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>>6109142
14 days.

A mere 14 days is how long you've been here in Avalon. Each day brings with it something new. A new power, a new enemy, or...

A new mystery to unravel when there's already so much to do.

In the flickering light of your candle, you hold two Survival Booklets that should not exist. The fires of the hateful World's Backlash reduced them to ashes.

So why are they here in your office!?

Your eyes run over the familiar kanji characters that form Kuroda, and then it shifts over to Nagumo. No matter how many times you rapidly pass your eyes over to each name, they remain the same.

You reach over and snuff out the candle. The room plunges into the darkness. Some things should be pondered where light can never reach.

You don't try to understand the exact mechanics of how exactly these books magicked themselves into existence in your office. You assume Avalon bullshit. It's understandable if it was just your True Name following around like a bad habit. It's apparently something you have to keep secret if Vivian is to be trusted.

But Nagumo Kyouya's name is also here. Why is the name of your classmate slash rival slash .... ‘friend’? Yeah, you can probably list her as a friend, but you shall remain surly about it. Anyways, why is her name here in Avalon? The last time you saw her was in Asahikawa during the first Quest and discovering that you had gone widdershin'. Ended up fighting Gawain due to a severe misunderstanding and dragging your classmates to the Tourney Grounds.

The air in the office is still and oppressive as outlandish theories crowd your brain and you try to recall that day in Asahikawa.

You had gone through the Gate for the first time with Yatagarasu.

Landed in Smile Hotel, where your classmates were staying.

And ran into your annoying friend straight away. You were so happy to see her.

She saw Yatagarasu and...

THERE WAS NO BACKLASH.

This realization is like a bolt of lightning; you stagger and sit down on the crude wooden chair. You recall also that Miki and Haruhi saw Yatagarasu that day too, and there was no Backlash either. Nor when Gawain made her appearance and attacked.

Why?! How!? Does Kyouya have the Chevauchée Trait? Is she a magical girl? Or is she just super lucky to have powers and has no idea?

The night stretches out the seconds slowly. The only conclusion you come to is that this mystery isn't going to solve itself any time soon. To bed, maybe some rest will give you more energy to think things through. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day of deception and spying against the Romans.

Wait.

What are you going to do with these booklets?

>Burn them, maybe it'll stick this time....
>Rip them up into little pieces....
>Hide them, but where?!.... (any suggestions?)
>Eat your True Name, also eat Kyouya's name...
>Put them back on the shelf...
>Go to the Temple, put them in the Crucible to melt...
>Carry the Booklets on your person...

>>6109144
>Hide them, but where?!.... (any suggestions?)
Is there a small cool and dry place for them? Perhaps in a box placed in a secret wall compartment? They're beyond value. They are here for a reason. OURS especially is the sole link we have to our True Name and is a requirement for our freedom from this dimension. Destroying either of these booklets is the height of foolishness and should not even be an option.

>>6109144
>Put them back on the shelf...

>>6109144
>>Put them back on the shelf...

>>6109144
>>Carry the Booklets on your person...

>>6109233
This. I'm thinking we put it under some security measures at LEAST four resident evil puzzles deep. Fetch innocuous items from across the entire damn kingdom and slot them into seemingly random spots to unlock the next item to do it all over again.

>>6109484
>resident evil puzzles
In JP, that's "Biohazard". For Resident Evil 7, they made the title read "Bioha7ard" where in EN it's "Resident EVII_"

>>6109233
>>6109484
hide them

>>6109235
>>6109236
put them back on the shelf

>>6109416
carry them with you

Hm, tied between put them back or hide them somehow.

I'll leave the vote open for a bit longer.

>>6109649
>Write several fake names on them then hide them.

>>6109144
>Write several fake names on them then hide them resident evil style by grabbing several innocuous items from all over the kingdom and putting them in seemingly random obscured spots.

>>6109233
We already have our True Name, and it's impossible for anyone to take it from us once we already have it back. However, someone else learning our name could be a terrible thing, as names have much power here in Avalon, so destroying those books makes perfect sense. I just don't think it'll work since they've already been destroyed before.

Came home a bit early.
So I'm going to lean to 'hide it' with the intention of adding a bunch of fake names and doing weird J-horror game esque fetch game/quests.

If only you had a pen....

>>6110149
No need for a pen, all the best riddles and clues are ENGRAVED!
And we can leave intentionally misleading engravings too!

Was called out to an emergency, so no post tonight.

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That night on the tiny sandy island after your first Quest was something you'll never forget. The despair of discovering that no one remembered you was crushing. Bitterness lingers in the memory of that moment, for that is when you learned of the requirements of taking back your rightful place in the World.

Know your True Name. Find the Lady of the Lake to learn your Geas, but try not to inadvertently violate this unknown requirement in the meanwhile or else you'll never return home. Finally, discover the last secret requirement, which apparently no one in Avalon knows.

The Gods must favor you, your True Name fell into your hands because of this humble Survival Booklet.

You possess your True Name! None can take it from you.

But now? This Booklet containing your True Name is a massive liability. You don't know what the consequences are if someone discovers it, you've already experienced the penalty of ill-considered words. You are half-tempted to destroy the fragile mass of papers, but this damn thing somehow survived the World burning it to ashes, so it's likely just going to return to haunt you.

There is no way you can just put it back on the shelf and ignore it either. It's too precious to leave out in the open.

Your only option then is to hide it.

Somehow.

The darkness of the office is excellent to plot in. There is nothing to distract you, the only sound you can hear is your breathing. Ideas of what to do float vaguely to the surface of your thoughts until one phrase dominates.

'Remember, all warfare is based on deception'.

There are three names written down. Why not add fake names to the pages and scatter them all over the Castle --- No, all over Avalon! Send potential spies and enemies on a merry chase to find something to use against you that's completely false. Acquiring a pen to scribble names down shouldn't be difficult, all it takes is just one raid of the World!

You place the booklet with your True Name in the bag of green coffee beans to hide them before returning it to the chest. It's a temporary measure.

With the booklet containing Nagumo Kyouya's name, you carefully cut the pages out at random. There are 30 pages in the thing. You take out page 3, 8, 15, 16, 19, 26 and 30 and start writing fake names on them in crayon at random. Heck, you even come up with fake names for your fellow Lost Children too!

'Mori Terumoto'
'Takeda Shinobu'
'Ser Rodomote - Murasaki Tadayuki'
'Vivian of the Waters - Sofia Spadaro'
'Lucius Hiberius - Date Mineko'

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>>6111013

This is sort of fun. You can drop these pages off in odd locations in the Camelot and the Castle. Eventually, you'll designate a place marked with the same numbers etched into wood somewhere. A totally false puzzle game. The rest of the pages of the thing might end up elsewhere. You don't fill up all the pages just yet, you want to acquire some actual pens to make more fake names. All the better to disguise forgery.

This leaves you with the booklet containing Nagumo Kyouya's name, 南雲暁夜. The characters are 'south' and 'cloud' for her family name, and her personal name is 'dawn' and 'night'. A contradictory personal name for a maladroit girl but an elegant one. You put her mutilated booklet on the shelf for now.

The night passes peacefully as you take to your bed. No dreams, but ideas float to mind on where to place forgeries. Elaborate engravings of stone and wood, strategically placed pillars, movable bookshelves, secret sea caves, pots and chests, and all sorts of fun nonsense flip past in your sleep.

Just when you are about to grasp the final form of your frustrating and tedious fetch quest forgery, you are rudely awakened! You crash out of bed and on to the hard stones; slivers of wood from the bed frame fly off in all directions like a mist. It is a painful awakening, nothing at all like how the servants gently open the wooden shutters of the bedroom, revealing the newly born sun rising in the sky.

"Arise, feeder of carrion birds! Tis time, tis time, tis time to slake my thirst for wolves wine and revel in the quarrel of weapons!" A voice like stone grinding on stone cackles with glee at the possibility of impending violence.

Your eyes fly open to see the Herald, Dread Agreste, looming over you.

"Herald, must every word out of your mouth have to sound so overwrought?"

"Hmph, lesser preparer of speech, thou art merely smarting to the wounds of thy soul because standing before thee is a true smith of refrains. I shall await at the main Gate. Know that I will only linger until the morning bell tolls. Aye, no longer than that for your coming."

With that, the Herald melts into the stones of your room and disappears. At last, Agreste got bored enough and wants to spar! You have a mere 30 minutes before the morning bell tolls to get to the main Gate! Can you make it in time?

>Jump out the window and down the walls, your endurance is enough to tank the fall...
>Get a bronze pot from the kitchen, you can use it to slide down the hilly parts of Camelot...
>Grab a wooden shield from a guard for extra defense, then head to the Gate...
>RUN! No time to waste, you should be able to make it....
>Send a servant out to delay the ringing of the morning bells! They might be fast enough...
>write in

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>>6111014
>Jump out the window and down the walls, your endurance is enough to tank the fall...
There's a technique to cushioning one's fall with a spear. It's used by Shepherds on the Canary Islands. We could attempt it with Frostbind.

>>6111035
I actually did think of that but I figure I'd use that option as a reserve if Haruka screws up on her roll to succeed... That or use magical ice power to make a slide of some sort while shredding her clothing from the friction.

>>6111014
>>RUN! No time to waste, you should be able to make it....

>>6111014
>>Get a bronze pot from the kitchen, you can use it to slide down the hilly parts of Camelot...

>>6111014
>Get a bronze pot from the kitchen, you can use it to slide down the hilly parts of Camelot...

>>6111014
>Get a bronze pot from the kitchen, you can use it to slide down the hilly parts of Camelot...

>>6111014
>Get a bronze pot from the kitchen, you can use it to slide down the hilly parts of Camelot...
It's time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f64nXt1z4XU

>>6111014
>>RUN! No time to waste, you should be able to make it....

>>6111035
JUMP

>>6111113
>>6111267
RUN

>>6111132
>>6111228
>>6111251
>>6111252
SLIDE

>>6111516
Here OP, a classic for you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrCLBuf0Yec

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You could run, but that means arriving at the gate already exhausted before fighting the violent stoneman. Also, you don't have confidence that you can arrive before the time limit.

Perhaps it's time to experiment with an idea that had been percolating in your brain for awhile. You run out of your bedroom while struggling to pin the Black Prince in place and rush to the kitchen. The corridor just outside is alive with servants dashing towards your room. They had heard the bed splinter into pieces.

"Meep, what was that racket? Are you okay, your Majesty!?" One of the servants shouts.

"I'm fine! Everyone out of the way!"

You bark out the order, and the Baphomets jump out of your way in the corridors. It takes a few minutes, but you arrive at the busy kitchen. Smoke, the smell of meat, baking oatcakes, and boiling sauces greet your nose long before seeing it. You order all unused pots and pans to be shown.

The kitchen staff hastily laid out unused bronze and brass cooking pots and pans on the stone floor without question. One particular item attracts your attention. It is an oblong shallow pot as long as a snowboard. It is the perfect vessel to convey your kingly self to the main Gates of Camelot.

You grab the surprisingly light metal pan and dash towards a location that had attracted your attention and sparked imagination every time you walked up to the Castle. There are tatebori vertical dry moats chiseled into gently sloping sides of the heights that go all the way down into the city. The defensive feature is almost like a sliding track.

The rain has made everything slick and wet; it only needs a slight application of your ice powers to freeze and become a smooth passage.

"Grant me an icy path to glide downwards to my opponent."

The familiar tingle of magic shivers down your finger pointing towards the path you want to take. Whitish frost forms on the dew soaked grass. It is time to kick off...

>3 anons, roll 2d6 each!....

Rolled 6, 4 = 10 (2d6)

>>6111752

Rolled 6, 6 = 12 (2d6)

>>6111752

Rolled 2, 1 = 3 (2d6)

>>6111752

>>6111771
>>6111777
>>6111820
3 successes

>>6112046
we might get our ass handled in the next fight, but we're gonna arrive with STYLE

>>6112059
The meeps are going to be telling tales of this

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The path of frost is such a fine and pure white that even the meager sunlight spreading upon it is dazzling to the point of blindness. Vassals below in the city look up to the snaking tendril of whiteness in surprise and wonder; there is a shout from somewhere, and all eyes snap upwards to look at you.

It's quite the audience; more than a few Baphomets are shouting at you to stop while others are confused, unsure what their monarch is planning.

"Well, let's get going!" You cheerily say to no one in particular. With a single thought, footholds of ice on the metal board form, and then you push off the edge.

Gravity grabs hold and drags you downward. The sound of crunching snow and the swoosh of the board's passage is terribly out of place in the still warm season of fall.

You let out a whoop of joy from the sheer exhilaration of speed! Wind whistling in your ears as you plummet downwards from the heights, the Castle recedes behind in a blur of pure motion. The familiar joy that all snowboarders feel as the board beneath gathers speed and unmoors them from the concerns of the commonplace.

Broad lines of ice form new paths and bridges to traverse, and you shift your weight as necessary to make turns. Baphomets twist their necks to catch a blurred glimpse of your passage through the streets of Camelot. There were points where it was simply easier to take to the air and avoid obstacles by jumping over the stunned heads of goatmen and carts in the street.

It is a swift passage; you arrive at the great Gate of Camelot in mere minutes. The broken white Walls are manned today on account of the Roman ship out in the bay, and those posted close to the main Gate peer down at you.

"Here I am Agreste! Ready for battle!" You say with a boldness born from the joy of your preposterous 'snowboarding' journey. You marvel at the ice still standing in the morning sun that stretches from the Castle all the way to the main Gates. Already, industrious vassals hack away at the ice and take it way in carts for some other purpose.

This lapse in attention was clearly a bad idea. You feel the stones below your feet shudder violently, and a pillar of stone punches out to throw you bodily into the air like a doll. Spinning rapidly, you barely have time to summon a gigantic slide of ice to catch your metal board and ski back down to the ground.

"Thou art fortunate, battle callow Morte Jeune, that I do not intend to render thee as meat for eagles and hawks."

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>>6112948
Stepping out from the stones of the Walls, Dread Agreste strides forth towards you with fists clenched for battle. You kick away the 'snowboard' and summon Frostbind to battle.

You need to take advantage of this moment and train! What do you intend to focus on?

>SPEAR ATTACK!
>BLOCK AND PARRY!
>DODGE!
>ICE ATTACK!
>USING THE BATTLEGROUND!
>write in

>>6112949
>BLOCK AND PARRY!
Observe how he fights. We know nothing about him or his style

>>6112949
>SPEAR ATTACK!
The best defense is overwhelming offense. We already know the existence of moves that can bypass any defense. Blocking, dodging? Useless. Best to kill before thou art killed. In the worst case scenario, we can kill at the same time we are killed. In which case, we can sometimes return, depending on who it is we're fighting.

>>6112949
>>SPEAR ATTACK!

>>6112949
>BLOCK AND PARRY!
The one attack we're afraid of is undodgeable, but not unblockable.

>>6112949
>>BLOCK AND PARRY!

>>6112949
>>BLOCK AND PARRY!

>>6112959
>>6113140
>>6113160
>>6113387
block parry

>>6112970
>>6113139
attack

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You had wondered if 'Dread' was just a title of courtesy for Agreste. Mordred is 'Lord' and Rodomonte is 'Ser' after all. The lightning quick blows from the heavy stone fists of the Spriggan lend more weight to the idea that it is more of a factual description of the overwhelming might he possessed.

If there's a weakness or flaw somewhere in the attacks, you are too inexperienced to exploit or notice them. Using the shaft of Frostbind, you parry away the first fist blow but cannot recover fast enough to parry the other. In a panic, you call up an ice wall to block the other fist, which shatters in pieces as Agreste blows right through. Luckily, the wall of ice weakened the power of the blow enough that the punch only hurts a lot. You taste blood; your teeth must have cut the inside of your cheek.

You take a few steps back, trying to buy a bit of distance from the stone man, but he isn't letting that happen.

It is tempting to say that focusing on blocking and parrying is a conscious choice, but there's a large element of 'this stone bastard is so fast and strong, you can't even launch an attack' mixed in.

"Ye do not breathe well. Thou art not yet a corpse, Morte Jeune. The more ye hold thy breath while fighting, the weaker and slower ye shall become. Warriors must spit out breath, or remember to let loose battle cries so as to vent the wind within; doing so will naturally force warriors to breathe in."

Easy for something made of stone to say! He doesn't have to breathe! Despite your irritation, you try to follow his advice and force out a weak battle cry before taking a large gulp of air.

And so it goes throughout the melee with commentary and criticism of virtually everything you do. Even with tactical summoning of ice to block, whipping Frostbind to knock away blows, and even occasionally an attack attempt, nothing seems to impress the Spriggan. Your attacks are too slow and obvious. Agreste's quick eye notes how you telegraph each attempt and merely knock away the attack or sidestep it. Your blocks are too weak; Agreste's fists smash through and still hit your body. Your parries cannot recover fast enough for multiple strikes.

"Ye retreat too much; soon thy back shall touch the Walls! Pay attention to thy surroundings!"

A blow from behind sends you sprawling to the stony ground. It is shocking since Agreste is right in front. You turn and glimpse a pillar of stone jutting out from the Walls, slowly crumbling into dust.

Trait: Dagda Praises Me - Beloved by the earth, it blesses you. Stones obey your commands, metal too... So long as you touch Logres.

You are very very very glad that Agreste is not your enemy. Your arms are shaking from exhaustion, and it's only been at least ten minutes since combat began.

"Bah, enough of this farce. What did that stupid boy Rodomonte mention about combat again? Level zero? Yea, thou must start at level zero."

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>>6113743

Ugh, you were afraid of this outcome. You should have taken spear-fighting lessons like Touma did in your childhood; it would have helped. At least your command over ice has improved enough that you can block blows like a shield and you are able to parry a few attacks with Frostbind.

Defensive Stance: +2 dice in combat if concentrating on defense.

"Arise, arise, arise! We're not done yet!" Agreste cries out and uses his powers to summon yet another pillar of earth. It rams straight into your stomach with great force and forces you to stand. The next hour is a hellish mixture of combat and drills that test your enhanced body to the limit. When it comes to an end, Agreste is exasperated and annoyed.

"Tis a wonder you survived for so long. Truly, what you said was true; it was luck! Blind luck. I can't even call it Fortuna, since that implies mischance is possible."

All you can do is groan with exhaustion and pain. The last hour has been humiliating and painful, and many Baphomets have wandered by to watch. Those vassals probably made excuses to come by since they should be at work.

"Don't be so down, Your Majesty."
"Meep! I won my bet! Give me my ale!"
"Well, meep, Lord Mordred and Ser Rodomonte really were battle skilled."
"Courage! Meep, you fought Dread Agreste! No one else ever has."
"Not every King has to be battle crazed to rule."

The scoffing Spriggan disappears into stone without even checking up on your condition. You eventually drag yourself back onto your feet with a sigh.

You need to get back to the Castle. Along the way, you run into...

>The Cheesemonger raging at some Baphomets...
>The Candymaker serving shaved ice to anyone interested...
>The Doctor and Priest talking each other...
>The Engineer and Roadworker working together...
>The Artist showing off his sketches of the Romans to a crowd...
>The Weaver and Candlemaker giving speeches for votes...

>>6113744
>>The Candymaker serving shaved ice to anyone interested...

>>6113744
>>The Candymaker serving shaved ice to anyone interested...

>>6113744
>The Candymaker serving shaved ice to anyone interested
Slowly we will have met with all of the professional meeps that help run Camelot. I remember in passing that Cheesemonger and Candymaker are rivals

>>6113743
>>6113744
>you fought Dread Agreste! No one else ever has.
Very interesting detail. So everybody before said no to his offer? Our Kuroda needs to git gud and fast with his help.

>>6113744
>>The Artist showing off his sketches of the Romans to a crowd...

>>6113744
>The Weaver and Candlemaker giving speeches for votes...
Hearing what they appeal to will let us know what the meeps worry about

>>6113777
>>6113816
>>6113842
>>6113851
>>6113913
Time to enjoy shaved ice and inform one of the candidates to prolong elections.

Won't post tonight.

My coworker jumped through a glass door by accident.... it was bloody. Lots of superficial cuts and some stitching is in order. The results of fucking around and doing something immensely stupid.

I'll try to post once I get his blood out of my hair, clothing, shoes...

>>6114807
Damn, blood is hard to get out of clothing. I'm not injured, just tired and irritated. No post tonight.

>>6114899
Hydrogen peroxide. It will have a slight bleaching effect. Minimize this by rinsing almost immediately.

We will reach thread 100 before ever actually truly winning at anything, I still believe every win has been marred by a greater loss, we have effectively moved 0 steps forward from the start

I am also not over the time the qm fucked up in thread 3 causing us to almost drown

>>6115391
I think we're getting there. I have faith we'll win

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There's a long line of Baphomets ahead of you. The goatmen are all very patient as the line up inches ahead.

When you turn the corner of the house to see what is going on, you are greeted with the sight of an ice shaving machine. A real manual hand crank ice shaving machine with sharp blades with all the adjustable parts. A team standing outside the building has set up a counter to serve eager patrons their confection. The familiar squeak of metal on ice hits you with a flood of nostalgia for summer with your friends. You always got mango-flavored shaved ice.

"Remember my fellow goats! Vote for one who still works their trade with their own hands! The Candymaker!" A Baphomet wearing a leather apron says this as he serves up a bowl of shaved ice with strawberries to an eager client who bows with thanks and dashes off to eat his treat.

You don't know why you're surprised. Camelot is not a democracy with rules and regulations; vote-buying is a valid tactic!

"Ah, Your Majesty! Please try a taste of 'kakigoori'. I heard it's a confection from your Japan." The Candymaker shoos away the client at the head of the line. "Out of the way, one of your betters is here."

You almost protest at the unfairness, but virtually everything about Camelot and denizens reminds you how utterly hierarchical their society is. The way they choose their leaders, their constant deference, even the way they are seated at feasts, and more is a constant struggle against your modern sensibility. You approach the head of the line and watch the Candymaker go about his craft.

The ice created is the most perfect snow you have ever seen; the ideal form of kakigoori shaved ice piles up in the bowl before your eyes. Then the Candymaker grabs a mysterious container and pours sticky purple syrup on it, then adds a pinch of some sort of brownish powder on it.

"Sloe gin shaved ice with cinnamon sugar." He announces and presents the sweet with both hands obsequiously.

You have absolutely no idea what sloe gin is, and the addition of cinnamon sugar to shaved ice is bizarre, but you're pretty sure it will be tasty. After all, there are dozens of happy Baphomets shoveling the dessert into their mouths in a small outdoor seating area.

The first bite of the confection is indeed excellent. The sloe gin is sweet with a hint of sour that mixes well with the ice that melts in your mouth. The woody, sweet taste of cinnamon matches the other tastes too.

"An excellent sweet!" You proclaim and savor the shaved ice. The pure pleasure and truth of the statement cause the shaved ice-making crew and their leader to beam with pride.

"Tis all thanks to your ice blessing. Barrels and barrels, blocks and blocks, all pristine ice! So much, we can let much of it go to waste. Aye, the icehouses are full once more, and it's not even winter yet. Come, Your Majesty, let me show you some of my other select wares. Fit for Kings and warriors!"

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>>6115542
This is an excellent opportunity to get one of the candidates alone and talk seriously about delaying the election. It is also an opportunity to see what sort of Baphomet the Candymaker is.

You quickly learn that the Candymaker is true to his Title. He does make candy and sweets. The food items laid out on the metal trays are all his handiwork. You also learn... He is a drug-dealer.

He boasts that the blue candy will allow one to stay awake for days at a time and march many miles without resting. The red is 'warrior mushroom' extract candy that increases strength and aggression; it also has a bonus being easier to eat since the unadulterated mushroom is extremely bitter. A molasses cake made with hashish for relaxation and acts as a sleep aid. A black cola-like drink with a special tree bark in it to reduce pain. Strange black apples called 'rashaad' which are roasted to release their narcotic effect that boosts spirits and increase confidence... He even has some 'ahen' and 'shabu' that he stole from the hateful World.

Oh and he made the honey oatcakes you ate at the feast. The shaved ice in your bowl has long since melted into a soup of water and syrup as you listened with dismay.

"It was only honey oatcakes right? It didn't contain meth or marijuana or opium or some other mind altering substance... Well?"

You didn't mean to but you raised your voice on the last word of your question. The Candymaker scratches his head, puzzled.

"Meep. Nay.... Did you want to prepare a batch with wonders in it? I can have some made with rashaad compote for next time."

"No. Never make such things without my permission for a feast."

The very idea is alarming! There's also another thing you're concerned about.

"Surely, you do not sell these sweets to your fellow Baphomets..."

"Meep? Sell? Of course not. I give them depending on ailments and needs. Everyone accepts my creations. Except the Longship Meeps, those goats are traditionalists and refuse to accept my Hjaldr candy despite tasting better and lasting weeks compared to the actual mushrooms. I also recommend my blue candy when warriors need to march without rest!"

He sounds so proud of his handiwork.

"We will talk about your goods later. Right now, let us talk about the Guild election. I need you and your fellow candidates to prolong the selection of Guild leaders to stymie the Romans."

The Candymaker listens to your explanation, and is quick to grasp the situation and ploy. He looks less like a respectable Baphomet and more like a Yakuza boss entering a conspiracy throughout. He rubs his horn and hums before speaking.

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>>6115545
"I shan't comment on the other Guilds up for grabs but I know for a fact if we delay selecting a goat for the Purveyors Guild... There will be blood on the streets. Oh, please don't look so dismayed, Your Majesty. Me and my...." Here he pauses searching for the right word. "My 'friend' the Cheesemonger have locked horns for many moons, well before your arrival in Camelot. So I am never without my clients close at hand."

"I have not heard about this."

"Ah, well, we try keep the violence mostly under control. A fight here and there, loud words, some sabotage of each other's goods. Make no mistake Your Majesty, we won't kill each other publicly. But one of us will be leader of the Purveyors, and make the other pay dearly. You can order us to delay and put off but the agony knowing the fate that awaits us if we fail to win the position will be too much for us to bear."

"I could choose a third option, appoint someone else, you know that."

"Ahahahah, what third option!? Such a Baphomet would not be able to command well since they lack prestige, reputation and followers."

It goes to show that your hardworking vassals aren't all friends and sunshine to each other. Damn it, why does your followers have to have their own agendas and conflicts? Also, the scourge of drug addiction is right in front of you! This Baphomet is distributing it without any caution at all.

>Order the Candymaker to destroy his stock, cease producing drugs and focus only on sweets...
>Order the Candymaker that his production of drugs is limited to the prescriptions of the Doctor and healing....
>Order the Candymaker that the production of drugs is to be supervised by the Castle...
>Order the Candymaker to not give any drugs to any Baphomet, only to foreigners...
>Write in....

>>6115546
>Order the Candymaker that the production of drugs is to be supervised by the Castle... give him an honorary title too.
legalization and proper accounting of the drugs is the only way we can really handle this situation. otherwise the candymaker will start to lie(more) to us and we'll basically have to handle a cartel as well

>>6115546
>>Order the Candymaker that the production of drugs is to be supervised by the Castle...
The best dealer is the government

>>6115556
+1

>>6115546
>>6115545
Haruka is anti-drug because Japanese schoolgirl AND student council president AND noble jap heritage, no denying any of this. But these do help the meeps, and classic Norse berserkers did use henbane and similar for the stereotypical battle rages. Everything has a use in nature. With moderation and control, I wouldn't be surprised if Haruka used any as we go further. These can definitely be bait or bribe for criminal info in the World and this way gain more targets for mana harvesting

>>6115546
>Order the Candymaker that his production of drugs is limited to the prescriptions of the Doctor and healing....

>>6115730
She also knows her history really well. So she associates it more with the downfall of China through the opium war and how Japan used Korea to grow drugs to sell to China... Which she realizes she can use against the Romans similarly...

>>6115556
+1

>>6115556
>>6115665
>>6115725
>>6116067
Be the drug dealer. As for the honorary title thing, I'll work it in the post with the appropriate context


>>6115762
medicine only

>>6116136
writers' block. I'll try to post tomorrow.

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You can't let the Candymaker run amok with his creations; clearly, your predecessors were unaware of the presence of drugs in Camelot!

"Starting right now, Candymaker, your production of 'wonders' will be supervised by the Kingdom. I will order my Seneschal to restrict your production and distribution."

The Candymaker becomes very still. At first, it is as though he transformed into a statue. He doesn't even breathe or twitch for a good few seconds. You can see his eyes are alive with panic and calculation to overcome the shock.

"By the Gods, Your Majesty, you have such a wonderful sense of humor."

A hearty fake laugh of mirth erupts from the Baphomet.

"That was no joke."

"Your Majesty, there are quicker and less elaborate forms of execution. Please do me the small mercy of making it quick and simple. I know naught what I did to displease you, but my life is yours like any other Baphomet of Camelot."

Here the Candymaker gets on his hands and knees and touches his head to the floor with studied humility. If this was a samurai movie, then this prostration is just the first act of a vassal begging for a favor.

"Meep. If it is known that the King is suspicious of me and restricts my trade, then victory belongs to the Cheesefucker. Rest assured, he will ruin my trade and throw me down to the dust. I beg of you, do not do this."

"That I cannot do; your trade is dealing with a highly addictive poison."


"Alle Dinge sind Gift, und nichts ist ohne Gift; allein die Dosis macht, dass ein Ding kein Gift ist!"

"I have no idea what you just said. Speak plainly."

"All things are poison, and nothing is without poison; only the dose makes a thing not a poison. Lord Mordred and Ser Rodomonte have partaken in these decoctions of mine during their Quests. Many Baphomets have too. My trade strengthens Camelot."

Hm, you can just make it an order, and the Candymaker will likely submit to it. If he disobeys, he is unmade by his Geas. Yet doing it that way will surely cause massive resentment in him. Is it worth alienating and disappointing one of your vassals? Weighing the consequences, the sum of such highhandedness is lacking. It would be better to give him a deal and grant an advantage in exchange for the restriction and control over his trade. Also, if what the Candymaker is saying is true, then your predecessors not only knew about the drugs but also partook in them.

You propose the following.

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>>6116854

1. You will only publicly announce the restriction and control of his trade once the elections are over. On the surface, it will look as if he still has free reign to dispense his trade, but...
2. In reality, he is only to dispense his wondrous sweets to Baphomets who have compelling reasons to consume them during the election season. Either they get a Doctor's prescription or he gets permission from the Castle. What sort of excuse should the Candymaker make for not having them available? That's up to him to figure out...
3. If he does not win the election, you will offer the Title 'Royal Confectioner' and full access to the kitchen at the Castle. This will protect him from his rival, the Cheesemonger...
4. If he wins the election and becomes leader of the Purveyors Guild, the Title will not be offered, and the restrictions and control over his trade will still be imposed....

With this, win or lose, he is protected, but his trade is administered by the Castle.

"Meep. Why not give me the Title right now instead?"

"A Title from the King is tantamount to declaring you as the next leader of the Purveyors' Guild. Your fellow Baphomets would vote you a landslide victory. Remember, I need these elections to be prolonged to fool the Romans."

With another prostration, the Candymaker humbly accepts your proposal. If he's disgruntled, he makes sure not to show it.

When you return to the Castle, there's a mountain of things to catch your attention. Hanbei gives a brief summary of the items while you wash up and wear fresh clothing that isn't melting away.

The Engineer still hasn't discovered the blockage of the main fountain.
The Guides and their guards have not yet returned.
Elections are continue, no consensus for the other three Guild leaders.
More resources found, a sawmill with perfectly aged logs. Some new sea caves. A few dozen sheep. A gigantic eighty pound rubber ball....
The Romans are waiting to dine in the Great Hall; they witnessed your fight against Dread Agreste from afar earlier.

"I may have suggested to them that Dread Agreste is a protector of Camelot. They are afraid."

You smile at Hanbei's quick-witted deception.

"Good. I've decided on a plan to delay any negotiations with the Romans. Have the candidates come to the Castle one by one after breakfast so that they understand we're prolonging the elections."

Hanbei nods, and the usual ceremony of entering the Great Hall once more begins. A cohort of your servants with Hanbei at your side walks down the hallway towards the Romans waiting at the door to enter with you. Legatus Gaius is pale; his stoic porter holds his head on a golden platter raised high.

"Ave Rex, you fought well today against your Herald."

"Indeed, and he was holding back quite a bit. Last time he fought, he destroyed part of the Walls."

Everything you just said is technically true! The best sort of truth.

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>>6116855
Do you want to use Let No Insult Pass! - 4s also count as successes in addition to 5s and 6s.......

???? Huh, did this Trait evolve?

IT DID!

Do you want to use Let No Insult Pass! - 4s also count as successes in addition to 5s and 6s. Use 1 per day. Can only be used against those Haruka deems to have offended her. Good thing Haruka has a massive chip on her shoulder and is rather prideful…

>Yes
>No

AND THEN

>2 anons roll 3d6 and 1 anon roll 2d6!

Rolled 3, 1, 5 = 9 (3d6)

>>6116856
>No
He simply commented we fought well. Flying off the handle here is a bad look overall. I'd rather clutch this to unzip on them at a real deal moment to strike fear into their strawman hearts

Rolled 6, 4, 4 = 14 (3d6)

>>6116856
>>No

Rolled 1, 2 = 3 (2d6)

>>6116856
>No

Rolled 6, 2 = 8 (2d6)

Since he's intimidated by seeing Agreste.

>>6116856
>Yes
Because I'm a contrarian

3 successes, sorry for delay. No post tonight.

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You don't like the Romans; they are unpardonably rude to openly reveal their mockery in the Throne room. They pissed you off, but, fortunately for them, you don't feel like verbally ripping into them and wasting a once-a-day Trait to press the advantage.

Also, there's something unusual about Legatus Gaius. During prayers before the meal, you try to puzzle out what it is. The tense face of the Roman never seems to relax, and despite his previous insistence last night to negotiate a trade deal with Camelot as soon as possible, he barely makes mention of it this morning.

Something is afoot. Hanbei mentioned that the Romans are afraid, but how could your brief sparring with the Herald trigger such a reaction? Your gaze rests on the envoy's guards, and they too seem tense and uncomfortable.

Another thing to figure out as King. During the meal, conversation turns to a strange subject.

"How often do you meet with the Herald?" Legatus Gaius casually asks as his porter carefully wipes his lips with a silken handkerchief. Daily life must be incredibly inconvenient being just a head; how is it possible for a head to eat and drink? There's no stomach for such things to drop into. Moreover, what is with this conservation? You'd have thought that the Roman would turn to the subject of trade and allying with Rome.

"As often as necessary."

Weaving a web of bullshit for maximum discomfort to the Roman is easy. You confirm nothing and let his doll-like head fill in the gaps. If this cotton-stuffed bastard could perspire, he'd be drenched in cold sweat. But by the same token, you have only a vague idea what these prying questions about Agreste are trying to confirm.

You take the opportunity to weave an addition to a tissue of lies about delaying negotiations until the Guild elections are over. The doll-like Roman is relieved by the delay for some reason and agrees very easily.

"Of course, nothing gets done in Roma when candidates stand for election. Why the Senate electoral season is prolonged and cutthroat. Sometimes quite literally! The peaceable canvassing by candidates is utterly astonishing to my eye."

"Ah, well, Camelot is unique. That reminds me. If you could order the Zama to come to the docks, we will have an easier time providing provisions for your crew. They are to remain onboard; they do not have leave to come into the city."

In reality, you want them closer so the ship can be observed more closely and prevent it from running away. Close by is the island of Logres Minor, housing the Lighthouse and inaccessible to your Baphomets with their current vessels. The Longship Meeps, being the most experienced in nautical matters, have taken the lead in selecting a discrete crew to transfer provisions and look into the ship.

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>>6118420
Manoeuvring the conversation to your political advantage goes along swimmingly. You also learn a few things about Roma and their system of government. They have had many Emperors! Some are Romans, others are barbarians, and a few are Lost Children. There are constant changes and upheavals because of treachery, and the Roman blithely talk about it as though it's a universal fact. In fact, he drops hints about how Roma will always stand ready to support your rule against treacherous Baphomets and how, with the right amount of silver, he will lobby on your behalf to the Senate. You smile genially at the uninformed foreigner and thank him greatly for the offer, but you need not fear betrayal yet.

The Romans are not bound by a Geas to be loyal to their Emperor. That means Emperor Lucius Hiberius must be having a hell of a time ruling her Kingdom and somehow succeeded in keeping her grip on power. That's pretty damn impressive. You might be able to bribe the Legatus and his men to work against Roma, but you are reluctant to spend silver on such a dodgy venture without knowing more about the dollmen.

There's some minor pushback from the Legatus, insisting that after a long journey the crew needs to rest a bit on land. You promise to 'think it over'. In truth, you've come to a decision. You are going to keep these strange guests closed up in a very limited area. The idea of creating your own Dejima is appealing; you could isolate the Romans in the Dock area and place them under heavy supervision to control their movement.

First, you're going to let the envoy stew indignantly about keeping the crew of the Zama on board after weeks at sea. Then you'll extract a pound of flesh for allowing them to actually touch earth. Who knows, perhaps being so tantalizingly close to the shore will tempt a foolhardy sailor into sneaking into Camelot. When that happens, you'll capture the illegal and interrogate them for info.

With this, the breakfast ends. Lady Kizaemon hasn't made her appearance; you wonder where the cat has gone. You ask a servant to search for her and get down to business with the candidates over the next few days.

The Educated Guild candidates were all at the Castle for breakfast. So ordering them to lengthen their political campaigning to fool the Romans is easy. The Doctor and Engineer agree readily enough but the Priest hems and haws before reluctantly agreeing.

You don't have much trouble with the Major Craft and Minor Craft candidates. You even get to have some fun by ordering the Carpenter to start engraving numbers in wood in significant locations around Camelot. The Major Craft candidates note that they are almost ready to select their leader, and suggest allowing the election to conclude since there's major work to be done. You promise to confirm results on a staggered basis, there's only so much delay the Roman's will accept to negotiations after all.

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>>6118421

The only major issue is the second candidate for the Purveyors Guild, the Cheesemonger. He is a rotund Baphomet with a gaggle of followers. Ostensibly, you ordered him to the Castle to discuss what stocks of cheese to give the Roman's ship for provision but he thinks you're about to declare the Candymaker as leader. He's already heard that you've had a conversation in private with him but not on what. It takes a bit of bullying to make him back off. Your secret deal with his rival is sure to displease him.

The next few days pass by and some major events happened...

Choose 2...

>The Guides return from the Quarry with their guards, and they brought something weird with them...
>The exploration crew announce a major find!...
>The Priest requests that you attend a service...
>Lady Kizaemon has been found...
>Someone from the Zama tried to escape the ship...
>Election brawling between the Cheesemonger and Candymaker supporters...
>Engineer makes a surprise discovery of some sort of underground chamber...
>Thirty unknown Baphomets march into Camelot...
>Dread Agreste fights you each morning out of boredom...
>The Roman Envoy and his men are gambling with some of your Baphomets out of boredom...
>A ship is off the coast! Who is it? Other Romans?...
>Baphomets abandon a section of the city nearest to the Southern Wall...
>The Anarchist went off to the World and stolen something again, they just came back...
>You officially appoint Mototada and his Secretariat of War, you need to at least have some help with governing...

>>6118422
>Lady Kizaemon has been found...
>The Roman Envoy and his men are gambling with some of your Baphomets out of boredom...

>>6118422
>Lady Kizaemon has been found...
>The Guides return from the Quarry with their guards, and they brought something weird with them...

>>6118422
>Someone from the Zama tried to escape the ship...
All according to Keikaku.
>Dread Agreste fights you each morning out of boredom...
We're like, the first king to willingly spar with him in a long time. He needs a friend.

>>6118422
>>The Guides return from the Quarry with their guards, and they brought something weird with them...
>>Someone from the Zama tried to escape the ship...

>>6118481
+1
There's a good person somewhere in that rock

>>6118422
>Someone from the Zama tried to escape the ship...
>Thirty unknown Baphomets march into Camelot...

>>6118422
>Lady Kizaemon has been found...
>Someone from the Zama tried to escape the ship...

>>6118435
>>6118478
>>6118481
>>6118520
>>6118530
>>6118590
>>6118629

Cat x 3
Gambling x1
Guides x2
Escapee x5
Fighting x2
New Recruits x 1

So we have someone trying to get off the ship and CAT!!!!

>>6118788
Going to bed early, didn't get a chance to write anything. Post tomorrow.

No post tonight, due to my coworker's accident, I've been given a bunch of his work. So I'll be a little slow.

>>6119418
No post tonight, hopefully work will let up now that we've distributed the excess more easily.

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The day goes slowly, with denizens rushing about to do tasks while you have the unprecedented luxury of a slow day. It is discomforting. You watch as the Romans troop down to the docks blindfolded to order the Zama into port and take provisions; they must be desperate for it since they departed swiftly after breakfast. For a moment, you sweat at the thought that your 'guests' will sail away, but the Zama docks without incident. From afar, you see the waterfront come alive with Baphomets streaming back and forth with loads of supplies.

You try to occupy the hours with mundane personal concerns. A hot bath, measurements by the Tailor for new clothing, reviewing reports with your clerks, hiding a page or two of fake names in the Castle, and walking around is not as distracting as you hoped.

The gaping, wide periods of idleness left time to think over the last few days of what had happened. You conclude you have been chasing trauma away with work to occupy your mind. It's not a bad solution in normal circumstances, yet hard work as a panacea to counter remembering the cold dead press of death squeezing life out the marrow of your soul only lasts as long as you keep working like a dog without time to relax. So you set about trying to fill the empty hours with self-imposed tasks. You even actually start exercising, something that you had never before willingly done.

When evening finally arrives, you are exhausted and discover your cat still can't be found. Back in Tokyo, she had always been an indoor cat and never ventured outside the Kuroda house unless leashed. When the evening meal came and went with still no cat to attend, orders to find the wayward cat fell easily from your lips. A gaggle of goats goes off to ask about the missing feline.

The days continue onwards inexorably with interesting developments.

One is meeting with the Spy for the first time. He is a shifty-looking Baphomet and makes a report on the Anarchists and Romans placed under observation. You had been waiting to meet this particular Baphomet.

"Three Anarchists have gone off somewhere; they didn't join the journey to the Quarry. Talk amongst them has it that the three have gone to the city of 'Kyoto' to get books again. Of course, that might be a smokescreen to hide nefarious doings, but we won't know for sure until they return..."

The more the Spy speaks about the Anarchist, the more you wonder if spying on a group of weird socialists is such a great usage of limited resources. You only have one Spy and he has kept watch over the group since its formation.

"What is your threat assessment of these Baphomets?"

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>>6120508
"Meep. Fairly limited. They talk a lot, but your loyal vassals pay no mind to them since they make no sense. They also practice the abominable idea of 'pacificism'. A Baphomet who won't fight? What sort of creature they be? If they went so far as to betray Ser Rodomonte and risk being unmade, they should have taken the chance to cut the cur's throat. A dead mortal can't cause future trouble. But no, they choose banishment of all things. Meep. Your Majesty, you needn't worry about having a knife at your throat one fine morning from them any time soon. I worry more that they'll bring some damned strange thing from the World that's harmful to Camelot."

Information on the Romans is interesting as the Spy invited the Captain to make the report in person. The one-eyed Baphomet has taken to hanging a burnished metal plaque of some sort around his neck as a symbol of his office at the Secretariat.

The Zama is a small ship that combines sails and oars. There are 7 proper sailors taking care of the important tasks of the navigation and sails, and a greater number of Romans crammed under the deck as oarsmen below. These oarsmen never come up to deck, so the numbers are still unknown. In addition to the envoy, his porter, and 5 guards, there are 10 other armed Romans. All in all, at least 24 Romans confirmed with an unknown number below deck. The foreigners have worked hard to ensure that the curious prying of the Baphomets was limited. Ship armaments are basic; they can ram ships while at sea and have some small arbalests for ranged attack. If forced to fight, victory would inevitably go to the Longship Meeps with minimal casualties.

"Meep, as for the Romans during their times within the Castle. The foreigners are a careful group; the servants were shooed away by their guards after depositing the gifts in chests. What they spoke of amongst themselves is unknown, but their attitudes made quite the drastic change after seeing Your Majesty fight Dread Agreste. Meep."

"What do you think spooked them?"

"It must be something about Dread Agreste, the Herald. He is powerful; I don't think an army of Baphomets could defeat him. The Romans have been fooled into thinking he's a guardian of Camelot now, but they were already wary of him before that lie. No, it must be something else they are terrified about him."

You give orders to the Spy to focus his attention on the Romans over the Anarchists before dismissing him.

Work goes on, and your vassals do not pause in their labors despite the ongoing elections. Reports come in that Lady Kizaemon is somewhere outside the Walls of Camelot. A witness allegedly saw the cat slip out to explore the island—a foolish decision that leaves you exasperated. You didn't tell her about the dangers of Avalon and forbid her from leaving the confines of the city.

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>>6120509
The scouts sent out to explore Logres are given orders to find the feline, which disrupts their mission for a few days. When they find the cat, she is in a sorry state and starving.

"The trees are alive. They ran; trees shouldn't run!" Lady Kizaemon pathetically mewls. You stroke her fur and comfort her.

"She was in Birnam Woods; the suicidal trees didn't harm her, luckily. If what she says is true, then they'll be making a run towards the cruel sea soon." One of the scouts states this as though 'suicidal trees' is a sufficient explanation. Demands for more details reveal that Birnam Woods has some rare running trees that like to pitch themselves over cliffs like lemmings on occasion. Capturing one in the midst of running to its death means there's a chance of harvesting unique Relics or even Mana randomly.

"So they're like metal slimes or cactuars? They give lots of loot and experience points?"

It turns out using videogame analogies is an unfortunate choice of words. Your vassal gives you a dead stare borne of trauma.

"Yes, Your Majesty. To use the words of Ser Rodomonte, 'they give rare random drops."

Right, you resolve not to use videogame analogies around the Baphomets.

The Engineer has found a few breaks in the pipes to repair, but the task to find the main problem and restore the main fountain might be too big of a task for him and his small team. He suggests an application of Mana to repair it through the priests at the Temple. For that, you'll need to melt some Relics in the Crucible, go on a Quest to reap Mana or hunt one of the dangerous creatures of Avalon.

The Guides and their guards still do not return. You've been told they'd be away for almost a week, but that week is almost over. You're getting worried.

You scratch off day 19 on the wooden tally counting your days in Avalon when Seneschal Hanbei knocks on your bedroom door.

"Your Majesty, there's been an incident at the Docks. Chieftain Mototada reports that two strange beings attempted to escape the ship. Meep. One was immediately captured by the Romans on the ship, but the other has made its way into Camelot past the watch set."

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>>6120510

Legate Gaius and his guards are in the Castle as guests right now. The Zama can't easily inform their leader of the incident, so you have some time to capture the escapee and interrogate him. Assuming, of course, your vassals can capture him.

>Inform Legatus Gaius of the unpardonable invasion of Camelot by one of his men, try to extract some concessions out of him to make up for it...
>Go assist in the search as well but your Roman guests might get suspicious if you're not in the Castle. Might limit the time to interrogate or extend it...
>Ring the bells and raise the alarm, Camelot needs to capture the interloper right away. Guaranteed to capture the escapee but informs the Legatus what's going on. Will shorten the interrogation time available...
>Send out more guards from the Castle to assist in the search but remain in the Castle, you don't want to give the Roman guests any hint of the situation in Camelot. This risks allowing the escapee to make a full escape...
>write in...

>>6120511
>>Inform Legatus Gaius of the unpardonable invasion of Camelot by one of his men, try to extract some concessions out of him to make up for it...

>>6120511
>Send out more guards from the Castle to assist in the search but remain in the Castle, you don't want to give the Roman guests any hint of the situation in Camelot. This risks allowing the escapee to make a full escape...
What kind of full escape can it make from an island? Worst case, we'll have to hunt for it after the Romans depart.
Just set a guard at every gate in case it tries to escape through one.

>>6120735
+1

>>6120511
>>Send out more guards from the Castle to assist in the search but remain in the Castle, you don't want to give the Roman guests any hint of the situation in Camelot. This risks allowing the escapee to make a full escape...

>>6120735
The Walls have massive gaps everywhere, also there are hidden Gates on the island of Logres if the escapee gets out of Camelot, they might be able to hide out in the woods or fall go through a hidden Gate.

Heck, it's how Haruka arrived in the first place.

>>6120511
>Inform Legatus Gaius of the unpardonable invasion of Camelot by one of his men, try to extract some concessions out of him to make up for it...

>>6120639
>>6120829
blackmail

>>6120735
>>6120743
>>6120762
discretion

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You are tempted to press and squeeze concessions out of the Romans by raising a ruckus about the violation of the sovereignty of Camelot. It passes slowly; there's no reason to be hasty. You can capture the escapee to interrogate and then extort something out of the Romans.

Privately, you are surprised by the blunder of the Longship Meeps in letting the absconder escape from their grasp. Was it just bad luck? Or did the unknown escapee have Traits to assist him?

"Order the Constable to quietly send out guards to assist in the search. I want that Roman captured alive no matter what... Even if it risks the goats. Have the Spy ready to interrogate as soon as possible if he's caught."

You can only hope that no one gets hurt tonight amongst your vassals. It's hard giving orders knowing there's a chance that they might get wounded or worse. Nothing is more desperate and terrible than a deserter with nothing to lose. This lone Roman who left the Zama chose the thinnest sliver of hope to flee his comrades to a foreign island filled with unknown beings. Worse yet, the escape wasn't secret from his shipmates on the Zama.

It's out of your hands though; now is the time to rely on the skill and diligence of your vassals in this task.

From your window, you watch selected guards silently file out to Camelot and assist in the search. The Constable has done a good job choosing quiet vassals for the task; the Roman envoy and his party are enjoying a night drinking out in a section of the Garden. Those Romans need to be kept occupied.

You grab the bottle of Absinthe from your chest and walk down to the impromptu outdoor party started by the Roman Envoy and his entourage. Baphomet servants scurry about with delicately cooked and prepared tidbits and exotic drinks. One of the guests waves a sketch done by the Artist and shows it off to his neighbor.

"Truly, you are a treasure. A most perfect rendition of the honored Legatus. Look at these noble lines framing his patrician face."

Can dolls get drunk? That question has bothered you over the course of several meals in the Great Hall. They drink like fish; they must possess cast iron livers. Or maybe they don't have livers, just some sort of bladder that fills and empties liquor into ether.

"Ah, Loth Rex, welcome to our humble garden party. Come sit by my side." Legatus Gaius says this with jollity untouched by drunkenness. There are many wineskins laying empty by his side, all from the Zama and his private stores, it seems. A Baphomet servant brings a richly carved sitting stool and sets it at the head place of honor by the Legatus. It would not do to let a guest dictate to a King to sit in an inferior place.

"I am glad to see that the Castle is providing your needs so well. I thought to serve everyone a unique drink from my own private collection. Servants, water. Also bring some sweets up from the kitchen. Make sure it's the normal kind."

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Rolled 12, 1, 16 = 29 (3d20)

>>6121154

"Why it's a spirit from the opulent World! Unique indeed!"

The Romans each look at the bottle with due respect and praise the rarity of it. You give each of them a very generous serving of Absinthe and ask them to try the much weaker wine they possess in exchange. It won't do to get completely smashed; you might accidentally reveal something you regret.

The Romans drink the Absinthe with gusto and bite into sweets to wash away the bitter taste. Water is left completely untouched by them, you use it to water the wine served. Talk flows easily and amiably as the Romans boast of the entertainments they left behind and how they wished to show the pleasures to be had.

They describe the Games at the Domus Aurea in vivid detail. Full on fights between brave gladiators against exotic beasts and epic mock naval battles when they flood it into a lake. They make commentary about their favorite gladiators, the merits and demerits of each vaunted name that mean nothing to you. The Absinthe must be working, the conversation is much more animated now. These Romans have a taste for blood and death, some of the more gruesome results of matches curdles your opinion of them.

"I won a talent betting on Artikos! I told King Mordred she should make a bet on him, it was a sure win. She refused, and told the Imperator it was better ban such things."

Evidently, Mordred share the same poor opinion of the entertainment. You wonder about Lucius though and press to hear what the Emperor's reaction was.

"Our Imperator wouldn't hear of it. She suggested that Mordred join in the Games with her Baphomets in a naumachia. The more and more the Golden Theatre feeds on the drama of blood, sweat and tears, the great is the glory of Roma. None can stand against the empire's might."

Is this an attempt in intimidation? The Romans clearly want you to quaver in reaction to this dreadful building that empowers their rule allegedly. Ah, but ignorance is bliss. This Golden Theatre means absolutely nothing to you. You take a swig of the golden colored wine in your simple goblet.

"The Emperor can keep her Golden Theatre and her Games. I have Camelot, my Baphomets and my Herald, Dread Agreste."

Ah, there's that ripple of apprehension again. That subtle stiffening of smiles in the face even as they raise their cups of strong spirits to toast you.

"To the Gods and the King, we raise our cups and pray she enjoy a long reign, full of glory."

"To the Gods and to the Emperor, I raise my cup and pray she rules peacefully and magnificently, so that finds her way home to the World."

>I need 3 anons to roll 1d20.

Rolled 16, 16, 12 = 44 (3d20)

I need to make some rolls too

>>6121160
Let's see our escapee is the dragon number, neither lucky nor unlucky.
Goats are Goats, so they got a lucky number for them. Hilariously, dragons don't get along with goats in the zodiac. Very appropriate.
I'm doing this to show that I didn't screw up with my weird yakudoshi random rolls this time.

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>6121156

Rolled 12 (1d20)

>>6121156
come on

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>6121156

>>6121182
>>6121191
>>6121341
6+12+16= 34

>>6121369
Not a yakudoshi number but it is a Rooster number which isn't a great match for Haruka under the Rat.

>>6121370
>Not a yakudoshi number but it is a Rooster number which isn't a great match for Haruka under the Rat.
Aren't you forgetting the biggest significance of all for this number?
Rule 34...

>>6121371
Not the time for that yet...

>>6121373
Didn't we kinda do that already? Black Prince shenanigans...

>>6121694
There will be more eventually, just not now...

>>6121698
Well I could have one of the dolls off themselves as a bed partner to Haruka and gross her the fuck out... hm...

No post tonight

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With the toast and prayer said, each side downs their drink fully. It is at this moment that you have received an answer to the question, 'can dolls get drunk?'. In Avalon, they can. There's color on the face of each Roman, and their boisterousness gets louder.

You are not sober either. Despite adding water to the wine, you've had quite a bit.

"Tell me, why is the Emperor so interested in finding me and other kids?"

"She sees no reason for her fellow mortals to be in conflict with each other. Lord Mordred was most amenable to the idea. Our Imperator wants the Fealty of other mortals gone widdershin'; it increases the might of Roma. However, in the case of Queen Guinevere, her interest is not quite so tame. Comely be he, an Adonis worthy of her heart."

If you ever get to speak with Guin again, you'll have to ask just how handsome he is... as a joke. Of course, you need to recharge the cellphone first for that and somehow get in contact. Lucius is crazy enough to pay a reward to find and bring this particular Lost Child in. The fact that she resorted to such measures doesn't bring much comfort.

"What of you, King Lot? Do you not want a comely companion by your side?"

You almost laugh at the question. Your drunken mind concludes that the Romans might be able to help out in your problem regarding the Lesser Vow of creating a seraglio of men for your pleasure. By the Gods, it's such an embarrassing and stupid Vow to have.

"I am under a Vow to have a gaggle of male companions. I'm working on creating one and then dismissing it immediately."

This prompts one of the drunken Romans to speak up.

"Why, if it's male companions, that is easily arranged."

One of the bodyguards for Legatus Gaius speaks up as though your problem is very easy to solve. You smile and listen to the solution.

"We have a few slaves we can rent to you for your pleasure. They're not for sale, unfortunately. We cannot sell property of Roma. Ah, wait, I own one slave. You may sample him, and if he pleases you, I can arrange a private sale of my property."

This casually said statement triggers a new topic of conversation: what are the qualities of a slave suitable for pleasure? They converse as though it is a common dinner table subject, appropriate for everyone. It takes an enormous amount of effort to keep your jaw from dropping in shock and a growing horror at the realization that all these Romans assume that the discussion is something you would want to partake in. They clearly didn't hear the part that you intend to dismiss your 'companions' immediately after formation. You just wanted to technically fulfill the Vow and reap the rewards of satisfying it, not sexually abuse unwilling men! Wait, are they offering dollmen? Shit, they're offering inhuman slaves. You can't suppress a shudder of disgust, but none notice as their conversation carries on.

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>>6122736

"It is not the size of the member that endows pleasure, my dear Atticus. My slaves will cry out in pain if I just stick my virtus in without any care. But if I take the time to stroke the appropriate places, why even the most recalcitrant slave will weep with delight from the tenderness of my ministration."

"Julius, we are not speaking of the pleasure we give to mere chattels but the pleasure the chattels give to their owners. Come now; do not stray from the subject."

"Gentlemen, we turn and turn on the points of what pleases us! Loth Rex is the one seeking and should decide what is pleasing for her personal wants."

Their heads turn to you, waiting for a declaration of what you would want in a sex slave.

"Thou lascivious foreign waves violating the shores of my Logres---"

Your teeth grind with embarrassment and anger doubled by another, for King Lot is offended too. Offended that foreigners deem it fit to openly speculate in his presence what an august King would prefer in a bedmate. They awaited with bated breath to hear, as though We are some sort of common whore talking about what clients they prefer. This is an affront to the dignity of the King. Legatus Gaius and his Romans look baffled at the towering rage about to erupt.

It is at this time when someone amongst the servants interrupts with 'urgent news'. It is a prearranged sign to tell you that they caught the escapee. In addition, it is to inform the Romans of the violation of Camelot's sovereignty. Suppressing news of the escape would arouse suspicions from the Romans when they eventually hear of it from the Zama. So better to strategically inform them after a delay and pretend that news got in late because everyone was drinking.

With it, you master the anger boiling and prevent more ill-considered words from spilling forth. You reassure the Romans that the escapee will be caught, but there will be serious talk about this violation of your demands that no one from the Zama set foot in Camelot in the morning.

The party is over. The leader of the Romans orders one of his guards to immediately go to the Zama for a full report and then returns to his room with the rest.

It is tempting to get out of the Castle and go interrogate the escapee personally, but you make a personal decision to allow the Baphomets to do their jobs. They aren't incompetents and mistrusting their expertise to personally oversee their work is the mark of a busybody micromanager.

You go to bed instead and dream...

>The sight of battle and desperate cries filling the air....
>Of a knight demanding a Duel...
>The sight of a charging boar heading straight for you...
>Casting your bloody sword and broken shield down...
>Gallows full of men and women swinging at the end of a rope...
>A young woman walking into a fast running river...
>A dying knight cast upon the ground, a lance running through him...

>>6122737
>virtus
It should be "virilitas", virtus does not have such connotations

>>6122737
>A dying knight cast upon the ground, a lance running through him...

>>6122737
>Gallows full of men and women swinging at the end of a rope...

>>6122737
>>Of a knight demanding a Duel...

>>6122737
>A dying knight cast upon the ground, a lance running through him...
"Is that me in the mirror?"

>>6122737
>>Gallows full of men and women swinging at the end of a rope...

>>6122811
Ah, I see. Ironically, I had read the blog post of that roman historian dude here in https://acoup.blog/2024/03/29/fireside-friday-march-29-2024-on-roman-values/

and it had virilitas in it. I completely forgot that it wasn't 'virtus'.

>>6122737
If the dreams are from arthurian mythology then I guess the one with a knight dying to a lance through the chest would be mordred

The boar would be Twrch twryth the enchanted boar

I guess the knight demanding the duel would be sir palamedes dueling sir tristan(maybe? Quite a stretch)

The others I have no idea about

Or it could be memories from previous kings of camelot but idk

>A dying knight cast upon the ground, a lance running through him...

I must say, the fact that we are king lot who is one of the lamest arthurian characters fits, King Lot only notable achievement is being the father of gawain(and agravain, Gaheris and gareth and mordred depending on which version of arthurian mythology one uses) and then dying to King Pellinore after rebelling which starts a blood feud.

The only reason the blood feud matter is because it ends in the death of Pellinore and his entire family, Pellinore is the man who broke the sword in the stone

>>6122737
>Gallows full of men and women swinging at the end of a rope...

>>6122811
>>6122870
>>6123153
dying knight

>>6122825
>>6122967
>>6123200
gallows

>>6122867
duel

We're tied for gallows or skewered knight. I'm going to leave the vote open. It's thanksgiving in Canada and I'm too stuffed to write.

King Lot also rebelled twice in certain tellings. Once when King Arthur became King and then again when he suspects King Arthur murdered Mordred who can either be his real son or Arthur's son.

He could have potentially killed Arthur which freaked out Merlin. The wizard went and tried to negotiate with Lot but seeing that Lot wasn't going to budge, the wizard delayed Lot long enough to get Pellinore to come and kill him.

>>6123262
I am willing to switch to gallows
>>6123153
This is me btw

Btw QM I think I may have asked this before but does this quest exclusively use arthurian mythology?

>>6122737
>Gallows full of men and women swinging at the end of a rope...

Quest relevant video
https://youtube.com/watch?v=zEmfsmasjVA

>>6123480
No, it does not use exclusively use Arthurian mythology. I threw in some Orlando Furiosa, viking sagas, japanese shinto/buddhism, etc etc.

Also, we be hanging people!

>>6123757
https://youtu.be/JXtujxT9rzA

Ran out of time due to being called in to some sort of emergency. Post tomorrow hopefully.

>>6123757
At least we aren't burning them?

>>6123913
The emergency is... my coworker who fed me deepfried sushi and went through the glass door, may have fed a bunch of people marijuana without our knowledge over the course of a few months. Yeah, shitshow.
I literally never done any sort of marijuana or drugs before, so I have no idea if I got high without realizing it while at work.

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You are dreaming again, something that hasn't been happening for the last few days. You are eager to see what sort of dream it is.

It shows a forest replete with pale birches, brooding willows, queenly beeches, shaggy oaks, melancholy elms, and gay rowans. The trees are of such stateliness and perfection; they would bring tears to the eye any urbanite used to glass, steel, and concrete.

And in front of these impossibly perfect trees are gallows with dozens of corpses turning slowly on twisting rope. Each body makes a half turn in slow motion before shuddering to a stop, then it begins a half turn in the opposite direction. The dead face of each is of horror and pain, of a bloated tongue and bulging eyes. In the silence, you can hear the squeaky creak of the rope and the tortured groan of the wood bearing up the load.

This is a nightmare.

You try not to retch from the smell of death and breathe solely through your mouth. It takes a few seconds of dry heaving to get past the urge to vomit. You close your eyes for a few seconds before resolving to look up at the gallows once more and look closely at the corpses dangling there.

They're all young. Some look as though they could be as young as 12, while others are teens around your age, and a select few look as though they are young adults. Most are Asian, but there are a few who aren't. The corpses are in varying states of decay; some are bloated with gas and rotting black, but others look relatively fresh.

You look around the surroundings and note there's no one around. Rationally speaking, there's no reason to believe whoever had hung these unfortunates is gone, but a gut feeling says otherwise. How much can you trust your gut feeling, though?

You summon Frostbind; the icy spear takes shape and looks like a naginata this time. The long, sharp blade of ice glows with a freezing blue light.

"Is anyone here?" You call out into the silence. Part of you hopes that Kizaemon is somewhere; the cat has a talent for invading dreams, but this time nothing.

Two conflicting choices come to the forefront of your mind: either leave this place and explore the nightmare or remain and examine where you are. Both options are unappealing.

Actually, there's another choice. Cut the rope hanging those poor dead bastards. You can't help but feel some sympathy for them. No one deserves execution and to be left to rot like that. So up the steps you go, solid wood beneath your feet while above your head death turns and turns. Resting Frostbind on your shoulder, you clasp hands and intone a brief prayer before starting the work of cutting down the unfortunates.

"In the name of Hotoke-sama, they have passed the river Sanzu to the Pure Land. May they too become a hotoke."

Unto Death: You died. As a result, the dead recognize you as one of their own.

"I can hear someone breathing... No one does that here anymore.

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>>6125088
You leap backwards away from the gallows with Frostbind ready to defend. If these corpses start acting like a bunch of zombies and attacking you, then fuck that, you're going to run! Luckily, the dead don't suddenly escape from their noose and start attacking.

You advance cautiously and go up the stairs of the gallows once more, Frostbind leading the way. The closer you get to the corpses, the louder and more varied the voices become. Some are screaming and babbling nonsense, but others manage to speak words.

"Another dead?"
"A breathing human."
"FUCK FUCK FUCK!"
"i hate you i hate you"
".... Sanchome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo.

Your Trait Unto Death allows you to hear the dead? Or is it because this is a dream?

"I am King Lot of Lothian, Orkney and Camelot. Who are you?"

Maybe you can talk to them, it's worth a try.

"WHO IS IT!"
"They'll be dead soon enough."
"AAHAAAAHAHAHHHAHHAH"
"hope they die horribly horribly horribly"
"... I lived there with my mother and father.

The corpses can sense your presence but can't hear your words. How unfortunate; questioning the dead would have yielded a lot of information. For example, are they all Lost Children who perished in Avalon or just regular humans?

You begin to cut the ropes of each corpse, making sure to keep the rotting flesh from splattering all over, using your ice powers to ward it off. The state of decay for some of the bodies is extreme; they hit the platform of the gallows with a sopping wet smack and ooze over the wood. It is hard work to endure the putrefying stench, and there's so many of them.

"I died on the island of Mon Badonicus!"
"merlin merlin merlin merlin merlin"
"Ah, thank you."
"I was once King Urien and ruled the island of Gorre. My Castle should still hold my Relics and corpse. Find my dead body and take it home. I live at..."

You pause and listen carefully. Others babble nonsense, but this King Urien is lucid. You look around and try to see who Urien might be. There's no way to know who is who amongst the corpses, though. It is hard enough to cut down the bodies, but the additional strain of looking at the waxy, bloated faces of the dead is too much to bear.

King Urien only repeats his information over and over again like a mantra. You memorize his home address in Tokyo and wish you could talk with this fellow King who perished in Avalon. You silently promise to do what you can for the Lost Child King Urien, but you dare not promise aloud because it might end up a Binding Vow.

Optional Quest: Find King Urien's corpse and bring it back to the World!

The gallows no longer have anyone hanging from them. You've succeeded in your self-imposed task, and start considering how to bury the corpses when the dream begins to fade.

A servant is opening the shutters to let in the dawn's light.

"Good morning, Your Majesty. I come bearing good news. The Guides are back from the Quarry! Hip hip hooray!"

>>6125090
Finally, they're back!

You rise from bed and take up a knife to carve the address King Urien had recited on a wooden tablet.

The first thing to do in the morning after that is...

>Speak with Yatagarasu and hear about his journey to the Quarry...
>Do some exercise and train with the Castle guards...
>Have breakfast with the Romans and see what you can squeeze out of them...
>Meet with Seneschal Hanbei and set new tasks for the Baphomets this week....
>Receive a report from the Captain about the situation at the Docks...
>Go and melt down a Relic for Mana....
>Listen to the Head Priest's unusual discovery regarding the alignment of the stars and planets...
>Go and bother Agreste, he might actually respond and give a clue why the Romans are freaked out about him...

>>6125093
>Speak with Yatagarasu and hear about his journey to the Quarry...

>>6125093
>>Speak with Yatagarasu and hear about his journey to the Quarry...

>>6125093
>Do some exercise and train with the Castle guards...

>>6125093
>Do some exercise and train with the Castle guards...

>>6125093
>Speak with Yatagarasu and hear about his journey to the Quarry...
As much as I like the other options, they've been gone for a week and the Quarry is a valuable resource site for the kingdom. What news do they bring?

>>6125093
>Speak with Yatagarasu and hear about his journey to the Quarry...

I am going to leave the vote open for the next few days as I deal with work. I might be back for sunday and post but I'm not sure.
Have fun!

>>6125093
>Speak with Yatagarasu and hear about his journey to the Quarry...

>>6125094
>>6125128
>>6125137
>>6125208
>>6125222
>>6125296
>>6125417
Right, I don't know if I can write tonight but at least the vote is over, we go with talking with Yatagarasu.

Ran out of time.
But good news, I likely didn't eat marijuana.

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You should ask about the journey to the Quarry from Yatagarasu. A good number of Guides and guards, even some Anarchists—have been away for a week, and you're interested in hearing all about it.

As you give orders to the servant to summon your Guide, it also occurs to you to get some salt. That dream with the gallows and all those hanging corpses. Even though it was a nightmare and you were not physically near dead bodies, it feels unclean. Sprinkling some salt for purification would be appropriate. When it arrives, you cast some over your head and then spray some on the pillow before heading to the office.

"Meep, Your Majesty!"

The enthusiastic and childish voice of Yatagarasu greets you as he does obeisance.

"Welcome back, Yatagarasu. I'm glad to see that the journey was safe."

You gesture to the tired and dusty Baphomet to take a seat and have a horn of ale first before talking. He savors his first ale in a week.

"Twas dicey on certain days, Your Majesty. Also, what's all this talk about foreigners invading Camelot? I barely had time to catch my breath when my brother Guides swarmed me with the news."

"Ah, yes, those Romans. I'll tell you all about them, but first let us start with your tale to the Quarry."

It is an exciting tale of traversing on various isles and islets in Dragon's Run while reading the stars and asking Luna and Rehr for help. Yatagarasu points on your map to show the location as roughly south of Dragon's Run. You almost move to mark it with a crayon, but your Guide is dismayed.

"It is a bit of a Trade secret, meep. I beg you to leave it off the map to protect it. Also, the islands appear and disappear randomly. Do ye recall that temporary island after your first Quest and we had fallen into the cruel sea? It is close to there."

You remember that rain and wind-lashed piece of rock you staggered onto after burning from the hateful World's Backlash.

"I remember you also saying we had to get off of it because islands like it tend to sink under the waves. So the Quarry randomly pops up?"

"Indeed, sometimes in very odd locations. There is more than one of them, so in truth, it should be properly called 'Quarries' to note the multitude of islands that appear and disappear where we can harvest stones. Luckily, the Star Singer Guide asked Luna and Rehr what they had seen, and they actually answered."

You recall that the 'Star Singer' is part of the Anarchist faction and knows the secrets of the Avalonian sky as well as any priest of the Society. He can ask the moons what they see as they traverse over the water and islands of Avalon. That is, if those eerie moons feel like answering his inquiries. It's too bad he won't cooperate with you; it'd be interesting to ask Luna and Rehr on what island those damned Romans originated from.

Yatagarasu notes that the Guides from the Anarchist faction and Castle faction are replete with all sorts of Stones. They even brought Stones you have never seen before.

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>>6127634
"This is the Silence Stone. It deadens the air and hushes sounds." He shows a rock with what looks like jagged teeth carved into it.

To demonstrate the effects of this new rock, your Guide pokes at it, and the Silence Stone lips descend to hide the teeth. Dead silence fills the air; you can see Yatagarasu's mouth open and shut, but no words issue forth for ten seconds. Then the silence breaks, and so does the stone; it splits in two.

"--- perfect for demonstrations. Ah, lasted longer than I thought. As I was saying while silenced, it eats all sorts of sounds. This is a particularly weak one, so perfect for demonstrations."

As King, you can personally claim a tenth of the harvest of Stones. The problem? They're rocks; they weigh quite a bit and quite large. You suggest chiselling them into smaller sizes, but your Guide states it would destroy the magic inherent in them if they were any smaller.

There are Tourney Stones, Gate Stones, Silence Stones, Talking Stones and Smoke Bombs available!
Tourney Stones will transport you to the Tourney Grounds to Duel or isolate mortals so you can peaceably harvest their Mana.
Gate Stones will allow a quick entrance into Avalon or the World. But where you end up will be random.
Silence Stones can eat sound and dead noise, perfect for covering up the loud screams of desperate mortals.
Talking Stones are like walkie-talkies and come in pairs, allowing you to communicate at a distance with your vassals.
Smoke Bombs are stones that emit clouds of white smoke and hinder sight, perfect for preventing mortals from seeing things they shouldn't!

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>>6127635
There's also another interesting twist to the situation regarding the distribution of these magical tools. Typically, each Guide keeps about forty percent of the Stones he picks up at the Quarry, pays ten percent to the King, and the rest is taken by the Dean.

"Meep. Since the Anarchists don't believe in private property, they have suggested that everyone combine their personal store of Stones and take from a communal stock when needed. In olden days, we usually had the Dean of the Wayfarers' Guild keep the half, and he would determine what to grant to Guides or keep it. Er, Ruggiero isn't interested in, um, 'taking a coercive role against his fellow Baphomets' and won't act as Dean... Meep. Even though he personally transported about five hundredweights in his pack. That's, uh, 250 kilograms? Ah curse the hateful World's measures and weights; they're so needless."

250 KILOGRAMS? Ruggiero would keep 125 kilograms under the old practice and then half of what the Guides managed to pick up. Wait, who is Ruggiero? Oh yeah, the 'Chairman' gave himself a name after exiling Rodomonte. However, none of the Baphomets outside the Anarchists uses it. In fact, many Baphomets frown upon independently naming themselves, considering it audacious and hubristic. You're glad that Yatagarasu took the time to go over who is who in the Anarchist faction; after all, they're all former Guides with loads of knowledge and experience.

"I see. I'm guessing he's going with the idea of 'from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs'. Can't say that Ruggiero is being hypocritical about his political beliefs if he's giving up his own haul and giving up what a Dean would get too. Hm..."

Should you go for a communal pool of resources? A thought occurs to you that Yatagarasu didn't mention restrictions regarding this 'communal pool' of Stones.

"This is for Guides only right?"

You need clarification. Surely, Ruggiero isn't suggesting any Baphomet can take a Stone.

"No, Your Majesty. Any Baphomet can take from it if they need to according to Ruggiero. What would some goat who is not a Guide do with a Tourney Stone? Or a Gate Stone? They've piled their Stones outside the Watch Tower and are talking about how to use them. The guards are standing guard, keeping curious Baphomets from taking one."

You want to say you're shocked, but you can't. Anarchists are going to do strange, insane things.

>Order the Constable to get those Stones into a protected storehouse now!...
>Tell Yatagarasu to get his fellow Guides to claim all the Stones, after all they're free for the taking...
>Appoint Yatagarasu as Dean of the Wayfarers' Guild and tell him to take control of the situation...
>Go down to the Watch Tower and scold those nutty Anarchists, you'll have to skip breakfast with the Romans though...
>Leave the situation be, maybe something good will come out of a communal resource of Stones used by the Baphomets...
>write in....

>>6127637
>Suggest the Guides keep their personal share and pool the Dean's share into a communal store
If this system works better than the old one, it's better for us. And if it doesn't, we get ammo against the Anarchists. Win-win.

>>6127637
>Appoint Yatagarasu as Dean of the Wayfarers' Guild and tell him to take control of the situation...

>>6127637
>Suggest the Guides keep their personal share and pool the Dean's share into a communal store

>>6127637
>>Leave the situation be, maybe something good will come out of a communal resource of Stones used by the Baphomets...

>>6127637
>Leave the situation be, maybe something good will come out of a communal resource of Stones used by the Baphomets...
I feel for those commies. They're only that way because a soulless powergamer traumatized them

>>6127637
>>Leave the situation be, maybe something good will come out of a communal resource of Stones used by the Baphomets...

>>6127878
>>6127918
Communal and private property, mixed economy capitalism

>>6127900
Dictatorship

>>6127932
>>6127943
>>6128051
Anarchy

>>6128250
going to bed early. no post tonight

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The Anarchists might be crazy, but you can't say no to the incredible expansion of resources if all the Guides pool their Stones together into a communal supply. Yatagarasu notes that if shared, then there will be little need to go back to the Quarries for commonplace Stones such as Tourney and Gate Stones. They could spend more time at the Quarry trying to find specialized ones such as Bombards, Seekers, and Blank Stones.

Bombards are explosives! The bigger the Stone, the bigger the boom. They look like the Zelda bomb item...
Seekers are missile weapons. They never miss when thrown or cast from a sling as long as you can see the target, and they don't lose energy as they travel either...
Blank Stones can be imbued with special powers of your choice or crafted into items of your choice! It costs Mana, and Priests are needed to process them. The greater the power or complexity of the item crafted, the higher the cost and chance of a mishap...

"So where are these Bombards and Seekers?"

"Uh, master Ruggiero is a pacifist. He won't pick up 'tools of war', so no Seekers and Bombards in his pack. I don't know about the others, but I quarried three Bombards. I am considering giving them to the Miners to assist them... We used to only use Bombards as a tool for clearing tree roots, mining, or blasting walls, but Ser Rodomonte would---"

"Stop right there, my goat; I do not want to hear more horrifying factoids about murder mcfuckface murderson this early in the morning."

You take one of the Bombards and marvel at how it looks exactly like the Zelda bomb item. It's tempting to make videogame references, but that would only traumatize your vassal. The Blank Stone is equally interesting. It is a white rock, smooth and almost crumbly as chalk. You take care not to let it break apart in your hand since it is the only Blank Stone your Guide found.

"Tis a rare Stone. I got lucky chiseling it out. Arms and Armor! Machinery! Ships! Anything your heart desires, provided we supply the Mana and craft with care. The Temple has the expertise, but Your Majesty must provide the Mana."

Yatagarasu pays the King's Take. You acquire one Bombard and one Blank Stone.

You also give orders for Yatagarasu to collect your portion from the others and to proceed to create a communal pool of Stones for all Baphomets. Your loyal Guide looks very doubtful at the idea but doesn't protest.

"Those Talking Stones are going to be the first thing to run out. This Secretariat of War is clamoring to claim most of the stock since they want to use them to monitor the Romans at the Docks."

That's brilliant! No longer will you have to use messengers, signal flags, or bells to know what's going on elsewhere in Camelot. If something happens, they can just use a Talking Stone to communicate with the Castle. If the Baphomets come up with similar good ideas, then you'll be quite happy.

>>6129479
Unfortunately, you know for a fact there's going to be Baphomets using Tourney and Gate Stones out of curiosity. Only the Gods know what other stupidity might result from this idea of a communal resource. Stupidity is infinite in its creativity; even the Gods contend it in vain. You can only hope the Guides work out a way to keep idiots away from them.

You update your loyal vassal on the Romans as promised. He is particularly curious about the escapee from the Zama.

"You know Your Majesty, we could use him as a reference point and try to Gate directly to Roma. It would depend on how much he knows of the location of the city, how willing he is and how much Mana it would cost."

Now that's an interesting possibility! This is working out in your favor, right now the Spy should be finished with his preliminary interrogation and reporting in this afternoon. Things are working out in your favor, now to squeeze those Romans. They are waiting to enter the Great Hall and discuss the situation regarding the escapee.

A bit of play-acting is in order, you need to take control of the negotiation...

>Pretend to be angry about the entire situation, ask who the escapee is...
>Pretend to sympathize with their troubles, ask how the crew of the Zama is handling things...
>Pretend to be cold and set demands of no further violations, ask how the Romans intend to compensate you...
>Pretend to be friendly and reassure that the escapee will be caught, ask if the escapee has some sort of unique ability...
>Pretend to be weary and depressed at the thought of how dangerous the escapee is, ask how the escapee managed to get away...
>Write in

My schedule is going to be very wonky for awhile. I am hoping to post every 2 or 3 days, if you don't hear from me saying 'no post tonight' just assume things I didn't have time to inform you.

>>6129480
>Pretend that Dread Argeste is furious, and that the baphomets would be in arms if not for you. Make it seem like you are the only lifeline they have right now to prevent terrible repercussions from this. Ask how they intend to appease the people of Camelot.
Their fears are a weapon to be used against them. They do not fear US. But they do fear one thing here...

>>6129487
+1

>>6129480
>Pretend to be weary and depressed at the thought of how dangerous the escapee is, ask how the escapee managed to get away...

>>6129487
This

>>6129480
>>Pretend to be cold and set demands of no further violations, ask how the Romans intend to compensate you...

>>6129480
>>6129487
I'll support this but perhaps we should be a little more subtle about Argeste, wouldn't want to upset him or have him come out and discredit us in the roman's presence.
Maybe claim that the Baphomets were clamoring to be up in arms as loyal vassals and if the situation wasn't swiftly dealt with there might have been dire repercussions from someone they do not wish to cross (intending us but they will likely think of Argeste.)

>>6129480
>Pretend to be cold and set demands of no further violations, ask how the Romans intend to compensate you...

>>6129480
>Pretend to be cold and set demands of no further violations, ask how the Romans intend to compensate you...
I do not wish to anger dread agreste, knowing our luck he will intervene at this moment on blow open our bluff

>>6129487
>>6129490
>>6129567
>>6129607
Vassals up in arms with a dusting of Agreste

>>6129557
weary

>>6129569
>>6129630
>>6129752
cold

So we'll mention angry xenophobic Baphomets (which isn't all that far off base) and Agreste mention

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It is the usual ceremony and entourage of vassals walking into the Great Hall with your foreign guests. When you think about it, it is amazing how quickly you've acclimated to the oddity of publically dining for every meal before an audience of supernatural bipedal goats and strange foreign dollmen. Modern notions of private dining with portions enough for one person per meal are something the Baphomets of Camelot cannot understand, nor is it efficient.

The kitchen of the Castle is intended to feed hundreds. Just lighting the fireplaces to cook takes an enormous amount of effort and firewood, so it is wasteful to cook a small bit of food for one human. Even Ser Rodomonte and Lord Mordred bowed to necessity and sacrificed privacy to dine in the Great Hall. The Baphomets could sustain themselves on Mana only, but eating good food helps to stretch their existence out a little bit longer.

So you listen to the same prayers and give the same false toasts of friendship, but today there's a twist. It turns out that hangovers can plague dolls. The Romans look decidedly green around the gills and tired; that bottle of Absinthe packed quite a wallop.

Legatus Gaius sits to your right, looking at his food with disinterest and impatience to start talks regarding the escapee. Though his porter has been carefully cutting up select morsels of food and waiting to feed his master, the head refuses to open his mouth to eat. You've been strategizing how to handle the situation to your advantage and decide to let the dollman stew with his thoughts until he can't take it any longer.

"This is no time to relax and dine elegantly! Property of Roma has absconded from the Zama! What news do you have of the escapee? A mere galley slave cannot have gotten far! The Imperator will make you pay if you steal her property."

At last, the bodiless head barks out his annoyance, unable to remain diplomatic. The Great Hall falls into silence as the highest-ranking Baphomets of Camelot turn to watch the proceedings with great interest and narrow eyes. A shiver of indignation ripples through the ranks.

"How much?"

This shuts up the envoy. This simple, short answer is full of polite menace; after all, he just accused you of an intent of theft before your vassals. You take a sip of well-watered ale from your cup and give the Roman a bored look.

"How much for a corpse? There's no guarantee that you'll get your escapee back alive. My Baphomets are outraged about the intrusion of strangers in the City, and darkly mutter that it is a ploy to defile the sacred soil of Logres. Make no mistake, my honored guests, that I am the guarantor of your safety. My will and command are the shield between your countrymen and those who clamor to purge you from the island of perfection."

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>>6131198
Baphomets are not all xenophobes like your Seneschal Hanbei. Yet you remember earlier, when the Zama was first seen off the coast of Logres, a majority of the Baphomets gleefully advocated the idea of slaughtering the crew and stealing the ship. Most cared not that the ship might contain hapless and helpless outsiders in need of help nor the pleasure of trade and neighborly goodwill, but openly fantasized using it to raid other islands.

'What do honorable and glory-seeking Baphomets care of weak and lucre-loving foreigners?' or so your vassals go around proclaiming. Not one of your higher-class Baphomets showed any interest in acquiring luxuries or goods from the Romans through trade. What need do they have of jewelry, fine clothes, silver, gold, strange foreign foods, or ivory when Logres provides?

You continue as the Roman remains silent.

"With so many loyal vassals up in arms and scouring the city for the escapee, the clamor will surely create ever greater repercussions the longer it goes on. I suggest for your own sake to appease the generous and martial Baphomets of Camelot who gifted you all that well-wrought silver and fine treasures. Just a tiny bit more than whatever you think is best, enough to not cause a rift in our friendship."

Greed is insidious. This thought dominates your mind as the nostrils and eyes of the Roman flare at the notion of losing wealth to those he regards as his lesser. Never mind that you are not personally demanding anything; he clearly cannot believe you won't materially profit from the situation.

"Gifted?! Nay, tis what is rightfully due to Roma. Surely the King of Camelot realizes her lonely island on the edge of Avalon, weak and----"

The bristling of the Baphomets increases; the mention of them being weak is enough to cause some warriors at the Longship Meep table to rise up from their seats. You place a finger on your lips and breathe a quiet 'shhhhh' to the ranting envoy, and in the silence of the Great Hall, it is heard by all. You've always been a great actress; this shushing is just too dramatic to ignore. You then point down to the floor beneath your feet.

"Remember, you are always standing on the stones of Camelot. I am its rightful ruler, and Dagda has blessed them. My dear friend, remember that blessings can turn into curses when guests are not kind and good to the host. The Gods make glorious the generous and the brave, and they shall reward you for it, as they have always rewarded me."

You wonder if you're being too subtle in the threat. The Romans witnessed your sparring with the Herald Agreste, but that doesn't mean they picked up the implications or allusions you're making.

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>>6131201
Trait: A True Heart "Magokokoro", bonus in one on one interaction with a hostile opponent.

The wrinkled brow of Legatus Gaius smoothes itself and he gives a nervous smile. Ah, so he did get the allusion to Agreste!

"We Romans would never dream of losing the blessings of the Gods and sullying friendship. We are merely distressed at the carelessness in handling the property of the Imperator. To lose a slave is frustrating, particularly since they're all criminal rabble condemned to die pulling the oars of our ship. Having a dangerous fellow running loose in the city is a distressing thought."

The envoy signals to his entourage to distribute the diplomatic gift they have been hoarding to themselves. It turns out that Lucius Hiberius did intend to reciprocate any gifts given to her vassals.

You receive a letter and...

>A fine stone of Mana...
>A beautiful heavy shield...
>A very ornate dagger and sheath...
>A stone knife, strangely elegant...
>A wreath of gold leaves to wear...
>A pair of very good boots, very light...
>A graceful ivory fan...
>An empty chest....

>>6131203
>A pair of very good boots, very light...
GOTTA HAVE THE DRIP THREADS FOR TRAVEL AND ASSKICKING

>>6131203
>A beautiful heavy shield...
Shield and Spear is a combination few could resist. And fewer could defeat.

>>6131203
>>A wreath of gold leaves to wear...

>>6131203
>>A pair of very good boots, very light...

>>6131203
>A wreath of gold leaves to wear...

>>6131203
>A pair of very good boots, very light...

>>6131203
>A pair of very good boots, very light...

>>6131207
>>6131311
>>6131598
>>6131655
drip boots

>>6131247
Shield friend

>>6131290
>>6131481
corona aurum

so we're going for boots.

>>6131694
A bit late for the vote but boots is a great choice given how important good footwear is for anybody who ever lived.

Also great writing there on this scene, really makes our girl shine with wit while the envoy flounders pathetically in her palm.

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A pair of very good boots! Well-stitched, solid-looking leather boots chased with gold embroidery. The envoy's porter presents them while on his knees with both hands as though offering a bejeweled treasure to you.

To your mind, they might as well be worth their weight in gold.

Truth be told, you haven't traveled outside Camelot the city due to a lack of proper footwear. The idea of tramping through the island of Logres with nothing but wooden geta clogs on is a recipe for torture of the feet. When you went to hunt the Wyvern in the hateful World, you had to go in bare feet, and it took a day to recover from the punishment. It is a good thing you have a healing factor from being Blessed and the Doctor applied medication to quickly heal the wounds!

You pick up the boots to see what sort of treads they boast of and discover a pattern of hobnails.

"Is this a Relic?" You ask Legatus Lucius directly.

"The Imperator called them Springheel Boots. They allow the wearer to fall great distances without hurting themselves and jump very fall."

You acquired the Relic Springheel Boots! You can jump very far and land a very long distance without injury. How far? You'll have to find out.

Lucius knows how to spoil a fellow human. Now you have comfortable footwear to walk in, but it also has special powers! You wonder if the other Relics you own also have special powers; you haven't tested the Mask or Tea Bowl yet.

You side-eye the Roman envoy while you also accept the letter accompanying the gift. This doll man isn't just an arrogant, greedy foreigner; he's also a cowardly bully. Agreste is powerful, and just hinting about the stone man is enough to make the foreigner crumple. Yet, you can't be complacent and rely entirely on using Agreste's name all the time to get your way. The Herald might take exception to you hiding behind his dreadful name for an advantage. And you know power that wholly relies on an unsound foundation eventually crumbles.

"Your Majesty! Let us hear the words of the Emperor Lucius! The letter!"Your vassals call out in one voice. They are curious to hear the words of another sovereign and as the highest ranking Baphomets, it is important to know if it will effect Camelot. You wonder if the letter is something to read aloud to your vassals. It was presented to you publicly, so it must mean that the contents aren't anything questionable.

Breaking the seal, you unfurl the small scroll, and the faint scent of citrus exudes from it. It is written in some sort of language you can't read. Your puzzlement is obvious as the envoy sighs and offers to read aloud the letter for you. You don't have much choice in the matter, and the unfurled letter is read aloud by the Roman. If there's one thing that is to the credit of Legatus Lucius, it is that he has a good voice for speaking.

>>6133141
It is a remarkably turgid and officious-sounding document, a template with where the addressee and Kingdom are swapped in where necessary. It contains nothing you haven't heard before, the same declaration of peaceful intent and trade between Kingdoms, friendship and goodwill, and such rot. The Baphomets politely listen to the letter, but they are disappointed it contained nothing from the Emperor personally.

The remainder of the breakfast consists of the Romans personally handing out gifts to the various attendees in the Great Hall. You see a variety offered, some things gifted are pieces of gold, unworked horns of ivory, small pots of the olive oil and wine, and bolts of cloth. It is not the value of the gifts that impresses the Baphomets; it is the reciprocation of the gift giving that they appreciate more and the opportunity to show off prestige to fellow Baphomets. The first feast with the Romans caused great offense for the rudeness of not giving a gift back.

You quickly realize that means you need to think of something to gift to Lucius! The Baphomets will consider it rude if you don't and the Romans will be offended. Given how lavishly Baphomets gave to the Romans, you probably need something equal or greater than the Relic you got. Ah, crap. A Quest to the hateful world might be in order unless you have something unique to present amongst your belongings. You probably have a week to find something appropriate; after all, these Romans took a week to present their gift. They can't complain if you take an equal measure of time to respond.

Be polite! Try to find something to gift back to Lucius.

Breakfast ends on a cheerful note, the servants carry the gift and letter to your office. It is tempting to immediately wear the boots but it is apparently impolite in the eyes of Baphomets to start using a gift right in front of the person who gave it.

>>6133142
You have some time before the Spy arrives to give his report on his interrogation of the escapee; a slave doomed to die pulling the oars of the Zama.

Choose 2....

>Combat training with the Constable and Castle Guards....
>Investigate your Survival Booklet, Mask and Tea Bowl, do they have powers?....
>Listen to the petitions of your Baphomets and dispense justice....
>Test out the Springheel Boots! Jump and fall....
>Conduct some personal trade with the Romans...
>See if you can get Agreste's attention, maybe he'll talk...
>Order the Bard to tell True tales of Avalon, maybe you'll learn something...
>Ask for Lady Kizaemon, you notice she never attends any event with the Romans...
>Summon Seneschal Hanbei to order a new set of weekly tasks for the Baphomet....
>Appoint a candidate to lead a Guild, this will help increase the responsiveness of your government...
>Go to the Watch Tower, and bother those Anarchists again. Maybe even grab a Stone yourself...
>Go to the Docks, and see how the Longship Meeps are doing, and see the Zama up close yourself...
>Go to the Temple and see the Society, the Head Priest and clergy can read your fortune and soothsaying...
>Explore the surrounding area around the city of Camelot, you haven't seen much of Logres...
>Write in....

Hopefully I can write a faster pace now.

>>6133143
>Investigate your Survival Booklet, Mask and Tea Bowl, do they have powers?....
>Test out the Springheel Boots! Jump and fall....
A time for testing relics! Tally-ho!

>>6133143
>>Test out the Springheel Boots! Jump and fall....
>>Ask for Lady Kizaemon, you notice she never attends any event with the Romans...

>>6133143
>Conduct some personal trade with the Romans...
>Ask for Lady Kizaemon, you notice she never attends any event with the Romans...

>>6133143
>Test out the Springheel Boots! Jump and fall....
>Appoint a candidate to lead a Guild, this will help increase the responsiveness of your government...

>>6133143
>Investigate your Survival Booklet, Mask and Tea Bowl, do they have powers?....
>Test out the Springheel Boots! Jump and fall....

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>6133168
>>6133293
>>6133318
>>6133443
>>6133586

We want to play around with the boots!

Hm tie between other relics and bothering the cat. rolling, 1 for relics and 2 for cat

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Your Seneschal looks frazzled as he gives a brief update on the status of Camelot and the island of Logres.

The Engineer has found certain pipes in need of repair for the main fountain and is digging it up. His small team does not believe they'll be able to repair all the breaks and blockages in a timely manner, but they shall continue to work at it.

The exploratory groups have searched the surrounding area the last week and have noted down promising resources to investigate further and the location of a variety of items. They will search further afield on Logres Major if they receive no new instructions. The issue that concerns Hanbei more is the logistic of operating said resources and organizing crews to bring back things. While the scouts managed to bring back easy-to-carry items with them, there's just too much out there to handle and no organization to determine what would immediately be useful for the city, let alone teams to carry them back.

For example, they found arrows. Those arrows require bows to fire them. So having thousands of them in storage would just take up space. Another is that certain resources require further work to extract, such as an 80-pound ball of rubber stuck in a tree; it needs to be cut down to get at the thing. Then there are the caves, which need to be investigated to see what sort of minerals can be hewed out of them. While Hanbei and the clerks can take charge to administer some of the resources, it is too much work for such a small team of bureaucrats to do it all. He hopes that at least one Guild leader will be appointed soon to ease the burden of administration. The elections are being prolonged at your orders to buy time to strengthen Camelot, but if things go on too long, then dysfunction is going to result.

With the return of the Guides and their resupply of Stones, you have your full slate of Baphomets able to travel into the hateful World. Previous Kings sent small teams of Baphomets on their own into Japan for certain tasks, such as stealing Relics, harvesting Mana or even bringing back a Nintendo DS to play on. So you don't necessarily have to go into the hateful World with a Guide all the time and do all the work, but sending out teams on their own entails some risk.

The Knights of the Round Table might find them, and they will easily kill your Baphomets due to the difference of power. You need a bit of time to decide what to do next about getting more Mana. You will have to go on a Quest, but that is a decision you can make later.

The crew of the Zama has whipped one of their oarsmen on the deck of their ship. It is the failed escapee; a tall, naked dollman with a large brand on his face. They have also proceeded to hang the slave by his arms. Those Romans aren't playing around when it comes to punishment. You suppose the only reason they've kept him alive is because he's regarded as property of the Emperor.

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>>6134528
"Please ask Lady Kizaemon to honor me with a visit. She's never around when our Roman guests are in the Great Hall. I want to hear from her and know why."

With that done, it is time to experiment with your new boots!

You check the boots over with care and see they are too large. A bit disappointing but you can still wear them, so you put them on. The moment you do so, the boots magically resize to perfectly fit your feet. It occurs to you that The Black Prince is perfectly sized for your body despite being a belonging of the hated Ser Rodomonte. It seems Relics will change dimensions to fit the user. Good to know.

You have decent footwear at long last. Better yet, it has strange magical powers. You feel like a little kid about to use her super secret magic. First, is to test how high you can jump! You're not a very athletic girl, so the highest jump you have done is about 32 centimetres. How much higher will your jump be with the Springheel boots?

*CRASH*

It turns out, multitude times greater. A single casual jump is enough to crash the top of your head into the stone ceiling of your office! The pain forces you to clasp the top of your head and wait for it to go away.

"What in the name of the Gods are you doing?" A familiar voice sounding like something from a Showa-era samurai series cuts through the pain. Lady Kizaemon the cat pads her way into the office, her personal valet promptly closes the door to give you privacy.

"Ah, just the feline I wanted to see. You have not met our new guests, the Romans. It's rather obvious you are avoiding them. Care to explain as I go outside to properly test these boots."

It is an enlightening conversation, as Lady Kizaemon insists on riding your shoulders. Her claws dig deep into the black cloak as she complains about how unnatural the Romans are. They don't sleep, so the ever curious cat can't invade their dream and look around.

"If they don't sleep, what do they do?"

You make an incredible leap, two and a half meters across just from standing position. Earlier running jumps showed a length almost double that. Leg exercises are in order, it seems the stronger the legs are, the longer you can jump. Ugh, you hate the idea of exercise but this is critical to your survival.

"They stare at this box with many eyes! Don't worry, they didn't catch me spying on them, but I was waiting for them to sleep. They never did, they just stared at that revolting box. I got bored, so I went to explore more of the island. I must say, tis patent misrule if your island is unsafe. I demand you burn down Birnam Woods when the opportunity arises."

The description of the box of eyes is unnerving. All sides have glaring eyes, which loll and roll about; the Romans have been keeping it hidden under a velvet cloth when it is not in use. As to what purpose it has, that is completely unknown. You guess it is a Relic of some sort.

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>>6134529
"Also, those Romans smell terrible. Pwah, cloth soaked with perfumes, food and drink, sex, blood, rot, and the stuffing is just as rancid. Do those damn guests not bathe?! A Lady should not have to smell such a disgusting odour!"

You jump down from a wall and note the landing doesn't hurt your feet. You can feel the energy and force dissipate enough that only a gentle push up the soles of your feet can be felt. The higher you fall, the more you feel though. There's a limit to how much energy from the fall the boots can dissipate. You are reluctant to jump off too tall a height just in case.

"It's not as if this place has a washing machine where we can stuff the dolls in to clean. But this means the Romans know nothing about you. That's to our advantage."

Springheel boots allows standing leaps of at least 2.5 meters. Running leaps, 5 meters. You can fall from great heights, but you've only tested up to 8 meters. Enchantments on the boots help you land on your feet.

It's a good thing the landing part is worked out. You hate to imagine having to make a jump and worry about how you'll end up at the end. A crash landing would injure you. You are sweating from testing out the boots, it was good exercise.

"When shall we return to my demesne? I am eager to survey my manor, the human servants must be devastated by my disappearance."

Ah, that's right. You earned this cat's cooperation for a Quest next time. You reassure the cat it is soon and return to your office. The Mask, 2 Survival Booklets and Tea Bowl catch your eye. Could it be those Relics might have special powers too? There's only one way to find out.

A knock on the door however announces the arrival of the Spy and his report. The grim but somehow utterly generic looking Baphomet is here to report on the captured escapee. You'll have to leave off experiments with your Relics for later.

The Spy immediately brings out an entire bag of Silence Stones and begins to strategically placing a few all over the room.

"I've always wanted to use these Stones for the longest time. Meep. When I heard that they were free for the taking, I grabbed several of them. Those Anarchists are all so helpful about how to use them; you can shape the area of the silence. I do not like how they've bought popularity with the other goats, though; some may start listening to the treasonous blather a little more closely."

"I think having these Stones freely available more than makes up for it. If we can get those Anarchists to work productively for the benefit of Camelot, all the better. They might come back into the fold and obey my orders."

The Spy looks doubtful and stares at Lady Kizaemon.

"Meep. I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but should not the Lady depart? This is serious business we are about to discuss."

"I see no reason why she cannot stay."

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>>6134530
"Hm, well, it's an old adage, but I think it's good to mention it for your sake. Three can keep a secret if two are dead. The fewer who hear about any sort of secret, the better."

"Do you think I'm some sort to tattle tale and spread secrets? Me! Lady Kizaemon of the Kuroda clan!?" The cat yowls and bares her fangs.

The report is interesting and to be succinct. The captured escapee claims he is a dollman from the island of Romulus; he says his name is Arminox. He has never been to Roma, though he has heard the tales and knows it exists. He claims he had been falsely accused of murder, branded, and sentenced to pull the oars of the Zama for the rest of his life. He has no idea that he arrived in Camelot, only that after so many years on the ship, he could not take any more slavery. He hatched a plan with a fellow slave, broke the lock on their chain, and jumped ship. He begs as a pitiful supplicant for your protection.

"I think we should just hand him over. It was not worth the time questioning him; he's a slave who spent the last eight years on a ship pulling oars. Also, innocent, my hoof. He's got the look of a criminal and is likely lying every few words to make himself look good. Lost Children are infamous throughout Avalon as being tender at heart; it's an obvious play to win your pity when he realized a King was ruling."

"Tender at heart?"

"With the exception of Ser Rodomonte, tales oft told that humans lack the iron mettle to do what is necessary. Soft living in the hateful World makes for softheaded thinking... Apologies, Your Majesty; I am not berating you for actions you have not taken yet. It's just something we observe in Avalon regarding humans. The number of times Lord Mordred would go for the 'least asshole option' and have it backfire is too numerous to count. Mercy is a quality that must be tempered with good judgment and an ability to see the potential consequences of them. Baphomets shall obey your orders but have a care to any returning blow that might result."

"If he still remembers Romulus, then we can use a Guide to Gate over there. I prefer to somehow keep him to explore more parts of Avalon. Our map is incomplete after all. But keeping him when the Romans are expecting him back is difficult."

There goes your hope for a direct link to the mysterious city of Roma. Is the island of Romulus close to it? Does this escapee remember enough about his native island that the Guides can use him to get there? Or should you hand over the escapee to the Romans and figure out another alternative?

You finger the official letter of Emperor Lucius Hiberius and wonder what sort of girl she is. Lady Kizaemon sniffs the scroll and huffs.

"Hmph, what a strange perfume to scent a letter. Tis the same smell as that degusting yellow ball fruit."

The cat scratches the letter to bat it away from her. The Spy looks intrigued by something.

Trait: Spy Spy Spy - Tradecraft skills, top secret.

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>>6134531

What kind of Trait is that!?

"Your Majesty, if I may see that letter?"

Without even waiting for your permission, and with great enthusiasm, the Spy takes the letter and sniffs it. Then he lights a candle and starts heating it very closely, so close it almost catches fire, but words start appearing on the letter. They're all in Japanese!

"Ahahah, the lemon juice secret ink!" The Spy laughs with joy.

Secret ink from lemons? That's actually possible? Random trivia of this nature is the forte of your nerdy classmate Tatemichi Haruhi, not you. You had no idea it was possible to make secret ink with lemons. Having Lady Kizaemon with you was a good idea after all! You take the scroll in hand and marvel at the Japanese written on the paper.

"Well, Your Majesty, I await your orders regarding the slave. Shall we hand him over? Or shall we keep him for a bit longer?"

What will you do? Eventually those Romans are going to realize that something is up if you hold on to the slave for too long. Then again, it doesn't matter. Arminox will likely spill his guts about his capture and interrogation if he's handed over, so the Romans will know he's been questioned. Three can keep a secret if two are dead... You could just kill the slave.

>Keep Arminox, the Guides might be able to use him to get to Romulus...
>Return Arminox to the Zama, it's not worth keeping him around...
>Kill Arminox and return his dead body with some silver as penalty....
>Keep Arminox, see if there's a way to fake a dead body and fool the Romans....
>Send Arminox home, the Anarchists might help in getting him away....
>write in....

>>6134529
>A single casual jump is enough to crash the top of your head into the stone ceiling of your office!
Reminds me of the super jump upgrades in the Castlevania games. Or the Zoom spell in Dragon Quest when in a dungeon. I still fondly recall how DQ8 had custom animations for all 4 characters hitting their heads on the ceiling with it.

>>6134532
Could we show this slave a map and have him point where Romulus is, if he knows? If not, then I don't know. I doubt the Romans would be indebted to us if we returned their escaped slave, would they?

>>6134532
Can you tell us what's written first?

>>6134532
>Read the secret letter first

>>6134532
>>Kill Arminox and return his dead body with some silver as penalty....

>>6134532
>>Kill Arminox and return his dead body with some silver as penalty....

>>6134532
>Read the secret letter first

>>6134559
>>6134649
>>6134657
>>6134691
>>6134571

mixing it up with reading the letter and possibly killing Arminox the unreliable.
>>6134631

File: castle.jpg (66 KB, 791x548)

66 KB JPG

You pick up the scroll and continue to wave it over the flickering flame of the candle to reveal more writing.

"Give me a few moments to think it over and read this secret letter. I suppose you can't read Japanese."

"I can read it."

You did not expect that. You look at the Spy in askance, and he answers wearily.

"The Anarchists keep on bringing in books and essays from Kyoto. I expended Mana to gain the ability to read Japanese to try to keep up to date with their beliefs. Hell's bells, I am happy to be working my Trade on a different target."

Kyoto? Oh right, the Japanese Communist Party is strong there. So you can use Mana to gain abilities like reading a foreign language; that's an interesting tidbit. You finish revealing the last characters of the letter and begin to read.

'From Augustus to my comrades,

It seems I cannot journey to that misty shore with everyone. Instead, I shall journey to that unknown country from which no traveler returns. There are multiple conspiracies in Roma against me; I cannot fulfill my Geas in time.

Good luck and Godspeed.

Remember me when you get home, guys. Pellinore, tell my mother I love her. I miss her so much.'

You read the letter twice in silence. Lady Kizaemon butts her head against you as a distraction as you try to absorb the realization you are reading a doomed missive of a fellow Lost Child. The letter passes hands to the Spy, who reads it over too.

He takes out a wooden tablet and notes down the names on the letter. He then looks at your sombre face and begins speaking.

"Just because this Augustus wrote out they think they are going to die and fail to fulfill their Geas does not mean they actually failed. This scroll was prepared a while ago; the invisible ink has been on it since then. Also, it was not delivered. Either because it was not necessary to do so, prevented from being sent, or just got misplaced. Try not assuming the worst, as hard as it may be. I'll go bother the Bard later and see if he gets gifted some True words about these two names. Pellinore, hm, actually that name sounds familiar."

Familiar? Yes, that name is familiar. Well, not to you, but definitely to King Lot. You feel a cold rage bubbling within; it's origin is not you but rather the old man.

>>6135927

"Pellinore... PELLINORE!? THERE'S SOMEONE BEARING THAT WHORESON'S NAME IN AVALON?!"

King Lot erupts with rage at the very thought and speaks from your mouth. You recall a brief memory of a dandy-looking older man in armor flashing his sword at you. It is a beautiful, silvery steel blade that bites right through the helmet and straight into your brainpan, splattering slippery, moist brain matter contained within.

CRIPES! You died at his hand! No, not you. King Lot died because of this Pellinore.

Trait: That's Nothing! - Hidden name revealed! This Trait cannot be used again against King Pellinore.

Trait: Family Feud - You have an easier time fighting against King Pellinore's descendants; add +2d6 dice in combat.

What? That's bullshit! King Lot is the one who died, and he was clearly in armor! You should still have use of 'That's Nothing!' against this King Pellinore if you ever run into him or her. FUCK YOU AVALON!!!

Rage against the unfairness of it all originates from you, and it mingles with the rage of King Lot. It takes an enormous amount of effort to rein in the anger. The Spy and Lady Kizaemon watch in wonder as you take deep breaths.

"Right, I'll get over it. Give me a few seconds. What is this about Pellinore?"

"I'll have to ask the Bard, but I could have sworn he told a tale that is related to this Pellinore. I didn't find it very interesting."

"Then let's get back to this Arminox business."

You go over some scenarios with the Spy. Does Arminox know where Romulus is if a map is shown to him?

You learn that maps are rare items in Avalon; he's likely never seen one before. Chances are low that he knows where the island is and can point it out on a map. Also, once the map is revealed to the slave, he can never go back to the Romans. Alive or dead. It is possible to practice necromancy to speak with the dead; the corpse can't be handed over. So on the whole, it is better not to reveal the map in the blind hope that Arminox can find Romulus somehow on it.

Returning the escaped slave to the Romans. The Romans expect the return of their property if there is no misadventure and likely have accepted that some information was squeezed out of the wretch. They'll be grilling Arminox in turn for any information on Camelot too and then punishing the slave. As for consequences, the Anarchists will cause the most trouble. They will loudly protest at the notion of returning the slave to the Romans. They may try some harebrained future scheme to free the enslaved on the Zama somehow. After all, they are believers in the abolishment of private property and social classes and freedom for the working class.

"How will the slaves on the Zama react when they see us return Arminox? I figure they'll despair and not cooperate with us in the future unless we bribe them. Assuming we can get access to them."

>>6135928

You get a strange reaction from the Spy as though it is something he just never considered.

"You want to consider the reaction of foreign slaves to our decision when gaming out the consequences?"

"Of course, why wouldn't you consider them also as a factor?"

"Because they're just wretched foreign slaves."

Ah, right. Baphomets are xenophobic and classist. There's no slavery in Camelot; it is something they are inordinately proud of. To them, any enslaved living being is worse than the lowliest Baphomet laborer. To the point that killing a foreign slave and just paying a penalty of useless silver to the Romans is barely any different from just throwing Arminox back into the Zama. Of course, that will anger the Anarchists even if a majority of the Baphomets approve firm and strict enforcement of keeping Romans out of Camelot.

"Try not to blind yourself to the possibilities despite your sensibilities. Slave uprisings can be to our advantage against the Romans."

"Well then, killing Arminox will make those slaves resistant to cooperating and believing our good intentions."

"And killing Arminox will annoy those Anarchists. Well, annoyed a lot more compared to just returning him to the Romans."

"Remember the opinions of other Baphomets too. The Longship Meeps are embarrassed that this escape succeeded while they were on watch. They likely want to kill Arminox for the humiliation and display his corpse in a gibbet to warn off any others who dare to set foot in Camelot."

The Spy is a lot more politically astute compared to your bureaucratic Seneschal. Gods love Hanbei, but that Evolved Baphomet is clueless when it comes to assessing his fellow goats' reactions to certain decisions. Give the Seneschal numbers and report, and he is the absolute best.

Lady Kizaemon interrupts.

"I think this has gone long enough. You can't spend hours and hours on this matter. Why, the Silence Stones must be ready to fall apart. Look, they're crumbling. Your Majesty needs to make a decision."

"Right as usual, Lady Kizaemon."

You pet your cat and wonder what to do...

>Try and see if Arminox can locate Romulus on the map....
>Keep Arminox, the Guides might be able to use him to get to Romulus...
>Return Arminox to the Zama, it's not worth keeping him around...
>Kill Arminox and return his dead body with some silver as penalty....
>Keep Arminox, see if there's a way to fake a dead body and fool the Romans....
>Send Arminox home, the Anarchists might help in getting him away....
>write in....

>>6135929
>>Kill Arminox and return his dead body with some silver as penalty....

>>6135929
>Return Arminox to the Zama, it's not worth keeping him around...

>>6135929
>Send Arminox home, the Anarchists might help in getting him away....
I don't want to give the romans any information on our country, nor do I want them to know we interrogated him. This goes a good way towards ingratiating the roman slave populace and the anarchs to us, too. We can tell them that the slave has yet to be caught and seems to have disappeared entirely, and make it seem like we're VERY angry about the mess that it all caused.

>>6136004
+1 wise move
fuck these Romans, all my goat (or GOAT as I like to call them) niggas hate the Romans, walking retard sex dolls all of em

>>6135929
>>Kill Arminox and return his dead body with some silver as penalty....

>>6135995
>>6136119
kill him and be done with it

>>6136003
Give him back to the Romans

>>6136004
>>6136044
Let him go home. Hopefully it'll work out for you.

a tie, since it's election night, I won't call the vote but wait for one more night.

>>6135929
On one hand he is most probably a murderer.

On the other fuck the romans.

So the most expedient way is just to have him killed, unless we buy him out with that silver...
We could say to the romans that we want to try him out in bed as they suggested and kill him if he's not to our satisfaction (or out of sadism).
They will probably be more accepting of casual cruelty than mercy.

So I say:
>buy him out and then have the anarchists figure a way to get him home (so we can update our map with their exploration.)

>>6136421
I can live with that compromise.

>>6136421
>>6136449
so we have overall trying to save the life of Arminox, likely murderer such not so great doll man.
I'll try to combine this combo of bribery, getting him back home and fucking over the romans somehow

>>6136881
Yeah I like this guy's plan >>6136421 go for it

Got home late. I think after two or so posts will end the tread. Then we can plan our Quests to the World and start reaping Mana.

File: gibbet.jpg (50 KB, 323x440)

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No matter what you do, someone is going to get mad over the decision made. You might as well make the decision that angers those you don't care for.

"I've hatched a plan. How about we pull off a deception worthy of your Trade on those Romans?"

You'll need the Longship Meeps to come to the Castle, some silver and gold from the treasury, a clerk specialized in law, and someone to inform the Anarchists; their assistance is required.

"What happens if this scheme doesn't work?" Kizaemon asks a very important question; you've chewed over it in your mind already.

"Then we pretend we never found Arminox, that he's still hiding somewhere in Camelot while actually working to get him back to his home." You are prepared to accept that this plan may not work, but given how grasping those Romans are... Bribery should work. As they say, a mule loaded with gold will always find a way through the mightiest of walls.

"I hope you don't expect this Arminox to be grateful for this favor." The Spy gets up from his seat; he will be making contact with an Anarchist.

"Of course not. He may recognize he should be grateful, but gratitude is forgotten the moment it is inconvenient. But I care not for his gratitude. If he remembers the way to Romulus, it is worth the risk."

Is that King Lot speaking through you again? It's hard to know. It then occurs to you, there's another name to ask the Bard.

"Ah, before you go. The Bard might have another tale to tell. Find out about King Urien of Gorre."

The Silence Stones finally crumble, and it is time to put your plan into action.

The Longship Meeps bring their tools, their well-seasoned timber, and one iron cage. Everything is set up in the courtyard of the Castle, and they begin the task of erecting a frame. The noise of the construction soon attracts the attention of the Romans, who wander over to balcony to watch the unusual activity.

"What is this about!? Who is going to die?" One of the Romans whispers to the other.

You take the opportunity to enlighten your guests.

"Your escaped slave when we catch him. We'll divide his corpse in two, one for the Docks and one for the Castle."

Dismay and irritation ripple through the ranks of the Romans. The porter lifts the head of Legatus Gaius higher so that he can look down on you.

"Surely your vassals are skilled enough to capture one mere slave alive."

"It's not a question of skill. It is a question of law and order."

You wave your hand to summon a Clerk, who appears promptly with his purses and wooden tablet. He jingles with the sound of metal on metal as he strides forth and begins to politely question the Romans on the reputation and family status of the escapee. After a few questions, one of the Romans can't take the impertinence.

>>6138014
"What is the point of all these questions on the family of the escapee or if he had any worthy skills!? He's just some murderous rabble from the oozing squalor of some subura. Sentenced permanently to man the oars until he dies!"

"I am tasked with calculating the wergild owed for a foreign slave. No family of note, no worthy skills, a lifetime sentence for a crime... Meep, by our law then, the wergild owing is one hand worth of silver."

The Law Clerk reaches for a purse and dumps the contents out onto a table. Coins, torques, bars, rods, and square bits of silver pile up in a small heap before Roman eyes. A few pieces of silver roll towards the edge of the table, but you let it fall to the ground. The ring of metal on the ground echoes in your ear, but you're genuinely indifferent to it. This pile on the table was once more silver than you have ever seen in your life, to the point you don't know even how much yen it is worth.

Key point is 'was once more silver than you have ever seen'. For in the vaults beneath the Castle, there are rooms full of useless silver. Apparently, some previous King ordered the Baphomets to mine as much silver as possible and store it below.

The Clerk begins digging through the mound to find the precut silver squares weighing roughly 50 grams. Four whole silver squares are finally separated from the jumbled mass as the Law Clerk digs around to find a fifth final silver square. Finding one, he takes out a knife and begins a struggle to hack it in half to satisfy the fine.

As the Baphomet struggles to cut the silver, the Romans protest further. You pretend to be annoyed.

"What more do you want? I've prepared the mimaikin blood money to purchase his life."

As you say this, the Longship Meeps hoists the empty gibbet, and a little cheer erupts at a job well done. The stark wood frame, the sinister creaking iron cage, and the grim satisfied faces of the warrior Baphomets, all awaiting to kill the coveted escapee hiding somewhere within Camelot.

"A mere solatium for the loss of the Imperator's property does not suffice. An explanation needs to be provided when I return to Roma. We can't accept this." The envoy protests.

"Note that down, the aggrieved party declines to accept the wergild. So we kill that slave and save on silver. Put it back in your purse, Law Clerk."

Obeying your orders, the goatman sweeps the silver back into his purse carelessly. He doesn't even bother to reach for stray pieces littering the ground or stranded alone on the table.

"Capricious! Utterly arbitrary, what sort of law is this?" One of the other Roman's raises his voice.

"Arbitrariness is the right of a King. And a King's arbitrariness is law. All this trouble over a slave barely worth even a full handful of silver. Ah, my guests, I, King Lot, appreciate how your duty weighs on your soul. Let me lighten it."

File: pinbrooch.jpg (54 KB, 475x492)

54 KB JPG

>>6138017
That is the cue for the Law Clerk to hand over the purse hanging on his belt directly to you. It is heavy; the bag strains to contain the weight of silver.

"I ask that you petition on my behalf to Emperor Lucius Hiberius and soften her heart. After all, we're fellow sovereigns and Lost Children. I'm sure she'll understand. Accept this present of silver as you take on the task. I am fully confident it is a small thing given your eloquence and authority in the great empire of Roma."

You offer the purse directly to Legatus Gaius...

Flaw: Greed activates in the Romans! +2d6 bonus.

>two anons, roll 3d6 each, two anons, roll 2d6 each....

Rolled 3, 2, 1 = 6 (3d6)

>>6138019

>>6138019

>>6138019
Fucking wrong field.

Rolled 1, 3, 2 = 6 (3d6)

>>6138077
>>6138079
God it's four in the morning why won't chan roll for me, it was right the first time...

>>6138059
>>6138081
Wow this slave must be very popular if they don't want to lose him so badly.
Does he entertain them well or does he pull the oars like ben hur?

Rolled 4, 2 = 6 (2d6)

>>6138019

Rolled 1, 4 = 5 (2d6)

>>6138019

Perhaps time to use no insult...

>>6138219
Yes