially because I think turning into a Wolf would be useful, partially because an image of a Wolf flying though the skies is stuck in my head and I wish to someday make it a reality.
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>>4609884

Compared to our father at the height of his power? No, we’re not a chad Archmage, not even close.
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>>4609893
Calm down, this ain't an installment of Swamp Witch Quest, no need for us to think like Albeda.
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>>4609884
I think the turning into a wolf spell is part of their attunement.
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>>4610144
>rip the wolf dream

Ah, well. It was probably a Miyazaki fantasy anyway.
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>>4610158

Not quite. The turning into a wolf spell and turning other people into wolves spells require attunement. You can get the temporary attunement spell, for sure. Keep in mind, though, wolves can't talk or use their hands, so in wolf form most spells are off-limits. Luckily, Night Hunter spells are cast via howling.

>>4609884

No, it doesn't make you smell like the flower itself.
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>>4611611
>rip plan

Damn. I was thinking of using Blossom Freshness with Wolfsbane, see if I can creatively use such a mundane spell. Ah well.
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>>4611777
The Achilles heel of the wolves, which our father used long ago to defeat the Elder!

Now I’m imagining our father running around waving flowers in the face of a very allergic werewolf
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>>4611803
>here, Elder-san, have some of my wife's mulberry pie before we duel
>*chomp* huh, this is quite delic- *throws up* w-what the hell...?
>funny, I had the same reaction when I first tried her cooking as well
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>>4609020
Another alternative is sending the wolves down to ferret them out. Don't they excel at investing and scrutinizing?
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>>4611858
I'm just thinking it's a deathtrap of pitch blackness, narrow hallways, and chokepoints. Which makes most things besides the shadowbinders not ideal for ferreting him out.

Proposal: Take the bodies of the mercs for cannon fodder, head down with a select team of Shadowbinders, using the dead to walk through traps and the like?

Still would prefer us NOT going down into tunnels where flying is useless and light sources are just targets, but it's this, smoking him out, or flooding the place.

Or getting him to surrender somehow peacefully. Which isn't likely.
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>>4611858
I'm pretty sure the wolves are best in the Moonlight, which isn't underground. And they may be fierce fighters, but I think they need SOME light as opposed to none.
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>>4611611
What are the other spells for the Night Hunters, if I may ask? I know we heard or witnessed tidbits and pieces of their different spells, but I'm curious, and it seems like we may end up in conflict with them despite our attempts at diplomacy.
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>>4612350
So, there's a good list of spells that improve rolls with the Fight skill, for either yourself, or in a group with you.
In addition, there's the "Summon Wolves" spell, and self-transform into a wolf, and there's polymorphing another unwillingly into a wolf.
Willingly self-transforming actually dumps your Charm and Command to 0, and Knowledge to 1, but boosts your Coordination, Body, and Sense by the amount dropped in (To a max of 6). It also I think doubles your base movement? And there's a tag that says additional enchantment can raise your Body score, unlike usual.

Finally, there's a scry spell that has 1 mile range, but lets you see anywhere currently touched by moonlight. To be honest, this is probably the one of the better ones in this school for Jakob to pick up. Admittedly, not high priority, but still could be useful.

Then there's successively larger spells to boost the Fight rolls of more and more allies, to swing a battle.

So, one already tough person can stack up a couple of buffs to his Fight skill, and very much beat the crap out of us with Fight, if we let them get that close. Or, they can tag us with the Polymorph spell and we're fairly screwed, because we can't cast, get none of the regular transform buffs, and we're stuck with our low body stats, and Command, Charm, and Knowledge all drop to 1 while curse-transformed.

Proposal: the 3rd skill of our father's book gives us the ability to use Counterspell to break lingering enchantments on ourselves, and I'm pretty sure that getting polymorphed counts as that, so we could break out of that with the technique. Admittedly, our Knowledge would be dropped to 1 while trying to do so, so we'd be rolling on our Counterspell+1 dice pool when doing so, I believe. Still better than one chance to Counter and get shafted, but not great.
Or, alternatively, we pick up some other spells that allow us to get some distance somehow.(Still looking at the Updraft from earlier)

The Elder can probably easily get to Body and Coordination 6, and has skill in fighting, so he Will rip us to shreds with just a lot of fight dice.
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>>4612613
Thank you, anon. I really appreciate it. I will support a Third level of Father's technique.
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>>4612613

The first technique of your father's Counterspell book lets you use the better of Sense and Knowledge to Counterspell.
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>>4612923
Wait a minute. So the self-transform allows us better Counterspelling?

>wolf is back on the menu

What are the final two techniques of our Father's, if you don't mind me asking?
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>>4612991
4th is gain ability to counter spells cast at allies within 10-15 feet

5th is break ongoing spells, in touch range.
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>>4612997
So if we bite the Elder in a wolf duel, we could break the spells on him? These techniques and spells are looking more and more tempting by the minute.
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>>4613002
.........Goddamn it Dad, is this really what you did? Start the duel, then when the Elder runs in, literally de-fang him?

Well, to get the 3rd, 4th, and 5th, we'll need 12 experience.
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>>4613005
How much for the wolf-transform spell and temporary attunement? We can challenge him directly under pack laws, and a wolf duel for the Lunar Throne sounds wicked.
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>>4613010
Temporary attune, Lunar Pledge, is Intensity 2, Lupine Form is intensity 4.
I think you can buy 2 spells of the same intensity for as much xp, and 1 spell for the intensity level -1. So, 5 xp if we go for the transform, some other intensity 4 spell, and spend 1 to pick up the Attune by itself.

If you're all in on this, I would suggest Liquid Moonlight, the spell that gives the actual ability to make said bottled moonlight to cast these things outside of nighttime, it's intensity 4.

I would hope we wouldn't go for this until we had the ability to break his wolf form, so that would be 17 experience down the line, if we beelined it. We need to win the war, not just this single battle.
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>>4613176
It's a good thing we're going to Shell's hideout first then, after we deal with Gloam. May buy us enough time to prepare for our next scheme as Dark Lord of the Swamp.
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>>4613176

I believe Fog Cloud is Intensity 4, and so are Battle Prophet and Major Smoke Form. I'd have to check.
>>
Remind me, were you getting...

>[the first technique of dad's Counterspell style, and the rank two and three techniques of The General's Visage]
>[the first two techniques of dad's Counterspell style, and the second technique of The General's Visage]
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>>4616943
First two techniques of Dad's Counterspell style. I need a reminder of General's Visage's second technique before I commit to it.
>>
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For reference. Also, great news, I mentally tagged this under the name in the tribal tongue of the sample Reign setting and that was why I avoided calling it anything and kept referring to it by Arnveis' book's name. However...it actually has a badass name, so, uh, that makes things easier.
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>>4616946

How convenient, I have it right here and was just about to post it.
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>>4616949
Thanks Wong. I forget, didn't we already have the first two of Dad's Counterspelling techniques, or is my memory at fault?
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>>4616943
>[the first two techniques of dad's Counterspell style, and the second technique of The General's Visage]
Yea, was this.
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>>4616951
We agreed getting them and spending xp, and then kinda moved on without adding it to character sheet I believe.
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>>4616956
>exp disappeared in the void

Welp, I was looking forward to the hard path this quest.
>>
>>4616943

>[the first two techniques of dad's Counterspell style, and the second technique of The General's Visage]

Mainly because the first one isn't quite as useful for us, but the second will be good, and set us up for the other stages of it when we get some more.
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>>4616961
>... into* the void

Writing comprehension, amirite?
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>>4616943
>>[the first two techniques of dad's Counterspell style, and the second technique of The General's Visage]
Pretty sure this was what we voted for, but I could be wrong and I don't feel like checking >_<
>>
>>4616951

Ah, you wanted to buy them. My memory was the one at fault because I didn't spend the exp right away, actually. Also, feel free to call them Spiritual Escutcheon from now on. It's an easier name and it sounds cool.

Ironically, and this was actually not intended, they are a perfect counter to the Cheillan style of magic. The Cheillans use Quelling, a sort of anti-magic magic, which casts long-term enchantments that, say, make magic more difficult, or make someone take damage every time a spell is case on them, or hinder a spellcaster from using spells. With non-spell techniques that let him break these shackles on his terrifying arcane might, Arnveis the Black was an utter anathema to the Cheillans, a psyche-shattering force equivalent to Hannibal Barca's effect on the romans before Fabius Maximus slowed the symptoms and Scipio Africanus cured the Carthaginian virus.
>>
Incidentally, this also tells you something about what killed your father, now that Jakob is at least aware of these techniques and what they do even if he's still mastering them himself.
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>>4616967
>>4616969
Ah. In that case, that sort of make me want to save up for another level in them. Pretty epic.
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>>4616972

I really like how Reign names Esoterics. It feels like what Exalted is trying to do with the names of Charms but way less gay.
>>
Just for fun, roll me some dice. If you get a set, you'll get some additional information here.
>>
Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>4616988
And let the dice games begin!
>>
Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>4616988

The addict demands his fix.
>>
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The next step is occupation. Your own Shadowbinders raise the mercenary dead, first of all. There are a surprising number of laws in the swamp, old enough to be viewed more as 'traditional rights' regarding bodies and who has access to them. One can sell their own corpse, presumably before their death. As corpses are considered a form of inheritable property, one's heirs can also sell one's corpse or donate it in patriotic defense of the province ('Grandfather is fighting one last battle to protect us' is a sentence that has brought a glow of pride to many an upstanding swampland family). Corpses unclaimed, itself a legal category, are subject to right of salvage by any Shadowbinder in good standing with the law. Naturally, there are common disputes over whether or not a corpse is really unclaimed, or simply stolen, but such is life in the swamp. Incontrovertibly, though, the bodies of the Absol family are burned to prevent mischief, and the bodies of invading soldiers are the property of the ruling Absol Lord to raise as part of his army. The mercenary commander might object, but he is in, as they say, no position to impose terms.

The husks, lined up in straight rows and ordered to drag any living thing they find to you march down the steps of the Well. Room by room, led by their necromancers, they begin scouring the fortress. It's a good thing you didn't send your Stormtongues down the main shaft, as it's densely packed with barbed wire triplines, snares, and nets designed to catch and tear wings. There are still a few ancient bones in some of these nets from what must be pre-Absol conflicts between warring sorcerous tribes. Not all of the skeletons are winged, either. Many of these traps have succumbed to rust and the elements, at one time flying down here would have been descending into a pitch-black maze designed to catch at a flying magus' wings and limbs and leave them dangling helplessly, their cries for rescue only luring more of their comrades to their deaths. A cruel fate.

[Continue]
>>
Rolled 2 (1d10)

>>4616988
Dice!
>>
Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>4616988
Roll time!
>>
Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>4616988
weeeeee
>>
Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>4616988

Even more dice!
>>
Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>4616988
We good on the rolls, Wong?
>>
Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>4616988
>>
Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>4616988
Delicious dice
>>
Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>4616988
More dice then, Wong?
>>
Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>4616988
>>
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“Sir Horton.” You address your captive, putting a hand on his shoulder in a fatherly manner, which is ironic given he is older than you, “Where is Brother Gloam?” Your tone doesn't need to be menacing, just firm. You can jovially order his execution at any moment, and no outraged noble family in Magdal can stop you. You are a pragmatic swamp noble, who does not have, for example, a stat labeled 'Honor' on his hypothetical character sheet. The ransom is nice, but you know, and he knows, that it is your good graces keeping him alive right now. “I would very much like to speak with him.”

“My lord.” The bowlcut-haired knight responds with what appears to be endemic politeness, “I cannot say.”

“Cannot and will not are two very different beasts, Sir Horton, and there is great danger in failing to distinguish the two.” You warn him. “These are my lands. I am a Lord of Vartyne, a direct male-line descendant of Sir Amadeus Absol himself. You were aiding rebels, and I am fairly sure we both know that rebellion is no light crime.” You lower your voice, "One of your employer's fellow conspirators is crucified on the wall of thorns surrounding my fortress as we speak. She is likely still alive, would you like to provide her with company?"

He doesn't exactly void his bowels, but you do see his adam's apple bob up and down as he gulps, his boyish face turning pale, "Cannot, my lord. He was not at the final clash. After you retreated for the night, he left me in charge, and told me to delay you as long as I could. Then he descended into the depths. I believe he did not expect that with the forces at our disposal he could actually prevail, he had several choice words for some 'flame-haired Escantine trollop', may I presume she is your...er, guest?"

"You may." You smile and pat him on the back, "How did you make the acquaintance of Brother Gloam, again?"

"A well-bred woman of my acquaintance informed me that a friend of hers had a friend who required my services. I met this friend of hers but once, and I rather suspect that the friendship involved ownership of my acquaintance's gambling debts, for she seemed a forbidding woman. I never saw her face, she spoke to me from inside a carriage, and within its shadows she was further obscured by a veil, but she was clearly of good birth and her accent was High Vartynen, I took her for a woman of Magdal myself. She paid me in full, and I must confess swindled me on the cause I was to fight for. My lord, I swear upon my honor I was led to believe that this contest was between Lord Arnveis' apprentice and anointed successor against a child claimant passed over in favor of said apprentice, a mere boy puppeted by his advisors. Duly paid, I marched my men north through the Schwaltzwood and rendezvoused with Master Gorol, a man I found very personable and got along well with, despite the...corpses."

[Continue]
>>
Yeah, you're good. Any success would have done it, but I gave you a bonus for the situation that gave you a 2x7 instead of a 2x2.
>>
>>4617011
> stat labeled 'Honor' on his hypothetical character sheet
Goddamn it Wong why is this so funny
>>
>>4617021
You know why :*)
>>
>>4617011
>her accent was High Vartynen
What is the Swamp accent like? I'm not sure if this is Albeda or not
>>
>>4617029
It isn't. This is proper Southern Nobility.
>>
>>4617034
The one pulling the strings, perhaps? Or Albeda’s source on the prophecy?
>>
>>4617029

Absolutely not if he thought she was Magdalan. I'm not a fan of transposing real world cultures into fantasy settings with some exceptions, to the point where on /tg/ I am a very vocal critic of "my elves are not-Filipino and my dwarves are not-Mayans" and that entire school of fantasy design. Even the Xapotchli which do have a few Mayan touches (but are very different, certainly in their religious beliefs) are far from any specific real-world culture. That said, if you really wanted to get a handle on what real-world culture and ethnicity the Swampfolk are most like?

The Seleucids/Parthians/Sassanids. Meds with an Oriental (in the classical, not modern sense) influence, but surviving far longer without Islam happening and in a much different environment. I had to rewrite this post several times, and google a bunch of different images to confirm this, but you can think of Jakob as being more or less ethnically the kind of person a Greek or Illyrian would recognize. I would say "Syrian", but it would be what Constantine would have considered a Syrian, not what we consider a Syrian today.
>>
>>4617048
Both
>>
>>4617050

It's worth noting that they share a phenotype with the Ledo plainsfolk, but the "Sea People" who were dwelling on Gwelm Island and Undyne when the Vartynes arrived got everywhere and as a result you have a lot of willowy blondes popping up.
>>
He watches as a squad of his former soldiers, now your husks, shamble by, “My lord, may I speak plainly?”

“It is preferable in these circumstances.” You remark.

He points at the undead, “How do you stand this? You are of genteel birth, does the stench not offend you? Does the monstrosity not perturb you?”

“Better dead men fall than living ones.” You inform him plainly, turning to go...and running straight into Doloranna, who bares her teeth in a shining grin.

“Monstrosity!?” She hisses at Sir Horton, “Permitting the dead to fight again is a crowning achievement of my people! Grandmama says it's more enlightened than the living dying in battle, isn't that right?” She smiles at you.

“Yes, but they do smell somewhat.” Horton notes, “You do smell that.” He points out to you.

Doloranna crosses her arms, “We didn't have time to prepare the husks for reanimation properly. Raised one-by-one, with the vine-mask put over their faces, each one lasts until it falls apart, so we normally embalm them and remove the bits that rot!” She makes a sour face, “...We didn't have as many left to work with as I'd like. Since she's not using a billhook, you-know-who led the party over the walls.” She glances at one of the walls, where you can see a massive gouge dug into it, as if the point of an enormous sword had errantly grazed it.

“That is why your employer used peat mummies. Dry as leather, nothing to stink.” You point out to Sir Horton, “Normally that is how it's done.”

“I was meaning to ask, my lord, what manner of creature THAT was. Leading the forces that stormed our wall was a giant whose sword shattered every bone in a man's body with each stroke. It made pulp of my bodyguards.” Sir Horton looks uncomfortable, “Pray tell me it is not some demon conjured to take the shape of a person.”

>[She is Lady Hannah Galdynfyrgenbach herself, and you should mind your tongue]
>[Oh no, just a pretty girl]
>[A good friend of mine]
>>
>>4617062
>>[She is Lady Hannah Galdynfyrgenbach herself, and you should mind your tongue. She is a good friend of mine.]
>>
>>4617062

Agreeing with the slightly altered choice here >>4617063

>[She is Lady Hannah Galdynfyrgenbach herself, and you should mind your tongue. She is a good friend of mine.]

A simple reminder that he should watch his tongue a bit closer. Talking ill about nobility, especially to a noble friend of their's, is a bad idea. As a knight from the political viper's pit of Old Vartyne, he'd know that feeling well enough.
>>
The second option would mean yandere Doloranna. I'm tempted to troll, but I must not, I have to remain strong
>>
>>4617063
+1
>>
>>4617077

You mean a more yandere Doloranna.
>>
>>4617062
Supporting
>>4617063
Hot Damn I didn’t realize she straight up joined our army. I guess Some foreigners are alright, when they’re supporting our claim.
>>
>>4617063
>>4617062
>>[She is Lady Hannah Galdynfyrgenbach herself, and you should mind your tongue. She is a good friend of mine.]
>>
>>4617081

Hannah does not have a subtle definition of "support you so you'll support me", she joined your irregular force and made it a very one-sided fight.
>>
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“She is Lady Hannah Galdynfyrgenbach herself, and you should mind your tongue. She is a good friend of mine.” You warn him. You can't help but dislike the idea of calling that, shy scarred girl a monster, especially since she seems to used to it.

The knight bows, “My profound apologies, my lord. I should have expected that as the legitimate heir to your lands...a sentiment I will repeat in every court I attend upon my release...you would have the support of your neighbors.”

Doloranna is still hovering, and taps your shoulder until you look at her. She goes up on tiptoe and whispers in your ear, “We found a passage, deep, deep down. It seems to slope gently upward, but travel far away. I sent one of my juniors to go find out where it lets out, but...Gorol probably left in the night.”

You curse quietly to yourself. Although it means you don't have to deal with the Archmage one on one right now, you would have liked to tie this up neatly, and you know that if your initial assault had succeeded he would have been right there in the palm of your hand. “We will put out a bounty on information and send agents out. He WILL be found.” You inform her, then you nod to your soldiers, “Take Sir Horton somewhere his nose won't be offended.”

The knight bows once more, as your troops take him away. He has surrendered and opted for ransom, there is no need to endanger that with attempts to flee.

>[Occupy the Well for tonight]
>[Return to your camp for tonight, it's not as thoroughly fortified but it was perfectly safe yesterday]
>>
>>4617097
>[Occupy the Well for tonight]
Better for morale.
>>
>>4617097
>[Return to your camp for tonight, it's not as thoroughly fortified but it was perfectly safe yesterday]
I'm still waiting on that back attack of undead.
Also did only Gloam escape? Is there any word on the three Shadowbinders that defected with him?
>>
>>4617097

>[Occupy the Well for tonight]

Good for morale, prove that we own it now, and we might want to look it over for future uses. There's a risk that Gorol left us some nasty surprises, or could strike back at us via the lower passage, but we're still at risk in our camp too. If he is going to try and reclaim it, he'll have to force us out first.
>>
>>4617097
>>[Occupy the Well for tonight]
>>
>>4617097
Gorol’s expecting us to take the place. But, it’s still more secure than our previous camp, in theory. And I’m half expecting a move tonight from another of the Pentacle, they can’t just let us rack up victories.
>[Occupy the Well for tonight]
Move out of our camp, leave nothing but smoldering fires for them to strike.

Although if they do some quick moon scrying at night should be pretty obvious, assuming the Wolves are around.
>>
By the way, there is a point I'm gonna make OOC now and also make IC later. There are not enough Night Hunters left in the swamps for the Ragged Elder to make a stand alone. He could be a political problem, or fight you one on one, or reform into another Company and wage guerilla warfare on you, but two decisive victories in has pretty much put paid to this rebellion as a military force especially considering you knocked a point of Might off them when Char attacked and another here against Gloam. You rolled VERY well and did VERY smart things that you might not have realized were significant at the time. Finding Gloam, for example.
>>
>>4617115
Gahhhh now we have the much more annoying part of chasing down a bunch of solo rogue archmages. At least armies can be beaten in the field, none of them are gonna have the idiocy to stand and fight.
>>
>>4617125
Take away their territory, or try and collapse their sovereignty. Destroy their organization, and the rest will follow.
>>
>>4617125

Well, out of the ones left, we know where one of Shell's boltholes is, and we might be able to ask Twull and our loyal Night Hunters about where we might be able to find the Ragged Elder. Probably not, because he's the top dog, but it could worth a shot. Tracking down Albeda and Gloam's holes that they crawled home to will be annoying, but moving against Shell is probably our best bet. Out of the ones they have remaining for forces, she could make more gribbly creatures for assassination attempts like the Squonkog, or worse if she finds good enough material to work with.
>>
>>4617128
So thus we shift gears from battle planning back to trying not to get assassinated while doing magical SWAT raids on various bolt holes. I’m sure there’s plenty of war in the future, though.
>>
>>4617161
We could still try to raise our might, if we wish. Goodness knows, we're going to be using it in the immediately future.
>>
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“Have the baggage train moved in.” You instruct, once you confirm the upper floors of the Well are safe. From here, you'll be safe from a counterattack, and you can fortify it from both above and from the remaining floors below that haven't been checked. That accomplished, you finally get the chance to explore.

Your initial impression of the Well was that it would be cramped, a rodent's warren of tiny cells and twisted tunnels, but this is not the case at all. On the upper levels, you find abandoned mushroom farms, and tunnels bored to the river that create natural sources of flowing water to irrigate them. Tunnels branch off the main shaft like spokes on a wheel, most of them utterly untouched by Gloam's temporary occupation. Some lead to well-laid-out branching passageways, open at regular intervals to one-room residences, hundreds of them. Others to great, vaulted halls like Mihtoist cathedrals save for being windowless and decorated with planes of polished obsidian carved into abstract shapes. The Shadowbinders can see in the deepest dark, after all, so shapes and textures affect their sense of decoration more than the play of light.

Interestingly, the one thing really different seems to be the placement of fires. Balconies overlooking the shaft itself contain large, communal firepits, likely so that the smoke will simply go...straight up, and away.

On the lowest explored level, you find what was clearly at one time the residence of some important family or chieftain. Stripped bare of their possessions, the suite of a dozen or so rooms has walls sculpted into fantastic shapes that might be disturbing to one less accustomed to the vagaries of Shadowbinder culture. The monsters portrayed here, the seas of teeth and eyes, the squamous imps, are their friends, their images a welcoming sight to members of their tribe. A frame is set up, strung with ropes and with a long cushion laid atop, and soon you have a bed in the hall of some ancient lord. Admittedly, though, you do light a fire on the balcony for light. As you get your temporary quarters set up, you hear the sounds of scattered merrymaking, the soldiers celebrating their victory. With a pang, you realize you could use some company besides your officers. You've been Jakob the General for the past several days, can't you be Jakob the man for a while?

>[Seek out Hannah]
>[Seek out Lilly]
>[Let Doloranna find you]
>[Seek out Cailm]
>>
>>4617187
>>[Seek out Hannah]
>>
>>4617187
>[Let Doloranna find you]
Hopefully she brings cheese
>>
>>4617187
>[Seek out Lilly]
>>
>>4617187

>[Seek out Cailm]

Bros b4 hoes. Plus, he might have some insights to share on what he thinks of the Well, and it's uses as a forward position or garrison.
>>
>>4617187
>[Seek out Lilly]
We'll need to talk to floofy bard about how she's gong to portray our glorious victory (and slightly less glorious defeat) in song.
>>
Also yes, I got distracted researching ancient beds and how they worked.
>>
>>4617196
And we will thank Hannah personally for her assistance. You can count on that.
>>
>>4617200
Damnit Wong, your a Quest Master, not a bed connoisseur!
>>
>>4617204
Anon Plz, Wong described several beds in detail back in MSPQ.
>>
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You ask one of your bodyguards to bring you Lilly. Which he does, before hurriedly departing. When she arrives, her cheeks have little apple-red spots in them, “You won't believe how he phrased my summons, my lord.” She protests, hugging her lyre close.

“What?” You blink at her, astonished.

She puts a hand on her bosom, and poses dramatically, “'Minstrel, Lord Jakob summons you to his bedroom at once to celebrate his victory.'” Her shoulders slump, “In front of everyone I was interviewing to get the full story of the battle.” Her face flushes scarlet, “...Your friend Cailm said 'it's about time', and then...then he whistled...and...and people started clapping...” She bites her lip, and hugs her lyre again.

You stare at her.

>[“I just wanted to talk about the song you're writing”]
>[Waggle your eyebrows and bully her in her moment of weakness]
>>
>>4617241
>[“I just wanted to talk about the song you're writing”]
>Scream internally
DAMN IT CAILM!
>>
>>4617251

DID YOU EXPECT CAILM TO BE MATURE?
>>
>>4617253
A SCORE OF TAZING IS IN ORDER!
>>
>>4617241
>[“I just wanted to talk about the song you're writing”]
>Put Cailm on a mental list for shock therapy

There is always time for a song, my Lily.
>>
>>4617241

>[“I just wanted to talk about the song you're writing”]

A little light bullying though. After all, talking to a pretty bard right after a substantial victory is a treat to be savoured. Like mulberries.

>>4617253

You never know, maybe he decided to take things seriously, like the time he 'obtained' vital information from Straw Hat. There's always a first time for anything.
>>
>>4617241
>>[“I just wanted to talk about the song you're writing”]
>>
And then Wong nodded off, midway through typing. I'll polish it and post it tomorrow.
>>
>>4617296
Night Wong. Good session today!
>>
>>4617296

So long as you aren't waking up with key impressions on your face, should be all good. Have a good one Wong!
>>
>>4617296
Night Wong, Thanks for running.
>>
>>4617050
Maybe read up on marsh Arabs and their life styles for some inspiration?
>>
>>4617050
>>4617322
You guys may be interested in Dan Carlin's King of Kings podcast series. Pretty illuminating and intriguing stuff, and it fits right into the theme we have going here. Would recommend.
>>
>>4617296
Not the only one who nodded off. I’ll second tazing Calim, tho. He’s Really asking for it methinks.
>>
>>4617241
>[“I just wanted to talk about the song you're writing”]
>>
>>4617241
>>[Waggle your eyebrows and bully her in her moment of weakness]
>>
Roll me some dice, let's see if those points in Empathy do anything for you.
>>
Rolled 5 (1d10)

>>4617589

More dice...
>>
Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>4617589
Ono, empathy!
>>
Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>4617589
Another die
>>
Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>4617595
>>4617597
Well that's amazingly lucky

>>4617589
Gonna push my luck and go for a tripple....
>>
>>4617595
>>4617597
>>4617598

Alright Floofy Bard, I have used ALL my dice luck on you now.
>>
Rolled 1 (1d10)

>>4617589

>we learned Empathy from you, floofy bard! we learned it from you!

>>4617595
>>4617597
>>4617598

Nice.
>>
Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>4617589
Well
>>4617602
She’s worth it
>>
Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>4617589
Dice, don't fail me now!
>>
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Blue, hair-thin streamers of lightning crackle between your fingers. Cailm is on a list. It's a short list, mostly just Cailm repeated over and over for various offenses. Right now, his name is on it in big, block letters, practically tearing through the parchment, each one capitalized and underlined. Thrice underlined. You let out a hissing, annoyed breath, “Lilly, I-.”

“My lord. Stop. You don't have to.” She reaches out, and the lightning fades from your hands as she gently closes your hand into a fist, “You're not fighting anyone right now. You can just be you. Let the anger go. It's alright.” She smiles. Her hands are sheathed in lambskin gloves, soft and delicate, although the fingers beneath have a musician's calluses and cuts from the strings, “It's fine.”

“I just wanted to talk with you about the song I know you're working on.” You finish, lamely.

“You made it easy on me, you know?” She scolds you without a hint of rancor, “But the dramatic turnaround, you advancing at the front behind your colors, the smoke, the fog, your enemy fleeing...I know you didn't do it for me, but it will make a wonderful ballad.” She smiles softly, eyes downcast, “Had I not such a kind patron, I would be able to make my supper on this song in any tavern in Vartyne and the Dog Kingdoms.”

“It would be a grievous loss, to no longer hear your voice in my hall.” You inform her. Your tongue is meant for spells and grand speeches, it feels awkward here, as it always does, but her smile only grows warmer.

She begins strumming her lyre, experimenting on variations of a stirring intro. It would sound nicer as a finished song, as it is she's playing variations on the theme as if trying to choose one, “Why would I ever leave your side?” There is a tiny tremor in her voice. You have never heard her say anything so blatantly heartfelt, and with such depths in it. Normally you might have missed it, but you're paying such attention to her that it's clear as day. Her dark blue eyes dart to you, and her cheeks turn faintly red. It's an intimate thing to say. Perhaps it just slipped out, but she meant it.

The fire on the balcony crackles as it consumes its load of wood, and inside the room a boy and a girl sit close together, the girl asking the boy questions about how he felt and what he was thinking at various parts of the battle, dutifully noting them and strumming her lyre to find the right musical beats to the emotional tapestry of the battle.

Somewhere, nurtured by the warmth of spring, a small flower blooms. It is a humble flower, but an earnest one, and it gives its sweetness to the world gladly.

[Lilly rank up]
>>
>>4617718
Damn it Floofy Bard, you're running away with all the feels AND my good Dice rolls.
How is this fair to Doloranna? Or poor Hannah's lack of social skills?
>>
>>4617718
Cutest thing I’ve read in a long time.
I know my favorite.
>>
>>4617784
>Several members of royalty in the running for the Jakobbowl
>Everyone's being outpaced by a random bard
Pottery
>>
>>4617718
Well, this is why no other waifu can win. Introducing love interests at different stages of a quest is pointless, because you can't make a new character more deep and interesting than a previous one unless the previous character was meh tier. Lily is pretty, nice, has shown interest and is one of the first girls, so she will probably win, even if any other love interest would be better from a political standpoint (and as a Lord of a weakened territory, Jakob cannot allow himself to waste a political marriage with the nordic giant girl or the daughter of a totally not immortal swordsman cough, cough, I mean lord Rhys). I know that QM has tried to avoid this by using our bard friend to basically say "AVOID FIRST GIRL SINDROM AND WAIT UNTIL EVERYONE HAS APPEARED", but again it's pointless because of how sentimental ties and attachment works in human beings and because among a bunch of different but equally good characters, the one with a time advantage over the others always wins. That said, overall it's a pretty good quest and I wish it ran more often.
>>
>>4618198
Funnily enough, I think Lilly's a dark horse in this race. We still need to experience the others first before we decide, and I'd argue it isn't about timing but more about the depth of the relationship. We will experience what kind of relationship the others bring to the table, and it's wise to point out that this vote had many choices, all of which got a vote. Don't lose faith just yet, my man.
>>
>>4618198
I haven't seen the dice gods grant me tripple 9's like that for any other girl in any quest.....
BUT I STILL HAVE FAITH IN DOLORANNA!
>>
Don't call a game on the first touchdown. Especially since Lilly has a profound disadvantage which merited bringing her in first. Two, actually. (Despite her not being planned until a bard was needed). First, her low birth. Second, her awareness of her low birth and sense of propriety. Doloranna in her position would not be simply playing music and talking, if you catch my drift.

Also the first waifu introduced was actually the one with the hardest obstacle to overcome, Albeda herself.
>>
>>4618278
Honestly even if we don't end up with Floofy Bard as Waifu Supreme, she is well on her way to being Jacob's best friend. Excluding Cailm for obvious reason.
And having good friends is important for a young ruler!
>>
>>4618198

Hey man, I'm still holding out for Hannah doing her best. After all, nobody else scattered mercs like dust in the wind like her. Even if anons decide to go for the Rib-witch in the end, she'll be a damn good friend.

>>4618291

Don't count Cailm out as BFF. Just because he's had the walk of shame in front of us on multiple occasions, doesn't mean he's a bad lad. Besides, having someone to go hunting with or do other male bonding with is nice, so long as it isn't a repeat of The Hunt That Shall Not Be Named.
>>
>>4618329
Cailm is our brother for life
He just happens to have a dedicated list of offences to be Tazed for.
He should be glad that Jacob will likely never Attune to the Words of wisdom and lose arms for wings.
He should also be incredibly happy Nuncle Arad hasn't tried tp compete with Grandmama and tried to foist one his apprentices into the Waifu bowl.
.....
Okay now I want to play matchmaker and push a Birb sorcerer into Cailm's bed and to Taze him on our behalf.......
>>
>>4618329
We'll have plenty of time with Hannah when we're helping her deal with her own little rebellion, don't you worry.
>>
>>4618291
Aye.
I'll admit my first instinct with most of the characters introduced was that they would be excellent allies, and Want something from Jakob that we can leverage for their support. They have problems, we have solutions, and we can get things that we want from them. I know it's cold, and calculating, but that's just what my mind straight jumps to.
Except Lilly, who doesn't bring any province support, or powerful magic, or army-breaking martial skills.

Just a bard, called into our hall on a whim to tell some stories.
Lilly's here for our story, to follow history being written.
And that's why I love her for it.
>>
>>4618442

I agree with you, but I will point out that Wong has said that it is entirely possible to win wars with charisma alone, something Lily has in spades.
>>
>>4619494
I'm not sure that kingdom lvl diplomat charisma and tavern bard charisma are the same. She can probably learn, but if the objective is a diplomancer wife, then there are probably other options, like the Rhys daughter, the island milf or even the princess. Has Lily ranked up her relationship, yes, but what was the first thing the MC thought about when imagining an hipothetical realtianship with Lily? I'm leading her and this cannot be because our different station and the benefits of political marriages for the Swamp. The previous anon is right, Lily has a head start because she needs the advantage of first girl (I do not count the murderous pentacle bitch) to have a chance of outweighting the other candidates. Unless they are all ugly as fuck, in which case we go full immortal sorcerer king, extending our lifespan with the sacrifice of bandits while getting more powerful and researching better forms of immortality, maybe one day finding the supreme(me) immortality. All of this, of course, in the search of the most noble of goals: the ultimate wife. Now seripusly, wait until every character has appeared to decide.
>>
>>4621757
Actually, I'd love it if Albeda was in contention. It certainly would be interesting to see if she can make a comeback from our previous history.
>>
>>4621757
Of the waifu candidates Wong has told us about, we've already meet everyone but two. We're having a long-distance chess match with one of them, and the other is the daughter of the king who supposedly sent our father to his death.
>>
At this point, paying attention to one of the girls does not lock you in to marrying them. You might have a nice moment with one, but entirely holding off is just costing you opportunities to build a relationship with the existing girls, even if it ends up as just friendship.
>>
>>4622111
One day we will get to play Regicide with all the girls
>>
>>4621835
Maybe if we are really drunk. After getting hit in the head a lot. And being blind and almost deaf. And getting told she is another person.
>>
>>4622379
and her suffering amnesia so she also thinks she's a different person.
>>
I ought to warn you furthermore that any remaining waifus are at minimum as much trouble as Albeda, and one much moreso.
>>
>>4622482
They better have some real good benefits, or else Lily/Hannah/Doloranna are going to continue being the main runners
>>
>>4622487
In your mind, certainly. We still haven't had a proper or meaningful conversation with some of them, and I expect some of those in lesser contention may yet suprise us.
>>
>>4622482
Then they are not love interests and will never be. No point in picturing them as such.
>>
>>4622547

After Clemmy, I rule nothing out.
>>
>>4622553
I know, I know, but Albeda is this setting's equivalent of Rao from fist of the North star. Maybe we reach the point of mutual respect and understanding of each other's goals, motives and circumstances, but we are going to murder her and her armies, not because we want to, but because we have to, to honor all our people's sacrifices, and not doing so would make us a bad lord.
>>
>>4622553
Clemmy had the wonderful Benefit of being snagged in Roark's bear trap of love BEFORE she had a chance to display her original purpose.
Benefit aside from Just straight up being tied for best girl
And while Floofy Bard is turning out to be great both as friend and potential waifu. I can't wait to get to know Hannah and Doloranna more in depth.
AND TO GET A JOVE DAMN UPDATE ON OUR LONG DISTANCE REGICIDE MATCH WITH THE GOAT FUCKERS DAUGHTER!
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>>4622564
We already did murder her armies, and I didn't believe the people suffered worse than they would with common banditry. This isn't L5R, and we don't have an autistic honor stat to appease. This just feels like virtue signaling at this point.
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>>4622661
Dude, stop the bullshit, if you want Albeda to remain in the quest outside a heavily guarded prision, then give me a list of "reasons why Albeda should be spared, then waifued" and also a way to do so without insulting our people, our honor, our legacy, our father's legacy, putting ourselves in danger and "autistic" things like that
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>>4622482

>as much trouble as Albeda, if not more-so

C'mon Wong, how much of a hassle could it be to waifu the princess? Not like she has any siblings or a mom to win the approval of. :^)

Japes aside, looking forward to anons deciding to keep holding out for Lady R*d, only to find out that Londo showed us a picture of his old wife in her glory days, and Amaranthe's actually a trog after we've already signed the marriage paperwork.
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>>4623169
We are not signing our agreeing to anything until we (and our intelligence people) have contrasted the info at least fifty times, have met with Amaranthe in person for a decent ammount of time and have made the deal massively on our favour. If we go for the R*d's daughter, we make sure we don't get scammed like our ancestors
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>>4623169
Btw, if we get trolled and married to an insuffrable, spoiled and bratty orc with tits, we can have as many waifus as we can, as long as we keep the relationships discreet (like a proper noble should)
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>>4623155
Oho! You must either be having a bad day, or your personality leaves much to be desired.

It isn't bullshit giving everyone their day in court, and I'd like to keep our opinions open. Plus, it wouldn't be an insult to spare our enemies, especially since there haven't been any massacres happening, unless you consider the other side's forces in this equation. Concerning father's legacy, like it or not, she was his apprentice and this apart of it, and I would consider it shameful to his legacy to not give her a chance at redemption. Danger is relative, as we'll always be in it, and after the Pentacle collapses I don't think she'll be a threat to us (call me stupid if you wish, but I think she means well, and isn't a vindictive bitch as you seem to believe). This isn't L5R, but even if it were, honor would dictate mercy if she asks for it, no?

Believe it or not, I ain't peddling bullshit. I suggest you read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, it has some good shot you can apply to your own life with :^)
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>>4623216
...some good shit* you can apply...

Gotta love the little mistakes :P
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>>4623216
>Oho! You must either be having a bad day, or your personality leaves much to be desired.

Holy shit, I've been mostly neutral on Albeda, but now I want to kill her just to spite you.
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>>4623219
You can if you want. Best part is, you really don't know which waifu I'm gunning for. I could intentionally poisoning the waifu well ;^)

Also, I didn't mean to come off as a dick, but I do think he's having a shitty day, especially if he's the other anon insulting people in the L5R quest. I'm not proud of it, but I do sometimes take out my frustration on my fellow anons, even if they don't deserve it. Shit happens. But I did find Meditations to be helpful.
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>>4623216
I like Albeda, but I don't like you.
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>>4623242
Fair interpretation.
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>>4623216
I mean... he isn't wrong. Removing albeda from the equation would be the sensible thing to do as a lord. This isn't irl but it would be very prudent to do so IF it was irl
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>>4623281
If you want to put her head on a pike, that's fine. The thing that annoys me is thinking that doing that is the moral decision, instead of a realpolitik one. Dealing with political rivals isn't about insults to people's honor or legacies, it's about vengeance or fear. Claiming to have the moral high ground is one thing, claiming to kill your rivals for 'the greater good of the people' is entirely different.
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>>4618329
Bud I am also on the Hannah train. She can still win. The silly bard really did get an unfair advantage and I hope people will try and consider the future effects of picking some no name vs an actual political player.
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>>4623291
He isn't wrong about the moral high ground either. Albeda has, on purpose or not, played a direct hand in the deaths of our people. That stunt she pulled with the wooden deathtrap she sent us could be argued as attempted murder if your lawyer is skilled, terrorism would be her charge otherwise. As would sedition and treason.

Likewise her playing a hand in the deaths of our subjects could be second degree murder, manslaughter if the lawyer is good. Cooperation with and hiding of fugitives and traitors is not avoidable unfortunately. All these combined is enough to earn her a long LONG imprisonment today. Both morally and legally the right thing to do is to jail or execute her. We are a LORD, our duty is to the people. We are the judge overseeing the enforcement of law in our fief. It is both morally and legally corrupt for us to pardon her and give her a chance. The damage has been done, lives of people under our charge lost. We have a duty to fulfill and answer to the families of the dead.

Albeda also does not have a lawyer to lessen her charges. I for one, would call into judgement the moral character of a judge that pardons a convict like this if this happened irl.
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>>4623356
A lawyer arguing who has the moral high ground? In a fantasy medieval setting where our domain is a literal swamp, and where we have tribal mages of dubious morality? I'd laugh, but sure, let's get into the legality of this then.

It can be argued that our father hadn't designated an heir when he died, whatever our thoughts on the matter is. As it stands, and the mercenary lordling confirmed, we are currently in a succession crisis, in which who rules the Absol Swamps is disputed. As it stands then, any armed conflict would be considered tragic but not unlawful considering current circumstances, as the is a feudal society where Might is the way to settle these types of disputes. To the best of my knowledge, only combatants have died so far, on what can be termed as a medieval legal land dispute, which is impressive when you consider that collateral damage is unavoidable in this setting.

I would also like to mention, modern Western convention on ethics and laws do not really apply in a original medieval fantasy setting. To put it bluntly, we're living as nobility in a feudal system, before the 'rule of law' was a concept that had to apply to the nobles as well as everyone else. It isn't corruption so much as feudal politicking.

So no, there isn't really a moral or legal case you can make, otherwise we would have gotten our Mountains back a long time ago, or we could take the mass murder of our father and his army to the king himself in legal protest.
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>>4623356
Tldr of >>4623378

While caring for your people is noble and worth considering, we live in an era where the concerns of the small folk isn't a big legal or even ethical concern by some standards, and applying Internet-age thoughts in the setting makes it OOC at best.
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>>4623378
>>4623383
Then let's disregard modern morality and only have into consideration the interests of the nobility and the lord. Is in our best interest to keep Albeda alive? Is better to keep her around due to her magical power? Will she help us if she is spared and given an influential position as a mage or just try to usurp us again? Will killing her cause negative or possitive repercussions? What do you think? Please, feel free to answer my questions
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>>4623657
>the feeling when your explanation gets eaten by captcha

The short of it is that after the Pentagram collapses, our hold on the Swamp will be stronger that it was before, and Albeda wouldn't be able to muster the support for another insurrection even if she wanted to, barring any extreme fuck ups on our part. Spiritual Escutcheon mitigates the risk she poses magically, and the risk she poses to us becomes a question of how far is she willing to go for her goals. If she's a vengeful, power hungry bitch, you kill her, otherwise her death is inconsequential, positive or negative. Putting her in a important-sounding, but useless position without any power and influence would be good for outsider optics in conflict resolution, Swamp unity, and reputation, and we can keep her occupied with inconsequential tasks if anons are worried about her. Or you can kill her, and no one will fault you for your choice. It really depends on people's risk tolerance.

Her utility as a versatile witch trained by our father could be rather useful, but that again comes to the question of her willingness to help us and our tolerance for risk.
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>>4623923
the best argument you could make would be to stop posting
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>>4624047
*shrug* 'Tis my folly to make. My arguments may be shit, but how else am I supposed to learn?

I bid everyone a good day.
>>
Albeda will stab us in the back first chance she gets. Butcher her like the animal she is. Anything else is simping disguising itself as rationality or mercy.
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>>4623657
I’m just worried about a precedence being formed among players where anyone against us should be brutally executed.
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>>4624130
She does not deserve any grace but must surrender to our will
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>>4625164
But anon, how will we keep the not!Sauron meme afloat? Are you so inconsiderate that you would just straight up kill the meme because of filthy morality and basic decency? MemeSauron had a family anon... they will starve now and it's all your fault (just joking, but yes, anyone that tries what Albeda did is getting nailed into the magical thorne wall)
>>
Just a reminder, in Wong quests, its generally a bad idea to execute your enemies unless they are:

A) Irredeemable Monsters

or

B) Lesbians
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>>4625231
preferably both.
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>>4625231
Eh, that’s meta gaming a bit.
Personally I’m in favor of not killing her because she voted to not kill us, and also that I can’t imagine trying to kill someone I was raised as a sibling with.

That being said, wouldn’t want her to get off scot-free.
Exile her on condition of getting proof that the king attempted to kill our dad, and she can return. Two birds, one stone?
Gets her out of the swamp, gets someone getting information on Chell or the King, she’s motivated to do it to try and get us on board with plan rebellion against the crown, still a punishment so she doesn’t walk totally free.

And we get to not seem like a complete murder-happy young ruler, as Petrine was, and not have to worry about someone trying to step in on us.
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>>4625231
>Lesbians
So that's why Char had to go
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>>4625326
Of course.
Where non-lesbians usually stop being a problem after being defeated, a lesbian's spite ensures that they will continue to lash out even when they have no chance to succeed and nothing to gain but catharsis.
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>>4623356

Keep in mind you are the law.
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>>4624047

I actually thought he made a good point, but ultimately what people are forgetting is that these issues are settled by vote, and thus far the questioning of pardoning Albeda has been far from settled. Both personal insults and "we WILL do X unless you satisfy my ten questions" are personally off putting to me, but I also wholeheartedly encourage shitposting as a matter of course, particularly where it involves waifus.
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>>4625164

Joffreyism is as dangerous as Power of Friendship thinking. I think it was discussed in an earlier thread. Char did deserve to die, in my opinion, but does everyone?
>>
Tbh, I can see Our Not!Sauron spare Abelda simply out of familial love and respect for her place in the family (even if she's not blood).

Make it clear that she lives only because we saw her as our sister (we can't really fall back on no!kinslaying, can we?)

But the next motherfucker (who sees this as weakness) and rises up (against us) gets smacked down hard.
I'm talking 7 generations of family extinguished, and his name stricken from all written memory.

We ain't playing no games, and it'll reinforce in Alb's head that only our love for her spared the idiot from our true wrath.
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>>4625415
So did I, but he was being obnoxious.
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>>4625453
Please anon, the argument alredy ended, let the mini saltstorm die down. On the matter of our enemies, are we planning to spare Shell and the shadowguy or not. I know it depends on what are their goals and if they are too far gone like the feminazi flamedancer, but as a respectable (Laughs) powergamer, I'll rather keep as many assets as possible (have in mind that with assets I refer to people whose usefulness and power greatly compensates any personality flaw or risk to the swamp). About the Shadoweaver, despite being an enemy, we should at least (once we are in a position of power and cannot lose in any meaninful way) capture him and give him to Grandma and the other shadowguys, making sure that we want them to be happy, not to execute him to prove their loyalty, but that he should get the stupid beaten out of him so this shit never happens again.
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>>4625453
*obnoxious bickering starts*
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>>4625500
I'd say yes to both, after some form of punishment, barring anything massive that warrants a death penalty.
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>>4625510
You too want those chimeric horned warhounds of the thorndwellers story, right? Seriously, the ammount of bullshit we can pull just with chimerism and access to wild beasts (crocodiles, wolves, dogs, etc) is too much. As long as we don't go into dragon-sized monsters until we have enough food to feed them without sacrificing people, we can turn this into a good asset for the swamp.
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>>4625520
We need those smoke-carrying lizard mounts somehow, after all.
Like Napoleon’s horse-drawn artillery, but with smoke sculptor engineering corps and a bunch of monsters to carry the braziers fast to positions on the battlefield.
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>>4625520
Hell yea! Monstrous calvary is the dream! It'll totally freak to normies out of their minds!
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>>4625534
Bonus points if we can get them to breath fire
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>>4625537
>fire breathing monstrous calvary
>with the smoke generated, we have mounted smokearchers
>it be like the Huns

Hype!
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>>4625551
You're thinking small, anon.
Go big or go home.
>>
>Give chimerists and chimerism knowledge to shadowbinders.
>Have them bind shadow spirits into living, yet mindless and comatose chimeras (basically living meat that never had a soul, like a fungus or moss).
>Create hord of shadowbending (muh spikes and tentacles), teleporting (at least at night), intelligent familiars that are sustained by the shadowrealm and thus need little to no upkeep aside of the initial summoning costs (Overlord Black Goat of the Woods expy).
> Use magic to snuff out all lights into the enemy camp and do constant nocturnal blitzkrieg assaults until they go insane and rout.
> ??? Profit?
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>>4625586
Combine this with traditional magical swamp guerrilla warfare and powerful fortresses that require moths of siege to fall and you get Nightmare land: the unassailable hell edition
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>>4625589
*Months of constant siege
Weeks would suffice, really. There is only so much that a levy (or trained army at that) is willing to endure, specially if lord Absol magically tells them every morning that it could all end peacefully and immediately if they surrendered, offered their leaders as prisioners and left the swamp with an oath (magical) to never attack again. Or if they joined us as serfs and swore the oath (just in case they are afraid of getting executed if they go back to their homes).
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>>4625573
Remembering we live in a swamp. The larger the beast, the heavier it is. The heavier it is, the slower and prone to sink into the swamp it is.
Not saying massive living war beasts don’t have a place in our military doctrine, just pointing out what comes to mind.

>Jakob crosses the now-Absol mountains with an army of elephants to conquer it?
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>>4625604
We're going motherfucking Hannibal on that goat-fuckers ass.
That bitch thinks he can keep us down with his thot of a daughter? That mountain's ours and no insane-king is stopping us from getting what's rightfully ours.
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>>4625573
The real question is, where can we find elephants?

Also
>create a chimeras out of wolves
>release into the wild
>summonwolves.exe
>chimera wolves show up
>??? Profit?
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>>4625611
We can send our dear best friend on a quest to find an elephant.
His reward? Not getting married to granmama.
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>>4625625
>”Think about it Calim! The stories you’ll have to impress the ladies! Traveling the world, finding exotic beasts, trapping them and bringing them back for the good of the swamp! I’ll even give you a title, First Hunter of Absol!
>”You just made that up, Jakob”
>”Did not!
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>>4625658
His own spin-off quest.

THE HUNTSMARSHAL
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>>4625231

Both Jakob and Daisuke are a lot more free about killing than Roarke, but Roarke grew up in the aftermath of two thirds of the human race being exterminated by the Green Men.
>>
Birthday this weekend, relatives everywhere. Will try to keep everyone posted, if I can't manage this weekend I'll do it Monday for sure.
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>>4627012

No worries Wong, hope the celebration goes without a hitch.
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>>4627012
Is it your birthday or a relative's? Either way enjoy yourself
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>>4627012
Hope the birthday turns out wonderful. Don't worry, and thank you for the updates.
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>>4627012
Happy birthday to you or whomever is having their Birthday!
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>>4627012
Happy Birthmas
>>
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Eventually, the fluffy-haired bard leaves, a smile on her face and her lyre held close, and a young lord goes to sleep, in the halls of an ancient tribe.

That night, the rain falls. Warm, cleansing rain, bearing with it the promise of a flowering spring. Water falls down the Well's main shaft, along the curling, seemingly nonsensical runnels in the stone. When the night is dark enough, one can see strange patterns in those runnels, equations that measure things stranger than numbers, geometry of nonsensical dimensions. Down, down the raindrops go, to the ancient cistern at the bottom, where poisonous albino frogs the size of alligators puff out their throats and sing the song that ushers in the turn of the season. Down, down into the dark. Down where the floor of the cistern is littered in bones, covering up the sub-passages that once existed down there, leading to yet more ancient fanes and galleries. The coils of some nameless thing stir up skulls the way a fish flapping its fins stir up grains of sand, pale eyes turned upwards towards the torchlight and sounds of merriment far above.

But this was not always the place of the Shadowbinders. They found it, restored it, dug out some parts and filled in others, and though the dark is deep, the stones remember things before the dark, when this place was full of light. Light eternal and everlasting. Light that fills the dreams of the young lord.

The sky wheels around you, endless and blue. Kissed with white, and as you soar through it the cool mist clings to you and glistens like sweat. To be free is good, free of the world beneath, free of the weight of memories, of the shackle of sorrow that binds you. Free of the nightmare...

...a deeper dream, men and women gripping shafts of light in their hands, clad head to toe in robes of white silk, kneeling in their circles. At the center of each stands a person, naked, arms uplifted, a shaft of light floating above them. Runes are painted onto every inch of their flesh, and the air is full with the choppy repetition of monosyllabic words woven into increasingly complex sentences and arguments that blend and meld together. In the distance, great towers crumble and fall, and an eerie vibration sets your teeth on edge. The sound comes from above, but you dare not look up. YOU DARE NOT LOOK UP! That is death, for what is there is no longer sky, and if it sees you, if it sees you...

Below almost mirrors the above as you cavort through the clouds, the hillsides are green with fresh grass and flowering bushes, white boulders standing out in mirror of the clouds above. It would be almost perfect, save for the scent of rotting meat. Below you lays a dead fox, a fox as large as a mountain. Its silver fur matted with blood, and pierced with many weapons. Polearms, swords, arrows. Maggots writhe in the shadows cast by its form, eating it bite by tiny bite, sucking down the rotting flesh and growing bloated on its corruption.
>>
>>4629680
2spooky
>>
>>4629680
I'm trying to decide if these are visions of the past, present, or future.
Mostly the Fox's corpse being eaten by maggots. Is it symbolism, with the house of Ryd dead and being picked over by scavengers, or a literal event of a kaiju fox-god avatar dying?

Food for thought I guess.
>>
>>4630367
>literal event of a kaiju fox-god avatar dying?
Why so literal? It could be a metaphor for the real relationship between the magic fox and Ryd ancestors or how they treat their legacy in general.
>>
>>4629680

>multiple hours pass without update following the dream.

Jannies must've got Wong again. Fucking RIP.
>>
>>4630367
The Rhyd killed the silver fox (mountain) and grew fat from it (we see them as parasites, so our perception affects the vision). The Rhyd get killed by the dragon and maggots (Bandits, corrupt men, etc) feast upon them and their riches.
What really spooks me is that before the fox part, a mass ritual of light-aligned priests/mages/cultists (like the ones of the king's religion who are very secretive about their magic and if it could, for example, cause a body degradation curse en mass) with apparently willingly sacrifices calls literal death from above, maybe that's what happened in Chelly or whatever the fanatical purifiers are called, the king summoned one of the bad gods to kill papa Absol and his magicians out of fear. Or maybe some retard summoned a dragon/demon to kill the Rhyd and we are being told "go there fucking fast" in which ccase, I'm sorry for them, we are in the middle of a war
>>
>>4630464
The whole dragon gets reinforced when you remember that dream we had about fleeing from something and then jumping from a giant mouth before death reached us. That or the "for what is there is NO LONGER SKY" refers to the primordial god Sky, that spawned a lot of good and bad shit (gods and dark gods) after getting torn appart by his waifu like a cuck and like that other Sea simp
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>>4630459
Rip

>>4630367
>>4630424
>>4630464
>>4630471
It could just mean that the current Silver Fox, Lord Ryd, is dead.
>>
>>4630464
>>4630471
Also, we could be the dragon in the beginning of the dream, flying though the cloudless skies. I agree that the cult is probably what happened to our father, and it's interesting to note that only one Lord has a serious cult problem...
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>>4630516
So he got killed? Maybe that's why he wanted us to marry his daughter, to protect her because "kill/harm/threaten the future wife of the guy with the mage army next door and you'll die"
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>>4630566
Not only that, but Jakob is probably the best pick around. The Based Lord may just humiliate her, just like he did with his other suitors, and you know you can trust Ralf as far as you can throw him. Hannah! That was just a metaphor-
>>
I'm fine, captcha just refused to let me post for a good while. Besides, it was mostly to let you guys know I was alive and game resumes tonight.
>>
Its eyes open, and with maggots squirming beneath its eyelids, they turn towards you. Seeing you.

You wake with a start, sitting bolt upright in your bed, grasping around in your confusion for your usual pitcher of water. The fire has gone out, and the sunlight reaching down the shaft of the Well barely reaches you. You're alone, in the dark. You open your mouth, not sure whether to call for a guard or spit lightning to give you illumination over and over until you can find a light (sometimes sorcery is undignified that way), when abruptly someone presses an earthenware mug into your hand. As your eyes adjust, you see the dim glow around the hinges of a closed lantern, and hear the soft rattle of metal as it opens.

“Shhh. Don't fuss. You don't need to yell and squall like a baby. Shhh, I'm here.” A gentle hand strokes your hair back from your face, “I thought this might be what happens, Jakey. Not used to being outside your tower in the morning, with the sun saying hello through the windows, right?” Doloranna's face looms disconcertingly over yours in the lantern-light, “Brought you breakfast, and you have a messenger! He came aaaaall the way here from Castle Briarfast, and before that from the mountains.” Her voice lowers to a whisper, “The mountain tribes were tricky dogs, even before they stole the land for themselves. Hidden away amongst the crags and canyons, hidden both from the dark and the light. Be careful.”

>[“Thank you, Doloranna, send him in and then you may return to your quarters.”]
>[“Doloranna, please don't sneak into my room”]
>[“OUT! OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT!”]
>[“Thank you, Doloranna. The message can wait, won't you sit and join me?”]
>>
>>4631712
>[“Thank you, Doloranna. The message can wait, won't you sit and join me?”]

Might as well be polite about this intrusion of privacy.
>>
>>4631712
>[“Thank you, Doloranna. The message can wait, won't you sit and join me?”]
Pick her brain for a bit.
>>
>>4631712
>[“Thank you, Doloranna, send him in and then you may return to your quarters.”]
>>
>>4631712
>[“Thank you, Doloranna. The message can wait, won't you sit and join me?”]
PERFECTLY NORMAL MORNING
Just with Doloranna instead of our normal sweet hunchback coming to give us water and telling us not to try and out drunk Cailm for the hundredth time.
>>
>>4631766
>>4631727
>>4631727
If my vote doesn't win, then I pick this just to tell her that she's banned from entering our room without permission, and that she should at least call and wait for an answer
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>>4631712

>[“Thank you, Doloranna. The message can wait, won't you sit and join me? I had a very strange dream...”]
>>
>>4631712
>[“Thank you, Doloranna, send him in and then you may return to your quarters.”]

Or something alone the lines of stop breaking into my room plz. We’re gonna start sleeping with a blade at this rate.
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>>4631712
Yes, this, changing my vote from >>4631766
To this >>4631777
If we tell her we saw something bad happen to lord Rhyd or his house in our dream and then the messenger tells us about it, we have a witness that can confirm we have prophetic visions and are, in fact, within average wizard levels of insanity
>>
>>4631774
Depends on how good the breakfast is. The best way into a man's heart is always through his stomach, after all. But yea, try not to act like a stalker when we're sleeping, my lovely shadow.
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>>4631810
>The best way into a man's heart is always through his stomach, after all.
CHEESE!!!!
>>
>>4631712
>>[“Thank you, Doloranna. The message can wait, won't you sit and join me? I had a very strange dream...”]
>>
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“Thank you. The message can wait, won't you sit and join me? I had a very strange dream.” You sit up in bed, start to push the covers off...and then realize that you're still in your smallclothes. This could be a problem. “It's a bit cold.” You note casually, “I'll stay wrapped up for now.” Yes, there, that will help you recover your dignity.

Unfortunately, she promptly sits down by your pillow, holding a wooden tray. The smell of crispy bacon and delicious eggs drizzled with melted cheese, along with something else, tickles your nose, “Do you like snake filets? I made some. They're good for you, they make you clever and venomous. Here, you lay on your side, and...put your head on my lap.” She pats her thighs. She's not wearing a dress, but rather what she likely wears under her maille, a padded gambeson and tights. She does have sturdy hobnailed boots with metal discs sewn onto them. Hardly ladylike, but there you go. The clothes conform well to the generous curves of her short body, and she gives you a mischievous smile, possibly noticing you looking, and puffs her chest out. Perhaps it's intentional, perhaps it's unconscious.

“Were you watching me sleep?” You ask, still sitting up.

She pats your head, “Of course I was. You looked troubled, I didn't want to leave you alone, but I didn't want to wake you up in that state either. You're dangerous.” Excitement laces her tone, “That's one of the things I like about you. You could be the most dangerous boy in the world, someday. More than your father.”

“That's a bit of a high bar to set, isn't it?” You reach for the fork, and she gently puts her hand over yours. Firmly. It's bold. Perhaps too bold, but she explains herself promptly.

“I take the first bite. Of everything. If you die, I don't outlive you.” Her tone is soft, quiet, serious. “Grandmama told me what she said to you, and I understand why, but...she speaks the way she has to, for all of us. You don't know, Jakey. You don't understand yet.” Her voice swells with something hard to identify, something you haven't heard in it before, “Even if there is nowhere else to go, why would we accept the Pentacle? Being ruled by creatures like Grey and foreigners like Char? This whole thing...it's stupid, they fought as hard as they could here, from the best position they had, and you crushed them like bugs. Gorol is too smart for this, he always has been. He was when he taught me, and he hasn't gotten stupid out of nowhere!”

[Continue]
>>
You stare at her, “Brother Gloam was your teacher?”

“He was. He encouraged me to learn to fight, to study things other than magic. He even went and helped me find what sort of swords I liked best. He was kind. Smart, smarter than I could ever be. He saw the best in people, the gems that lay in the dark at the bottom of their souls. That's why Grandmama loved him. That's why everyone loved him, but even so...sometimes people you love die. He's going to, I know that. I've accepted it.” She bites her lip, “I'm sorry, I want...please listen, Jakey. I'm not much good with words, but I'm trying my best, okay? Um. My papa was a woodcutter. Mama was a witch, of course, with eyes like mine, but anywhere else in the kingdom, probably in the whole world, I'd be a woodcutter's daughter and nothing else. I'd marry some farmer, spread my legs, squirt out some babies, and never go too far from my hut at night. Maybe I'd learn some woodslore, a couple of the little spells, but I'd never ever ever be able to afford to learn the real magic. This is the only place someone like me could be me. I'll fight for it, and if you die, I'm gonna die too, okay? Not because you're an Absol, not because Grandmama wants me to become Lady Absol, but because you're everything you should be. Everything I want to fight for. My brave, sneaky, decisive, boy who shot me with lightning and called the guards on me!” She hugs you impulsively, then pats your head. “Now put your head on my lap and tell me about your dream.” She lowers her voice, "In places like this, the dark creeps in. It whispers. It tells you the things it has seen, if it likes you, if you have the knowledge to open your ears. The dark is everywhere, and it has seen so, so many things. Don't dismiss it out of hand."

>[Accept Doloranna's lap pillow]
>[Remain seated upright]
>>
>>4631712

>[“Thank you, Doloranna. The message can wait, won't you sit and join me?”]

Mainly to pick her brain over what the mountain man could be here about. Plus, even though I don't think she'd walk off on us with the lantern, this will also give us a bit of time to fully wake up and eat before accepting a potential R*d messenger.
>>
>>4631845
[Accept Doloranna's lap pillow]
"But only because it's cold, Doloranna. Will you tell me more about how to make the dark like me so that it can tell me what it sees, or what it has seen, after I tell you my dream?"
>>
>>4631845
>[Accept Doloranna's lap pillow]
Bah! Fine!
>>
>>4631845

>[Remain seated upright]

We don't want to be ruined for marriage!

Jokes aside, if she's that genuinely concerned about our well-being to potentially want to be our food-taster, she'd understand. Being able to sit up and read her expression as we eat and discuss our dream about the rotting fox carcass would be useful. Plus, we don't want to run the risk of choking to death on a breakfast that she prepared.
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>>4631845
>object on the grounds of proper lordly decorum
But ultimately
>>[Accept Doloranna's lap pillow]
>>
>>4631845
>[Accept Doloranna's lap pillow]

Honestly deserves a reward, after all.
>>
>>4631845
>[Remain seated upright]
Trying to eat while lying down is more than a little awkward.

Apart from that, well, um. A little bit fanatical in her devotion. Loves the legend we’re building of what Jakob Could be a bit more than Jakob himself is my read on it.

She does bring up a good point on the Pentacle perhaps not acting totally in line with what makes sense for them. We’re missing some piece of the puzzle for motivations, certainly in how shell is a total unknown.
>>
>>4631845
>>[Remain seated upright]
>>
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“Are you sure this is dignified?” You ask her suspiciously.

She smiles sweetly, “Of course it is. Couldn't be more dignified, nope. You, with your head on your servant-girl's lap, all cozy while I feed you. I made plenty for both of us.”

“But won't people talk?” You protest.

“Liars get their tongues cut out if I hear it.” She purrs.

“I would like to be able to read your expression.” You admit.

“You put so much weight on things you can see. Most people do. You trust your eyes, even when they lie to you. Listen to my voice. Feel my heartbeat. Taste the food I made for you. Let it draw you down, into me. See me with your true senses, as I really am.” Her voice drops into a whisper.

You lay your head on her thighs, feeling how soft, yet strong they are. She eats a slice of bacon, then holds one up for you to munch on. She eats one of everything on the plate, before you have free reign to share it with her as you like. Occasionally, her nails brush along your ear, or through your hair, petting you gently.

“Only because it's cold.” You say as firmly as you can, which is less firmly than you would like, “Will you tell me more about how to make the dark like me so that it can tell me what it sees, or what it has seen, after I tell you my dream?”

“The dark likes you, or it doesn't. You have the visions in your water-bowl, the dark won't replace those, but from time to time, the kiss of the spirits that live there may touch your dreams. I can teach you to see in places blacker than this, how to weave the power and dance with the shaded ones. Like your papa did.” She smiles, “He never blacked his eyes, and I bet my Jakey won't either, but you can learn the spells. Our gift to you. My gift to you. Now tell your Doloranna everything.”

So you tell her about your dream. Including the fact that you wondered if, perhaps, it had something to do with the priesthood of Mihto, those shafts of light.

Her first words aren't encouraging, “I've never seen a fox that big, wow. I hate it already.” She laughs, “Who knows? I know what I want it to mean. The return of our lands. Your lands. The fox dies, and you soar above it. Even in death, it opens its eyes to behold you. To acknowledge you. Or perhaps I'm wrong, who knows?” She continues to feed you breakfast despite you being perfectly capable of lounging there on your side, feeding yourself. She seems quite happy with this, humming folk songs under her breath, dark eyes half-lidded by blonde lashes as she gazes rapturously down at you. "No matter what, I still like you best."

>[What say?]
>>
>>4631890
>>4631870

Fun fact, eating in a chair at a table was viewed as barbaric and uncomfortable in ancient Rome. Cato the Younger once famously vowed that he would eat sitting in a chair instead of laying on his side until Caesar was deposed, a vow he kept for the rest of his life
>>
>>4631921
Huh I didn't know that, that's genuinely interesting.
>>4631918
>Even better than those that dwell untouched by the sun?
My brain is coming up blank tonight apparently.
Man she went an entire series of posts without calling us birdy.
>>
>>4631918

I'm still a bit partial to never really permanently Attuning to a school. Bring all the traditions of Swamp Magic to court as the Absol, unified in purpose for the swamp and it's people's betterment. Probably be a hassle given the annoyance in casting Words of Attunement before anything of major power, but we've already proved to Albeda that sorcerous might alone isn't the key.

As for what to say to Dolly here, we could ask her some more about the messenger. I'm also half-tempted to ask her actual opinion on Hannah, if only to give her a hard time. She's starting to grow on me though like a moss, and if she does wind up merely as a trusted advisor instead of our waifu4laifu, may as well start getting her actual views on the ones we're already starting to gather to us, since she's in a pleasant mood right now. Some things may have slipped past us, that a jealous woman would have caught onto.
>>
>>4631918
Thank you.

This may have been a stronghold of Mihto, once upon a time.
>>
>>4631937

The genuine sense a lot of the NPCs ingame have is that you won't attune, because your father didn't attune, and because it might be construed as favoritism. In addition, it's noted that your strongest school is Smoke Sculpting, which requires no attunement. Not all of your ancestors did that, some did attune, some weren't sorcerers at all (bizarre, I know) beyond the most basic spells.
>>
>>4631937
Agreed, on both fronts. A Sorcerous Lord mustn't show favoritism amongst magic schools, least there be dissent in our court. Plus, Shade does have an unique view on thing we'd be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
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>>4631945
>Not all of your ancestors did that, some did attune, some weren't sorcerers at all (bizarre, I know) beyond the most basic spells.
That one Absol ancestor that just lived their entire life hunting swamp foul and gardening around the wall of thorns. Unaware of the legion of dead Absol ghosts reeeeeeeeing at them.
Mostly because they lack any magic at all, not just the ability to see ghosts.
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>>4631918
>I will do my best to ensure your devotion is not misplaced.

I got nothing. Interpersonal talk not my forte. I do wonder, though, if another Absol were here, representing the Swamp as we do, would she be just as devoted to them?

>>4631937
Permanent attuning seems like a big no no if we want to stay flexible, because doesn’t it lock you out of other schools besides your attuned one?
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>>4631918
"It will be as you said, Doloranna.. I can feel it. Important not to get too ahead of ourselves, though- the Pentacle must fall first before I can recognize those dreams- and I am relying on you and Grandmama both to support me, in many ways."
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>>4631950

You might need to read some of what she said more carefully if you think that is the case. Doloranna has many flaws, but she likes Jakob -personally-. Him. Not the Absol lordship. She made that clear before she knew who he was, and she in her own, awkward way made it clear again here.
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>>4631940

For the sake of speed, I'll just ask you to do this. Roll 7d10 for me. It's Knowledge+Sorcery, since you're trying to suss something out about magic rather than, say, general lore or theology.
>>
Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>4631949

>legion of dead Absol ghosts reeeeeeeeing at them

Amadeus Absol would just be grinning ear from ear, as the mundane ancestor is gutting gators and trimming back the hedges. Acting in the best interests of the knightly tradition by finding some big gribbly thing, and killing it to hang on the wall.

>>4631950

Yeah, from what I remember it locks you out of other School's magic, letting you reinvest them into the Attuned school. Any extra exp is refunded, so that you can use it in other skills and techniques. Could be wrong though.

>>4631954

Dice!
>>
Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>4631954
DICE FOR THE DICE GODS AND THE SPOOKY THINGS UNTOUCHED BY THE LIGHT!
>>
Rolled 5 (1d10)

>>4631954
Dice check time
>>
Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>4631961
>>4631954
We need more master dice
FOR THE UNTOUCHED ONES!
>>
Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>4631954

The dice must flow, like rain into the Well.
>>
Rolled 4, 7, 10, 1, 1, 5, 8 = 36 (7d10)

>>4631954
Yoshi!
>>
Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>4631954
Come on go for width!
>>
>>4631968
And now it decides to roll.
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>>4631968

Since you're the one I asked, I'm taking your 10. With your MD, the final result is 4x10.
>>
>>4631977
>4x10
UNLIMITED ARCANE KNOWLEDGE!
>>
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“Thank you. I'll do my best to ensure your devotion is not misplaced.” You reply awkwardly, then return to a more comfortable topic, “This might have been a stronghold of Mihtoism, once upon a time. Those mages and the light I saw...” You remember the sense of fear the moment you thought of looking up, in that dream within a dream. However, you know abruptly this isn't right. “No, it can't be.”

She shakes her head, “Why would Mihtoists fear the sky above? Always they reach up, up, up waiting for something to grab their hand and lift them a little higher.” Her voice drops to a whisper.

“Because the sky was no longer the sky, but they weren't Mihtoists. The priests of the Sun God internalize their light, just as you internalize your darkness. They invite divine power...or so they claim...” You start.

“Into themselves.” She smiles, “Ah-ah-ah, not quite! Their spirits have no sense of humor! They control, they enslave, they get bossy or sulky. Ours just play tricks sometimes. Plus they don't share!”

You pop a chunk of grilled snake into your mouth, “Don't let your biases blind you. Many of their priests do go blind, you know. If they fail their final test. They have to stare at the sun and pray for their attunement, and without it they cannot cast. As you said, no sharing. No temporary attunement. They would never use runes, or a symbol of power like a staff, for their strength supposedly comes from within. This was something else. Something...I've never heard of.” And THAT is a rare magic indeed. Or is it?

Something about this place doesn't sit right with you. This ruin. Abruptly it hits you. There is no mortar in these walls, no mark of a chisel. No bricks. No cobblestones. The rock is smooth, as if this entire structure was something all built in one piece, the bedrock pulled up, opened out, reshaped. A cold chill runs up your spine. “What IS this place?” What magic could have done that? What spell could be that powerful? This place is no natural cave, it does not follow the patterns of water flowing through the earth. The carvings and mosaics in the wall, the touches done by the Shadowbinders themselves, are as new and transient as a coat of paint on something ancient and yet somehow...casual in its construction.

[Continue]
>>
Oh lord is the entire inside of this structure a magic construct?
.... Or has it been simply brought into this world from a different plane of reality?
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Whatever you saw, it is no magic of the modern world. Nothing of the future, either. The simple, archaic robes. The tools they held, glowing with arcane force. The runes daubed on the flesh of those at the center of the circles. The primordial sense of the magic you felt flooding you in that image. It was something old. Something ancient. You knew the land of Vartyne was dotted with strange ruins. Magdal itself is one, and so is the windworn statue of a giant woman with an unspeakably beautiful mouth that earned the province of Passionlip its name. Yet now, only now, you feel as if you have hit on some grand connection. A people powerful beyond reckoning. A people terrified beyond reason. Somehow, it is connected to the events in Ryd.

What if the dragon is real after all? What does it mean? A great beast, rotting?

“We don't know what it is, Jakey.” Doloranna says softly, but there is excitement in her voice, “Grandmama says we once lived here, found a shelter where we could live.”

“It didn't save them.” You say, softly. You abruptly realize that as the two of you have continued to eat while you talk, the food is gone.

“Save who?” Doloranna asks, confused, “Jakey? Lord Jakob!” Her voice uses its usual teasing note as she pats you a bit more firmly on the head than necessary.

“What?! I'm here, I'm here.” You shake your head, but that sense of mystic awe clings to you. It's easy, sometimes, to get used to the power of sorcery, to see it as a tool, a weapon, one of several in your arsenal. While it is those things, and that is why you will inevitably defeat Albeda, you cannot let yourself lose your sense of awe.

Something about this revelation strengthens your grip on the flows of magic. You are, somehow, more powerful than before. You can feel it.

[You have aquired additional spells]

>[“I had better see to that messenger, what did he want again? Go get him, then go up top and get the army ready to march.”]
>[“I had better see to that messenger, what did he want again? Stay here while I speak with him, you may be needed.”]
>>
>>4632008

If it is it predates not just Vartyne, but the tribes that inhabited this region when the Vartynes arrived.
>>
>>4632002
Oh shit, the stone-hearted guys? Or weird not!lovecraftian cultists... Gloam is long lost and gone, isn't he? Because if this guys had magic that could revive people via human sacrifice to a dark fragment of Sky or Sea (would explain the tentacular aescethic) or something, then anyone that wants to save him (like me) is going to start seeking ways to purge him from the world instead (I've seen too much of Hellboy's Ra-Ra-Rasputin to know that simply killing is not enough)
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>>4632011

>[“I had better see to that messenger, what did he want again? Go get him, then go up top and get the army ready to march.”]

We've got shit to do, and the men will probably appreciate being back home for a time before we move onto Shell's bolthole at the Ruined Tower.
>>
>>4632012
H-how many nat 10's of width would we need to make a construct last millenia? >>4632011
>[“I had better see to that messenger, what did he want again? Stay here while I speak with him, you may be needed.”]
I kinda want to explore this place a bit more before we match on the tower.
We can frame it as giving the army an extra days rest as a reward.
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>>4632017
Also I am Fully expecting this messenger to be a livid Ameranthe here to play Regicide or yell at us about Dragons
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>>4632011
>[“I had better see to that messenger, what did he want again? Go get him, then go up top and get the army ready to march.”]

We've still got some rebel remnants to style on.
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>>4632013

My apologies, but...
>The carvings and mosaics in the wall, the touches done by the Shadowbinders themselves, are as new and transient as a coat of paint on something ancient and yet somehow...casual in its construction.
>>
>>4632011
>>[“I had better see to that messenger, what did he want again? Go get him, then go up top and get the army ready to march.”]
>>
>>4632017

A staggering amount. An unspeakable amount. An inhuman amount. However with that 4x10 I can answer this question with a perhaps more terrifying answer. This place is real. A counterspell with Spiritual Escutcheon backing it up at the rank that lets you just dispel magic would do nothing to these stones. They were made by some titanic magical force, but they exist, physical stone wrought to someone's will.
>>
>>4632011
>[“I had better see to that messenger, what did he want again? Go get him, then go up top and get the army ready to march.”]

A lord needs his privacy, after all. I'd love to explore a bit, though.
>>
Oh right, one other thing that needs to be voted on, before we pause the game for tonight and resume tomorrow.

>[Leave a garrison at the Well]
>[Take your entire army with you]
>>
>>4632025
Daaaamn
I want to be able to roll that many dice for a spell at least once okay.....
Also if we have smoke form spells that let us turn smoke into solid forms
And the Shadowbinders have spells that let them melt Into the shadows as well as give shapeless beings shadow forms.
Can we A. Get some kind of magic that lets us form shadows into objects.
And B. If so could wr either imprison a Shadowbinder who had turned into shadow like that
I was thinking maybe we could do that to also use willing Shadowbinders as even more spy rolls, but then I remember Doloranna saying she couldn't see or hear while hiding within a shadow.
>>
>>4632030
>>[Leave a garrison at the Well]
>>
>>4632030

>[Leave a garrison at the Well]

Don't want Gloam and his remaining cronies to just waltz right back in when we leave. At the least they may be able to send a rider to warn us.
>>
>>4632031

You actually could effectively imprison a Shadowbinder in an ageless state permanently by trapping them in a shadow they're hiding in.
>>
>>4632030
>[Leave a garrison at the Well]

It's our Well now, damnit! I'll not have those rebel vagrants causing a stink here for the moment.
>>
>>4632041
So we imprison Gloam into a shadowform Vase for umpteen decades in width.....
>>
>>4632046
Wait, is this how Grandmama has managed to live for so long?
She just sleeps hidden in the shadows not aging during the night?
>>
>>4632048
Or the day, or whenever she "sleeps"
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>>4632048

You can't really sleep in that state. Grandmama has managed to live as long as she has on a combination of love and spite.
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>>4632054
A wise lady I see. But I would prefer a better "temporary" immortality than that for our MC (until we find a better, permanent and bullshit one), like a weapon/spell that allows us to add the remaining natural lifespan of our enemies to our own without damaging/killing their souls (Elric's sword or the chalice from Pirates of the Caribean, I don't want to go around permakilling people, you just don't do that), just good old blood sacrifice in battle, which can be argued to be more moral than simply killing in battle, because at least you gain something tangible from it and can use your extra time to help others (a win win if you execute horrible people with it. Like criminals, etc)
>>
>>4632071
But blood magic and dark magic usually turns people into monsters or at least irredimable assholes or just insane
>>
>>4632030
>>[Leave a garrison at the Well]
>>
>>4632071
Just become one with Castle Briarfast's living Thorn wall....
>>
>>4632030
>>[Leave a garrison at the Well]
>>
>>4632080
Or better, let's find a way of doing the whole indestructible object/philactery that can posses things without a soul, then learn how to make human-looking homunculus with the potential of doing everything a person can do but without a mind/soul. We posses the homunculus ala Palpatine with his clones (avoiding the whole "burns the bodies by being too powerful" problem). As Wong said, you have two immortality forms: sustaining your existence unnaturally (which tends to involve sacrifices and can turn you inhuman in actions and mentality), or ceasing to be human in body (which can also turn you inhuman in mind and actions). The homunculus possesion would be, if properly done, one of the second, turning you into a living magical construct but without affecting your mind and without having to do things that turn you into a monster (at least by the setting's moral compass, we nailed someone to a wall of thorns, I doubt that sacrificing a few rapists or mass murderers every century would be such a big deal, they were going into the wall anyways, and we don't want our thorny friend to get chubby).
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>>4632102

There is no "tends", immortality always has a cost in lives, that cost seems to be mitigated by how much your form of immortality sucks for someone wanting to live a human life. For someone permanently trapped as a sentient magical artifact, the cost is very low...their own life. The more ways you find with your form of immortality to remain active in the world as a human, the most blood it will cost to sustain. There is a reason why even a great sorcerer like Arnveis the Black opted to train one promising mage and sire another instead of becoming an immortal swamp-thing. Well, two reasons, existing forever without his beloved and watching the children he'd raised (Albeda, Cailm, and Jakob) grow old and die in obscurity would have tortured him.
>>
>>4632109
>>4632102

In short, what you're proposing would let you act in the world as a human, and thus your homunculi would need a fairly steady diet of living people to remain animate.
>>
What do you think about this topic guys? Would you rather live a normal human life and then die of old age or achieve immortality? Would you aim for one of our descendants to have it if we fail with the current MC? What method would you choose, or bullshit into existence? Does Grandma jump into the bodies of young, brainwashed maidens/her grandchildren or is just like Mister Burns from the Simpsons? Could she be more based and redpilled? The answer is "in any case, don't trust her fully, but probably yes"
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>>4632116

Live a normal human life, have many swamp babies with our loving wife, and pass into the darkness as a lord beloved by the people, our successor ready to continue helping the Swamp flourish. A desirable fate for any Absol, really. Immortality is a crime against all, and only fools dare to achieve it, given the costs in life it requires.
>>
>>4632109
>>4632112
Well fuck, so immortality in the setting is only for assholes? Then it's not worth even considering at all. If we could replace people sacrifice with animals or reduce the cost as much as possible without losing everything that makes life worth living, then yes. But just having to kill others to live another day or existing in boredom as an object is shit. I think we are better off prolonging our life/youth with magic as much as possible without turning into a monster, and learning all the magic we can before writing it down and teaching others, you know, bring prosperity to the world without going full cultist
>>
>>4632124

Life cannot be bought without life, and the souls of humans, which can use sorcery, are special. Now, if you were to transcend being human, and somehow become a divine being, that would be different...but then you wouldn't be existing as a human anymore, would you?
>>
>>4632116

Grandmama has actually lived a very full life and has, I believe, mentioned previously that she has trained some of her descendants to succeed her when she inevitably passes.
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>>4632136
Ah yes, brother Gloam Grandmama's fated successor who was barred from going to the front lines with our father...
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>>4632141

Arad's even worse off because so many of his senior students went to Cheill to gloriously crush their ancient enemy. Remember, the Cheillans used to, in the days before the swamp became Vartyne clay, send bands of warrior-pilgrims on quests across the desert and grasslands to capture sorcerers in order to ritually torture them to death to free their magic.
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>>4632144
Is this why he isn't competing with Grandmama by throwing one of his own apprentices into the Waifu ring?
They're all dead.
>>
>>4632134
Kek, we develop smoke magic to the limit and turn into Jakob, god of smoke, inventor of tobacco, weed and patron of smoked meats
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>>4632148

Not so much. His senior apprentices would be a bit old for Jakob in any case. Partially, it's just not his way to compete to marry a relative of his to the current Absol the way Grandmama does. Partially, it's because that connection already exists through Jakob's mother, Lenida of Grand Crag .
>>
>>4632054
>Local Grandmama too angry to die
>>
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>>4632124
Embrace the tree life, anon.
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>>4632116
Dying of old age is an accomplishment in of itself. I mean, not falling victim to battle, backstabbings or assassinations (Caesar), poison or sickness (Alexander), or random ancient curses/elder gods (Father). There's a lot of things that can kill us, but living long enough to prepare a successor and turn over ruling to them is where I'd like to be.
Bonus points for building an empire that isn't gonna immediately disintegrate into pieces taken by various provincial rulers or successors, like so many other nations built by a single warlord.

I've got this mental image of us going out as an old guy one last time to face down something that our descendants can't handle, akin to Beowulf facing the dragon. Immortality via story and saga, not blood rituals or pacts with lesser gods.
>>
>>4632409
I'd be satisfied with our life being akin to Cyrus the Great, with Beowulf's ending an added bonus.
>>
>start writing out what I had planned for today
>realize it really isn't long enough to merit its own day
>thread on page 9

I'll be around to answer questions and stuff, but between this and my migraine, I think I'll save it for Friday.
>>
>>4633583
No worries. Hope you feel better tomorrow, Wong.
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>>4633583

S'all good Wong, hope the migraine gets better.
>>
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Hey guys, im drawing a fan art for fluffy bard. If you got any suggestions for clothes or others would be helpful.
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>>4635893
Hell yea floofy fan art
Well, dresses are probably out, because she normally spends most of her time on the road. That being said, she is a performer, so some splashes of colored clothing are definitely appropriate to draw the eye. Anything that makes her stand out from the crowd, and be more exotic for her audience while being appealing. A bit of google-fu tells me that there were a ton of different dyes available for colors, so you can probably pick and choose whatever you want in terms of color.

Wish I could help more, but medieval fashion is not my strong suit.
>>
>>4635893
Fur-lined travel gear, for when she was on campaign with us. Great art btw!
>>
>>4638311

New thread up.



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