The sky was blood red, and dark clouds lay on the horizon.The gates banged loudly, and the gathered crowd turned back to the outskirts of the city."They're here." The aged wizard had said. "The demons have found this last bastion of the world. I fear. . we're doomed.""Doomed?" Your father responded. "You told me, once, a long time ago, that you could open a portal to another world. Why not simply use that?""It would cost me my life." The wizard said. "And it could only transport a single person. I will do so if you ask, my liege, but the demons are numberless. Without my help, the castle, and thus, the entire world, is lost."Your father thought for a moment. You stayed silent, as you knew that he isn't to be disturbed when he's making a decision."Even if you live and assist us with your arcane arts, we are still lost." Your father said, finally.The gate banged again, and you remember hearing the soldiers calling."Open the portal." He said, and the aged wizard nods. He spread his arms, and started speaking words in a different tongue, a tongue you've never before heard.
The gates bang again, and your father drew his sword. "You will go through." He said to you."But-" You started speak, but his look silenced you. You nodded."Wherever you end up, you will have no land. No castle, no horses, no knights. But you have your art." He said. "Now. . I don't care if you end up a tyrant, or a scribe, or even a carpenter. I don't care if your station is high or low, if you are good or evil. Just know that you have power, and you can use it any way you wish."The portal opens at the same time the gates burst apart, revealing demons of all shape and size. The wizard's face is ashen, and he's rapidly paling."Go, my daughter. The kingdom of Arcturus falls this day, but it's jewel shall escape."You nodded, and you heard your father roar a taunt, charging toward a towering demon with horns, wings, and a flaming whip...You turned away, and stepped through the portal.
You're falling.Falling through a lack of colors, a tunnel made of un-greens, un-blues, un-reds, pulled this way and that. You swear you can feel yourself growing and shrinking, but when you look at your own hands, you see they haven't changed size.You land in the soft, warm dirt. You sit up, and take a deep breath. There's the smell of magic, strong magic. You clench your fist, and with a small bit of will, you bring the magic within you to life. It's easier than it was, much easier. You realize that the smell of magic is coming from yourself.>Roll 1d100 to use magic. Higher is better.>Your body may be unable to handle using magic too often.>Don't overdo it.>What is thy name, Daughter of Arcturus?
>>19275456Artemis
rolled 60 = 60>>19275456Illyasviel
rolled 60 = 60>>19275456Erena
rolled 27 = 27>>19275456Liren.
rolled 83 = 83>>19275456ishelda
>>19275456>>What is thy name, Daughter of Arcturus?Ishelda!
>>19275544>>19275539>>19275456Yup.
>>19275456Freyja
>>19275456Your name is Ishelda.You push yourself to your feet, and look around for anything else that came through the portal alongside you. . But you hardly see anything. You turn this way and that, but you don't see anything but forest. The sun is high in the sky, and from your reckoning, it must be some time past noon.You hear some strange snuffling noise, and turn toward the sound. . Where a bear steps out of the bushes, its muzzle stained with something red. It glances at you, and freezes.
rolled 12 = 12>>19275572Use magic to convince it you're a friend
rolled 85 = 85>>19275572Charm Animal. Alternativly Calm Emotion.
rolled 74 = 74>>19275572illusion, a MUCH bigger bear.illusory sound, and impossible growling howling bellow if high enough let it be good enough to scare the bear to death
>>19275572Stare the bear down, stand tall and look like too much trouble to deal with.It's muzzle is stained red so it just got some grub, it won't care about us. We're more trouble then we're worth.No need to drag magic into this.
rolled 46 = 46>>19275572Use magic to befriend the bear. We need some muscle for later.
>>19275572>>19275603Lets go with that charm roll, I'm not gonna screw it up, also, probably a pretty simple spell, won't hurt us too much.
>>19275620We shall charm the bear, and once we have, WE WILL CALL HIM DAVE!
"I-I'm a friend." You say, bringing forth the magic within you. Your hands spark with arcane power, and you try to impress the thought on the massive bear.It blinks, and rears back for a moment. . then it settles down, and relaxes. Apparently it worked.Then three arrows pierce its side in quick order. "Little girl!" A man calls, a large bow in hand. "Stay back, we shall deal with this ursine beast for you!" The bear roars, the arrows not seeming to have harmed it in the slightest.
rolled 5 = 5>>19275635HOLD!>implying hold person spell or something of a sortalso, try to keep the bear calm
rolled 33 = 33>>19275635"Stop! Violence is unnecessary!"
rolled 62 = 62>>19275655wow.......I kinda derped today......sorry bout the bad roll guys
>>19275655>>19275665We don't really need magic to resolve this situation. At least until we've tried to simply reason with that man.
rolled 34 = 34>>19275635Shout at them, I'm in the mood for saving this bear."No! Stop, it wasn't hurting me, I'm all right!"Try to charm the bear into simply running away while trying to get between the hunter and the bear.And this quest is going to end with us turned into a cat, isn't it?
>>19275683I would be okay with us being a sorcerous cat, magically manipulating things while being petted sounds good.
>>19275683>And this quest is going to end with us turned into a cat, isn't it?Of course, we will learn the spell the old wizard used, to try and retake our homeland, and accidentally turn ourselves into a cat and port to Dave's world. In which we find Grayson, who happens to look like our father, half-golem mechanical arm and all.
"Stop, stop!" You cry, waving your arms. "Violence is unnecessary!"You try to exercise your limited control of the bear to keep it from mauling the two men, but. . the bear doesn't listen, and it charges toward the men, who both draw their bows back. Two more arrows fly forth, but they hardly pierce the bear's hide."No, stop!" You say. "It wasn't hurting me, I'm all right!" you say, and redouble your efforts on the bear. With your urging, the bear skids to a stop."Do you not see the blood staining the beast's muzzle, little girl?" One of the men asked."Hey, Lewin, I think that's berry juices, not blood." The other man said.
>>19275716Now we can all be friends here, let's put our bows and claws down and talk about this.Then go up to the bear and give it medical attention and soothing hugs.
Run up to the bear, to its side, and stroke it while walking just to its head's side. Ask, the hunters where we are, and why they were trying to kill the bear.
rolled 32 = 32>>19275716(are we barefoot?) just answerwalk up to bear yank out arrows and heal the injuries. assuming this works chew out the men for being undereducated dumbasses that jump to conclusions far too quickly for their own good.
>>19275755>why they were trying to kill the bear.>Bear with suspicious red stuff on its muzzle, had just stopped charging a girlNo clue.
rolled 53 = 53>>19275716Can we see if it really is berry juice? And even if it is blood, bears kill animals that also have blood, doesn't have to be human blood. In fact, lets just say that while trying to keep the bear calm.
>>19275716"The bear is just doing what it would normally do, but I thank you for your attempted rescue, gentlemen. Could you instead escort me to the nearest town or village, or if possible, to the nearest city? Or tell me where these could be found?"
"You. . may be right." Lewin said, eying the beast which seems to be shielding you with it's body. "Little girl, are- are you okay?"You walk up to the bear's side, and gently pat it's head."Where am I?" You ask, as the bear tilts it's large head toward you. "And why were you trying to kill my friend?"Lewin splutters a bit.You yank out one of the arrows, and heal the wound it made. The bear's a bit uncomfortable, but it seems to be able to tell what you're trying to do."Ah. . Sorry, miss." The second man said. "Lewin. . assumed that you were being attacked. He's not very bright.""I do thank you for your attempted rescue, gentlemen. Could you instead escort me to the nearest town or village?""Yeah, we can." the second man says. "I wouldn't want to make you go there alone. Sirius City is only a little bit to the north from here." He says.
>>19275817"Oh, is it dangerous to go alone?"
>>19275817Thank you kindly. I would appreciate an escort. Give the bear a hug, finish fixing up its wounds and have it walk by our side. We've been here 5 minutes and we're already Ishelda Bearfriend.
>>19275817Exabyte, need to know a few things, what is our character wearing and what does she look like? I assume you are leaving the character's demeanor up to us.
rolled 12 = 12>>19275817would they object to my friend here?
>>19275832also, why have it walk by our side, when we can ride the damn thing, assuming it is friendly enough for that and it is big enough to do so comfortably
rolled 85 = 85>>19275817See if the bear will let us ride it to the city
>>19275843The bear is not going to follow us to a big city, I doubt our charm spell is that powerful, and feeding a bear would be rather expensive.Let's just thank the gentlemen and gracefully accept their help while allowing the bear to go back to living it's life unmolested.
>>19275838>Ishelda is wearing some kind of long dress, and has pale blonde hair or something."Oh, is it dangerous to go alone?" You ask."Not particularly, there's a road not far from here. . but I don't feel comfortable with the idea of leaving you to travel alone." The second ranger says."Fellwind, she won't be alone. She has the bear, remember?" Lewin says. "Or does that not count?""Thank you kindly. I would appreciate an escort." You say with a curtsey, and the four of you start walking, the bear trundling along by your side as you heal the minor wounds. You think about it, and then stop, and climb on top of the bear's back. It huffs, but deigns to let you climb atop it.(BEAR EMPATHY: INCREASED)"What is your friend named?" Fellwind asks, eying the bear warily.
>>19275898"His name is Dave."
>>19275898"Dave."
>>19275898Lets name it Abel, not Dave, Dave is a bit out of place.
>>19275898Dave
>>19275898Sir BearingtonFailing that Grayson.
>>19275898DAVE
>>19275898Grayson, Ishelda liked Grayson and I don't want to pull the Dave name quite yet.
>>19275944yeah, Grayson looks more viable
rolled 90 = 90>>19275959>>19275860>>19275944>>19275927Grayson bearington?
"His name is Grayson." You say."I see. What an exotic name." Fellwind said. "From which land do you hail, lady?""We should introduce ourselves first before we interrogate her, don't you think?" Lewin asked his companion. "My name is Lewin Brewson, and I'm an adventurer." He says to you.Fellwind frowned. "Fellwind, and I am a hunter." He said.
>>19275978A rather far off one. It's been a long road here but I'm glad I made a friend in Grayson and hopefully in the two of you as well.
>>19275978"I am from quite far off, I've been traveling for awhile...an adventure of sorts is what you could call it."
"I'm from. . a rather far off." You say. "It's been a long road here, but I'm glad I made a friend in Grayson. . and hopefully in the two of you as well." You say.Fellwind and Lewin meet one another's eyes for a moment. "Perhaps, Lady." Lewin says, finally.The sun runs across the sky, and your shadows grow longer, until you reach a long road, made of stone bricks."Finally, the Imperial road." Fellwind says. "This road passes from one end of the provinces to the other. It's quite safe. . but I'm not sure how the guards will take your friend." He said, motioning to Grayson.
>>19275978Before we answer with anything possibly deadly or odd we should find out if magic is even......acceptable in this world.
>>19276044I'm sure that they won't object, how could someone stay mad at such a nice bear. Isn't that right Grayson? Give him some nice scritches behind his ears.By the by, how common, powerful and accepted is magic in these parts?
>>19276044"I suppose I could let him relax in the area outside of town, and I bet he would enjoy that more than being paraded around a town full of people."Lets not try to ruin our friendship with our new animal buddy, and I agree with the others, try to figure out more about magic.
We will keep the bear outside the city
"I'm sure they won't object." You say. "How could someone stay mad at such a nice bear. . Isn't that right, Grayson?" You ask, giving the bear scritches between the ears, as the four of you trundle along the Imperial Road. "But I shall keep him outside of the city, when we get there. By the by, how common, powerful, and accepted is magic in these parts?""Magic, lady?" Lewin asks. "It's. . uncommon, abnormally so, but mages do not get lynched for being mages. Except for necromancers. Are you a mage, if I may ask? I don't see a spellbook or bracer on you... "You vaguely recall the fact that the court wizard in Arcturus needed a spellbook in order to cast his spells. . but you never needed such an item for your own power.
>>19276120"I am a mage."Don't respond to the comment about our lack of spellbook
>>19276120Yes, I'm a mage.
>>19276120"I am a mage of some power, I hope that this will not be a damper on our friendship. Unfortunately, I lost my book at an earlier spot of my journey. Do you know of any mages in Sirius City?"
"I am a mage of some power." You say. "I hope that this will not be a damper on our friendship. Unfortunately, I lost my book at an earlier spot of my journey. Do you know of any mages in Sirius City?""Well, that explains the bear." Fellwind says in a low voice. "There is the wizard Romulus. Romulus and his spells are usually quite expensive, but if you have the money, he'll do whatever one asks. I'm fairly certain that if you have enough money, he would give you a spellbook. "There's also the new court magician in the citadel, but but nobody knows much about him." Lewin adds.
>>19276198"I must say, you two are quite knowledgeable, have you spent much of your lives traveling? Any exotic tales to share?"
>>19276198So, could you tell me some more about Sirius City? I'm not really well versed in these parts.
"I must say, you two are quite knowledgeable, have you spent much of your lives traveling? Any exotic tales to share?" You ask."Not for the most part." Fellwind says. "We mostly wander the provinces, hunting. Lewin keeps looking for old ruins and temples for treasure, though.""That's because I am an adventurer." Lewin says, with a fire in his eyes. "And there are certain to be old lizardmen temples hidden in the forests. They used to hold all of the land mankind now holds, and they built great stone cities filled with treasure.""Could you tell me some more about Sirius City? I'm not really well-versed in these parts." you say."Sirius City is the center of this province, where the high lord stays and rules the land." Lewin says."That is, until the other high lords decide they've had enough and squabbles with him." Fellwind adds in a low voice. "The provinces- that is, all of mankind's land, is a group of multiple countries, each country ruled by their own high lord. They protect us from external threats, such as the hobgoblins to the south, the orcs to the north, and the elves to the west.""I don't believe the elves are a threat." Lewin says. "They did assist us when we drove out the lizardmen a few hundred years ago.""No, Lewin, we assisted them. They're just as large as we are, but they have much more magic power." Fellwind said. "If they went to war against us, they would win. That's why they're a threat."
>>19276307"Sounds like things are...rather tense. Anything specific I should watch out for in the city?"
>>19276307Elves, could you tell me more about these elves? They seem intereresting.
>>19276198Do you know if there is a Milliner in Sirius City? Grayson needs a hat or there are bound to be more people who will mistake him for an ordinary bear.
>>19276368Or a sign that says "I am a nice bear, please don't attack me or I will end you."
"Sounds like things are... rather tense. Anything specific I should watch out for in the city?""Well. . you have the demeanor of a noble lady." Fellwind said. "A high lord or any of his retainers would assume you're one of his competitor's daughters, and probably have you held for ransom. So I recommend that you try to stay out of their sight.""Elves. . could you tell me more about these elves? They seem interesting." You say."The elves. . they live exclusively in large, city-sized towers. They seem to have an aversion to being close to the ground, and as such, fly about in great magical airships. Unlike wizards, they wear these strange bracers that allow them to use magic." Lewin said. "I met a travelling one once; the bracer had this strange, glowing crystal on the top."In the distance on the road, you see a group of guards, patrolling, hands at the hilts of their swords. "These are Sirius soldiers, guarding this section of the imperial road." He said.
>>19276399>>19276368Or a hat with that written on it
>>19276404Good to hear, I don't think they'll do anything once we explain that Grayson is a good bear. Given that I'm riding him and by you two it ought to go ok.
>>19276404Does Grayson seem large and friendly enough that we could ride him?If so, do, guards might kill a bear, but they'd hesitate before killing someone's mount.
>>19276448We're already riding him.
>>19276404Have we been noticed, or is there any chance of Grayson getting off the road before they notice him? If not, lets just stay as we are and politely greet the guards, hopefully they won't hold us up.
>>19276448We already are riding Grayson. That makes him seem non wild. Make sure when we're talking that we nonchalantly pet him to show that he's a safe bear.
>>19276450never noticed that, cool beansI imagine we can just ride past the guards, unless they have some reason to accost us then
"Excuse me, travellers..." The captain says, with a wary look to the bear."Greetings!" Lewin says smartly as the guards approach. "My name is Lewin, and I am an adventurer. My companions here are Fellwind the hunter, Grayson the lovable ursine, and. . ."He looks to you, and realizes with a start that he doesn't know your name.
>>19276501Ishelda, me and Grayson are good friends. Isn't he adorable?
>>19276501"Ishelda"
>>19276501"Ishelda, Daughter of Arcturus"
>>19276521Let's hold off on giving details like that away. We have no clue what the reaction might be, keep that hidden for now.
>>19276521Go with this, and I just realized that riding bareback on a bear is probably ruining our outfit.
rolled 13 = 13>>19276501out of curiosity, how old are we?cause I'm thinking not very for added Adorableness value...cute little girl riding a bear"my name is ishelda"
>>19276501"I am Ishelda, bear whisperer.", you say with your head held proudly.
>>19276547>Ishelda is somewhere between 10 and 14."Ishelda." You say. "Me and Grayson are good friends." You add, in a cutesy voice. "Isn't he adorable?""Well. . He seems rather tame." The captain says. "I'm. . er, sorry for wasting your time, travellers."With a salute and a terse command, the captain and his guards walk by."That was a lot easier than I thought it'd be." Fellwind said. "But then again, after some of the stuff I'd seen, a tame bear doesn't shake me much. I'm sure the road guards have seen worse."
>>19276580I see we're going for the Loli angle then, well at least we don't have to worry about a romance sub-plot...I hope."Some of the things you've seen? I though you said you didn't have any exotic tales to tell."
>>19276580>inb4 loli rape and everyone feels awkward
so when are we going to do some heavy duty magic?We could summon bunch of small earth elemental and have them build our own kingdom! With blackjack! And hookers!
>>19276638In fact forget the kingdom!
>>19276647and the blackjack!
"Some of the things you've seen?" You say. "I thought you said you didn't have any exotic tales to tell.""Well. . I don't like bragging." He says."He fought a troll, singlehandedly, and won." Lewin said. "I wasn't there at the time, but I've heard about it. He ran into a troll in the forest. He ended up cornered, without a weapon, and burned it to death.""I. . didn't know that trolls were weak to fire at the time." Fellwind said."Here we are." Lewin said, and spread his arms. Grayson trundled over the hill, and you were looking at Sirius City. It was large, and bustling. From here you could see a temple of some kind, a tall wizard's tower, and the citadel itself, where the high lord resided, no doubt.
>>19276657Ah, forget the whole thing.
>>19276660We'd best head towards that Wizard's Tower and start showing these chumps how real magic is done.
>>19276660Have we seen cities like this in our own world, were we well traveled before coming here?"Beautiful, thank you two for escorting me here. I think paying a visit to the wizard here, once we're in the city, would be a good first stop."
>>19276660How big are trolls usually?We should probably go to the wizard tower first, bear in tow and talk to the local wizard.
>>19276697Dunno, but I expect that the capital from our kingdom was much, much better.
"Well. . is this where we part, lady Ishelda?" Lewin asked."Beautiful." You say. It was nowhere near as beautiful as Arcturus, but it was a damn sight better than the forest. "Thank you two for escorting me here.""I'm glad that I was able to be of use." He said."I think paying a visit to the wizard here, once we're in the city, would be a good first stop." You say."Then we will take our leave." Fellwind said, with a bow. "Good luck, Ishelda."Fellwind and Lewin stepped off of the Imperial road, and walked back into the forest. You urge Grayson to continue walking, and he walks down the hill."Halt!" the city guard says, and peeks out at you. "I'm sorry, but we don't allow wild beasts in the city."
rolled 12 = 12>>19276763use magic to convince them Grayson is tame
>>19276763I don't think we need to visit the mage. We're a sorceress, we have no use of expensive spellbooks.Anyway, send Grayson to stay out of the city in the forest. Tell him to avoid humans.
>>19276763Do you allow horses, cats or dogs within the city, then you ought to allow Grayson in.He's not wild, he's my friend, he is gentle and kind. Say hi to the nice man Grayson.
>>19276779Are we going to convince every single person in the city?Just send the bear away.
>>19276779Stop using magic for EVERYTHINGStoryteller said that shit wont fly
"Do you allow horses, cats, or dogs within the city?" You ask."Uh. . yeah, we do." The guard says."Then you ought to allow Grayson in. He's not wild, he's gentle and kind." You say. "Say hi to the nice man, Grayson."The bear harummphs."Ah. . yes, young lady." He says, and calls up to the man in the gatehouse. "Open her up!" He cries, and the gates pull open. Grayson trundles into the streets, a bit uncomfortable with the noise, but people step out of his way perfectly fine as you enter the city.Where to now?
>>19276763Let the bear relax outside the city, he probably doesn't want to be paraded around everywhere.And it would be good to go to the wizard, he might know how to do things better than we go, and he might even have some work/a place for us to stay."He is not wild, but I understand. I will leave him outside the city, please do not bring any harm to him."
>>19276825Straight for dat wizards towerShould we roll for random encounters or something?
>>19276825Well, I don't think we have any money, which is annoying. We should probably work on getting some cash, but first to the tower. We want to get a better idea of the magic they have here.
Can't we just summon a bunch of gold coins?Eh... I don't want to visit the wizard.
>>19276825Wizard tower, we might be able to learn form him, and if not, he might have work for us to do. We have no money, and that means no food or board.
being like 14 is annoying, I wonder if we could magically alter ourselves to look old enough that people can take us seriously
You urge Grayson on, again, toward the wizard tower. You can tell that he's starting to get tired, so you climb off of him and simply walk with your hand on the beast's shoulder, as the two of you reach the bottom of the tower. You raise your hand to knock, but the doors open of their own accord. You sense a small amount of magic, but nothing like the time you first arrived in this world.
>>19276862I would bet that making perfect replicas of whatever money they have here would be very difficult, and not worth the chance for failure. Not come on, this is Sorceress Quest, lets go find some magic with the wizard.
You walk into the tower, and there's a burning fireplace, violet rugs on the ground, and strange devices of all sorts sitting in shelves. . But using your latent magic sensing ability, you can tell that they aren't powerful at all- in fact, you doubt they're even magical implements."Greetings, young noble lady." A disembodied voice says. "I am the Wizard Romulus."You sense no magic, and you can sense him on the floor above you, his voice coming through a brass pipe set in the ceiling.
>>19276932Hello, I am Ishelda and this is Grayson. Lovely to meet you Romulus.What can you tell me about your magical arts?
>>19276932"Greetings master Romulus, I am a mage of some talent and I traveled here to perhaps receive some teaching, or to see if there are any jobs that you may have."Lets go, niceness!
"Hello." You say. "I am Ishelda, and this is Grayson. Lovely to meet you, Romulus. What can you tell me about your magical arts?""Do you think a true wizard would simply give his secrets away?" He asks in that booming voice. "Nay, I would not do such a thing for free."He seems to appear from the shadows, walking into the light, wearing a posh robe. He's surprisingly young for a wizard, and he has an ornate spellbook on his hip.You aren't moved by his dramatic entrance.
rolled 76 = 76>>19276993"perhaps you might share with a fellow practitioner then, hmmm?"levitate and rotate him to be standing on the ceiling
>>19276993Bow towards him."Of course, I understand that you would never give such things away for free. Unfortunately I have been traveling for a while and find myself low on funds. I have some training in the magical arts and was hoping you may have some work for me to do to help pay for your lessons."
>>19277025we're not really the samewe have absolutely nothing to learn from this man. Why the hell are we even bothering is beyond me.
>>19277065If we want to blend in and not be seen as an oddity, a dangerous oddity, we should pick up how they do this sort of thing in these parts.That and we might learn something from him that will aid our own studies.
>>19277025Lets not try to insult him with out magic.and>>19277065We're helping because he has knowledge over magic in this world, and for all we know, he could teach us something. Maybe he could make us more efficient so we can cast more spells per day, or maybe even give us ideas for spells we haven't even considered.
"Of course, I understand that you would never give such things away for free." You say, curtseying. "Unfortunately I have been traveling for a while and find myself low on funds. I have some training in the magical arts and was hoping you may have some work for me to do.""Well. . ." He puts his finger to his chin. "Show me your skill."You raise your arms, and feel energy course through your body. You let it out, and suddenly, the room lacks gravity. The wizard starts drifting to the roof, and the various devices on the shelves lift as well. You let go of the energy before it starts getting painful, and everything falls back to the ground.Romulus is shaken. "I- I see." He says, backing away from you. Grayson's sits down, and lays his head on his crossed paws, relaxing despite being in a strange place. He pulls open the book at his hip, and starts flipping through pages. "There may be a few jobs for you. . there are some trolls in the forest, and they've been bothering the loggers for a few days now, and- and there's a noble woman who wants a love potion. . "
>>19277113This noblewoman, she is rich, no?
>>19277087> Maybe he could make us more efficient so we can cast more spells per day, or maybe even give us ideas for spells we haven't even considered.What about "hilariously overpowered magical girl" you don't understand. If I understood Exabyte correctly there are no limitations on how much magic we can do. >>19277078We cannot blend in due to the sheer randomness of dice rolls, each roll is a risk. Rolling nat 100 while casting a small fireball, might turn it into a massive meterorite, etc.Anyone here read Hobo Psych quest? I suspect this will be similar to that.>>19277113Can we do alchemy? Isn't that completely different from normal magic? Or could we magic up a potion?
>>19277113Don't think we know much about mixing potions, but I bet the trolls shouldn't be a problem since we know of their weakness to fire. I bet with a few well place magic flame traps we could clean them up quite easily."Thank you master Romulus, could you elaborate on the Trolls?"
>>19277113Love potions, those always go so well don't they. I'll take the trolls. Could you give me more details on them.
>>19277139>Your body may be unable to handle using magic too often.>Don't overdo it.Maybe with his help we can learn how to handle more magic.
>>19277139>Alchemy and enchanting is as simple as casting a spell- to you, at least.>You do have limits, but you haven't reached them yet. Using spells too powerful or using too much magic will cause pain, unconsciousness, etc."This noblewoman. . she is rich, no?" You ask. He nods."I'm not very good at alchemy, so I haven't gotten around to it yet." He says."Could you elaborate on the Trolls?""Well, a group of around six trolls keep assaulting the logging camp every night. They loggers are waking up to poisoned companions and brutally smashed tools." He says. "They're fairly young and small, but there's one large, browned one. Even with their axes, the loggers can't give the trolls permanent wounds."
>>19277204Well, we can try our hand at potion making first and then go after the trolls.
rolled 1 = 1>>19277113why on earth would she want one of those?lets kill the troll.
>>19277204"Hmmm, perhaps troll fat would make a good base for a love potion?"
"I'm going to go defeat the trolls." You say, and the wizard nods. He hands you a map from one of the shelves; it's not a large map, just one of the province you're in. "Here's the logging camp. I trust you'll be fine on your own?" He asks, and then eyes the bear. "Well, not completely on your own..."
>>19277270"We should be fine, thank you for your help."Lets go kill us some trolls, unless there's a twist and it turns out that trolls are nice.
rolled 47 = 47>>19277270"I'll be fine"Then, when we leave the city walls and are out of sight from anyone, try our hand at materializing a love potion.
"We should be fine." You say. "Thank you for your help."He shakes his head as you open the door and lead Grayson Bearington out into the city, where the crowds part for him once again.Out of sight, on the outside of the city walls, you take another break from your walk, and lay down, using Grayson as an overly-sized, furred pillow. You hold out your hands, and close your eyes, bringing forth the magic inside of you. . Your palms start burning, burning painfully, but soon enough, there's a small corked phial in your hand, filled with some kind of pink liquid. You're not sure it's permenant- Hell, you're not sure it's even a love potion. But it exists, and you can tell that it contains some kind of mind magic. You put it in the pouch at your hip, and your head swims, exhausted from the spell you just cast. Before you know it, you're asleep.---You awake to the sound of birds chirping. "Lady Ishelda?" Fellwind asks, and you hear Grayson harrumph. Fellwind's looking down at you, and Lewin is at his side, carrying a dead stag on his shoulder.
>>19277375"Greetings again friends, it's good to see you again. I was taking a quick nap before I head off to the logger camp, apparently they've been having some troll problems."
>>19277375"Oh, hello, sir Fellwind, sir Lewin. Out hunting, I see?""I didn't realize how tired I was from this journey and it seems I passed out on Grayson's cofortable fure." Smile.Can we analyze the potion with our magic abilities?
>>19277375Afternoon Fellwind, I was heading out to the logging camp to hunt trolls when I decided to take a nap.Grayson makes an excellent pillow.
"Greetings again, friends." You say, pulling yourself to your feet. "I was taking a quick nap before I head off to the logger camp.""Logger camp?" Fellwind asks."Apparently they've been having some troll problems." You say."I see." Lewin says. "Would you like to join us for some breakfast? . Grayson is invited too, of course."
>>19277411I would love to, I am positively famished. Come along Grayson, don't nap all day in the sun.
rolled 5 = 5>>19277375hi, just taking a nap; off to kill a troll in a bit...
>>19277411"You sure you have enough to feed him? Yes, certainly."
"I would love to." You say. "I'm positively famished. Come along, Grayson, don't nap all day in the sun."Grayson gets up, looks at the arrayed food, and then harrumphs again, trundling off into the forest to look for more berries. He'll be back.The three of you sit down, and start eating. "So, you spoke with the wizard?" Fellwind asks. "Rumors say that he's quite powerful and imposing."
>>19277447"Looks like Grayson is a vegetarian! And Romulus wasn't all too imposing, a bit theatrical at best really... He was easy enough to impress."
>>19277447Eh, he goes out of his way to look powerful and imposing, lots of theatrics. He probably could pull off some magic, but he's not all he's cracked up to be.
>>19277447"Oh, he was most accommodating. Charming man, and quite creative. I believe I'll stop in to speak with him again next time I'm in the city."Don't tell them he's not powerful, that would be rude to the nice wizard.
>>19277487We're 10-14Our sense of tact may be a tad lacking
>>19277447"He certainly looks the part, I hope that by helping him he'll be able to teach me some more magic. Also, thank you for the food, you really didn't have to."
>>19277516But we're also a princess. Our sense of tact has been carefully trained for courtly affairs.
>>19277516Now, now, we are a properly raised princess. We must be courteous and respectful to all people at all times, particularly those who have been helpful to us. Manners are in our blood.
"Looks like Grayson is a vegetarian." You say. "Oh, Romulus was most accommodating. He was easy enough to impress. Charming man, and quite creative. I believe I'll stop in to speak with him again next time I'm in the city.""Lady, I. . I have to admit, I have the feeling that you're much more powerful than you pretend to be." Lewin says.
Can we cast "identify" on the potion?
>>19277558"Well.... a woman has to keep her secrets, doesn't she?" The fact is, we don't know how powerful we are compared to others
>>19277564>You already did your best, but you were only able to tell that it contained some kind of mind magic. That's all you know.
>>19277558A woman without secrets is a woman without charm. You wouldn't want a poor innocent girl like me to lose her charm would you?
>>19277558"What ever would make you think that? Don't be silly" *cutesy giggle* "Now, I have to go and do some cleaning in the logging camp">>19277564Stop spamming magic, it's going to drain us
>>19277558Smile. "Oh, my apologies if you feel I've deceived you. That was certainly not my intention. But I've always felt that bragging and flashy displays of magic are uncouth and irresponsible."
>>19277582It is useless then.Though I'm not sure why we can't just use identify spell on it to determine what the fuck we just made.
rolled 99 = 99>>19277558flattery will get you nowhere friend.
>>19277564Perhaps Romulus has a device to identify it, we could ask him."Well...you may be right, but there is still much about...this area and it's magic that would be useful to learn, and Romulus could be a great help with that."
>>19277595>Stop spamming magic, it's going to drain usI think it depends on the scope of the spell. Materializing a potion out of nothing is a very hard process while a simple "identify" (or 'light' spell for another example) spell shouldn't be draining.
>>19277603>Because you don't cast spells, exactly. You can only impress various thoughts or intentions into reality."Well... A woman has to keep her secrets, doesn't she?" You ask, and raise an eyebrow.Grayson returns, his muzzle and paws stained red."Greetings, friend bear!" Lewin says, trying to change the subject."Lewin, stop that. If she was going to curse us, she already would have." Fellwind said. "So, you intend to go to the logging camp and solving their troll problem?"You nod."Then I have a bit of advice for you. They heal quickly, almost on the spot, unless they're burned. Their thorns are very, very poisonous, so I'd recommend staying out of arm's reach." Fellwind says. "The old ones- the brown ones covered in flowers- are much stronger and resistant to fire, but they heal slower."
>>19277638"Is there any food or something similar they're drawn to? If I could lay a trap for them they'd be much easier to take out."
>>19277638"Thank you, Fellwind. Your advice and goodwill are much appreciated, as is your generosity. Would you care to accompany me to face the trolls? I would be glad of the company."
>>19277638>"Greetings, friend bear!" Lewin says, trying to change the subject.Now I want to uplift our bear so that it can communicate.
Lewin speaks up. "Legend has it, ogre mages of old created the trolls as plant-like soldiers to fight the lizardmen. After the ogres were defeated, the trolls remained, so now they wander about forests as lost, unused weapons.""Is there any food or something similar they're drawn to?" You ask, and he shakes his head."Trolls subsist on soil and rainwater, mostly." He says. "Thank you, Fellwind. Your advice and goodwill are much appreciated, as is your generosity. Would you care to accompany me to face the trolls? I would be glad of the company."". . Perhaps." Fellwind said. "I'm. . somewhat wary. I have the feeling that getting involved in the matters of mages might not be the best idea.""Fellwind, have you gone mad?" Lewin asked. "We can't let a young woman try to fight a group of trolls alone. I shall come with, lady."Fellwind shrugged. "I'll go as well, then."
>>19277735"Glad to have you. I shall do my best to ensure your fears are unfounded."Have a pleasant meal, then get moving again.
>>19277735Come companions, we have trolls to roast. I'll set them on fire, Fellwind you thud arrows into them, Lewin you do what you do best, Grayson you keep us from harm and be adorable.
>>19277735"Thank you for your help, but it's not really a mage matter, just a problem the loggers have with some trolls. If it evolves into something more than that I promise to try what I can to keep you out of it."
The four of you, once again, are walking through the forest, Lewin checking his map as Fellwind makes sure you're travelling the right direction. The sun rises further, and soon enough, you reach a clearing, where there are torn tents, smashed tools, and a group of men milling about, trying to repair what they can."Come, companions." You say. "We have trolls to roast. I'll set them on fire, Fellwind and Lewin, thud arrows into them. Grayson, you keep us from harm and be adorable.""Greetings, travelers." One of the men say. "Have you come to rid us of our troll problem? High Lord Sirius already came through with his knights, and he promised he would get rid of the problem. . but he hasn't returned since then."
>>19277785That we have, if we see the High Lord we'll let you know.Which direction did they head?
>>19277785"Do you know which direction they went? It could help us track the trolls down faster."
>>19277785Curtsy politely. "We shall do what we can. I do hope we have more success than that. Is there anything in particular we should know?"
"We shall do what we can. I do hope we have more success than that. Do you know which direction they went?" You ask, curtsying."Yes, lady, they went to the east, which is where the trolls come from every night." He says. "We heard the sounds of battle, but. . trolls are fearsome, and none of us wanted to check."You nod, and you ride the bear toward the east, leaving the clearing as the forest gets thicker and darker.You hear someone gasp- and you look closer. It's a man in rent heavy armor, and his skin is pale, black veins lying underneath his skin. He's spasming, his eyes rolled into the back of his head."He's been poisoned." Fellwind said. "It's much too late to heal him with herb and medicine, but if you know a spell that can heal him..."
rolled 28 = 28>>19277838Give it a shot, try to heal him and not blow up the world.We want information from him if at all possible.
rolled 21 = 21>>19277838"I fear I cannot promise success, but I shall make an attempt. Please remain alert as I try."Attempt to purge the poison and heal him.
rolled 2 = 2>>19277838Try to draw the poison out of him, imagine it draining from the wounds, leaving him healthier. At least to the point where he won't die immediately.
>>19277866Well fuck you too dice gods.
rolled 95 = 95>>19277838gather the poison from his and store it away.ask for a bottle and if nobody has one create one from the essense of magic.
You put your hands on his face, and you feel your magic burst into life, reaching down into his veins and purging the poison from him. It burns your palms, burns them badly, and you bite your lip from the pain. The black ooze starts seeping from his skin, but his twitching gets worse, and then he bucks wildly. . before going still, and he's dead.Fellwind sighs, and grabs the man's blade. "What are you doing, Fellwind? We can't loot the dead." Lewin says. You kneel down, materialize another phial, and take some of the black ooze, corking the phial."It's best to have a sword and not need it, than to need one and not have it." Fellwind said, and slid the blade into his belt. "Let's continue, shall we?"As soon as he said that, something leapt down from the canopy. It was vaguely humanoid, with long legs and long arms- it was made of what looked like green vines, and had long thorns sticking out of its body, rending, bear-like claws at the end of its fingers. It had no visible face, but it walked toward you all the same. Grayson growls at it.
rolled 66 = 66>>19277919PERISH YOU KILLER OF MEN!GOING FOR A BURST OF RABID BLUE-GREEN FIRE
rolled 63 = 63>>19277919Feel for it with magic. If the ogre mages of old made the trolls as soldiers, and they were loyal to them, then there is a way to command them. Sense it- and if you can, use it. Make the troll bow down to you as its mistress.If that doesn't work, burn it a lot.
rolled 4 = 4>>19277919Burn, Burn, BURN! Turn it into a bonfire.
"Perish, you killer of men!" You cry, and lob a sphere of blue-green fire, which smashes into the troll's torso, exploding into flame. The troll makes some kind of keening cry- you're not exactly sure how- and Fellwind leaps forward, slashing the beast in half. The fire stops it from healing, and soon enough, it's on the ground, perfectly still."I don't know what that noise was." Fellwind said, looking around. "But I'm wary that it might have called others."You hear another keening cry, and that other cry is cut short as well. Lewin looked over toward that direction. "I hear the voices of men." He says.
>>19277990Very well, we shall head that way. Grayson, take the front.
>>19277990"Then let us move towards them swiftly. They may need assistance."Move quickly. Stick close to Grayson so that he can ward us again harm.
"Very well, we shall head that way." you say, stepping over the charred remains of the troll. You urge Grayson to take the front, and soon enough, you reach a clearing.There's a group of half a dozen armored men, fighting a very large, brown troll, many small flowers covering the troll's back. You see two smouldering corpses on the ground, undoubtedly trolls as well.Fellwind and Lewin draw their bows, and start firing arrows at the large humanoid beast."Rally, men!" One of the armored men says. "We have backup!" You notice he's wearing a strange, winged helmet, unlike the other men.
rolled 36 = 36>>19278048Burn the troll
rolled 54 = 54>>19278048sheath their arrows with flame "spread out you two; keep firing"
"Burn, burn, burn!" you cry, and lob another burst of flame at the troll. The burst of flame starts to peter out as it reaches the troll, however, and just singes it, rather than setting it alight. It recoils from the heat, but turns to you. You put your hands over your two companions' quiver, and fill them with power. The next time Fellwind draws back his bow, the tip of the arrow bursts into flame. A successful enchantment, you'd say. Your heart is beating wildly, and you feel strained from the use of magic."Now!" the man cries, and the armored men lob vases at the troll. The vases shatter, and some kind of oil splatters the humanoid beast.
rolled 61 = 61>>19278067>>19278085The brown one resists fire. Entangle the beast in roots
rolled 92 = 92>>19278048Hold forth our hands and fire a continuous cascade of fireballs from our fingertips.
You take a deep breath, and put both your hands together, as if you were holding a sphere in the palm of your hands. Your breathing gets laboured. . but a burst of firebolts start spewing from your hands, a swarm of magically-guided flaming bursts slam into the troll with an audible 'crack', and the oil bursts into flame, covering the troll in flame. It makes another loud, keening wail, and recoils from your unstoppable torrent of flame. The armored men draw their blades, and with discipline, cut the troll's legs out from under it, before coming above and slashing it apart, the flame burning it into cinders.The world goes hazy, and you lean on Grayson for support."Thank you." The man with the winged helmet says.
>>19278158You're very welcome, High Lord Sirius I presume, I'm Ishelda by the way. How many are left?
>>19278158"No, thank you. If it wasn't for your quickthinking with the vases of oil; my flames wouldn't have been enough."Then sit, down, and continue the conversation. We need to stay conscious; at least for the clean up.
>>19278158Catch our breath for a moment, then stand and curtsy as best we can, keeping a hand on Grayson for support if necessary and speaking formally. "Think nothing of it. I do hope you are all right. I am Ishelda, and my companions Fellwind and Lewin. Are you the High Lord Sirius, who the loggers spoke of?"
rolled 51 = 51>>19278158your welcome...but if I pass out just let the bear carry me around...
"No, thank you. If it wasn't for your quick thinking with the vases of oil, my flames wouldn't have been enough." You say."Right you are. But now the last of the trolls are dead, and our day's work is done." He says, and claps a gauntlet over his chest. "I am High Lord Sirius, and I'm pleased to make your acquaintence.""I am Ishelda, and my companions Fellwind and Lewin." You say, leaning on Grayson for support."That was quite some wizardry there." He said, removing his helmet; he's much older than you thought he would be, with pepper hair and goatee, but he's quite fit for one of his age. "I've never seen its like before in my life. From which province are you from, Lady Ishelda?"
>>19278204It's rather far away, you wouldn't have heard of it. Before he can press further collapse onto Grayson and pretend to fall half asleep.
rolled 72 = 72>>19278204the land I hail from rests behind me; and of it I do not wish to speak.
We've just saved his life, we can probably afford to risk the honesty."I hail from Arcturus, Lord. Might we continue this conversation elsewhere?"Mount Mr Bearington and ride back towards town with Sirius and the knights presumably
>>19278204"One very, VERY far away."
"I hail from far away land, Lord." You say, and climb up onto Grayson before you can pass out. "Might we continue this conversation elsewhere?""Certainly." He says, and dons his helmet once again. "And we go, men! Back to the city!"The soldiers salute him, and you all start the march back. You rest on Grayson's back, getting your breath back, but your arms and legs still feel weak.
>>19278230>>19278225Let's not tell him where we are from. He seems somewhat royal; so he would know instantly that our province isn't one that exists in the relms of men.And let's not faint. We cannot show weakness to one we just met.
>>19278258I say we claim amnesia when people ask about our past.
>>19278258We're a 14 year old little girl at the oldestWho just blasted a horde of trolls in to oblivionEven if we pass out, we aren't likely to appear weak by 14 year old girl standards dude
>>19278255Continue to rest on the way back, make sure to pet Grayson on the way back.Ask if troll hunting is a common endeavor in these parts.
>>19278255"We encountered a dying man before meeting you, High Lord. We were too late to save him. If he was one of yours, do you wish to recover his body for a proper funeral?"Also, speak softly to Lewin and Fellwind. "My thanks for standing by me. Without your assistance I may have been in no small amount of danger."
>>19278278Oh shit; this. Brownie points.Although, we may want our companions to give back that body the sword we borrowed.
"We encountered a dying man before meeting you, High Lord." You say. "We were too late to save him. If he was one of yours. . ""Ah, I assume so." The high lord says. "Rowling was a good man. He'd taken a hit from the trolls, and tried walking back on his own to get treated for poison." He frowns, and turns to two of his soldiers. "Go grab Rowling's body, and bring him with us."The two soldiers salute, and enter the brush again."My thanks for standing by me." You say to the two rangers. "Without your assistance, I may have been in no small amount of danger.""Of course." Lewin said in a low voice. "There was no way we'd let you face trolls on your own."Then he eyed Sirius. "Also, I can hardly believe I'm within speaking range of a High Lord.""No need to be nervous in my presence, young man." The high lord said, with a boyish grin. "You saved me and my men's lives."
>>19278329Be humble. BE HUMBLE AS FUCK.
>>19278329Thank you High Lord, your compliments do us honor.
>>19278329"Are trolls terribly common in these parts? Those were the first I had encountered."
"Thank you, High Lord, your compliments do us honor." You say, in the tone that was drilled into you from a young age. "Are trolls terribly common in these parts? Those were the first I had encountered.""Trolls are quite common in forests across the land. We have been trying to exterminate them since we took the land from the lizardmen, and they tried the same." The high lord responded. "We'd thought this forest free of them, but perhaps that old one was just. . slumbering until now."
rolled 41 = 41>>19278329>>19278329if you are returning to the city I'll accompany you there but then I must speak to the wizzard romulus
>>19278462Yup, this sounds good.
>>19278462I would rather not name-drop him in case the High Lord and wizard have some kind of relationship that we're not already aware of.>>19278456"Well, I am glad it slumbers more permanently now."
>>19278456I'm glad that this problem was dealt with quickly, they seem to be monstrous things.I would happily accompany you back to town, but I must visit the Wizard once I return.It was an absolute pleasure to meet you High Lord Sirius.
"If you're returning to the city, I'd be glad to accompany you there. . but then I must speak to the wizard Romulus.""Oh, that trickster?" The high lord said, raising his eyebrows. "Did he have you assist us?">It's not on topic right now, but since you have a map of Sirius Province, pic related is the map you have. I'll probably work on the detail as time goes on.
>>19278510"Yes, it was from him that I heard of the trolls. It seems people have a habit of coming to him with all manner of unusual difficulties, with little regard as to whether he could or should be expected to render assistance."
rolled 13 = 13>>19278510after a manner of speaking yes; but I may have other business with him also.
>>19278510I stopped by his tower when I first came to town, he asked me to deal with the trolls when I wondered if there were jobs. He does seem to love his theatrics I must admit.
"Yes, it was from him that I heard of the trolls." You say. "It seems people have a habit of coming to him with all manner of unusual difficulties, with little regard as to whether he could or should be expected to render assistance.""Oh, he agrees to render assistance no matter what one comes to him with." Lord Sirius says. "He just isn't the best at following through, and always acts as if his assistance was magical in nature, despite the fact that his only true skill is in cleverness."
>>19278567He didn't seem like a powerful magician, lots of theatrics. Though you can get quite far with cleverness, it's a very useful skill.
>>19278567Smile slightly. "He does seem to have a delightful flair for the theatric. I enjoyed it. I had not realized that he was quite so bold in offering assistance he cannot provide, however; he seemed prosperous enough that I wouldn't have expected his methods to be something quite so likely to draw ill will."
"He does seem to have a delightful flair for the theatric. I enjoyed it." You say, with a slight smile. "I had not realized that he was quite so bold in offering assistance he cannot provide, however; he seemed prosperous enough that I wouldn't have expected his methods to be something quite so likely to draw ill will.""Oh, he always provides assistance eventually. Just not... in a timely, or standard, manner." Sirius agrees as you approach the city. "Once I asked him for assistance in battle, and instead of calling down a torrent of fire like I thought. .he brought a small army of militia to my heel. Apparently he had helped them escape from a jail in Jupiter Province, and promised them freedom if they'd helped me."He chuckled at the memory, then shrugged. "Lady Ishelda, Her companions, I would like to extend an invitation to enter the citadel any time you wish."He turns to you, privately. "However. . Please try not to show Uriel your magic skill. He will assume you are some kind of magical beast or elven illusion, here to trick me. He's quite the paranoid magician."
>>19278648I will do so, thank you for your kind offer of hospitality. Don't worry, I won't show anything of that nature to Uriel.
>>19278648Giggle softly. "I leave the beastliness to Grayson. He's quite adept at it." Scratch Grayson's ears affectionately. "I thank you for the generous offer and will remember your advice, High Lord. Uriel is the court magician? I have heard little of him."
"I will do so." You say, curtsying as best you can while riding the bear. "Thank you for your kind offer of hospitality. And don't worry, I won't show anything of that nature to Uriel.""Then. . Lady Ishelda, may we meet again." Lord Sirius says, bringing his gauntlet to his chest again, and he and his men walk through the gates, toward the citadel.Fellwind brings his hood back up, revealing his face- when did he first put his hood on? You hadn't noticed."...I've decided." Lewin said. "I'm going to stick by you, Ishelda. Because you seem like the kind of person who gets into strange situations regularly. And those kinds of situations. . that's where you want to be when the times start to change."Grayson harrumphs once more, uncomfortable in the city again, but you scritch between his ears again and he settles down.
>>19278733It's good to have you. Your presence is appreciated.Now first I ought to see Romulus, then I must find lodging, one that lets me keep Grayson with me.
rolled 62 = 62>>19278733TO THE WIZZARD!
>>19278733Smile brilliantly at Lewin. "Why, that's so kind of you! Your presence will be a delight and treasure in the days to come, I am certain." And then look to Fellwind. "And what might your plans be, Fellwind?"
"Why, that's so kind of you." You smile brilliantly at Lewin, and he blinks, a bit awed. "Your presence will be a delight and treasure in the days to come, I'm certain. And you, Fellwind? What might your plans be?""I'll go where Lewin goes." Fellwind says, and shrugs. "We've stuck together for years; no reason to stop now." "Now. . first I ought to see Romulus." You say, and Grayson trudges toward the tower. You start to knock, but the doors open by themselves. Lewin and Fellwind look mildly freaked out, but you sensed no magic- must be yet another trick. You walk into the room, and slide off of Grayson's back."You've returned." Romulus says in his booming voice, and approaches.
>>19278808Yes, I returned. The trolls have been slain the and forest is safe. All is well.
>>19278808Curtsy politely. "Naturally. Your description of the trolls hardly did them justice. I don't suppose we could sit down for some tea or refreshments? It was quite the endeavor, and I am somewhat weary."
"Yes, I've returned. The trolls have been slain, and the forest is safe. All is well." You say.Romulus nods. "Then I'll pay you what you are due." He says, and takes a few coins out of his bag. A few golden coins, a few silver, and a few bronze coins are put into a pouch, and he hands it to you."I don't suppose we could sit down for some tea or refreshments? It was quite the endeavor, and I am somewhat weary." You say.". . Very well." He says, and leads you to a different room, where there are plush seats and an already set table. "Kracknik, we have a few guests." He says, and a small, draconian creature with knobbly knees and elbows, nods."Yeah, boss, I'll get the grub." Kracknik says, and trots over to a different room.
>>19278869See if he's mannerly enough to pull out our chair for us. And if he's not, then if our companions are. A small, polite cough may be necessary here.
>>19278869Wait for someone to sit us down at the table, thank Romulus for his hospitality and ask what exactly Kracknik is.When the food comes enjoy it, but retain all of our class and poise.
You stand near the chair, while your companions sit down. . They all seem to stare at you, and you give them a polite cough. With a start, Romulus gets up and pulls out your chair for you. You give him a bright smile, and sit down."Thank you for your hospitality." You say. "May I ask. . exactly what Kracknik is?""He's a kobold." Romulus responds. "They're very loyal, very loyal indeed. Just not very. . formidable."Soon enough, Kracknik comes back, holding platters of food, and sets it out for everyone. It's surprisingly well made, and you eat with class and poise.
Fuck. Sorceress Quest, and I'm super late to it too! Dang! Also: Man, why aren't we grieving? Or at least a little sad? Shouldn't we be feeling something over the fact that our father, our HOME is lost to us? Our wizard died for us so we could escape with our lives. Our father is most likely dead too. We're either uncaring, or in denial.
>>19278929Your fare is quite excellent Romulus. May I ask your secret?Are these Kobolds common, are they often found in households?>>19278940Don't worry, we'll probably end up crying ourself to sleep in Grayson's fur.
>>19278940Princesses cannot show such weakness.
>>19278957This
"Are these kobolds common, are they often found in households?" You ask."Not usually." He says. "They usually live in caves and mountains. .but they have a habit of obeying whoever is. . most powerful in their eyes. It's quite common for high lords to go out hunting and come back with a small clan of loyal kobolds following them.""Your fare is quite excellent, Romulus. May I ask your secret?""Not much of a secret, I'm afraid. I simply taught Kracknik how to cook." He said.
>>19278988"You taught him quite well." Enjoy it briefly, then continue. "On the topic of high lords, we were fortunate enough to encounter the High Lord Sirius while engaging the trolls. He spoke quite highly of your ingenuity, and I must say I agree."
>>19278957at least not in front of people. we were being raised to rule, rulers don't cry in front of their subjects. while we obviously aren't the ruler, this would probably be ingrained in us....or we could be a Sociopath.
>>19278988No matter the method the result simply can not be argued with.I met with High Lord Sirius while I was out troll hunting, he told me of your cleverness. A worthy skill indeed.
>>19278988Whoever is... Most powerful, you say...? How very interesting. I am quite liking Romulus, and I suspect he will be quite valuable as an ally.
So we are a High Fantasy Sorceress implanted into a low Fantasy setting? Huh this will end well.
"You taught him quite well." You say. "On the topic of high lords, we were fortunate enough to encounter the High Lord Sirius while engaging the trolls. He spoke quite highly of your ingenuity, and I must say I agree.""I see." He says. "I'm glad you and the high lord agree. It's always good to be respected.""Uh, excuse me, but. . " Lewin says. "Lady Ishelda, I'm a bit unclear on what we're going to do now."
>>19279112I'm somewhat unclear on that myself, my current plans were to find lodging. Then I was planning on availing my services to the king and seeing where life goes from there. It's a big world and I have barely seen a fraction of it, so I imagine after I get myself situated I'll spend a good bit of time wandering.
>>19279112Smile charmingly. "For this evening, enjoy a meal and then secure lodging. Beyond that, there is a wide world out there and I would like to learn more of it before making a firm decision."
"I'm somewhat unclear on that myself." You say. "For this evening, enjoy a meal and then secure lodging. Beyond that. . there's a wide world out there and I would like to learn more of it before making a firm decision.""Well said." Fellwind says.You hear the doors squeak open, and an unpleasant, nasally voice rings out. "Romulus, come out where I can see you, snivelling bastard.""Oh, gods damn it." Romulus says. "It's Uriel."
>>19279186Nod to him. "My apologies, but I have been counseled toward subtlety in Uriel's presence. I will be of little assistance beyond the social in this matter." If he rises, however, go with and back him up. Romulus is our host and has shown us hospitality; we have a responsibility to act as a proper guest and assist him.
"My apologies, but I've been counseled toward subtlety in Uriel's presence." you say warily. "I will be of little assistance beyond the social in this matter." You say."No, don't worry about it." Romulus says. "You three can stay here; I'll go out there and let him yell at me."Romulus gets up, and goes into the entrance room."Romulus, you said you would get that potion eventually." Uriel says. "Or do you not want payment? Lady Azure insisted that time was running out.""Ah. . ." Romulus says. "Getting the components is harder than I originally thought, Magister.""What kind of components do you need?" Uriel asked.Romulus takes a second to respond. "A quite large and eclectic selection, Magister. I'm arranging to get it from overseas as we speak."
>>19279213This but stay to the background. No need to get unnecessarily involved in feuds so early on.
>>19279242didn't we make a the potion he needed?
"I see." Uriel says. "Unless this is another stalling tactic. . .""Of course it isn't!" Romulus says, incredulous. "Do you dare impugn my honor?"". . . Perhaps not this time." Uriel responds. "I will return in a fortnight, Romulus. Have it ready by then."You hear the door close, and Romulus enters the room again and sighs.
>>19279242Lets help the man out, if I understood correctly we made a lovepotion earlier on?Sir Romulus, getting the ingreadients from abroad might not be necessary. As I was about to say before our discussion got prematurely interrupted, I was able to obtain this potion on my journeys today.
>>19279285"That was with regards to the love potion you mentioned earlier? I did make an attempt at crafting one..." Pull it out. "I should admit, however, that mental magics are not my forte, and my knowledge of love is largely academic. I would not be surprised if its functioning were... erratic. Nor am I certain how long the effects would last. You may be better keeping to whatever your current scheme involves."
>>19279287Well fuck me and my timing. Offer him the god damn potion.Sir Romulus, I might be able to assist you. I don't have certainty on the strength or exact effect of this potion that I conjured but my instinct tells me that it is what you are looking for. However, I would rather you didnät tell Uriel where you got the potion since I am trying to keep a low profile in his presence at the moment.
>>19279285Inquire as to the recipient of the potion, this 'Lady Azure'. And subtly suggest that we might be able to help him with the love potion after all.
"Romulus, getting the ingredients from abroad might not be necessary. As I was about to say before our discussion got prematurely interrupted," You say, pulling the phial from your satchel, "I was able to obtain this potion on my journey today."You look at the phial, and see that it's full of inky blackness. You quickly put it away and pull out the other one, the one with the soft pink color. "I'm not certain about the strength or exact effect of this potion, but my instinct tells me that it is what you're looking for. However, I'd rather you didn't tell Uriel where you got it, since I am trying to keep a low profile in his presence at the moment.""I. . I see." He says, taking the pink phial out of your hand. "Dare I ask about that other potion...?" Then he shakes his head. "I'll have to study this, but if it's what I hope it is, then I'll . . owe you quite a bit, Lady Ishelda.""I should admit that mental magics are not my forte. I would not be surprised if the potion's functioning was. . erratic. Nor am I certain how long the effects would last. You may be better keeping to whatever your current scheme involves.""I. . uh, didn't have any other scheme. I was just trying to buy time." He said, looking closely at the phial."Who was this Lady Azure?""A knight's daughter." He says. "A noble lady who wants to be. . more. Uriel is assisting her at the moment, and he went to me."
>>19279377Good to know, I'm glad to have been of service.If you don't mind me asking could you direct me to a nice inn, one that would have no objections to Grayson staying with me? Also the local Milliners, I believe Grayson could use a hat.
>>19279377Watch the potion turns her into a man and Romulus is in big trouble."Uriel is unskilled at making potions then? What is his forte?"
>>19279377"Well... I cannot promise that will work, and would be concerned about side effects- but if you do have methods by which to study it and check for any, then by all means, feel free. And you may ask about the other potion, of course. I am afraid that when fighting the trolls, I was unable to save a poisoned man. I took a sample of that which killed him in the hopes that I might be able to later study it and perhaps have more success, should another need my aid."
>>19279377"'More'? that is rather vague... oh well, i hope it helps her.""do you happen to know where i could acquire adequate lodging? i must admit that I am rather tired."
>>19279411>"I'll have to study this, but if it's what I hope it is, then I'll . . owe you quite a bit, Lady Ishelda."Implying he's going to test it beforehand and we did warn him...What can you tell us about Uriel? From what we have heard he could cause us some trouble in the future. Also, could you give us any directions for a suitable inn?Also why isn't my blank character removing the "anonymous" anymore? Is it due to changes in the sites code?
>>19279461From what I can see it looks like you have Red Baron typed into the subject field.
"Uriel is unskilled at making potions, then? What is his forte?""I'm not certain. He's private about such things." He said, eying the phial even closer. He put it into a series of scales, measuring it."If you don't mind me asking, could you direct me to a nice inn? One that would have no objections to Grayson staying with me?" You ask."No need." He says. "If this is what I think it is, you can stay here free of cost. I won't lie, it's because you seem like a useful person to have around, Lady.""What else can you tell us about Uriel?" You ask."I've not much clue." He said. "He was brought on by Lady Azure, and High Lord Sirius had no choice but to accept him, as the citadel has no other magister that could take his place. The orcish ambassador, Greyskin, calls him a 'caller of fell shadows'."
>>19279508That bodes well. I guess I ought to meet with this Greyskin, what can you tell me about the orks anyways?
>>19279476Earlier on, entering a "blank character" would effectively remove the anonymous label -> resulting in the subject name becoming my name. In yotsuba format this would lead to having a red name, thus Red Baron. Of course in Yotsuba B the subject is displayed as blue.
>>19279508Get to say in Romulus' tower? YES. FAVORED OUTCOME.
>>19279508"You're too kind, to let me- and my companions?- stay with you. I would be most interested in hearing your take on other persons of note in the city, if you're willing to share."
"That bodes well." You say. "I guess I ought to meet with this Greyskin. What can you tell me about the orcs, anyways?""Well, the orcs are. . very strange." Lewin says. "Sometimes they're as if savage beasts, but the rest of the time, they're very calm, proper, and recite poetry when in battle. They have a complex system of nobility, and they're all led by a king and queen. From what I've heard, only orcish knights- ones who have trained extensively, both in combat and in art- can leave their land.""You're too kind, to let me and my companions stay with you." you say. "I would be most interested in hearing your take on other persons of note in the city, if you're willing to share.""There are several nobles and ambassadors in the citadel," He says. "And a blacksmith of quite some skill, but I've already told you about all of the significant persons of note."
Oh well, I guess it's off to sleep. The sun is already rising here. Promising start for a new quest Exabyte! The map of the setting was cool, hopefully you'll have the energy to further develop the idea!
>>19279582Interesting, I'll visit Greyskin when I can, he seems like he will be an interesting fellow.For now I would beg my leave, I think that Grayson needs a proper hat.
>>19279582Is there anything else we can assist you with in the time being, Sir? If not, I shall explore the city and discuss with my new companions.
>>19279582"A town with but a handful of people worth hearing of? How dull this place must be." Smile to show we're kidding. "I suppose we can move on to the slightly less noteworthy people, if we must."
"Interesting." You say. "I'll visit Greyskin when I can; it seems like he will be an interesting fellow. For now, however, I would beg my leave; I think that Grayson needs a proper hat."You get up, and with Fellwind and Lewin by your sides, you go down to the market and start shopping. The sun goes down by the time you get Grayson a hat, and get yourself fitted several dresses for use in a court, and hunting frocks, for use in battle."This seems like a pleasant end to my first day here.""First, Lady?" Fellwind asks. "We found you and Grayson two days ago."Oh, right. The afternoon you fell asleep on Grayson. . that little 'nap' must have lasted the entire night."I see." You say."It's best time we go back to the tower." Fellwind said through his hood. "It's getting dark out, and the thieves would love to rob a lady."You nod, and the four of you go back to the tower.An hour later, you're lying in bed. . and you remember the last time you saw Arcturus; the red, malevolent sky, and the flaming horned demon as your father charged toward it. . .You can't hold it in anymore. You cry into the pillow, as the last survivor of a burning world.>>End of thread 1.>>My twitter is @futureexabyte.>>I'll stick around and answer questions about the setting.
>>19279717What non-humans did Arcturus have? Anything that isn't in this world?
>>19279717Why would we cry into a pillow when we've got Grayson right there. He probably sleeps right next to our bed or on the foot of the bed.Did you expect us to acquire a bear companion?
>>19279743>Arcturus was host to exclusively humans. . at least, until the demons tore holes in reality and spewed forth, crushing everything with the raw might of hellfire.
>>19279750>WHY WOULD I THROW A BEAR AT YOU IF I DIDN'T EXPECT YOU TO TAME IT>Yeah, I expected you'd get a bear companion. I didn't expect, however, for Lewin and Fellwind to be as friendly as they ended up being.
rolled 69 = 69>>19279780so we could kill and reanimate it?
>>19279813>Theoretically, yeah, but necromancers aren't liked, and it'd be pretty obvious that you're a necromancer when a rotting bear is following you around.
rolled 61 = 61>>19279867so you'd encourage meta gaming?cause we didn't know that till after we'd tamed it.and for all we know ishelda could have been a very morbid little girl...
>>19279924But necromancy wouldn't be polite.
>>19279717What was the human industrial capacity in Arcturus? Was is above, the same, or lower than what we've seen in this new world?Like, did we have rudimentary machines? Some that ran on magic? Etc, etc.
>>19280446>For the most part, you don't notice many differences between this world and Arcturus, save for the different sapient races, and of course the political differences- you'd never heard of a 'province' before in your life.
>>19280473Damn, so that means we can't bring gunpowder to these heathens.So wait, did our kingdom rule everything back in Acturus?
>>19280492The entire continent, yes, and your kingdom was known as the most powerful kingdom in the world. . because of that, yours was the last to fall when the demons came.
>>19280527What was our magic education like? Were we raised to specialize in one things and everything else we are just okay in?Or were we generalized in everything?
>>19281809>Actually, the way your magic is, you weren't educated at all. that's what makes you special- knowledge isn't needed at all for you to use your sorcery. that's what makes it different from wizardry.
>>19283090So we just imagine shit for the situation were in, and depending on our will(roll,) it just happens?Fuck yeah; that's awesome!
>>19283090Are we going to miss out on something awesome because that knight died?>No idea why the guy with the awesome roll only wanted to take the poison.
>>19283090Was there even a possibility to communicate with the trolls?
>>19283902YES>>19283910Well, he was a character who would have been indebted to you and would have been a loyal follower, so. . yes.>>19283926NOPE. Trolls aren't sapient; they're literal war weapons; they can hardly even hear, and their keening cry is to signal when a troll dies. They communicate with one another via scent, though.
>>19283984>indebted to you and would have been a loyal follower, so. . yes.Bummer. As usual, namefags prove to be useless.
>>19284039Don't worry, you'll have plenty of chances to get followers. Being trained and brought up as a leader of men gives you that talent- it also gives you the talent to manipulate people much more easily.
>crushing everything with the raw might of hellfireAny chance we might get that particular fire type?Or maybe soulfire? Or both?
>>19284201Hellfire was hyperbole- but since you can make blue-green fire, you might as well be able to make both soulfire and hellfire, if you get enough contact with it to emulate it, that is.
>>19284221Balls yeah
>>19284221So if our will determines how powerful a spell we roll; what's keeping us in check then? Our stamina?
