You shrug and start stripping, along with the rest of the Belt Notchers. You weren’t expecting to go swimming in the middle of a mountain, but it seems that the lowest layers of Jankiris puzzle-box fortress are in a lake. Still, you’ve been adventurers long enough to be prepared for (almost) everything.

You each bought with you an enchanted waterproof bag of holding and as you strip, everything goes into the bags, except for weapons or other things you might need if the water is inhabited. The bags small size belies their ability to hold large heavy loads, whilst to the bearer they always feel light.

Soon the six of you are naked, except for the weapons in your hands, and the bags strapped to your lower backs, just under your wings. You gather around the hatch, ready to make the plunge into the dark, fetid water.

You look over your allies and see...Shalra, standing at the end, fully-clothed and blushing, her eyes averted.

You mentally kick yourself, of course, how could you have been so stupid?!

“Ilnesin” you say “you don’t mind Shalra putting her gear in your bag do you?”

Ilnesin looks over at Shalra and starts “Oh of course” she says, taking off her bag and opening it.

Shalra just stares at the bag, then looks at Ilnesin, then at all of you.

“Don’t worry if you can’t swim” says Anli encouragingly “just hold your breath and we’ll drag you through.”

This seems to snap Shalra out of it a little “I can swim fine” she says “I just...uhh...” her blush deepens. That armour does look difficult to remove.

“Well, get it off” says Nansuj, moving to unbuckle Shalra’s armour. Shalra jerks away “I can do this myself!” she insists, backing away from you all, and slowly taking her armour off.

“She’s going to take forever” says Genesiya, as you all turn your backs to her, humans can be so weird about nudity sometimes.

“I’ll go help” says Nansuj with a grin, even as Anli volunteers the same, with a matching grin. Ilnesin gives you a significant look, you sigh inwardly, this is so not the time for this.

Shalra isn’t the first stray you and the rest of the Belt Notchers have picked up, and whenever you do gain a temporary ally, Nansuj and Anli compete to see which of them can have sex with him, her or it first. But you need to get moving quickly: the rooms move every hour or so, and you need to swim through ten rooms with traps and/or defenders to get to where you’re going.

Plus, your allegiance with Shalra is fairly fragile so far, and sexual etiquette with mortal races can be so complex, it’s not simple like it is for your kind. Anli or Nansujs advances could cause offence if they failed (or even if they don’t) and Ilnesin will get that disapproving look on her face if you end up adding Shalra to your undead army, you just know she will.

Genesiya starts tapping her foot impatiently, Volkna just rolls her eyes.

What do you do about Shalra?

>Let her get undressed on her own, be patient
>Let Nansuj and Anli do as they please
>Send someone to help her (who?)
>Other (what?)

>>39987791
>Send someone to help her (Ilnesin)
Its her puppy, she's gotta take care of it.

>>39987791
>Let her get undressed on her own, be patient

>>39987791
>Send someone to help her (Ilnesin)

>>39987791
>Let Nansuj and Anli do as they please

>>39987791
>Send someone to help her (Ilnesin)

As Nansuj and Anli head off to *help* Shalra, you grab them both and pull them back. Ignoring their pouts you say to Ilnesin “quickly, would you please?”

Ilnesin nods and walks over to help Shalra quickly strip out of her armour, until she’s stood there in her underwear, her pale skin a contrast to the bright blush on her cheeks. She fumbles her gear into Ilnesins bag as Nansuj and Anli comment on her physical charms quietly. To you she seems a bit skinny, but she has fair-sized hips, and a toned, athletic build, well whatever, she’s not your type anyway.

With that sorted you all prepare to get wet: gills appear on your bodies, webbing grows between your fingers and toes; your wings shrink in size but get thicker and more fin-like and your tails get wider and flatter.

At least most of you do. Ilnesin indicated with a sideways nod that she’ll keep an eye on Shalra for you.

You all splash down into the cold water, with some very vocal complaints, and then you start swimming through the rooms one at a time.

Fortunately none of the rooms you go through are completely underwater, allowing Shalra a chance to come up and get her breath.

“I don’t think this is supposed to be underwater” says Volkna, after the second room.

“Really?” asks Genesiya sarcastically as you prepare to dive and head through to the second room “What gave you that idea?”

Volkna responds “The last two traps where ruined by the water” she grumbles “I didn’t have to do anything to them.”

“So we should be out of this soon?” asks Shalra, bobbing up beside you, her teeth chattering “because this is freezing!”

“Hopefully” you say “Volkna, next room.” You and the rest of the Belt Notchers don’t notice the cold as much as humans, but even to you this water is chilly, you can only imagine how bad it must be for your newest ally.

“On it” says Volkna, diving down to open the next door. She surfaces shortly afterwards and says “ok, this one has some pretty impressive magical locks, Nansuj would you...”

The two of them dive back down.

As you wait you say to a miserable-looking Shalra “don’t worry, once Volkna has the door open she has just the right spell to help you.”

You all hear a deep clunk that sounds like Volkna and Nansuj got the door open. It turns out that the next room is inhabited.

As soon as the door is opened dozens of slimy black tentacles burst outwards and grab at you all.

Most of you get away but Ilnesin throws herself in front of Shalra and is grabbed and dragged under the water. Since she currently has gills, that’s not an immediate problem, but whatever it is could still hurt her.

“Ilnesin!” yells out Shalra and then goes down after her.

“Tobias?” asks Genesiya, looking at Anli.

Anli shakes her head “nah that’s not my old boyfriend, c’mon let’s go save the kid and Ilnesin.”

Nansuj casts a spell to allow you to all communicate telepathically and you all submerge and swim downwards, entering the next room, or rather, rooms.

The water is pretty churned up and its difficult to see very far, but it looks like there’s some giant monster with lots of tentacles in the distance. It has Ilnesin held in a tentacle and the others are heading towards Shalra as she hacks at the limb holding Ilnesin with her waraxe.

Its hard to make out details, but it seems like several rooms have had their walls torn through, or no...looking at them, they’ve simply been removed...somehow.

The main body of the monster is clear for a brief moment amidst the churning water and you see...some horrible fusion of beholder and giant squid.

It resembles a giant squid in general shape but it has a large central eye instead of two normal eyes, and surrounding the central eye are lots of small eye-stalks. Hopefully whatever fused then together has impaired the beholders magic-cancelling third eye.

-It’s cute- Nansuj sends to you all –can I keep it?-

-You’re a sick weir- Anli starts to send but is cut off as the main eye glares in her direction. It seems it still retains its most irritating ability.

What do you do?

Aboswe
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Anli
>No orders
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Nansuj
>No orders
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Genesiya
>No orders
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Volkna
>No orders
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Shalra
>No orders
>Give orders (what?)

Ilnesin is struggling in the monsters grip and can take no other actions.

Battlefield

Beholder Squid (unharmed)

>>39987992
Aboswe
>Polar Ray on the tentacle holding Ilnesin

Nansuj
>Throwing Knives against the central eye

Genesiya
>Attack the central eye(Longbow)

Anli
>Help freeing Ilnesin from the monster(Attack Tentacle?)

Volkna
>Help Anli

>>39987992
>>39988054
Seems good

>>39988054
Please roll 5d20 for these actions in this order.

Rolled 5, 3, 6, 19, 2 = 35 (5d20)

>>39988099

Rolled 16, 17, 13, 1, 4 = 51 (5d20)

>>39988099

Rolled 7, 19, 14, 6, 2 = 48 (5d20)

>>39988099

>>39988099
>>39988104
>>39988106
>>39988110
16,19,14,19,4;
Volkna really fucked it up, luckily she only assisted.

>>39988099
How is the use of bardic magic affected by being underwater here?

>>39988121
Thanks, writing

Volkna get your shit together.

[Meta]

Forgot to say, new Mystical Martial Arts in the rules pastebin

[End Meta]

>>39988135

Unless its a fire spell you're good to go.

>>39988138
>Forgot to say, new Mystical Martial Arts in the rules pastebin
Thank you Pally, I've been really looking forward to those.
Time to hand out those last two Nodes.

>>39988138
I somehow really want to see Ebby learning Water Style.

You quickly give out your orders and your allies react rapidly.

-Genesiya, Nansuj- you send –take out the main eye, Anli, Volkna get Ilnesin free-

Genesiya starts firing arrows at the monsters main eye, even as Nansuj starts throwing knives at it. With the water surrounding them they have to get in close, but their attacks work and soon the things central eye is screwed up tight and leaking blood. You don’t think they destroyed it, but they convinced it to keeps its anti-magic eye closed, for now at least.

Anli and Volkna swim towards where Ilnesin is held, Shalra goes with them. Together the three of them hack at the tentacle holding Ilnesin, trying to free her. They hack at its rubbery flesh with their weapons, drawing blood, but unable to make the tentacle release its hold.

The monster squeezes Ilnesin in its grasp, you see her thrashing weakly and over the spell linking you all together comes a definite cry of pain.

[Ilnesin HP 73/100]

As you waited to cast your spell to ensure that the monsters central eye was out of commission, your freezing ray comes a little after your allies attacks. Leaving a solid bar of ice in its wake your spell strikes the tentacle holding Ilnesin dead on, and it stops moving, a section frozen solid. Anli, Volkna and Shalras next attack chip away at the frozen section and it breaks off. The tentacle holding Ilnesin goes limp and she wriggles out of its grasp.

The monster writhes in pain and its tentacles flail around it, throwing you all back away from its main body, but otherwise leaving you unharmed.

Two of its smaller eyestalks fire beams of light at you, one misses, leaving a line of bubbles shooting past you, but the other one hits. You feel as though you’re aging rapidly, your life force draining away. It lasts only a few moments but it is incredibly unpleasant as negative energies race through your body, weakening you.

[Aboswe HP 38/58]

Its tentacles continue to thrash and writhe around its body – anyone getting close enough to attack it in melee is going to have to get past those somehow.

Its eyestalks start tracking each of you, ready to fire again.

What do you do?

Aboswe
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Anli
>No orders
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Nansuj
>No orders
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Genesiya
>No orders
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Volkna
>No orders
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Ilnesin (HP 73/100)
>No orders
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Shalra
>No orders
>Give orders (what?)

Battlefield

Beholder Squid (lightly wounded)
Writhing Tentacles (impedes melee attacks, enables counter-attacks)

>>39988263
Abomwe
>Disintegrate

Genesiya
>Heroism Shalra

Anli
>Attack Melee

Volkna
>Attack

Illnesin
>Holy Aura

Shalra
>Smite

>>39988263
>>39988296
forgot
Nansuj
>Stoneskin (Self)

>>39988263
Do we have a horde of undead piranhas in our dimensional pocket? If so, it's time to let it loose.

>>39988138
>Forgot to say, new Mystical Martial Arts in the rules pastebin
>Speed of the Storm (-3 Arcane Energy)
>Whirling Storm Barrage (-3 Arcane Energy, +6 attacks)
>SotS Bonus Attacks (-6 Arcane Energy, +12 attacks)
>Fast as the Storm Wind (Extra melee attack action)
>Whirling Storm Barrage (-3 Arcane Energy, +6 attacks)
>SotS Bonus Attacks (-6 Arcane Energy, +12 attacks)
>Red River Bursts It's Banks on all attacks (-36 Arcane Energy, 36 Constitution damage)
>Drink Deep (+36*3 Arcane Energy)
You are already dead.

Using Earthed Lightning on WSB would apply to all attacks with one application, correct? What about with SotS bonus attacks? Can WBS and SotS actually combine with each other, Red River and Drink Deep in this way?

>>39988332
Not yet but would you like an undead beholder squid?

>>39988332
Sadly no, the dragon would probably be the only thing really useful here.
Maybe a few of the Crawling Offsifiers next round.

>>39988345
Why do you think I didn't have Ilnesin use Destruction?

>>39988296
>>39988313

Please roll 4d20 for these actions in order
Aboswe
Anli
Volkna
Shalra

Genesiya, Ilnesin and Nansuj do not need to roll to cast

>>39988338
Will answer after I've written the next update

>>39988338
I really want Sireyi to at least unlock all those, or teach them to a few succubi so we can spread the knowledge of these in Oreia.
Imagine elite succubus crack troops with these techniques.

Rolled 14, 15, 17, 12 = 58 (4d20)

>>39988372

Rolled 6, 12, 4, 8 = 30 (4d20)

>>39988372

Rolled 16, 10, 4, 4 = 34 (4d20)

>>39988372

>>39988263
Aboswe
>Domintation

>>39988374
>elite succubus crack troops
I guess they would be... Storm Troopers.

>>39988418
Well played.

Seriously though, a good diversity of styles would be best, I betBlue already taught Fire and Wood.

>>39988374
Soul Taker (Life 5) into Fast as the Storm Wind into Earthed Lightning: Whirling Storm Barrage/Endless Crashing Waves into Drink Deep has some pretty good combo potential as well.

>>39988463
Sorry anon, you can't take any actions in the same round as you activate Soul Taker, not even free actions like FatSW.

You fire a beam of green light that strikes the beholder squids main body and the whole thing seems to quiver and twitch.

It fires back with its eyestalks, one misses you and another hits – you feel a sudden irrational urge to flee, but you shake it off, a simple fear spell won’t phase you.

Genesiya casts her spell upon Shalra – who swims towards the monster, hacking at its tentacles with her waraxe as she gets closer to its main body, Anli and Volka beside her. Ilnesin and Nansuj cast spells to shield themselves from harm as the Anli, Shalra and Volkna brave the monsters thrashing limbs.

One eyebeam hits Nansuj and another hits Ilnesin. Ilnesin seems unharmed as a corona of white light flashes around her, her spell protecting her but Nansuj simply stops moving, and starts sinking.

Nansuj send to you all –Bloody paralysis! I’m ok!-

The monster lashes out at your allies as they swim close and none of them escape unharmed.

[Anli 199/225]
[Volkna 127/147]
[Shalra wounded]

Still, buffeted and battered by the things tentacles they manage to get close to its body, Anli and Volknas swords open up several gaping wounds, but it is Shalras axeblow, imbued with divine energies, that seems to be the final straw for the squid. With black ichor streaming from its wounds the monster goes to flee.

Anli, Volkna and Shalra try to follow, but it swims much faster than them.

Genesiya swims down to grab Nansuj and Ilnesin starts reading her healing magic.

Very soon the monster will be too far away to tell where it is. You could let it go, after all, it’s no longer attacking.

But such a rare creature would be a treasure-trove of spell components, or would make an excellent undead minion.

What do you do?

>Let it go
>Kill it (method?)
>Other (what?)

>>39988531
>Kill it (Missile Storm-Enhanced with AE)

>>39988338
>Earthed Lightning + Whirling Storm Barrage

Pay for each attack you want to hit using Earthed Lightning separately, same as Speed of the Storm.

Whirling Storm Barrage can be combined with Speed of the Storm, and Red River and Drink Deep

>>39988463
Soul Taker cannot be activated in a round in which you do anything else.

You can unleash it in combination with other abilities though.

>>39988531
>Kill it - Missile Storm
I realise I REALLY miss a good damage spell like Enervate or Energy Drain here.

>>39988531
>Kill it (Missile Storm)
>But such a rare creature would be a treasure-trove of spell components
Kill it and make it stuff?

>>39988578
>Kill it and make it stuff?
I prefer exotic undead minion.
Especially if we can keep the central eye working, that will seriously fuck up enemy spellcaster.

>>39988531
>Kill it (Missile Storm - Enhanced with AE)
Ha, no. That's not how this works. You don't get to attack us and our friends with little to no provocation, wound them, and then cut and run once you realize how fucked you are.

>Inb4 it's a mommy

>>39988571
>Kill it - Missile Storm
>But such a rare creature would be a treasure-trove of spell components, or would make an excellent undead minion.
It's coming straight for us!

>>39988588
>Inb4 it's a mommy
>Not wanting pet monsters

>>39988588
Cool, maybe we get mini undead beholder squids?

Missile Storm it is.

Please roll 1d20+13 and vote on extra AE used.

Average of 3 votes used.

Poor squid, it just wanted to eat some succubi, with a human dessert, is that so wrong?

>>39988558
How do Abberations like Beholder work in this setting, do they register as always evil like demons?

Rolled 18 + 13 (1d20 + 13)

>>39988628
30

Rolled 15 + 13 (1d20 + 13)

>>39988628
25

>it just wanted to eat some succubi
Don't we all...

Rolled 1 + 13 (1d20 + 13)

>>39988628
35

>>39988652
Not really.

Rolled 15 + 13 (1d20 + 13)

>>39988628
25

>>39988637
Not to most spells, but priests of nature gods and druids and rangers may classify them as such.

>>39988654
What are ya, asexual?

I'd say gay but they can do that too~

>>39988669
Do the prohibitions Sireyi has through her Doctrine of Velya have any effect on Sireyis own followers?
Beyond Sireyis behaviour.

>>39988754
No, though as Sireyi currently lacks a defined doctrine of her own, many of her followers are using Velyas Doctrine as guidelines for their behavior.

You smirk under your skull helm, that’s cute: it thinks it will be allowed to flee after attacking you and your friends.

You craft your spell and release it, pushing both hands towards your target. Dozens of magical missiles streak out, following the fleeing monster and impacting upon it. It struggles on for a few moments after the swarm of magical missiles strikes it and then it goes limp, and slowly sinks.

After checking that your allies are ok, and that Ilnesin is tending to them, you swim over to the corpse and begin casting another spell. Moments later the squids limbs begin to twitch as you feel the arcane link between you forming. You smile, it’s yours now.

The monsters eyestalks follow you as you swim around it, inspecting it. Yes the damage is nothing serious, you can reattach the tentacle and sew up the wounds. The important thing is that none of its eyestalks have been destroyed, and its central eye is undamaged – its eyelid is cut up, but that’s fixable. All in all, a good catch.

Your allies swim up to join you, now healed thanks to Ilnesin.

-What are you doing?- asks Shalra

-Animating it- you tell her –It will make an excellent pet-

-Ohhh, ohh!- sends Nansuj –Can I name it? I think you should call it See Water – on account of all its eyes and it being an underwater monster-

-See Water?- Anli asks her –Really?-

-You’re not going to harvest it?- Genesiya asks, looking at your newest creation with avarice –The central eye alone could be incredibly useful-

-But- protests Shalra, Ilnesin takes her to the surface and they seem to be having a private conversation up there.

-For now its sticking with us- you insist –we are on a time limit Genesiya, so we can’t harvest it now-

-Of course- she says, still looking at your minion –But after we deal with the lich?-

How do you respond?

>No, it stays whole (give it a name? Suggestions?)
>Sure, we’ll cut it up afterwards
>Other (what?)

>>39988808
>No, it stays whole

>>39988808
>No, it stays whole (give it a name? Suggestions?)
>Ask Sharla to name it
She lured it in afterall

Also, there have been a lot of questions via askFm over the last day or so, see link in OP if you want to read about stuff.

>>39988834
Its mostly stuff we already knew though, re: Succubi going into our heaven.

Interesting is mostly that Domains influence what our heaven looks like.

>>39988808
>No, it stays whole.
>We'll call it...
I'm trying to come up with a good seeing eye dog pun.

>>39988808
>No, it stays whole
I'm shit with naming though. I'd stick to See Water or whatever someone else comes up with.

>>39988846
That dank-ass Succubus weed is also pretty interesting.

>>39988866
It gave me horrible and hilarious ideas how to deal with Delaxs war threats.

>>39988875
I already made the Chillax joke to Pally.

>>39988808
>No, it stays whole (give it a name)
Octavius? Octurion? Squiggles?

>>39988866
Not really. Probably wilts outside of heavens anyway. Still hate it, even if it's non-addictive and harmless.

>>39988890
>Still hate it, even if it's non-addictive and harmless.

I'm trying really hard to ignore my personal aversion for these things.

>>39988890
Why? Heaven weed probably actually cures shit like cancer and dementia.

>>39988937
Its pretty explicitly just recreational in effect. Since it just exists for that purpose.
Not like they need to cure cancer in a heaven.

Going to war with Oreia becomes more and more pointless.
Since succubi don't die of old age, once we made sure all Oreian succubi go to our heaven Sireyi can just resurrect all succubi that died in that war.
So the worst enemy soldiers can do to them, barring soul destruction shenenigans, is giving them a vacation.

>>39988890
Skinner? Heracles? Mittens? Asterix? Hannibal? Prometheus? Calypso? Hector?

>>39988937
My problem is with the mind-affecting properties, not potential side effects like cancer and dementia.

-Keep your thieving bard hands off- you send to Genesiya –See Water is my pet now-

-You’re really calling it See Water?- Asks Nansuj, sounding excited

-Until I come up with a better name- you warn her.

-Ohh- responds Nansuj, sounding disappointed
---
Fortunately for you, your newest pet had made quite a large lair out of the lowest level of Jankiris’ puzzle-lair.

And joy of joys, it has collected a large hoard of treasure from its victims, you make a note to check that out later, for now you all climb up into the room that will soon end up adjacent to the central chamber - Jakiris’ lair.

Volkna easily disarms the traps guarding this room and you all dry off and get dressed.

“Ok so we have just over three hours until this place is on Jankiris’ door step?” you ask as you check Shalras map.

“Yeah” says Nansuj, pointing to the map and a matching symbol on the wall “We’re here, which means in three hours we’ll be *here* she indicates another point on the strange diagram.

“Ok” you say, handing the map back to a subdued Shalra “check weapons, gear and then get some rest and I mean sleep” you clarify “no point in being tired by the time we face Jankiris - I’ll take first watch”.

You know that you and your party can go for days without rest or sleep if needed, but with no mortals to feed on the emotions of, you’ve all having to manage with regular food, which means you need more sleep than normal.

You’ll watch for an hour, and then wake one of the others up. As they all start checking their gear, and then stretching out to get some rest, you notice Shalra sat up in her bedroll, her arms wrapped around her knees, looking miserable.

Ah, maybe she doesn’t like undead, or maybe the reality of the situation has just begun to sink in, or maybe she’s just tired.

Watching for threats in a small room with locked doors isn’t hard, maybe you should talk to her. Or maybe you could ask Ilnesin to talk to her. Or maybe it’s none of your business.

What do you do?

>Talk to Shalra
>Ask Ilnesin to talk to Shalra
>Ignore her
>Other (what?)

>>39989060
>Talk to Shalra with Ilnesin

>>39989060
>Talk to Shalra

>>39989060
>Talk to Shalra

>>39989045
>-Ohh- responds Nansuj, sounding disappointed
Now I feel bad.

>>39989060
>Talk to Shalra with Ilnesin

>>39989060
>Talk to Shalra

Writing talking to her alone

>>39989000
That's assuming we win. If they win, we will be dead, and our heaven will get destroyed I assume and succubi souls will go back to hell. And nobody is going to attack us if they think we will win.

You sit down next to Shalra.

“How’re you doing?” you ask her.

“I’m fine” she says, though her emotions are clear to your senses: loneliness, some bitterness, fear, a little anger and a certain numbness.

“Really?” you ask

She takes a breath “no” she says softly “Ilnesin told me about...about how long she thinks I’ve been frozen in stasis. I just, I can’t wrap my head around it, all my friends, my instructors, everything is gone, probably even the nation I was born in, and...and the god I dedicated my life to....”

She sniffs and you can see tears start to track down her cheeks.

You wonder why Ilnesin told her about all of that, then you realise that if she hadn’t, Jankiris might have, distracting her in battle. You look over at Ilnesin, stretched out peacefully under a blanket, thanks bitch you think sourly, leave it up to me.

How do you handle Shalras mood?

Words
>Tell her she needs to get revenge – killing Jankiris
>Lie to her (tell her Ilnesin was mistaken)
>Tell her there are other good gods for her to serve, like Sireyi, Velya and um...others
>Tell her that she still has friends – you and the rest of the Belt Notchers for example
>Other (what?)

Actions
>Hug her
>Kiss her
>Other (what?)

Lying to her is exclusive, other options are not.

>>39989257
Clearly, we need to cheer her up in the way succubi know best.

Ludicrous amounts of tender affection and empathy

>>39989257
>Tell her there are other good gods for her to serve, like Sireyi, Velya and um...others
>Tell her that she still has friends – you and the rest of the Belt Notchers for example
>Kiss her
Non-lewd though. On the cheek or something.

>>39989257
>Tell her she needs to get revenge – killing Jankiris
>Tell her there are other good gods for her to serve, like Sireyi, Velya and um...others
Does Absowe even worship Sireyi?
>Hug her

>>39989257
>Tell her there are other good gods for her to serve, like Sireyi, Velya and um...others
> Hug her
Lets not push it yet.

>>39989257
>>39989288
copied wrong, was supposed to be
>Tell her there are other good gods for her to serve, like Sireyi, Velya and um...others
>Tell her that she still has friends – you and the rest of the Belt Notchers for example
>Hug her

>>39989257
>Tell her that she can make new friends, like the Belt Notchers. And on the upside, if she gets frozen in time ever again, chances are good we will still be there.
> Hug her

>>39989314
>Lets not push it yet.
I think the issue would be more not being Aboswes type.
Being alive and all.

>>39989331
>I think the issue would be more not being Aboswes type.
>Being alive and all.
Hmm, can Aboswe make intelligent undead?

>>39989209
>And nobody is going to attack us if they think we will win.
There is a significant difference between someone thinking they can win, and someone can actually win.
Honestly, I don't think Delaxs chances are very good.

>>39989257
>Tell her there are other good gods for her to serve, like Sireyi, Velya and um...others
>Tell her that she still has friends – you and the rest of the Belt Notchers for example
>Hug her

>>39989288
I think Absowe referred to Sireyi as being her goddess once before. Even if she doesn't, she'd probably still consider Sireyi to be a good Goddess, because of the whole Savior thing.

>>39989331
As much as I don't want to encourage anybody about anything ever, you can wind up attracted to or falling for people outside your type.

>>39989351
They're bad now, though they might be better than perceived with his allies; they'll be far worse after Sireyi gets the Scythe.

writing other gods, friends and hug

Please roll 1d20+12 Fellowship

>>39989370
If we actually kill Delax, who do we give his divine spark to? Our sister? Take it ourselves? To one of our waifus? Let the other gods decide?

Rolled 18 + 12 (1d20 + 12)

>>39989390

Rolled 5 + 12 (1d20 + 12)

>>39989345
Those usually require specific rituals and such, but I would assume she knows how to do those.
Unless we talk about ghosts and such, those would be easy enough in D&D, but its not like the necromancy in this is very detailed.

>>39989370
>you can wind up attracted to or falling for people outside your type
True enough. It was meant as a joke anyway.

>they'll be far worse after Sireyi gets the Scythe
I still don't consider the scythe to be our anti-Delax choice, against Delax is the Gem.
Afterall, he knows Sireyi would be extremly reluctant to kill him, due to the repercussions of that. But if he knows she has a way of reliably getting rid of him without breaking the compact, thats a far bigger threat deterrent.

>>39989390

Rolled 7 + 12 (1d20 + 12)

>>39989390

>>39989393
If that happens who gets his spark is by far the least of our worries.
All those deities coming down to strip us of our power or possibly imprisoning us for millenia will probably decide that by themselves.

>>39989398
>I still don't consider the scythe to be our anti-Delax choice, against Delax is the Gem.
Can Delax be considered a "God of Liars", since his followers are lying about our godhood and about Delax being grater than other gods?

>>39989345
>Hmm, can Aboswe make intelligent undead?

Yes

>>39989452
Only if he has the Liar domain, which I doubt.
Otherwise he'd be a lying god, which I'm fairly sure a lot of gods do from time to time.

>>39989455
What would Ilnesin summon with Planar Ally?
One of Sireyis angels?

>>39989529
>What would Ilnesin summon with Planar Ally?
>One of Sireyis angels?

Yes

>>39989398
I didn't mean using the Scythe on Delax himself. I'm expecting it to be able to do things other than kill gods. Things that will pretty much invalidate his army. Gem might qualify as breaking the compact, we should ask about it.

Also, if his allies are the gods that didn't sign the compact, they're fair game for the Scythe.

>>39989470
If he does have a Lies domain, it's not like we'd be able to tell. It's possible that was being poetic and he isn't literally a God of Lies, but rather just being a deceitful asshole god and spreading a bunch of lies, both personally and through his followers. He is an evil god, I think.

>>39989549
>If he does have a Lies domain, it's not like we'd be able to tell.
Fair point, I suppose.
>He is an evil god, I think.
I see nothing indicating that, he is more intensly butthurt than evil.
Probably Neutral, really. Not every asshole is Evil.
Just look a Konigs church.

>Gem might qualify as breaking the compact, we should ask about it.
I guess it doesn't hurt to ask, but I don't see how it would do that, its pretty clear that only killing is forbidden.

>>39989549
>they're fair game for the Scythe
Do note however, that the scythe was not the designated "god killing weapon". That was a different one. The scythe 'might' be able to kill a god. We can only say for sure it can kill something divinely empowered like the Frost.

>>39989549
>if his allies are the gods that didn't sign the compact,
I'm still half expecting it to turn out that Kilran was his mystery ally all along.

You rest one arm companionably across her shoulders as you shuffle next to her “your old life is gone” you say quietly “and its right that you mourn it, you would be doing your friends a disservice if you didn’t. But your life isn’t over, you have new friends – me and the rest of the Belt Notchers, just for starters.”

“Thanks” Shalra chokes out a short laugh “if you’d told me during my novitiate that I’d be friends with a bunch of succubi I would have...I dunno, thought you were crazy.”

“Weren’t you taught all about redemption?” you say teasingly “finding some misunderstood bad boy who had a tough upbringing and fell in with the wrong crowd, just waiting for a pious girl to save him?”

Shalra giggles a bit through the tears “we used to make up stories in training” she says wistfully “me and Iha and Garris and Felra and all my friends – we’d talk about the great deeds we’d accomplish, the evil we’d destroy, the one’s we’d redeem, the innocents we’d save.”

“I’d like to hear about them” you say “your friends and your stories, if you don’t mind telling me that is?”

Shalra starts slowly, and then it all comes flooding out “Garris wanted to found his own church” she says “in a border town, he really liked missionary work and...”
---
It’s long past your allotted hour but you and Shalra are still talking, she is lying back against you and you have your arms and wings wrapped around her, holding her and rocking her as she cries.

She’s told you about her family, her upbringing. And her faith.

“I thought at first Azastor had abandoned me” she sobs “now I realise that he’s just...gone.”

“But your reasons for following him aren’t” you say “you said you wanted to battle evil, to save people from it – not just the victims, but the perpetrators as well – there are still gods with similar views. Where we live there are the goddesses Velya and Sireyi for example, well, there’s Konig too, but he’s more of a smite first type of God.”

Shalra is quiet for a long time and then she says “would you tell me about them, this Sireyi and Velya?”

“Sure” you say “Sireyi came to Hell several years ago to set us all free – we call her the Saviour....”
---
Eventually you realise that the time is almost up, and that Shalra has dozed off in your arms, her head resting on your chest as you lean against the wall, her arms around you.

You give Genesiya a nudge with your foot “Get them up” you say quietly “it’s time for a Lich fight.”

Genesiya stretches and wakes up, looking around sleepily she sees Shalra asleep atop you and gives you a thumbs up and a grin, before waking the others.

Anli and Nansuj pout when they see the two of you wrapped around one another, but they get ready for combat all the same.

You let Shalra sleep as long as you can and then you rouse her, and you and Ilnesin help her on with her armour.

Shalra seems better after your talk, and after a rest, she moves with a purpose as she dresses and her eyes seem clear and focused. Her emotions are held in check and the anger is still there, but the loneliness has faded.

The room starts to move for a final time.

“Here we go...” mutters Anli under her breath.
---
The room grinds to a halt after making its final move, and you all move quietly as Volkna opens the door.

You exit into a fairly unassuming stone hallway, at the end is a large wooden door with a plaque reading *No marketers, Witnesses of Io, politicians or animated crocodile statues. Violators will be trepanned*.

“I think we’re here” says Ilnesin, turning to you “what’s the plan?”

What is the plan?
>We try talking to him first
>Move fast, attack before he can react
>Prepare spells before going in (what?)
>Other (what?)

All previously cast spells have ended. All party members are on full HP/AE/DE.

>>39989582
>its pretty clear that only killing is forbidden.
Eternal imprisonment in a gem that even a god can't break might be considered the same as killing.

>I see nothing indicating that
Description on the suptg archive where we met him said that Sireyi was meeting with an evil god, IIRC. His church also had a really oppressive aura and there was some flavor text hinting at the possibility that he was LE.

>>39989600
The Fellblade, while intended as a god-killing weapon, was made by an extremely arrogant mortal race, who have possibly never actually managed to kill a god beyond their own, and it was never tested in battle, IIRC. If anything, I'd say the weapon of a God of Death has better odds of succeeding at killing a god.

>>39989685
>Prepare spells before going in (what?)
Buff our party and ourselves maybe?
>Move fast, attack before he can react
Seriously, fuck this guy.

>>39989706
>If anything, I'd say the weapon of a God of Death has better odds of succeeding at killing a god.
Konig said the Fellblade could get the job done and the scythe might.
When it comes to killing shit, I'm going to take his word for it.

>>39989685
Can Spell Turning be put on people other than the caster?

>>39989756
The job in question wasn't killing a god, though.

>>39989767
>Can Spell Turning be put on people other than the caster?

Yes

>We try talking to him first
With a warning like that, he might not be a complete ass. Maybe he lost some of his edge/evil after a millenium, he ddn't even bother repairing his puzzle dungeon.

>>39989685
>Prepare spells before going in (what?)
>Everyone gets Stoneskin, Spell Turning and Mind Blank, Bless
>Heroism and Divine Power on Anli, Shalra and Nansuj
>Holy Aura
I think we got nothing against Negative Energy rifght now?

>>39989685
>>39989798
seconding this and
>Move fast, attack before he can react

>>39989767
>The job in question wasn't killing a god, though.
He called it out as the god killing option seperate from the scythe. Whichs ability to kill gods he only considered a vague posibility.
We'll see when we get it, anyway.

>>39989685
>We try talking to him first
>Prepare spells before going in (what?)
>Everyone gets Stoneskin, Spell Turning and Mind Blank, Bless
>Heroism and Divine Power on Anli, Shalra and Nansuj
>Holy Aura

Attack and these
>>39989798
Buff spells, writing

By the way, Pally, what do Killing Frost and Lord of Life look like?

>>39989912
>The gigantic...thing...stirs in the distance and a massive, vaguely human-looking head rises on a long flexible neck. The skull is elongated and the eyes small and deep set. It has almost no nose or lips and you can see jagged and sharp teeth in its mouth. Its skin is jet black and its eyes red.

It regarding you all dispassionately; then another head rises, and another and another and another, until you can see 8 heads in total. It drags its body around using dozens of clawed limbs, until all of its heads can see you clearly.

>>39989965
What about KF? Sireyi faced it once, right?

>>39989982
Its a living snowstorm. And it can shape itself, so it looks like whatever it feels like. Just snowy.

“We move fast” you say to everyone “we hit him before he can react – no negotiating, just take him down, we can sort through his treasures once he’s dust.”

“He’s a lich though” says Shalra “He’ll just come back.”


“Leave that to me” you say with a grin, you’ve been ready for that since you set out on this trip.

You prepare for combat, casting the necessary spells and then you direct Nansuj and Volkna to open the door. With the two of them in the lead you head into the Lichs lair.

It’s not long before you come to a stone auditorium where Jankiris is....directing a play?

A very strange sight greets your eyes. You’re in what appears to be a large stone theatre, no one is sat in the seats, but the stage is occupied by skeletons wearing long-faded dancing girl outfits. Also up on the stage is a cadaverously thin man wearing faded clothes that went out of style thousands of years ago, a huge ruffle around his neck and a long powdered wig.

As you burst in he turns to you “How rude!” he exclaims “the girls were practising their musical number and-”

“Take him down” you order to your allies. As a necromancer, you know a Lich when you see one.

Volknas arrows and Nansujs daggers fly through the place Jankiris was occupying as a teleportation spell takes him away.

“C’mon out you coward!” yells Anli, to the large room around you.

A voice coming from everywhere says “Gladiatorial arena fights were not scheduled until Wednesday, but no one cares about *my* schedule do they?”

“Where is he?” asks Volkna as you, Nansuj and Ilnesin attempt to find him with your magic.

As you do, the whole place rapidly rearranges itself around you, changing into a massive arena, perhaps a half-mile across – it seems this place is bigger on the inside.

Across the sands, on the other side of the arena, stands a veritable army of undead.

“I said no marketers!” yells a voice from behind the army “and I meant it!”

What do you do?

Aboswe
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Anli
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Nansuj
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Genesiya
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Volkna
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Ilnesin
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Shalra
>Attack (melee)
>Smite (who?)
>Heal (who?)
>Other (what?)

Battlefield

Foes
Jankiris the Mad (at the back of the army, maybe)
500 skeleton warriors
50 zombie ogres
20 floating skulls (radiate strong arcane magic)
10 zombie giants
2 zombie dragons

Allies

Aboswe (AE 280/303)
Anli
Nansuj (AE 270/272)
Genesiya
Volkna
Ilnesin (DE 93/100)
Shalra

All
Stoneskin, Spell Turning and Mind Blank, Bless

Anli, Shalra and Nansuj
Heroism and Divine Power

Ilnesin
Holy Aura

>>39990103
SEDUCE!

>>39990103
Aboswe
>Release Maleficor,the Blue Dragon Zombie
Can we release several big undead at once?

Anli and Shalra
>Attack incoming melee opponents,

Nansuj
>Mislead
>Search for Jankiris

Genesiya
>Song of Discord
>Locate Creature
>Jankiris

Ilnesin
>Destroy Undead (BEFORE Aboswe released hers)

>>39990160
>Can we release several big undead at once?
Yes

>>39990103
>>39990160
seconding this with the additions
Ilnesin
>Destroy Undead (BEFORE Aboswe released hers)
>Focus on the Floating Skulls!

Aboswe
>Release Maleficor,the Blue Dragon Zombie
>The Bone Palace

>>39990087
>but no one cares about *my* schedule do they?”
Now I feel kinda bad.

>>39990103
>Aboswe
Summon our throne thingy and undead army.

>>39990191
He is just an old man, trying to live his unlife in peace, man.

>>39990103
Ilnesin
>Destroy Undead (BEFORE Aboswe released hers)
>Focus on the Floating Skulls!

Aboswe
>Release Maleficor,the Blue Dragon Zombie
>The Bone Palace
>Control Undead(R), Zombie Dragon
We shouldn't summon more undeads, he's just going to control those

Anli and Shalra
>Attack incoming melee opponents,

Nansuj
>Mislead
>Search for Jankiris

Genesiya
>Song of Discord(R)
>Locate Creature
>Jankiris

closing vote and counting

>>39990103
>>39990160
changing to
>>39990221
good calls

>>39990211
Yeah, It's not like he harmed anyone ever, right? All those undead were just lying around, and this paladin bitch totally asked for it!

>Summoning the Bone Palace
>When there's a human who it will probably mind-break right there
Way to go.

>>39990253
>it will probably mind-break right there
What is your basis for assuming this?

>>39990263
I read the character sheet.

>>39990245
>and this paladin bitch totally asked for it!
To be fair, we never asked how exactly she got here and how she got imprisoned.
I mean, if he is actually not evil, then she may have just come into his lair to murder him and he reacted accordingly.


>>39990263
The Fear Aura.

>>39990245
I said retired old man, anon.

>>39990253
Thats why we got Bless to make sure they don't get affected by the fear aura, and if it comes to the worst, Ilnesin can cast suppress fear on her.

Because some of us plan ahead.

>>39990221
This seems to be the winning option

Only minor variations between voted options, so writing this

Bone Palace right out of the gate huh, ok....

Please roll me 7d20 for
Ilnesin
Aboswe
Anli
Volkna
Shalra
Nansuj
Genesiya

Can't see any orders for Volkna, so I'm putting her with Anli and Shalra

Rolled 13, 7, 3, 12, 9, 1, 10 = 55 (7d20)

>>39990253
>Not voting a alternative
>still complaining
Way to go.

>>39990329

Rolled 16, 20, 14, 17, 13, 12, 19 = 111 (7d20)

>>39990329

File: 1427750494235.jpg (31 KB, 372x351)

31 KB JPG

>>39987773
>not knowing how to properly decline "succubus"

Rolled 1, 13, 19, 1, 1, 2, 14 = 51 (7d20)

>>39990329

>>39990368
all those 1's

Almost....

>>39990337
>>39990351
>>39990368
16,20,19,17,13,12,19;
>All those 1s
>Just barely avoided double 1.
Fuck.

>>39990302
You realize Bless is just a small bonus against fear saves? Possibly as high as +4 here, +1 by source, still not much. If Ilsenin has to suppress fear, that's wasting a total of two, possibly three, actions, and we'd need Ilsenin to suppress fear again every round the human fails her save since the aura doesn't go away if you save. That's assuming only the human fails the save, and it's very likely she won't be alone, based off the blurb at the end of the Bone Palace.

Mind Blank might work against it, but I'm not sure the fear aura is a magical effect given some of the reactions from the rest of the Belt Notchers last time it was used.

>>39990337
The vote closed while I was dicking around with the food matching captcha. Not sure why you think missing a vote invalidates my complaint.

>>39990485
*entirely a magical effect.

That is an important difference in phrasing.

>>39990485
>You realize Bless is just a small bonus against fear saves?
You realise that the fear aura is only in the most extreme cases actually mind-break and induces a penalty most of the time?
And frankly, thats far better than having to fight that horde and 20 demi-lichs without giving it our best.

>>39990485
>Not sure why you think missing a vote invalidates my complaint.
Because it would have had to include some brilliant scheme about how you intend to deal with 20 demilichs and two zombie dragons without the Bone Palace.

You start barking out orders “Ilnesin, one deathroll on the bobbin heads”

Ilnesin casts her spell and several of the floating skulls simply shatter.

“Anli, Shalra, Volkna” you say “one defence line please.” The three step forwards, ready to meet the oncoming horde.

“Nansuj, Genesiya” you say “some discord and a location for that dumb lich please.”

“Right” says Genesiya, Nansuj nods and they both cast their spells, Genesiya playing a sad tune on her lute as the oncoming undead army rushes towards you.

Before they get to you, you call forth Meleficor. The mighty blue dragon appears at your side, your allies sheltered under its wing and its roar shakes the arena. You also lash out with you magic and take control o one of the zombie dragons headed towards you, when it arrives it lands next to Maleficor and together the two of them keep the larger monsters away from your allies.

Nansuj has disappeared somewhere in the undead army and Genesiya and Ilnesin hang back as the rest of your allies, and two might dragons, facing the oncoming army.

The undead hit them in a rush, the larger ones held back by the dragons, the smaller ones met by Volkna, Anli and Shalra.

Your dragons tear into the larger monsters, inflicting terrible injuries on them, but taking some damage in return.

Volkna, Anli and Shalra take a heavy toll on the oncoming undead, and when the floating skulls assail them with spells, their own magic is turned back upon them. The three take no injuries.

And you...

You fly some distance away from your allies and call your most powerful minion. Around you a vast meshwork of bone and magic appears.

In the distance you can hear Shalra screaming, and Ilnesin yelling in anger, but it’s not important – you are complete once more!

The skeletons rush at you but are powerless against your united self, the Bone Palace easily sweeps them up.

-Can’t find him!- Genesiya sends

-Nor me- adds Nansuj –and did you really have to call that thing?-

Actions?

Aboswe
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Anli
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Nansuj
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Genesiya
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Volkna
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Ilnesin
>Attack (melee)
>Spell/power (what?)
>Other (what?)

Shalra
>Attack (melee)
>Smite (who?)
>Heal (who?)
>Other (what?)

Battlefield

Foes
Jankiris the Mad (at the back of the army, maybe)
455 skeleton warriors
45 zombie ogres
8 floating skulls (radiate strong arcane magic)
9 zombie giants
1 zombie dragon (wounded)

Allies

Aboswe (AE 175/303)
Anli
Nansuj (AE 269/272)
Genesiya (AE 70/72)
Volkna
Ilnesin (DE 90/100)
Shalra

1 zombie dragon (wounded)
Maleficor, the Blue Zombie Dragon (lightly wounded)
Bone Palace (30 skeletons held, 30 HP each)

Anli, Volkna and Shalras Spell Turning have all been exhausted.

>>39990650
Aboswe
>Control Undead(R)
>Zombie Dragon
>Meteor Swarm
>Command the Bone Palace to break through the army

Anli, Volkna, Shalra
>Keep fighting

Genesiya
>Search for Jankiris

Nansuj
>Spell Turning Shalra

Ilnesin
>Destroy Undead(Floating Skulls)

>>39990650
Aboswe
>Control Undead(R), Zombie Dragon
>Disjunction on the Arena illusion

Anli, Volkna, Shalra
>Keep fighting

Genesiya
>Search for Jankiris

Nansuj
>Spell Turning Shalra

Ilnesin
>Destroy Undead(Floating Skulls)

>>39990713
>>39990774
ok these two are what we're going for, but a further vote is required, 5 minutes only

>Disjunction
or
>Meteor Swarm

If a tie after 5 minutes then I decide

>>39990650
Aboswe
>Have Bone Palace move through the army
>Control Undead (R), Zombie Dragon
>Summon: Harugrad, Huscarls, 10 Burning Giants, 10 Zombie Fire Wyrms, 30 Crawling Ossifiers, 80 Rotting Hulks, 150 Skeleton Warriors. (165 Arcane Energy total)

Anli, Volkna, Shalra
>Keep fighting

Genesiya
>Search for Jankiris

Nansuj
>Spell Turning Shalra

Ilnesin
>Destroy Undead (Floating Skulls)

>>39990806
>Disjunction

>>39990811
>Disjunction

>>39990806
>Meteor Swarm
Fine, let's at least cast the spell that will actually have an impact if we aren't going to summon an army.

>>39990806
>Disjunction
Seems to be worth the attempt at least, I don't think Meteor Swarm will be needed.

>>39990836
I don't know why you think that. The Bone Palace isn't really an offensive summon.

>>39990852
I don't know why you think I assumed otherwise.
After the last skulls are gone, our three dragons will make short work out of everything else, with the Bone Palace capturing a few Ogres and skeletons.

>>39990485
>Mind Blank might work against it, but I'm not sure the fear aura is a magical effect

>The Bone Palace exudes an aura of supernatural fear and horror
>Mind Blank: Subject is immune to mental/emotional magic
I forgot to adress this one.
Even if its already resolved, I felt it might be prudent to clear it up. Yes the Mind-Blanks protect against the Bone Palaces Fear Aura.
Its still freaky as hell, but so is everything else Aboswe got.

Disjunction on the Arena it is, as this may affect actions of your allies, we'll roll for this first on its own.

Please roll 1d20+13 for willpower and vote on extra arcane energy used.

Reminder: you can also drain the HP of those captured by the Bone Palace

Average of 5 votes used, again, this is an important roll/vote

Rolled 2 + 13 (1d20 + 13)

>>39990911

Rolled 20 + 13 (1d20 + 13)

>>39990911
All the HP of captured enemies

Rolled 18 + 13 (1d20 + 13)

>>39990911
900

Rolled 7 + 13 (1d20 + 13)

>>39990911
Squeeze out those skellies

>>39990911
900
>>39990984
Read again

Some votes are a little unclear, but I'm going with "everything you can get out of the skeletons held in the Bone Palace"

Writing

>>39990984
It's not 1:1 for HP restoration. It is 1:1 if you burn it in lieu of your own AE.

>>39991030
The issue was mostly that I didn't know if the Bone Palace would capture new enemies between casting Disjunction and the last scene.
So by the time we cast Disjunction it might hold more than 900.

>>39991050
true, but 900 is enough for...the result, especially with a 20 roll

>>39991095
>It wasn't an illusion, this place is actually bigger on the inside, we just killed everyone with the resultant spacial warp and destroyed Jankiris' entire hoard, including the gem.
>Oh, also, Sireyi can't bring Shalra back since she was the paladin of a dead god and her soul is now trapped in the nothing where his heaven used to be.

>>39991095
>.the result
How ominous.
Maybe my brilliant plan of ripping apart the magic of a self-arranging labyrinth with spatial distortion while in it wasn't brilliant afterall.

>>39991127
>Oh, also, Sireyi can't bring Shalra back since she was the paladin of a dead god and her soul is now trapped in the nothing where his heaven used to be
Thats not how it works though, her god being dead actually means there is literally nothing preventing Sireyi from resurrecting her.

You aren't trap in the void of a not-heaven, Isla had been there before we made ours too.

>>39991154
Sireyi was alive at the time and Isla's god. We don't actually know how it works with dead gods and their paladins.

>>39991177
>Sireyi was alive at the time
Which doesn't matter at all to the point of not having a heaven and Isla going basically into the Astral plane. Which is where Shalra will also be going.
If the god is dead, obviously she can't be dragged to his not-existing heaven, so she goes into limbo until resurrected.

Ilnesin casts another spell at the floating skulls, destroying most, but drawing the attention of the remaining two. They fire spell after spell at her, but end up destroying themselves.

You reach out with your magic and turn the remaining dragon to your service. Now you have all the biggest monsters on your side, victory is only a matter of time, and of keeping your allies alive until then.

And now, you think, to shorten that time...

You cast one of your most powerful spells: one that will rip apart whatever concealing magic Jankiris is using. You concentrate on shaping your magic even as you drain every last bit of power you can from your captured skeletons, the spells sustaining them drained away to fuel your own magic.

Finally you unleash it, the sort of spell that could bring down the magic of a god or demon lord.

It washes over the arena and you hear Genesiya and Nansuj both send –found him!-

-He was pretending to be a skeleton- says Nansuj

And then things start to go wrong.

First the undead army attacking you all falters briefly, and then chunks of the ceiling start falling down – huge blocks of stone and metal crashing into the floor, crushing undead underneath them.

Cracks start to appear in the walls and floor.

-I think you hit it a bit too hard!- send Ilnesin

-The whole place is coming down!- sends Nansuj –I knew you were a traitor, you slaad!-

-It’s time we embraced our doom- sends Genesiya gleefully

-Uh, what now boss?- Asks Volkna

-Time to go?- suggests Anli

-What in the Hells?- Asks Shalra

Upon reflection, you concede that such a powerful anti-magic spell in a place controlled by magic might not have been such a wise decision.

But still, Jankiris has been spotted by Genesiya and Nansuj, and although this place is collapsing, you can still grab him, and maybe his Gem too.

Or you could leave, and come back later to dig through the rubble, a safer option, though one that might take a while.

What do you do?
>We are all leaving now!
>Grab Jankiris
>Other (what?)

Please pick only 1 option

>>39991244
>Grab Jankiris

>>39991244
>Grab Jankiris
Goodbye loot.

>>39991244
>Grab Jankiris
That went ... mixed.

>>39991244
>Grab Jankiris
Man, that is one shoddy built dungeon right there.
Comes down from one Disjunction.

>>39991209
The place Isla went was implied (possibly stated, I can't recall exactly what was said outright around that time) to be the place in Sireyi's divinity where her heaven would've been if she had one at the time.

>If the god is dead, obviously she can't be dragged to his not-existing heaven
Yeah, doesn't mean her soul won't trap itself outside of reality trying. Ever tried to teleport to a location that doesn't exist using cheat codes in a video game and fall through the world? It's like that, but with souls.

>>39991244
On the upside, basically anything that could have tried to keep us from the loot is dead now, and we got a army of undead to dig through the rubble to retrieve all that stuff.

>>39991244
>We are all leaving now!
So, would Divine Shield 4 still have beaten that spell outright? Would Divine Shield 5 have made it destroy Boney?

>>39991332
>Ever tried to teleport to a location that doesn't exist using cheat codes in a video game and fall through the world? It's like that, but with souls.
I fail to see how that would prevent Sireyi from resurrecting her.
Also, what you are describying would be more the Far Realm, or if we go by D&D wherever those Binder entities hang out.
Which is definitly not where a unaffliated soul goes.

>>39991292
I think the problem was more that the Disjunction was massively overcharged.

Although I question the wisdom of building your lair in such a way that its completly held together by magic and not by, you know, architecture.
I mean really. How did no good wizard ever figure out to just cast Disjunction on the thing from the outside? Bam, Lich over.

>>39991361
>I fail to see how that would prevent Sireyi from resurrecting her.
It might, it might not. Depends on how outside reality you have to be to be outside the reach of a Goddess, or if resurrection requires *consent* on behalf of the resurrectee's god rather than just the lack of rejection. It'd probably cost DP to bring her back from an outside of reality, at least.

>Also, what you are describying would be more the Far Realm, or if we go by D&D wherever those Binder entities hang out.
You think there's only one outside to reality?

>Which is definitly not where a unaffliated soul goes.
Assuming that beings in this setting's far realm equivalent aren't also the beings responsible for maintaining the universe and *recycling* unaffiliated souls, anyway. Also, not talking about an unaffiliated soul, talking about a soul affiliated with a dead god. Might not be the same thing, can't be proven that the remnant touch of divinity won't fuck with things.

>>39991433
>Wizard that isn't Isla
>Thinking outside the box

>>39991460
>can't be proven that the remnant touch of divinity won't fuck with things
Considering we can without problems resurrect the followers of other living gods, I still don't see where you get the assumptiom from this should be a problem.

>>39991460
>>Wizard that isn't Isla
>>Thinking outside the box
I guess thats true.

Man, in hinsdsight I feel kinda dumb having expected a guy named "the Mad" to have built his lair in something resembling sound architecture.

>>39991498
Yes. Living. Follower's souls in heavens, able to give consent. Not dead.

-Grab Jankiris!- You send to your allies as you climb out of the Bone Palace and you all head over to where Nansuj and Genesiya have Jankiris held between them – Nansuj is glaring at you, and around you the place is still falling into rubble. The undead around you wander in confusion, unsure of what’s going on.

Huge blocks of masonry keep falling, and the ground underneath you is shaking

“Ok we’ve got him” says Anli “now what?”

“Where’s the Soul Gem?!” you yell at him.

Jankiris stares at you “Oh not marketers” he says “guild mages huh, it’s back there somewhere” he gestures to an door at the back of the crumbling arena “In my workshop, I don’t have much use for it, I think I left it propping up a bench, or maybe I used it as a paperweight?”

“This isn’t going quickly enough” warns Ilnesin, Shalra nods “let’s just destroy him and go” she says.

“If we do” notes Volkna “It’ll take months to sift through all the rubble.”

You stare at Jankiris “How can we stop this collapsing?” you ask.

Jankiris giggles “you can’t” he says “all fall down, go boom.”

“No really” you say “you built this entire place on magic – you had to have a back-up plan in case someone broke your spells.”

Jankiris looks past you, at Shalra “her” he says.

“Me?” she asks, her eyes wide.

Jankiris nods “when I made this place” he explains as it crumbles around you “I sacrificed several priests and paladins of good gods – sending their souls to demon lords to gain their favour. The demon lords destroyed some of their souls and used them to bolster my own spells. Since then I needed to sacrifice a follower of a good god – one gifted with their power, every century or so, and I always made sure to keep one around, just in case I needed an emergency fix. I can show you the spell in and I’ll even throw in the Soul Gem – but that’s all you get. After we fix this, you leave.”

As Shalra shakes her head, you exchange a glance with Ilnesin: Shalra is not the only follower of a good deity around here, but it sounds like if either of them is used as a sacrifice, they’re not coming back.

“Not good enough” says Anli “I say we rush in there and grab the Gem.”

“Sifting through rubble sounds safer” says Volkna “it’ll just take longer.”

“It’s fragile” says Jankiris in a sing-song voice “the Gem might be broken.”

You quickly cast your own spell and examine the crumbling magic around you – you’re smarter and more powerful than any mortal mage and you have the Bone Palace and an army of undead at your disposal – well, Jankiris’ army, but still.

You could create a temporary fix using the Bone Palace to drain the undead of power and *fix* the spells holding this place together using an excess of arcane power – but doing so would likely destroy the Bone Palace. And it might not work, and even if it does it might last a week, a month, even several years, but long enough to find the Soul Gem you think.

You consider taking control of Jankiris, in case there is another way, but you think he is telling the truth.

So your options are:

Cut your losses and leave, without the Gem – at least you have Jankiris.

Make a deal with Jankiris, and kill Ilnesin or Shalra, sacrificing their soul to preserve this place

Just rush in to grab the Gem, but it could be destroyed, and you or your allies might die.

Let the place collapse and search the remains, hopefully the Gem will be ok.

Or prop the place up using the Bone Palace.

Or maybe you can think of something else to try.

Vote will be in 10 minutes, will be a 5 minute vote. This time is for asking questions and suggesting ideas.

>>39991730
>Just rush in to grab the Gem, but it could be destroyed, and you or your allies might die.
I think this is the best option.
Send everyone else out, except Aboswe and Nansuj. hey look for the Gem, if the place collapses before they get out, just use Polymorph/Shapeshfting to turn into Oozes.

>>39991730
We should just have talked to him.
I am not opposed to any of these options, and would rather use the safest one.

>>39991768
Would have ended up the same. He is pretty clearly completly evil, he wouldn't have parted with his gem willingly.
I voted for talking, but in hindsight I'm glad we didn't.

>>39991764
>>39991730
Can they cast spells as Oozes?

>>39991730
>Cut your losses and leave, without the Gem – at least you have Jankiris.
I really don't like failure.

>Make a deal with Jankiris, and kill Ilnesin or Shalra, sacrificing their soul to preserve this place
Absolutely not.

>Just rush in to grab the Gem, but it could be destroyed, and you or your allies might die.
Sireyi can resurrect us if we croak, so this might be the best option. Just make sure to throw the gem into a dimensional pocket or something if we find it but can't get out in time.

>Let the place collapse and search the remains, hopefully the Gem will be ok.
If we can't find it in the above option in time.

>Or prop the place up using the Bone Palace.
I'd rather not sacrifice Boney, but it's better than sacrificing one of our friends and has the same result. Definitely the safest option.

>Or maybe you can think of something else to try.
I got nothing.

>>39991768
>Isn't even opposed to sacrificing our friends
What's wrong with you?

>>39991768
>I am not opposed to any of these options, and would rather use the safest one.
>Make a deal with Jankiris, and kill Ilnesin or Shalra, sacrificing their soul to preserve this place
>Not opposed
Fucking chaotic neutrals.

>>39991785
>Can they cast spells as Oozes?

Nansuj can (requires stilled and silenced spell feats).

>>39991730
My suggestion is
>Control jankiris
>Everyone else leaves
>Aboswe and Nansuj get the gem and then leave.
Nansuj got (R) Teleport, so we could be out of here instantly if it collapsed too much.

Guys, this evil lich is totally evil, we ARE smiting him, right?

>>39991785
From the way he talked about the gem, we could have struck a deal for it or something.
>>39991799
>>39991801
I don't particularly care for the paladin. That's all.

>>39991799
>Sireyi can resurrect us if we croak
I'm not sure if we know that IC, nor if its true for all of the Belt Notchers.

>>39991830
Konig pls. This is not the time.

>>39991845
Given that our resident priestess can cast True Resurrection, I think we can assume IC that the Goddess is capable of the same feat but better because >Goddess and also >Savior.

We'd know IC if any of the Belt Notchers didn't worship Sireyi, and I doubt any of them worship gods that would have a problem with it.

>>39991830
Need the phylactery first, then yeah, all aboard the smite train.

>>39991838
I really don't want to make a deal with this guy. Seriously. He's already worse than Baalzamon.

I don't particularly care for you, but I wouldn't sacrifice your soul.

>>39991730
>Or prop the place up using the Bone Palace.
Gemgemgemgemgem

This is a 5 minute vote, please pick only 1 option

>Leave without the Gem
>Make a deal with Jankiris
>Rush to grab the Gem
>Let the place collapse, search the rubble
>Use the Bone Palace

Making a deal with Jankiris will have a follow-up vote over who dies, as will rushing - over who is staying.

>>39991887
>Rush to grab the Gem
What is with this >>39991828
plan? That seemed good to me.

>>39991887
>Rush to grab the Gem

>>39991887
>Use the Bone Palace

>>39991730
>You consider taking control of Jankiris, in case there is another way, but you think he is telling the truth.
We can take control of Jankiris and send him after the gem with someone who can teleport quickly while the rest of the party gets out. I think that's the best way.

>>39991838
It might not even work with the paladin due to her god being dead.
And it might not work with Ilnesin due to default 'is a demon' making the deal null.

>>39991887
>Use the Bone Palace

>>39991887
>Rush to grab the Gem

>>39991897
>What is with this >>39991828
>plan?

>>39991910

That comes under rushing to grab the Gem - these are good ideas as to the *how* but the overall plan is the same

>>39991887
>Use the Bone Palace

>>39991887
>Rush to grab the Gem
If possible use that plan
>>39991828

>>39991882
>I don't particularly care for you, but I wouldn't sacrifice your soul.
But then again, you aren't a Chaotic Randumb.

>>39991916
Just stop with that already, there is nothing indicating it would work abnormally at all.
We have gods dying in masses currently and that would be a pretty serious issue if it were true.

>And it might not work with Ilnesin due to default 'is a demon' making the deal null.
Succubi worshipping Sireyi go to Sireyis heaven, the bigger issue are that some of the Belt Notchers might not worship her and go to hell by default.
We wanted to clear that up by getting the succubus domain, but its kinda unclear right now.

Rush and grab it wins

Follow up vote, 5 minutes

Take a controlled Jankiris with you?

>Y/N

Who is going

>Aboswe only
>With (who?)

>>39991983
>Y
>The fastest Succubus with magic detecting skills

>>39991882
>I think we can assume IC that the Goddess is capable of the same feat but better because >Goddess and also >Savior
The problem isn't if they can cast resurrect, the problem is if not some of the Belt Notchers might go to Hell. From where resurrecting wouldn't work.
>We'd know IC if any of the Belt Notchers didn't worship Sireyi
Not really, there are nearly 300k succubi in Oreia who don't.

>He's already worse than Baalzamon.
Baalzamon is a pretty alright guy. If anything it'd be worse than Mirror.

>>39991983
>Y
>Aboswe and Nansuj

>>39991983
> Y
>With Nansuj

ok, writing

dis gun be gud

>>39991838
I think that, In-character, Aboswe would be opposed to sacrificing Shalra after their bonding session, and she's definitely opposed to sacrificing Ilsenin.

Out-of-character, I think Shalra's dynamic as being an easily flustered, somewhat naive human paladin in a harem (which is the term for a group of Succubi, evidently) of Succubi is kinda fun so far. I also want to learn (as Sireyi) more about her god and the thing he died fighting.

>>39991961
Well, we effectively have/don't have the Succubi domain right now, since Holy Aura is working properly. Pretty sure we can tear souls back out of Hell.

Pally did confirm that Sireyi would resurrect the Belt Notchers if they bit it, so OOC, at least, we do know that she can resurrect them all, though whether it's by ripping their souls back out of Hell or all of them worshiping her, we can't say.

>>39991996
>>Not really, there are nearly 300k succubi in Oreia who don't.
I think he meant that Aboswe would know if any of her close friends didn't worship Sireyi.

>>39992058
Crap, Nansuj is the traitor.

>>39992072
>I think that, In-character, Aboswe would be opposed to sacrificing Shalra after their bonding session
Even if Aboswe were evil, and would be willing to condemn someone to hell, after having escaped from there herself.
There is pretty much no way for her to sacrifice Shalra under Ilnesins eyes.

>>39992072
>Crap, Nansuj is the traitor.
I had kinda expected Aboswe to be the traitor and we get a perspective switch.

>>39992072
>in a harem (which is the term for a group of Succubi, evidently)
I dunno. A Harem implies a group around a singular person.
I would favour a lovepile as the term for a group of succubi.
Using "A orgy of succubi" would be fun too.

The traitor is a slaad

>>39992149
Well, virtually every group larger than two will naturally wind up with one of it's members as the leader.

>>39992159
What you people fail to understand is that the greatest shitposter in Pally's quests is actually Pally himself. He only pretends to be a respectably professional QM.

“We’re going to rush and grab it” you say, indicating yourself, Nansuj...and Jankiris.

“Everyone else” you add “is getting out, now.”

“But-” says Anli

“No arguing” you say “Ilnesin – keep them alive.”

“I will” she says, nodding, she gathers up Shalra in her arms and she, Anli, Volkna and Genesiya fly upwards, searching for an opening in the collapsing ceiling.

“I never agreed to this!” protests Jankiris “I demand a recount, I want my lawyer! This is in violation of my necromantic ri-”

You cut him off mid-sentence by casting a spell and seizing control of him. You easily take control of him, too easily you think, you need to watch him. Or maybe irs easy because...you push that idea away.

“You were saying?” you ask him.

“Right this way ma’am” says Jankiris in a docile tone.

As Ilnesin uses a spell to tear a hole in the roof you dismiss your summoned undead, including the two zombie dragons you have added, and you follow Jankiris to his workshop.

You move quickly, but the two of you are on alert for any sort of trap magical or otherwise, or for Jankiris to betray you.

It’s all going well until you get to his workshop.

“It’s just over there” says Jankiris, pointing to a large chest at the opposite end of a large room full of benches covered in clutter and half-finished experiments. You’re all stood just outside the door to his workshop.

“So go get it” says Nansuj.

“Gladly” says Jankiris, walking forwards. You grab him and pull him back “nope”

“What? Why?” says Nansuj

“I’ll get it” you say firmly. Around you the walls start to crack.

“Why?” asks Nansuj, giving you a suspicious look “I mean you can see the magical aura as well as I can – that whole place is dimensionally locked – no teleporting in or out of the lab. The whole thing could be a trap, let your pawn go get it.”

“And let him idly pick up something that could free him from my control?” you say, your voice dripping with scorn “no.”

Nansuj’s hand strays to her dagger “Ilnesin told me a funny story a few days ago” she says casually “about why you became a necromancer, and why you like the dead so much, I mean it makes sense in light of things: why you were so eager to take this mission, why Jankiris is so happy to work with you.”

You freeze, what has Ilnesin told her?

“So sure” says Nansuj “you go and get the thing, all on your own, and maybe you pick up a memento or two, for old times sake, like a certain robe, book or chalice huh?”

Ah, damn, you knew you shouldn’t have told Ilnesin about that.

“It’s not what you think” you say “I can explain.”

“Sure you can” says Nansuj, both knives out now. She’s too close, if you’re going to use a spell you’ll only get the chance for one, otherwise both of those knives are going in your throat.

What do you do?

>Use a spell (what?)
>Have Jankiris distract her, get what you came for
>Tell her a lie
>Tell her the truth
>Other (what?)

>>39992356
>Tell her the truth

>>39992356
>>Tell her the truth

>>39992356
>Tell her to go get the gem then.

>>39992356
>Tell her the truth
My own curiousity aside, I can't see any spell working on her, since she still got Spell Turning active.

>>39992356
>>Tell her the truth

Writing the *truth*

>>39992509
Slaad truth?

So I've just caught up and not only did anons fail to name something "Gaze of the Abyss" but noone said we should have a sing/dance of for the gem!
I don't know what to think anymore.

>>39992660
>Gaze of the Abyss
Honestly, too silly to be a good name, to serious tobe a good punny name.

You sigh “we really don’t have time for this” you say “but the truth is: Jankiris is my son.”

“What?” says Nansuj, lowering her daggers slightly.

“What?” says Jankiris “No, that’s not possible my mother was-”

“Shut up!” you snarl at him, suddenly angry, you continue your tale in the crumbling ruin “Nansuj, listen, I lied to Ilnesin ok, well, some of what I said was a lie – my sisters soul really *is* trapped inside his stupid Soul Gem but she didn’t bear him, I did.”

“Changes nothing” says Nansuj, the knives coming back up “so you’d pick him over us huh? Well I-”

“No!” you yell out “listen! I was summoned by wizard and forced to have his son – his half-demon son whose soul was bound to mine – as long as I lived he could never die, not truly. When he because a lich I was no longer need and the tie was cut, almost” you give Jankiris a look of contempt, letting him see how you truly feel about him “thanks to that spell I can kill him – truly kill him, phylactery or not. The robe, book and chalice are part of the ritual of his birth, but I don’t truly need them, I just wanted to collect them, for there to be an end to it.”

“So you came here to kill him?” asks Nansuj, still looking wary.

“Yes” you admit “but now that I see him, I wonder if it’s even worth the effort, will he even know who it is that’s killing him?”

“No!” yells Jankiris, struggling against your spell, you hold him in place, his will no match for yours “I killed my mother and trapped her in my Soul Gem, you can’t be here, Ullamwe is dead!”

“I was pretending to be my sister” you say to Nansuj, trying to convince her you’re telling her the truth “A game we used to play, I got caught in the spell, and she didn’t, and I gave her name without thinking it, that’s why this” spare Jankiris a look of loathing “worm killed her and trapped her soul – he believed her blood could harm him, when in truth, only mine can. Here, let me prove it, cut me with your daggers and my blood will destroy him.”

Nansuj looks back and forth between you and Jankiris for several long moments....then puts her daggers away “No need” she says “I believe you, now lets go get your sister.”

Your response?

>Fetch Soul Gem yourself
>Fetch ritual implements (robe, book and chalice)
>Kill Jankiris anyway
>Have Jankiris fetch the Soul Gem
>Other (what?)

>>39992722
>Fetch Soul Gem yourself
>Fetch ritual implements (robe, book and chalice)
>Kill Jankiris anyway
>>39992687
Eye see your point.

>>39992722
>Fetch Soul Gem yourself
>Fetch ritual implements (robe, book and chalice)

>>39992722
>Kill Jankiris anyway
>Fetch Soul Gem yourself
Well shit, it's like a fucking Indian movie!

>>39992722
>Fetch Soul Gem yourself
>Kill Jankiris anyway

>>39992722
>Fetch Soul Gem yourself
>Fetch ritual implements (robe, book and chalice)
>Kill Jankiris anyway
He might not know who's killing him, but he's still an evil bastard that needs to die for the good of everyone else.

>>39992751
I bet you are the same guy that wanted to sacrifice our paladin.

>>39992722
>Fetch Soul Gem yourself
>Kill Jankiris anyway
I'm still not sure what Nansuj thought that was so bad.

>>39992722
>Fetch Soul Gem yourself
>Fetch ritual implements (robe, book and chalice)

All 3 it is, writing

>>39992722
>Fetch Soul Gem yourself
>Kill Jankiris anyway
Why get the ritual items? What good will they do? The place is coming down, we need to leave ASAP.

>>39992891
I don't think they know what they do or what toget them for, its just pure hoarding.

>>39992891
Closure, destroying ritual items that are necessary for the soul-binding shenanigans.

“Alright” you say “but first...”

You take out your own dagger and cut yourself, smearing the blood on Jankiris’ face.

His own impending death is enough for him to break your control, for a few seconds.

“Noooooooooooooo!” he screams, as he crumbles to dust in front of you. You turn your back on him even before he finishes dying “Mother please!” he screams.

You smile: you’ve been waiting to hear that death rattle for some time.

You quickly gather up the Soul Gem, as well as the ritual objects used to create the arcane link between the two of you – you want them destroyed. There’s not much chance they could be used to bring him back somehow, but you want to be sure.

“C’mon” you say to Nansuj as you cross the threshold “Let’s leave this place behind”. In your hand is the Soul Gem of Jankiris, with the soul of your sister held within it, hopefully if you ask Ilnesin nicely, she can do something about that.

The two of you teleport outide, to the hilltop where you first beheld this place. Waiting there are the rest of the Belt Notchers, and Shalra – maybe she’ll want to sign on?

“Got it” you hold it up to show your allies.

“Yes!” says Anli, pumping a fist in the air “Belt Notched!”

Ilnesin gives you a hard look, which you return: who else has she been telling your secrets too?

The rest of your allies don’t seem to notice, too caught up in celebrating.

“So” says Shalra with a grin, caught up in the infectious mood “Now what?”

“Well” says Genesiya, putting an arm around Shalra’s hips “what do you say to you, me, a secluded cabin, a week of...contemplation...?”

As Shalra blushes bright red, Nansuj objects “Hey I called dibs!”

“Bards” groans Volkna

“Rogues” says Anli, shaking her head

“There’s no reason we can’t share” suggests Genesiya.

“You’re kidding?” asks Shalra “Aboswe, they’re joking, right?”

---

And main thread ends there.

Please stand by for Junior (Succubi) Paladin Quest

FUCK YEAH! PALADIN OF JOY QUEST!

>>39993057
>“You’re kidding?” asks Shalra “Aboswe, they’re joking, right?”
They are. The joke is you aren'tjust going to be shared between the two.

>>39993057
>Please stand by for Junior (Succubi) Paladin Quest
They're called warlocks pally
>>39992965
>Closure, destroying ritual items that are necessary for the soul-binding shenanigans.
Maybe even making it easier to res our sister.

>>39993057
Hmm, if things keep going in this direction, the Belt Notchers being a harem of Succubi might be accurate in it's entirety.

>>39993057
>Succubi
Pally, you're mixing plural and singular.

>>39993174
Chesi is Legion.

You are Chesistia of Clan Blacktalon, succubus and the first paladin succubus ever, or at least one day you will be. You are 8 years old, and are attending paladin training at a church of Konig school.

http://pastebin.com/RE8br4uf

You’re getting worried. Your best friend, Mili has been gone for several days. Mili’s Aunt Philly asked her to stay behind one day after your normal meeting in her aunts office and you haven’t seen her since.

You’ve asked around but none of your friends have seen her, and Instructor Ophilian has told you that she’s away, but she’ll be back *in a few days*, other than that she won’t tell you anything.

She’s not being very helpful, not helpful at all!

You miss your friend, you’re worried and....you’re getting hungry.

You feel really bad about keeping this a secret from your best friend, but even young succubi need to feed on emotions.

You remember your mama explaining it to you a long time ago, when you first left Hell.

“We’re still demons Chesi” she explained, as you helped her clean the house she and your aunts had built “This new nation, Oreia, won’t change that.”

“But mama” you’d said “we’re no longer in Hell, and this will be a better place for us.”

“Of course it will” she said, bending to kiss you on the forehead “and yet, no matter how much food you eat, you will still need to feed on-”

You remember this one “e-ther-itic-cog-ni-tive-energy” you’d say, feeling proud that you can recall that, even if you don’t exactly know what it means.

>>39993174
Thanks for spotting

“Well done Chesi” she says, ruffling your hair “exactly right, we feed on emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, love – anything really. But you must be careful, as you’re not a grown up yet, your feeding will be passive – you’ll simply feed on anyone nearby. It will be harmless, you’ll take only a tiny sip of all of the emotions around you, so small that no one will notice, but...if you get really close to someone, a best friend, you’ll start to feed on them more than others, and this could leave them tired and weak. I want you to tell me about any new friends you make, ok? And I want you to invite them around.”

“Ok mama” you had said, inviting your friends round to your new home didn’t sound so hard.

Of course, after the first time Mili came around, your mama had been...upset. This was maybe a year after you came to Oreia.

Your mama had been very nice to Mili: smiling when she talked, offering Mili extra helpings of dinner, letting her stay as late as she liked, and the two of you had a lot of fun.

But when Mili had gone your mama had spoken to you, and she looked worried.

“Chesi” she said “I didn’t realise your friend *Mili* was Princess Milerna, the daughter of the saviour.”

“Oh” you had said “Sorry mama I forgot, I just know her as Mili.”

“Maybe it won’t be a problem” your mama had said, but she wasn’t looking at you “the daughter of a goddess will have energy to spare, and the Saviour must know – she would have kept her away from the succubi children if there was any risk to her daughter.”

“Mama?” you asked, taking her by the arm, you could feel she was upset, and scared “did I do something wrong?”

Your Mama finally looked at you “No” she said, and you could feel her love for you as she swept you up in a hug “no of course not my little one.”

“Oh good” you said “can I have a cookie then?”

---

You recall that you did get a cookie that day, but that mama seemed troubled from then on. You shake your head, clearing it of old memories, that’s not important, what is important is what’s happening now.

You’re in Instructor Ophilians office, as you are every morning. Thomas, Michael, Jenny, Sera and Gilyan are with you, but no Mili.

“When is Mili coming back?” you ask Instructor Ophilian. She just told you all to go to lessons, and the others got up to leave, but you stayed seated.

The Instructor looks up from her work “soon” she says “now go to class Mili” she gives you a stern glance, and you can *feel* annoyance radiating from her, and anger, but not anger at you, you think.

What do you do?

>Go to class
>Refuse to leave until she tells you more
>Blurt out how hungry you are
>Other (what?)

Chesi hasn’t told *any* of her friends that she skims a little off their emotions. Some might know from other sources though.

>>39993196
She can eat food but still need emotions? I guess there is no other way around it.