Myth: A New Age CYOA

[Nevill]

This system largely came to an end when the dwarves broke through to the surface and first encountered the ghôls. It was hatred at first sight but the ghôls outnumbered the dwarves at least ten to one.

What is the history between the dwarves and ghols? We only seem to know that they hate each other and contest the same patch of land for millenia. An interlude with Nanshe implied that ghols - or at least, her tribe - originated from the lands far to the south:

Her people must first be shown how far they have fallen. Far from the waters of the great southern river, far from the light of the sun and the moon, far from their homes. They are nothing, they are the dead and like the dead they must pass through the cold, uncaring, filthy earth.

Yet she also claims that the dwarves occupy their ancestral lands.

How did this conflict began and what were its major cornerstones up to this day?

One becomes a champion by being chosen by the lord of a house to serve as one (you can always refuse but it is considered a great honour and only one dwarf has ever refused the call to be champion, it happened five years ago).

Who was the dwarf, what was the house, and was the reason for refusal ever given? Are there consequences for that kind of thing?

 

[Fangshi]

What is the history between the dwarves and ghols? We seem only to know that they hate each other and contest the same patch of land for millenia. An interlude with Nanshe implied that ghols - or at least, her tribe - originated from the lands far to the south:

Yet she also claims that the dwarves occupy their ancestral lands.

How did this conflict began and what were its major cornerstones up to this day?

Well, short answer is that since you are talking to a dwarf he will say that the ghôls started it by trying to devour the entire dwarven race.

The longer answer goes as follows:

He says that the dwarves lived below the earth for some time, carving out great halls and impressive palaces within the rock and earth. One day they were digging and they burst through into what they thought was a massive cavern with twinkling diamonds in its roof. They were trying to figure out a way to get up to them when the dawn broke and the sun rose. They retreated back to the cave mouth and observed this phenomena for three days and nights before they decided it was safe (if a bit uncomfortable to live in this 'great cave' and they began to build up and out, creating the fortress city of Stoneheim in the process. It was while they were building that the first ghôls found them, savage beasts with great maws and cold killing stone. They screamed in their degenerate tongue at the dwarves who quickly formed a shield wall to protect themselves from these abominations.

However the dwarves did not attack, their captain, a brave and wise dwarf whose name has sadly been lost to history decided to try and reason with these beasts. After all, perhaps they were simply the natural inhabitants of this cave and some sort of agreement could be reached with them. He approached the creatures with chest out and head held high as any dwarf would, he even raised his hands to show that he was unarmed. The beasts attacked him and carried him off with the dwarves in pursuit. It took them eight hours to find the creatures' camp and when they did they found their captain split open and roasting on a fire.

The dwarves with righteous anger struck down all of the beasts and slaughtered them to the last before taking the remains of their captain back to the First City and committing his remains to the earth.

Many argued that they should wall up the entrance to the strange cavern and forget about it but others argued that the creatures would remain a threat, that they might invade the city and slaughter all of the dwarven race.

The Assembly was locked in heated debate between the two parties, insults were thrown, challenges were issued and accepted as the lords wrestled with what to do next.

Ultimately the decision was made for them, three weeks after the incident the beasts surrounded the fledgling outpost at the top of Stoneheim. They sang and bellowed in their bestial tongue, then they attacked.

That the dwarves fought back to defend their lives, their families and their property and they won though casualties were high.

Following the attack the dwarves went on the offensive and scored a number of absolute victories against the ghôls that were 'squatting' on the land that is now the kingdom. They won for themselves, by keen wits and strong hands, the future of their entire species and a place to call home in the surface world (for in their campaigns they realized that it was no cave they were fighting for but another entire 'world').

As for milestones there aren't many that would mean anything to Derryth, the two species have fought their war since that primordial era, sometimes the dwarves win, sometimes the ghôls win. The dwarves have always had the edge when it comes to technology and discipline but the ghôls have the numbers and mobility. A sort of murderous status quo developed with the two sides killing, kidnapping, eating and enslaving one another and little changed until...

'Outsiders' got involved. Humans, representing both the Light and the Dark started to influence things. The Dark is represented by a series of named and unnamed warlord, captains and the occasional appearance of the Leveller, when the Dark is ascendant the ghôls gain an edge, they drive the dwarves back to their cities, sometimes they even drive them back below ground but the dwarves always take a toll on their persecutors and the ghôls always fragment at the moment of their victory. The Light is in turn represented by the petty kings of men and by the emperors of the Cath Bruig, when the Light is ascendant the dwarves gain the advantage as mercenaries, gold, and resources pour into their cities and they butcher the monsters in their huts and hills but with victory comes complacency and the dwarves only carry their campaigns so far. None have attempted to exterminate the threat at its true source the hills, mountains and jungles of the south and east.

So when Balor swept into the kingdom and murdered Albrecht's father he was just a part of a larger cycle. Some of the dwarves fled back into the depths of Stoneheim and sealed the entrance but for the first time even Stoneheim fell. The dwarves lost the place that birthed their race and fled to the north and the Cath Bruig but found no real help there. When the Cath Bruig fell they fled west to the Province and offered their services to the Avatara.

When the war began to turn and the Legion pushed eastward the dwarven Pathfinders took the opportunity to hurt the ghôls as badly as they had been hurt. They destroyed one of the ghôls' great idols, a physical representation of one of the ghôls' Dark Gods. In doing so the dwarves essentially 'killed' one of the ghôlish gods and threw the clans that were squatting on the kingdom into complete chaos.

When, against all odds, the Emperor Alric managed to win the war the dwarves returned home and exacted another bloody toll on the ghôls. The new dwarven army forged in that desperate fight against a vastly superior foe fell upon the disorganized ghôls, they destroyed hundreds of minor clans and several great ones.

It is said that when Albrecht returned to his home he slaughtered one third of the beasts he found; the blood price to redeem the honour of his people. He enslaved another third, to serve in the reconstruction and restoration of what they had so casually ruined. And of the last third he drove them into the badlands and he hills to live as the animals they were so dead set on behaving like.

If you want to know how the ghôls see things (which Derryth is fairly certain would be different ) then you would need to speak to someone that knows their history, the ghôlish elders and record keepers, or at the very least Nanshe.

If you just want to know who was there 'first' that is impossible to say. The dwarves seem to have originated in Stoneheim but you have no way of knowing how long it took them to break through to the surface while the ghôls seem more numerous to the south and southeast of the kingdom though they may have been present on the land that is now the kingdom prior to the dwarves breaking through to the surface.

Who was the dwarf, what was the house, and was the reason for refusal ever given? Are there consequences for that kind of thing?

Liechtenauer was his name.

He has no house. Misread that, the house was House Berg.

He did not see it as an honour.

For him, not really...

For the men that came after him, yes.


Current Tally:

Spoiler

Nevill's package
Cii: Derryth + Thais + Biliku + Uttu - our team of investigators.
Civ: Lyssa + Berty + Skite + Mayer - our recruitment team.
Cvi: Most of the mice, including Myrra, Poppy and Martin - our spying team.

zerozero's Package
Bii - Berty, girls, half of Blackfort forces, some pathfinders
Biii - Derryth, Thais and royal guard, some pathfinders
Bv - Lyssa, Ceannard and Black Arrows, some pathfinders
Bvi- Nephila (with a disguise paid for by Albrecht's promissory note with Lysaa's mice


asxetos:
1. Nevill's package,
2. B) 30 energon cubes (10/10/10),
3. x,
4. x,
5. x,
6. x
7. x
8. x
9. x
10. x

Absinthe:
1. Nevill's package,
2: B (Nevill), C, D (seriously these rings are too good; lets also put this on the promissory)
3: Abstain for now. It might be better to let Albrecht's champion keep an eye on them. Might also be better to call him to Stoneheim instead.
4: D - Martin's pick of the castle + we send someone to go fetch a variety of smaller cheeses from the market.
5. A
6. A
7. A
8. x
9. x
10. x

Jester:
1. Nevill's package > C2
2. A) 5 mandrake roots (2/2/1 ?), B) 12 energon cubes (4/4/4 ?)
3. H
4. D
5. A
6. A
7. A
8. A
9. B
10. A

Sunnmøring:
1. Biv
2. x
3. x
4. x
5. x
6. x
7. x
8. x
9. x
10. x

Nevill:
1. Nevill's Package
2. B) 30 energon cubes (10/10/10) [promissory note from the King], C) Get another set of jewelry instead of the one we gave to Brothers Dietfried.
3. A
4. D
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. A
9. A
10. x

zerozero:
1. zerozero's Package
2. BD
3. ADEF
4. D
5. A
6. B
7. B
8. x
9. x
10. x

Baltika9:
1. Nevill's Package
2. B) 30 energon cubes (10/10/10) [promissory note from the King], C) Get another set of jewelry instead of the one we gave to Brothers Dietfried.
3. AD
4. D>C
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. A
9. A
10. B

Grimgravy:
1. B2
2. B (no more than 15) C, D
3. H (leave them be)
4. A Any cheese will do. Stop pandering to rodents
5. A
6. B
7. B
8. B
9. B
10. B

archaen:
1. Nevill's plan
2. BCD
3. FG - send for all our mercenaries after they issue the cheese. The armies have no mages and we have gained most of the value of the fort at this moment. There is no need to risk what is left our personnel for almost no gain. Even if one of the lords takes it over we can just unblock the tunnels and let the rhyming monsters massacre them if Nephila lets some live or sneak in our own murder force(Mice with cyanide for the soup).
4. C for eldritch horror mice, or mice in the dreaming, or Vegeta mice. Either way our forces will be clear.
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. A
9. A
10. B

Kz3r0:
1. Cii
2. ABCD
3. C
4. D
5. A
6. B
7. B
8. A
9. B
10. B

1. What to do?

Leading Option: Nevill's Plan (6 votes)
Nevill's package
Current Tally:

Spoiler

Nevill's package
Cii: Derryth + Thais + Biliku + Uttu - our team of investigators.
Civ: Lyssa + Berty + Skite + Mayer - our recruitment team.
Cvi: Most of the mice, including Myrra, Poppy and Martin - our spying team.

zerozero's Package
Bii - Berty, girls, half of Blackfort forces, some pathfinders
Biii - Derryth, Thais and royal guard, some pathfinders
Bv - Lyssa, Ceannard and Black Arrows, some pathfinders
Bvi- Nephila (with a disguise paid for by Albrecht's promissory note with Lysaa's mice


asxetos:
1. Nevill's package,
2. B) 30 energon cubes (10/10/10),
3. x,
4. x,
5. x,
6. x
7. x
8. x
9. x
10. x

Absinthe:
1. Nevill's package,
2: B (Nevill), C, D (seriously these rings are too good; lets also put this on the promissory)
3: Abstain for now. It might be better to let Albrecht's champion keep an eye on them. Might also be better to call him to Stoneheim instead.
4: D - Martin's pick of the castle + we send someone to go fetch a variety of smaller cheeses from the market.
5. A
6. A
7. A
8. x
9. x
10. x

Jester:
1. Nevill's package > C2
2. A) 5 mandrake roots (2/2/1 ?), B) 12 energon cubes (4/4/4 ?)
3. H
4. D
5. A
6. A
7. A
8. A
9. B
10. A

Sunnmøring:
1. Biv
2. x
3. x
4. x
5. x
6. x
7. x
8. x
9. x
10. x

Nevill:
1. Nevill's Package
2. B) 30 energon cubes (10/10/10) [promissory note from the King], C) Get another set of jewelry instead of the one we gave to Brothers Dietfried.
3. A
4. D
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. A
9. A
10. x

zerozero:
1. zerozero's Package
2. BD
3. ADEF
4. D
5. A
6. B
7. B
8. x
9. x
10. x

Baltika9:
1. Nevill's Package
2. B) 30 energon cubes (10/10/10) [promissory note from the King], C) Get another set of jewelry instead of the one we gave to Brothers Dietfried.
3. AD
4. D>C
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. A
9. A
10. B

Grimgravy:
1. B2
2. B (no more than 15) C, D
3. H (leave them be)
4. A Any cheese will do. Stop pandering to rodents
5. A
6. B
7. B
8. B
9. B
10. B

archaen:
1. Nevill's plan
2. BCD
3. FG - send for all our mercenaries after they issue the cheese. The armies have no mages and we have gained most of the value of the fort at this moment. There is no need to risk what is left our personnel for almost no gain. Even if one of the lords takes it over we can just unblock the tunnels and let the rhyming monsters massacre them if Nephila lets some live or sneak in our own murder force(Mice with cyanide for the soup).
4. C for eldritch horror mice, or mice in the dreaming, or Vegeta mice. Either way our forces will be clear.
5. A
6. A
7. B
8. A
9. A
10. B

Kz3r0:
1. Cii
2. ABCD
3. C
4. D
5. A
6. B
7. B
8. A
9. B
10. B

1. What to do?

Leading Option: Nevill's Plan (6 votes)
Nevill's package
C)ii: Derryth + Thais + Biliku + Uttu - our team of investigators.
C)iv: Lyssa + Berty + Skite + Mayer - our recruitment team.
C)vi: Most of the mice, including Myrra, Poppy and Martin - our spying team.

zerozero's plan - 1 vote
Biv - 1 vote
Bii - 1 vote
Cii - 1 vote


2. What to buy?

1 abstain

Mandrake Roots 2/9 votes (1 general vote that goes to the leading option)
1 vote for 5 roots (2/2/1 ?)

Energon Cubes: 8/9 votes (3 general votes that go to the leading option)
3 votes for 30 cubes (10/10/10) using an Albrecht promissary note
2 votes for 12 cubes (4/4/4) - One vote directly for 12 and one vote for anything under 15

Jewelry: 6/9 votes

Spell Ring: 5/9 votes
4 votes to buy it with a promissory note from Albrecht
1 vote to just buy it


3. Who to call?
(3 abstain)

A) 3/7 votes
B)
C) 1/7 votes
D) 2/7 votes
E) 1/7 votes
F) 2/7 votes
G) 1/7 votes
H) 2/7 votes


4. Cheese
(2 abstain)
A) 1 vote
B)
C) 1 vote
D) 6 votes


5. The Seekers
(2 abstain)
A) 8 votes
B)


6. Mazzarin
(2 abstain)
A) 5 votes
B) 3 votes


7. Nanshe
(2 abstain)
A) 2 votes
B) 6 votes


8. Sticky Bombs
(4 abstain)
A) 5 votes
B) 1 vote

9. Martin
(4 abstain]
A) 3 votes
B) 3 votes

10. Ring
(4 abstain)
A) 1 vote
B) 5 votes

zerozero's plan - 1 vote
Biv - 1 vote
Bii - 1 vote
Cii - 1 vote


2. What to buy?

1 abstain

Mandrake Roots 2/9 votes (1 general vote that goes to the leading option)
1 vote for 5 roots (2/2/1 ?)

Energon Cubes: 8/9 votes (3 general votes that go to the leading option)
3 votes for 30 cubes (10/10/10) using an Albrecht promissary note
2 votes for 12 cubes (4/4/4) - One vote directly for 12 and one vote for anything under 15

Jewelry: 6/9 votes

Spell Ring: 5/9 votes
4 votes to buy it with a promissory note from Albrecht
1 vote to just buy it


3. Who to call?
(3 abstain)

A) 3/7 votes
B)
C) 1/7 votes
D) 2/7 votes
E) 1/7 votes
F) 2/7 votes
G) 1/7 votes
H) 2/7 votes


4. Cheese
(2 abstain)
A) 1 vote
B)
C) 1 vote
D) 6 votes


5. The Seekers
(2 abstain)
A) 8 votes
B)


6. Mazzarin
(2 abstain)
A) 5 votes
B) 3 votes


7. Nanshe
(2 abstain)
A) 2 votes
B) 6 votes


8. Sticky Bombs
(4 abstain)
A) 5 votes
B) 1 vote

9. Martin
(4 abstain]
A) 3 votes
B) 3 votes

10. Ring
(4 abstain)
A) 1 vote
B) 5 votes

So the current leading options are:

1. For what to do: Nevill's plan

Cii: Derryth + Thais + Biliku + Uttu - our team of investigators.
Civ: Lyssa + Berty + Skite + Mayer - our recruitment team.
Cvi: Most of the mice, including Myrra, Poppy and Martin - our spying team.

2. For what to buy, the energon cubes jewelry and spell ring (paid for by Albrecht)

3. For who to call, no one

4. For the cheese, the sampler platter and something from the palace

5. To hire the Seekers, yes (and they will operate under your command unless there are objections) [Albrecht will cover the cost]

6. To tell Albrecht about Mazzarin, yes

7. To tell Albrecht about Nanshe, no

8. To build the Sticky Bombs, yes

9. To feed Martin the glowing cheese, tied

10. To work on the ring right away, no


So as soon as I know if you want to feed the cheese to Martin I will close the vote. The update will come within a day of when I close the vote.

 

[Nevill]

If you want to know how the ghôls see things (which Derryth is fairly certain would be different ) then you would need to speak to someone that knows their history, the ghôlish elders and record keepers, or at the very least Nanshe.

I just want to see how bad is the blood between the two races. I know it is pretty bad, but just how bad.

How widespread is the enslaving of ghols? How many ghol slaves are there in the kingdom, currently?

How common it is for ghols to enslave dwarves (or other species), or do they just eat them or sacrifice them to their Dark Gods?

I don't want to say it outright to the man's face, but I want to gauge if there is a chance that Lilli is still alive somewhere out there. Who knows (well, Nanshe probably does).

For the men that came after him, yes.

Meaning? Did the house take measures against this sort of thing? I can't help but notice that it is a human serving house Berg in that role. How common it is for the champion to be an outsider?

Was this in any way related to the infiltration of house Berg by the cultists? Is Liechtenauer still around for questioning?

So as soon as I know if you want to feed the cheese to Martin I will close the vote. The update will come within a day of when I close the vote.

If no one will flop by the time you are ready to work on the update, consider me flopping to 9B. I thought that since there is no clear majority and a vocal opposition, such votes are ruled out anyway.

Also, paging Kz3r0 to clarify if his vote for 3C should be viewed as 3AB or not. This means the difference between calling Lord Hesse away from the fort and letting him stay there with his soldiers under Argus' supervision.

Personally I am fine with either, so don't let it hold the closing of the votes back.

 

[Fangshi]

How widespread is the enslaving of the ghols?

It is common practice in the Kingdom but no where else.

How many ghol slaves are there in the kingdom, currently?

Roughly 20,000 maybe. Some industries run completely or near completely on slavery. Mining and agriculture for example so most of the slaves are kept in fortified compounds in the countryside.

How common it is for ghols to enslave dwarves (or other species), or do they just eat them or sacrifice them to their Dark Gods?

Mostly they just eat them and sacrifice them from what the dwarves can tell but it is difficult to say as so few former slaves escape in the first place. Presumably if a captive is more useful to them as a slave than a sacrifice or a meal they would keep them as a slave but that is just speculation.

Meaning? Did the house took measures against this sort of thing?

Meaning Berg sent forty men to make him 'reconsider'. Only one returned to tell Berg that Liechtenauer still was not interested.

I can't help but notice that it is a human serving house Berg in that role. How common it is for the champion to be an outsider?

Depends on the house, though it is more common to have a dwarf in the role. In fact some think a dwarf should always fill the role while others are willing to use whoever can get the job done. The choice of a champion says a lot about the nature and values of the lord that chooses him/her/them.

Was this in any way related to the infiltration of house Berg by the cultists?

The people you can talk to right now would not know that. Not the least because it is not even certain that House Berg is in fact compromised.

Is Liechtenauer still around for questioning?

Sure, he is staying at an inn in town.

If no one will flop by the time you are ready to work on the update, consider me flopping to 9B. I thought that since there is no clear majority and a vocal opposition, such votes are ruled out anyway.

Also, paging Kz3r0 to clarify if his vote for 3C should be viewed as 3AB or not. This means the difference between calling Lord Hesse away from the fort and letting him stay there with his soldiers under Argus' supervision.

Personally I am fine with either, so don't let it hold the closing of the votes back.

Oh, not a problem. I am willing to wait and let the vote sort itself out naturally (and this has nothing to do with Wasteland 2's release, I swear... ), if it is still tied by the end of the weekend I will just flip a coin.

 

[Nevill]

Meaning Berg sent forty men to make him 'reconsider'. Only one returned to tell Berg that Liechtenauer still was not interested.
[...]
Sure, he is staying at an inn in town.

Now that's just stupid, trying to force the position of your right-hand man. What did they think would happen even if they succeeded?

I hope meeting the man can be an option in one of the next updates before we have to leave town.

The choice of a champion says a lot about the nature and values of the lord that chooses him/her/them.

Indeed. So what kind of men these people are? I am especially interested in those who are not dwarves or warriors - Seinsheim's, Berg's and Welf's.

Oh, not a problem. I am willing to wait and let the vote sort itself out naturally.

Well, it already did.

9B. Man, the things I deny myself for these updates...

 

[Fangshi]

I hope meeting the man can be an option in one of the next updates before we have to leave town.

Ah, sure if you want to, don't see why you couldn't.

Indeed. So what kind of men these people are?

Well, skipping Argus since you already know what he is like. I will start with the least unusual champions and work my way to the most unusual champions.

Houses Hesse and Raginar:

Alfhild and Asgar are the warrior type (which makes sense as their houses are warrior houses), they drink, they fight, they laugh, they cry. They are very much stereotypical dwarves and they are very much in love. They actually met each other after they became the champions of their respective houses. They wound up on opposite sides in a barroom brawl, after a good ten minutes of beating each other senseless they knew it was love and were married within the year. They look after their friends, terrify their enemies, and represent their lords in the exact sort of manner that Hesse and Raginar expect.

He favours an axe and shield, she favours and mace and shield, they fight in a straightforward and traditional style.

House Berg:

The 'Artisan' is a master with a blade, no one knows his real name but he came to the city three years ago looking for a challenge. He is a thin man and short with hard features and dead eyes (even when he smiles or laughs his eyes remain cold), he sports a mustache in the fir'Bolg style and seems to be almost as skilled with a bow as he is with a sword.

The champion of a minor house (so minor you really do not need to know their name) spotted him wandering the streets and decided it would be worth his time to 'harass' a 'foreigner' for an evening. Things quickly deteriorated and a formal challenge was issued by the dwarf to the man.

They met three evenings later in one of the smaller squares in town with suitable witnesses (the Artisan knew no one in the city but drafted an out of work vintner to serve as his witness). The duel was over quickly, the Artisan winning handedly but it was not simply the speed with which he won that impressed and horrified the onlookers. He carved up the dwarf, sculpting him into a gross mockery of his former self and so he came to be known as the Artisan (probably because the 'Sculptor' did not have the same ring to it).

He fights to win and is completely without mercy but will only act if ordered to or provoked.

He is considered by many to be the second best swordsman in the city. Liechtenauer is the best. The two do not get along well as a result though the rivalry is almost completely on the 'Artisan's' side.

House Welf:

The 'Boar', is Welf's servant and he acquired him when he was just a runt of a maul. He took care of him, educated him, trained him and now the Boar returns the favour by loyally serving the dwarf in all things.

Unlike the Artisan the Boar's name is not unknown, it is just that no one bothers to remember it. He has served as a mercenary and a captain, some even say he could be a general and he certainly has a martial air about him. He is certainly no animal, he is well versed in the dwarven classics, in the sagas and poetry of his adopted people and it is said that he is quite a skilled chef as well.

He fights with a spear and shield using his impressive size, weight and reach to strike at smaller opponents from a distance. He is also more than proficient in a number of shorter ranged weapons and is capable of switching to something more useful should an opponent slip past his guard.

Next to Argus he is the only surviving champion of a major house that is confident and capable leading large bodies of men. In fact he is arguably a better commander than the King's champion though he is less well liked by his men (most of them being dwarves of 'standing' they rankle a little under the command of a servant and a maul too boot).

House Seinsheim:

Seinsheim's champions are unusual in a number of regards. First, there are two of them, and while there are technically no laws against having two people share the role of champion it is frowned upon by the rest of the houses who view it as 'undwarven' and 'unsporting'. Seinsheim as always does not care what any of the other lords think and so both Galena and Treva are his champions.

The second thing most dwarves object to is that they are both mages, Galena is an elementalist that specializes in metal spells while Treva is an adept that specializes in physical spells. The result is that they will often use their magic to win duels decisively. Again this is seen as 'undwarven' and 'unsporting' and again Seinsheim could not care less.

The two mages are thought to be sisters and look to be twins from the way they act and are able to anticipate each other's actions. They are also thought to be refugees from the Empire but no one is sure about that. Very little is known about them in general (even their names are not necessarily their real names) in fact.

They serve as bodyguards and 'magic detectors' for the dwarf lord. Why he would need such protection the dwarf lord has not seen fit to say.

Well, it already did.

Alright then, the vote is closed and the update will be out within a day.

Edit:

The update is about half done and is likely to be up sometime in the next twenty four hours when I have a moment to finish/edit it.

 

[Nevill]

Fangshi, what determines how successful is a person in mastering a given spell school? Is it a natural predisposition, a state of mind, or are there other factors? Are there 'opposite' schools that are impossible to learn together?

 

[Fangshi]

The short answer is that you can learn any spell, it is just more difficult to learn those from schools/specialties you are unfamiliar with or which 'clash' with how you think/feel/act.

What I mean is that magic lends itself to use in particular ways. If you spend enough time using a particular sort of magic to master it then you also have made an important statement about your own character and inclinations.

So for example maybe you are the sort of person that is impulsive and gets angry easily. Well then you will have an easier time using fire magic than water magic or mental magic. Now generally speaking people do what they are good at so you are going to spend more time learning fire magic than let's say water or mental magic.

As a result you will have more fire spells than anything else and as a result of that you will be more likely to use fire spells to solve your problems. Like that old saying, 'when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail'. Since you will be using fire magic all the time you are also likely to get angry more often as anger is useful in working your spells. If you get angry more often then you will become more proficient at fire magic than at other schools and specializations of magic which will in turn bias you towards learning more of it.

By that point you are looking at a circle of positive reinforcement. Your nature determines you inclination which in turn limits your options which in turn determines how you will solve problems which in turn influences your nature. The path of least resistance is to follow this circle until you meet your end.

So the Watcher, the Necromancer, is an embodiment of traditional necromancy and its author primarily because that is the sort of man he is and chooses to be.

Culwyeh was an Axe Wizard because that fit with the type of person she was at heart.

Myrdred was a manipulator, even before he became the Deciever and so he was a master of mental (and some say illusion) spells as one would expect.

And so on...

Now this is not inevitable, someone does not need to channel anger to use fire magic. A mentalist can use spells from their field without becoming a 'snoop' and desiring to know/control others and nothing about magic forces you to behave a certain way if you choose not to but there are consequences attached to choosing not to use your powers in the most effective way. One obvious one is that you will have to go up against people that have no problem following their own nature and a fire mage that fights angry will be more powerful than one that fights peacefully. The weaker fighter will have to use their other abilities, their intellect and their ah, for lack of a better term, their wisdom to find a way around a stronger opponent.

The big example of this sort of mage is Alric who simply was not the best mage out there (he was not even top five, hell he was probably not even top twenty at the beginning of the Great War) but he did not rely solely on magic to get the job done and at the end of the day he was the guy left standing after everyone else had fallen.

 

[Nevill]

So what kind of mindset should we be pursuing to become a master mentalist? Would we be better at it if we were a scheming type like the Deceiver instead of relying on mutual trust and teamwork?

 

[Fangshi]

Mechanically the spells would work the same whether you are trusting or not but with mental spells you have to provide the ammunition to attack/influence your opponent with.

So the better you are at creating fictions/lying/manipulating the better you will be at using mentalist spells. The more trusting and honest you are, the harder it will be to supply your spells with the needed lies to cast mental and illusion spells.

So, on one level there is nothing stopping an honest man from learning all the mental spells (just like there is nothing stopping a calm man from learning all the fire spells) but a liar/scoundrel/plotter will be better at it than an honest man just like an impulsive and angry person will be better than a calm one when it comes to fire magic.

Similar principles apply to illusions.

Additionally a calm mind is better able to use mental and illusion spells, so a mind detached from the plight of others (a colder and less caring mind) will also be better at these fields than one that deeply cares for others. Again, it does not mean that those who care can't learn, it just means that psychopaths will be 'naturals' in a way that a regular person would not.

Finally there is another general effect that comes about from the characters being less open with one another (more paranoid, suspicions, competitive and self-centered). They will tend to be stronger individually since they are forced to rely entirely upon themselves. If the ladies did not trust one another and each did their own thing in a fight they would be more powerful 'on paper'. I say 'on paper' because it is often not about who is the most powerful but rather it is about who is the most devious or clever. As long as you can out think the enemy, power is of little concern (after a point of course, a farmboy with a pitchfork and nothing else is not going to be able to harm Mazzarin for example).

Of course, there are also different ways to measure power:

Derryth and Thaïs would be more powerful if they hypothetically developed separately (provided they received the same level of training that they did in the real events of the CYOA). However that is only true when considering them separately. When you consider them together they are currently stronger than they would have been if trained this much but apart. The reason for this is simple and shows up every time they attack. They inevitably work as a team to overcome their opponents, so one will feint while the other strikes or one will latch on to a target with half a spell and leave the rest of the spell to their friend, the things the two of them do are quite difficult to fend off precisely because their behavior is very atypical for mentalists. They let each other into their heads and this gives them a level of coordination and understanding that is difficult to match for most.

 

[Nevill]

Is there a list of what magic lends itself better to what sort of characters? At least, concerning the known spell schools.

So far we know that Fire gives best results when practiced by angry and/or passionate people, while Mind favors detachment and cold logic. But what about the rest of them? What kind of people are Wind/Air mages, or Metal (no, not METAL!) ones?

 

[Fangshi]

Sure, I could do a full writeup of the different spells schools when Derryth actually spends time around orthodox mages or meets/recruits a 'schooled' mage that can tell her about it. For the moment though none of the mages in your group have access to that sort of knowledge given that none of them went through the academies. (It would also be rather long and if I had the time to write that right now I would rather use it to finish the update ).

What I can do for now though is give the short version that Henry would have made sure Derryth knew, just the barebone basics.

Animal magic - basically these mages fall into one of three broad groups. Those that control animals, those that persuade animals and those that 'are' animals. The first type favour a calm mind with low empathy and use their spells to force animals into cooperation. The second type also favours a calm mind but with high empathy and a bit of persuasion/negotiation to convince the animals to willingly enter into partnerships with the mage. The third type is completely theoretical as no proven case has been shown to exist (among humans at least). If one could somehow think like an animal it might be possible to 'naturally' command them and maybe even become them...

Physical spells - are broken down into two broad philosophies. The first emphasizes a punishing offense and encourages an aggressive and 'risk taking' mindset. The second emphasizes an impenetrable defense and favours a calm mind and keen perception.

Communication spells - as a discipline without known specialists not enough is known about this school to really know what would be the best mindset to have for it. One can speculate though that a clear purpose/focused mind would be a boon.

Elemental spells - These are very well known as this is by far the most popular school of magic in the setting. (For example there are more dedicated fire mages [a sub field mind you] than there are animal magic specialists in total.)

So:
Air magic - an excited, joyful, and open mind that seeks out new experiences but also a mind that has trouble settling on any one thing.

Earth magic - a calm, collected, and 'common sense' sort of mind that focuses on matters as they are but also a mind that can lack 'vision'

Fire magic - a quick tempered, agitated, and aggressive mindset. Courageous but vengeful, impassioned but impulsive. (There is also a second sort of mind that can use these spells in a different manner, patient, smoldering, resentful and cunning, this is the Way of the Ember'.)

Ice magic - a detached mind but one filled with cool contempt for those around it, merciless but fair in its hostility. Murderous but also predictable in its own way (some might even say loyal).

Lightning magic - all of the excitement of the air mage but replace the joy with a competitive spark (which can be good-natured or vindictive). This is a mind of rapidly shifting emotions but also one possessed of a fine degree of control when it comes to unleashing those same emotions.

Metal magic - a sharp mind and a keen wit, a love for simple truths and a dislike of deception. Can be cold or hot, sometimes both and always firm and a little unforgiving.

Poison magic -jealous, envious, cruel and very rarely straightforward, the most common practitioner of this specialty seeks to use it as a weapon. There are exceptions though, some are drawn to it because it can relieve pain and with but a little harm can do a lot of good, such minds tend to be self sacrificing and highly empathetic. Both types of minds tend to be quite good at reading others.

Water magic - a relaxed mind, a slippery mind, a happy mind but one that can turn easily and when it does it can be furious and murderous.

Wood magic - the enlightened mind, the 'wise' mind, the mind that bends but does not break, the 'living' mind, it is a difficult specialty to learn and master for this very reason and the demands it places on the user are high.



Enchantment magic - a keen eye for detail and a methodical mind that calmly analyzes the world looking for flaws to fix. Little 'emotion' and quite 'rational'.

Gate magic - there are next to no known specialists in this school so it is difficult to say what their minds are like.

Healing magic - a emphatic mind and one that is capable of self sacrifice, the type of mind that wants to 'fix' problems when they see them.

Illusion/Mental magic - deceivers/tricksters/plotters/jesters, the type of mind that delights in its own use, the type that love a trap or a riddle, an adventurous mind but also paranoid and both difficult to trust and to be trusted.

Invisibility/Light magic - a mind that either sees the world in 'black and white' and is very binary or the complete opposite, a mind that delights in investigating the shadows where light and darkness co-mingle and strange thoughts are born. The first type tends to be very practical and literal, the second type delights in the abstract.

Meta spells - less of a specialty and more of a tool for individual mages to cast their spells there is no known 'mindset' for this school.

Movement spells - another field that no one really specializes in as far as Derryth knows.

Nature spells - not really for humans but those few that do specialize in it are the type that view all of creation as a single whole and seek balance in all things both within and without.

Necromancy - selfish, scared, broken, vengeful minds. A dark mind to suit a dark art though that may have a lot to do with the Watcher's own nature and his continued presence in the field throughout its existence.

Protective spells - presumably the mind that seeks to specialize in this school needs to deep feelings for at least those close to them combined with a gift for improvisation and innovation as currently this school is almost non existent and anyone that wanted to specialize in it would have to largely build it from scratch.

Summoning spells - a risk taker, the kind of mind with little regard for their own safety or the safety of others. Most would be summoners and 'demonologist' die well before they unleash something truly horrible and as such theis field is not at all well developed enough to have a 'type' beyond the fools that perish in pursuit of it.

Technology spells - an innovative and very unorthodox mind would be needed to expand this school and bring it into its own. For now there are simply too few trying (and succeeding) to have an established 'type' of mind.


So those are the general sorts of mindsets drawn to different types of magic and those types of minds will do best at each field/specialty 'naturally' however as already mentioned it is not about who is most powerful but rather who is the most clever more often than not.

 

[Jester]

I expected that storytellers would fit illusion/mental to, surprise i guess.

Physical spells, Communication spells, Wood magic, Metal magic, Enchantment magic, Protective spells, Technology spells - from my perspective those are schools that Derryth should have possible talent in. It depend on my character interpretation though.

 

[Azira]

Warrior mask seems a combination of metal and physical spell, so she's got one foot in there, no?

 

[Nevill]

A single spell does not tell you anything about the caster or how talented they can be in a given school. Anyone can learn anything, it's just some have it more difficult than the others.

Physical spells, Communication spells, Wood magic, Metal magic, Enchantment magic, Protective spells, Technology spells - from my perspective those are schools that Derryth should have possible talent in. It depend on my character interpretation though.

Would be interesting to hear your justification about Wood Magic. Derryth, in contrast to Thais, is decidedly a person who does not bend. She opposes the world and forces her will upon it instead of going with the flow.

Metal, though, I can easily see.

 

[Fangshi]

I expected that storytellers would fit illusion/mental to, surprise i guess.

It would depend on the type of storyteller. The types that just recite a story without any imagination or concern for the audience would be poor at it but the types that know how to play to an audience, to improvise, and, well, to lie would be very good at it. So expert storytellers, as a sort of 'liar'/entertainer, fall into that general 'scoundrel' category that can excel at mental/illusion magic as well.

Derryth, in contrast to Thais, is decidedly a person who does not bend.

It depends, Derry does not bend 'morally', when she decides to do something she will try to do it with everything she has but she does show a great deal of mental 'flexibility' and her thinking can be rather unorthodox so I could see how there is a case to be made that her mind 'bends' but never 'breaks'. (She is rigid but it tends to be emotionally/morally rather than intellectually.)


Does not really matter though, you can learn anything you want and as you grow more familiar with a school you will get better at its use regardless, you just might have to work harder to do it.

Edit:

Good news in the update is almost done, just have to edit it and that should not take too long.

Bad news is I only have half an hour to an hour finish everything before I have to run out for the evening.

So, it will either be up in half an hour (and will only be a day late) or it will be up tomorrow (and two days late). Obviously I am hoping it will be the first case and not the second but it will be close.

 

[Nevill]

How precise are the images and/or ideas one can transmit with a False Memory and/or Suggestion?

I still can't figure out why those can't work as communication spells between the mages who trust each other enough to let the signal in.

I mean, can't we plant a memory of our target reading a message with the exact thought we need to transmit, for example? As long as they remember the message, it is essentially telepathy.

Why do we need complex schemes with Caoilainn and Infiltration ritual for something that should be quite simple?

 

[Fangshi]

The reason that False Memory and Suggestion don't work particularly well is that they are still 'attack' spells not communication spells.

They are built to force a single simple idea/emotion into the target's mind and the target's mind will naturally resist though the target can sometimes 'let' the spell in if they become aware of what is happening and are curious/trusting enough to not resist. Additionally, because it is an attack spell it seizes the target's attention whether it succeeds or whether the target lets it in, this can be very dangerous for the target in certain circumstances (see TWM v. Eagle fight).

So there are a number of reasons why it does not make for a good means of communication:

- It is simple, one single idea or image at a time, so it can work for compact and easy messages (Taide tells you to say yes, you trust her so you do. Or you tell TWM that Mazzarin is back, not how he came back, just that he is, and he is distracted by that bombshell.) but not more complex ones. So for example, if you tried to plant the memory of someone reading a lengthy letter/plan in a target's mind they would not remember what is on the letter, instead they would remember reading it, they would remember how you tell them to think/feel about it, and they may remember a single important piece of information about it but they would quickly lose any superfluous details as the spell can not contain them and continue to function.

- It will always manifest in the mind of the target as an attack (because that is what it is), now this is less of a concern for people that can tell who is casting and why, (Derry and Taide can now usually tell if the spell in question came from the other as it has their 'signature' on it) but for everyone else their mind will attempt to fight it off. So in many cases to get the false memory to stick you will need to overwhelm the mind of the target and force your way in. Now, they may or may not realize what exactly is happening but it will be distracting either way and if they are trying to do something difficult (like fight in a battle) it will be a large disadvantage you are saddling them with.

- It requires line of sight, to convey a single piece of information you need to be able to see the target. For example, in that battle with the enemy necromancer while you were pursuing the retreating host, his single darkness spell shut down all of your mental spells while it was active. You needed to pierce the shroud before you could attack. A similar principle goes for trying to convey a message, you need to see the person, so it is often just as easy to call them over and tell them what needs to be done.

- Finally, as an attack spell if the target manages to resist you (like TWM often does) then the information will not be received at all and you merely waste time and some of your pool of willpower on an ineffective spell.

So communication through the bracelets would be better in many ways, you would be able to convey complex ideas, you would not need line of sight to the other bracelet wearer and you would not have to worry about the target of your information 'rejecting' it without considering it.

And worse in others, it is slower since you need to tell Caoilainn and she needs to tell Thaïs, so there are additional steps involved, it will only work between those wearing the bracelets and it is also reliant on Caoilainn getting the message 'right'. She is barely a mage so there is always the chance that she might get a detail wrong if the message is too technical.

Same with Infiltration, it is better in that it gives you a lot of time to come up with a plan and it allows you to discuss 'face to face' (mind to mind) the idea you wish to pursue with the target(s) without a risk of the information getting lost. The downsides are the potential dangers of being a 'foreign body' in the mind of another, and the material and time required to successfully use the ritual.

Finally if you could some how create an actual communication spell that would work like a telephone (or failing that a two way radio) then you would gain all of the advantages while removing most of the old disadvantages though some new disadvantages might come into play.



As for the update, it will be up as soon as I have time to read over it but I have to finish a few things first.

 

[archaen]

Nevill, quit eliciting walls of texts from our GM and let him finish the update.(faux nerd rage)

 

[Fangshi]

Done editing, even added a few more pages. I just have to copy it over now and fix up the formatting a little. It should be out within the hour.

 

[Azira]

*checks clock*

 

[Fangshi]

Chapter 53: Detective D

The tap of fingers on the table, the shuffle of cards in his hands, the King stares at you, awaiting a reply.

"Well," you begin quietly, hesitant to break the silence at the table, "We need to see to any overt threats in the city but we also need to check in with the army to ensure nothing has befallen them."

"Yes," Thaïs quickly expresses her agreement, "We can not risk the army but it would be more practical to deal with any opportunities or threats that may confront us here first."

"You wish to pursue both?" Albrecht questions the two of you, a little concerned that perhaps you intend to do too much.

"I think we have to," you sincerely reply, "We need to spend a few days to get our affairs in order anyway before we can head south so we might as well let our people handle the details while we get to know your family in the city."

The King still seems sceptical but your partner works to strengthen your case, "Once we have had a chance to investigate a little we should be able to give you our finding and the Pathfinders can pursue any leads we uncover while we head south to aid the army against whatever they will find down there."

She pauses and takes a sip from her glass giving you an opportunity to jump back in, "We will need a few things from you to help us succeed at both tasks."

"Such as?" the weary dwarf manages to muster as he gulps down his fourth glass.

You list your first request, "We will require written letters in your hand empowering us to act on your behalf in all things."

"Done," the dwarf nods slowly, "Of course. You shall have them before you leave."

"We will require you to mobilize funds and personnel to aid us as well," the first request was largely a formality, you know this one will not be.

"What sorts of funds and personnel are we talking about?" as you suspected the King is quick to ask for details, understandable really given the scrutiny he will be under.

You raise a hand and a single thin finger, "First, I want you to hire on a company of mercenary mages for at least a month."

"More mages," the King squints.

"Yes," Thaïs answers rapidly, "Almost all of your enemies have substantial magical reserves and you have only us and the Academy."

"Is that not enough?" the King asks as he refills his glass, soon he is going to need a new bottle.

"So far it has been," you admit with a little pride, "We have been bold and we have been cunning but most importantly we have been lucky. In our battle with the Watcher's northern host we were at a significant magical disadvantage, one which we only overcame because of a superior position, hidden assets and enemies that did not take us seriously. We will not always have those advantages and we will need more mages to address that balance."

As usual your partner works to drive home your points, "The fellows of the Academy are fine in a researching role but how much practical battlefield experience do they have?"

"Point taken," the King concedes, "The fellows are a bit too eccentric to send out with the army, they would be as much a danger to our own people as they are to the enemy. So what did you have in mind?"

"Battlemages," the two of you answer as one.

Thaïs elaborates, "We have been speaking to our officers about the various mercenary companies in the city and one in particular seems to be of obvious and immediate utility. The," she pauses for a moment, attempting to recall the name, "Seekers, I believe they are called."

"I am not familiar with them but I will have my people contact them with an offer," the worn and weathered dwarf replies, "I should be able to justify the cost as 'in the interests of the Kingdom', should I send them on immediately or?"

He leaves the question hanging for you and you seize it with a grateful bob, "No, we will lead them out to join the army, best not to travel in too small of a group given the conditions to the south and if we arrive as a group it should prevent any traitors in the army from getting them killed before we arrive."

"Is that all?" the King empties the last of his bottle, tapping out the life giving fluid into his glass.

It isn't, and you tell him as much, "We will also need more money for supplies and we want the fellows at the academy to look into developing a very special weapon for us as well."

"Why do you want the money?" he asks by rote, already well aware that he will be giving it to you.

"Energon cubes, a spell ring, and more," you answer plainly, "Things we will need to increase our chances but which we do not have the funds available to cover at the moment.

"I can't be seen giving you anymore," he empties the glass, "The lords and their agents in the treasury will-"

"You won't need to physically give us any funds," you assure him, "Simply let us use the Pathfinders' account with the Brothers Dietfried. Roll the whole thing into the administrative costs you are already hiding from the lords."

The King grins at that and musters a weak laugh, "Ever considered politics? I imagine you would make a fine queen, er, queens," he nods slightly to your friend and she gives him a thin smile in thanks for the courtesy.

"Really?" you remark with genuine surprise, "I would make a poor queen I think, too little patience for all the petty posturing that comes with the post."

He closes his eyes, his smile spreading as he rolls backward through the years in his mind, "I did not think I would make a good king either when I was young," he laughs, or perhaps barks would be more accurate, "Maybe I was right to think so, but I have not done such a terrible job have I?"

"Of course not your Majesty," you reply in unison, "Without you there would be no Kingdom."

"How horrid of you if you flatter an old dwarf?" the smirks, "And how much worse for us all if you don't?"

The strain on the dwarf has stripped away that air of self-confidence that he wore so naturally only a month ago. You can not even imagine what it must feel like, to have one of your own turn on you. You might not have a family similar to his but if someone in your own family, your Circle, betrayed you like that... if Serpent, or Brigit, or Gareth, or Christine- actually, scratch that, you could completely see Christine betraying you- but the rest, if they turned traitor on you, you are not sure how you would take it or even if you could do what Albrecht is doing now, to essentially order their deaths...

The King is giving everything he has left for his kingdom and perhaps that is what stirs in you the desire to be truthful with him.

"Albrecht?" he opens his eyes as you call his name.

"Derryth," he replies with a single slow blink and the happy smile of the slightly inebriated, the world must seem softer to him now, less horrid perhaps.

"Do you want to know what happened when we went to the desert?" your friend shoots you an asking glance, she must be wondering what you plan to accomplish here.

"Yes," again he answers, a slow blink and that same soft tone but you are not a fool, you can already feel the slight shift in the dwarf. You have his full attention now and he must be prepared to capture every detail.

"We were invited to meet a mage in the hills and caves outside the city," you look to your friend and she subtly sighs then dips her head slightly in agreement.

Now that you have committed to telling Albrecht she seems willing to see this through to the end with you, she turns her full attention to the King and she speaks, "The mage was Mazzarin."

The King laughs, it is bitter and scornful, "Look ladies if you do not want to tell me then do not, but do not lie-"

"We are not," she insists, "He was incapacitated, worn down, dried out and he needed our help with a ritual we knew or at least knew part of."

Good, she left Nine out of the narrative. No sense mentioning the former Fallen Lord that sleeps in your pack, you do not intend to mention Lyssa either, or at least not the most damning parts of her past, you push on as the King's look of annoyance passes over into curiosity, tinted with fear, "We helped him complete the ritual and asked to have Lyssa join us in payment, not as a servant or slave but as an employee," you are quick to add, you do not want the King getting the wrong idea about any of this.

"You, you are not lying are you?" the old dwarf mutters, largely to himself, as the lights sway in the dim backroom, "Mazzarin... Is he on our side?"

A natural first question but one you can not give a satisfying answer to, "He is on his side."

The King frowns.

Thaïs attempts to cushion the blow, "Meaning he is definitely against the Watcher."

The King pinches his nose and leans forward, "Well the enemy of my enemy..." he laughs, "Is more often than not also my enemy. Was he living?"

"Living?" you ask together, what an odd question, you would not have been able to help him if he had not been at least a little alive.

"Yes, living," the King pauses, considering just how much he should tell you, "Not many know this but if you are going to deal with the Great Mage, if this really is Mazzarin, well, you should know. During the Great War the Watcher was struck by an arrow, the arrow was enchanted with bone taken from his very arm and when it struck him it turned him to stone. It did not instantly kill him though-"

You know this story, you have heard it told by Berserk veterans the Empire over, "Yes, we know. The Watcher was petrified, overpowered by the peculiar magics woven into that arrow by Alric and his followers but it took one hundred men to return and slay him, staying behind the Legion, ensuring the job was done. Just a shame he did not stay dead."

The king shakes his head, "Yes that is the version everyone knows but it is not quite what happened. Alric sent in a team of Berserks with one hundred men to see the Watcher off before Soulblighter could free him. However his men were not the only ones present. I had a team of Pathfinders observing the battle, if Alric's men failed then they were to ensure that the Watcher did not survive. Thankfully they were not needed but they did have a lot to report to me when they returned westward to my camp after the war. There are complications with that story that leave me wondering."

"Such as?" you ask together, leaning in, now he has your full attention.

"The arm that the Legion recovered at Silvermines was the Watcher's left arm. They carried it with them as they fled east and it proved to be the undoing of the First Necromancer. The problem though is that the Watcher was not missing his left arm when my dwarves encountered him. He was missing an arm but it was the right arm."

"So he restored his left arm then," you answer with a shrug, "Some time between when he was freed and when the Legion ambushed him he replaced his missing left arm."

"And lost his right arm," Thaïs reminds you, "Who could have cost the Watcher an arm?"

"Exactly," the old dwarf replies with a worried smile, "Someone powerful, very powerful, someone with a grudge against the Watcher, someone that had been stalking the archmage since well before the War and was capable of tearing his arm off and pressuring the mage so much he could not replace it."

"Mazzarin?" you hazard a guess.

"Maybe," the King whispers, "There is a second piece of information that I think supports such a theory. When the Berserks made their final assault on The Watcher, when they had broken through his last defences a Shade or a Shade-like being appeared and attacked them along with a handful of thralls. The Berserks cut it down and then finished off its 'master' and for these many years I had thought it nothing. A Shade forced to defend its lord that fell to the steel of brave men but the more I think about the less I like it. The being was visibly weakened and its reserves spent, as if it had to fight through the Watcher's host to reach the archmage..."

"Perhaps it was wounded fighting Alric's men?" your friend theorizes.

"Those one hundred were brave but insignificant against the sheer numbers the Watcher had and certainly against the reinforcements Soulblighter was bringing across the Gjol behind them. It was my belief, based on the accounts submitted to me by my observation team that this shade, if that is what it was, did not belong to the Watcher. Now you tell me that Mazzarin was alive all this time and I am led to believe that the creature was none other than the Great Mage himself!" the King slams his glass down at that declaration.

Perhaps all of that drink is going to his head. The theory is not strictly speaking impossible but it strikes you as unlikely and if it were the case then why would he not share the information with his allies over sixty years ago?

You tell him as much and he nods vigorously, "True, true, if the Great Mage was active during the War then why not inform Alric, right?" the dwarf king lowers his voice, "Well, why inform the King of something he already knew?"

You both give him a puzzled glance and he laughs, "Archmages, dear ladies, archmages. There were wars within that War that were not fought between armies and in the open. So much happened and so little was told to us by our 'allies' the Avatara. Alric was captured during the War, not many know that but it is the truth. He lead his army eastward on the advice of a being I never trusted and he fell into the Deceiver's hands. Five champions were chosen to free him, five heroes of the Light sent into the east by balloon. Two of them were dwarves, some of my best agents but the five that set out were not the five that reached the King. Along the way they lost a member, one of my dwarves, and gained another in the form of a Berserk, wandering alone across the sand. These new five found the King and rescued him and they would serve him loyally throughout the War. When he returned the surviving dwarf told me a tale of fighting hordes across the sand, of struggling against sad odds with a half mad archmage in tow. He told me a great deal of interest but what was even more interesting is what he did not say."

The King pauses here and reaches for another bottle under the table, when he has carefully refilled his glass he continues, "Months later the missing dwarf returned. He had slipped away from the group to neutralize the scouts of the enemy, when he returned his four companions had replaced him and they were behaving strangely. He trailed them, hiding from the champions and later the archmage as well. He followed them through the desert and he recounted a very strange conversation that Alric had with a certain Shade by the name of Sinis, right before he granted the Shade a second death. The King and the Shade exchanged words and Alric mentioned that he thought Sinis had died in the ruins of the Shrine of Nyx when Mazzarin, of all people, collapsed the roof in on him."

You each give the King a confused look, "So then Alric was referring to ancient history, some account of a mage battle perhaps?" you must admit you have never heard of this Shrine of Nyx, though you assume it has to do with the Trow, nor are you familiar with an archmage named Sinis.

The King shakes his head, though he confesses to a certain uncertainty, "That is what I thought as well at first. But my agent was convinced that Alric was referring to recent events. The way he said it, it sounded like the King was there for the event."

"So what are you saying," perhaps you have had too much to drink, or too little, to follow the King's logic.

The King drains the rest of the new bottle and rises to his feet. Pauses, then sits down again, "I- ah, well I am not sure but I know it is important. Alric must know things about Mazzarin, something must have happened in that desert sixty years ago, it all has to make sense somehow but I just don't know. At any rate, I wanted to warn you. Mazzarin may or may not be a Shade, what sort of ritual did you cast on him anyway?"

"Something to restore his youth," you answer together absentmindedly.

"Like the healing spell you worked on that dwarven family?" the King probes further.

"More or less," Thaïs replies noncommittally.

The rather intoxicated dwarf grins, "Well, no problem then. If he were undead then the natural properties of the mandrake roots you used on him would have destroyed him right?"

"Maybe," you mutter. You do not know what a mandrake root would do to a Shade, having never had a chance to test one and find out. All of that is beside the point anyway, you did not use mandrake roots during your ritual and in this case blood might not out.

Mazzarin, a Shade? That would mean that somewhere, someone is or was his master. Could there be a hand guiding the greatest mage to ever live and if so have you played into it by reviving him?

Sobering thoughts to consider as you make the final arrangements with the King and Astrid, then step out into the night.

--------------------------------------

"So who first?" Thaïs is quick to ask as she slips in beside you for breakfast.

It is good to be back in the capital, back to a place where you can begin your day with something a little nicer than pork and ale. Lyssa to your right is working her way through a chicken while the girls fight over a plate of pastries across from you. Before you is a full spread of food courtesy of the royal kitchens, it is a lot, too much really, but you did not have the heart to send it away so you invited the rest of your group in for breakfast. Of course there are not enough plates and glasses to go around so everyone simply mingles at the trolley snatching up what they like, it would not do for a formal meal in 'polite company' but it is far more to your liking than half of the parties you have been forced to attend.

They were all quick to accept, well, except for Berty. He kindly turned you down, it seems he had business to attend to this morning but he promised to return before everyone received their orders for the day.

"Well I don't much feel like dealing with a self appointed crime lord today," you reply as you work on your eggs, "So let's leave son number three for tomorrow."

Thaïs pours herself a small glass of something crimson. Wine perhaps but whatever it is it has a lovely bouquet, "So, son two or four it is then, we leave Wenzel for now."

"Have any preference?" you enquire as you steal her glass and take a sip, hmmm, tastes like, cherries, nice and a wonderful change of pace.

"Well," she snatches the glass back and tries some with a grin, "I was thinking it might be best to arrange a proper time to meet Timo, unless we want to storm the Silver Flame and create a scene we will need at least a day to arrange for a proper meeting."

She takes a long drink from the glass and places it back on the table. You scoop it up again and top it off, "Would that not give him more time to prepare?"

"Possibly," she takes the glass from you, "But I doubt he is the sort of dwarf we could surprise anyway, from what Albrecht has told us he runs an information network that can almost rival that of the Pathfinders' or our dear friend Mister Mayer."

Mayer grunts from across the room, he has been talking to Skite all morning in preparation for today's interviews but he can not help but eavesdrop on your conversation, he calls over "It is true, Albrecht's second son has one of the best networks in the whole Kingdom but he does not have the best agents," he raises his voice even louder, "And whoever is spying on us right now can tell him I said that!"

The banker is no doubt being a little paranoid, a trait you can sympathize with and admire, hell some small part of you even swears you can hear someone moving through the walls in response to Mayer's declaration. You are not sure if it is merely paranoia on your part or an actual agent from one of the numerous networks that might want to keep tabs on you.

"Alright," you take the glass back and pass her your plate, the trade is conducted without resistance now as the two of you work out a proper system to manage things, "So that leaves... Jan, was it?"

She nods, "Yes, the fellow of the Academy and Albrecht's fourth son."

Well it sounds like a reasonable way to go about things, "Jan first then, and we can use the opportunity to check in with the Academy and see what sort of work they can do for us now. We may want to get them started early."

Following breakfast and the prompt return of Berty Levy, with a blue, twitching sack over his shoulder, you set to work handing out everyone's assignments for the next few days.

You, Thaïs and the girls will spend your days meeting with Albrecht's children, if all goes smoothly then you will see Jan today given he is the most accessible. You will then visit Wenzel and Timo respectively after Albrecht's people can arrange proper meetings for you with them. This does run the risk of giving them time to prepare if they are cultists or traitors but at the same time each is surrounded by layers of security that you would need to bypass just to reach them. It is also unlikely that either dwarf would willingly talk to you if you forced your way into their chambers. You reason that there will be plenty of time for violence if your initial investigations yield results.

Most of the rest of your group will be focused on a different task. The Kingdom is rotten, cultists and spies have infiltrated most branches and the list of people you can trust is quite small all things considered. If you are going to be fighting a war against multiple opponents then you will need an army and you plan to leverage your reputation as genuine 'heroes' to help you build it. To that end Lyssa, Mayer, Berty and Skite will focus on expanding your operations by any means necessary. This will involve meeting with various mercenary leaders to see which is amenable to a buyout while also investigating the feasibility of a proper recruitment drive to bring in unaffiliated sell-swords and fresh recruits. Each member of your four person panel will serve a particular purpose. Berty as you resident tactical expert will evaluate the recruits on their potential as military assets within your organization. Skite as the only one of your mercenary captains on hand will give his impressions on the condition of these assets on an organizational level. Mayer will evaluate their potential to increase the earning of your organization and will also attempt to gauge what if any commercial assets possible recruits can bring to the table. Finally Lyssa is there to help screen the candidates for traitors and infiltrators, though she is not a mentalist like you or your friend and will not be able to determine if the minds of others have been seriously tampered with she will still be able to detect any magic directly at work on them and should at least be able to filter out the most likely spies and liabilities. Hopefully you will have the time to further screen your recruits if need be though time will always remain an issue.

As for you mouse allies, they departed earlier this morning in a third group. Martin, Poppy and Mirra have led most of the mice and rats into the walls to eavesdrop on events within the palace. Hopefully their operation will bear fruit as information must be getting out somehow. Ideally they will be able to pursue leads on this end while your group looks for clues out in the field.

That is the plan at any rate and most of your people think it is a good one.

With your meeting concluded you and your three friends set your feet toward the Royal Academy and Albrecht's fourth son.

--------------------------------------------

You find the Academy is its usual state of controlled chaos.

"I SAY WE BLOW IT UP!!" shouts a little dwarf that you immediately recall from your previous visit.

"He was the one that wanted to cut our arms off," Thaïs whispers as the four of you slip past him.

"No you fool!" a taller, hunched over dwarf screams as he charges across the room, "If you blow that up it will take months to replace it!"

"And it will kill us," an elderly dwarf reminds them with a relaxed chuckle, "Us and everyone within three blocks of the Academy."

He does not seem terribly concerned about such a fate and to be honest you find him the most unsettling of the three.

You hesitate to bother them, as their work does seem quite important, and dangerous, very dangerous, but you have to find Jan so you begin your attempt, "Excuse me."

You are trying to be polite but they pay you no mind, "AH! WHAT ARE THE ODDS IT WILL ACTUALLY SELF-DESTRUCT? WE CAN JUST USE A LITTLE EXPLOSIVE IF-"

"No, no, no!" the hunched dwarf snatches the cocktail from the tiny dwarf's hands, "No explosives!"

"WHAT ABOUT A REALLY BIG HAMMER!" the little dwarf attempts to strike some sort of compromise.

"That would also likely kill us all," the relaxed dwarf replies, "Perhaps we should attempt something a little less drastic first?"

"Excuse me," Thaïs repeats you plea for attention.

"Oh, don't bother with them," a voice calls from behind you.

You turn to see that dwarf from your first visit, the one that suggested that, ah, proton pack? Was it? Janine was her name and she did strike you as one of the more reasonable individuals in the place. She approaches you and leads you away from the other three, "Something I can help you with? Did you wish to try my more permanent solution to your bracelet problem?"

"No thank you," Thaïs responds, "We managed to deal with that problem satisfactorily."

"Oh, that's a shame," she face clouds over at the realization that she will not get to test out the device on you, "What can I do for you today?"

"Well actually there may be a few thing," you begin, "We have come to pay a visit to Professor Jan if he is in," you reach for the formal letter of introduction provided to you by the King but she waves away your efforts.

"No need to stand on formalities, we don't," Janine smirks, "And yes, he is in, he is always in. I rarely see him leave in fact. Come on then, I will take you to him."

While you weave your way down into the building you take the opportunity to ask a few more question, "We sent over a few samples of a powerful adhesive and prototype explosive this morning."

She nods, "Yes, I think we had something like that delivered by the King's own courier a few hours ago. Some of the boys down in one of the labs are working on it and they sounded confident they could have something worked out in a day or two."

Well, that is good news. Either these people really are as good as you have been led to believe or Astrid already did most of the work for them.

Thaïs chimes in next, with a question you were just about to ask "While we are here, would it be possible to commission more work from the Academy?"

"Certainly," Janine responds enthusiastically, the prospect of more work visibly exciting her, "What did you have in mind?"

----------------------------------------

You discuss possibilities with Janine, special fabrics and armour, unique rings and weapons, spell lessons, everything you can think of and she is remarkably honest about what is and is not feasible. The prices she quotes you are often high but as long as the King is covering the costs they should be manageable. The real issue for you is time, how long do you want to spend in the city and what are you willing to leave behind when you do move south? Those are the real questions.

Finally she leads you to a large lead plated door in the third sub-basement. Hanging off its impressive handles is a rather unimpressive bit of wood on a wire string. Painted in rough letters across its surface is 'Magic at work, enter at your own risk!'

Wonderful.

"Well, here we are," he declares cheerfully, "Just go right in."

"What about the sign?" Thaïs notes with a little suspicion.

"Oh that thing," she snatches it off the door, "Jan puts that up to give himself a little quiet. That's all. But ah... keep your weapons close."

With a grin and a wink she is off down the hallway, she spins on her heel before ascending the stairs, "If you want to pursue any of those research subjects we discussed then let me know when you are done talking to Jan."

The dwarf disappears into the stairwell, leaving the four of you alone in the otherwise empty hallway.

You knock.

No response.

You knock again.

Again no response.

With a shrug you shove the door open and are met by blinding light, "Kindly come in or shut the door!" a voice calls out to you from inside the chamber. With not much choice in the matter you enter and your friends follow suit.

The room is white, walls, floor, roof, it is all white. In fact it reminds you very much of Miosguinn's lab under Muirthemne, not a happy association to be sure.

Thankfully there are no tubes with people growing in them or angry cultists waiting to impale you upon their knives.

Instead you are greeted by a slim dwarf in a white tunic and trousers, he is leaning over a large wooden table studying six black eggs. On tables pushed up against the walls of the chamber rest a number of items and artefacts. All of them in an unusual black stone that you instantly recognize as similar to the artefact of the Spider Goddess you encountered under Muirthemne.

Immediately you focus on them, readying your defences, certain you are about to be assaulted by the Goddess herself but you receive no messages, no visions, no threats.

The dwarf looks up at you, his confusion matching your own but quickly recognition lights his face, "Do you, do you actually know what these are?" he grins slightly, "You must, you must, to stare at them like that! The question is who are you?"

It is an interesting change of pace, to have someone in the Kingdom that does not recognize you on sight by now. You can't say that you mind either, "My name is Derryth, this is Thaïs, and that is Biliku and Uttu."

He squints, attempting to pinpoint where he has heard your names. It takes him a moment, but he gets there, "Ah, you are the human mages that have been helping father with his troubles," he rounds the table and approaches you, arm outstretched, "My name is Jan, though if you have come all the way down here you probably know that."

"It is a pleasure," your friend assures him, "We just wanted to ask you a couple questions about events over the last few weeks."

He immediately grasps what you mean, "That business with the Pathfinder prison? Horrible incident and the escape of the necromancer, what a terrible shame."

"So you are well aware of what has been happening in the Kingdom?" you ask as you wander toward his tables and examine the closest egg, you do not touch it, for some reason that feels like a bad idea, but as you examine it, it pulses slightly.

"Yes," he comes up next to you, "Timo visits about once a week and we have lunch upstairs, all he can talk about is politics and he knows I will happily listen to all his complaining."

"He is not happy with the way your father conducts things?" your friend asks innocently.

"Ah, well. He thinks he can do a better job. Maybe he can, maybe he can't, I try not to get involved," Jan shifts uncomfortably, "I have never been much of one for politics really. I can't even play the game between the researchers here, always playing for position, trying to get the most funding from the King. Honestly the only reason why I am given this room all to myself is that many of my colleagues are afraid I could use my connection to my father to take their funding away. They put me down here and let me do what I want, honestly, I am fine with that."

Not a terribly fascinating fellow, this Jan, but you know that outward appearances can be deceiving. For the moment you are at least as interested in the artefacts lining this room as you are the dwarf himself, "You are studying the Spider Goddess?"

He beams, "Yes, it is a subject near and dear to my heart. The Goddess has been outlawed for centuries among my people but there is absolutely no denying that she was one of, if not the most important deity worshiped by the dwarves in the distant past. Some of the temple sites, especially in the south and the northeast are truly impressive in their design and demonstrate a great respect for the Goddess. There is a real treasure-trove of history and culture to be unearthed here alongside a few admittedly undesirable elements."

"Such as?" you give him just the slightest of nudges, it is all it takes.

"Ah well, the cult was prone to live sacrifice. Usually of non-members and preferable of non-dwarves but they made do with what they could find. In exchange for these sacrifices the ancestors of my people seemed to believe they would be gifted political and magical power over others," he shakes his head, "It is all so tragic but very fascinating never-the-less."

"Yes, very fascinating," Thaïs strings him along, "These powers, have you found any evidence that they were real?"

"Well," he hesitates for several moments, trying to decide how much he should tell you, when he does decide to speak it is with excitement and a little fear, "Yes, to put it bluntly. I say this to you because I think you already know, that look on your friend's face, that look of recognition, you must know, right? These artefacts down here, if they were taken from this room, I think, I am certain in fact that they would allow her to directly communicate with us, it is truly fascinating."

"Have you ever tried?" you ask together, your tone flat.

He squints slightly, "Ah, maybe I have said enough..."

If you want more out of him you might have to give him something or you could also try forcing it out of him. That is up to you.


1. Jan and the Goddess: Jan does not seem too interested in the affairs of the Kingdom but he seems to be quite knowledgeable about the Spider Goddess. He could likely tell you more if you wish to convince him somehow.

A) Tell him about your past history with the Goddess as a show of good faith. If he is merely a researcher or maybe a guardian of these artefacts then this might win him over, of course if he is a loyal cultist...

B) Lie to him, play up your connection to the Goddess but frame it as that of a loyal servant. If he is a cultist than Thaïs should hopefully be able to convince him to tell you all he knows. Of course, if he is concerned you are a cultist then...

C) Attack him, if you hit him hard enough with your mental spells you should be able to extract all he knows. It is a bit thuggish but he may know important information.

D)Play up your archaeologist side with Thais's vocal help to create a favorable impression without mentioning your time with the Damned.

E) Share the tale of your 'friend' Miosguinn's fate, the way he was ruined would discourage any contacts attempts and show how dangerous this whole clutist situation is. It would show part of the Goddess' true character as well.

F)Play up your archaeologist side with Thais's vocal help and pose yourself as a fellow researcher on the matters concerning the Spider Goddess. Share your findings and 'progress' with him - Miosguinn's story (with several touchy details omitted), knowledge about the origins of the Goddess and her story (say we've found it in some ancient manuscript or whatever is more plausible), Biliku's and Uttu's proficiency with the language (tell him they are daughters of late professor Casgair in Muirthemne or something) - and get everything he knows about the Goddess (and her potential followers) in return.

G) freeform


2. Research Options: Assuming you successfully meet up with Janine when you are done with Jan there are a number of possible avenues of research you could pursue. (Any option with more than half the votes rounded up will be pursued).

A) Create another spell ring - The spell storage rings that the Brothers Dietfried supplied you with have proven quite useful but they are now out of stock. It would take a month and an entire research team but the fellows are convinced they could create an exact duplicate. Once they have the process down they might even be able to mass produce them though you are not sure how wise that would be. If you want to leave them a ring for a few hours or days they can begin on it at once.

B) Weave steel-cloth cloaks - This would require giving them your spinner and the general dimensions of the cloak you want produced but it should allow them to spin four or five cloaks in a few days giving you a reasonably light weight and fairly protective cloak to wear on your journeys.

C) Weave steel-cloth armour - This would also require giving them your spinner and your measurements but it would allow them to make several suits of armour for you and your people out of finely spun metal over the course of a month or so. It would be lighter and more flexible than plate while also providing you with greater protection than leather. Though it will take them around a month to complete the suits once they have the process down they should be able to mass produce them, assuming they do not somehow break the spinner.

D) Weave a composite armour - This would also require giving them your spinner and your measurements and it would require them to source the proper materials. Janine intends to begin by trying to reproduce the compounds silkworms use to create their cocoons. She believes that lightweight silk armour in combination with the odd protective plate or padding will provide a nice blend of flexibility, strength and low weight needed by the 'modern adventurer'. It will likely take them several months to complete the suits but once they get the process down they should be able to mass produce the suits assuming they do not somehow break the spinner.

E) Enchanting lessons - If you want to spend an afternoon working with the fellows they can likely teach you a spell or two in a tradition you are naturally predisposed to.

F) Flight capable cape - It might be possible with the use of the spinner to construct a cape capable of allowing you to glide on the air like a bird. Even the dwarves think that is a little crazy but they are willing to try if you want.

G) freeform


3. You wonder what would happen if you feed on of the pulsing eggs to the spinner. Do you do it?

A) Yes

B) No

Note: Jan and general questions. While the ladies have managed to get in a few broad questions there are likely a number of things you would like to ask Jan that I have not yet covered. Feel free to ask him anything you want as usual and I will provide his answers. There are some subjects he will not be willing to talk to you about if he does not trust you and if that is the case I will simply tell you to ask again after the vote is closed and you have either won him over or thoroughly alienated or abused him.

 

[Fangshi]

Party/Organization Changes:

Party Changes:

Spoiler

Derryth:

Gained Items:

1. Ten Energon Cubes

2. Gold Ring (Currently Storing: Greater Energy Bolt)

3. Two pieces of simple jewelry

4. Letter granting full authority of the King

Pet Status Changes:

1. Martin - dispatched to infiltrate the Palace

Thaïs:

Gained Items:

1. Ten Energon Cubes

2. Two pieces of simple jewelry

3. Letter granting full authority of the King

Lyssa:

Gained Items:

1. Ten Energon Cubes

2. One piece of simple jewelry

Pet Status Changes:

1. Ocypete - Dispatched to Fort Blackrock with cheese basket for mice - fulfilling contract

2. The following dispatched to infiltrate the Palace:
Mirra
Poppy
Eight Wild Mice
Three Wild Rats
Six 'Novice' Mice

Leaves the Party.

Biliku:

Gained Items:

1. One piece of simple jewelry

Uttu:

Gained Items:

1. One piece of simple jewelry

Berty:

Gains Items:

1. Twitching Blue Sack

2. Pot for his fern

Leaves the Party

Organizational Changes:

Spoiler

Lost WPs:

1. 5 WPs for the jewelry

Not much in this update really. Your reputation has not changed and neither has your bank balance (by much) or your personnel list. Though I do still have to list your remaining contracts with the Blackrock mice.

Rolls:

Spoiler

We are back to the secret rolls I am afraid.

For your group there were about three conversation/observation based rolls. One with Albrecht and two with Jan.

But it is everyone else that got to do most of the rolling. Your recruitment team had a number of rolls, your mouse team had a few, over at Blackrock there were also several and there were a number involving events around the Kingdom. To the south and the east in particular.

Fun facts (maybe a little 'spoilerish'):

Spoiler

The conversation with Albrecht is only made possible by a number of screw ups Bungie made with the original games, as well as a few well placed easter eggs in Myth TFL. Everything Albrecht raves about is derived almost directly from in game material. Now whether he is right or not is a matter that is definitely up for debate.

 

[Absinthe]

1D - Play up your archaeologist side with Thais's vocal help and silent communication via suggestions to create a favorable impression. Since Thais has access to Derryth's memories, our synergy should be high here.

As for 2, is it possible to do both B + E?

Also, I motion we get Lyssa and some lead, then block all these amulets while we ask Lyssa if Mazzarin could be a shade. As a skilled necromancer who had contact with shades, she should be able to tell.

 

[Fangshi]

1D - Play up your archaeologist side with Thais's vocal help and silent communication via suggestions to create a favorable impression. Since she has access to Derryth's memories, our synergy should be high here.

Added.

As for 2, is it possible to do both B + E?

Yes, it is possible to pursue any of the options in conjunction.