A green dress. With pale green trim. And wooden toggles.

>>14320479

Be lucky I know what toggles are, good sir.

You form your Manifold Garment into just such a thing. After all, why should a girl spend thousands of gold on all the dresses when she can just have one that does all of them for a thousand? You could even change it halfway through the night in case someone shows up wearing the same thing. Here, you don't think that will be a problem. You alter the dress slightly to make a small vine and leaf design on the trim. Perfect.

It's been years since you had a real banquet. From what you can tell of Alger's mentality, you're going to get treated like a queen. It's nice once in a while, but not something you're going to get used to.

Previous thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14290836/

Tukon knocks on the side of the wagon. He's wearing a worn white tunic with black stripes circling around the front at a slight angle with fine woven red breeches and freshly shined leather boots.

"You look outstanding, as always." He says, grinning.

"It's my nature to. You don't look half bad yourself." You say, placing your newest hair ornament on your head with a snap.

"Well, maybe we should head out then. Our host shouldn't be kept waiting." Tukon says. "Unless you have something we can handle quickly."

You can't think of anything, so you head to the large tent toward the edge of the camp, with great colorful streamers attached to the sides of it. Delicious smells from cooked pork, elk and hare are carried to you on a cool breeze. The torches on the exterior of the tent drip bits of pitch onto the dirt and give the otherwise chilly exterior a bit of warmth. The interior has great wooden tables with benches, ripouse chefs and servers cooking off in one corner. Several children pester them, laughing happily as they are chased off with a snarl after stealing some goodies. Algers and the six ripouse you remember from when you first met him in the flesh are seated at a table already. There are plenty of seats.

"My lady, so glad you could come!" Cagrazod says boisterously, he and the other eleven gargoyles in the Silver Phoenix sitting at one of the tables, a number of untouched appetizers in front of them. Each of them is wearing traditional dress, with loose sarongs on the gargoyles with a coat-like shirt, and Cagrazod wears a long red silk coat with gray breeches that stop below the knee. "I haven't eaten for a day in anticipation!" He says, smiling. "That's the thing about having a slow metabolism, I do envy humans for their ability to enjoy so many different kinds of food in such a short time."

"Well, if we enjoy too much, we'll get fat." Tukon says, chucking a bit.

Alright! It's Sorcerer quest! :D

Let's find us a good seat.

You take a seat next to Algers on his left, with Alger's grandson Paima on his right. Paima is rather dashing, for a ripouse, his mane of hair woven into short braids covered with green and red beads, his eyes a bright brown. His uniform is a brown leather half-cape over one shoulder with a blue shirt, a green stripe down the center. Algers extends a hand to help you into your seat.

"Good evening, madam. I hope you came hungry." Algers says, in more formal robes than he was yesterday. Soft autumn colors with the occasional spot of red or gold in the fabric flow like a moving painting as he pours you and Tukon a glass of wine.

"Your gargoyle friends were early," Paima says from across the table, leaning over it a bit so he doesn't have to shout over the din. "Though none of them have touched the pork shanks."

"They don't eat much." Tukon half-shouts, extending his hand across the table. "Tukon."

The ripouse shakes his hand vigorously. "Paima. Is your appetite any better?"

Tukon smiles over at you. "Enough to get me yelled at every once in a while."

"Oh, that's only when the next place we can resupply or send out hunters is days away."

>>14321423

"Oh, that's only when the next place we can resupply or send out hunters is days away." You say, elbowing him hard in the ribs.

He shows no signs of the pain. "Or if it's something she really likes."

You laugh uncomfortably, shooting him a death glare. He stops talking.

The first course comes out, wild boar roasted over various native herbs and spices. The chef slices you off a larger helping then you would normally take, but the slice he gives to Tukon is quite a bit thicker.

"So, Melane, how was it that you knew my grandfather again?" Paima says in between bites of boar.

"How about a toast before we get much further in?" Algers says quickly, hauling you to your feet. The rest fot he room get silent quickly.

"A toast to freedom, brotherhood, and forging a brighter future!" He says, drinking deeply after a shout in ripouse in response. You drink deeply as well.

Paima laughs a bit. "Dodging the question, or just drinking in preparation for the answer, grandfather?"

"I can answer this one, if you like?"

Algers says ok: "We met through a relative of mine, whom was a dear friend to Algers a long time ago. He's gone now, but I knew from his stories, Algers was someone I could come to when things looked bleak."

>>14321582

Algers doesn't appear to object.

"We met through a relative of mine, whom was a dear friend to Algers a long time ago. He's gone now, but I knew from his stories, Algers was someone I could come to when things looked bleak." You explain.

"Hmm, I hadn't heard him talk about knowing many humans." Paima says, shrugging. "Still it's nice to hear that grandpa got out back in his heyday."

"I'd be getting out now if it wasn't for those 'elders' keeping me locked away." Algers says, hastily downing some of the meat.

"You are kind of a national treasure, grandpa." Paima says. He flags down the chef, telling him to bring out the next course. The chef brings out a stew filled with carrots, onions and pheasant meat in a yellow sauce.

"What's this?" Tukon asks. "Smells amazing."

"It's getrop pheasant." Paima answers, serving it up in the wooden bowls the servers hand to him. "A personal favorite.

"There, I've had my question, now it's only polite to let you ask one." He says after you have a few bites of the tender dish.

"Here's a good one: can we do this again when we get back here?"

>>14321970

"Here's a good one: can we do this again when we get back here?"

Algers and Paima are silent for a moment, then they both laugh.

"Oh, certainly. Perhaps even a bit larger next time." Algers says, dabbing some soup off his chin with a kerchief.

The chit chat dies don when the main course is served, a great bed of stewed bread over a mash of beef and potatoes, turned a delectable reddish brown. You are full after the dish, but things keep coming. Even Tukon starts to look full after the fifth dish. You nibble at the rest, but resolve to drink the rest of this meal and eat no more.

The ripouse are starting to look full as well.

The feast finishes with a simple fruit dish, the pears and wild berries tasting heavenly after such heavy food, and are very light on the stomach.

"Ah, that should give me plenty of fuel for a long hunt." Paima says, leaning back a bit in his chair.

Algers has the servers get you all some clean water to wash up at the table, and leans back himself with a creak.

"So, Melane, where will you be heading? I can send a small escort if it's going to be going through dangerous territory." Algers says, somewhat lethargic.

when we get a chance, let's ask Algers what he thinks the mystic meant when he said one of the groups hunting us was "seeking a crown." Could it mean they are searching for the blood descendant of the exiled king of the Aldini?

I'm thinking we should check in with Kresis and his warband. We'll have to use an entirely different brand of diplomacy with him, though.

>>14322191

Algers looks up at the ceiling, pondering this.

"Hmm. Well the exiled king had no children that we know of. It could be a metaphorical crown, or a position of rulership. That's my best estimate."

>>14322212

"Kresis, yes." Algers says, seeming to ponder this a bit. "His society is a bit more chaotic, I'm afraid." He digs into his pocket, pulling out an old leather talent. "If you show him this, he'll know you've met me. I'm not sure what his reaction will be though." He shrugs a bit. "You'd think fire was the more chaotic of the two, but he's proved to be rather bipolar. He's been far more adventurous than I."

"Grandpa, I do not want to hear about this." Paima says, looking off to one side and tapping his fingers.

Algers grins. "You pretend you have virgin ears now, boy. We'll see how well the facade stands up after I ask a couple of women about you."

Paima shakes his head. "I don't pretend to be some kind of mandran priest, grandpa. I just don't want to hear about what you've been doing."

Algers sighs. "Kids today. You make me feel old even when I don't."

>>14322418
Laugh.

>>14322468

You giggle at this.

"You're the one who keeps complaining about your knee, grandpa." Paima says.

"What can I say? It turns out metal is quite abrasive." Algers says. "Be happy I don't complain about the draft."

"What draft? You keep your room hot enough to cook an egg if there's any kind of chill." Paima responds, grinning.

"Only because you and the others keep using the outdoor restrooms and letting in the outside air." Algers says.

"If you could only feel that heat like the rest of us, you wouldn't want to go in there either." Paima says, popping a blackberry in his mouth.

"C'mere." Says Algers, tousling Paima's hair with a grin. "You don't give the lady any trouble."

"Of course not. As dad has told me countless times, I'm to be a model representative of the confederacy." Paima says somewhat mockingly.

"Good." Algers turns to you. "Don't be shy about smacking him if he gets out of line."

"GRANDPA!" Paima shouts in embarrassment.

It may be a good idea to get another look in Dominion's Memory for something we can use with Kresis sometime soon.

Laugh again "I really hope that won't be a problem. I've already got a laundry list of people I already have to smack."

>>14322617

You laugh again. The two seem like just any other family, despite the huge age gap. "I really hope that won't be a problem. I've already got a laundry list of people I already have to smack."

"I'm sure his queue will start behind my spot. Twice." Tukon says, putting his arms back behind his head.

>>14322600

You speak with Algers as you retire for the night.

"I'm going to try going back into Dominion's Memory to find more information on Kresis. You'd just gotten your leg replaced from the last time I can remember."

Algers ponders this for a moment. "Hmm, it's a genetic warding, isn't it?"

"Yes." You say. "Only Alkenin's memories are further warded."

"Well, that's good to hear." Algers says. "I remember something he did around that time revealed quite a bit about him. Kresis, I mean. If you can, it might be worth looking into it from another angle."

"What do you mean?" You say.

Algers grins. "Mine, of course."

>>14322762
"I'm not sure how I'd go about doing that. Unless Alkenin made it so that he could dig around in your head at will."

>>14322783

Algers takes a deep breath of the cool night air. "Well, you couldn't, obviously. It would be obvious to both of us if you were my descendant.

"Paima, on the other hand, is my grandson. One of several I've had over the years, but the closest one at hand. He's a very quick learner, almost as quick as the old man himself." He grins a bit. "Do you see what I'm saying?"

"This will be difficult. Does he even have the talent for sorcery?"

>>14322865

"He has honed his gift a bit. He seems more interested in espionage, but he has an innate bond to the flame like myself." Algers shrugs. "Maybe it will work, and maybe it won't. If not, you could always have someone without magical ability try and access it to see if that works."

"Well, since he's already got some taste for magic, it shouldn't be too hard. I'll talk to him in the morning about this."

>>14322944

Algers nods. "If I remember anything, I shall have a message sent to you. It has been a long time since then."

"It's understandable." You say. "Good night, Algers."

"Good night, lady Kiried."

You wake up the following day, seeing some of the troops saddling up.

You feel a bit tired from last night's exertion.

Will you do anything before heading out?

Make sure we work off last night's meal. Don't want to end up getting mistaken for that fat noble by people with good eyesight.

Also, let's get a headcount of total people in our... legion? phalanx? random assortment of justice lovers?

...let's just call it a host for now.

>>14323055

You do a few jumping jacks and some push-ups. After working up a good sweat, you meditate a bit.

Tukon knocks. "How you doing, Melane?"

"Fine. And you?" You respond.

"A bit of a headache, but after a quick breakfast that was gone."

"I'll have to get some too." You say. "Can you tell me how many are with us?"

"Well, the scout's just come back." He says. "Last night while we were dining. As far as our small army goes:

Tukon Reid, human duellist
Cagrazod, Marteau technologist/warrior
????
????
????
Jethar, Ripouse Artisan (And Family)
Rejek, Gnoll/Ripouse halfbreed (unknown skills)
Yumea, Ripouse Fighting Woman
Paima, Ripouse Fire Elementalist/Thief

Riposue Honor Guard: 5 (names unknown)

Ripouse: 65

28 humans (3 injured)
11 gargoyles (1 injured)

Total: 119 (4 injured)

Important Possessions: Dominion's Memory
Aldinian Leather Talent

>>14323153
Didn't we talk to that cleric guy to fill in one of those three blanks?

>>14323153

Shit, one of those ???? should be your friendly cleric, Marred Khess, Priest of Thunlin.

>>14323191

SO yeah what else do you want to do?

>>14323301

Meant to add: back in 20.

>>14323301
>>14323310
If we have new allies, then I guess we're technically done with Alger and the ripouse. I vote we continue the march to our next major destination for more allies...whatever that place is.

>>14323392
Which, should be Kresis' lizardmen warband. Unless anyone else in our host has any bright ideas.

Also: VKO, you mentioned Dominion's Core was in a warded chest somewhere. I assume if we wanted to recreate Alkenin's Tentacles of a Million Mindrapes, the Core would be an important part of it? How hard would getting past that ward be?

(bonus points if recreating it involves some 'even a dead god can dream' kinda shit.)

Sorry folks, got home and had to solve a problem with the internet, then wait 30 minutes before the person owning the router would implement the solution. Your regularly scheduled posts shortly after I try and fix my other computer.

>>14323392
>>14323491

You head out with your host to the east, towards the swamps. The now much bigger group heads out over the plains, with Algers and a few others from the community waving farewell to you.

You look at Dominion's Memory after being a few hours out. The black surface is unmarred, even though you found it in a pile of dirt in Dominion's Grave. Who knows how long it has been there?

Looking up information on Dominion's Wrath is difficult without going right into it. It was Alkenin's spell, so it's sure to be warded. You make a cursory glance into the sphere, revealing nothing.

Your only other guess, you're kind of afraid to try.

I'm guessing we'd have to find the point where Alkenin discovered the spell.

First, though, we should get on having Paima trained up before we do anything else.

>>14324052

You send word with your attendant for Paima to see you come lunch.

"If you will pardon my intrusion." You hear a cold, forceful voice from the back of your wagon.

There stands a humanoid creature who appears to be made entirely from ice. He has angular, predatory features, and a long muzzle like a pike, and slight, pointed teeth. He is a gargoyle, but has no wings, instead having a pair of fins that shine like glass in the light. There is a slight webbing between his clawed digits, and he has small fins on his forearms and on his outer knees. His tail has two large fanned fins on it, and he wears little aside from a dark blue loincloth wrapped close to his hips and similarly colored wrappings around his wrists and ankles.

"I had estimated that this is the point in time that we might both enjoy my report the most, Melane Kiried." He says in a formal tone.

"I'm sorry, you are?" You say without thinking.

"Ah, yes, reports did mention that you had some kind of an episode of temporary amnesia. I express my condolences." The kapoacynth bows slightly, the fins on his body moving downwards with him as he does so. You notice he bows much like the Aldini did. "My name is Orpheus. A pleasure to make your acquaintance once more, Melane Kiried. I am a specialist at information gathering and retrieval, 1567 Manaran year I graduated from the Academy at Barov, where I was born, with a specialty in exactly that. I swam with an exchange program to Sacrasmar where I studied the art of becoming one with the shadows."

"That's a lot to remember." You say, surprised.

Orpheus nods. "Indeed it is. I thought it might be prudent to include a small list of what I remember you knowing about me, so that my next words might not confuse you."

"What you found out?" You ask.

He smiles, the shape of his mouth twisting slightly into an underbite. "That is precisely my meaning, that is. I have gathered information on the enemies as requested."

"Ah, good. Though with as much good news as I'm hearing lately, I'm expecting something bad to happen."

He looks at you gravely. "As usual, Melane Kiried, your assumptions are correct. The Hand of the Masters has captured a artifact. A small ring that appears capable of resizing. I would have taken it, but it was under intense guards and wards. The only outward ability it seems to possess is the ability to make an area that by my estimates is around twenty feet away from the ring a Light That Is Not Light. They brought forth a ravan, and she did not have the normal appearance of their people in the light. Much of their populace believes that is its only function. They are also looking for the dragon Axlacresen, who is controlling Rufen Millan. I could no ascertain why. I do however know that Rufen Millan's close family have since died."

He pauses. "If you would like, I can finish the remainder of my report after you have had some time to cope with this news."

"No, please continue. I'd rather digest this information all in one large chunk."

>>14324375

He nods. "They were killed in an apparent hunting accident. All at once. My teacher would say 'Such coincidences only happen in rare circumstances and in noble courts'." He smiles a bit at this. "Axlacresen has some presence in the court, according to my sources. He has another dragon, Rhasphenet, standing in for him while he hunts you." He stands at your doorway, one hand grasping the side of the moving vehicle. "Do you require more information, Melane Kiried?"

"One question. About when was his family killed?"

...I think we need some background for all of this. One thing I noticed:
>>14324361
>They are also looking for the dragon Axlacresen,
Why?

>>14324503
That is ALSO a good question.

>>14324495

"His family was killed about two months ago." Orpheus says.

>>14324503

"I could not ascertain their reasoning. Axlacresen recently made contact with this group, I gathered. Perhaps they are attempting to backtrack us? Such is my educated guess."

>>14324550
"It looks like learning my ancestor's spells has become a lot more necessary. Thank you, Orpheus."

If you have background questions, ask and you shall receive.

>>14324566

Orpheus bows. "As you wish. I shall take a short period of reprieve in the local bath, as I have damaged a spine and need to regrow it. Good day, Melane Kiried." He drops down from the back of your wagon and walks off.

What will you do?

>>14324550
>2 months ago

Can we get a timeline of approximately when:
We joined the sorcerer academy
We join this cult
The cult splits
Rufen goes cold
His family dies

You wrack your brain, shattering the icy grip of the forgetfulness that had overcome you.

>>joined the sorcerer academy

You joined the sorcerer academy around the time you were 13, eleven years ago. Your parents got you in there as soon as they could. You attended from 1560-1568. You stayed on for half a year teaching part time after graduating.

>>Rufen goes cold

About a year ago, shortly before you joined the cult.

>>We join this cult

One year ago. You decided it was the fastest way to reveal what was really going on when you heard that they too were investigating similar circumstances. Besides, you needed to get away from the states after what happened with Rufen.

>>The cult splits

About two months ago. That was when you brought forth the information you had discovered about the dragon knight's bond.

>>His family dies

About two months ago, around the time the cult was broken up due to the death of its leader.

Very interesting coincidences all around.

What were we doing in the interim between leaving the academy and joining the cult?

>>14324717

You joined the cult when you were 22. You had quit your teaching position, doing research into some more spells using the money you had saved up. You were dating Rufen for three years when he went cold.

In short, not doing much. You made a few scrolls for money while you were researching. You figured you and Rufen would work something out.

One more question. When did we learn Alkenin was our ancestor?

Also, how did we discover the control dragons had over their knights?

>>14324857

You found out Alkenin was your ancestor shortly after joining the cult. When you heard about Dominion's Grave, you felt a strong urge to go visit it. You used old records you discovered while researching the cult's materials and improvisation to recreate Alkenin's personality in your mind.

>>14324869

You had sat on the information for a while. Then you read about some of the effects of the bonding ritual, and the effects on the emotions of the dragon and the rider. Emotional bonds were commonly used in charm spells, which were a lesser version of the Dominate spells. You realized that such a reaction from Rufen was much like the reaction of someone under the effects of a dominate person spell.

The information you have that you haven't told anyone: The reverse could be true as well. The rider could exert his will and gain control over the dragon.

>The Hand of the Masters has captured a artifact.
Who are these guys?

>A small ring that appears capable of resizing. The only outward ability it seems to possess is the ability to make an area that by my estimates is around twenty feet away from the ring
Based on what we know of magic, is it more likely that that's 20 feet away from a point in the centre of the ring, or 20 feet away from the band of the ring itself, or the whole thing, or what? If the ring was increased to a very large size (subquestion, just how large is it likely to be able to grow?), would the zone stay around 20 feet from (whatever part of the ring), or scale with the ring, or what? Could you theoretically make the ring large enough to be a giant band in space around the (planet, do we know its name? I forget if it's been mentioned. Speaking of which, how much does our society know of astronomy/biology/chemistry/etc. I take it the ability to manipulate the Chain of Life has been lost, but does society still at least know what it is? Will having Alkenins memories make us super-scientist?), with the zone applying itself as appropriate?

>a Light That Is Not Light.
And this is what, exactly?

>They brought forth a ravan
What are these? (I don't remember them being mentioned before, I may have just forgotten)

>and she did not have the normal appearance of their people in the light.
Is that significant? Are they some kind of shadow creature? Something like the Hrud? Is this something new/uncommonly known?

>>14324963
>Much of their populace believes that is its only function.
When we get the chance, we should ask him if he has reason to believe that it has more abilities, and if he has any ideas what these might be. (Unless this is covered by IC knowledge, of course)

>I do however know that Rufen Millan's close family have since died."
How close was he to his family, before and after his "coldening?" How powerful were they? Were any other members of his family bonded to dragons, and if so, what type? How many of these family members were there? What kind of wealth/power/authority would Rufen have inherited, and what responsibilities would this impose? Have there been any other "suspicious deaths" in the families of those bonded with dragons, and if so, how common is it, how much power would they acquire, what types of dragons are they bonded with, what time period does this take place over (both in terms of how long said accidents might have been occuring for, and how long it typically is between bonding with the dragon and "accidents"). What effect does the bond have on the lifespans of the human/dragon (forget if this was mentioned)? Were his family/the families of other dragon bonded involved with the cult? Did we get any of this evidence from his family/the families of other bonded? We may need to ask others to get some of these answers.

Aaaand I think that's it for me. Excellent game, VKO.

>>14324969
>"They were killed in an apparent hunting accident. All at once.
What was the cause of death? Landslide? Gnoll bandits? Dire Boar? Quicksand? Something else?
>"Axlacresen has some presence in the court, according to my sources.
How much presence, and how long has he been building this for? Is there a particular faction/movement/idealogy he aligns himself with?
>He has another dragon, Rhasphenet, standing in for him while he hunts you."
What type of dragon is Rasph, how old is he, is he bonded, what is his personality like (may have to stick to general gossip here), what are his ties to Axl? What exactly will "standing in for him" entail for them both? If Rufen has/had duties as well, how are his being covered for?

We may have to wait till we talk to the landshark again before we can get some of these answers, but others we can probably pull from memory, and some we may be able to ask others about. It may be worth asking others about things we can remember to get a second opinion, also.

Oh god, I take a minute to read Archie Meets the Punisher and this happens.

I'm going to get a snack, so you might want to read it as well over on /co/ if you haven't already. It's awesome.

>>14324907
The information you have that you haven't told anyone: The reverse could be true as well. The rider could exert his will and gain control over the dragon.

Ah. Now this is interesting, particularly given our birthsign. Possiblity: If Dominion is dead, was it destroyed by the dragons to give them an advantage in human-dragon relations?
If we do manage to reaquire some of Alkenins old spells of mind-fuckery, and at some point in the future are forced into a bond with a dragon to keep us under control, we may well have a hilarious contigency. Something to keep in mind, and not mention to /anyone./

>>14324988
It was happening for a while there, I had to type a shitload up in notepad then try to divide it up into post-sized chunks and get it out. I probably could have asked a lot more, but I thought that might be a little much for you to deal with, plus many of the questions still to be asked may be improved/answered by answers to these questions.

That ring, for instance, gives me all kinds of ideas...

>>14324963

The Hand of the Masters are where most members of the cult Thungon's Teachers went when it disbanded. They are led by the charismatic Jaquio Lerenid, a disgraced nobleman. You do not have fond memories of him.

The ring's resizing capabilities probably refer to the common resizing enchantment placed on most rings and bracers. If you put the ring on a big enough creature, the radius would be increased somewhat.

Your society is quite knowledgeable about astronomy, alchemy, and biology. Genetics is common knowledge, and an observable phenomenon. Alchemy is advanced enough to create chemical compounds often used in medicine, but only master alchemists have mastered the art of turning lead into gold. Mass distribution of such a method would of course render gold worthless, so they are all sworn to secrecy by the government. Astronomy is commonly used in fortune telling and Auspicing, and is tracked for the purposes of rituals. You have somewhat powerful telescopes, you yourself are not sure how powerful they are.

Light That Is Not Light? You have no fucking idea what that is.

>>14324995
A dragon bound to our will? Very cool indeed.

Ravan are a race created by an unknown Aldini professor. They were freed when the city was taken, and their origins only recently came to light, though some integrated into mandran society about 100 years ago. They were fed, injected with, or painted with a substance called Deep Violet, a blackish material found on the plane of shadow. This caused their bodies to mutate, becoming partially allergic to light. The experiment was regarded as a failure, and they were kept around for further tests until they escaped. The small number of twenty or so that escaped eventually became a tribal culture, listening to the whispers some of them heard that warned them of danger. They appear as dark purple skinned mandrans, with somewhat puffy or rubbery looking skin, red, yellow or blue eyes and straight black or dark purple hair. They tend to look somewhat ugly. In the dark, their skin does not have an allergic reaction to light, and their skin goes back to its normal level, revealing whisker-like hairs across their bodies. The race has a limited shapeshifting ability, and can grow extra eyes, fingers, brain tissue, etc. Their holy men, the 'spirit shifters' or shifters for short, have much greater control over this shapeshifting ability, and can change their bodies into all sorts of nightmarish forms.

>>Much of their populace believes that is its only function.

You should probably ask Orpheus for more information on this, to see what else he speculates.

You had met Rufen's family a few times, and they seemed like shrewd, but nice enough people. His father had been bound to a dragon in his youth, you recall. Nothing his father said or did was particularly strange. Maybe he got lucky. His dragon was a copper dragon, if you recall correctly.

He had four immediate family: His father and mother and two sisters. Hard to believe that they're all dead now.

He would have inherited little. His father was a consul in court, not the kind of position one can inherit. He would be considered, of course, but hardly a reason to off him.


These suspicious deaths occurred mostly with the riders. Hypatia Gerana, mother bound to a white dragon died in battle against ground troops with no artillery. Voranath Lirrad, man bound to a shadow dragon and killed due to unknown causes during a scouting mission. Arganci Muthed, man bound to the orange dragon son of the famed orange Narxalis, the Thousand Serpents. That one was during a duel the orange should have won by pedigree that didn't need to happen. Each one had something to lose to someone next in line. Each one had a family member join the cult.

The bond ages the dragon more quickly, allowing them to become more powerful in a shorter period of time. The rider lives slightly longer, around ten years or so.

You currently have no evidence regarding the deaths of Rufen's family.

In other words, you do not know what killed them. Orpheus may have more information.

Rhasphenet you have no idea about. You never were in the court, so you only heard rumors, and now only the rumors about famous court personalities reach you.

You do not know his or Axlacresen's affiliations. Perhaps Orpheus would know, perhaps not.

>>14325253
It seems like they were all killed before they grew too much more powerful than the next in line.
sidenote: foreveralone.jpg

>>14325301

That is the general story you were told. But Rufen's family makes no sense. They were wealthy, but not particularly so. There must have been some other reason for their untimely demises.

But yeah, anything I missed/more questions?

What will you do now?

bump?

>>14325343
Try to find out who the other ????'s in our group are. Ask Tukon to reintroduce us.

>>14325415

You head over to Tukon, who is sharpening his weapon.

"Afternoon, Melane." He says, putting away his whetstone.

"Tukon, I know we have someone else with us who I know, but I'm not remembering..." You say.

"Oh, well Orpheus said he was coming to see you." Tukon says, standing.

"Yes, and I met him." You say.

"As expected. So lets see..." He snaps his fingers. "Right! Ritter! You didn't know him very well anyway."

"Ritter?" You say, suddenly confused.

Tukon leads you over to one of the residential wagons. "He's in there." He says, pointing.

"Well, you're not going to introduce me?" You ask, surprised.

"You can't miss him." Tukon says.

"Or tell me anythi- You're enjoying this, aren't you." You suddenly realize.

Tukon puts on a shit eating grin. "Hey, I got a little weak at the end here."

"Real men finish strong." You say, before heading into the dark wagon. There are numerous drapes hung around the sides to keep it dark.

You can't see inside, but you hear someone move. What will you do?

>>14325454
"Um, hello?"

Less information than I would have liked... I shall have to ponder this...

>>14325459

You have anymore questions, pal, you just ask me or ask the people you or Melane thinks might know the answer.

"Um, Hello?" You call out, walking into the doorway of the wagon.

You hear a deep throated grumble. "Hrm? Wha timis't..." And something moves about on the interior of the room.

"Oh. It's you." The voice says before yawning deeply. "Whassamater, somethin' happen?" The voice is deep and gruff, but varied in its pitch and the words are a bit mispronounced.

>>14325459
I agree with the simple hello. I have a feeling the wagon is dark for a reason. Might be one of the Ravan?

>>14325459

Think of Tukon as that personal assistant bitch in ME2. "Tell me about (insert person's name here)." And he'll tell you about 'em.

Actually, kind of like Joker in that regard. But not afeared of half the crew.

You scramble to think of something to say.

"C'mon what is it. Just cuz you're the boss a me doesn't mean you can just act mysterious all the time an withhold vital information." You hear the owner of the voice shuffle around a bit more.

In case I wasn't being obvious enough, you gais gotta say something.

>>14325520
"Um.. Im having a bit of trouble remembering exactly who you are. Could we talk for a bit?"

>>14325539

"Um.. Im having a bit of trouble remembering exactly who you are. Could we talk for a bit?" You say off into the darkness.

"What? Ah, man yer not even lookin at me. Hold on, lemme get some light in here fer ya." The voice's owner gets to his feet heavily, and reaches over, tugging some of the makeshift curtains out of the way.

You get the glimpse of a muscled humanoid upper body covered in red scales, a short serpentine neck with an angled, draconic head with small horns and a bit of a frill. The creature's upper body is covered in scars that have a reddish brown tinge to them, and its underbelly scales are a light grayish color.

Your eyes widen a bit, involuntarily, from the shock.

The draconic creature seems unfazed. "Whassamatter, never seen a man half nekkid before?" He laughs to himself. "I figure you probly seen one all nekkid a few times..." He suddenly comes to a realization, and an uncomfortable expression crosses his reptillian face. "Oh, they said you lost yer memory... Uh shit. I'mn'a catch it, aren't I."

bump

>>14325591
Interesting...
"Why would you 'catch it'? Was there something important I should know?"

I take it he is one of those part-dragon creatures that that guy we got the blue dragon blood off made?

Oh, btw, when you said "Genetics is common knowledge, and an observable phenomenon," does that mean that alterating the Chain of Life still goes on, or was that a Sorceror-level thingy that can't be done anymore?

*Damnit, now I really want to know what happened to those uber-hydras...*

"Why would you 'catch it'? Was there something important I should know?" You ask him.

"Ah, hm. Yer not mad? That I wuz sayin'- Oh thank the gods." He says. putting his hands on his hips. "Though the look a surprise, it doesn't surprise me much. Usually with a bit more disgust tho'."

He is a mandragon. A common practice in mandral is the infusion of draconic blood into oneself. Common amongst nobles at any rate. Dragons objected initially, but the color of money stowed most of their complaints. The dragon blooded experienced minor mutations, such as a change to the color of their hair, reptilian eyes, claw-like nails, and in some cases it was rumored an increased libido. The dragon blood saturation can be increased through rituals, but that's another matter. A common occupation for these dragon-blooded individuals was as courtesans. Small amounts of dragon blood in a child will cause only slight changes, even from a heavily dragon-blooded parent.

The real point to this little bit of information is what happens when two individuals with different kinds of draconic blood do the horizontal mambo.

See, the pregnancy is heavy. Mother's hungry, cranky, and then at around four to six months, it stops. The baby cuts itself off from the mother. That's a sure sign as any that the baby's a mandragon. A horrifying mixture of draconic blood and a human. They're born with a full head of teeth, a serpentine dragon-like neck and tail, and otherwise very varied features. Come in all the colors of the rainbow and then some. And that's what this fellow is.

Mandragons, or drakes in a slang term, are thought of as the unhealthy byproduct of the otherwise healthy practice of putting dragon's blood into oneself. As such, they are almost exclusively orphaned after birth. When a spell was devised to determine whether the baby was a mandragon or not for sure, abortions rose rapidly. However, after six months the baby is perfectly capable of living without a mother, and there are tales of such children who were left in the street to die coming back to haunt the mother who never wanted them.

Their appearance makes it obvious they're not human, and they are no more welcome amongst the dragons for being a byproduct of something they only tolerate for the money. Their characteristic bad temper doesn't help matters either as an old draconic survival instinct that is unwelcome in polite society. Huge numbers of them see jail time for such offenses, and many more turn to criminal activities when they finally give up pandering to a society that will never accept them. They often band up with other mandragons to find a common group, but even this can lead to potential charges of aiding a felon or conspiracy should any of them be mixed up in something.

The mandragon community was handed a double-edged sword ten years ago. research into their Chain of Life revealed that they were genetically different from humans, whereas before they had been considered an extreme mutation. On one hand, this meant that discrimination and racial prejudice against them were obviously crimes. On the other hand, the organizations that had vouched for mandragon acceptance into human communities now had no leg to stand on. As such, it has been debated whether the information was released by an anti-mandragon faction to confirm and reinforce their belief that mandragons were not human.

>>Sorceror-level thingy that can't be done anymore

Altering the Chain of Life in that way is this.

Other work-arounds have been found, like selective breeding, polymorphing spells, or dragon's blood.

"I'd better find a shirt." The gruff creature says, digging around the half visible wagon. "And uh, some pants too."

He quickly clothes himself, taking the remainder of the curtains down to reveal a messy room, filled with books, blankets and random junk. A suit of armor rests in one corner of the room.

Ritter stands about 6'6", a huge man with bright red scaly skin, a light gray underbelly and yellow-green eyes. He wears a sleeveless white tunic with numerous stitches and black pantaloons with blue stitching. His hands have five fingers ending in wicked curved claws, and his feet appear more reptillian, with a slightly raised ankle, long, thick toes and a thumb-like claw on either instep. His tail is nearly four feet in length, and his physique is impressive.

"Sorry, I was er, kinda half-awake before." Ritter says, scratching the back of his head as his neck curves down a bit. "So we've, uh, never talked before. Not much anyway. I'm Ritter, but you already knew that."

bump?

>>14325836
"That's alright. So what exactly do you do around here?"

>>14325912

"Well, honestly, whatever you want me to do." He says matter of factly. "Of course, I am one of the dragonblooded soldiers, so what I'm best at 's fighting, intimidation, and getting the crap kicked out of me." He grins. "Gotta put all that mixed blood to good use, so I go through a few rituals, turn a shade brighter an feel like taking on an army. An I have a few times."

"That, and I do a lotta heavy lifting." He adds, a bit less proud of that. "Someone's gotta do the grunt work right? I dun mind, it's relaxing."

>>14325665
>"Ah, hm. Yer not mad? That I wuz sayin'- Oh thank the gods."

Odd, given that he didn't seem to think he would be in the shit before he remembered the memory loss thing.

>>14325766
Interesting... So, if we could use our ability to access Alkenin's knowledge, we could potentially have quite an advantage here...

>>14325957

You'd have to dig into how those machines work, as well as his research. They're complicated, bro.

>>14325957

>>Odd, given that he didn't seem to think he would be in the shit before he remembered the memory loss thing.

He was also fairly groggy, remember?

And that's it for me, /tg/. We can continue this awkward conversation on Wednesday.