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After studying a book of rituals provided by one of your cults, you find a spell similar to the one Francis once cast upon you. With your connection to the Codex Arcana, and with Faye's assistance, you are able to perform the ritual upon your ancestor, still held captive by your conjured tentacles and unconscious.

It is decided that, due to your formerly weakened state and Faye lending you her strength, only one of you will travel into her mind at full power, rather than both at reduced might. Faye is disappointed by this, but relents, promising to watch over your sleeping form. Several acolytes assist with the ritual, in which you are placed within a runic circle and magically enchanted into a deep, deep slumber. But rather than lose true consciousness, you find yourself subtly drifting, weightless and through a haze of cloudy thoughts, towards an unknown destination.

As you enter the dreamscape of the Moon Elf, you gently touch down upon a solid surface. There, you look down as you open your eyes and behold the surface of the moon, but there is something strange: there is light in the distance casting shadows upon it, and it is not from the sun. You must be standing upon the dark side of the lunar sphere, for all around you is darkness, until you look at the source of the nearby light.

It is a city, grand and magnificent, with architecture unlike any you have ever seen or imagined! Towers of glowing yellow stone and great domes of sparkling purple crystals, thin walkways that twist and turn between the many buildings and dancing lights of all colors play upon every surface. It would be enough to take your breath away, if you were truly breathing. Your body is an astral projection, invisible to all entities within the dream, but consequently you will be unable to interract with any of them. After your experience in the dreams of Brutus, this was deemed a necessary precaution.

>Approach the city
>Fly up into the sky
>Search for moon elves outside of the city
>Attempt to commune with Faye to let her know you have arrived
>Other

>>2961489
>>Fly up into the sky

>>2961489
>Fly up into the sky

>>2961489
>>Fly up into the sky

>>2961489
>Fly up into the sky

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>>2961497
>>2961506
>>2961511
>>2961513

Lifting up your chin and hands, you levitate into the sky before floating towards the city. Boundless in your ability to move in this world of dreams, you observe this ancient city from on high with awe.

'This city existed ten-thousand years ago,' you think as you look upon its splendor. 'The civilization of the moon elves, perhaps the very first one to exist. This must have been at the height of their power. It is amazing...'

You soar over the city, not daring to get too close. Not out of fear, but out of a desire to take it all in at once, to absorb as much of the incredible sight as possible. In a way, you feel like a child having a dream of your own and a wonderful giddiness fills your soul. Something about merely witnessing a glimpse of this magnificent work of art, even just a dream of a memory of it, is enough to make you forget about your purpose in being here. Only for a few blissful moments is your heart stolen by the sight, for then you notice the streets of this place, and its corpses.

Stopping, you squint and peer down and you realize that bodies litter its streets. Pale moon elves in black and gold clothing, men and women and children, dead where they lie, some in groups and some alone. You descend to one of the streets, the beauty of its buildings now nothing more than a distraction.

You kneel down alongside a moon elf female; she was tall, with narrow cheeks and sunken eyes. The moon elves were pale, nearly chalky in tone, with eyes that were nearly all black save for pinpoints of white. Their clothing was immaculate and clean; it is clear that their society, from its buildings to its fashion, was dominated by a strict adherence to order, but there was beauty as well.

'I wonder how they died? Plague? Some sort of spell?' You stand up and look around. 'Yet this is a dream... it may not be how it truly happened at all, only a version of it, the false memory of one of her personalities... I must be careful so as not to be misled.'

At that moment, in the distance, you can hear a noise growing louder and louder. It sounds like the chanting of a large group of people.

>Approach the noise
>Fly back up and observe from afar
>Investigate the immediate area for clues
>Contact Faye
>Other

>>2961615
>>Approach the noise

>>2961615
>Approach the noise

>>2961615
>>Approach the noise

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>>2961622
>>2961625
>>2961665

Seeking the source of the cacophony, you round a corner and walk upon a winding path, lit on both sides with golden orbs of light, until you come upon a dramatically different sight: hundreds, perhaps thousands of moon elves, all gathered to stand before a mighty chapel-like structure, the spire of which extends up into the lunar sky, piercing the darkness like a lance of glowing light.

And in front of this chapel, standing upon a silver platform, is your ancestor, dressed like a conqueror and wearing a mighty crown.

"The gods have spoken!" she cries, holding aloft her staff as she calls out to the masses, and the moon elves cheer. Her voice, amplified by some spell, reaches all corners of the massive city square. "They have made known to us the ultimate path towards ascension!"

Again, they cheer. You stand among them now, staring up at the queen, intensely studying her. Outwardly, she resembles the moon elf you have come to know, albeit dressed more elaborately.

She holds up her hand to signal for silence. "We now know what must be done. There can be no question! The heretics upon the blue and green world below must perish! They are impure, faithless, heathens! They know not the true gods! They toil within the world of light! They have angered and insulted the gods, and so they have given us this trial, and upon its completion, ascension to their glorious realm has been promised!"

The elves all cry out for war, to make the green and blue world stained red with blood.

And at the head of them all, your ancestor continues to stoke the fires of hatred within them. "We shall descend upon the world we once left behind, and wipe it clean of the heretics! We shall let none survive! To war! To glory! To ascension!"

She basks in their adoration for several moments before she turns to head inside the chapel.

>Follow her.
>Follow the nearby elves.
>Contact Faye.
>Attempt to influence the dream with your magic.
>Other

>>2961744
>Follow her.

>>2961744
>>Follow her.

>>2961744
>>Follow her.

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>>2961754
>>2961809

You make your way through the crowd, quite literally passing through many of them, until you reach the front doors of the magnificent chapel, which are sealed shut. Holding up a hand to test your capabilities, you find that you can phase right through it, and so you step through the obsidian-like material into the black void beyond, and much like when you stepped into the scene with the crowd, it is now as though you are in an entirely different dream. You briefly wonder if the place you were just in even exists anymore; the dreamscape may be changing constantly, with you along for the ride.

You cannot know for certain if you are inside the chapel or not, but you are now within some manner of chamber, surrounded with red cloth and dimly lit. At its center is your ancestor, upon her knees and holding something. She is crying and her wails fill the chamber.

"Forgive me!" she cries, though to who you do not know. "I wasn't strong enough, I couldn't, I..."

Her words are lost in sobs as you drift closer to inspect what she is holding: a bundled baby. The child, asleep, looks like its mother, only with slightly different features... For example, the ears are not as prominent, nor is its skin quite as pale as hers.

'It is a half-elf...' you realize. Then, another realization sets in, followed by a third: 'This child was the first link in the chain that led to my bloodline ten-thousand years later... this child is the very first half-elf!'

"Gods!" your ancestor cries, looking up into the starless void above her, an endless river of tears streaming down her cheeks. "I will not let you have him! He is mine! You will never take him, never! The life of every elf, the very moon itself, none of it matters before him! You can take everything but him! Do you hear me?!?

Suddenly, there is a great rumbling, an ethereal yawn that seems to make the very ground quake. She gasps and holds her child close to her, crying and cursing the gods as a black portal opens overhead, threatening to swallow her whole. With the life of her child at risk, she quickly goes to cast a spell, a moon gate!

You watch with rapt attention as she withdraws a crystal, then screams out her incantation. Even with the vortex swirling around you, and the shrill manner in which the spell was cast, you hear her words and commit them to memory.

The moongate opens before her and she runs through.

>Follow her to learn more
>Enough, I have what I need
>Be swallowed by the abyss and see where it goes; you can still escape if need be
>Go back the way you came
>Other

>Follow her.

>>2961926
>Follow her to learn more

Interesting. Maybe send a message to Faye about the crystal and incanentation.

>>2961926
>>Follow her to learn more

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>>2961927
>>2961940
>>2961946

'I want to see where this is going!'

You enter the moongate, fully expecting to find your ancestor where you end up, but again the scene changes. You fall through a tunnel, passing by countless images and sounds, an incomprehensible mess of information that receive only glimpses of: men, elves, dragons and things you do not recognize. When you fall out of the moongate, it is once more not the same dream.

Now, you are in the midst of a war, having accompanied a group of elven soldiers onto the battlefield through the use of a moongate. They rush to flank a human regiment as it clashes with their brothers. You stand up and gasp as you take in the sight of an epic battle raging all around you. Countless humans and elves are warring with each other, clashing swords and shields, painting the ground with red and purple blood.

You look up to the sky, seeing it filled with spells that crash and explode with too many effects to take in all at once. Fire, lightning, ice and other elements are flung upon the two armies to such a scale that you can scarcely believe such magical power ever existed. The sky itself, wreathed in unnatural darkness by the red eclipse of the moon in front of the sun, is pierced by beams of holy light as angels battle each other in the clouds, the agents of the gods of man and elf.

As you survey the battlefield, seeing great and unbelievable feats of magical and martial prowess on display all around you, something else catches your eyes, a force of mechanical constructs aiding humanity. They stand tall and bulky, at least eight feet or more, and move with strong, if somewhat jerky, movements. These war machines tear through the elven lines and are seemingly immune to magic, as all spells bounce off their mighty tower shields as they bring their lances down upon the elves. They are incredible to behold, a product of ancient technology and magic merging into the first fighting machines in the history of the world.

'Such power... this must have been the first war between man and elf! The one that preceded the great darkness...'

Your eyes are stolen from the incredible display of human might and elven magic to behold the two leaders of the armies fighting a battle of their own. Your ancestor calls upon her incredible magic, against which even you were unable to triumph, against her foe, a single man. But there is something about him, something legendary and awe-inspiring. He stands tall, strong, unyielding in the face of her power, armed with only a magic sword, repelling her spells with his gleaming shield. A titan among men, he seems as though a god in flesh, even mightier than Krom and far more noble, a king of kings with a gaze that could pierce your very soul.

This hero battles the queen of the elves fearlessly, inspiring all who look upon him to fight harder. It is clear that humanity is going to win this battle with him at their head.

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>>2962082


Your ancestor seems to know this as well, and so she tricks him, trapping him in a portal and whisking him away from the battlefield, along with herself.

>Follow them
>Attempt to learn more about the machines
>Leave
>Contact Faye
>Other

>>2962086
>Attempt to learn more about the machines
>Contact Faye

>>2962086
>>Attempt to learn more about the machines

>>2962086
>>Attempt to learn more about the machines

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>>2962096
>>2962104
>>2962105

As you turn back towards the battle and focus on the machines, again the dreamscape seems to change. You watch as the mechanical men remain in focus, but change in action, going from battle to being assembled. You blink and now find yourself in a grand factory, staffed by humans in thick protectively clothing, watching as they go about their work manufacturing machines of war. The factory, a massive place of turning gears, roaring forges and filled with the ringing of anvils, is full of hardy men and burly, stocky dwarves, as well as numerous humanoid automatons who are assisting with the creation of their own kind.

The machines come in all shapes and sizes, each suited to different functions. Some are workers, while others are meant for war. As you go down the line, you see that they get larger, until eventually you come upon their greatest works, truly magnificent creations that would put to shame any modern device a dwarf or a gnome tinkerer or artificer could shape. You gaze upon juggernauts of metal, with massive slabs of steel plating for protection, each a living siege weapon with a fiery forge built into its rounded chest. These titans of industrial might could crush an elf with one step of their man-sized feet, or pound one into a bloody pulp with a single punch.

And there are several in this factory alone.

'This is the kind of power I must have,' you think, looking upon these marvels of engineering. 'There isn't a force that exists today that matches the might of these ancient machines...'

Enthralled as you are by the sight of them, you hadn't considered why you are able to see this factory in your ancestor's dreams. The ceiling suddenly erupts in flames and gears come tumbling down as a force of elves invades the factory, striking at the heart of production. As the men and machines rush to defend it, you see your ancestor leading the charge. Your heart sinks as you realize that even if this wasn't the only factory that existed, others may have been destroyed as well.

'But some remnant of them may yet endure to this day... I must find some clue!' You rush to a nearby office as the elves begin melting the machinery with powerful spells of heat, managing to find an ancient map. You study it intensely, realizing that it conforms to a simplified version of the world you know. It has several points upon it, and though you do not have long before the dreamscape changes, you attempt to commit as much of it as you can to memory.

>Get out of the dream
>Contact Faye
>Follow the next thread of thought
>Attempt to commune with your ancestor
>Other

>Attempt to commune with your ancestor

>>2962203
>>Attempt to commune with your ancestor

>>2962203
>Contact Faye

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>>2962213
>>2962215

Give me some 1d100 rolls to generate which of her personalities we end up speaking to.

Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>2962244

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>2962244

Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>2962244

>>2962244

dice+1d100

Rolled 100 (1d100)

Yeah, not my proudest moment of fucking up.

>>2962268
Could be worse.

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>>2962245
>>2962251
>>2962254
>>2962268

As the image of the factory bleeds away, you close your eyes and focus. 'I think it is time we had another chat.' You now relent on some of the protective measures the ritual placed upon you, enough to reveal yourself but not enough to force you to leave nor prevent you from doing so if you desired it.

The mind of your ancestor is fragmented and cracked; different personalities with different memories and different versions of her memories all share the same mindspace. As you drift through her dreams, you see more of what happened, or what may have happened. All the pieces seem to form a coherent story.

It seems the elves once lived upon the earth, then travelled to the moon through the use of the moongates. They believed that the moon itself had been made by their gods, and living upon it would bring them closer to heaven. After much time, the gods decreed that the elves must return to the world below to exterminate the races left behind, and your ancestor led the charge. But when she came to blows against the king of men, she fell in love, and whisked him away and bore his child, the first union between man and elf. As the high priestess of her people, she had committed the highest form of treason, and the gods demanded the life of the child. She refused, and so the retribution of the gods was swift: the death of every elf upon the moon and the ruination of their civilization.

You do not yet know exactly what happened to her when she escaped to the world below, or how she became trapped, or what happened to the child who would eventually continue the bloodline that would result in you. As you drift through the dreams, you find something strange, even by the standards of this place: a calm in the center of the storm.

Here, you discover a little pale elven girl playing with a pair of moonrocks. She is dressed in white and her dark hair is tucked behind her head. As you approach, she looks up and beams a wide smile. "Hello!"

You pause, realizing that this is some aspect of your ancestor's many personalities, and wonder which one it may be. Childlike innocence? A deceptive ploy of manipulative intent?

>Greet her back
>Ask where she is
>Ask if she knows about her other selves
>Say nothing
>Other

>>2962327
>>Greet her back
>Ask if she knows about her other selves

>>2962335
+1

>>2962327
this>>2962335

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>>2962335
>>2962340
>>2962346

You stop near her and put on a friendly smile. "Hello," you say, sitting on a nearby jutting rock. "What is your name?"

She shrugs. "Would you like to build a moon man?"

"How does one do that?"

"With rocks!" She begins collecting rocks and piling them, forming a blob of a shape that could be vaguely called man-like. As she works, you observe her, asking your next question when she pauses to appreciate her work.

"Do you know about your other selves?"

She nods. "They don't like me very much."

"Why is that?"

"I don't know," she says in a completely nonchalant, innocent tone. She goes about trying to decorate the face of the rock-man.

"What can you tell me about them? Other than that they don't like you."

"There are about twelve of them I think. Some are nice, some are very mean, and one is the meanest ever."

You nod. "I think I may have met that one..."

"They don't get along either. They all think they're the real me."

Your eyes narrow. "You're the real one?"

"Of course! But ask any of the others and they'll say the same thing. They're all bigger and stronger than I am. But I can hide better than any of them."

"So you don't fight them?"

"I can't! Look how little I am!"

"Fair enough. But they fight each other? For control?" She nods. "Constantly?" Again, she nods. "So sometimes control switches from one to the other?"

"Only when the meanest one is too tired," she replies. "She's the strongest one. Some of the others are mean, but not like her. She wants to do bad things. Very bad things. Sometimes, the others have to work together to put her to sleep, so one of them can take over. But not for very long."

"How long does this 'sleep' usually last?"

She shrugs. "Until she wakes up. Time is funny here."

"I suppose that makes sense..."

>Is there a way to permanently seal the mean one away?
>Tell me about the book.
>How long has this fighting been going on?
>Attempt to drain her memories
>Other

>>2962481
>>Is there a way to permanently seal the mean one away?

>>2962481
>Is there a way to restore balance?

>>2962481
>>Is there a way to permanently seal the mean one away?

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>>2962497
>>2962527

"Tell me... is there a way to permanently seal the mean one away?"

She grows quiet and still. Slowly she turns and looks up at you from her knelt position. Her question is given in a soft tone. "Are you real?"

"Yes," you whisper.

"If you are, then you shouldn't be here. She might wake up soon."

"I can keep her asleep."

"If you try, she's going to get very angry."

"Please. I need your help. Tell me if there is a way to restore balance."

For a moment, she is quiet again. She appears to be thinking very hard before she speaks up. "If you break a pot, can you put it back together again?"

"Of course. There are ways to do so. Magic, or just some clay or glue."

"But it wouldn't be the same," she says. "It wouldn't be a pot, it would be a pot that used to be broken. You wouldn't use a pot that was broken before, would you?"

"Well, if it still worked, I wouldn't have a problem with it. Besides, some things are more beautiful for having been broken. Tell me: is there a way to put it back together?"

She shakes her head. "It wouldn't be the same."

You sigh as she goes back to playing with her rocks.

>Leave.
>Ask her some more questions.
>Insist that you will find a way to seal away the mean one.
>Insist that you will find a way to put her back together into one.
>Other

>>2962613
>>Insist that you will find a way to seal away the mean one.

>>2962613
>>2962619
support.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi

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>>2962619
>>2962681

You stand up. "I'll find a way to seal away the mean one. I promise."

As you turn to leave, the little girl speaks up. "It was a human spell."

Looking over your shoulder as you stop, you say, "What?"

"Humans didn't know much or any magic until the elves came back from the moon. Some of them got captured, forced to give up the secrets. Humans used it in new ways once they knew how. They did things the elves never did, or would, or could. Of course, we did bad things to them, too."

You return to kneel alongside her. "What was a 'human spell'?"

"The one that put us away in the book," she replies. "We don't know it. But I know where it is."

"Tell me," you whisper.

"The king was the one who knew it. When we left the moon, and everyone here died... all we had was the little baby. The darkness followed us to the world. We went to the king and tried to make peace, tried to explain. They took the baby and put us in the book, said it was all our fault. They were right."

"That was a very long time ago," you tell her. "If they had the knowledge then, I doubt they have it now."

"Some things don't ever go away," she replies. "We didn't. Not until someone found us." She looks up. "That was you, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"The baby survived, then?"

"It must have. I'm here."

The child looks down and smiles. "I'm glad... that gives me hope."

You stand up, and having nothing more to say, release yourself from her dream. You slowly fade from the dreamscape, having gotten what you came for, and return to your body. But it is not a pleasant wakeup. In fact, you are shaken into consciousness.

"Sirena! Wake up!" It is your voice; Faye's voice. She sounds desperate. You are still waking up, but you can hear people running and shouting in the distance.

"Wha, what, what?" You blink a few times. "What is going on?"

"Well, there's no easy way to say this, exactly... we're under attack! Aran is under attack!"

>What? How? Who?!
>I leave for FIVE minutes, and this happens?!
>Run to the balcony to look out at the city
>Mobilize our forces! Protect the people! Get someone who knows what they're doing!
>Other

>>2962763
>>What? How? Who?!
>>Run to the balcony to look out at the city

>I leave for FIVE minutes, and this happens?!

>>2962763
>>I leave for FIVE minutes, and this happens?!

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>>2962802
>>2962911
>>2962794

You groan. "Oh, I leave for five minutes and this happens?"

Faye helps pull you to your feet. "You've been in there for three hours!"

"Three hours?! But it felt like--" You suddenly remember the child's words. 'Time is funny here.' You sigh as you realize that you spent more time in there than you had thought.

"Sheldrake is helping defend the citadel," Faye explains. "We're being attacked by demons!"

"Demons? How many?"

"Uh, all of them, I think."

"Helpful."

As you walk forward, a dark form suddenly rises from the floor in front of you. You and Faye both step back as a shadow demon manifests before you, preventing you from leaving. It stares at you with bright red eyes set beneath twisted horns as it cackles in malevolent glee.

"The Witch Queens of Aran! You should've known not to rock the boat!"

"What boat?" Faye asks, looking in your direction.

You scowl. "Is this about me cutting off ties between my people and you demons? I should've known you'd react like spoiled children."

"You're the spoiled child here, Sirena!" the shadow demon mocks you as it points a long, black finger. "That's why we let HIM in to deal with you!"

Your eyes narrow in spite. "Him? Explain yourself, before I banish you back to whatever hole you crawled out of."

"He came to us, seeking entrance to your realm with his army of demons! He'll get rid of you for us. Once you're gone, we'll go back to the way things were. You didn't think you could just take over and change things around here, did you? Not when we can just get a new Witch Queen when you're dead! It's worked before!"

You raise your hand and send an arcane blast at the demon, who laughs and slinks back into the ground, his voice echoing down the hall.

"Damn," you whisper. "An army of demons? I think I know just who is behind this." You approach a nearby window and look out over the city, seeing winged demons flying over its rooftops as others rampage through its streets. There, poised upon the back of a large lizard-like beast, is your brother. "Looks like I'll be taking care of you first, Jeaneus. You were a fool to think you could strike at me here in Aran."

>Summon Sheldrake
>Gather your palace guard
>Contact your minions and faction leaders
>Head out to confront him directly
>Other

>>2963002
>>Gather your palace guard
>>Contact your minions and faction leaders

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I'm off to bed for the night. We'll resume tomorrow! Thanks for joining us so far.

>>2963002
>Gather your palace guard
>Contact your minions and faction leaders

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>>2963061
>>2963587

Turning back inside, you mutter under your breath, "Demons. Should've known this would happen. We should've exterminated them from the beginning."

"So, how do we fix this?" Faye asks.

"We have minions, we use them," you reply.

Within the heart of the citadel, Vorkath is issuing orders to your guards. Several custodial soldiers are here as well, along with Shaedara and Corus. Nearby, the Red One is conferring with Sheldrake. As you enter, all heads turn towards you and your twin.

"Give me an update," you command, to no one in particular.

Vorkath approaches and kneels in front of you. "My queens. Demons are running amok out in the streets. They came up from below, let into your realm by the shadow demons."

You look over at Sheldrake. "I thought this kind of thing was impossible?"

The butler betrays no emotion as he stands tall and immobile. "There are paths into Aran that only they would know of. Long have they existed in its most hidden depths. But, your majesty, how they got in is a matter for after they are dealt with."

"I agree, but it will be dealt with." You turn back to your captain of the guard. "Is the Umbral Citadel safe?"

"The shadow demons are able to slip inside, but they appear to be holding back. I believe they are coordinating with the more powerful demons outside, looking for weaknesses in our defenses."

At that moment, a nearby door opens and several more of your minions enter. Xiax'zas the lich, Anastrianna the high elven revenant, the ogre Gezug, along with the goblins Toldy, Moldy, Scoldy and the female revenant Jinxy, followed by a group of servitors.

You glance around the room. "Where are Sorn and his centaurs?"

Vorkath answers, "I believe they are already out fighting."

"At least they were ready to go," you reply.

Vorkath nods and bows his head. "All of us stand ready to battle. What are your orders, my queens?"

>Focus on defending the citadel
>Split your forces; half for defense and half for offense
>We shall march out and meet them head-on
>Focus on defending the people of Aran
>Other

>>2963772
>Split your forces; half for defense and half for offense

We will lead the offense

>>2963784
This
Get parts of our sublte forces to scout out the demons' entrance into aran, this way we'll cut off their reinforcements.
Assemble a strike force to take out high value targets

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>>2963784
>>2963969

You bring a hand to your chin and think. "If he breaches the citadel, he could ruin all of my projects and plans. But we can't just wait for him to mobilize and attack us. We're not going to let Sorn and his warriors fight alone."

Faye looks over. "So, we go and fight?"

"Half of us will," you tell her. "Faye, I want you to stay here. I'll lead the offense."

"Aw, that's hardly as much fun!"

"I'll make it up to you later!" you nearly shout at her to quiet her whining. You look back at your captain and liuetenants. "Muster your forces. Half will go out with me and half will protect the Umbral Citadel. Is that understood?"

Vorkath immediately nods and goes to follow your orders to the letter, splitting up his forces and those of the Night Temple. Shaedara withdraws her weapons. "My shadar-kai stand ready to serve."

Corus, however, reminds you, "We will need payment in gems for this battle."

"You'll have it when this is through," you tell him.

The Red One approaches you. "I cannot recommend this course of action, my queen." She leans in close to whisper so that Faye will not hear. "If you die, we'll be left with your twin. And she is not as... rational as you are."

You smirk. "I know. But that's my brother out there leading the demons. Once I take care of him, this problem will be dealt with. It's a family matter." Looking over at Sheldrake, you point at him and order, "Find out about the entrance the demons are using to Aran. When I get back, I want to know how my brother got in, and have it sealed."

He nods. "As you wish, my queen."

And so, minutes later, you stride out of the front entrance of the Umbral Citadel, flanked on all sides by soldiers, servants and minions. The dark skies of Aran are littered with demonic filth flying in every direction while its streets swarm with footsoldiers and monsters of all different varieties. They clash with the centaurs and shades who serve you while the people of Aran struggle to escape.

"You're going to pay for wasting my time with this nonsense," you say to yourself, knowing that your brother Jeaneus is somewhere out amongst the horde. "You should've known better, brother."

A large group of demons takes notice of your force and moves to charge.

>Waste no time and turn into your ultimate form and call him out
>Command the battle from the ground and take on the demons as they come
>Your force will serve as a distraction while you slip away and search for Jeaneus
>Charge back at them and fight them head-on; cut through their ranks
>Other

>>2963991
>Command the battle from the ground and take on the demons as they come

First we break the first wave of demons then we head for our dear brother. He shall serve us.

>>2963991
>Command the battle from the ground and take on the demons as they come

>>2963991
>>Command the battle from the ground and take on the demons as they come

>>2964001
>>2964170
>>2964206
Writing now.

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>>2964001
>>2964170
>>2964206

As your force takes up position around you, you command them to halt and let the demons come. You raise your hands, casting several protective wards around yourself as your royal guards move in front of you, holding aloft their shields to repel any attack that comes your way. Very few of the demons are interested in ranged attacks; a few fireballs here and there, for the vast majority of them are solely focused on charging into melee combat, hollaring with mad abandon as they collide with your first rank.

The battle begins as steel and claws hack and slash against each other over the chorus of demonic screams. The savage creatures throw themselves upon the weapons of your soldiers, not caring for their own lives, only for the thrill of battle. Your first rank manages to hold as the second rank attacks the demons with polearms and other long-reaching weaponry; the shadar-kai in particular are fond of bladed whips.

You begin throwing out spells of your own, but it quickly becomes apparent that the demons are not acting without a plan of their own. The first demon wave that hits your forces are small ones, easily dispatched, but you can imagine that the larger demons and their winged brethren are waiting for their turn once the weaker demons have worn your warriors out. Under your breath, you curse at your lack of knowledge of spells that effect large groups of people at a time; most of your battles up until this point have only involved a few individuals, but this is a proper battle, something you have very little personal experience with.

You need to find a way to quickly turn the tide...

>Call for more reinforcements from the citadel
>Try to get Sorn and his centaurs to join you by attacking the demons from behind
>Cast your new daily spell, Elemental Maw, on the horde of weaker demons
>Use your wind magic to push back the weaker demons and keep them at bay
>Use as many of your summons as you can to bolster your ranks
>Summon the Storm of Aran and fry these demons
>Other

>>2964371
>Try to get Sorn and his centaurs to join you by attacking the demons from behind
>Cast your new daily spell, Elemental Maw, on the horde of weaker demons

>>2964371
>Use as many of your summons as you can to bolster your ranks

>>2964371
>>Use as many of your summons as you can to bolster your ranks

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>>2964424
>>2964445

Reaching deep within and drawing upon your power of shadow, you expend some of your might to summon a group of wraiths. Here in Aran they are at their strongest, for this is where they were created from the souls of loyal servants of Witch Queens past. Ten of them rise from the ground, black shapes of tattered cloth barely containing raw necrotic energy. The souls within these hollow forms are only hinted at with a pair of glowing eyes set beneath a flowing hood, and their limbs are long, ending in wicked fingers. The wrathful spirits possess no legs, humanoid only from the waist up, their spectral forms trailing and dwindling into nothingness the further your eyes travel down.

But you are focused on their targets, not the wraiths themselves, and so you command them to surge forth. They drift through your soldiers and attack the lines of demons, clawing at them and visciously tearing them apart. At the sight of your wraiths, your other servants cheer, the undead figures inspiring them rather than instilling fear as they normally would.

After this is done, you next conjure forth your succubus, Alura. She emerges from a hellmouth, prepared for pleasure, but is instread greeted with an order to join the fray. To her credit, the devil merely shrugs, summoning up a pair of blades and diving almost gleefully into the horde of demons, finding her own pleasures in battle. Once she is set upon them, you reach into your belongings and withdraw a small bag of holding, pouring out its contents: a full human skeleton. A simple spell reanimates the bones into a servant that pieces itself together and you send flying into the demonic frenzy; not a powerful minion, but a distraction nonetheless.

Finally, with some more shadow-energy, you draw from the stables of the Umbral Citadel and summon a mighty warhorse, a Mount of Aran, which manifests beneath you. You rise up in its saddle as the great beast, black of mane and coat, rears upwards and kicks its mighty hooves up into the air, letting out a great cry. You grip it tightly by the reigns and command it to charge, rallying your now-bolstered ranks to move with you.

The smaller demons are trampled beneath the powerful steed, and your wraiths cut a swathe through the remainder, pushing towards the city that surrounds the Citadel. Your soldiers, shades and shadar-kai, along with the kenku augmenting your forces, follow as you prepare to meet the next rank of larger demons. Creatures larger than men, some burly and others lithe, roar as they now rush in to meet the challenge of your force resisting their invasion. These creatures are much stronger than their smaller cousins, each capable of tearing a man to shreds.

>Hold your ground and fight off the demons
>Annihilate the larger ranks of demons with your most powerful spells
>Have Sorn and his centaurs flank them from the side and charge through
>Search for Jeaneus while the battle rages
>Other

>>2964530
>>Have Sorn and his centaurs flank them from the side and charge through

>>2964530
>Have Sorn and his centaurs flank them from the side and charge through

>>2964530
>>Have Sorn and his centaurs flank them from the side and charge through

>>2964537
>>2964749
>>2964750
Had to go get some groceries. Writing now.

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>>2964537
>>2964749
>>2964750

Now that you have pushed forward and confronted the larger demons in the city itself, an opportunity presents itself and you smile inwardly as you reach out with a spell of long-distance telepathy towards the centaur warleader, Sorn. You impart several orders into his mind before refocusing on the battle in front of you. Several minotaur-like creatures rush your front line, unhindered by your summons, crashing through your warriors. Your mount rears up once more as one of the beasts roars at you, but you blind it and others of its kind with a spell of glitterdust, covering them in gold. Not only does this prevent them from seeing, allowing your forces to regroup as they flail wildly, but they make a perfect gleaming target for the next stage of your plan.

Sorn and his warriors charge from the east, a tidal wave of hellborn centaurian fury. The greater demons, blinded and enraged, do not hear the charge until it is too late. The centaurs crash through their ranks from the side, a flanking manuever that any warlord would be proud of, using heavy lances, axes and their sheet bulk to tear into the horde. Their weapons and hooves rip and tear the flesh, sending gold-glittering blood soaring into the air. A beautiful sight to behold; a shame that none of the demons can appreciate it as you can.

Once Sorn and his cavalry complete their charge, rushing past the remainder of the demons, you and your force immediately move in to finish the job. Whatever demons weren't killed, merely trampled, are finished by blade or by spell. The kenku particularly perform well at this task, leaping onto prone demons and slashing at their necks and spines to put them out of your misery.

With this second wave defeated, you command your mount to turn to look back in the direction you came. You see the Umbral Citadel under siege by the flying demons, swarming like insects buzzing about a plate of food. You are about to rally your forces to attempt to draw them away when you hear a piercing cry: "SIRENA!"

You turn your steed and look down the street, honing in on the voice of your brother. Jeaneus stands upon the back of his own steed, a demonic lizard with boiling saliva dripping from its black-toothed maw. Your warlock sibling is surrounded by a host of summons, clearly his most powerful demonic patrons, creatures of both size, strength and arcane power. You pay them little attention and stare squarely into your brother's red eyes beneath his bloodstained white bangs.

>Talk
>Charge
>Challenge him to a one-on-one duel
>Retreat to the citadel
>Other

>>2964902
>Talk

Surrender and join me and i will spare you.

>>2964902
>Talk

Idiot attacks us where we are strongest

>>2964902
>>Talk
stall while were powering up for the fight

>>2964530
>Annihilate the larger ranks of demons with your most powerful spells
>Have Sorn and his centaurs flank them from the side and charge through

Do these at the same time. Focus on hitting more Demon Leaders than worrying about fully annihilating them so they can't respond to the charge and rally their troops

>>2964902
Start playing with our Lucky Coin and flip it while talking.

Also, we should consider using Storm of Aran if we have to pull back.

>>2964902
We also have Elemental Maw, Dark Cloud (1 SP) which doesn't harm us.

Should we use a SP to enhance our Witch Queens Aura?

Alternatively we could try to gank him with Suspended Duel since he's mostly summons focused.

>>2965016
Why don't we use suspended duel to dominate him? Why waste a useful asset

>>2965028
Because I assume someone who deals with Demons has really strong will, and while we're attempting that he could hurt us.

>>2965048
We are the witch queen of aran. He will serve.

>>2965053
Well, like I said we can consider augmenting our Queens Aura. Maybe get in close enough to hit him with Curse by touching him like we're pleading or something to weaken his willpower.

There's also Spirit Rend.

The issue is that I expect him to have defenses against those sort of attacks.

>>2965068
>The issue is that I expect him to have defenses against those sort of attacks.

Which is why we will give him a trashing first to weaken him

>>2965053
honestly, I'd rather publicly execute him and plant his head in one of our relative's beds.

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>>2964923
>>2964937
>>2964956
>>2964979
>>2965016

You trot forward, a smile gracing the corners of your lips. "You are a greater fool than I took you for. You dare attack me here? Where I am at my most powerful?"

He doesn't seem impressed. "You're the fool. You turned down an offer to rule at your family's side in the coming Arcane Empire."

"What a nice name. Did you come up with it yourself, or did your pathetic masters tell you to call it that?" You reach into your darkwoven robe and take out your lucky coin, staring at it briefly before looking back up at him. "I would never stand with Mordrax, not even if the world itself would be destroyed and only he and I could stop it."

He scoffs. "You're an arrogant child, incapable of seeing the bigger picture."

"I see it just fine. I see myself holding the picture. And you, along with all of the others who wronged me, will be within my grasp. But I not without a heart of my own, brother, so I'll tell you what: just as I was given an ultimatum, I present you with my own: surrender and join me, so you may be spared, or die by my hand for daring to attack my realm with your pitiful demonspawn."

He shakes his head. "I've already made my choice, Sirena. Mordrax has made you into a trial, and I intend on staying within his good graces."

"So be it," you say, flipping your coin. As you catch it, you assume your most powerful form, combining your strongest spells into one, turning your skin white and covering your body in dark armor as great, raven-like wings emerge from your back. "I was merely distracting you with conversation regardless."

He smirks. "So was I, dear little sister. Thank you for leaving for leaving your citadel."

Just then, a great rune appears, encircling your entire force. Your eyes are drawn to a nearby rooftop, where a hooded figure stands, casting an exceptionally powerful spell --- it your brother, Guilhem!

Their trap sprung, the spell is cast, freezing everyone within the rune by magically paralyzing them. Protected as you are by your ultimate form as well as your magical coin, you find yourself sitting atop a petrified horse. You spread your wings and fly upwards, looking down at your minions, helpless and unable to defend themselves.

"You did this to yourself, Sirena," Jeaneus calls out with a cackling laugh. "Don't worry, we'll make sure you are buried in the family plot, where you belong!"

He sends his demons forth to tear apart your army. Meanwhile, Guilhem prepares another spell. Your mind races as you have mere seconds to come to a conclusion...

>Attack Jeaneus
>Attack Guilhem
>Attack the demons; save your army
>Retreat to the citadel
>Other

>>2965108
>>Attack the demons; save your army
>Storm of Aran, Annihilate them

>>2965117
this

>>2965117
>>2965108
This.

We should probably twin telepathy our twin now that they've shown their hand.

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>>2965117
>>2965122
>>2965129

You grit your teeth and raise your hands to the sky, letting out a terrifying cry as you summon forth the Storm of Aran. Here, in the realm you rule, the storm manifests nearly instantly as the dark clouds of the sunless sky are already waiting for you to command. Determined to not let half of your army perish, for it would severely weaken your power for when you plan to confront your former master, you focus on the demons charging towards them and call down the lightning to smite them. Flashes of light and rolling waves of thunder follow each bolt as you rain your power down upon them, utterly annihilating them with a near-constant barrage of electricity. The smell of charred demon flesh rises as their bodies burn beneath your assault; even the largest of their number falls and is destroyed.

However, this is not without cost. Focusing on the demons has left you open to attack from your brothers, a fact they were counting on. Guilhem's glowing hands twirl as he finishes casting his ritual, a halo of power circling around his head as he thrusts his palms towards you, capturing you in a spell of teleportation. You struggle against his wizardly might, your wards offering you some resistance to his magic, but then Jeaneus adds yet another complication in the form of his own magic. Holding aloft his dagger, the implement of his warlock power, he sends a red beam of magical energy your way, blasting against your armor, continually sapping the power of your ward, weakening it. He seems to be drawing power from your shield with his spell, emboldening him to raise his other hand and cast a second spell, conjuring forth spectral skulls that fly towards you with batlike wings which explode on impact.

Caught in the grip of Guilhem's spell, you push back with your hands in both of their directions. You feel the arcane force of both simultaneous assaults and it is having its toll upon you; the pressure is immense. Jeaneus' continual beam and explosive summons are causing your wards to lose their potency at an alarming rate, and when your armor goes, you will go with it. Letting out a cry of frustration, you attempt to bring lightning down upon them both, but it appears that Guilhem has cast protective wards upon them both, and you are running out of concentration to spend on weakening them. There must be something you can do.

>Roll 1d100 and describe an action!

Rolled 15 (1d100)

>>2965239
Hold them off till our army is in safety then twin teleport

Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>2965239
Call for Faye using our bond, she could over power them while they were focused on us.

Rolled 54 (1d100)

>>2965239
Get in contact with Faye

Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>2965239
supend duel with Jeanus

Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>2965239

>>2965239
>>2965307
Seconding Duel time

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>>2965244
>>2965247
>>2965266
>>2965290
>>2965307
>>2965315

You close your eyes and reach out to Faye. "I'm in trouble, here!"

Her voice echoes back in your mind. "What? What's happening?"

"Another brother showed up and they've got me pinned! I can't... hold out... much longer!"

You expect Faye to ask what she should do, but instead the sudden double-pronged attack on you is ended. You open your eyes and fly back, avoiding one of Jeaneus' projectiles before blowing it up with a small fireball. Looking around, you suddenly see that Jeaneus and Guilhem are both being attacked by elemental conjurings, and Faye is standing on the street beneath you. Nearby, servitors begin to appear to drag your paralyzed army to safety.

Faye looks up at you and winks. "I think the odds are fair now. Two on two?"

Jeaneus shouts and blasts the elemental assailing him, destroying it. He grunts as he looks at Faye. "There's another one?!"

Guilhem traps his elemental in a cage of arcane force, then flings it aside to discard it. "It must be a clone."

"Such small-minded siblings," Faye taunts them. "Haven't you heard the expression, 'two heads are better than one'? Well, two Witch Queens means double the fun!"

You drift down to join her, raising your hands as you both prepare to cast a spell. Jeaneus and Guilhem prepare themselves.

>Suspended duel with the four of you
>Suspended duel against only one of them
>You focus on one while Faye focuses on the other
>Both you and Faye will focus on one at a time while defending against the other
>Other

>>2965342
>You focus on one while Faye focuses on the other

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>2965342
>Suspended duel against only one of them

Jeanus.

>>2965342
>You focus on one while Faye focuses on the other

>>2965342
>>Suspended duel against only one of them
Jeanus

>>2965342
Part of me wants to cast Perfect Clone just to mess with them more.

>>2965342
>>Suspended duel against only one of them
Jeanus

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>>2965372
>>2965365
>>2965386
>>2965396
>>2965425

"Focus on the hooded one," you tell her. "He's boring, by the books. You're a good counter against him."

"You got it," she says, leaping onto the back of her wind elemental that carries her up towards Guilhem.

That leaves you and Jeaneus. He glares and holds up his knife, but you don't care. You have other plans.

Putting your hands together and speaking a powerful incantation, you create a spectral blue clock surrounded by a pair of glowing gears. As you widen the gap between your palms, the clock grows, until your arms are as wide as they can go. Twirling them in a semicircle, you launch the spell at Jeaneus, who thinks to block it with his ward, not knowing what it is. You smile as it makes contact, and all other things around you and he freeze, but not due to a spell of magical paralysis.

"What is this?" he mutters, looking around. Faye and Guilhem are both frozen, each in the midst of casting spells at each other, spells that now hang motionless in time.

"This is our time together," you explain to him. "I hope you appreciate it!"

>1d100 and an action!
(No shadow points remaining)

Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>2965497
Tentacles are always a classic

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>2965497
Tentacles but not shit hopefully

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>2965497
black fog

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>2965497
Shadowstep: teleport behind him

Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>2965497
>Shadowstep

Teleport behind him so we can touch him with Curse.

>>2965519
We should use tentacles at some point to mess with Guilhem when we unfreeze. Since we come back where it is when the duel ends, it's possible that they would suddenly materialize as well.

Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>2965497
>Shadowstep

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>>2965519
>>2965524
>>2965531

He scowls. "Another mistake you'll have to live with. But not for long."

Raising his dagger, he shoots a thin projectile of darkly-colored energy towards you, which you manage to deflect with an arcane bolt of your own. However, this serves as a distraction, and two skeletal hands emerge from the ground to grab your ankles, holding you in place.

With sudden supernatural speed, Jeaneus rushes forward and stabs at your chest with his dagger, striking your armor multiple times in rapid succession. The enchanted blade chips away at your armor, causing it to break in the front and exposing your flesh.

>>2965540
>>2965556
>>2965563

However, before he can deliver a fatal blow, you manage to vanish on the spot into his shadow, stepping out into a nearby alleyway. You look down at your chest and see the weakness he has exposed and curse under your breath; you are out of the power needed to repair it without a significant rest. This day has proven taxing; for all his gall, you cannot deny that it was cunning of him to lure you out into the open and whittle your power down.

You mustn't let him take advantage of this weakness, nor allow him to continue wearing you out. As you emerge from the alley, you shoot a bolt in his direction, which he blocks with his knife.

He smiles. "Give up, little sister. I have the power of demons surging through my veins. You were always too afraid to sacrifice anything for they offer, and that is the difference between us. It's the reason why I will win."

"We shall see," you reply, not in the mood for any further banter. The fool came here looking for a fight, and you'll give it to him.

>1d100 and an action!

>>2965593
>black fog

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>2965593
>Air Form

Let's get slippery, so his summons can't catch us.

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>2965593
Arcane blast

Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>2965593
Glitterdust!

Rolled 49 (1d100)

>>2965605

>>2965593
Also

> Divine Blessing

Seems like a natural counter to demons, but I can't remember what Gods liked us.

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>>2965605
>>2965623

He prepares to rush forward again, only now you are prepared. You conjure forth a black mist of choking fog that, upon entering, causes him to choke. He dashes backwards, preparing to run around.

>>2965611

However, you are still in your air elemental form. You raise your hands and blow the black fog towards him with a simple gust spell, causing him to cover his mouth to gaurd himself as the fog spreads out in all directions, covering him.

>>2965618

Next you attempt an arcane blast, sending your projectile towards the darkest concentration of mist, but you miss, for Jeaneus leaps upwards, landing upon a balcony of the building he was in front of. He counters your projectile with one of his own, a spike of bone that emerges from his palm that he fires directly at you. Your eyes widen and you move to dodge it, but you lack his demonic instincts and reflexes; the spike grazes your side, cutting you and drawing blood. You wince as blood runs freely down your leg.

>Health: 84%

>>2965621

'He's fast and powerful... even with Alicia's time spell, I'm at a physical disadvantage. I have to fight smart...'

Jeaneus, sensing his opening, leaps high above you and prepares to attack you with his dagger. You pull out a trick from earlier and cast glitterdust, but he watched you cast that spell and guards his eyes against its effect. This allows you to escape without being attacked, but the intended effect of your spell is not achieved, for although he is covered in golden dust he is not blind.

"Your tricks won't save you," he says, holding up his dagger. "I can't wait to bring Mordrax your head!"

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>2965680
Forceful noose

Rolled 1 (1d100)

>>2965680
Grasping tentacles
and if it works arcane strike

Rolled 69 (1d100)

>>2965680
Cast Greater Image.

Time to create multiple copies to confuse him

Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>2965680
Fly over him and kick a spray of our acid blood onto him.

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>>2965700

You bring up your hands and toss out a forceful noose, attempting to loop it around his neck, but Jeaneus rolls to the side with his unnatural speed before dashing in for another attack.

>>2965701

You leap back and attempt to conjure forth your grasping tentacles. They spring out of the ground and surge towards him upon your command, but to your amazement and disbelief, with one single slash he cuts through each and every one of them. His dagger seems to possess some kind of enchantment that, when used to swing, creates a barrier of force as long and as sharp as a full sword, for his single swipe cuts through them all.

Jeaneus lands in a crouched position and like a great cat springs towards you, impaling you in the stomach with his knife. Your eyes go wide as pain shoots through your body.

>Health: 71%

Your brother forces the blade deeper, twisting it, forcing you onto your knees as you gasp.

>Health: 60%

Standing over you now, he smiles and takes a moment to gloat. "I want you to know something, Sirena... I don't want to kill you. You're actually much more valuable to me for another reason. There is a demon who wants your soul... a spirit of vengeance you crossed and entrapped."

Your eyes widen. 'The demon the hags worshipped... the one trapped in the lantern...'

"I'm going to free him and present your soul to him. I don't care what he does with you. The reward I'll receive from both him and Mordrax will be richer than any treasure in the kingdom. Rich in power!"

Closing your eyes, you try to focus as blood spills out of your mouth...

>Health: 48%

You manage to cast a spell.

>>2965703

"Very amusing," you say, drawing his attention to his left where you now apparently stand. Jeaneus looks down and sees nothing more than a rotten corpse at the end of his knife. His eyes go wide as he realizes he has been tricked!

Of course, he has been tricked, but not in the way he thinks. You were in fact stabbed and lie at his feet, but your Greater Image nearby has him convinced that you were never truly harmed.

Your mouth is full of blood, which drips onto the ground, where it sizzles upon the stone. You blink a few times as you remember Francis' spell with the Codex Arcana...

>>2965770

He turns to face your image, giving you your chance to attack! You push yourself up with your wind powers and simply spit in his face, spraying your blood directly into his eyes! He cries out in pain and steps back, rubbing his eyes, but that only makes things worse.

As you fall back, you manage to crawl to a nearby wall and try to focus. Jeaneus stumbles backwards, smoke coming off of his face as he shouts in agony.

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 20 (1d100)

>>2965798
Arcane strike

Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>2965798
A good ol' fashion knee to the crotch

Rolled 69 (1d100)

>>2965798
Unleash our crow servitor to tear him up

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>>2965826
>>2965830
>>2965856

He seems less than pleased. "RRRRAAAAAGH! SIRENA!" With his knife, he starts swinging madly in all directions, blinded by the pain (as well as the acid).

Propped up against the wall as you are, you blast at him with an arcane strike. His ears, however, hear you and he ducks beneath the attack before shouting as he leaps towards you, slashing wildly. He manages to hit your shoulder, chipping away more of your armor and cutting the flesh beneath.

>Health: 43%

In response to this, you bring up your knee and slam it into his crotch. Jeaneus gasps and falls back, coughing as he falls down. He shouts in pain and you get a good look at this face, partially melted and his eyes are blood-red.

Now is the time to go on the offensive. You summon forth your raven spirit, Eremba, and command it to attack your brother. A swarm of ravens manifest all around you and fly at him, attacking his prone form with their beaks and talons. Jeaneus cries out as they overwhelm him, nearly covering his entire body in a mass of black feathers and sharp beaks. He tries to fight them off, but he is unable, and soon he stops struggling.

When you banish the ravens, you look upon your brother's bloody body. His face is ruined, he is bleeding from multiple wounds and his clothes are in tattered fragments, but he is breathing.

As you get up to approach him, thinking about how you should end this, his blood which had pooled beneath him suddenly surges upward, animated by demonic power. A blood demon emerges from his body, forming a crimson shape of a head, arms and a torso connected to the pool by a thick stream. You remember when he set this thing upon you outside of your family estate, and now it is his last line of defense.

The blood demon surges forward!

>1d100 and an action!

Rolled 71 (1d100)

>>2965932
Gift of Beautiful Purity.

Will it work to purify the blood ?

Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>2965932
Slow.

Slow it down

Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>2965932
Scatter it with a force noose

Rolled 92 (1d100)

>>2965932
> Gust of wind

With our Wind Form, we can blow it away.

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>>2965944
>>2965953
>>2965978

As the rippling form of the blood demon rises up, threatening to wash over and constrict you, both of your hands shoot up and your mouth casts a flurry of spells.

Firstly, you slow it down with a spell that negates its speed, before casting a spell of purity upon it. You know not why you were struck with the sudden inspiration to do so, but this proves anethema to the blood demon, whose form is assailed by the divine magic that seeks to turn the blood pure and beautiful.

Finally, you wrap a noose of arcane force around its neck and give it a violent tug. The demon's form shatter's like glass and the ground is sprayed with droplets of blood that do not come together to reform. The blood demon is vanquished.

And just like that, the duel is ended. Time resumes its normal flow, Faye and Guilhem continue slinging spells at each other, neither knowing that an entire fight passed in the span of the blink of an eye.

Which, incidentally, your brother will never do again. He lies on the ground in front of you, unconscious and beaten, his eyes melted over with bloody flesh. With a hand over your wounded stomach, you consider what to do with him. Grim satisfaction washes over you, but is second to your pain.

>Drain his life to heal you, then steal his soul
>Capture him alive
>Use him as a hostage against Guilhem
>Leave him where he lie and help Faye
>Other

>>2966017
>Drain his life to heal you, then steal his soul

We can use his soul as a hostage.

If Gilly isn't shitty, then he can be a living hostage. Otherwise, soul gems.

Also, first

> Cast Tentacles around Guilhem before finishing things.

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>2966017
Roll for tentacles.

It's just to throw Guilhem off balance

>>2966026
+1

>>2966017
>Capture him alive

He will serve

>>2966017
>Capture him alive

Call for some servitors to take him to some stasis and then help Faye

>>2966017
>>Drain his life to heal you, then steal his soul

>>2966036
>>2966042
We can make him an undead servant with all of his skills in life, just like our numerous other revenants

>>2966017
>Drain his life to heal you, then steal his soul

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>>2966026
>>2966034
>>2966048
>>2966178

Standing over the body of your brother, you decide to turn it into a corpse. You sneer as you look upon his ruined form. How dare he think he can invade your realm, ally with your most hated enemy and take your life. It is only fitting that you do him the same courtesy. Stepping on his chest, you hold your hand over his face. A red line appears from your fingertips to his face, and you begin to drain him of his remaining life. He struggles, his body resisting, but you now pluck the strings of his life essence and play with them as you please. Your wounds begin to heal as you drain him for every last drop, sour though they may be.

When he is all dried up, the last few strands of his soul that were holding onto his body are severed, but you aren't done yet. Taking out a small gemstone that you keep on hand for just such an occasion, you cast your spell and attempt to capture his soul. Attempt being the keyword, for as you draw it towards the gem, it resists.

It is not, however, due to your brother possessing some manner of great willpower, but rather due to him already owing his soul to others. It appears the many deals he made with various demons used his soul as part of the bargain, for several influences are acting upon it. But they are not here, and you are, giving you an advantage.

You rip the soul from their grasp and the demons, in whatever realm they hail from, are not pleased. They had been prepared to fight amongst themselves over his soul, but now you possess it. You grip the gem containing your brother's soul tightly, and a trace thought strays across your mind, one that you did not come up with on your own: 'We will come for him.'

Scoffing at the notion that you should feel threatened in the face of how many demons you killed today, including the powerful warlock who summoned them, you put it in the back of your mind as you look up to the rooftops where Faye and Guilhem are dueling. Your surviving brother is a very good generalist, but Faye has several specialties she excells at, much like yourself. He covers his bases well: a solid defense with warding spells, a strong offense with a variety of arcane and elemental spells that effect large areas, as well as several tricks meant to outwit his opponents.

Faye relies on her powerful summons to take hits and dish out damage while also using spells that allow her to be highly mobile on the battlefield. When her minions fail, she falls back on spells of restoration and abjuration, giving her both protection and healing.

Though both are powerful, you wonder if either can come out on top of the other; they seem fairly well matched.

>Help Faye and attack Guilhem
>Stop their duel and use your brother's soul as a bargaining chip
>Force Guilhem into retreat; have him warn your family about what will happen to the next member who crosses you
>Let them duke it out and observe the battle; intervene only if Faye is about to lose
>Other

>>2966316
>>Help Faye and attack Guilhem

>>2966316
> Stop their duel and use your brother's soul as a bargaining chip.

>>2966316
>>Help Faye and attack Guilhem

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>>2966376
>>2966504

Sliding the soul gem into a pouch, you notice your brother's enchanted dagger lying in his open palm. You kneel down and pick it up, observing its red metal surface. The blade itself, though bloody, appears almost like a ruby, sparkling with crimson light as you turn it over. You hold onto it as you teleport up onto a nearby rooftop to stand alongside Faye. Guilhem, seeing you appear alongside his foe, forces him to act more cautiously. He levitates towards a nearby street as he looks at the dagger in your hand, then tosses a glance downwards -- seeing the corpse of Jeaneus. He shoots a confused gaze back at you, then his expression hardens in realization.

"Time magic," he says. "I thought I detected such a spell..."

You smirk. "You're a clever boy, so detect this!" You raise the dagger and use it as an arcane implement as Faye raises hers. Together, you both cast a spell in his direction.

He removes some manner of artifact from his possession, a scepter of some kind, and holds it up. Before your spells hit him, he is surrounded by a cone of light and then he is gone, leaving only the destruction of the attack he helped coordinate behind.

You lower the knife and frown. "That's unsatisfying..."

Faye pats your shoulder. "Don't be down. We'll get him next time!"

"Yes... next time."

It is not long afterwards that you are in the throne room, assessing the damage done to your realm. Despite the devastation the demons wrought, only a few buildings were ruined beyond easy repair and less than a hundred people died, civilians and soldiers included. Your actions in particular saved the half of your army that accompanied you into battle. The attack was short, but served to expose several potential weaknesses in Aran, namely, the population of shadow demons in its lowest depths.

Perhaps the most revealing of all was Sheldrake's inability to stop the invasion. He stands before you now, his arms behind his back and his head bowed.

You tap your fingers upon the arm of your throne. "Explain why you can not simply change Aran to expel the shadow demons."

"My queens, I am part of Aran, but I am not Aran. The realm has existed for so long that certain qualities of it have gone untouched for so long as to become nearly permanent. The lowest reaches of the realm, where few seldom travel, is where the shadow demons have thrived, precisely because of the protection it offers. Change comes slowly to a realm such as this, and that suited them. Now that you have taken control and seek to change many things, it is only natural that they would resist it, just as the depths they live in resists my efforts to change it."

As he finishes his explanation, you sit back. "I cannot punish you, Sheldrake. That would be like punishing the walls of this citadel. However, something must be done."

>An expedition to the shadow demon lair
>Flood the lower levels
>We need anti-shadow demon protection measures
>Attempt to negotiate with them
>Other

>>2966663
>>An expedition to the shadow demon lair

>>2966663
>>An expedition to the shadow demon lair

>>2966663
> An expedition to the shadow demon lair

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Goodnight, folks. We'll be resuming in the morning. Thanks for playing today! I hope you're enjoying the thread so far.

>>2966774
thanks boss, it's been fun

>>2966774
Great quest as always! Thank you for running!!

>>2966774
Thanks for running!

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>>2966676
>>2966735
>>2966763

Sitting back in your throne, you muse on the situation briefly. "An expedition, I think. To the lair of the shadow demons, killing them and sealing their entrance to my realm."

Almost immediately, Vorkath kneels and proclaims, "I will do this, my queens! I shall take my best guards!"

You consider his offer. "The royal guard suffered a few losses during the attack; I am not so certain I want to use them before you have a chance to rebuild your numbers..."

The Ardent Steward, head of the Night Temple, similarly kneels and offers his services. "The custodial guardians would consider it an honor, my queens."

"That I do not doubt, but you are guardians, not hunters. I do not doubt your dedication, only your effectiveness at a task such as this."

Corus, having been paid with some of your gemstones, throws in his lot as well. "For the proper price, those shadow demons would triffle you no more."

"Perhaps so...but I have seen these shadow demons and how slippery they are. Your martial training is impressive, now that I have seen it first hand, but these enemies are subtler than the brutes we fought out in the streets."

The Red One, flanked by members of your council, approaches. "Have you anyone else in mind, your highness?"

You purse your lips. "Hmmm..." While you certainly could send some of your minions to solve this problem, another thought enters your mind. You do have several allies that could be put to the test against this kind of problem. Ben, in particular, once travelled to a realm of shadows to rescue you, with Alex's assistance. Amanda is a paladin; she and Alex, their holy powers combined, could be a deadly combination against these demons. But none of them have ever been to Aran before. It could require careful trickery to maintain your secrets if you were to utilize them...

There are other options as well. You could send Bruut and his crew in, but they are river pirates. That wouldn't end well, you think.

>Your Royal Guard
>The Night Temple
>The Kenku Monks
>A party of your allies
>Other

>>2967734
>A party of your allies

>>2967734
We should probably work on saving the princess on the moon first, maybe ?

>>2967750

That was going to be the subject of the next post, good memory. Basically our next task to focus on; we have a few to choose from.

>>2967734
>>Other
pay Albert a visit and ask him if he has anything for demonic pest control

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>>2967747
>>2967771

You look over at Faye, who is playing with a mirror and fixing her hair after the last battle. The mirror, incidentally, is Isseal in disguise. Looking back at your court, you raise a hand and proclaim, "The shadow demons will be dealt with, and I will personally select those who will solve the problem, but I have more pressing matters to attend to."

The Red One seems surprised. "Forgive me, my queen, but more pressing than the defense of your realm?"

"Don't take my words out of their intended meaning," you sharply reply. You then look at your butler. "Sheldrake, I want everything that can be done to keep the shadow demons out of the upper levels to happen, especially out of the Umbral Citadel. As for my cults that specialize in dealing with shadow demons, whatever protective measures they would use in their dealings with them must be made public and used all over the city. And as for the city itself, they must be uplifted after the attack: a parade celebrating our victory is in order. We shall parade my brother's corpse and and any captured demons and show the people that they are safe."

You look over at Faye, specifically at the mirror she is holding. "I will, of course, lead the parade. Let the people know how much I care."

You dismiss your court and head into your private chambers, joined by Faye. She sets the mirror down on a nearby table. "A parade? That'll be fun! I can't wait to feel the adoration of our people!" She hugs herself and sighs wistfully.

"Indeed. But as I said i nthe throne room, I have more pressing matters to attend to. I learned the spell for the moongates while I was exploring the dreamscape of our captive, and I need to rescue the high elven princess."

"Oohhh... I see. So, what's your plan?"

"Well, first thing's first, I'll need a spell that can create air. The moon doesn't have any. Then, once I have the princess, I'll need to figure out how to return her..."

>You will rescue the princess and return her, taking all the credit; hopefully this will clear your name
>You will rescue the princess, but return her anonymously; she won't know your true identity
>Ben will rescue the princess and return her, gaining all the credit and becoming a hero in the high elven kingdom
>You will rescue the princess, but place her under mind control and turn her into your puppet
>Other

>>2967885
>Ben will rescue the princess and return her, gaining all the credit and becoming a hero in the high elven kingdom
>You will rescue the princess, but place her under mind control and turn her into your puppet

Not mind control per say. Merely convince her to let herself be marked.

>>2967894
This. People will raise questions if it is just Ben that saved her

>>2967894
>>2967902

But will we reveal ourselves as Sirena, or maintain our disguise as Mary?

>>2967907
Lets start out with prentendin to be Mary

>>2967909
Sounds good.

Let's look briefly at our allies/marked ones and decide who we want to bring with us to the moon:

Marked Minions:
Ben, Werewolf and Aspiring Hero (Currently at Silverwind Estate)
Merriam, Mage in training
Bruut Fasebash, Half-Orc Troublemaker
Supremia, Drow Master Thief
Lady Silverwind, High Elf Noble
Isseal, Changeling
Amanda Lightguard, Female Paladin

Allies and Party Members:
Faye Le Scivias, Mirror Twin
Francis Langley, Perverted Archmage
Alex Shepherd, Boy Cleric
Kaylessa, Girlish Elven Archer
Amber Graves, Tsundere Warrior Girl
Brutus, Minotaur Warrior and Lumberjack (Currently at Cutter Farm)
Krom, Demigod Barbarian King (Currently with Valasca and the Amazons)
Bargum, Dwarven Runepriest
The Witch Hunter, Mysterious Mercenary

We can go alone, bring one person, or a whole party. What are your suggestions?

>>2968016
Ben, Werewolf and Aspiring Hero (Currently at Silverwind Estate)

Lady Silverwind, High Elf Noble

Kaylessa, Girlish Elven Archer


And us

>>2968016
Just us and Ben

>>2968030
>>2968035
How about a compromise: Us, Ben and Lady Silverwind. That way, it's only one stop, and we'll have a high elven representative with us. This could increase her standing in high elf society as well as make Ben a hero. Thoughts?

>>2968102
Sure

>>2968102
I am fine with thatt

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>>2968112
>>2968122

"Faye, I need to pop into the mortal realm for a bit, but I'll be back in time for the parade. Be sure that the wounded and the damages are being dealt with."

She shrugs. "Okay."

As she lazily strolls out of the room, Isseal manifests from the mirror to a sitting position on the table. You look at her with a cocked brow. "I take it you got the hint?"

"Don't worry. I'll make sure your people know how much you care."

"Good. I'm making a trip to the moon, so I may be a while. Manage the cleanup, and ensure that Sorn and his centaurs are properly rewarded for their performance in the battle. They were key to my victory."

She bows. "As you desire, so shall it be."

You travel to the library and briefly search through a number of spellbooks until you find what you are looking for: a simple spell to create a pocket of air around those it is cast for up to an hour. It is usually used underwater or in places of dangerous gas, but it should work just fine on the moon.

>Spellbook Updated: True Resurrection (Necromancy), Dream Invasion (Divination), Bubble of Air (Conjuration), Moongate Creation (Conjuration)
https://pastebin.com/3KtAZiTt

You summon your spellbook and record the spell within, along with the spell to summon forth the moongates. The only missing key to the spell itself is, conveniently, worn around the neck of the individual you want to bring to the moon in the first place: Ben.

After departing the library, you use the teleportation rune to travel to Silverwind Estate, adopting your disguise as Lady Beaumont. While the estate hasn't changed, the people within it have, for you sent several acolytes of the Witch Queen's Daughters, one of your sex cults, to establish a base of power here. As you enter the main gallery and parlor, you can see that they have been successful in... integration.

It appears that the cultists wasted no time in seducing the staff of the estate, turning them into willing pawns, givers and takers of pleasure. Where once they were respectable high elves serving a noble art collector, now they are hedonists, indulging in wine and pleasures of the flesh, sometimes out in the open and in groups. You pause as your eyes scan about the room, noting several couplings of cultists and house servants, and smirk when you see who you want to see.

Perhaps it is because they are your marked minions and your cult somehow senses it, or perhaps it is because they are simply the most important people within the manner, but Ben and Lady Silverwind are in the center of the room, enjoying the attention your cult bestows upon them and holding each other's hands. One of the cultists is feeding him grapes while another rubs his shoulders and back. Right alongside him, Lady Silverwind is receiving a sensual massage from two of the daughters, who lavish her body with fingers and kisses. She gasps lightly as one of them presses her lips to her neck.

>>2968416

>Join them in relaxing; take a nap to recharge your powers
>Speak with them in private
>Sit and chat with them while having a drink
>Chastise Ben for slacking on his training again
>Other

>>2968420
>Sit and chat with them while having a drink
>Chastise Ben for slacking on his training again

>>2968420
>Chastise Ben for slacking on his training again

Bad Ben

>>2968420
>Sit and chat with them while having a drink
>>Chastise Ben for slacking on his training again

>>2968420
>>Chastise Ben for slacking on his training again

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>>2968433
>>2968455
>>2968476
>>2968515

You stride forward and sit on a nearby empty seat, enjoying the cushion, while taking a drink from the hand of one of your cultists who offered it up to you. After enjoying a sip of its fruity contents, you smile at your marked minions. "I see you are enjoying my lovely daughters." As you look at one of the house servants nearby, who has a cultist bouncing in his lap and moaning lewdly, you add, "And so are your staff."

Lady Silverwind, who had been lounging with her eyes closed, suddenly realizes you are here. "My lady!" She sits upright and approaches you, taking your hand in hers to kiss. "I am so sorry. I was... distracted."

"Think nothing of it," you assure her with a smile. "Speaking of distraction... Ben, you're not slacking on your training again, are you?" you ask him in a teasing voice.

"No! That is, I'm just... taking a break." One of the daughters leans forward to kiss his arm and he blushes.

"Indeed... Well, the good news is that you'll have an opportunity for plenty of real training very soon. I have a task for us, and all three of us will see it through."

Lady Silverwind seems surprised. "A task? What manner of task?"

"We are going to rescue the princess from the moon," you tell them.

Ben is immediately on board. "Now that sounds like a quest!"

Silverwind, however, is apprehensive. "I am not exactly a fighter..."

"But you are a high elf, and you will help to convince her that we are there to help. Plus, this will further elevate your status in high elven society, will it not?"

She considers your words, then nods. "I suppose it would..."

"And as an added bonus, you'll get to see moon elf architecture. I've glimpsed her palace from the outside, but the inside must be mesmerizing."

That seems to get her interested, even though her brand would prevent her from saying no in the first place if you were to give her a command. You smile and lean back, content to rest for a moment; after all, you were in a battle not too long ago. It owuld behoove you to relax and recharge your powers.

Once more you look at your cultists playing with Silverwind's servants, and are reminded that the infertility curse would be affecting the high elves of her staff. As enthusiastic as your worshipping daughters may be, they will not succeed in crossbreeding with them.

Of course, that doesn't mean they've stopped trying. If anything, the sex is now purely recreational rather than for procreation, which certainly must have helped in converting the house's servants to their cause.

>Depart immediately
>Rest in your room
>Rest with Ben and SIlverwind
>Relax here in the parlor; nap
>Other

>>2968612
>>Relax here in the parlor; nap

>>2968612
>Relax here in the parlor; nap

>>2968612
>>Relax here in the parlor; nap

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>>2968620
>>2968644
>>2968656

You let out a sigh. "I am weary from a family squabble," you say to no one in particular, though you know all are listening. "I desire a relaxing nap."

The cultists take the hint, fetching you the finest pillows while one of them removes your shoes to rub your feet. As another brings you a fress goblet of fine wine, you smile as they attend to your every need. Soon enough, you drift off to sleep.

When you open your eyes, the light is dim and the sun is setting. You rise from your seat and stretch your arms with a small yawn before looking around you. It seems most of your cultists have tired themselves out or drunken themselves into a stupor. You look around for Ben and Lady Silverwind, but they are nowhere to be found.

"The lady and her 'guest' retired to her quarters earlier," a voice nearby speaks, stern and without humor. You turn to behold Ivlisar, the head of the staff. You've had several run-ins with him, and judging from his apperance and facial expression, he is the only one of the staff to not fall under the spell of your cultists. He seems to know it as well.

"You seem upset by something. Is it her company?" You step over the prone, sleeping forms of a house servant with two cultist women wrapped around him.

"I serve Lady Silverwind. It is not my place to comment."

"Upset and uptight. What an unfortunate combination." You stand in front of him and smile. "Go on, then. Speak your mind, let it all out."

His brow furrows and he does just that. "This house used to be respectable until you arrived. Now it is a den of debauchery. The lady herself has become a slave to it, a plaything for a farmboy. It sickens me. To see one of her status and birth reduced to this, and her home and collection now nothing more than host to a group of hedonists, it is a mockery. I'll not stand for it any further."

>So leave.
>Kill him
>Destroy his mind
>Send him to Aran
>Other

>>2968820
>Send him to Aran

>>2968820
>>Send him to Aran

>>2968820
>>Send him to Aran

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>>2968841
>>2968845
>>2968949

"Well, you've spoken your mind. Would you like to know the truth, then?"

"I would."

"Follow me."

He does so, but cautiously. You take him to the room you've placed the teleportation circle in. "Right this way," you tell him, keeping his eyes on you. As he walks over the circle, you activate it, sending him to Aran. You smile, shrug and move on. Let Isseal or Sheldrake find something to do with him. He clearly wasn't fitting into Silverwind Estate anymore.

You enter Silverwind's private chambers to find her and Ben preparing themselves. Ben is donning his armor while she, uncertain of what to bring, is in the midst of putting on an elegant white dress.

"You needn't worry about danger," you assure her. "I've already taken care of the Moon Elf."

She gives a sigh of relief. "Oh, that is good. But are you certain it will be safe regardless?"

"I will be certain to cast wards of protection upon you. Ben, you still have your shield, yes?" He hefts it up. You run your fingers across its surface, feeling the magic-resisting enchantment upon it. "Good. Make sure to keep it in front of you." You then reach up to his neck, finding the necklace containing the moonstone and inspect it.

"I didn't lose it," he says.

"Yes, I can see that. This is very important, as it turns out. Not only will it help you control your power, but it is the key to the moongates as well. I wonder how many of these are left in the world." For a brief moment, you wonder if this is the same moonstone that your ancestor used long ago, but you doubt it. There must be several scattered across the world, and this is but one of them.

>Travel to the moon
>Discuss with them what to do about the princess when you find her
>Reveal your true self as Sirena to Lady Silverwind
>Make further preparations before leaving
>Other

>>2968985
>Discuss with them what to do about the princess when you find her

We get there. Save her, try to get her marked. Ben and lady silvrtwind are hailed as heroes

>>2968985
>>Travel to the moon
>>Discuss with them what to do about the princess when you find her

>>2968985
>Travel to the moon
>Discuss with them what to do about the princess when you find her

>>2968985
>>Discuss with them what to do about the princess when you find her

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>>2969012
>>2969035
>>2969096
>>2969109

As they dress, you take a seat on her nearby bed and speak to them. "When we find the princess, it is very important we get her to trust us. Now Ben, I know you haven't ever met her, but have you?" you ask Silverwind.

"Not personally," she replies. "But she may know of me. She is very intelligent."

"Tell me more about her."

"She isn't what most think a typical princess would be like. Beautiful, yes, but with a fire. I'm told she is passionate and driven, with a strong will carried by a powerful sense of dignity. I have attended gatherings where she was either a guest of honor or were for her family, and I remember her being tall, regal and elegant."

"I see." You bring your hands together in your lap. "What I desire is for her to carry my brand, but it must be done delicately. The reason it is so important that she trusts us is that my magic can only be bestowed upon a willing subject."

Lady Silverwind pauses. "Is it dangerous?"

"No, of course not," you insist. "I only seek to make her my ally. The brands are harmless otherwise. Think nothing of them." She nods at your command and resumes dressing, putting on several pieces of jewelry. "But still, she must be willing. You two need to work with me in order to get her to open up and trust me. Lady Silverwind, you said she may know of you, so I am going to rely on you to make this happen. If needed, tell her the mark must be given to in order to pass through the moongates. Then, once she is marked, we bring her home and are heroes."

Ben, having completely donned his armor, turns around and says, "Then we take on the undead, right?"

He's been waiting for an opportunity to vent his anger against the undead. You smile up at him and say, "Soon. Very soon, I promise. But imagine, Ben: you'll be a hero known throughout the land, and with that comes opportunity. Perhaps someone will want to hire you to slay an undead problem of theirs."

"And eventually, I'll find the scum who made that walking corpse that killed my father!" he proclaims.

"Yes, yes," you say with a knowing smile. "But first, the Moon."

>Travel to the moon
>Go over a combat plan with Lady Silverwind if a fight ensues
>Give Lady Silverwind magical items/protection wards
>Summon several servitors from Aran to accompany you, just in case
>Other

>>2969277
>Travel to the moon
>Go over a combat plan with Lady Silverwind if a fight ensues

"Hide if a fight breaks out"

>>2969277
>Travel to the moon
>Go over a combat plan with Lady Silverwind if a fight ensues
Unless she has powerful magics, she should keep her head down while we solve the problem

>>2969277
>>Travel to the moon
>>Go over a combat plan with Lady Silverwind if a fight ensues

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>>2969289
>>2969312
>>2969347

Once outside in her garden you prepare the ritual using the moonstone as the focus. Using the same incantation you learnt from your ancestor by watching her dream, you summon forth the moongate. A brilliant beam of white light emerges from the crystal, reflecting the light of the rising moon into a square large enough for a man to walk through.

You quickly cast bubbles of air upon the three of you and give Lady Silverwind some advice: "If we get into a fight, hide and keep your head down."

She nods, then follows you and Ben through the portal.

Moments later, the three of you are standing upon the surface of the moon. They are taken aback at the vastness of it all: the starry sky, the open stretches of white rock and stone, the empty quiet that surrounds you.

And hanging in the sky, like a great blue marble, the world upon which you were just standing on seconds ago. It is a powerful feeling, the ability to traverse such great distances and see such sights in mere moments. You take a moment to let it wash over you; undoubtedly, Ben and Lady Silverwind are feeling the same.

"Now, we must travel to her castle. I remember where she rose it. Come, it is not far."

They follow you, but Ben is distracted. He experimentally jumps, finding the lower gravity to be fun to play with. He kneels and springs upwards, managing to get a few more feet than usual.

"Stop playing, Ben," you say to him. Though, you must admit, it is convenient to skip along the surface of the ground for a small boost in speed.

You come to a large hill that overlooks the Moon Elf's palace. The three of you reach the top and stare down at it, wondering how to proceed.

>Go in through the front door
>Scale its walls
>Cast a spell, fly over it
>Send in a scout
>Other

>>2969409
>Go in through the front door

>>2969409
>>Send in a scout
the ghost raven

>>2969409
>>Send in a scout
a wraith, bit more expendable than our crow ghost

>>2969426
>>2969504

Potential Scouts:

>Raven Spirit
>Wraith
>Succubus
>Servitor
>Other

>>2969552
>Raven Spirit

>>2969552
>>Raven Spirit

>>2969552
>>Wraith

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>>2969560
>>2969608

Holding out your palm in the direction of the castle, you gaze upon it with the Eye of Unveiling. Sure enough, things that were not visible before now become plain to see; namely, a series of dark figures aimlessly wandering about.

"I see something curious," you tell them. "There are spirits... dark, enshrouded, but they don't appear to have a purpose. They're just wandering."

"What are they?" Silverwind asks.

"I think... they may be the souls of the lost Moon Elves who died here."

Ben grips the hilt of his sword. "Undead?"

"Spirits. And I'm not sure if they're harmful yet." You lower your hand slightly and raise your other, summoning forth Eremba. The crow appears in your palm and waits for instruction. "Scout the castle grounds, then its interior. Be careful. Return to me when this is complete."

Wordlessly, Eremba takes flight and soars down towards the castle. As a spirit, he is unaffected by the lower gravity, and so he does as he is told, encircling the castle a few times before entering it through its main entrance. For several moments the three of you wait in silence.

>Give me some 1d100 rolls, please.

Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>2969733

Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>2969733

Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>2969733

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>>2969735
>>2969743
>>2969752

A moment later, you hear a loud squawk and your spirit comes flying out of the castle at full speed, back into your palm. "What is it?" you ask him.

"There is something in there," he says. "It was trying to get me. It feeds on souls and spirits!"

You don't need him to elaborate on what it is, because you glimpse it emerging from the main entrance to the castle. It looks like a beetle, but mechanical in nature, with a glass-like carapace surrounded by a golden frame. Within this glass you glimpse countless faces, all twisted in agony. With long limbs that end in feet and hands, the entity searches the air with a black tongue for the spirit you sent to scout the castle. You can see that its face is golden, an ornate design that displays a smiling human face, but is surrounded by four glowing violet eyes.

"What is that thing?" Ben whispers.

"It must be some ancient creation of the elves," you whisper back, watching as it scuttles in place. Having lost the trail of your raven, it returns its focus to the nearby spirits you witnessed, approaching them and sucking them up. "It is feeding on the souls of the dead elves. It looks gorged."

Lady Silverwind puts a hand to her cheek. "Does it want our souls as well?"

The creature returns inside through the main entrance. You wonder if this thing was allied with your ancestor or is here only because she is gone.

>Go fight it
>Attempt to sneak by it
>Scale the walls of the castle and avoid it
>Attempt to lure it away, then sneak inside
>Other

>>2969807
>Attempt to lure it away, then sneak inside

Use a random wraith

>>2969807
>>Attempt to lure it away, then sneak inside

>>2969807
>Other

Capture it and send it to Aran? We could research it. Maybe strip its legs off?

>>2969824
+1
It's a machine being and filled with souls so that's a start.

>>2969819
>>2969821
>>2969824
>>2969831
So, capture it or avoid it? Can I get a tie breaker?

>>2969824
We are us and Ben together with a noble woman that can't fight
>>2969807
>Attempt to lure it away, then sneak inside

>>2969807
>>Attempt to lure it away, then sneak inside

>>2969824
we can capture it with a proper party. lets just get what we came for and go ruin diving later.

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>>2969819
>>2969821
>>2969854
>>2969862

Tapping your chin with a finger, you come up with a plan to lure it away. You summon Eremba once more and command him to get near the strange construct, lure it outside and keep it distracted with a chase. The crow understands and takes off. Moments after flying within the entrance, the beetle emerges, chasing after your familiar as it continually stays just out of reach.

Casting spells of levitation upon the three of you, you quickly glide across the surface of the moon towards the entrance. Once inside, you are confronted with a massive grand hall, with many side passages stretching off into dark corridors. You look up at the ceiling, seeing the great crystalline decorations that line the hall, providing an eerie glow to the area.

"Where do we search from here?" Ben asks.

>The throne room
>The towers
>The dungeon
>Split up
>Other

>>2969919
>>The towers
Princesses get locked in the tower, right?

>>2969919
Send wraith to scout around to find the princess

>>2969919
>>The towers

>>2969919
>>The towers

>>2969919
>The towers

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>>2969924
>>2969927
>>2969947
>>2970015

"This way," you say, pointing at a nearby stairway. The three of you quickly race up, eventually coming to a large door of gold covered in strange symbols.

You lift your hand and use the eye to learn two things about these doors: that they are locked, and that there is a living behind behind them. They do not appear to be conventionally locked, like with a key, but rather magically sealed.

You approach them and speak. "Princess?"

A voice reaches your ears from the other side, feminine but muffled by the thick doors. "What? Who is out there? Hello?"

"We've come to rescue you. Do you know how these doors open?"

"She cast some kind of spell!" she says. "I've tried using magic of my own to get out of here, but I can't. I remember there being some kind of series of symbols that glowed on the door when she opened and closed it."

You look up, seeing several such symbols. "Was there a key?"

"I don't believe so... I've been trying to open it on my end for days. I think it is some kind of puzzle from the ancient elven language, but I cannot discern the pattern."

Experimentally, you lift a finger and touch one of the symbols; it begins to glow, then fades.

>Attempt to figure out the pattern
>Try to teleport inside
>Destroy the doors
>See if there is a library with elven books; attempt to translate
>Other

>>2970099
>>Attempt to figure out the pattern

>>2970099
>>Attempt to figure out the pattern

>>2970099
>Attempt to figure out the pattern

>>2970106
>>2970108
>>2970115

Give me some 1d100 rolls.

Rolled 92 (1d100)

>>2970148

Rolled 57 (1d100)

>>2970148

Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>2970148

>>2970148
If this doesn't work, destroy the wall beside the door!

Nobody ever thinks to enchant the walls too.

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>>2970151
>>2970162
>>2970184

You drift your fingers from left to right, lighting up the runes as you do, but this does not seem to be the pattern. You frown and try different combinations, based on size, shape and color, but ultimately are are merely guessing.

"Hmmm... There must be something to be done."

Lady Silverwind steps forward. "If I may... I think I have an idea."

"Oh?"

She touches the door. "Something about this writing is familiar... I studied ancient elven art for so long that I am starting to see some simularities in these symbols to a written language that formed the basis of what we speak now. Only vaguely, but..."

"If you have a hunch, follow it," you suggest.

SIlverwind steps in front of the door and brings up a hand, tracing her fingers in a strange pattern. "I think the symbols themselves are not the thing to focus on," she explains. "But rather, the shape that is made when they all glow together. It may just be that once a certain letter or word is spelt with them, the door shall open..."

You watch as she paints light with her fingers, lightly and quickly touching various symbols in a flowing motion. She does this several times, and just when you think to tell her to stop, suddenly you hear a loud and distinct cliking noise, and the doors push open. Lady Silverwind's ecstatic face is quickly brought under control when the figure on the other side of the door is revealed.

"Princess Lyrei," she says, and bows.

You get your first good look at the high elven princess. She is tall, taller than you by a few inches, with fair skin and blonde hair that is tied behind her head, which is adorned with a golden circlet. Her dress is regal and white with gold trimming, flowing off of her graceful-looking but sturdy frame. She stands firmly, clearly full of confidence and dignity, just as Silverwind described her. It is perhaps her eyes that are most fetching; blue like ice, but not nearly as cold. She is beautiful, as one would imagine an elven princess to be.

"Where is the moon elf?" she asks, cutting straight to the point, her eyes darting to each of you in turn.

"Dealt with," you tell her. "I am Mary, and this is Ben and Lady Silverwind."

"Silverwind..." she says, looking down at the noble. "Rise, I bid you. How did you get here? How did you find me?"

>It's a long story; we should leave
>Let Silverwind explain, just as you instructed her
>Have Ben demonstrate the moonstone
>Ask about her interractions with the Moon Elf
>Other

>>2970346
>Let Silverwind explain, just as you instructed her

>>2970346
>Let Silverwind explain, just as you instructed her
>Have Ben demonstrate the moonstone