Myth: A New Age CYOA

[Nevill]

I mean the guy who is in command of our Muirthemne branch, our NCO and the Third-In-Command in the Circle of the Lost.

 

[Karwelas]

I see. You mean that Tower under the old city where our party start adventuring. By the way, we left these childrens under our training here... we should think about their future in our world. Maybe as officers to our future army. (Everybody know that - we aim very high. Kingdom is our 'must have' thing. Maybe after we deal with Watcher and our enemy in Empire, We should think about it.)

 

[Nevill]

Actually, it is the other way around.

The Tower is our secret asset. No one but our officers know of its existence. Amena and Ithapi are in charge of the Tower, and Gareth and Brigit come to visit them once a month or so.

Gareth is the leader of our Muirthemne mercenary company and our public face in the city. He rents (owns?) a medium-sized compound where he houses our soldiers. His affiliation with us is yet unknown, and it is probably for the better, as we have some very powerful enemies there.

The kids are intended to be our officers or representatives, yes, but we will have to think about how to best integrate them in the society, both because of their roots as former cultists (a death sentence in the Empire), and because there may be people who might kill them just to get back at us. We need to be careful here.

Most of them are from 6 to 10 years old, so it is not like we are in a hurry.

 

[Karwelas]

I see. We have much time to do it so... don't worry about their time. (I think we should teach them about outside world and sometimes go with them around the city under protection - of course in secret. But only when they will be old enough to understand what death becouse they are cultist means.)

By the way... those Avatara guys... they are something like Dark Lords of Light? (I know only a little part of story about Myth, becouse I played games from Myth like 5 years ago) And Mazzarin... he is Hero of Light (aka Balor but... well... 'good. By the way - another question - He was fagot like that in the past too?)

 

[Nevill]

I will refer you to this post about the Avatara.

Mazzarin is/was a Hero of the light, but he was never a part of the Cycle of Light and Dark (not to our knowledge, at least), so he isn't exactly like Balor/Connacht.

No one knows if he was a faggot back then, but he probably was, because it tends to happen when you are powerful enough not to be called out on it.

 

[Karwelas]

I hope we don't turn into fagots when we get enough power... if we get enough power to be immortal. And of course our own Dream or Nightmare. Are there any rules about immortals and immortality in Myth?

And Cycle of Light and Dark... this mean they will fight forever unless we don't break this Cycle (I know this is other one of our goals.)

 

[Nevill]

That's a definite possibility. With great power comes great insanity.

As for the immortality, the question was raised earlier with our resident immortal, Nine.

And here is a relevant quote from another of the answer sessions:

Spoiler

What is the lifespan of a normal human in the setting?

It looks like extending one's life is relatively easy in Myth-verse. Every Heron Guard knows how to do it, even though they aren't terribly powerful mages. Even Forcas, who didn't display much in terms of magical ability, knew it. Are there some kind of common methods to do it?

Most people die young in the setting but the numbers are skewed a bit by high infant mortality rates, moderate rates of death during childbirth and fairly high rates of violent death (particularly among men). There are essentially two times in a person's life when they are likely to die. They are likely to die between birth and four years old from malnutrition, disease and predation. If they survive that then they are likely to die do to violence, disease, predation or in the case of women, childbirth (most would die between fourteen and thirty).

However if they survive all that then they are likely very lucky or of the upper class. If they maintain a good diet, avoid threats and generally look after themselves then it is likely that their 'natural' lifespan would be around seventy or eighty years.

As for extending ones life it both is and is not easy. There are a variety of means available but most of them come with a trade-off.

Some, like the spells used by Forcas cause a great deal of pain as they slow (rather than stop) the aging of the body. He had maybe another ten years left in him if he took care of himself, at that point the spells would simply cause too much pain for him to cast and he would expire. These types of spells are fairly common and all they really do is slow the decomposition of the body, they almost always carry with them a variety of negative consequences, pain, localized damage, insanity and so on.

The Heron Guard are all subjected to a number of rituals (it is important to note that they do not know the rituals that extend their lives, they are merely subjected to them) which grant them a natural lifespan in the hundreds if not thousands of years. Rumour states that the rituals have something to do with mandrakes roots which might suggest that it is similar to your own spell to prevent aging but you have no way of knowing for sure. The trade-off in the case of the Heron Guard is that they must swear service to the Emperor of the Cath Bruig. They gain a greatly extended lifespan but they forever loose their freedom, it is interesting to note that no known Heron Guard has ever turned against the Emperor or sought to leave his service. Hard to say if there is magic at work there or not.

A lot of the Dark Gods can also extend your lifespan significantly, some can even render you immortal after a fashion but there is always a cost.

Then there is the ritual that creates Shades but the trade-off there should be obvious.

Finally you have whatever it is that the archmages do to remain immortal (likely a great many different things rather than a single 'magic bullet' based on what Nine told you) and the trade-off there is that it takes power, time and knowledge to achieve such a state of being. You really have to work at it.

So yes there are quite a few means that can be used to extend one's life and some are fairly common knowledge though the risks and skill required often limit who can actually make use of them.

And Cycle of Light and Dark... this mean they will fight forever unless we don't break this Cycle (I know this is other one of our goals.)

No one knows.

They say the Cycle is already broken, since Alric have defeated the Dark twice in the last 60 years. The only way to find out is to live for another 1000 and see for ourselves.

 

[Karwelas]

I hope we don't start sing Metal songs around like TWM his normal. This may be little... dangerous for everything that lives 10 miles around us. By the way... I feel... bad for Mazz for some reason. He is most powerful creature in the world but he is only a shadow of man and don't have anyone. That is sad.

 

[Fangshi]

Did we manage to identify the burned and melted corpses of the mages that were hit by the Rotting Mist Dream?

Well you did notice the pools of putrefied goo but you have no reason to believe they were caused by a Dream.

Derryth has already heard about the Dream, and that the ghols held it, but does she have a reason to suspect that Nanshe may have it and perhaps even cast it?

Yes has heard of it and she has heard that Nanshe's people once had it.

She does not have any reason to suspect that Nanshe herself (or anyone under her direct command) has it.

Ask Nanshe about the battle. I want to know about how did it go, and about what she did to protect her warriors (lead-laced armor). I think Albrecht might be interested in this, at least for his Royal Guards. It would also be interesting to see what she will say about the melted bodies.

She describes the battle mostly as it happened. She tells you about TWM's singing, about the vultures, about her decoys and her bodyguards. She claims the bodies were dissolved by some of her mages but she does not go into further detail.

Ask her who played the role of TWM's decoy if it was indeed a person. Did we see any humans with her?

She tells you that her clerk/biographer graciously volunteered to play the decoy along with a couple human slaves.

Yes, you have seen dozens of human and dwarven slaves in and around Nanshe's camps on the cliffs and in the caves. The human slaves tend to have the easier jobs and receive less abuse than the dwarves.

Ask her about ghol history. Where do they come from? We have heard stories that they originated from the south. Does she know what is down there? The Mythverse map does not go very far into their lands.

Far to the south a broad, lazy river snakes through the plains and dunes of her peoples' heartland. Many of their greatest cities sit along this river and legend states that if you follow it past the seventeen cataracts you will come to the very edge of the world. Her people came from the sands there, from the edge of creation. They were molded by the Golden Ones and promised the world.

Ask her what was the reason for a gholish-dwarven conflict. We've heard their side, but I am sure the ghols tell their own stories.

Her people, the People, followed their gods' instructions. They moved north from the sands at the edge of time and settled in every land they came across. They build great cities of reed and mud on the plains, they carved massive complexes from cool stone of the mountains, they cut down forests, they emptied lakes and in every land the flourished. As their numbers grew the young and adventurous always led the way, they hunted the beasts they came across and won great honour in bringing back exotic meat and detailed maps of the world. They spread, unopposed through the expansive south and into the east and they believed that they were truly the masters of the world.

Then they reached the northern mountains and claimed those lands as the Infant Kingdoms. The cooler climate took some getting used to but it seemed like the people would prosper there as well. However, it was not to be. Within a generation of settling in the lands the ghôls encountered their eternal enemies. Short, stocky creatures that clawed their way out of the earth and dwelled in the mouths of great caves in the very heart of their territory.

Word was quickly brought to the nearest chieftain and he marshaled a war party to investigate the threat. They approached the horrid abominations and one of there number stepped forward, bellowing a challenge in its strange tongue. It stepped out from its comrades and raised its arms to strike down the Chieftain and his followers. They responded to this challenge quickly and struck down the creature, rendering him unconscious. They then dragged their captive off into the desert.

The intention was to interrogate the dwarf and prepare for an attack but many moons past without his comrades attempting to rescue him. The Chieftain came to visit his prisoner every day and it is said that over time the ghôl and the dwarf became something resembling friends. The dwarf ceased to be a prisoner and instead became a guest then a true clansman in his own right, he was given full run of the clan's town and even made a number of improvements to their technology. Sadly, on the fifth month of his captivity the dwarf perished though the legends of her people do not say how. The clan was of two minds on how to deal with this loss. Some said that the dwarf should be returned to his people but many more thought that the dwarf should remain. They argued that if the other dwarves truly were his people they would have come by now to save their comrade or raid the clan in retaliation. They argued that the other dwarves had abandoned their guest and that he was now part of their clan. It was to this line of thinking that the Chieftain subscribed.

So the clan set about preparing the dwarf's body, they coated him in honey to sweeten his soul, preserve it from disease and help it find favour with the gods. Then they cooked it, releasing the dwarf's soul to ascend to the heavens and the whole tribe partook of his body. The intention was to eat every last scrap of him, to honour him and make him eternally a part of the People. It was to be a time of great sadness but also of joy and remembrance.

It was at that moment that his comrades came for him. In suits of iron with killing spears the raided the camp. The Chieftain strode toward them, he had learnt something of the dwarven tongue and sought to explain. They drove a spear through his chest and push on.

The killing of the Chief was a great blow but not a great transgression. The People have always raided one another, killing and capturing warriors to bolster their own clans or offer as tribute to the gods. What happened next though would mark the dwarves out as monsters for all time. They did not stop at taking the Chieftain's life, nor did they stop at slaughtering the warriors of the tribe. To kill one would have been justice, to kill ten, vengeance, to kill twenty, glory, but they killed all, all save one.

They killed the Shaman and his apprentice, they killed the Chieftain's sons, wives and daughters, they killed the old, they killed the young, they burnt down the clan's encampment and salted the fields. Worst of all they buried the bodies in the cold earth. They hid them from the eyes of the Golden Ones and they allowed the Cold One, the Wet One, the Dark One to snatch up her people's souls.

She scoffs, she says she does not believe in the superstitions of her people but for the rest of her kind there is no greater insult than what the dwarves did that day.

The sole survivor of the attack fled to the nearest friendly clan and told the tale.

It took months for the clans to organize but when they did they launched an attack of unprecedented size on the dwarves. They assaulted the caves of those beast for weeks and the legends of her people are filled with stories of the bravery and honour of those that fought but in the end they were beaten. Then the survivors fled back into the south and for a time they left the Infant Kingdoms to the dwarven invaders but she insists that they never forgot what the price was for trusting a dwarf, for honouring a dwarf, was. She says that it is story told to every whelp by their elders and it forms a bond amongst the clans of the north, some day they will take back what is theirs.

Ask her about what is happening in the south. Who are the gholish troops stationed there? Were it the tribes who formerly served in the Watcher's armies, the ones she led out of the Great Temple? What is it that they are trying to achieve?

"Opportunists," she answers with a shrug.

None of those currently fighting in the south belong to her though if they manage to kill a few dwarves before they die she will make a toast to their valour.

I'm fine with Songs of Power and all that, but I think reducing it into a shoehorned metal battle/competition/etc. is pretty fucking lame to be honest. I like the concept more because of the under-utilized aspect of mythology and tolkien's writings than the "metal concerts fuck yeah" thing.

Sure, fair enough and I will be sure to include a few extra questions to clarify D&T's stance on musical magic use should you decide to choose metal (which looks likely to be honest :D).

On the bright side though you do not have to participate in those 'battles' if you do not want to. Morpheus was simply telling you how musical magic is handled amongst his people and they use music to fight music.

The 'battles of the bands' are simply how the demons go about solving their conflicts in the Dreaming. They have specific locations where their champions can ritually battle using their music and these competitions are subject to a fair number of rules as well. Each side is only allowed a certain amount of equipment and a certain number of fanatical followers at a given 'show'. There are also rules used to determine who can play and when as well as how the performances are 'scored'. The entire thing is rather rigid actually but it does serve to minimize the amount of damage that the demons do to each other and the Dreaming as a whole. Sparassidae came up with the idea and it is much better for the lords of the realm then letting people run around throwing magic out at will.

Naturally all parties involved in these battles do their best to violate the spirit (and sometimes the letter) of the rules and Morpheus makes quite a bit of a profit off all the bribes he receives. In general the battles simply reinforce his own power and place in the Dreaming.

Now, there is no central authority in the physical world that can force you to obey such rules of engagement so if you don't want to play 'honourably' (and the ladies have shown no real tendency to do that so far ) then you do not have to. If someone challenges you to a battle of the bands have the Arrows unload a few hundred arrows into their face, problem solved.

I am also not going to make you engage in long, drawn out rock concerts unless that is actually what the voters want to do. If people choose to keep things a bit more subtle that is certainly a legitimate route the characters can take. Just as people can choose to mostly apply the new channeling techniques to traditional/folk songs instead of taking things from the metal genre should they so desire.

How is the metal scale going up in a band of 3? Can we, lets say, cast 10 Warrior Masks at once? Is it going to be a totally different spell set?

A lot depends on your individual and combined talents and preexisting magical knowledge.

If you had the necessary equipment and enough power to keep the spells running you could probably manage six or so at your current level of power. Your targets would need to stay close together though, if the split up you would not be able to track them all and your group would also have to stay fairly close together to work together.

By the way, Fangshi. Can you post links to the rules of spellcasting and our goal list in the OP? This may be useful. (Spellcasting rules. Goal list is rather more extra thing.)

Sure, I can post the spellcasting notes to the front page.

I don't think I will post the goals list though since everyone has a different personal list. I am certain that the voters as a whole are interested in very different things and so I won't be able to come up with a single list I think.

Current Votes (will tally later):

Spoiler

Grimgravy:
1)C ii, iii, v
2)B
3)A>Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)x
7)x

Baltika9:
1)A
2)A
3)A
4)A
5)x
6)x
7)x

Absinthe:
1)A
2)B
3)A>F
4)B
5)Bii
6)D
7)Aiv

Nevill:
1)A
2)x
3)Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)D
7)Aiii

Kz3r0:
1)A
2)B
3)A
4)B
5)Bii
6)B
7)Aiv

Jester:
1)A
2)B
3)A
4)B
5)B
6)x
7)x

Karwelas:
1)A
2)B
3)G
4)B
5)Bii
6)x
7)x

archaen:
1)A
2)A
3)Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)x
7)x

Azira:
1)C iii, iv, v
2)B
3)F>Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)x
7)x

asxestos
1)A
2)B
3)Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)x
7)x

1. The Reward: A - Metal/Musical Magic
8 votes A
2 votes C: (2 votes Ciii, 2 votes Cv, 1 vote Cii, 1 vote Civ)

2. Whispering Campaign: B - No
7 votes B
2 votes A
1 vote undecided

3.Alric: Tied between A and Gi
5 votes A
4 votes G: (3 votes Gi, 1 vote G general)
1 vote F

Post Flop:
5 votes A
5 votes G: 4 votes Gi, 1 vote G general)

4. Mazzarin: B - Don't call Mazzarin
9 votes B
1 vote A

5. Spoils of War: Bii - Claim the possessions of the vermillion, green and amber mages but not their Watcher stones.
9 votes B (8 votes Bii, 1 vote B general)
1 vote undeclared

6. The Pyrite Empress/Grand Conspiracy for Peace! : D - Postpone committing to anything until you are done in the south.
2 votes D
1 vote B
7 votes undeclared

7. Lilli: Aiv - Tell Nanshe that giving Albrecht back his daughter is a good gesture to persuade House Albrecht (the ruling house of the dwarves) to de-escalate the dwarf-ghol war. Also try to persuade Albrecht on this front and open up the possibility of a greater heal ritual for Enki later when matters to the south have been settled.
3/3 votes for A: (2 votes Aiv, 1 vote Aiii)
0/3 votes for B
7 votes undeclared

 

[Nevill]

She does not have any reason to suspect that Nanshe herself (or anyone under her direct command) has it.

Fine. Then ask her what does the know of Crom Cruach.

She tells you that her clerk/biographer graciously volunteered to play the decoy along with a couple human slaves.

So she has human slaves? Where do they come from? Have they been raiding the caravans from the Empire?

Now, I don't suppose we can tell her how to run her Empire, but these raids reflect very poorly on her people. If some random clans take slaves, they are just proving themselves cruel beasts the world at large already considers them, and reinforcing themselves as acceptable targets for retaliatory strikes - it is a regretful fact, but nothing new. If the Empress of the ghols takes slaves, then she is making a political statement towards how she views people of Cath Bruig. Now, that is a cause for far bigger concerns, and this may be grounds for destroying her Empire before it is even formed. The bands might get overlooked in the presence of greater threats, but a whole state of raiders?

If she wants to alienate Alric and Cath Bruig, the maybe only second place in the world where a ghol needs to actually do something wrong before they are fair play to kill, then she can go right ahead with that policy. If she does not, I would consider avoiding attacking civilians, and especially human civilians. Sends the wrong message.

None of those currently fighting in the south belong to her though if they manage to kill a few dwarves before they die she will make a toast to their valour.

Dos that mean she does not care enough about whether they live or die to recall them?

Would not want to have a misunderstanding.

Far to the south a broad, lazy river snakes through the plains and dunes of her peoples' heartland. Many of their greatest cities sit along this river and legend states that if you follow it past the seventeen cataracts you will come to the very edge of the world. Her people came from the sands at there, from the edge of creation they were molded by the Golden Ones and promised the world.

So why exactly are they contesting a tiny piece of mountain land with the dwarves - for ages, with little to no success - if they have claims to half the world?

Is it worth more to them than the millions they have already lost in trying to reclaim it? Sounds like a sunken cost fallacy.

The intention was to interrogate the dwarf and prepare for an attack but many moons past without his comrades attempting to rescue him.
[..]
Sadly, on the fifth month of his captivity the dwarf perished though the legends of her people do not say how. The clan was of two minds on how to deal with this loss. Some said that the dwarf should be returned to his people but many more thought that the dwarf should remain. They argued that if the other dwarves truly were his people they would have come by now to save their comrade or raid the clan in retaliation.
[...]
So the clan set about preparing the dwarf's body, they coated him in honey to sweeten his soul, preserve it from disease and help it find favour with the gods. Then they cooked it, releasing the dwarf's soul to ascend to the heavens and the whole tribe partook of his body. The intention was to eat every last scrap of him, to honour him and make him eternally a part of the People. It was to be a time of great sadness but also of joy and remembrance.

It was at that moment that his comrades came for him.

So it is as we suspected, then. They've both been had.

The unexplicable absence of the dwarf's comrades for five months, the unknown cause of death, the decision of the clans, and the timing of the dwarves' reappearance during the funeral can't be a coincidence. Sounds like two people were purposefully led to come to blows for an amusement of a certain Fallen Lord, and we can even take a guess at who it was. Fits his Modus Operandi perfectly. *sigh*

A nice rectuitment campaign for the Dark it was, and a completely free one as well. We can only applaud.

Does the tale tell any details about that 'sole survivor' of theirs? The one who carried back the horrid story and spread the message? What happened to him?

But I don't suppose it matters much to them now, since after several millenia of dancing to his tune they have created their own rhythm. Or does it? Would it change anything if we find evidence that they were manipulatend into a feud that is ongoing for two millenia?

We'll be frank with her. The conflict between both of their people bothers us, and we are asking what would it take for her - yes, her - to stop it.

Dwarven version of the same events for reference

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').

 

[Fangshi]

Fine. Then ask her what does the know of Crom Cruach.

It was some sort of idol worshiped by her people and carried by the northern clans from the old kingdoms in the south. It was destroyed by the dwarves at the end of the Great War, a priceless treasure of her people destroyed by their ancient foe. She does not terribly care about its loss but her people do (particularly the priesthood).

So she has human slaves? Where do they come from? Have they been raiding the caravans from the Empire?

She does.

They come from caravans and from other clans that she has absorbed through diplomacy or force.

None of the clans under her command have attacked any Imperial caravans. She has no wish to provoke the Cath Bruig.

If the Empress of the ghols takes slaves, then she is making a political statement towards how she views people of Cath Bruig.

As far as she knows none of the human slaves she has are representatives or subjects of the Cath Bruig. They are also treated humanely and as a part of the clans, they suffer no greater indignity than a captured ghôl would amongst her people and in time she hopes they will even be able to integrate fully into their respective clans. The dwarves are a different matter and they suffer no more than her people suffer under the dwarves themselves. What is good for the goose is good for the gander as they say...

If she wants to alienate Alric and Cath Bruig, the maybe only second place in the world where a ghol needs to actually do something wrong before they are fair play to kill, then she can go right ahead with that policy. If she does not, I would consider avoiding attacking civilians, and especially human civilians. Sends the wrong message.

She has no quarrel with the Emperor and if he writes to her personally, as one sovereign to another, and asks for the release of all humans in her care then she will comply. She will free all human slaves and set them on their way, only keeping those that wish to remain with her people. However she would also expect the Cath Bruig to recognize the legitimacy of her government and the rightful claims of her people to the land stolen by the dwarven menace.

Dos that mean she does not care enough about whether they live or die to recall them?

It means that she does not have enough control over them to make them stop and she has other things to worry about.

Derryth thinks that if you give her a compelling reason to make them stop she might consider wiping them out and absorbing the remnants but for the moment they are fighting her other enemies. The longer that conflict drags out around Stoneheim the better for Nanshe and her proto-empire. At least that is what Derryth suspects.

So why exactly are they contesting a tiny piece of mountain land with the dwarves - for ages, with little to no success - if they have claims to half the world?

The land is theirs, they were there first and the dwarves are honourless, monstrous beasts.

So long as the dwarves hold the Kingdom the Infant Kingdoms will remain simply a dream and her people will be at risk of suffering future atrocities from those cave dwelling brigands.

Is it worth more to them than the millions they have already lost in trying to reclaim it?

It is worth whatever it takes to make their lands and people free; to not have to live in fear of dwarven chariots pushing on through the dark; of the whips and knives of those vicious, little bastards; of their breeding pens and their slave markets; of losing sons, daughters, mothers, fathers to their 'hunting' expeditions.

It is worth the cost to put a final end to the dwarves and she has seen nothing to make her doubt that.

This is clearly a touchy subject for her...

Fits his Modus Operandi perfectly. *sigh*

Well if it was him that did it then at least he is not trapped on your wrist and able to manipulate you anymore...

Does the tale tell any details about that 'sole survivor' of theirs? The one who carried back the horrid story and spread the message? What happened to him?

A white ghôl with pink eyes. The legends claim he fought with a stone spear and a shield of dwarf flesh. He led the charge to war, carrying the message from clan to clan and calling together all of the elders to a conclave to determine the correct course of action. He united the clans and brought them before Stoneheim, every day he led the clans to battle before the city. Always was he the first to attack and the last to withdraw. He fell on the fourth day, a sword buried in his side, and after that the clans had to make due without his gifted leadership.

But I don't suppose it matters much to them now, since after several millenia of dancing to his tune they have created their own rhythm. Or does it? Would it change anything if we find evidence that they were manipulated into a feud that is ongoing for two millenia?

The thought has never occurred to Nanshe in all of her years. She falls to silence and sincerely considers your question.

When she does speak her voice is quiet and uncertain, "It- it would make a difference to me... If my people have been used for thousands of years it would make a difference to me but I do not think it would matter much to my people. Even if the dwarves were innocent of the first crimes laid at their feet they are not innocent of all that came after. They are not innocent of the thousands or tens of thousands of ghôls that they have butchered and defiled. They are not innocent of stealing the lands that my ancestors claimed with their own hands and feet. Even if they are innocent of that first slaughter they are not innocent in the eyes of my people, I..." she falls to silence.

We'll be frank with her. The conflict between both of their people bothers us, and we are asking what would it take for her - yes, her - to stop it.

She gives your request a great deal of thought.

When she finally does answer it is to say that she does not believe she can end the conflict. She does not believe her people would accept anything but total victory for their Empress. If the dwarves were willing to free all their slaves, if they were willing to surrender all claim to ghôlish land and if they were barred entrance into ghôlish lands for five generations (long enough for her peoples' hatred to cool) then perhaps there could be peace between her people and their enemies, perhaps...

 

[Nevill]

It was some sort of idol worshiped by her people and carried by the northern clans from the old kingdoms in the south. It was destroyed by the dwarves at the end of the Great War, a priceless treasure of her people destroyed by their ancient foe. She does not terribly care about its loss but her people do (particularly the priesthood).

And the Dream it had, what happened to the Dream?

Speaking of the priesthood, what plans does she have for them? Does she intend to rule her people through religion? Or does she intend to do away with them at some time in the future?

She has no quarrel with the Emperor and if he writes to her personally, as one sovereign to another, and asks for the release of all humans in her care then she will comply.

Writes her personally? Admittedly, we are no politicians either, but how good a grasp on history between her people and Cath Bruig does she have?

Does she realize that the only thing that makes her different from all the other warleaders her people had are her own claims of being an Empress?

She would have to prove her right to be recognized as such to the rest of the world, not the other way around.

And Alric would never accept her claim to this land. Sorry, not going to happen. Not his fault her people have allied with the Dark every time an invasion was launched into the lands of man. If she thinks that a human Emperor would not want to have a buffer zone between them, she'd better think again, without emotions clouding her judgement.

The ghols are viewed as a threat, and the burden of proving otherwise lies with them, for they have done enough to earn their reputation.

Trying to wipe out a long standing ally of Cath Bruig does not really help that goal.

It is worth whatever it takes to make their lands and people free; to not have to live in fear of dwarven chariots pushing on through the dark; of the whips and knives of those vicious, little bastards; of their breeding pens and their slave markets; of losing sons, daughters, mothers, fathers to their 'hunting' expeditions.

It is worth the cost to put a final end to the dwarves and she has seen nothing to make her doubt that.

An excellent sentiment. Let's take a closer look at it.

Her people have been at it with the dwarves for several millenia at least, piling misery upon misery, corpses upon corpses. They have been trying to expel the dwarves from their lands for who knows how long, and what exactly do they have to show for it?

Let's take a good look at history, the greatest teacher of all, though some prefer to call it 'the sum total of things that could have been avoided'. Better, smarter, and stronger generals have tried to destroy the dwarves in that time, and every one of them failed. Balor have driven them off their lands, but they have returned stronger than before. Soulbligher tried to drive them away, and what have become of him? The resourses the archmages had at their disposkal were immense, and they still lost. What makes her think anything will be different now?

But that is not what is important right now. In every war with the Dark the dwarves have thrown their support behind the forces of Light, and thus in every war the ghols have sided with whoever fought against the Light at a time. They have willingly reduced themselves to fodder for the Leveller and the Falled Lords. They have stooped to the level of Myrkridia and the undead. Was it the dwarves that did it to them? No, they have done so out of their own free will, seduced by the promises of greatness and power that would allow them to take revenge on their enemies.

You know the curious thing about power and greatness? They can never be given by anyone, they have to be earned, else they are just fakes that could be stripped away as easily as they were granted. Her people forgot that simple truth more times than they had the right to. No one in their right mind would follow the Fallen. When did it ever do anyone good? Has she forgotten what happened to Myrkridia who were used and armed by Moagim much as the ghols were by Balor? They were wiped out to the last female and pup. Has she forgotten what happened to Myrmidons? No one has ever seen them after the Balor's fall. Has she forgotten what happened to those who chose to follow the Watcher, or to those who served the Thin White Mage? Those were dead even before we took mercy on them and freed their souls.

Is that the future she wants to see for her people? Because when she says that destroying the dwarves is 'worth whatever it takes', that is what comes to mind. She can't even claim that it can not happen, or have never happened - because her people have beein doin exactly that for the last 60 years, bowing before archmages who promised to give them the means to destroy their 'oppressors'. Hell, a mere month ago she was an unwilling servant to the Watcher because her husband has sold their clan into an eternal slavery in an attempt to squeeze any little advantage he could over his enemies and rivals! No doubt, he, too, thought that it would be 'worth whatever it takes'.

Has she really seen nothing that would make her question the cost? Because then she would have to be blind.

But where did their faithful service leave them? What is the place of her people in the world? They are but one step away from being considered irredeemable abominations on par with undead. The dwarves and the Forest Giants kill them on sight. The fir'Borg have no real love for anyone, but the ghols have probably pissed them off as well after the Dark consumed the Province and got close to Ermine. The only other races in the world that consider them sentient and not inherently abhorrent are the Trow (who probably just don't care), the mauls (who aren't in a position to judge, after being allied to the Soulblighter), and humans - and our goodwill is quickly wearing thin. I mean, there is only so much you can attribute to mistakes before you are forced to admit that maybe the ghols are predisposed to being servants of the Dark, seeing how they unerringly end up in bed with it.

And they have suffered for being gullible fools that they were. They suffered when Alric pushed against Balor and Myrgard was retaken, with every ghol in it slain; they suffered when the Soulblighter was crushed, and if we didn't show up when we did, they would have paid full price for having trusted the Watcher as well, regardless of whether the archmage won of lost. It is a miracle they have not shared the fates of Myrkridia and Myrmidons yet, but they are making great strides towards it with each passing century. They already are at a state where it is considered 'acceptable' for everyone to kill them.

"Like I said, everyone tries to murder us. That is nothing special, your peoples have always done so and always will do so but we will win in the end. A murdered clan here or there hardly warrants vengeance."

Well, guess what, it is not 'normal'. It is a result of what her people chose to become.

Did the dwarves do that to them? Or is there a limit to blaming their own fuck-ups on someone else?

So we would have to ask again - is it worth dooming her people to extinction or servitude in order to get rid of the dwarves? She wants for them 'to not have to live in fear', but the road she is leading them towards will have them stop living, first.

For the first time in a long while - maybe in an eon - the ghols have become free of the influence of others. They have someone else of their own kind to rally behind, they have their own ideas for their future, not something that some archmage or the other have planned for them. This may be their opportunity to change their destiny, to achieve something they haven't before. And she wants to squander it on what they have always been doing, on a pointless fight that has been going for ages with no end in sight, the very same fight that drove them to ally with the Dark and brought them to the miserable state they are in now?

Does she even realize what she is to her people?

There are not many who would consider a gholish Empire seriously before reaching out for torches and pitchforks. If the ghols fail to become anything else than what they have been so far even with the best of them in the lead, then there is truly no hope for them. It is a small miracle that we are having this conversation now. If a similar situation ever arise again sometime in the future, her successor will no longer have a benefit of doubt she had. She is literally the first and last chance her people have.

Does she want to spend this chance trying to break her head over a brick wall when there is a two thousands years worth of proof that nothing good ever came out of it - not for the ghols, not for the dwarve, not even for the Fallen Lords, it seems? Does she want to do the same thing again - and expect that something would change this time? Does she know the definition of insanity?

Or is she willing to admit that there may be another way?

Has she ever wondered what will happen to them if she is ever taken out of the picture - slain, captured, betrayed, or hell, even dies of old age? If she continued going down the road her people have followed for centuries, then what would stop them from falling to the old habits? It is what they do, and it does not appear that history ever taught them anything, seeing how they were eager to jump the Wather's bones a mere year after the Soulblighter's defeat. You can't even claim they forgot anything - it simply went over their heads! So the moment she is not here, they will - inevitably - run to the next mage willing to promise them the bright future instead of working hard for it. Who is out there that they didn't bow to yet after Shiver, Balor, Soulblighter, and the Watcher? The Deceiver? The Faceless One? No, that is the one who started the mess in the first place. Damn, that list is getting short!

Does that not concern her at all?

We are going to put it bluntly. She is at a crossroads where she can choose to try and save her people, or try to destroy the dwarves - but not both. She will have to choose what is more important to her.

Trying to destroy the dwarves is not something we would allow. It is not something Alric would allow. If she falls in battle, the future of her people will be sealed as they will regress back to being fodder in the games of higher beings. If her conquest fails, her rivals who do not understand the trap her people have fallen into will tear her apart. If she ,anages to conquer the kingdom, then she is looking at a war with Cath Bruig, as they would rightfully see the ghols as a vanguard of the Dark - as they have always been, - and even if they aren't, that's what they will become after her death. We've seen that before. If she somehow survives that, her people would become locked in the opposition to the Cath Bruig, and when the time comes, they will side with the Dark. Unless, of course, they manage to defeat Alric and ruin Cath Bruig. Then they will become the Dark.

There are no winners on that path. Her people will never know independence, always serving as a piece in someone else's game. It is a hopeless battle where each victory mires her kind even deeper in a bog that she hoped to help them escape in the first place.

She has to ask herself, does the future of her people really depend on what happens to the dwarves? Since when did she let the dwarves define what her people are?

A white ghôl with pink eyes. The legends claim he fought with a stone spear and a shield of dwarf flesh. He led the charge to war, carrying the message from clan to clan and calling together all of the elders to a conclave to determine the correct course of action.

Laugh maniacally. And applaud.

Fucker.

Yes, the more we hear, the more we believe that if was the doing of a Fallen Lord. We can only guess the motives, but there is a chance that an endless supply of cheap bodies for the Dark was one of them. If so, they have succeeded wonderfully.

"It- it would make a difference to me... If my people have been used for thousands of years it would make a difference to me but I do not think it would matter much to my people."

Would it now? She knows for a fact that her people were used by the archmages as expendable troops, even without knowing whether or not one of them instigated the conflict. They were using them freely for years, and her people readily offered their services.

Why would knowing about who made the first push make a difference if everyone is perfectly happy with how things are now?

Or is she not happy?

"Even if they are innocent of that first slaughter they are not innocent in the eyes of my people, I..."

No one is innocent. No one could stay innocent in a meatgrinder that went on for millenia. The ghols have done their share of deprived deeds, on top of allying with the forces out to destroy the world. They should be the last to speak of the guilt of others.

But if a mistake is realized, it needs to be corrected. It is bad enough to perpetuate the cycle of hatred unwittingly, but doing so while fully aware of it is a crime before both of their people.

It boggles the mind to think that the number of souls dead to this conflict may be more than of those who are still alive. Someone has to stop this.

When she finally does answer it is to say that she does not believe she can end the conflict. She does not believe her people would accept anything but total victory for their Empress.

Her people have accepted a lot of far more questionable deals lately. *nod at her necklace*

We never let the fact that the dwarves won't accept our alliance stand in its way, did we? We are trying to pursue a course that we think would be best for both people, quite often without them knowing about it - and so far it worked out splendidly... mostly. Why can't she do the same?

If the dwarves were willing to free all their slaves, if they were willing to surrender all claim to ghôlish land and if they were barred entrance into ghôlish lands for five generations (long enough for her peoples' hatred to cool) then perhaps there could be peace between her people and their enemies, perhaps...

She should be able to look at the history of the dwarven kingdom and see for herself that they were content to sit on their butts, build up, and ignore the ghols (since they never tried to expand their kingdom), while it always were the ghols who were preoccupied with the return of their 'ancestral lands'. The dwarves have nowhere to return to, that is the only land they have, and they will not - can not - leave it. Only the ghols can.

If she is really interested in finding an alternative, she should learn to discern between what is possible and what is not. Only after that would we be able to start making steps towards that direction.

Five generations of her people mean nothing to the dwarves, as not a single generation will pass among them. And there is no guarantee that her heir - if she even manages to conceive a heir in these dangerous times and if they manage to retain the rights to the throne among all the power-hungry clans who do not have her foresight - that her heir would share her ideas or beliefs. The prospects of her people not dissolving back into a chaotic mess after her death are very slim indeed.

No, if such a thing is to be made possible, it will have to be carefully planned in advance and carried out in person over several hundreds of years, hundreds of years of lying and mischief as neither her people, nor the dwarves fully understand the ramifications of the conflict between them, or its reasons.

As luck would have it, we have managed to obtain a secret of eternal youth. With it, she can realize her visions for her people without fear of them being corrupted after she passes away of old age, as she would be able to eternally guide them until such a time she would wish to step back - provided she is not killed, of course. She really is the best chance her people have... but we will not give it away just for her to wage another war.

Again, she will have to choose: either to lead her people down a new path they haven't tried before and hope it works out, or assure their mutual destruction with the dwarves - if that.

We will have to let her think about it for a while.

 

[Nevill]

Anyway. There are other things we can talk about.

First, the Nightmare Nanshe gave us. Can she help us translate the spell? There is no one around for miles that can speak Temple Gholish, except Nanshe helself and maybe some of her priests. And I am certain if she didn't want us to know the spell, she would not have given it to us. So... can she help us out?

Next, there is a quote from the tome describing a biography of Shiver that always intrigued me:

Shiver had practiced arch-magery for untold time before joining Balor's forces. The Ghols whisper of her long-ago exploits using the name Culwyeh, and even they are taken aback by the tales they tell.

How did her people came to know Shiver - or was she still called Culwyeh back then?, - and what do they know about her?

Finally, there is a person that I want to ask about. *conjure the picture of Lilli Jan gave us.*

Before Nanshe asks, yes, she is a dwarf. She is also a sister and a daughter to our friends. She is an adventurer, a civilian, and not a part of this stupid war.

She was last seen 15 years ago, somewhere to the south of the path between Myrgard and Stoneheim, and it is assumed she was lost to a ghol raiding party. Her body was never found.

We would like Nanshe to inquire about her fate. If she is still alive, we want her back. If she is dead, we want it confirmed.

-----
As for the votes, I have no opinion on the 2nd one, so it will have to remain undecided.

About Mazzarin, I don't think summoning him is necessarily wrong, but the language used is the option is extremely unappealing. 'Demand an audience'? 'Ask for an explanation'?

I'd fry us just for the phrasing alone.

If anything, we should make use of our newfound CHA 4 and of our ability to KEEP OUR MOUTH SHUT. All I would do is bring to his attention that the demons he summoned (?) may be killing everyone including our reinforcements and thus helping the Watcher to break the resistance of the defenders. Does he know anything about that? Was it an intended effect? And flutter the eyelashes innocently.

You can't really answer that with a 'yeah, I did that, so what?' There is no way he admits that he is 'helping' the Watcher. All you can do in response to that is thank us for being vigilant and fix the damn thing, whether you like it or not. Use a bit of subtlely, people, instead of making demands of someone a hundred times more powerful than you.

Besides, I think we owe him an apology for not giving him the Faceless back then.

No need to use our favor for something as trivial as a talk. And if he asks, yes, we thought that the concern about the reputation of the Great Mage is a worthy reason for notifying him.

Be polite, be correct, be smiling, and make him want to do what you want him to do. Works wonders on 'forever alone' types like him.

I would like to summon him at a later date, but for now I will put this aside, at least until I see a blinking horror with my own eyes.

Thus, 4B.

 

[Fangshi]

Impassioned speech aimed at Nanshe's better nature.

rolling...

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Well... fuck...



Morphues applauds...

Sparassidae nods several times...

Thaïs smiles at you and squeezes your hand...

And Nanshe...

Nanshe lowers her head.

When she does raise it she says she is willing to consider your proposal. If you can give her the means to eternally rule her people and you can eventually provide her with proof that the dwarves were originally innocent then she will do everything she can to redirect her people's aggression away from the Kingdom. She will try to prevent further conflict, at least between the clans that are loyal to her and the dwarves but in exchange she will need help.

If she does this she is betraying the wishes of the very people she claims to represent. She will be going against thousands of years of ghôlish 'policy' and if her people ever find out then she will be dragged from her throne, her head will be cut off, her body will be cut into eight pieces and stuffed in a barrel full of salt water. She will then be buried so far below the earth that the Gods, should they care, will never find her soul.

For her treachery her immediate family and entire clan will also receive a similar treatment.

Naturally she will want any help or information you can give her to prevent this from happening and you will either need to personally manipulate the dwarves to prevent them from starting a war or you will need to find agents amongst the dwarves that can be trusted to help maintain the peace.

So, this is going to require a vote:

6. The Pyrite Empress: Your attempts to persuade Nanshe to put an end to the longstanding dwarven/ghôlish war have yielded a few small fruits. She is willing to consider manipulating her own people to prevent another war but she wants proof that the original conflict between her people and the dwarves was the result of a third party's interference. She also wants you to teach her the Eternal Bloom ritual to keep her young and able to control her people for as long as is needed. If she does go through with her side of the bargain then she will be betraying her people's trust and desires, if she is ever caught then she will be killed and buried and so will her entire clan from the oldest to the youngest pup. If she is going to do this she will want a commitment from you to aid her in any way possible and provide her with information and material support if needed. Naturally if you are caught working in such a close manner with a ghôl by your enemies or the dwarves in general you will be stripped of all titles and you will be killed, painfully, along with all those you know that have been similarly compromised.

To pull this off you will need to engage in a campaign of manipulation and misdirection that will likely span centuries and will require agents on both sides dedicated to preventing future wars and you may need to form some sort of syndicate or cryptocracy spanning the south to see it to completion. It is not something to be undertaken lightly but you might be able to build a better future and spare two peoples from a pointless cycle of endless conflict.

A) You agree to Nanshe's terms. You will commit to preventing future conflict between the ghôls and the dwarves. Since you can only trust yourselves in this you will attempt to do everything by yourselves and will not look to involve others.

B) You agree to Nanshe's terms. You will commit to preventing future conflict between the ghôls and the dwarves. You believe the only way to do this is by creating a shadow organization/syndicate/cryptocracy dedicated to preserving the peace. You will aim to incorporate those in positions of power should they prove capable and trustworthy and you will work to remove those that are not. (Note: If you do decide to form your own syndicate you might want to pick out a few secret symbols... an all seeing eye or something... feel free to suggest a symbol should you wish, the most popular option will be adopted.)

C) You do not accept. Although you do not want to see more bloodshed you are either unwilling to take the risks involved or unwilling to spend the time and resources necessary to undertake such an effort.

D) Postpone the decision until the conflict in the south is resolved.

E) freeform

And the Dream it had, what happened to the Dream?

The Dream is safe in the minds and hearts of her people.

Speaking of the priesthood, what plans does she have for them? Does she intend to rule her people through religion? Or does she intend to do away with them at some time in the future?

The priesthood have served as the backbone of her people since time immemorial. She has no intention of doing anything with them as they all support her and lend credibility to her office. She does not believe in any of the Dark Gods though.

Morpheus coughs and Sparassidae looks hurt...

Nanshe shifts uncomfortably and elaborates. When she says she does not 'believe' she means that she has no intention to worship the Dark Gods, she still knows they exist and is sure some of them are even wonderfully helpful but as Empress she will bow to no one.

The pair of Dreaming deities look generally satisfied by her response.

Writes her personally? Admittedly, we are no politicians either, but how good a grasp on history between her people and Cath Bruig does she have?

She knows that a century ago Alric had no title at all to his name save that of a prince of the Province. He wandered the lands without anyone to support him and yet now he is Emperor of a good chunk of the world. She believes she can do the same and sees no reason to humble herself before another monarch.

First, the Nightmare Nanshe gave us. Can she help us translate the spell? There is no one around for miles that can speak Temple Gholish, except Nanshe helself and maybe some of her priests. And I am certain if she didn't want us to know the spell, she would not have given it to us. So... can she help us out?

The scroll is in Temple Ghôlish because that is the language needed to understand it. If she tried to translate it into Dwarven some of the meaning would not carry over properly and it would become unperdictable/unstable. If you would like you can return with her to her city in the southeast and she will take the time to teach you Temple Ghôlish or she could give you one of her priests and have him/her teach you. You would need to promise to protect the priest though and send him/her back safely should you no longer need the help.

I can provide either option or both as a vote should you wish.

How did her people came to know Shiver - or was she still called Culwyeh back then?, - and what do they know about her?

Culwyeh fought for her people and against the dwarves long ago. She was a powerful ally and a true one as well but then she disappeared and was not seen again. When Shiver came to them during the Great War she spoke to them of the legends of Culwyeh. She knew so much that an outsider simply could not know that the ghôls accepted that she was Culwyeh even if the descriptions did not match.

Finally, there is a person that I want to ask about. *conjure the picture of Lilli Jan gave us.*

Before Nanshe asks, yes, she is a dwarf. She is also a sister and a daughter to our friends. She is an adventurer, a civilian, and not a part of this stupid war.

She was last seen 15 years ago, somewhere to the south of the path between Myrgard and Stoneheim, and it is assumed she was lost to a ghol raiding party. Her body was never found.

We would like Nanshe to inquire about her fate. If she is still alive, we want her back. If she is dead, we want it confirmed.

Nanshe considers the picture for several minutes in silence.

She nods once then speaks, "The eyes, I remember those eyes. I was just a girl but I remember a slave in the care of the Yellow Tusks that had those exact eyes. She did not speak and did all that was asked of her but those eyes, there was such complete confidence in them and it struck me as very odd for a slave."

She says that the territory of the Yellow Tusks is east of Stoneheim. They have not sworn fealty to her growing state though so she has no claim on them and she does not even know if that slave is still with them or even still alive.
She says she is sorry but that is all she knows.

Derryth thinks that Nanshe might be persuaded to try and find the slave if you wish to try to convince her. She might require something in exchange for the effort, but she might do it for free if you intend to accept her offer in question six since you would be entering into a long term arrangement/partnership with her anyway.

You could also get Morpheus to look for her if you can give him something of value or simply promise him someone/something of sufficient value in the future.

Finally you could just go yourself and physically search but you have no reason to assume the Tusks would not simply attack you. Nanshe has no claim on them and you are just humans.

 

[Nevill]

rolling...

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Well... fuck...

Whoa, really?

Well, then.

6. D - Freeform. Postpone the decision until the conflict in the south is resolved.

Nanshe should not have an issue with it since she is not affiliated with any of the forces there, and I am not going to decide on a plan spanning several centuries when we don't even know if we live through tomorrow.

But should we live, I will definitely revisit this. It is good that she is ready to consider it.

If she does this she is betraying the wishes of the very people she claims to represent. She will be going against thousands of years of ghôlish 'policy' and if her people ever find out then she will be dragged from her throne, her head will be cut off, her body will be cut into eight pieces and stuffed in a barrel full of salt water. She will then be buried so far below the earth that the Gods, should they care, will never find her soul.

What can I say? Welcome to the club. Now she knows how we felt when we decided to work with her.

Derryth thinks that Nanshe might be persuaded to try and find the slave if you wish to try to convince her.

Well, you know how it is. We are capable, and we pay our debts.

We are expert killers, mind-readers and healers. We will not do anything that would compromise the kingdom, but should she need anyone removed, checked, or restored, we can oblige her.

Did we see a certain priest without an arm on the way here?

 

[Fangshi]

6. D - Freeform. Postpone the desicion until the conflict in the south is resolved.

Sure added.

Well, you know how it is. We are capable, and we pay our debts.

We are expert killers, mind-readers and healers. We will not do anything that would compromise the kingdom, but should she need anyone removed, checked, or restored, we can oblige her.

Did we see a certain priest without an arm on the way here?

Yes, you saw Enki as he rarely leaves her side. You ask about him and Nanshe gives you the bare basics (essentially what you have seen in the Interludes). She thanks you for the offer to restore his arm and if you are serious she could have enough blood gathered to conduct the ritual. It would likely delay you about a day longer should you wish to pursue it. If you do restore Enki's arm then she will use her contacts to try and find the slave you mentioned though she can not promise anything. She is not on good terms with the Tusks and it will still be several months until she is strong enough to directly challenge them. She also cautions you to keep an eye open should you head south as the Tusks are one of the clans taking part in the raids on the Kingdom. If you can capture some of their people you might also be able to find out something.

And of course as previously mentioned you could also try Morpheus.

So your options look like this:

7. Lilli: She may still be alive and Nanshe says she was last seen as a slave amongst the Yellow Tusks. You could try to pursue this lead in a number of ways. As most of the options are not mutually exclusive all options that receive a majority vote will be selected. If you do not want to make any deals then select C:

A) Get Nanshe to help: As a leader amongst the ghôls she may be able to get to places you can not. She may be able to find and recover Lilli for you though she will want something in exchange (the most popular variant will be chosen should this option get selected):

i. You will agree to her proposal in question 6. As partners in a grand conspiracy she will help you just to keep you happy.

ii. You will preform the Greater Heal ritual on her First Priest Enki in exchange for her help in trying to find Lilli.

iii. freeform

B) Get Morpheus to help: He can peer into the dreams of mortals and might be able to track Lilli down to a specific location now that he knows what he is looking for (the most popular variant will be chosen should this option get selected):

i. You will simply have to owe him a favour in exchange for trying to locate Lilli.

ii. You will give him TWM's journal which should cover the cost of looking for her. If you want him to do anything else (like give her a message) then you will have to provide more payment.

iii. Promise to restore Enki's arm in exchange for Lilli, but inform her that you will not perform the ritual right away as you lack time.

iv. Tell Nanshe that giving Albrecht back his daughter is a good gesture to persuade House Albrecht (the ruling house of the dwarves) to de-escalate the dwarf-ghol war. Naturally, you would also try to persuade Albrecht on this front. Also open up the possibility of a greater heal ritual for Enki later when matters to the south have been settled.

v. freeform

C) You will not seek external help to find Lilli (or find out about her death) you will simply have to be mindful of opportunities as they present themselves.

 

[Absinthe]

6D I agree on postponing this decision until we are in a condition to actually do something. I would also like to see if we can get Albrecht himself to commit to nonaggression with the ghols.

As for Nanshe, I would say that she could persuade her people that before mastering their enemies they should master themselves like the days of old. So breaking the watcher's necklaces and building up their own strength and empire comes before attacking their enemies, and with any luck she may be able to develop a society that prefers what it has over a ruinous war of vengeance.

Yes, and now he is going to ask for help. This will be considered a weakness, as if he is backtracking from his previous decision.

If it is done through private channels it could be set up so that Alric himself is formally requesting of Albrecht if he might bring assistance against the demonic hordes, and Albrecht would accept.

The Brannons may even demand the heads of the supporters of the Dark - that is, us - in exchange for the Imperial help, if they smell blood in the air.

You are assuming, again, that the Brannons will have such a huge say in it. Besides, if they ask for supporters of the dark we will give them dark mages we find and point out they have no evidence of us being dark mages ourselves.

Meanwhile, if we do it, the King gets to save face as we explain that it was a misunderstanding due to rash action on both sides. We can allow ourselves to play the role of a neutral party, but the King has no such luxury.

The scenario you're suggesting does not save any face. If we do this, we are going over the king's head and so is Alric. That can be extremely humiliating for the king because it suggests that he does not have control of his own borders and does not even have control over his country's negotiations with foreign powers.

They are not the ones who decide. They did nothing to prevent the embassy from being closed, even though Eagle wasn't exactly ecstatic. They serve the Emperor, and if the Brannons have Alric's ear, they will dance to the Brannons' tune.

This isn't about deciding power. If Alric hears from his own Heron Guards positive words about us, given his "great wisdom" he would reserve judgment on us rather than just doing what the Brannons want.

Yes, Mazzarin - who has Alric on the run from Muirthemne - vouching for us would be a nice final nail in our coffin.

I am pretty certain that it is the Faceless Man who has Alric on the run from Muirthemne, not Mazzarin. And Alric himself is quite endebted to Mazzarin given the backstory, so I'm quite certain that Mazzarin vouching for us would wash away any accusations of being dark servants.

Again, it is one of a hundred ways to have a letter delivered.

Certainly, but I have my doubts as to whether it will be an untraceable letter as you hope. I suppose Brigit can try to put her skills with the Thieves guild to good use for sending anonymous letters, but I still don't like the idea of involving our crew this way.

Puh-lease, the Pathfinders still can't find the archer who waltzed into the Royal Palace in broad daylight.

There was an entire clusterfuck going on at the time and they were the Eberhardt's equivalent of pathfinders.

Wait, in hindsight, 3A>F. I just realized that if we get the Brannons and Alric involved they will probably continue to support the Eberhardt faction. Fuck.

 

[Nevill]

Yes, you saw Enki as he rarely leaves her side. You ask about him and Nanshe gives you the bare basics (essentially what you have seen in the Interludes). She thanks you for the offer to restore his arm and if you are serious she could have enough blood gathered to conduct the ritual. It would likely delay you about a day longer should you wish to pursue it. If you do restore Enki's arm then she will use her contacts to try and find the slave you mentioned though she can not promise anything.

No, we can't be delayed right now.

7. Aiii - Freeform. Promise to restore Enki's arm in exchange for Lilli, but we will not perform the ritual right away as we lack time.

We can likely only do it after the campaign in the south is over. But that does not prevent Nanshe from trying to find her in the meantime. If she finds out about her fate, we will uphold our part of the bargain.

I am in favor of this also because Nanshe can instruct Enki to cooperate with us on the matter of that Nightmare scroll. It's a win-win for everyone.

 

[Absinthe]

7Aiv Tell Nanshe that giving Albrecht back his daughter is a good gesture to persuade House Albrecht (the ruling house of the dwarves) to de-escalate the dwarf-ghol war. Naturally, we would also try to persuade Albrecht on this front. Also open up the possibility of a greater heal ritual for Enki later.

 

[Fangshi]

7. Aiii - Freeform. Promise to restore Enki's arm in exchange for Lilli, but we will not perform the ritual right away as we lack time.

Added.

7Aiv Tell Nanshe that giving Albrecht back his daughter is a good gesture to persuade House Albrecht (the ruling house of the dwarves) to de-escalate the dwarf-ghol war. Naturally, we would also try to persuade Albrecht on this front. Also open up the possibility of a greater heal ritual for Enki later.

Added.

I am in favor of this also because Nanshe can instruct Enki to cooperate with us on the matter of that Nightmare scroll. It's a win-win for everyone.

So then you want Nanshe to send Enki with you? She is not likely to agree to that. When she offered to send someone with you (pretending to be a slave) she meant one of his acolytes. You know, someone that could be murdered if needed and not dramatically hurt her Empire.


Current Tally:

Spoiler

Grimgravy:
1)C ii, iii, v
2)B
3)A>Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)x
7)x

Baltika9:
1)A
2)A
3)A
4)A
5)x
6)x
7)x

Absinthe:
1)A
2)B
3)A>F
4)B
5)Bii
6)D
7)Aiv

Nevill:
1)A
2)x
3)Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)D
7)Aiii

Kz3r0:
1)A
2)B
3)A
4)B
5)Bii
6)B
7)Aiv

Jester:
1)A
2)B
3)A
4)B
5)B
6)x
7)x

Karwelas:
1)A
2)B
3)G
4)B
5)Bii
6)x
7)x

archaen:
1)A
2)A
3)Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)x
7)x

Azira:
1)C iii, iv, v
2)B
3)F>Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)x
7)x

asxestos
1)A
2)B
3)Gi
4)B
5)Bii
6)x
7)x

1. The Reward: A - Metal/Musical Magic
8 votes A
2 votes C: (2 votes Ciii, 2 votes Cv, 1 vote Cii, 1 vote Civ)

2. Whispering Campaign: B - No
7 votes B
2 votes A
1 vote undecided

3.Alric: Tied between A and Gi
5 votes A
4 votes G: (3 votes Gi, 1 vote G general)
1 vote F

Post Flop:
5 votes A
5 votes G: 4 votes Gi, 1 vote G general)

4. Mazzarin: B - Don't call Mazzarin
9 votes B
1 vote A

5. Spoils of War: Bii - Claim the possessions of the vermillion, green and amber mages but not their Watcher stones.
9 votes B (8 votes Bii, 1 vote B general)
1 vote undeclared

6. The Pyrite Empress/Grand Conspiracy for Peace! : D - Postpone committing to anything until you are done in the south.
2 votes D
1 vote B
7 votes undeclared

7. Lilli: Aiv - Tell Nanshe that giving Albrecht back his daughter is a good gesture to persuade House Albrecht (the ruling house of the dwarves) to de-escalate the dwarf-ghol war. Also try to persuade Albrecht on this front and open up the possibility of a greater heal ritual for Enki later when matters to the south have been settled.
3/3 votes for A: (2 votes Aiv, 1 vote Aiii)
0/3 votes for B
7 votes undeclared

 

[Kz3r0]

6.B
7Aiv

 

[Nevill]

You are assuming, again, that the Brannons will have such a huge say in it. Besides, if they ask for supporters of the dark we will give them dark mages we find and point out they have no evidence of us being dark mages ourselves.

Yes, I am assuming, but only because Brannons do have a huge say. Earlier I asked what would Alric do if he found out that Brannons were financing the Eberhardt terrorists (which they probably weren't, but I asked about a hypothetical situation).

The answer was that Alric would sooner declare war on the dwarven kingdom than risk a civil war in his own Empire:

He is smart enough to realize that even if he was inclined to side with the dwarves it would still mean war. The Brannons hold a lot of power, to remove the clan would require either a string of perfectly executed assassinations or a civil war.

He might not like it but if he were to view the situation pragmatically it would be less destructive to exterminate the dwarves and keep the Brannons as firm supporters than to fight that civil war to support Albrecht's claims.

That says a lot about the kind of power the Brannons have.

As for the evidence of us being dark mages - they were going to slowly kill Melete for the accidental death of Devlin Brannon after accusing her of conspiring with the Dark, with no evidence whatsoever. They are not going to bother with evidence when they can fabricate it.

The scenario you're suggesting does not save any face. If we do this, we are going over the king's head and so is Alric. That can be extremely humiliating for the king because it suggests that he does not have control of his own borders and does not even have control over his country's negotiations with foreign powers.

We are not going over the king's head as we a) have his written permissions to do anything, and b) specifically ask about it as a part of Gi.

If by 'not having control over his country's negotiations' you mean 'does not have contacts among the Heron Guard to reach the Emperor directly', then yes, this is a part of why I am doing it.

I don't see extreme humiliation anywhere.

I will provide an example of the letter I want to write some time tomorrow. There is a reason I want to write it myself because there are parts that Albrecht simply would not write due to his position and his part in the whole story.

If Alric hears from his own Heron Guards positive words about us, given his "great wisdom" he would reserve judgment on us rather than just doing what the Brannons want.

Again, I will refer you to that quote from before. It amounts to 'it is because Alric is wise that he listens to what the Brannons say, as he does not want a conflict with them'.

We need to fix our reputation in the Empire, and I am yet to hear how we are going to do this.

I am pretty certain that it is the Faceless Man who has Alric on the run from Muirthemne, not Mazzarin. And Alric himself is quite endebted to Mazzarin given the backstory, so I'm quite certain that Mazzarin vouching for us would wash away any accusations of being dark servants.

Faceless is just the 6th strongest mage in the setting. He is strong, but not that strong he can drive the Emperor out of his own Palace. And Faceless always keeps a low profile.

No, it can only be Mazzarin.

It is the first time I hear that Alric is indebted to Mazzarin in some way. What are you referring to?

if we get the Brannons and Alric involved they will probably continue to support the Eberhardt faction

There is no longer the Eberhardts faction. As a political power they are destroyed, and their are currently tools to the Spider Goddess. The reason why the Brannons supported the Republic in the first place is because they thought it would be more resistant to the Dark, and now the 'Eberhardt resurrected' is a spider demon.

Yeah, no way they are supporting that. Their allies among the Eberhardts are dead, thanks to us, there is simply no point.

So then you want Nanshe to send Enki with you?

No, I don't want him with us. I don't want any ghol with us right now. I mean we can do the whole exchange/learning later, probably at Dietfried's place, or on the neutral territory in Muirthemne.

 

[Absinthe]

Faceless is just the 6th strongest mage in the setting. He is strong, but not that strong he can drive an Emperor out of his own Palace. And Faceless always keeps a low profile.

No, it can only be Mazzarin.

I think Fangshi already established that Faceless can face off against Mazzarin. He is inferior as a mage, but superior in cunning (much like us).

It is the first time I hear that Alric is indebted to Mazzarin in some way. What are you referring to?

My bad, I was thinking of Connacht.

There is no longer the Eberhardts faction. As a political power they are destroyed, and they are currently the tools of the Spider Goddess. The reason why they supported the Republic is because they thought it would be more resistant to the Dark, and now the Eberhardt himself is a spider demon.

Yeah, no way they are supporting that. Their allies among the Eberhardts are dead, there is simply no point.

We know that, but the empire doesn't. The Brannons already distrust us as agents of the dark (so our word doesn't do anything for them) and the Eberhardt faction is gaining power and influence as a "righteous" threat against the current government. I think it's probable that the Brannons would continue to support their allies without realizing that they are now supporting the dark.

 

[Nevill]

I think Fangshi already established that Faceless can face off against Mazzarin. He is inferior as a mage, but superior in cunning (much like us).

I think it was established that he is scared shitless of Maz.

Does not stop him from trying to piss in the archmage's bowl from time to time, but he does not want to get caught. The only time he faced Maz in battle was with two other Fallen Lords, and they had to flee for their lives.

Here is the power ranking, by the way. Alric is above the Faceless in power, and quite possibly more cunning, too.

We know that, but the empire doesn't.

The Emperor knows better than anyone that you can't just bring someone from the dead, and the Eberhardt was publicly hanged.

The faction has support among the 'plebeans' who simply don't know a spider demon from a person and believe that magic and miracles can do anything.

What would Brannons gain from supporting Eberhardts as they are now? What is the point? It was cool when they had the backing of 75% of the bankers and noble houses, but now? They are a lost political cause.

 

[Grimgravy]

6D
7Aiv

Our secret symbol should be a cart full of manure.