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Act 0: Birth Under a Pale Moon

A still night.
A quiet night.
A dead night.
Spread across the land its light.
The Pale Moon, high above in the sky.
The Time is right.
The end in sight.
A Birth tonight.

You are born…

>A normal human destined to undeath. [Dead Apostle]
>The Scion of those sworn to protect the natural order. [Demon Hunter Family]
>A Mystic who would be the last of their line, raised by the church. [The Church]

_________

Welcome to Beneath the Pale Moon - A Tsukihime Inspired Nasuverse quest

You can Find the general rules here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BuiIszmy9Mud6FGPLJYv3v1G3mFdUJnrndEKVLULEPw/edit?usp=sharing
Special Rules will be explained as they become relevant

I look forwards to running with you all again.

A small note to any who were wondering why Oni Half Blood isn't an option.
I Honestly could not figure out how to work that mechanically as a player without it feeling overly forced so I opted to not put the option on the table.

This first vote will be open for 24 hours, choose wisely.
>>
>>5078009
>A normal human destined to undeath. [Dead Apostle]
Fuck yeah I want to be a vampire
>>
>>5078009
>>A normal human destined to undeath. [Dead Apostle]
>>
>>5078009
>A normal human destined to undeath. [Dead Apostle]
>>
>>5078009
>The Scion of those sworn to protect the natural order. [Demon Hunter Family]
>>
>>5078009
>A normal human destined to undeath. [Dead Apostle]
>>
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>>5078009
>A Mystic who would be the last of their line, raised by the church. [The Church]
Churchchads, where are you?
also OP, would you like a slightly nicer OP image?
>>
>>5078217
Yes,
A graphic artist I am not.
Thank you Anon.
>>
>>5078009
>>A Mystic who would be the last of their line, raised by the church. [The Church]
In Lieu of Crimson Red Vermilion, Churchbros rise up.
>>
>>5078221
Here's a Blue variant, if you prefer that.
Looking forward to this quest.
>>
>>5078009
>The Scion of those sworn to protect the natural order. [Demon Hunter Family]
>>
>>5078009
>A Mystic who would be the last of their line, raised by the church. [The Church]
Kyrie Eleison
>>
>>5078009
>A Mystic who would be the last of their line, raised by the church. [The Church]
>>
>>5078009
>No mixed blood option
Oh well.
I am torn between other options. Is there going to be further chargen or we are just picking among three already fully established characters here?
>>
>>5078296
There'll be further chargen, a background a boon and a flaw, those will have a shorter voting period as this determines most of the character from what I have set up.
>>
Oh shit he actually did it

Also this means I can run Angel Notes quest when I actually go insane right?

>A Mystic who would be the last of their line, raised by the church. [The Church
>>
>>5078009
>>The Scion of those sworn to protect the natural order. [Demon Hunter Family]
>>
>>5078310
Man you'd have to.
Imagine having to qm qst minmaxing an Ether Liner.
I shudder at the thought.
>>
>>5078009
>A normal human destined to undeath. [Dead Apostle]
>>5078302
I see, thanks.
>>
>>5078009
Without knowing what else QM has planned for the other character options I feel DA offers the most variety in power options, fighting style and morality choices through needing a source of blood.

>A normal human destined to undeath. [Dead Apostle]
>>
Damn, I wanted Church quest, but I guess we kinda got that in Overgrowth.
>>
>>5078009
>A Mystic who would be the last of their line, raised by the church. [The Church]
>>5078349
Don't lose hope yet fellow churchad. The Lord provides.
>>
>>5078347
DA has a lot of kino base options like ghoul spam, regeneration and a path towards an interesting RM for mid/late game too.
>>
>>5078353
Gimme one of the Holy Scriptures for endgame powers rather than a Reality Marble.
Any day.
Satsuki and Roa's Marbles are both kinda shitty.
>>
>>5078353
Also, be careful not to get Ghouls mixed up with The Dead.
Unless the Remake changed it, The Dead are the basic familiars of a Dead Apostle, and Ghouls are the first stage of becoming a Dead Apostle.
>>
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>>5078352
>ID: NT7rBazz
Very cursed.
>>
>>5078370
Being Lancers master is suffering
>>
>>5078360
That's assuming QM hands players a scripture though. They're a mystic so I'd assume a churchjannie pet heretic, giving them something so powerful would require them to be on a leash and dealing with a specific threat that required it. RMs are the natural pathway of any DA that reaches that level, and depletion garden no sells a lot of things in universe. Satsuki's no slouch.

If QM gave a bit more info about where each would lead you could make easier comparisons.
>>
>>5078009
>>
>>5078374
Reality Marbles are the natural pathway of any Dead Apostle who is like centuries old and incredibly well-versed in magic themselves.
It's not something you just get to have almost immediately unless you're little Miss one-in-a-million Satsuki.
You're assuming that QM is going to hand us a Reality Marble just as much as I'm assuming we'll get a scripture.
Also the Church doesn't really give a fuck about employing heretics so long as they get the job done. Merem Solomon exists.
Depletion Gardens has little use against the sort of people who'd actually be hunting a vampire, that's the problem.
>>
>>5078377
>A Mystic who would be the last of their line, raised by the church. [The Church]
Oops
>>
QM, I'm looking at the rules. How do rerolls recharge?
>>
>>5078383
Full recharge at start of a new thread.

Otherwise awarded at my discretion and circumstance.
>>
>>5078374
Regarding more info on where each will lead. What specifically would you like to know, tell me that and I'll do my best to help clear things up.
>>
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>>5078217
>>5078239
Amateur.
>>
>>5078389
Did you have a planned form of magecraft for the church mystic or was that up to player choice?

What sort of demon hunter kit would we be looking at? Magecraft anti demon techniques like onmyoji or enhanced physical parameters for a more brute route etc.

Is the DA option a special snowflake who speedruns the early more mindless state? Are they a jannie for the one that turned them seeing as they started human and didn't achieve it through their own magecraft etc.

I just find it harder to judge a "class" when we know little about the available "skill trees" that would result from each is all.
>>
>>5078405
So down the list.
Partially depends on player choice, but it will be either based around church sacrements or the spells in their family crest which revolve around manipulating life force.
Mystics will be able to come up with their own sorcereries later down the line.

Demon hunter again depends, but mostly revolves around keen instincts, being able to understand the world around you better than a normal person would, along with physical bonuses in combat.

Dead apostle will start at rank 4 but how they got there will be a choice that being whether they were a ghoul for years or were purposefully made rank 4 by their master, they will be bound to their master early game.

I can elaborate more in a bit if you want me to but this is the general gist.
>>
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>>5078405
is me

>>5078419
cheers senpai. Don't really need to probe further, don't want to start unravelling the story before its told.

Demon hunter seems the most bland. Shame no mixed blood onikind/faekind/lamiakind/dragonkind etc. style options for inhumanchads. DA and Church mirror each other pretty well in that you're a jannie early on then, life forced based powers too.

This is a really solid start for a DA as well, as it leaves players at the precipice of discarding their humanity.

>Stage IV: Nightkin (夜属, Yazoku?) — An undead who acts as a fledgling vampire while maintaining its original personality.
A half-human vampire whose inhuman physical abilities come at the cost of experiencing extreme coldness and thirst. A low-ranking knight, so to speak. When those of Rank Ⅵ and above carefully drink the blood of their prey, their victim starts out as a vampire of this rank. They become anemic under the sunlight, though it doesn't burn them yet.
In the world of magic, one is considered "a person" up to this rank. A vampire who has reached Rank Ⅳ can now survive away from its parent. From their point of view it has changed from an "object" to a "living thing", in a sense. Only one in a thousand people are able to reach this rank.[9]
>>
>>5078434
Who said there were no halfblood options? I said I couldn't figure out Oni halfblood so it wasn't a flat out char gen option.

Suffice it to say that there is a halfblood option of a sort as a boon for one of these.
Its not the dead apostle.
>>
>>5078009
>A Mystic who would be the last of their line, raised by the church. [The Church]

Don't know the setting but I always love the Church. Nice to see you QMing again Warden!
>>
>>5078009
>A Mystic who would be the last of their line, raised by the church. [The Church]
Vampires suck
>>
>>5078009
I'll switch to...
>A Mystic who would be the last of their line, raised by the church. [The Church]

>>5078061
This is my original vote.

After reading >>5078419 I changed my mind, Demon Hunter choice seemed a bit more boring than I'd hoped.
>>
>>5078009
Alright gonna call the vote a little early as I suspect we wont' see a turn around in the next 50 minutes.
By my count we have:

9 votes for the Church
6 votes for Dead Apostle
2 votes for Demon Hunter

This vote will have 8 hours
_____________

Born you were into a family of Mages. Lost was this family whilst you were but a youth, the circumstance suspect, the truth obscured.

They were seeking the root through lineage like many a mage family would, however they took that dedication a little more literally than most. Their Magic Crest and research focused predominately on the manipulation of blood and life force, seeking to awaken the latent powers that lay within both.

[SPECIAL MECHANICS]

-Magic: You have a certain amount of Mana you can Spend on magecraft, you will have a number of spells available to you from the starting
-Magecraft: You will have the opportunity to craft new spells at certain points.
-Bloodline Growth: If you are able to follow through on your parents research you may find great power in your own heritage.

______________

Choose a Background:

>Orphaned without a Crest [HARD MODE]
When your parents were killed, their bodies were never found and their research was almost entirely destroyed, along with them went your rightful inheritance their magic crest, generations of knowledge lost to murder. The circumstances of the event are still kept from you to this day.

Attribute Spread:
Strength: C; Agility: C; Endurance: D; Magic: C; Luck: E; Charisma: C

>Inheritor of the Quest for the Root [NORMAL MODE]
You inherited your Parents Crest, you don’t know how they died, all you know is that on that faithful day you had already been sent away to the Church and when you were able to return they weren’t alive anymore. They arranged For the Church to take you into its care as repayment for a favor and to keep their legacy from the Clock Tower.

Attribute Spread:
Strength: E; Agility: E; Endurance: D; Magic: A; Luck: C; Charisma: B

[continue]
>>
>>5079171
________________

Choose a Boon:

(Bare in mind that these will progress if you choose to focus on your parents research)

>Blood of Saints
Your Family has always been close to the Church, more so than most mages, there’s a reason for that.
[You have Pure Eyes that can see when someone is lying, and Magic Resistance D to any spell of non-holy origin]

>Diluted Dragons Blood
Ages past your family intermingled with Dragons, their influence is still felt even now, but it is weak in this age and has been greatly diluted.
[The power of the Dragon is latent, When your health is below 25% All of your Attributes go up by 1 Rank]

_________________

Choose a Flaw:


>3nd Rate Mage with a 4th rate Teacher
Your tutors were less than stellar when it came to teaching you the fundamentals of mage craft. [Magical Rituals take twice as long to cast, and you know less magic than you should starting out.]

>The Clock Tower’s Eye
Your family’s relations with the Church and you being the last of your line has earned you the eye of the Clock Tower, be wary, more so than usually of your progress as a mage. [The Clock Tower’s agents are constantly appraising you, it will take less for them than usual to issue a sealing designation.]
>>
>>5079171
>Orphaned without a Crest
Fuck the Root.
>Blood of Saints
Fuck Dragons.
>The Clock Tower’s Eye
And fuck Magi.
>>
>>5079179
>+1
We should become a muscle wizard, but do a Shibata and earn all of our muscles come from hard work and not magic.
>>
>>5079171
> Orphaned without a Crest

Seems interesting! Hope I don't kill the quest like I helped kill overgrowth!

>Blood of Saints
We fucking win Churchchads.

starting out.]

>The Clock Tower’s Eye
Seal this FIST magecucks. You better send Kiritsugu plus, motherfucker.
>>
>>5079171
>>5079174
>Inheritor of the Quest for the Root
>Diluted Dragons Blood
>The Clock Tower’s Eye

>-Bloodline Growth: If you are able to follow through on your parents research you may find great power in your own heritage.
>(Bare in mind that these will progress if you choose to focus on your parents research)
Looks like an opportunity to do some dragon blood cultivation.
>>
>>5079232
Disgusting.
>>
>>5079235
Sorry.
Meant to put
>Dragon Blood Cultivation
Disgusting.
The Lord provides.
>>
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Remember all.
Saint trumps Dragon.
>>
>>5079242
She tamed Tarasque and they work together.
Church using dragons for the benefit of humanity.
And don't forget God helps those who help themselves so casting away useful tools is not an optimal approach.
>>
>>5079250
Yeah, imma pick being the owner over being the pet.
>>
>>5079254
Unnecessary pride.
There is nothing degrading in being servant of God.
>>
>>5079259
Yeah but I'm not some Crypto-furry so I'm going to pick the Saintblood option regardless.
>>
>>5079171
>Inheritor of the Quest for the Root [NORMAL MODE]
>>5079174
>Blood of Saints
3rd Rate Mage with a 4th rate Teacher
>>
>>5079174
>Orphaned without a Crest
>Blood of Saints
>The Clock Tower’s Eye

Absolutely no contest here.
>>
>>5079174
>Orphaned without a Crest
We don't need a crest when we have the Lord and higher stats
>Blood of Saints
How many times have you heard of a dragon killing a saint?
>The Clock Tower’s Eye
Oh, no. The heretics will hate us. Whatever are we going to do?
>>
>>5079290
Actual total bonus is only +5 higher without the credt and you have 2 less rerolls.
>>
>>5079299
>STR and AGI
vs
>LUCK and a bit of CHA
Gee, I wonder what's going to be more useful for someone meant to be hunting heretics and monsters.
>>
>>5079301
Rerolls are pretty strong, that said you're not wrong a big part of this is to determine how much the character will lean towards or away from the church.
>>
>>5079304
Also keep in mind
>Rerolls that may not even give us a success and being able to talk to heretics and monsters.
Vs
>Fistfighting everything.
>>
>>5079174
>Orphaned without a Crest
>Blood of Saints
>The Clock Tower’s Eye
>>
Hey, QM.
Are you going to keep or retcon Kiara being member of Burial Agency and later becoming Prophet/Saint?
>>
>>5079327
I'm pretty sure that you're mixing up timelines there, pal.
All we know is that there's a Kiara Kisshouin (Not Sessyoin) in the agency, and the Prophet/Saint stuff only happens in Fate/Extra timelines.
>>
>>5079327
>>5079330
Not 100% on this one I'm not terribly up to date fgo, but my understanding is that they're different people.
>>
>>5079330
Suppose it is up for interpretation. But with Nasu's bias towards Kiara I'd imagine it is going to be her.
>Fate/Extra timelines.
Yeah but those things also happen after events of TsukiR story take place. Assuming we start around those dates.
>>5079342
She sorts of got name dropped in Remake. Like anon said last name looks similar but different. Although not sure if it is some foreshadowing with how it was written or not.
I am mostly curious if you consider it to be her or not.
>>
>>5079361
Considering that people in the Burial Agency are explicitly referred to as "Failed Saints" the answer is no.
Even if it is her.
It could also still just be a completely different person with a similar name, which there is a precedent for too.
SHIROU KOTOMINE
>>
>>5079361
I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same person but I'm fairly sure they're not, I'd need a confirmation that they are on the tsukihime side to definitively say, but regardless of if they're the same no she's not becoming a saint in this quests timeline.
>>
>>5079171
>Inheritor of the Quest for the Root

There's nothing interesting about missing out on a Crest, at least from a having interesting abilities point of view. We take a more balanced spread of attributes and hence end up mediocre at everything with terrible luck. I'll admit that there could be interesting character work done with that choice and the the mystery could be interesting, but it seems to unnecessarily be gimping us for a hard mode and if we want to be a beast physically we'd have been better off going with demon hunter.

>>5079174
>Diluted Dragons Blood

Counters our low stats when we get low on health - and presumably mana by that point too - and need the boost.

>The Clock Tower’s Eye

Could be interesting and doesn't weaken our abilities.
>>
>>5079171
>>5079174
>Inheritor of the Quest for the Root
Why go for hard mode before we even know what the story will entail.
>Diluted Dragons Blood
Raw numbers probably helps more in a gamemode where stats and hp/mana are actually a numerically recorded thing for conflict.
>The Clock Tower’s Eye
Already work for the church, not even an issue.
>>
>>5079174
>>5079171
>Inheritor of the Quest for the Root
>Diluted Dragons Blood
>The Clock Tower’s Eye
>>
>>5079171
>Orphaned without a Crest
>Blood of Saints
>The Clock Tower’s Eye
>>
Alright it's been 8 hours, here's what my current tally looks like.

Background:
7 votes for Orphaned without a crest
5 votes for Inheritor of the Quest for the Root

Boon:
8 votes for Blood of Saints
4 votes for Diluted Dragons Blood

Flaw:
No Contest The Clock Tower's Eye

Alright looks like we'll be essentially embracing the 8th sacrament.
________

And with that character creation is over.

Name: Joshua Braun

Initial Character Sheet:
Attributes:
Strength: C
Agility: C
Endurance: D
Magic: C
Luck: E
Charisma: C

Health: 5/5
Mana: 15/15
Spells:
Holy Sacraments: Barrier, Holy Fire, Reinforcement.
Familial: Strengthen Blood, Siphon Life Force
(Descriptions of the spells effects will be given in the proper character sheet)

Skills:
Pure Eyes of Truth: You know whenever someone is lying to you.
Magic Resistance D: Cancels Single-Action spells. Magic Resistance of the same degree of an amulet that rejects magical energy.

___________

It Begins, Writing.
>>
>>5079609
DEUS VULT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2zxKrBjfxc
>>
>>5079609
Shouldn't that Mana be Od?
Mana in the Nasuverse is usually meant to be the natural Magical Energy of the environment, while Od is the personal supply of Magical Energy of a magus or being.
Unless you're just writing it as Mana to avoid confusion.
>>
>>5079625
Yes I am using Mana to avoid confusion.
>>
A slow and steady breath leaves your mouth, your chest moving up and down with each subsequent breath.

Staring quietly at the ceiling you sit up, another peaceful day. You get dressed and get ready to leave your room only stopping once to admire the garden outside your window. Filled with Violets, Lilies, and Rosemary, it is ever vibrant on this simple summers day.

You head out of your room and quickly down a hallway towards your home's front door, it was about time tend to the garden.

As you reach front door you grab some gloves and a sun hat off a coat hanger you keep nearby putting them on you go to open the door, but before you can you hear a knock.

You blink once, and sigh, before quickly checking your phone to see what day it was.

Saturday July 7th, 2012 6:34AM.

You pocket it and sigh once again, it was likely Father Honigman come to check in on you.

You open the door with a small smile.

and there was Father Honigman a small smile of his own met yours, "Joshua." he said cheerfully.

You give him a nod back, "Father, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

He chuckles, "Always business yes? It seems you're going to tend the garden?"

You nod, "It's about time to water them." stepping outside closing the door behind you, "Lets talk while we walk."

You head around the corner and Father Honigman follows, "It's well taken care of, the garden that is." he comments once you reach your destination.

You smile, "I would hope so, I put a lot of work into this... I don't suppose you're just here for pleasantries?" he occasionally was, but you could feel something was slightly different this day.

[Continue]
>>
He sighs, "Alas no, There is a matter to discuss regarding the town, a sensitive matter so I trust you can keep your peace?"

You nod, "Of course Father." you say as you water the many bushes in your garden.

He nods, "How often do you watch the news?"

You shrug, "Occasionally." you could feel where this was going.

He frowns a little, "Then you're aware of the string of disappearances?"

You sigh, "Yes, 3 or 4 missing teenagers..." you finish the watering and turn around, and Father Honigman continues, "We've reason to believe these disappearances are more than they appear."

You look up for a few seconds, "How so?"

He pulls out a small packet and hands it to you, opening it up you see several graphic photos of bodies splayed in inhumane arrangements, blood drained from them. flipping through them you notice something strange, one of the corpses eyes seem to be following the photographer.

You hand them back, "Undead? Then a Dead Apostle..."

He nods, "Or a Necromancer perhaps. Regardless whatever did this was monsterous in action both pre and post mortem to these victims."

You nod in agreement, "Then perhaps you should gather some Executors."

The Father shakes his head, "No I believe that this is in good hands."

You give him a look of confusion for a second, before it dawns on you, "Ah you want me to deal with this."

He nods.

What do you do?
>The disappearances are recent and our town is small, whatever did this started recently, so it's still early, might as well handle this.
>Insist to the father that he get official Executors, he might have trained you to ostensibly be one, but you've never been formally accepted
>You can look into the matter on your own yes, but he should still get some official support.
>Write in
>>
>>5079695
>You can look into the matter on your own yes, but he should still get some official support.
>>
>>5079695
>You can look into the matter on your own yes, but he should still get some official support.
>>
>>5079695
>You can look into the matter on your own yes, but he should still get some official support.
>>
>>5079695
>The disappearances are recent and our town is small, whatever did this started recently, so it's still early, might as well handle this.

Ah, damn, missed the vote. Dragon's blood would've been better for hardcore mode, but would've voted for normal anyway, since there was nothing interesting or beneficial in playing on hardcore mode.
>>
>You can look into the matter on your own yes, but he should still get some official support.

Wins

I'll start Writing when I'm done playing a table top session in about an hour.
>>
You mull the situation over for a minute, "Alright Father I'll look into it, but you need to promise me that you'll bring in the proper officials for this whilst I conduct my investigation."

Father Honigman Nods, "Very well then Joshua, I will do so."

He's telling a half-truth.
He intends to delay the action for some time.

You frown at him, "Father..."

He sighs, "Yes, yes I'll get in contact with them when I get back to the Church, I'm simply trying to do you a favor."

You shake your head, "Your notion of a favor is an odd one Father."

He shrugs and smiles, "It doesn't hurt to have a good image, being proactive in your work for the church helps you for consideration when it comes to greater tasks."

You shake your head, "Perhaps, but that doesn't mean you should slack in your official duties to build me up Father, nepotism is unbecoming of you."

He laughs, "Boy if I was being nepotistic you'd have been made an executor a couple of years ago."

You shake your head, "Now do you have a place I can start my investigation?"

He stops laughing and nods, "Yes, Unsurprisingly these photos were taken in the sewage system, more surprisingly they were near the local water treatment plant."

You raise an eye brow at that, "Seems a bit brazen to set up shop near a public service."

He shrugs, "Perhaps they subscribe to the theory that hiding in plain sight is the best strategy."

You look back to the garden for a moment, the bushes looked healthy, and the flowers sparkled lightly with the water droplets hanging off them.

You then head back to your house and inside, Father Honigman following behind, and you hang up your hat and gloves. Heading a bit further in to a closet you open it up and push a small button on the side that opens a second door in the back that stored your equipment and reagents.

a Set of 42 black keys, several enchanted seals to help with setting up bounded fields, and a sword enchanted to extend to full length upon command that otherwise looks simply like a grip and guard.

You grab 12 of the Black keys and hang them inside of a cloak, some of the seals, and the sword which you equip to your belt.

Father Honigman gives a quiet nod at this, "Be careful."

You smile, "Am I ever not father?"

he chuckles, "Only when it matters. Now I suppose I'll head back to the church then."

You stop him just as he's about to leave, "It was good talking with you, even if the topic was grim."

He smiles gently at this, "Perhaps next time it will just be pleasantries."

With this Father Honigman leaves.

[continue]
>>
You have your gear equipped and are ready to head out
What do you do?
>Lets head to the Water Treatment plant and reconnoiter the place.
>Best to investigate the site of the tragedies in question, you'll better be able to assess what your dealing with if you see the site in person.
>Lets start from the top, investigate the rumor and attempt to figure out the fact from the fiction.
>Perhaps I should make a few more preparations before heading out (What?)
>Write in
>>
Hey QM does Joshua have any connections in the area? Even normies who might be able to act as surveillance? Or people that might need to be protected?
>>
>>5080089

Joshua's social life is pretty hit or miss, imagine if you constantly knew whenever someone lied, and exactly what they were lying about, but didn't know what the truth was, it makes personal relationships and trust very difficult.

But he does have a couple of contacts in town in the commercial district, as well as one that is from out of town but visits frequently.

I'll note them down on the proper character sheet, but I'll describe them here as well.

The Commerical contacts are as follows:

Johan Sigmundson - A local rumor monger, does his research though tries to only deal in facts, he and Joshua get along about as well as people like they are can.

Rachel Fischer - An old lady that runs a local mom and pop cafe that Joshua frequents, closest thing to a mother figure he has in town growing up.

The Out of Town contact is a Mage that was a friend of his parents, knew him from before he lost them.

Roderich Wagner, much like his parents not on good terms with the mages association, however he himself isn't exactly the best mage, part of that is that he's to honest for his own good, the other part is that he finds magus society to be extremely suffocating, is ostensibly outside of Father Hongiman Joshua's only link to his familys past, doesn't like to talk much about it though.

And obviously his last in town contact is Father Honigman, who was an Executor when he took Joshua in, but has since settled down into a research position within the eighth Sacrament. Is a Father figure to Joshua, as well does not like to speak of the past.
>>
>>5080078
>Lets start from the top, investigate the rumor and attempt to figure out the fact from the fiction.
>>
>>5080078
>Lets start from the top, investigate the rumor and attempt to figure out the fact from the fiction.
If we're going to recieve some backup later, we should investigate those details so that they don't come and say some bullshit like "se have to follow protocols and be sure of the rumors and such. While we take our time go and investigate the sewers by your own and have your guts being estén"
>>
>>5080121
Eaten* Phoneposting, sorry about it
>>
>>5080078
>Lets start from the top, investigate the rumor and attempt to figure out the fact from the fiction.
Lie detection is our specialty
>>
Vote will remain open until I wake up, Should also have the character sheet up tomorrow as well.
Good night all.
>>
>>5080143
Good night Warden. God be with you
>>
>>5080078
>Lets start from the top, investigate the rumor and attempt to figure out the fact from the fiction.
>>
>>5080078
>Best to investigate the site of the tragedies in question, you'll better be able to assess what your dealing with if you see the site in person.

>>5080108
Now I'm imagining a girl that constantly lies to you though insults, but really knows that you can tell the truth from lies and does it to teasingly and cheekily pay you compliments that no one else but you would understand. I think that would be low-key kino personally.
>>
Good morning All!

>>5080291
What you have described is the Tsundere archetype except with an explicit understanding of their awkward flirting.

>Lets start from the top, investigate the rumor and attempt to figure out the fact from the fiction.
Wins 4 votes to 1

Writing.
>>
You opt to go into town to separate the facts from the fiction. Obviously there would be a lot of rumors floating around due to the disappearances.
If you're lucky you'll be able to find someone that actually knows what they're talking about regarding them and has loose lips.

Your first stop is a small corner shop, it's a pawn shop and inside is the owner, one Johan Sigmundson, Your typical middle aged man, around 43 years old, short hair and starting to gray, a bit out of shape and perpetually bored.

He's a rumormonger of sorts in addition to selling whatever bullshit is in his shop.

You walk up to the front desk and Johan looks up from a laptop he was typing away on, "Ah Joshua, come here to buy something or are you here to talk my head off and window shop like usual?"

Sarcasm, half truth, you're regular visits aren't just talking to him and leaving, you usually buy something when you do.
Though you do window shop a lot you concede.

You breath through your nose, while useful it can be annoying to have these thoughts intrusively enter your stream of consciousness at the drop of a dime.

"I don't window shop nearly as much as you imply I do, but yeah I'm hear to talk today."
You put one hand on the desk and reach into your cloak to pull out some money, "And I'll buy that trowel over there, I need a replacement anyways."

He laughs, "Sure, what do you want to talk about?"

You hand the money over, "The kids that are disappearing, what have you heard?"

His jovial disposition sours fast at that topic.

He puts the trowel in a box then a bag and puts it on the desk with a receipt, "Grim topic. The parents swear up and down that they wouldn't be runaways, they're obviously worried sick about the whole matter."

You nod your head solemnly, it's a sad fact that they'll never see them again, you always hated situations like this.

Johan continues, "Last place most folks recall seeing them was the North end of town..."

You look at him, "Near the Water Treatment Plant?"

He nods, "Yeah near the water treatment plant."

So probably the right area then, he hasn't omitted anything yet and he does his research.

Johan sighs, "Last point on the matter is that some real freak showed up in town about a week ago. Like we're talking crack addict looking creepy. Came into my shop said he was looking for 'ingredients' asked him 'what for' and he just laughed at me. Then he bought some small figurines, an old oil can someone had hocked to me to get out of their attic, and I think a set of wax candles.... oh and some red dye."

You raise an eyebrow, "That is... an assortment of things yes, Ok I take it you suspect he did it?"

He nods, "Lot of folks rub me the wrong way, that man was like being rubbed against a cheese grater."

[Continue]
>>
You furrow your eyebrows, this was unreasonably unsubtle, either you're dealing with a psychopath or this is a ruse.
You click your tongue, your eyes can't discern the truth of situations, just when something is obfuscating the truth and typically only when they're talking...

You pause for a second, "You keep a security recording right?"

He nods, "Yeah why?"

You look him dead in the eyes, "I want to see this guy."

He looks at you like your an alien, "Whatever man, let me go get the tapes."

You look at him as he heads back, "You keep it on tapes?"

He shrugs as he walks away, "Don't like dealing with the new shit."

That's a lie, he enjoys tinkering.

You rub your temples and close your eyes, and mutter, "not helpful."

He comes back with the tapes and a CTTV and a vcr player integrated into it, "Lord I'm not sure we're going to be able to make anything out on that."

He laughs, "Squint your eyes young'n"

You shake you're head as he puts in the tape.

it begins playing, and immediately you can sense something is wrong, the feeling is overwhelming
You're looking at the video as the man walks in and he doesn't fit the description at all, everything he does screams of wrong.

Illusion magic? Whatever it is is making you want to throw up, it's like a bunch of white noise has hit your brain all at once.
What do you do?
>Keep watching, bare through the discomfort, they obviously wanted to seem crazy for a reason and you need to see it all to understand.
>Look away, this is giving you a massive headache, ask Johan what he's seeing, you'll be able to sort things out by contradiction so long as you focus on Johan.
>Excuse yourself to the bathroom, you need to see if there's any lingering magic around here first before this continues.
>Write in.
>>
>>5080491
>Keep watching, bare through the discomfort, they obviously wanted to seem crazy for a reason and you need to see it all to understand.
Interesting.
>>
>>5080491
>Look away, this is giving you a massive headache, ask Johan what he's seeing, you'll be able to sort things out by contradiction so long as you focus on Johan
>>
>>5080491
>Excuse yourself to the bathroom, you need to see if there's any lingering magic around here first before this continues.
>>
>>5080491
>Keep watching, bare through the discomfort, they obviously wanted to seem crazy for a reason and you need to see it all to understand.

After this, if we don't go and fall in a Coma, we should ask for the tape and examine it. Maybe the magic was concentrated in the cameras instead of something in the ambience. Maybe the guy Jonah described was a normal addict he saw in the streets and in case someone follow him, use the addict as a scape goat and gain some time.
>>
>>5080491
>Excuse yourself to the bathroom, you need to see if there's any lingering magic around here first before this continues.
>>
>>5080491
>Keep watching, bare through the discomfort, they obviously wanted to seem crazy for a reason and you need to see it all to understand.
>>
>>5080491
>Keep watching, bare through the discomfort, they obviously wanted to seem crazy for a reason and you need to see it all to understand.
But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed
>>
>>5080700
Wait what’s this about a coma???
>>
>>5080786
I believe anon is drawing parallels between Joshua's experience with his perception causing him pain and Shiki from Tsukihimes over use of his mystic eyes leading to comas.

Voting will close in 1 hour.
>>
>>5080786
>>5080799
Honestly I only watched Fate/Zero and Stay Night. I don't know much aside from some thing I read in the wiki, anime and the spoilers, but I liked it so I decided to stay and see how this quest goes
>>
>>5080806
Alrighty then, well glad you're enjoying it.
For a little more background and experience I recommend the Tsukihime manga, should give you and anyone coming in from the fate side of things enough context without having to read the whole iriginal vn or the remake.
But both of those are good to so I'll still recommend them.
>>
>>5080811
Thanks, the quest is looking nice and the character looks interesting with all the options that the other anons choose. I'll make sure to read the manga later then.
>>
Alright calling the vote here
Keep Watching wins with 4 votes

Time for the first roll of the quest.

I want 3 seperate anons to give me 1d100, you're looking to roll under the Final DV.

YOU HAVE 1 REROLL REMAINING FOR THE THREAD

Challenging DV 50
+5 D Ranked Endurance
Final DV 55

Crit Fail: Good thing you didn't have breakfast, Dry heaving is the worst you'll be doing, but you catch absolutely nothing.
0 Successes: You hold it together, but the headache and nausea are just to much for you to catch most of it.
1 Success: You're able to keep your eyes on the screen through most of it, but you're going to have a headache for the rest of the day
2 Successes: The headache makes a few things cloudy, but you're able to parse most of the information.
3 Successes: You handle it like a champ and are able to make it through the whole video, though your eyes hurt.
Crit Success: You notice an additional critical detail in addition to the 3 success result.
>>
Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>5080867
>>
Rolled 64 (1d100)

>>5080867
>>
I know this isn’t a fate quest but will Yorokobe (Kotimine) be making a cameo I mean we are a member of the church.
>>
Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>5080867
>>
Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>5080867
>>
>>5080880
Unlikely, he's either dead if there was a Holy Grail War and it went down any of the fate routes, or he wouldn't be the Kotomine that we all know and enjoy.

Results of the roll
>>5080869
>>5080874
>>5080895

2 Successes: The headache makes a few things cloudy, but you're able to parse most of the information.

Writing.
>>
We were one more 7 away from hitting triple number of God roll.
>>
You Grit your teeth as you refocus your gaze on the old TV.

The person who entered the store was almost certainly not the person that was described by Johan.
Yet it feels like the longer you look at it the more the image begins to distort.

The buzzing in your skull intensifies for a brief moment, it was like static from a radio burst, to much information at once, to many requests and messages being sent all at the same time.

You take a deep breath and continue to watch as the Tall man dressed in a long coat, shoulder length black hair held back in a pony tail and a suit walked right past Johan leaving behind the distorted image of the addict as it began to speak.

Obfuscation of the Truth, misdirection, fallacious entity, a thousand repetitions screaming in your skull at the time say the same thing in different ways, it was incomprehensible gibberish at his point.

You focus your eyes towards the Tall man and the static in your mind begins to calm, but still something was wrong about this, he seemed to be grabbing the items that Johan had said he did, but simply puts them back, before heading towards the locked door leading to the back room. A flick of his wrist and an incantation and the door opens and he walks inside, the light is dim, back there.

"Johan what do you keep in the back room", You say watching that side of the screen to avoid further antagonizing your brain.

Johan blinks, "What? Uh... mostly expensive goods, stuff that's in the catalogue, but not out in open air." he points to a catalogue book.

That only raises more questions, but the answer is probably simple, he had looked at the catalogue book before coming here, likely under a different disguise, or perhaps as himself before leaving.

"Keep anything interesting?" you follow up.

He shrugs, "A bunch of antique knick knacks."

You grimace, there's not to many magus around here, but plenty of families fall on hard times, especially the ones with more expensive disciplines like the ones that use Gems, its possible they could have hocked an artifact and Johan would be none the wiser.

You continue to watch as he comes out of the room holding something, It looked like...
He walks back in sight of the illusion.

Your mind begins screaming at you again as you have to close your eyes for a moment, by the time you've opened them again the room was empty on the tape.
"Shit..." you mutter to yourself.

You turn the tv off, Johan gives you a quizical look, "Exactly like I told you, crazy crack addict looking guy comes in buys some weird shit and leaves."

You scratch your head and the hold it for a moment.

"You might want to check your stock, he might have taken something while 'browsing.'" you say.

He raises an eyebrow at this, "Pretty sure I'd have noticed."

You shrug, "Your shop, just my recommendation, can I check that catalogue?"

He nods, "Sure, you got enough money for those antiques?"

You reply, "Maybe I just want to window shop?"

He laughs, "You better not."

[continue]
>>
As you flip through the catalogue you find that most of it is just your average antique set, but then you see this ornate looking dagger, looks vaguely like something used in ritual sacrifices, "Johan, who sold you this?"

He looks at it, and shrugs, "Some old guy from out of town, needed the money for a hotel and food he said."

You nod, "Can you get that for me? I'd like to appraise it myself."

He laughs, "Since when were you certified for that?"

You roll your eyes, "Don't need a certification to know your prices are bullshit."

He frowns, "Watch it."

You both laugh, "Yeah yeah, now get the dagger."

He heads into his backroom for a bit, and then comes back out with a concerned look, "How long you got to wait because that place is a bit of a mess and it's not where it's supposed to be."

You frown, that's not good.
What do you do?
>Take your time, confirm it was the dagger just because it's not in its spot doesn't mean its what was taken
>Ockham's razor simplest answer time, all signs point to ritual sacrifice, but for what?
>Let him look, you can use the time to investigate rumors of this 'addict' to try and find more evidence of the Tall Man.
>Write in
>>
>Let him look, you can use the time to investigate rumors of this 'addict' to try and find more evidence of the Tall Man.
>>
>>5080954
>Let him look, you can use the time to investigate rumors of this 'addict' to try and find more evidence of the Tall Man.
>>
>>5080447
I'm actually imagining somebody more calm and suave (with wit and maybe a tiny bit smug) than a Tsundere, but sure.

>>5080954
>Ockham's razor simplest answer time, all signs point to ritual sacrifice, but for what?
>>
Calling the vote now

>Let him look, you can use the time to investigate rumors of this 'addict' to try and find more evidence of the Tall Man.

Wins.

Write up will come tomorrow, until then good night.
>>
Good Morning everyone!
________

You straighten up and close the catalogue, "Keep looking, call me if you find it. I know how long it takes for you to dig through your crap."

He looks like he's about to be offended before letting his shoulders slump with a sigh, "Yeah yeah, Fine, your number hasn't changed right?"

You nod, "Same as it's been for the last couple of years."

With that you head out of the pawn shop, now if that guy is set up near the Water treatment plant to the north then...

You pull up your phone and open up your maps app to check the town's layout real quick to make sure you're remembering correctly.

Yeah he'd be heading down south along the river side and then hanging a left after about a mile then it'd be a block or two to here.

You scratch the back of your head and sigh, "That's a lot of ground to cover..." you mutter to yourself. Looking around you see a couple of road side camera's, probably owned by the city so not that helpful.

Guess you'll have to make a stop at the more popular shops and sites along the way to the water Treatment Plant from here see if they saw anyone by either description.

This was going to be a long Saturday.

[Several hours later]

You're just outside the Water Treatment Plant, you've asked up and down the riverside boardwalk, a few of the other routes and you've gotten just a few details.

One of the workers at the Plant said that the Tall Man matched the description of a 'government official' who had been inspecting the site about a week ago.
What for they didn't say, generally speaking though the magical activity in this town is relatively small, no strong lay-lines or intersections, The church is the only place with one and that place has some pretty grand defenses.

Your house is on a minor lay line, but it's not like you make much use of it, not like you have what you'd need to make use of it either. A lot of that stuff was lost when your parents died.

You shake your head, not the time to be thinking about that, So he's inspected the treatment plant, took something from a pawn shop, what else?

The addict was seen outside on of the small hotels heckling travelers for money, Nothing on the Tall Man there which isn't surprising, but that means he was there, maybe short term lodgings until they set up whatever in the Water Treatment plant?

Your phone rings, your thoughts stop for a second and you open it up, "Joshua, who's this?"

"Man you need to check your caller ID!" you pull the phone away and look at the number, "Johan, you find the dagger?"

The voice sighs from the other side, "Nope, it's missing, I'm about to file a report with the police about a theft, guess you were right about the addict."

[Continue]
>>
You scratch your chin eyes still on the Water Treatment plant, "Might want to hold off on that for a day or two."

There's a pause on the other side, "Why?"

You turn around for a bit and start walking away from the plant, "Just Trust me on that."

There's another longer pause, "Fine, but only for a day, don't do anything stupid Joshua."

You chuckle, "I won't."

With that you close your phone and pocket it, that seals it, he's set up in the Water Treatment Plant, he's going to use it as a ritual site for something, Has a temporary lodging at one of the hotels, and has already made 3 sacrifices, one of which has become an undead of some fashion.

Your a little frustrated at the circumstances, what the hell is this ritual, why there and why this town? The towns the easiest to answer, it's a bit of a ways off, not a real suburb of any major city, but large enough that a few missing people wouldn't cause to much of a panic.

But the ritual, you're not sure.... unless those 3 were practice and not part of the ritual itself.
The last one was turned into an undead...
No, that's absurd, he couldn't be trying to turn himself into a dead apostle could he?

You turn back around to the Water Treatment Plant, If he was what better place to weaken and feed from then the source of life in a town.
That fucker.

What do you do?
>This needs to stop now, enter the sewers and head to the Treatment plant from there and attempt to Confront the Heretic Magus.
>Lets not get to hot headed, head back and regroup with Father Honigman and make a plan of attack.
>There's no way he'll be able to achieve success with that ritual in the time it'll take the Executors to get here, head back let the Father know and leave this in there hands.
>Write in?
>>
>>5081800
>Lets not get to hot headed, head back and regroup with Father Honigman and make a plan of attack.
>>
>>5081800
>Lets not get to hot headed, head back and regroup with Father Honigman and make a plan of attack.
>>
>>5081800
>This needs to stop now, enter the sewers and head to the Treatment plant from there and attempt to Confront the Heretic Magus.
>>
Alright we'll call the vote here

>Lets not get to hot headed, head back and regroup with Father Honigman and make a plan of attack.

Writing.
>>
You give the Water Treatment Plant one last look before turning back properly, it does you no good to go in without a plan of attack.

Attacking a Magus' base of operations is a difficult task if they're even half way competent.

With that in mind you head back to the Church to discuss the details of what you've discovered and your conclusion with Father Honigman.

It doesn't take you nearly as long to head back seeing as you have no need to make stops or talk whilst heading there, upon entering the church you find that it is relatively empty, Father Honigman is probably in the back. You head there to see him sorting through some books on a shelf, he gives you a quiet acknowledgement.

"Father Honigman."

"Joshua. Have you found anything?" he replies.

You nod, "Plenty, the situation is the worst of both theories frankly." you take a seat as the Father grabs one of the books on the shelf and heads to a desk that he seats himself at, he gives you his full attention as he sets the book to the side.

You continue, "It seems we're dealing with a Magus, one with knowledge of Illusionary magic, as well as one capable of performing a ritual capable of creating undead. All evidence I've gathered points to him having set up in two locations. One being the Water Treatment plant, I suspect this is to become his long term base of operations, and another in a hotel, this seems to have been temporary lodging. In terms of objective from what I've been able to deduce he's collecting these victims to use as practice for a ritual. I speculate that this is a ritual to turn oneself into a Dead Apostle, but I can not confirm this."

The Father gives a quiet nod at this and looks up for a moment, "I see, these are grave tidings. The Executors are scheduled to arrive sometime tomorrow evening, how long do you believe he's been here?"

"About a week, though he's likely been eyeing up this town and towns like it for longer. My guess is that he figured he'd either fly under the radar for long enough with his illusions or that the churches response would have been slower. Regardless we shouldn't wait to long to deal with this issue." you respond.

Father Honigman nods in agreement at this, "Indeed, whether he is seeking to become a dead apostle through ritual magic or if his schemes are pointed else where, it is a grave offense this heritic is committing by assailing my congregation." He stands up and heads to a nearby window, "I can have the Water Treatment Plant closed down and all personnel evacuated from it, from there we should have free reign to handle the issue. I would strongly prefer the matter to be settled as soon as possible, so much so in fact that I may dust off my old robes..."

[continue]
>>
He turns around, "Joshua, you've done well, Blessings be upon you. However the Lord's work is never done. If you will I ask you to accompany me on this task. If it seems to much for these old bones and your own abilities then we will simply be recon, but if we can strike down the heretic than I believe we should."

"I can agree to that, but first we need a plan."

He nods, "We'll need blueprints of the plant as well as the sewer system, these are trivial, we'll erect barriers on all escape routes through the sewage system, from there we will proceed and purge any and all opposition along the way to Heretic. Should things prove beyond our capabilities we'll fall back to a designated point and await reinforcements." he heads to the bookcase and taps the side of it as it opens to what looks like a reliquary of weapons and sacraments, "Any objections or suggestions Joshua?"

Do you have any objections to this plan?
>Yes (Write in)
>No
>>
>>5082460
>No
>>
>>5082460
>No
>>
>>5082460
no
>>
Alright we'll call the vote here

No objections to the plan

Writing.
>>
You had no objections to the plan, it was simple and straight forwards. Control the access points, and go as far as we can, whatever remains after the Plant has been evacuated will be a clear enemy.

Father Honigman was quick to equip himself, an older looking black robe had been dusted off, he strikes an imposing figure in it, his normally peaceful demeanor replaced with one of unrepentant malice. He had been an Executor for many years before he settled down in his current position. There's an old adage about old men in a profession where they usually die young, the Father imbodied that adage.

He swept past and grabbed a phone, a quick phone call and a short argument pass and the Water Treatment Plant is to be Evacuated.

You had seen the Father in action twice.

Once was on a trip to France, the Aftermath of a cruel and disgusting failed ritual, the violence of the Dead Apostle Ancestors and the clash between them and the last of the True Ancestors had left a wreckage of a city in their wake, and ultimately clean up duty in the hands of the Church. For all the kindness he offers to those in his flock, he returns equal contempt and violence to those outside it. You'd call the mans behavior paradoxical if such an attitude was so prevalent within the Church as a whole. You count yourself lucky to have grown up in his care and to be counted in his confidence.

He had said that the reason he brought you was to give you an first hand experience with the horrors of the world.
You can't say that his guardianship has been the most appropriate growing up.

The Second instance was another trip, this time to Italy, a small group of Heretical magi had gathered together and were plotting something, you weren't maid privy to the specifics, but you were brought along as something of a test of your skills and knowledge. It was the first time that the Father had put you in consideration for being an Executor yourself.

You won't lie the prospect was appealing in it's own ways, but you always found the secrecy off putting, lies and secrets never meshed well with you due to your eyes. Still you owe a lot to the father and the Church. The higher ups don't see it that way though, they tolerate the Father and yourself due to their relationship with your parents, but to them you haven't earned their confidence yet.

You sigh, and look at a clock, whilst reminiscing about an hour had passed in the wait for the Plant to be evacuated, by the time you would arrive from a walk the process should be complete.

Father Honigman and you departed the church for the Plant stopping a short ways down the street, the sun was setting at this point and all attention was on the plant due to the commossion of the evacuation. You both slipped into the sewers from a nearby grate. Head down towards the plant through the seweage you took the time to set up the various barriers behind you as branching paths presented themselves. This would be the most tedious part of this.

[continue]
>>
Still between yourself and Father Honigman there was now only one way out and one way in.

With that you head inside.

________

Here's the Character Sheet with details on how the various spells Joshua has available to him function:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ODkZgPMO5swNDpzPQDmGySuPqDOhJ6HlnQWTCgaOjdw/edit?usp=sharing

3 anons give me 1d100

YOU HAVE 1 REROLL REMIANING FOR THE THREAD

Average DV 70
+10 C Ranked Magic
+10 C Ranked Agility
Final DV 90

No Crits this roll

0 Successes: You've triggered a magical alarm, be prepared for increased resistance further in
1 Success: You've triggered a magical alarm, you managed however to mitigate its range to a degree
2 Successes: You don't trigger the magical alarm
3 Successes: Not only did you notice the Magical alarm, you manage to dispel it without any difficulty.
>>
Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>5082874
>>
Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>5082874
Oh boy
>>
Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>5082874
>>
3 Successes: Not only did you notice the Magical alarm, you manage to dispel it without any difficulty.

The First of many hurdles.

Writing
>>
The exit you were about to use was one that was set up so that the workers at the treatment plant could access the inlets from the sewer side for blockages, though this is somewhat antiquated given more recent updates to the plant that automate that process, the entrance none the less still exists as a legacy of those older times.

However just as you're about to continue forwards you stop, noticing a small seal etched into the wall on both sides just before the ladder leading up, an innocuous thing.

You kneel down to get a closer look, seems to be set up to act as a bounded field that would alert the creator when anyone passes through it, a typical magus defense, though this one seems rather slapdash as there's no contingencies set up for if it were to be dispelled or destroyed to alert the creator.

You grab one of the black keys you have and stab it just above and to the side of the symbol taking care not to have the blade go across the mid point of the vertical axis before bending it and cracking out the small piece of wall nullifying it. With the geometry disrupted the magic becomes inert and you continue on your way forwards, perhaps the magus wasn't expecting a force to come from the sewers or perhaps they hadn't had enough time to properly reinforce their defenses yet, either way this was good, the less prepared the magus the easier it is to deal with them.

Father Honigman takes point as you follow up the ladder and you enter into a small complex, mostly meant for monitoring the mostly open air facility remotely. No one was here, as far as either of you could tell, quickly surveying the walls and floors for any more magical symbols you find the area clean, it was mostly just a maintenance closet.

You open the door leading to a short hallway with one door on your left and one door a the end that likely went outside.

You sneak up to the closer door and put your ear to it, silence, you slowly check the door nob grabbing it and gently turning to find the door locked. You nod to Father Honigman who moves past to the door at the end and he opens it up slowly to check outside, he then closes it and places down a black key in front of the door and chants a prayer as a barrier appears locking the door in place and reinforcing it.

He returns to your door on the other side, you look at him once and he nods.

You pull out your sword and it extends, he grabs a fist full of keys and stands up kicking in the door.

He tosses the keys into a triangular formation which then lights up forming a barrier around the center of the room. splitting it into 3 sections, the barrier was keyed to the father so he could pass through it and any one he designated.

[continue]
>>
Inside was a Tall Man in a Black Long coat, with a disfigured face he seemed to have been going over some notes. As the Barrier springs to life after the door is kicked in he looks up to seem himself incased in the triangular cage.

He gives a blank and unamused expression, "You're here rather early." his tone betrays his annoyance even if his face doesn't.

The Father doesn't even give him a breath to speak before dashing in there at ridiculous speeds, the magus however seems to flip a nearby table between himself and Honigman blocking line of sight. As Honigman breaks through it to your surprise the Magus is gone.

What do you do?
>We need to fall back, this reeks of a trap
>It couldn't have been an illusion you would have felt it, you need to find him now
>To hell with this, the best way to deal with people like this is to just burn the whole damn building down.
>Write in
>>
>>5083063
>It couldn't have been an illusion you would have felt it, you need to find him now
>>
>>5083063
>It couldn't have been an illusion you would have felt it, you need to find him now
>>
>>5083063
>It couldn't have been an illusion you would have felt it, you need to find him now
>>
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Good Morning All

>It couldn't have been an illusion you would have felt it, you need to find him now

Wins

Combat Start!

Joshua: 5/5
Father Honigman: 7/7

vs

The Tall Man: ?/?

Your current Mana(Od): 15/15

Declare any spells you'd like to use with Green text like this
>Apply Holy fire, 3 mana, empower our sword with it.

Note:
Any extra damage from spells like Holy fire will be applied after the successes are determined and only when damage is dealt from them unless other conditions are stated [like siphon life force]
So if it says 2 successes: Deal 2 damage to the enemy and you had Holy Fire 3 you would deal 5 damage, but if you deal no damage then holy fire damage isn't applied.

YOU HAVE 1 REROLL REMIANING FOR THIS THREAD

I need 3 1d100s anons

Challenging DV 50
Agility C vs Agility ?: +5
Strength C vs Strength ?: +10
Magic C vs Magic ?: -10
Father Honigman's support: +10

Final DV 65

Crit Fail: "How is he doing this?" [You and Father Honigman both take 2 wounds and the target remains concealed]
0 Successes: "How did he do that?!" [You and Father Honigman both take 2 wounds, the target is revealed]
1 Success: "Get down Joshua!" [Father Honigman takes 2 wounds, the target takes 1 and is revealed]
2 Successes: "You must think yourself terribly clever!" [The Target is revealed and takes 1 wound]
3 Successes: "You can't hide from me!" [The Target is revealed and takes 2 wounds]
Crit success: "Your first mistake was assuming I couldn't see you." [The Target is revealed, takes 4 wounds, your concept of truth develops slightly]
>>
Rolled 100 (1d100)

>>5083825
>>
>>5083888
Welp.

Got two rolls left to get a 1 to negate that crit fail.
>>
Rolled 3 (1d100)

>>5083825
That's a very unfortunate first roll...
>>
So I'm going to make a ruleing here and set some precedence.

Since Rerolls are limited to a per thread number and outside that are hard to come by I'll give them an additional property.

You may spend the reroll to negate the crit fail and make it a normal failure or you may reroll the crit fail baring in mind that if it's 100 again it's still a crit fail.

I'll ask you all once the last roll comes in whether or not you want to eat the results or use the reroll.
>>
>>5083825
dice+1d100
>>
Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>5083825
>>
>>5083943
Whoops
>>
Alright
Do you want to use the Reroll to negate the Crit fail?
>Yes
>No

If Yes then
>Negate to normal failure
>Reroll the crit fail normally.
>>
>>5083947
>Yes
>Reroll the crit fail normally
>>
>>5083947
>Yes
>Reroll the crit fail normally.
>>
>>5083947
>Yes
>Reroll the crit fail normally.

Let's try that again.
>>
Alright
Reroll is being spent.

some anon give me 1d100
>>
Rolled 66 (1d100)

>>5084087
>>
Alright with that final results are

1 Success: "Get down Joshua!" [Father Honigman takes 2 wounds, the target takes 1 and is revealed]

Writing
>>
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You quickly scan the room for any abnormalities, you run scenario through your head one more time.

The magus was trapped in the barrier cell, no windows to break through, solid floor and ceiling, no holes in either. Obscured themselves with a table, probably could have used a single action spell in that time if they were adept at it or it was part of their family crest.

It's not an illusion you would have felt the falsehood of the projected image, and you know that single action illusions can't affect you due to the requirement to imprint the magic on the users mind or the world for a time being and your innate resistance.

Then that leaves only a few options, either the barrier was subverted by the magus in that time and they escaped with extreme speed, or they've obscured their location by warping some physical phenomena rather than creating a false image.

"Refraction." You say aloud.

Looking around again with the hypothesis in mind you look around the room again, and just as your eyes adjust to looking for the subtle distortions caused by a rushed spell that would refract the light in the room around them you're met with a blind flash of flame streaking towards you.

You curse, you were too invested in trying figure out the discrepancy rather than simply searching for one.

However, Father Honigman is quicker than the torrent of flames shoving you out of the way getting scorched on his side as a biproduct, but not without repaying the favor in kind. A Black key sticking out of the wall, a trickle of blood wrapped around a spot in space where the magus was as it fell to the ground.

His trick wouldn't work a second time.

__________

Health:
Joshua: 5/5
Father Honigman: 5/7
vs
The Tall Man: ?-1/?

Joshua's Mana(Od): 15/15

Spells listed here are available for use: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ODkZgPMO5swNDpzPQDmGySuPqDOhJ6HlnQWTCgaOjdw/edit?usp=sharing

Attributes revealed:
Tall Man Strength: E
Agility: D
Magic: A

_____________

What is your move?
>End the Fight quickly, Rush him down and Siphon his life force [Commits to Siphon Life force spell (5 mana)]
>Close the gap, engage in normal close quarters combat
>Keep at Range, use your black keys.
>Write in
>>
>>5083888
Ah, I remember my first crit fail with the Warden. This is so similar it's not even funny.

>>5084235
>End the Fight quickly, Rush him down and Siphon his life force [Commits to Siphon Life force spell (5 mana)]

The dice do not favor us, decisive action is needed.
>>
>>5084235
>Close the gap, engage in normal close quarters combat

We are worse at magic in comparison to the dedicated Magus, I suggest we circumvent this by applying sword to face.
>>
>>5084235
>Close the gap, engage in normal close quarters combat
Put a barrier behind him if we can.
>>
Alright I'll call the vote here.
>Close the gap, engage in normal close quarters combat

I'll throw in the use of Barrier as well.

Wins 2 votes to 1

Joshua: 5/5
Father Honigman: 5/7

vs

The Tall Man: ?-1/?

Your current Mana(Od): 14/15

I need 3 1d100s

Challenging DV 50
Agility C vs Agility D: +5
Strength C vs Strength E: +10
Father Honigman's support: +10
No Step Back (Barrier blocks the path) +5

Final DV 80

Crit Fail: "How the hell did he get over there?!" [You take 2 wounds, Father Honigman takes 1 wound]
0 Successes: "Stop with the torrent of flames for five seconds!" [You take 1 wound]
1 Success: "Faster than I expected." [You deal 1 wound and take 1 wound]
2 Successes: "Typical Magus, no taste for melee." [You deal 2 wounds]
3 Successes: "You'll regret the very moment you stepped into this town." [You deal 3 wounds]
Crit Success: "Die Heretic!" [You deal 5 wounds]
>>
Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>5084552
Fun
>>
Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>5084552
I have him pinned.
>>
Rolled 88 (1d100)

>>
Here's the Results
2 Successes: "Typical Magus, no taste for melee." [You deal 2 wounds]

Writing
>>
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You don't hesitate for a moment, seizing the initiative charging forwards sword drawn, quickly tossing a black key with along with a quick prayer, between where the mans legs should be.

Behind him where the key was imbedded into the ground was now a barrier that would block the easiest retreat route he would have, You can hear the foot steps attempting to head back a bump a step to the side Honigman's own keys flying to cut off either way allowing you to effectively close the gap.

You thrust your sword forwards to the satisifying resistance of flesh and muscle having been struck, a grunt of pain and the collapse of the spell causing the refraction.

You were now face to face with the Tall Man, His disfigured face was mostly scared over from burns, his eyes were a sickly green, his skin pale, his hair an ashen brown. you could see it in his eyes, Contempt and frustration, but also a small sense of satisfactions, and superiority.

Odd feelings to have for someone to have as they're about to be cut down.

You follow your thrust with a swing to which he responds with a surprisingly quick chant causing a torrent of flames to errupt between the two of you, dangerously close to the man's arm which now had two large gashes in it.

You jump back to avoid the spell to see him having used it to both gain space and cauterize the wound, scorching his own coat in the process. He straighten his posture quickly reaching into his pocket pulling out the ritual dagger you had seen from the catalogue and then just as swiftly tossing it into the ground at his feet it sticking into wood before stepping back putting his unburned hand against your barrier.

You couldn't see it on his face, the damage from the burns rendered the muscles weak, but he was smirking.

You didn't like this one bit.

____________

Health:
Joshua: 5/5
Father Honigman: 5/7
vs
The Tall Man: 2/5

Joshua's Mana(Od): 14/15

Attributes Revealed:
Tall Man Endurance: D

_____________

What's your next action?
>Between yourself and Father Honigman a flurry of Black Keys should end this.
>You're close enough you can close the distance again and end him before whatever he's planning will happen.
>Cut him off from the Dagger and trap him in a tight geometric barrier [Commit to using Barrier 5 mana variant]
>Write in
>>
>>5084624
>Cut him off from the Dagger and trap him in a tight geometric barrier [Commit to using Barrier 5 mana variant]
Oh no you don't!
>>
>>5084624
>Cut him off from the Dagger and trap him in a tight geometric barrier [Commit to using Barrier 5 mana variant]
>>
>>5084624
>Cut him off from the Dagger and trap him in a tight geometric barrier [Commit to using Barrier 5 mana variant]

SHUT IT DOWN
>>
>>5084624
>Cut him off from the Dagger and trap him in a tight geometric barrier [Commit to using Barrier 5 mana variant]

You just activated my trap card!
>>
>>5084624
>Cut him off from the Dagger and trap him in a tight geometric barrier [Commit to using Barrier 5 mana variant]
>>
>Cut him off from the Dagger and trap him in a tight geometric barrier [Commit to using Barrier 5 mana variant]

Wins unanimously

Joshua: 5/5
Father Honigman: 5/7

vs

The Tall Man: 2/5

Your current Mana(Od): 9/15

I need 3 1d100s

Challenging DV 50
Agility C vs Agility D: +5
Magic C vs Magic A: -10
Father Honigman's support: +10

Final DV 55

Crit Fail: "Dear God..." [???]
0 Successes: "What in God's name?!" [???]
1 Success: "That was far too close" [You cut him off, but not before some of the effects become apparent]
2 Successes: "I don't think so!." [You cut him Off and deal 1 wound]
3 Successes: "You don't seem to understand the situation you're in." [You cut him off and deal 2 wounds]
Crit Success: "This is the End!" [You Cut him off and Incapacitate him]
>>
Rolled 82 (1d100)

>>5085052
Oh boy
>>
Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>5085052
>>
Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>5085052
>what is probably the most optimal response
>still gimped by shit stats
Oof, should've buffed our Magic.
>>
>>5085141
Gimped yet you got

2 Successes: "I don't think so!." [You cut him Off and deal 1 wound]

No crazy bullshit today.

Writing.
>>
You don't have time to think, and you don't want to ponder the ramifications of whatever this magus is attempting to do.

You quickly grab three more black keys placing the power necessary to create an enclosure around the magus cutting them off from the dagger and any hope of reprisal.

The Tall Man begins to rapidly chant as the dagger levitates out of the ground, his blood pooling beneath it as the blade rotates to face himself.

The Black keys land in position forming a box like barrier, two of them slide cutting his legs.

The Knife flies at him stopping short cracking the frontal part of the barrier severly before clattering to the ground.

The Tall man Sneers slamming his burnt arm against the barrier, but quickly composes himself and begins examining the box he finds himself in.

You have him right where you want him

_________

Joshua: 5/5
Father Honigman: 5/7

vs

The Tall Man: 1/5

Your current Mana(Od): 9/15

__________

What do you?
>End this farce, kill him now before he can try and be clever.
>Break him first, seize the dagger, and torch his notes.
>Pin his hands with black keys to the barrier, you've got questions.
>Write in
>>
>>5085156
>Pin his hands with black keys to the barrier, you've got questions.
>>
>>5085156
>Pin his hands with black keys to the barrier, you've got questions.
Interrogation should be our forte.
>>
>>5085156
>Pin his hands with black keys to the barrier, you've got questions.
>>
>Pin his hands with black keys to the barrier, you've got questions.

Wins

Writing
>>
You pull out two more black keys as you approach the trapped magus swiftly ramming one through one of his hands through the barrier as your own passes through freely.

He's rather helpless to prevent this grunting in pain as you ram the other one through pinning him to the barrier.

His pale face meets yours, his green eyes lock with your silvery blue.

All the While Father Honigman has quietly taken a step back to observe what happens next.

Your breath slows and your eyes narrow, "Tell me Magus, are there any others working with you?"

The Tall Man raises an eyebrow, "You tell me puppet, you seem to have deduced everything else."

You take your sword and ignite it with holy fire and press it against the unburnt portion of his face, he squirms in pain against this, "I won't ask again."

He Grunts in pain through gritted teeth, "One other, though at this point I'm sure they're gone."

You pause for a moment, he doesn't seem to be lying, "And what exactly was their role in all of this?"

He smirks, "They were a contingency plan. Arguably, considering the state of my current one, a better plan in general."

No lie here either, "What was the contingency plan?"

He looks you in the eyes, "Simple, the same as the original only I'm dead."

Obfuscation of the Truth, it's more complicated than that.

You put the blade back up to his face, but just before you do he speaks, "You know if you really want to know you could just read the notes."

This is a Lie.

You give him an exasperated look, "You really give yourself more credit than you're worth you know that? Let me guess those aren't your notes, they're actually trapped with some kind of rune to try and destroy the viewer."

His smirk drops and he grimaces, you nod, "Right, predictable. Were you attempting to become a Dead apostle?"

He shakes his head, "Hardly, There are alternative forms of undeath that I find more appealing than simple vampirism."

You start pushing the sword again after a short silence, "Would you put that away!?" he shouts as it rubs against his face again, "Arrgh!"

you pull it away, "Then stop treating this like a one way conversation and confess, the whole thing will be over much swifter if you do."

He shakes his head, "You know they were right about you, you really can't be lied to can you?"

You furrow your brows, he's clearly not making this up, but is he using this to bait you away from his plan?
Who is this they?
What of the accomplice?

The Tall Man notices your hesitance and regains some confidence.

What else do you ask?
Pick as many as you want.
>Ask about his plans, the exact details, no side stepping it.
>Ask about his informant, who the hell are they and why the hell did they know about you?
>Ask if he's the mastermind behind this whole situation
>Write in?
>>
>>5085688
>>Ask about his informant, who the hell are they and why the hell did they know about you?
>>
>>5085688
>Ask about his plans, the exact details, no side stepping it.

We should probably seek out the information pertinent to the case, and then see if we can ask about the mysterious organization, persons, information broker, etc. that may be behind him. Just in case him trying to talk about them causes some sort of magical self-destruct contingency.
>>
>>5085688
>Ask about his plans, the exact details, no side stepping it.
>Ask about his informant, who the hell are they and why the hell did they know about you?
>>
>>5085688
>Ask about his plans, the exact details, no side stepping it.
>Ask about his informant, who the hell are they and why the hell did they know about you?

Gut feeling, he isn't the mastermind.
>>
>>5085156
>Break him first, seize the dagger, and torch his notes.
Losing one's research is the worst thing that can happen to a Magus.
Also really cool quest QM, I like the flavour text you give with each outcome.
>>
It would seem all the people reading this quest come out when I go to sleep.

None the less Good Morning all

Looks like we'll be asking about both his plans and the informant, but we'll ask about the plans first just in case he might expire from attempting to talk about the informant.

Writing.
>>
You roll your shoulders and focus your mind.

First things first, his plans, if there's an accomplice he'll be looking to fulfill them regardless of this mans death.
That can't be allowed to happen, you can set aside this potential conspiracy against you, the town or the church to the side for a moment for the more immediate issue before coming back to it.

You frown at him, "Really? You have people that told you about my eyes? I wonder did they inform you that I can drain every last bit of your life force from you forcibly? It's quite a gruesome process magus should I go into detail, it is my family's magic after all I'm sure you're curious. Last of it's kind."

His eyes narrow at this and his smirk disappears.

You continue, "Your plan, unless you'd prefer to be a volunteer in a demonstration. It's much harder to give it back than it is to take by the way."

He looks away steeling himself.

You just sigh, "Remember you chose this yourself."

You put you left hand on your right shoulder and then your right hand on his right shoulder and begin to chant. Your grip tightens so much you begin to hear his bones begin to crack and the skin and muscle begin to break he begins to bleed, from that blood floats out a stream of green as it wraps itself around your arm slowly intensifying.

The man begins to age rapidly from here, bones begin to creak and the burnt skin begins to decay in a matter of moments.

For the first time he begins to scream in pain, his vocal cords begin to decay as well as the ware and tear from screaming is accelerated.

with a blood curdling scream and a weak plea, "I'll talk!"

you release your grip.

The Tall Man had easily aged 30 years in the aftermath of the magic, his life force swirling around your arm, you didn't need it and honestly you couldn't use it for much it's not something you got a lot of practice with due to its... particular nature, you're not even quite sure how to reverse the effect so you just leave it swirling for now.

He pants in pain and horror, he gives you one last look, defiance in his eyes was gone, he knows if it continued he'd have rotted to death alive.
A gruesome fate.

He finally speaks once catching his breath, "We were looking to establish a base of operations in this town, turn it into an independent research post for the more taboo necromantic arts, it's out of the way, no one would have missed a couple of people a year. We thought we'd fly under the radar long enough for one of us to obtain greater power."

You wait for him to get to the point.

He continues, "Obviously we thought about dead apostles and becoming one, but we decided instead to try and transcend death in a more traditional manner that would trample on a mess of corpse laden politics. Lichdom, well as close as you can get to it anyways in this age."

You just shake you're head, "And your accomplice?"

[continue]
>>
He breaths heavily, "Long gone, as soon as our fight started I triggered a mystic code to alert them. Don't know where they're heading, but they know this place is burned."

You nod, "And your informant?"

He shakes his head, "Never met them in person, always communicated through a specific mystic code, only had 3 used all of them."
You give a short nod, "And how'd you get those?"

He continues his body beginning to shudder as the rotten flesh sloughs off on one of his arms, "I purchased them from a black market in London, the supplier someone I trusted, told me that if I use these I can learn whatever I wanted about a location or person. Saves a lot of time in scouting things out."

You sigh, "And the contact in London?"

He frowns, "He moves around, at this point he's probably either in Moscow or further east, I don't have an exact tab on him so usually just wait for him to show up in London, but he make a circuit around the major cities of the world, I do know that."

This was disconcerting, Not only do you have a loose end from here, but also a black marketer dealing in mystical goods that can inform on anywhere or anyone?
It's never simple is it?

You look at the Tall Man he looks ready to die at any moment now.

What do you do?
>You have no more questions, give him a swift painless death.
>Heretics are undeserving of such a mercy, let him die of gangrene and shock while you attempt to get more information out of him (What do you ask?)
>Leave him pined, burn down the building, say it was a gas leak and return to the church, you've got to get your affairs in order after this.
>Write in
>>
>>5086274
>You have no more questions, give him a swift painless death.
God is merciful.
>>
>>5086274
>You have no more questions, give him a swift painless death.
>>
>>5086274
>You have no more questions, give him a swift painless death.
>>
>You have no more questions, give him a swift painless death.

Wins

Writing
>>
What do our truth eyes look like?
>>
>>5086647
Normally sort of a greyish blue, but when active predominately silvery with blue accents.
>>
You nod once walking around back the man preparing your sword for a precise strike, you narrow your eyes and take a deep breath and hold before thrusting, severing his spinal cord from his brain stem.

This was enough to end him, in his last moments he would lose all feeling from his ravaged body aside from the shock of the severance.

As painless and swift as you could make it with the tools you had available.

You pull out a handkerchief and wipe the blood off your sword and look over at Father Honigman who had been watching in quiet contemplation, he gives a solemn nod at you before heading over.

The room was a mess, blood, fire, the smell of rotten flesh, magical residue all over. Those trapped false notes are an entirely other issue since they're pretty much visual landmines.
You say a short prayer for the people who would have to clean all of this up, you're pulled out of your ruminations however as Father Honigman puts his hand on your shoulder.

"That was good work Joshua, though we have much to discuss once we return to the church." he looked tired, perhaps his age had caught up with him more than you had though, or perhaps the fresh wounds he took protecting you were more painful than he made them look. Regardless you nod at him as you head out, the magic that had been set up to trap the Tall Man in was released, the barriers fell, the corpse collapsing to the ground with a heavy thud.

The walk back felt longer than the walk there. You looked up at the sky, it was night time.

A cool summers night breeze rode through the streets tonight, high in the sky the crescent moon lay shining it's dim light upon the world, as you approached the church on the outskirts of the town you could see the stars emerge slowly. It wasn't quite enough to see the milky way, but the sight was something, it made you wonder about times long since past every time you saw it, none the less it was fleeting, and perhaps that is why it stuck in your mind. Every time you see it may be the last time you see it.

You look away from the moon and it's accompaniment of stars and you're at the church. You head inside along with Father Honigman who quickly grabs a seat in one of the pews and lets out a deep sigh, "I'm a foolish old man thinking I could do what I used to at this age." he quietly laughs, "I'm out of practice."

You sit down with him and wait in silence as you both look forwards to the front of the church, the cross at center stage.

He looks down in contemplation, before looking back up, "I'm proud of you today. You did not need to go so far yet you did. However I worry for you at times." he pauses to consider his words, "These are not the simple worries of a Priest concerned for his Parish or a member of his congregation either... but as the man trusted to raise you."

He looks to the cross, "As I grow older, my faith grows deeper, but I question my own devotion to that faith in the actions of my youth..."

[continue]
>>
He sighs, "An executor is the righteous blade of God, and Inquisitor who must face the worst horrors of this world to hold back the tide of the unnatural and protect the faithful."
He smiles, "Today we have done that, I trust in the church to understand that, I trust in God to confirm this."

Then his smile fades, "But today I am reminded of the reasons why I retired from that life style as well." he looks at you, "It is a hard role to play, at all moments one must seem invincible, and hold aloft the flaming blade of justice. The work is bloody and unrewarding, it is cruel in it's execution and it's effects on it's practitioner, many die young, many more lose their way, and even many more still lose their mind."

He looks down solemnly, then to you, "The Executors you requested I call will arrive tomorrow, I will once again recommend you to them for todays services. Whether you are accepted or not, or choose to follow this path, know this Joshua I am proud of you."

You look at him with quiet contemplation as he finishes this, it had indeed been years since he had taken action as an Executor, you had no idea how much of an effect this time of peace had had on him.
You give him a hug, "Thank you Father."

He returns it.

There is a brief moment of stillness before the release, "There is much else to discuss of tonight's proceedings, the accomplice, this informant, and so on, but thank you for hearing an old man's ramblings."

You smile, "It's no issue Father."

With the touching moment out of the way what do you wish to discuss with Father Honigman?
>The accomplice, what's our plan to deal with them?
>The Black Marketer, do we have any way to catch them?
>The Executors, is there anything we'll need to report to them?
>Write in?
>>
>>5086741
>The accomplice, what's our plan to deal with them?
>>
>>5086741
>The accomplice, what's our plan to deal with them?
>>
>The accomplice, what's our plan to deal with them?
>>
>>5086741
>The accomplice, what's our plan to deal with them?
>>
>The accomplice, what's our plan to deal with them?

Wins

Writing
>>
You lean forwards in the pew and contemplate for a moment the issues at hand, the most pressing is the missing accomplice, they're a rogue factor, and one that's liable to hold a grudge.
Magi have a nasty tendency to try and reciprocate everything, this includes repaying a defeat with a defeat, a life for a life and the like.

Still the issue here is that you have no idea when they will try to strike back, even details on the accomplice in question. The Tall Man was rather sparing when talking about them.
What you do know is that he wasn't lying when he said he used a mystic code to contact them, and that he truly believed that they would be long gone by the time we finished up questioning him.

The thing that bothers you most about the whole situation is that the Tall Man was the front of the operation, the one heading out to secure things.
Then did that make the Accomplice the brains behind the operation? Or were they something else? What else could they be?

You rub your temples voicing your frustration, "The accomplice, what's our plan to deal with them?"

Father Honigman gives you a thoughtful look and a short pause before answering, "We have three paths here, First we believe as his ally believed that he's long gone heading to some back up site, so we keep our ear to the ground for similar happenings and that's all the more we can do at this point. Second We choose to believe his ally didn't know them as well as he thought he did, in which case they're still here in hiding waiting to strike back, in which case we wait for them to come to us and we ambush them. Third is similar to the second, however instead of waiting for them to come to us, we assume they don't care about their ally and will get back to work as soon as possible, so we bait them with a 'troubled youth' that 'no one' would miss."

He scratches his chin, "Frankly having dealt with magi for most of my life I can tell you this much, the second and third options are our best bet, rarely do magi cut their losses."

You nod, there's still a lot of details to work out here.

What's your thoughts on the matter?
>I trust that he's long gone, still it doesn't hurt to be on guard about the matter.
>Odds are he'll be coming for us, we should prepare for an attack before the weeks through.
>Knowing the attitude the Tall Man had, it's likely that they'll be getting back to work as soon as possible, but bait? Who would we even use?
>Suggest an Alternative scenario and plan (Write in)
>>
>>5087215
>Knowing the attitude the Tall Man had, it's likely that they'll be getting back to work as soon as possible, but bait? Who would we even use?
>>
>>5087215
>Knowing the attitude the Tall Man had, it's likely that they'll be getting back to work as soon as possible, but bait? Who would we even use?
>>
Slow day today.
To keep thing rolling I'll call the vote here.

So
>Knowing the attitude the Tall Man had, it's likely that they'll be getting back to work as soon as possible, but bait? Who would we even use?

Wins

Writing
>>
It seems likely that the Tall Man's accomplice would sooner finish their work than actually run away or seek retribution.

Father Honigman's strategy here makes sense, bait the accomplice out with the exact kind of person that they'd be looking for to experiment on.

That leaves you with one question, who?

You're not exactly privy to most of the towns youths, let alone any that you'd feel comfortable actually using as bait. That said being proactive on the matter is almost necessary as the magus is unlikely to approach their current predicament in a rash or hasty manner. That's why we need to provoke a reaction, because time is on their side. The longer they have to entrench the more difficult it becomes to remove them. As well the more people we need to watch the more likely we're to miss the actual target.

It's a frustrating situation, but not an impossible one.

The Father for his part has already gotten up and was heading to the back room, likely to put his tools back in their place, it's unlikely that he'll be able to go out in the field again for a while, if he even wants to.

Leaving you alone with your thoughts to plan out how to deal with this accomplice.

You sigh, there's not much that you can do at this moment in time, but mull over the potential failure points in the broad plan.

The worst part of this is that it's very straight forwards, if the enemy is thinking similarly, then it'll be a while before they feel comfortable enough to act on anything for fear of it being bait or a trap.

You stand up yourself, you can deal with the matter after some sleep....
Although you could head back to the Plant...
If the Magus left in a hurry you might be able to track them, or they might come back to the plant for something they forgot.

You gauged your only capabilities at this moment just in case.

You're physical condition is in good shape
you're not terribly tired.
However your reserve of Od is below half of what you can typically utilize without rest, would that be enough to deal with another magus? If they're on the same level as the last one, not without an ambush, if they're even stronger then chances are slim even so.

You grimace, this opportunity won't be available later however, if they're coming back it will be in the interim of your assault and the arrival of the Executors.

What do you do?
>Gather your strength, and stick to the plan, it might be difficulty but we should be able to find a way to bait them out in a timely fashion.
>You'd rather not leave anything to chance, head out now despite the danger to try and track the magus down.
>Write in
>>
>>5087651
>You'd rather not leave anything to chance, head out now despite the danger to try and track the magus down.
>>
>>5087651
>Gather your strength, and stick to the plan, it might be difficulty but we should be able to find a way to bait them out in a timely fashion.
>>
>>5087651
How old is Joshua anyway? If he’s high school or college age it may be easier to find a younger person to act as bait via school shenanigans.
>>
>>5087764
Joshua is 21 years old, he was orphaned at the age of 7.
>>
>>5087651
>Gather your strength, and stick to the plan, it might be difficulty but we should be able to find a way to bait them out in a timely fashion.

A rash decision is a path to a quick death. Stick to the plan, churchchads.
>>
Gonna let this vote stay open until I get done with a table top session in about 3-4 hours.
>>
Alright I'm back, looks like
>Gather your strength, and stick to the plan, it might be difficulty but we should be able to find a way to bait them out in a timely fashion.

wins

Writing
>>
You ultimately decide to use discretion and stay yourself from action, for now at least.

You had a general plan, there was no need to be rash and dive head first into action only to potentially end up as a casualty.
Bearing that in mind you head over to the backroom to say goodbye to Father Honigman for the night.

You find him once more behind his desk reading the book he had set down earlier that day, he looked up at you with a calm smile, "Joshua."

You nod at him, "I'll be heading home for the night Father, take care."

He closes his eyes with a small snort, "Indeed, blessings be upon you child."

With that he returns to his reading and you head out and return home. Before heading to sleep you take a small side trip to tend to your garden, All was well with the various plants, flowers and bushes.
They were honest, they were simple, you never had to worry about what to do with your knowledge of them.
You sigh and take the time to trim off some of the excess that you were unable to before you headed out the next day and then take a moment to contemplate whether or not you'd have the time to water them properly tomorrow or not and if you shouldn't now just in case.

Ultimately you just resolve to do it first thing in the morning regardless of other matters as it was a relatively quick task. You premeasure the water and store it in the fridge for tomorrow.

With that you head to sleep, it is a restless one, fraught with the events of the day reenacting themselves over and over again.

However you awaken to the next day without much fuss, and quickly get dressed rushing to your fridge to get the water and heading out to water the garden.
You knew either the Father or the Executors would be at your door as soon as they thought you were awake, so best to take care of this now.

You sigh in relief as you're able to finish, however just as you're about to head back inside you see the entourage heading your way, Father Honigman and two younger men in robes.
So instead you just lock your front door and head over to meet them, "Father." you say politely.

He responds back, "Joshua, these are the reinforcements." he gestures to each man in turn, both are in their 30s or so, and judging by their baring somewhat competent at their jobs, you'd reckon they've had a few years experience.

The first one he introduces as Brother Mark, and the other as Brother Michael.

Mark and Michael give you a curt nod, though it's clear it's more in deference to Father Honigman's opinion of you than their own or the churches.

Together you all head back to the church to discuss the situation.

Settling down in the backroom you pull up a map of the town, and begin to draw up a profile for the type of person being targeted.
Teenagers to young adults, trouble makers generally the type likely to run away or be overly rebellious.

You also note down that homeless folks of relative good health may be on the table for consideration, and easier to impersonate.
[continue]
>>
The Executors and Father Honigman are in agreement on that front.

You ask Mark and Michael how they approached the town, Mark replied, "We took a long route around. Came in before the sun rise and did so as quietly as possible."

You nod at this and Father Hongiman comments, "Good, if that's the case we may be able to make use of that with some preparations, if you're an unknown factor then we can work with that."

None the less we needed to decide how to go about the plan and now that everyone was hear and fresh it was time to voice your opinion.
>We can use Mark and Michael and plant them in town as 'homeless vagabonds' to both keep an ear to the ground and act as bait
>"Given it's the summer, I'm sure there's some college students visiting home, I might be able to prime one of them to be bait."
>"It's out there, but with a good disguise I could be the bait myself, should probably have a back up just in case though."
>Purpose something else (Write in)
>>
>>5088466
>We can use Mark and Michael and plant them in town as 'homeless vagabonds' to both keep an ear to the ground and act as bait
Given it's the summer, I'm sure there's some college students visiting home, I might be able to prime one of them to be bait."
>>
>>5088466
>We can use Mark and Michael and plant them in town as 'homeless vagabonds' to both keep an ear to the ground and act as bait
>"It's out there, but with a good disguise I could be the bait myself, should probably have a back up just in case though."
>>
Since both votes want to go for a varried approach but can't agree and it's been 12 hours I'll go with the part that they agree on.
>We can use Mark and Michael and plant them in town as 'homeless vagabonds' to both keep an ear to the ground and act as bait

How's everyone feeling about the quest by the way? I expect the board to be slow, but the threads starting to slow down quite a bit and I'm not sure if it's just the season, timezones or if the quest isn't going in an enjoyable direction given it's slow pace. I'm open to criticism so don't be afraid to tell me where I'm failing hard.

None the less Writing.
>>
>>5088876
I'm not too familiar with type moon, Ive seen fate stay night and read tsukihime as well as the other manga about eyes of death perception quite some time back but I at least enjoy it
>>
You weigh the potential of using both a local youth and yourself as bait.
The local youth would probably be optimal if they could be maneuvered into an enticing position, it would take some time to find one that fit the bill, but your sure you could.
However the idea gets under your skin somewhat, failure means their death, and it's not like they can volunteer for something they're ignorant of.

When thinking about using yourself as bait you just sigh, if the Tall man was aware of you then his accomplice is likely aware of you as well. You're unsure if there is anything short of a strong illusion or some sort of facial sculpting that would help with the disguise. You would prefer to play the bait than someone else, but ultimately you decide that this is likely a fruitless endeavor.

That leaves you with your personal suggestion, using Mark and Michael as the bait. Even if the magus had eyes on the entrances of the town and saw the Executors come in, the odds of them having a good read on their appearances are low. Not that it would matter much as it'll harder for them to tell once they've adopted a civilian appearance. This was likely your best bet to catch the magus off guard, and so long as both you and Father Honigman kept a close eye on both of them whilst they were acting as bait the odds of them being taken down or out from under your noses were slim to none.

And that's exactly what you propose, "I move that we make use of Mark and Michael's unknown status, best we keep these matters internal, no need to endanger any of the townsfolk here."

There's some quiet contemplation before Michael speaks up, addressing Father Honigman, "I agree with the... magus, in both matters actually, whilst I understand that they aided you and you trust them, why are they still here?"

Father Honigman gives Michael a somewhat exasperated look, "Because Brother Michael, they have invaluable tools to help us in this mission, no less it was their suggestion I bring you here in the first place. I find your distrust out of place in this situation. Have faith Brother, for God is good and so is Joshua."

Father Honigman's standing up for you doesn't seem to sway Brother Michael much beyond dropping the issue, "Very well then."

You frown slightly, "Then is it agreed?" you ask the rest of the room

Mark and Honigman both nod, and Honigman follows up, "It is, find the good brothers some proper disguises and set about putting them on the town, of course we'll both be providing over watch for them as they do their duty in this respect."

You nod, you know that Father Honigman will get along fine with either of them, but you'll need to work alongside at least one of them for some time going forwards, you also know that the Father will support which ever choice you make on the matter and these two seem to defer to him.

You can already tell Michael's disdain for you, it's obvious in the way he looks at you and his earlier commentary only adds to that.
[continue]
>>
It would make working with him rather difficult, but perhaps it may be worth while to confront such issues head on before they have time to fester. This is a double edge sword however as poking and prodding the matter through forced co-operation may just make things worse.

Mark seems rather subdued comparatively, he's a hard man to get a read on as his eyes always seem a bit distant and unfocused, regardless he seems to be the lesser of the two, and the less combative.
It'd be easier to work with him that much is for sure.

Who will you partner with?
>Brother Michael
>Brother Mark
>>
Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>5088924
This is a tough choice and I honestly don't know which is the best one, so with that in mind:
> 1 is Michael
> 2 is Mark
>>
>>5088924
>Brother Michael

I've heard of an Angel Michael before, but not an Angel Mike.

>>5088893
I just don't know the setting, I'm here because you're writing it Warden.
>>
Alright looks like you'll be partnering with Brother Michael then.

Writing.
>>
You decided that Michael would probably be for the best to pair up with. It keeps the experience even, at least in so far as you can gather, with Father Honigman covering the lesser of the two and you with Michael the teams should be well balanced.

It also offers the opportunity to smooth things over here before they get worse.

You voice your opinion on the matter, there's a small silence before a tacit agreement is met by the entire group.
You get the feeling that Michael's just looking for an excuse to keep an eye on you. You understand the typical skepticism of the average executor when dealing with a non-ordained magus, even if you're fairly close to the church due to family connections and the Father.

That said he almost seems blatantly hostile, why you can't really say for sure, regardless everything is in place now.
The Executors dawn their disguises and head out into town, you and the Father sticking with your designated executor from a safe distance.

Michael heads into a nearby alley way, you make your way to the edge of it scoping the area around it out, he waves you inside as he's done the same on the other side.

He looks you in the eyes, "Let's get this straight Magus, you stick to your roost, you watch and if you see anything you tell me and the others, and nothing else, I don't want your help nor will I need it."

Well he certainly believes that.

You just give him a somewhat tired look as you think about how to reply to the situation.
>"Really? Care to elaborate on what your problem with me is? I get the skepticism, but this is a bit much."
>"Alright, if that's how you want this to go down." If he's gonna be hostile about it then he can deal with the ramifications
>"I'm pretty sure we all agreed to a plan back in the church, any reason why you want to deviate from that beyond..." you gesture at his whole body, "... all this?"
>Write in
>>
>>5090105
>"Really? Care to elaborate on what your problem with me is? I get the skepticism, but this is a bit much."

Honesty is the best salve to heal a relationship.
>>
I'll say this, it'd seem there's a distinct lack of interest in this quest, and that's fair I feel like I've overcorrected in my attempt to avoid burnout and my focus on a slow small character focused quest. Not my best writing either as it feels like there's just not enough to be invested in whether that be the setting, or the protagonist.

However I will continue this, 1 vote or many, at the very least until the conclusion of this plot thread, I.E. Catching the accomplice.
After that I think I'll call the quest to a close and go back to the drawing board, barring a sudden surge in interest.

With that said
>"Really? Care to elaborate on what your problem with me is? I get the skepticism, but this is a bit much."
Wins

I'll do the write up in the morning, until then everyone have a good night.
>>
>>5090889
It's the holiday season, Warden. Many anons are probably focused on friends and family. Don't put yourself down mate, shit happens.
>>
>>5090105
>"Really? Care to elaborate on what your problem with me is? I get the skepticism, but this is a bit much."

Honesty is important.
>>
>>5090889
Hey I'm enjoying it. Like the other anon said it's the holidays. Also I get the impression we have vastly different time zones.
>>
My apologies for the late update, I got caught up playing through Assassin's Creed 2 for the first time in like a decade.

And thank you all for the assurances, it's hard to tell the reasons on the internet, and it can be somewhat discouraging to see the drop in engagement.

_________________________

You just sigh at Michael and look him in the eyes, "Really? Would you like to tell me exactly what your problem with me is? I get what the church as a wholes problem is, I understand and respect the skepticism, but what you're doing is a bit much."

Michael glowers at this, "I can not find it within in me to trust snakes, your eyes or told to see the truth, your family said to have the blood of saints, and yet they were not of the sacrament, they operated outside its boundaries, which are already to a degree outside the boundaries of the greater church. Would you not think it unwise to trust those that profess to be good so readily while dealing in the Devils work?" he turns around to begin heading off, "I've stated my piece and you yours magus, unless you have anything else to add I believe we're done here, do not sully the churches name while doing its work."

You grip the bridge of your nose, it was a tired argument one that had been levied against you by the hardest of hard liners in the church since you were adopted by Father Honigman, it was something you had even heard spouted by the skeptics before your parents died.

Maybe not so much the eyes seeing the truth part, but the rest for sure.

The worst part is that he does believe every thing he just said, you'd peg him for an open book at this rate, not that will do you much good.
Still you have something to work with here, even if it's his own blatant aggression towards your family history.

How do you want to handle this situation?
>Let him go, you'll have time to mull over a counter point as the mission goes on.
>Defend your position, The sins of the father are not the sins of the child, while your parents may or may not have done the devils work, you've had no capacity to even repeat their mistakes
>An alternative argument (Write in)
>Something else altogether (Write in)
>>
>>5091421
>Defend your position, The sins of the father are not the sins of the child, while your parents may or may not have done the devils work, you've had no capacity to even repeat their mistakes

I was just about to let him go, but fuck it, this is a decent point. Condemning the son for the sins of his parents isn't a Divine ruling, but a human one.
>>
>>5091421
>Defend your position, The sins of the father are not the sins of the child, while your parents may or may not have done the devils work, you've had no capacity to even repeat their mistakes
>>
no updates today, my dog is having a medical emergency.
Vote will remain open.
>>
>>5092426
Well, I hope your dog is alright.
>>
>>5091421
>Defend your position, The sins of the father are not the sins of the child, while your parents may or may not have done the devils work, you've had no capacity to even repeat their mistakes

Ezekiel 18:20 is the first one that springs to mind, but laying the sins of the father on the son goes against a couple more teachings. When it did happen, it was God who did it himself if I recall correctly.

Get your shit together, Executor.
>>
>>5092426
What >>5093304 said
>>
Dog is feeling better now, she's gotten some medicine and some rest and it's looking like it was just a really bad stomach virus, maybe some bad food, but regardless she's doing better now.
Anyways on with the quest.

>Defend your position, The sins of the father are not the sins of the child, while your parents may or may not have done the devils work, you've had no capacity to even repeat their mistakes

Wins

I need 3 anons to give me 1d100
No Crits this roll

Hard DV 30
Charisma C vs Charisma D +5
Ezekiel 18:20 +10
Candid Start +10

Final DV 55

0 Successes: "Do not quote scripture at me!"
1 Success: "You act as if my hypocrisy invalidates my point."
2 Successes: "You may be correct, however we will see whether or not you stand on your own merits soon enough."
3 Successes: "I concede, however my trust is not so easily earned."
>>
Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>5093520
>>
Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>5093520
>>
Rolled 47 (1d100)

>>5093520
Well, I'm glad to hear that she's doing better then.
>>
1 Success: "You act as if my hypocrisy invalidates my point."

Well it's a talking point at least, there's the groundworks for an actual conversation here, let's see if we can't keep the hardliner engaged.

Writing.
>>
You just shake your head, "I do have something more to add, whether you act as a blade of your faith or simply use it to do as you please, you should be aware of your own failings. Ezekiel 18:20: 'The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.' My Sins are my own and my parents there's, for we have not committed the same ones, nor of the same degree, whatever those sins may be."

Brother Michael turns back around an eyebrow raised, "Scripture? You forget yourself Magus, we here in the 8th sacrament are all sinners who fight in the name of god, heretics using miracles and heresy in turn to punish the wicked. Calling out and appealing to my hypocrisy is of weak merit here."

He looks off to the side, "Though it is true that you are not responsible for the sins of your forbearers." He sighs, "I'm none the less unconvinced. Take it personally or don't I care not which, but it is a matter of form here, I have hunted and killed magi for several years, I was trained to disdain their words, to punish their sins and take advantage of their pride. You may be an ally, but these ways do not yield so readily and they should not."

You close your eyes and take a deep breath, "I haven't even had the chance to follow in their foot steps, what little of their magecraft I do know was taught to me before they died, it was the foundational parts. That said I never inherited their crest, I don't even know how they died or what happened to them, I couldn't follow in their footsteps even if I wanted to."

Brother Michael shrugs at this, "So be it, do as you will Magus, I could not impede you at this moment even if I wanted to. Now do you have anything else you'd like to say or have we laid our ground rules firmly enough?"

His tone grates on your nerves, but you take a short breath.
Is there anything else?
>Yes, (Write in)
>No

Regardless of what else you have to say to him, it's best we get a move on, how do you want to approach your job of watching over Brother Michael?
>From a distance, the roof tops have enough shelter to keep an eye and hide.
>On the ground, you know the city and people well enough to blend in, just don't forget to bring shades.
>With Magic, The brother might dislike this, but it caries the least risk of discovery and is unlikely to be suspected by the Accomplice.
>Write in
>>
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87 KB
87 KB JPG
>>5093703
>No
>On the ground, you know the city and people well enough to blend in, just don't forget to bring shades.

You know the One...
>>
>>5093720
Support
>>
>>5093703
>No
>On the ground, you know the city and people well enough to blend in, just don't forget to bring shades.
>>
>>5093703
>No
>On the ground, you know the city and people well enough to blend in, just don't forget to bring shades.
>>
Seems there's nothing more to be said and You'll be following them on the ground.

Alright Anons give me 3 1d100s

Challenging DV 50
Michael: Charisma D vs Charisma ? -10
Michael: Agility A vs Agility ? +15
Joshua: Agility C vs Agility ? +5
Pure Eyes of Truth - Illusion Negated, Critical Failure impossible
Final DV 60

Crit Fail: IMPOSSIBLE
0 Successes: "Brother Michael you're a terrible actor you know that?" (The accomplice doesn't bite on *your* bait)
1 Success: "How the hell did he get away?" (The accomplice escapes, you have a general idea of where they may be hiding)
2 Successes: "Damn, if were just a little faster..." (The accomplice escapes into their new base, but you follow them all the way there)
3 Successes: "Gotcha now!" (You catch the accomplice out in the open and a fight starts)
Crit Success: "A little bit to the left..." (You catch the accomplice out in the open, and he starts the fight at half health)
>>
Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>5094501
>>
Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>5094501
>when you actively hope you can chide your asshole of a partner
>>
>>5094501
You mind if one of us roll again, or should we wait for a third?
>>
Rolled 23 (1d100)

>>5094501
>>
>>5095071
I prefer to wait for a third, but if things are really slow then I'll allow it, if there hasn't been 3 rolls by 12 hours since the call then sure I'll allow someone to roll again.

That said
>>5095083
got it before I could answer and before 12 hours

so
2 Successes: "Damn, if were just a little faster..." (The accomplice escapes into their new base, but you follow them all the way there)
is the result
Writing.
>>
The Next couple of days passed by uneventfully, Go out, watch for most for the whole day, swap out with Father Honigman and Brother Mark, repeat.

It had seemed like the accomplice had actually gotten out of town just like the Tall man had said.
You paused for a moment watching Michael do his best bum impression, begging at a relatively populated corner.

Frankly it'd be a wonder if anyone bought it, he had way to much composure and dignity about himself, there was no desperation in his actions, no survival instinct. Honestly he was a terrible actor through and through. Perhaps that was Marks strong suit? You're not sure, you haven't asked Father Honigman much beyond how their shifts went. Which were much like your own. Barren and desolate of progress.

The rest of the daylight hours carried on per the usual, Brother Michael did his rotations doing his best to be seen in all the big population centers before for the night he settled in to a rather out of the way alley.

For your part you kept an eye on him from various corner shops or restaurants, taking care to act as casual as possible. Maybe the accomplice would be drawn out to kill one of the people tracking him if he was still here due to how bad the act is?

You shrug at the stray thought, settling in on a bus stop bench across from the alley, a brimmed hat on your head lowered and your body slumped to make it appear as if you'd fallen asleep waiting for the bus.

However it seems that your luck isn't quite so terrible today after all, you notice from under the brim of your hat that someone has entered the alley, rather brazenly. you feel the same sickening feeling you felt when watching the security footage days ago, must be using an illusion of some sort. You focus and swallow your nausea as reality flickers between the truth and the illusion of the man being there and you think a cop on patrol, hard to tell honestly.

You wait for a moment as they head deeper into the alley before standing up and walking as fast and quietly as you cross the street.

You then hear something as you arrive at the entrance to the alley, "What the fuck?!" it must be the Accomplice.
You round the corner to see him having just barely avoided getting stabbed through the head by a very serious looking Brother Michael as he holds what looks to be some sort of bladed weapon, you're honestly not sure what the hell it is, but whatever it is it's damned sharp and damn strong as it's cleaved straight through the wall it was stabbed into leaving a small crater at the missed spot.

You take the chance to toss your black keys putting barrier charms on them to block the route out that you're not in.

The accomplice rolls out from underneath the missed blade and runs face first into the barrier, but doesn't lose a beat giving a quick chant and tapping his legs before jumping straight out of the ally as the next swing of Michael's blade slices straight through your barrier just missing the accomplice.

[continue]
>>
Perhaps Michael has trouble leading his strikes.
Or perhaps he underestimated the magus.
Regardless you couldn't afford to lose them you rush down the alley and Michael is right on the tale of the Magus jumping straight up after them.

You swear taking a moment to use some reinforcement magic of your own to keep up and follow them along the roof tops.

They're dashing and weaving along them before coming to a warehouse of sorts.

You've tossed a few black keys, but it's hard to hit them with Michael constantly in the way trying to swat the magus with that fucking blade of his.
One last jump and the Magus lands past a small wall dividing the warehouse from the rest of the district, as Michael jumps to it he bounces off it falling to the ground, sticking the landing and just looking mildly irritated.

You catch up not long after, "Bounded field, looks like they learned from their partners failings." you say panting a little, you're not even out of shape, this was just that intense.
Michael grunts rubbing his jaw for a second, before placing the blade on the ground and twisting the handle twice, as you see magic swirl around it reshaping the blade into something resembling a Lucerne hammer.

It looks like he's just going to try and bludgeon his way into this place.
What do you?
>Let him break the barrier, he's probably strong enough, and that weapon isn't a normal one, you'll cover him while he does
>Let him break the barrier, you can use the distraction to get through it more discretely somewhere else to try and pincer the Magus.
>Stop him, we need a plan, that place is probably trapped to hell and back.
>Write in
>>
>>5095329
>Let him break the barrier, you can use the distraction to get through it more discretely somewhere else to try and pincer the Magus.
>>
>>5095329
>Let him break the barrier, you can use the distraction to get through it more discretely somewhere else to try and pincer the Magus.
>>
Good Morning all.
>Let him break the barrier, you can use the distraction to get through it more discretely somewhere else to try and pincer the Magus.

Wins

Writing
>>
"I'm going to head around back, see if I can't get in another way." you tell Brother Michael whose response was simply to give a short nod before slamming his Lucerne into the bounded field's barrier, causing it to ripple once.

You then proceed to rush around the warehouse sprinting quickly before skidding to a halt at a side door near the opposite end, the ripples of the repeated hits illuminating the barrier, however it doesn't seem to be cracking under the pressure yet.

You walk up to it and start to trace the boundary searching for any weak points in it, running your black key along the bottom while watching for any sigils, runes or charms that might define the boundary.
Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any easily accessible method of breaking the bounded field down.

You frown at this looking around you see that there bounded field does have a maximum height, but even with reinforcement magic you wouldn't be able to jump that even from the tallest near by building.
You might be able to pull it off if Michael launched you with his own reinforced strength and agility.

If it's limited from above then it's likely limited below as well. You slam a black key to the ground kicking up a large piece of concrete which snaps in half a the barrier. You dig out your side and then shove the other side out, for a few moments there's a gap but the barrier dips down to fill in the gap, you look up, didn't get any shorter.
Might have a reserve amount of power as a contingency just for this, you'd guess that reserve was being used right now to reinforce it against the strikes that Michael is delivering.

You could either a deep enough pit to cross it or try and dissipate the barriers reserve into extending it downwards allowing Michael to break through.

You decide to look for any more potential ins... there's a docking port on the side that extends out of the field just a bit, one of the doors is open, but you're willing to bet that is explicitly there as a trap entrance, still it's a weakpoint in the field.

How do you try and penetrate the Bounded Field?
>Get Michael to give you a boost on your jump you should be able to make it over, the real problem will be sticking the landing.
>Get to work busting the ground around the field, the less it has in reserve the weaker it'll become with each strike faster and the sooner it's broken.
> Head inside the port, it might be trapped, but if you're careful you won't have to worry to much about them.
>Write in?
>>
>>5095774
>Get to work busting the ground around the field, the less it has in reserve the weaker it'll become with each strike faster and the sooner it's broken.

I was gonna go for the trap option, but I figure helping Michael out will give us a two-to-one advantage on the accomplice.
>>
>>5095774
>Get to work busting the ground around the field, the less it has in reserve the weaker it'll become with each strike faster and the sooner it's broken.
>>
>>5095774
>Get to work busting the ground around the field, the less it has in reserve the weaker it'll become with each strike faster and the sooner it's broken.
>>
This'll be the only update today or tomorrow, going to spend the rest of the day today and tomorrow with family for the holidays, hope everyone here has a merry Christmas here as well.

>Get to work busting the ground around the field, the less it has in reserve the weaker it'll become with each strike faster and the sooner it's broken.

Wins

Writing
>>
>>5096716
Marry Christmas Warden!
>>
File: zombie.jpg (121 KB, 960x554)
121 KB
121 KB JPG
You take several steps back and prepare your black keys, you'll want to space them out just right, got to be quick with each piece your rip from the ground, and don't want any wasted space, you won't be able to sustain your enhancement forever.

You take a deep breath and toss the keys rapidly forming a line across the bounded fields wall before rushing to them levering each as you approach them breaking the ground below one after another before jumping back to throw another line of them sticking into the concrete on the other side and repeating the previous feat pulling the other half out stuck on the black key.

There was rather substantial pile of concrete rubble behind you, with every flicked piece you reclaim the black key to prepare for the next layer.

You can see the returns rather quickly, as the ripples becoming harsher on the field, and cracks though small are beginning to form.

You keep at this for about a minute before the field finally breaks, a pit about 6 feet deep of hardened earth and concrete ripped out, the wall around the complex having collapsed into it somewhere around the 30 second mark.

You sit down on the ground for a moment to catch your breath, before rushing forwards and jumping the gap you just made heading into the warehouse.

It's dark in here, unnaturally so.

You flick out two black keys and ignite both of them with flames, the sanctified fire scorching the mystical darkness away from you gifting you with sight.

You can see two figures in the distance, one on the offensive, the other dodging back as they seem to be throwing something else at the other fighter.

However there's something off about the air in this place, and it's not long before you're able to tell what it is.
A sickening smell.
The groans and guttural sounds of the undead.

It would seem there were more victims than had been found, failures kept as familiars.

The corpses waltzed into the light of the flames, your light could only show ten or so, but you could hear more.

What do you do?
___________

Joshua
Health: 5/5
Od(Mana): 10/15

Michael: 8/8
Od(Mana): 5/10

vs

The Accomplice
Health: ?/?
Od(Mana): ?/?

The Dead
10+??/?? remaining

>Focus on the undead, Michael seems to have the Accomplice on the back foot for now, and these need to be laid to rest
>Ignore the undead, they're slow and sturdy as hell, kill the Accomplice and the magic holding them together will fall to pieces as will they.
>Split your attention, support Michael when you can, but also keep the undead out of their fight.
>Write in
>>
>>5096778
>Split your attention, support Michael when you can, but also keep the undead out of their fight.

Run interference.
>>
>>5096778
>Focus on the undead, Michael seems to have the Accomplice on the back foot for now, and these need to be laid to rest

Michael doesn't seem to need our help for the moment, if we are going to run interference then we ought to devote our full attention to these dead.

Don't get down about the lack of voters QM, I'm sorry I didn't participate beyond character gen, I was busy but I meant to catch up.
>>
>>5096778
>Split your attention, support Michael when you can, but also keep the undead out of their fight.
>>
>>5096778
Loving this quest so far, glad to see another Nasuverse quest on here. Anyways
>Split your attention, support Michael when you can, but also keep the undead out of their fight.
>>
>>5096778
>>Focus on the undead, Michael seems to have the Accomplice on the back foot for now, and these need to be laid to rest

Clear trust in Michael to do his work, as we can devote our full attention to our own work.
>>
There'll be an updare in about an hour, still driving home from Christmas with family.

Hope everyone has had good tidings and holidays.
>>
Rolled 53, 71, 25 = 149 (3d100)

>Split your attention 3 votes
>Focus on the undead 2 votes

Split your attention wins.

Alright

Joshua
Health: 5/5
Od(Mana): 10/15

Michael: 8/8
Od(Mana): 5/10

vs

The Accomplice
Health: ?/?
Od(Mana): ?/?

The Dead
10+??/?? remaining

Spells listed here are available for use: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ODkZgPMO5swNDpzPQDmGySuPqDOhJ6HlnQWTCgaOjdw/edit?usp=sharing

Give me 3 1d100s

Hard DV 30
Agility B(C) vs Agility E (Undead) +15
Strength B(C) vs Strength B (Undead) +0
Attention Split -10
Black Keys infused with Holy Fire +5
Final DV 40

Crit Fail: They're everywhere! (You're swarmed by the undead, you must focus on them alone next around and take 4 damage you kill 3)
0 Successes: They just don't stop! (You're swarmed by the undead, you must focus on them alone next round and take 2 damage, you kill 5)
1 Success: They just keep getting in the way! (You take 1 damage, you kill 7)
2 Successes: Can't stop moving (You kill 9, you deal 2 damage to the Accomplice)
3 Successes: Never stop moving, never stop fighting! ( You kill 11, you deal 3 damage to the accomplice)
Crit Success: So that's the trick! (You kill 13, you deal 5 damage to the accomplice, the accomplice loses a success on his roll)


________

This is the enemies roll!

Challenging DV 50
Agility ?(?) vs Agility A (Michael) -10
Strength ?(?) vs Strength A (Michael) -10
Magic ? vs Magic D (Michael) +15
Joshua's interference -5
Magus Domain +10
Final DV 50

Crit Fail: How could this be?! (The Accomplice takes 5 damage, loses his enhancements)
0 Successes: This Brute! (The Accomplice takes 3 damage)
1 Success: Stay Still Damn you! (The Accomplice takes 1 damage and deals 1 damage to Michael)
2 Successes: You think your strength will save you here? (The Accomplice deals 2 damage to Michael)
3 Successes: You're arrogance is your undoing! (The Accopmlice deals 3 damage to Michael)
Crit Success: You will make great study material! (The Accomplice deals 5 damage to Michael and disarms him)
>>
Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>5098487
Yolo- or is it Yolt for the undead?
>>
Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>5098487
>>
>>5098592
I knew splitting our attention was a dumb idea...
>>
Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>5098487
>>
And here are the results!
0 Successes: They just don't stop! (You're swarmed by the undead, you must focus on them alone next round and take 2 damage, you kill 5)

and for the Accomplice

1 Success: Stay Still Damn you! (The Accomplice takes 1 damage and deals 1 damage to Michael)

Joshua
Health: 3/5
Od(Mana): 8/15

Michael: 7/8
Od(Mana): 5/10

vs

The Accomplice
Health: 5/6
Od(Mana): 20/30

The Dead
15/20 remaining

Spells listed here are available for use: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ODkZgPMO5swNDpzPQDmGySuPqDOhJ6HlnQWTCgaOjdw/edit?usp=sharing

Attributes revealed:
The Accomplice:
Agility C(D)
Strength C(D)
Magic A
Endurance C

Writing
>>
Perhaps this was a mistake.

They're slow, there's no mistaking that, the undead are rigid in their movements. However that doesn't stop them from hitting like a freight train. The swings are surprisingly swift and brutal as you have to dodge constantly, dipping and ducking through the various assaults from all around you.

You flip one of your black keys and back hand swing it into the head of one of the undead's heads slamming it through the rotten skull and into another ones. The Holy fire cremating the corpses in an instant.

You toss the other one into the face of one undead that had been lunging at you looking to take a bite out of your own face, followed by a swift kick as it bursts into flames it falling over catching two other undead with it as the fire spreads to them.

You swing back around the back handed black key still with you as you dash back to pick up the one you just tossed. However doing so you find yourself even more surrounded than before, it begins to dawn on you just how many lives have been lost here, by your count just around twenty or so.

How long had these bastards been here before they slipped up? Were they getting impatient or were they just that productive?

Your thoughts are interrupted as one of the undead hits you with a brutal swing sending you flying back into a nearby wall, through some of the other corpses.

You stagger up and spit a little blood onto the ground, need to keep focus, your eyes drift to the distant and blurry battle in the background between Michael and the Accomplice.

There seems to be a dangerous game of cat and mouse that Michaels impatience isn't helping him with, he's clearly faster and stronger, but he's not timing his attacks and is being somewhat predictable in his movement pattern.

Just enough for the Magus to barely avoid him.

Though there is a grazing strike that seems to send the magus reeling backwards, before Michael can follow up a series of curses are launched at him that force him back as he rolls his shoulder.

If nothing else you've definitely garnered the attention of the undead.
Now How will you resolve the issue of them in front of you?

>Black keys and hit and run tactics, line up your shots and take as many out as you can before retrieving them, it'll save on Od (Costs 2 Od)
>Corral them, then drop the enhancements and set up a barrier, from there it'll be like shooting fish in a barrel (Costs 5 Od)
>[WARNING: BRUTAL TEST] You wonder whether or not your life drain can drain the necromantic energies from these undead? Probably not the best place to experiment, but you might not have the chance to do so for a good while. (Costs 5 Od)
>Write in
>
>>
>>5098895
>Black keys and hit and run tactics, line up your shots and take as many out as you can before retrieving them, it'll save on Od (Costs 2 Od)
>>
>>5098895
>[WARNING: BRUTAL TEST] You wonder whether or not your life drain can drain the necromantic energies from these undead? Probably not the best place to experiment, but you might not have the chance to do so for a good while. (Costs 5 Od)
>>
>>5098895
>Black keys and hit and run tactics, line up your shots and take as many out as you can before retrieving them, it'll save on Od (Costs 2 Od)
>>
Rolled 93, 46, 35 = 174 (3d100)

>Black keys and hit and run tactics, line up your shots and take as many out as you can before retrieving them, it'll save on Od (Costs 2 Od)

wins 2 votes to 1

Joshua
Health: 3/5
Od(Mana): 6/15

Michael: 7/8
Od(Mana): 5/10

vs

The Accomplice
Health: 5/6
Od(Mana): 18/30

The Dead
15/20 remaining


Give me 3 1d100s

Hard DV 30
Agility B(C) vs Agility E (Undead) +15
Strength B(C) vs Strength B (Undead) +0
Black Keys infused with Holy Fire +5
Final DV 50

Crit Fail: They're everywhere! (You're swarmed by the undead, you must focus on them alone next around and You take 4 damage, you kill 4)
0 Successes: They just don't stop! (You take 2 damage, you kill 6)
1 Success: They just keep getting in the way! (You take 1 damage, you kill 8)
2 Successes: Can't stop moving (You kill 10)
3 Successes: Never stop moving, never stop fighting! ( You kill 12, and you're able to distract the Accomplice, he will lose one success on his test)
Crit Success: So that's the trick! (You kill 15, and you're able to distract the Accomplice, he will lose one success on his test, he takes 2 damage)


____________

This is the Enemy's roll!

Challenging DV 50
Agility C(D) vs Agility A (Michael) -10
Strength C(D) vs Strength A (Michael) -10
Magic A vs Magic D (Michael) +15
Magus Domain +10
Final DV 55

Crit Fail: How could this be?! (The Accomplice takes 5 damage, loses his enhancements)
0 Successes: This Brute! (The Accomplice takes 3 damage)
1 Success: Stay Still Damn you! (The Accomplice takes 1 damage and deals 1 damage to Michael)
2 Successes: You think your strength will save you here? (The Accomplice deals 2 damage to Michael)
3 Successes: You're arrogance is your undoing! (The Accomplice deals 3 damage to Michael)
Crit Success: You will make great study material! (The Accomplice deals 5 damage to Michael and disarms him)
>>
Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>5099262
>>
Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>5099262
>>
Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>5099262
>>
2 successes for both, close to 3 on your part.
The Results
2 Successes: Can't stop moving (You kill 10)
2 Successes: You think your strength will save you here? (The Accomplice deals 2 damage to Michael)

Joshua
Health: 3/5
Od(Mana): 6/15

Michael: 5/8
Od(Mana): 5/10

vs

The Accomplice
Health: 5/6
Od(Mana): 15/30 (Should have been 17 before, - another 2 from dealing damage via magic to Michael)

The Dead
5/20 remaining

Writing
>>
You center your self pushing up against the wall you're backed up against as the undead march towards you, those knocked over before slowly staggering up. You scan the area, the darkness making it hard to see beyond what's illuminated from your black keys.

You roll your shoulders once before running forwards and throwing your keys, two down burnt to a crisp, rushing forwards and ducking under several swings with a slide you pick up the blazing weapons before jumping and throwing them back down straight through the heads of 2 more sticking into the concrete. You land on your back foot, dodging another strike with a weave you go to grab your sword before another swing comes in and then another, not enough time to grasp the handle and extend it you instead opt to dash back out of the small horde. Using the distance you have to get a running start you leap over the group drawn away from the keys.

rolling into the landing standing and grabbing the keys out of the concrete and ashes you rush to the side lining up your shots and toss them once more this time getting 2 for 1 each, for another 4 undead put to rest. You're at 8 now, 7 left the group is thinning.

You rush forwards finally pulling your sword out extending it through the head of one undead kicking running up the corpse and launching yourself off it to land at the keys pulling your sword out as well, before slashing the nearest ones head in half.

You release a heavy breath, this is starting to take a toll, you're running thin on Od, and while you think you can handle the last 5 undead with relative ease you wonder how the fight is going for Brother Michael.

In so far as you can tell from the shadowy figures battling in the distance of this preternaturally dark warehouse, not well.

The Magus seems to be running circles around Michael, you wonder if it's the darkness or something else that the magus has done to this place that's screwing up Michael's assaults', as by your metrics he should be the better combatant despite the difference in magical aptitudes shown.

Regardless of that assessment, another series of curses are let lose this time greater in magnitude and force and this puts Michael on the defensive deflecting and reflecting several of them before taking a solid hit to the gut launching him off his feet into a metal support beam denting it slightly.

He pushes himself off of it, before throwing the Lucerne to the ground, it turns into a simple baton at this action and he strikes up a fighting stance as he breathes in deeply his form focused and steady compared to the aggressive and almost wild posture he had taken before with the weapon.

One step forwards and you can hear the ground crack as he prepares himself for his strike and his enemies.

What do you do?
>The remaining undead aren't much of a concern any more, use this opportunity to double team the Magus.
>Stick to the undead, seems like the brother is finally getting serious.
>Write in
>>
>>5099460
>The remaining undead aren't much of a concern any more, use this opportunity to double team the Magus.

Double team this bitch.
>>
>>5099460
>The remaining undead aren't much of a concern any more, use this opportunity to double team the Magus.

The heretic ends here
>>
>>5099460
>Stick to the undead, seems like the brother is finally getting serious.

Michael has health to spare, we really ought to finish these off so we can focus on the magus uninterrupted, otherwise they'll just gang up on us while we focus on the magus.
>>
>>5099460
>Stick to the undead, seems like the brother is finally getting serious.
>>
Alright we have a tie,
I'll roll to decide if the tie isn't broken in 2 hours.
>>
Rolled 1 (1d2)

Well it's been roughly two hours
1: Double team the Magus
2: Stick to the Undead
>>
>>5100323
Double team the Magus it is.
I'll set up the roll when I return from getting my car out of the shop.
>>
File: The Accomplice.jpg (45 KB, 474x663)
45 KB
45 KB JPG
Rolled 24, 14, 41 = 79 (3d100)

Apologies for the wait, everything took a lot longer to do than I had anticipated, but other than that, all is good.

Now on with the game.
____________

Give me 3 1d100s

Challenging DV 50
Agility B(C) vs Agility C(D) +5
Strength B(C) vs Strength C(D) +5
Magic C vs Magic A -10
Surprised +10
Final DV 60

Crit Fail: Where did they come from?! (You're swarmed by the undead, you take 2 damage and must focus on them next round)
0 Successes: The slippery bastard (You take 1 damage and the undead block the way making the next round more difficult)
1 Success: This for that. (You deal 1 damage to the Accomplice and take 1 damage)
2 Successes: A violent riposte (You deal 2 damage to the accomplice)
3 Successes: A shot in the dark (You deal 3 damage to the accomplice)
Crit Success: The end is nigh! (You deal 5 damage to the accomplice and he loses one success on his roll)

___________

This is the Enemy's roll!

Hard DV 30
Agility C(D) vs Agility A (Michael) -10
Strength C(D) vs Strength A (Michael) -10
Magic A vs Magic D (Michael) +15
Magus Domain +10
Surprised -10
Final DV 25

Crit Fail: How could this be?! (The Accomplice takes 6 damage, loses his enhancements)
0 Successes: This Brute! (The Accomplice takes 4 damage)
1 Success: Stay Still Damn you! (The Accomplice takes 2 damage and deals 1 damage to Michael)
2 Successes: You think your strength will save you here? (The Accomplice deals 1 damage to Michael)
3 Successes: You're arrogance is your undoing! (The Accomplice deals 2 damage to Michael)
Crit Success: You will make great study material! (The Accomplice deals 3 damage to Michael and stuns him)
>>
Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>5100642
>>
Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>5100642
Fun
>>
>>5100647
>>5100654
May the Lord grant us mercy for the Dice will not.
>>
Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>5100642
>>
1 Success: This for that. (You deal 1 damage to the Accomplice and take 1 damage)
2 Successes: You think your strength will save you here? (The Accomplice deals 1 damage to Michael)

are the results

Joshua
Health: 2/5
Od(Mana): 4/15

Michael: 4/8
Od(Mana): 4/10

vs

The Accomplice
Health: 4/6
Od(Mana): 11/30 (Should have been 17 before, - another 2 from dealing damage via magic to Michael)

The Dead
5/20 remaining

I'll do the write up when I wake up.
>>
You dash around the remaining undead. This fight is dragging out to damn long, you've got maybe just a few minutes of Od left to hold your enhancements together. Michael seems to be using passively less, but he's also low.

But the biggest burner of magical energy was the Accomplice, the problem is he's not burning enough for us to wear him out before we're out ourselves. The last thing you want is to fight a Magus without some form of counter measure, even if that's a short while.

Regardless you've maneuvered yourself behind the Accomplice you've finally gotten a good look at the man, tattoos all over both arms, a long full black beard and short hair. Average build, his stance is jittery as hell, likely on the adrenaline high of his life. You might not need to drain him of od, the pressure of continual fighting might just break his resolve.

Brother Michael begins his charge, it's fast, hard to keep track of, you attack at the same time throwing down your lit up black keys to act as guiding lights, before tossing more of them at an angle so that if they miss they won't hit the Brother.

The Magus freezes up for a moment and his arm his cut by your black key just a moment before Michael's forward moment stopped and was transferred entirely to his fist. The stagger moving him just inches away from a punch to the face that would have likely ended his life.

His eyes wide with terror he holds out both hands with a quick one action chant as that's all the time he has and two black curses fly out one into Michaels side which pushes him away and leaves a scorch mark and one at you slamming you in the shoulder. The one hitting you just dissipates.

the Accomplice backs away getting some distance his eyes wild looking for anyway to get out of the current predicament. They scan the room, the undead... no, the rafters... not far enough, escape? He won't get enough distance.

With every moment the desperation grows, he knows he can't keep this up even if he has the advantage now, but he also knows he can't escape.

With this a steely resolve glazes over his eyes, the kind that comes over a beast when they're cornered and they've resolved to fight to the bitter end.

he takes a deep breath before pulling out a dagger and quickly cutting both of his hands wide open, the blood flowing around his tattoos, he holds up his left hand at you and chants once again as one of the undead behind you explodes into gore, it's bones flying out like shrapnel one of them scoring a solid hit on your shoulder leaving you with a gash mark.

What do you do?
>We're so close to finishing this, gamble the last of your od on a spell, this should keep his attention so that brother Michael can finish this.(costs 4 od)
>Keep the enhancements up, we'll slowly whittle him down, once he has no magic left he'll crumble. (costs 3 od)
>Drop the strength enhancement, use brother Michael to get his attention again and then empower your sword with holy Fire to end him (costs 4 od)
>Write in
>>
>>5101125
>Keep the enhancements up, we'll slowly whittle him down, once he has no magic left he'll crumble. (costs 3 od)

If we're lucky we can interrogate him after this.
>>
>>5101125
>Keep the enhancements up, we'll slowly whittle him down, once he has no magic left he'll crumble. (costs 3 od)
>>
>>5101125
>Drop the strength enhancement, use brother Michael to get his attention again and then empower your sword with holy Fire to end him (costs 4 od)

Using 3 Od instead of 4 doesn't seem a worthwhile thing to do. Reinforcement only boost our one of our stats by one rank for one round per mana put into it. That is a meager bonus of +5 for a single round. We can cast it on multiple stats but not on the same stat multiple times. Or we could set up a single barrier or use a single holy fire for one damage with one od, just not worth it.

Also, remember, eventually the Dead are gonna catch up and interfere with this fight, this is not a fight we want to go on longer with our inferior reserves and potentially more Dead around the corner.

Holy Fire does equal damage to the amount of mana invested, plus one for hitting him normally with a black key if we enchanted the key specifically, possibly more with more successes. We'd only need 1 success in order to hit him, and we'd be guaranteed to kill him, that is unless the Dead interfering makes the difficulty higher or makes us require more successes, but that would be an even worse issue we delay ending this.
>>
>>5101197
>>5101159
>>5101138
Let me clarify, now that I'm looking here, that should cost 2 od since you're only enhancing your strength and agility, I swear I'm getting number dyscalculia because I swore I typed 2, but it's clearly a 3.
Need to get better at proof reading.
>>
>>5101197
That makes a lot of sense, and I'll consider changing my vote, but first I want your thoughts on >>5101220's revelation, see if that changes the calculation a bit.
>>
>>5101289
Sorry for the late reply, I was busy.

If maintaining our reinforcement is only 2 Od then we could maintain reinforcement for two turns on agility and strength which essentially means we would get +10% chance of success per roll for two turns.

Alternatively we could maintain it for one and then do a burst of holy fire for 2 damage plus whatever damage we roll from successes, since you can pump however much mana into holy fire to get the equivalent amount of damage.

Finally, we could use Siphon Lifeforce to drain an equal amount of health to the amount of mana we invest, the enemy mage would get an Endurance test to possibly resist our life drain. This might be in addition to a regular test with his other physical and magical bonuses in order to even hit him with it. His Endurance is C, which means he'd get a +10, which may be versus our Magic Rank of C, so it would essentially cancel out.

I am personally of the opinion that spending everything on a holy fire is a good choice. We presumably would only need 1 success to hit, then he would guaranteed be dead. Of course, suffering one damage from getting only 1 success could put us in a bad position if the Dead do not cease to function, but we have that problem anyways if we fail to kill him or this fight goes on longer or we fail to get more than 1 success with any of the other choices either. We could always simply run away from them and let Michael deal with the remainder after the threat of the mage is dealt with.

Whereas with continuing with fighting normally with reinforcement is in my opinion risky. With a DV of 50 (no surprise anymore, remember?) we'd have 51% chance of getting 2 successes (the amount of successes we'd need to avoid taking damage) or more, that is a coin flip. Sure, Michael also has decent odds of killing him if we succeed in damaging him as well, but the difficulty could be worse owing to the Dead interfering. This fight could drag on for 2 turns, 3 if we are unlucky and after that our reinforcement runs out and we have no mana. Whereas with holy fire we for sure kill him with 1 success. For the record, if I've done my math right, then the chance of 1 success or more with reinforcement is 88% and 3 successes is 13% and 0 successes is 11%.

>>5082874 This is where our character sheet is posted, for easy reference, in the google doc. The Rules google doc is in the first post.
>>
>>5101289
To clarify, I am advocating for spending all our remaining mana on a 3 or 4 damage Holy Fire to kill him in one turn. We could spend only 3 mana on the holy fire, since the damage is added to our black key damage, which if we hit at all is at least 1 damage, so 4 in total. The remaining 1 mana could be used to form a barrier blocking off the Dead from us if they don't cease to function after the mage dies, or could be used to boost either our agility or strength for +5% chance to succeed on our roll. If we spend it all on holy fire we'll lose our current boosts to our stats, meaning our stats will be equal, thus we will lose 10% on our success chance and the enemy will have Magic A versus our Magic C, thus giving us an additional penalty of 10%, but this was the case normally anyways for the magic at least. Still even with DV 40, we'd have 79% chance to get 1 success or more, and 36% chance to get 2 successes or more.

Going for a split of one turn of reinforcement and 2 holy fire could be decent, since we'd have an increased chance of success and we'd mostly kill him and then Michael would only have to get 1 success. The problem is I'm not sure we can actually maintain our reinforcement and cast other spells at the same time, or perhaps we can if we had preemptively dumped the mana to maintain for several turns, but I don't think we can cast another spell on the turn that we are re-casting the reinforcement spell after our previous enhancement wore off. Thus, this would be split into 2 turns, which I'd like to avoid.

The Siphon lifeforce option you can easily do the math yourself. It'd be without our surprise bonus, without our reinforcement bonus, but we'd get the chance to regain health, but the enemy would essentially get 2 tests to resist it, one test for us to actually hit him, and one test for him to resist it with an endurance test. Our Magic and his Endurance are equal at C.
>>
>>5101542
Some Clarifications:
Spells are maintained until they are dismissed, you don't lose an action maintaining your enhancements.
Works like this
Turn 0: 4 od (need 2 min for maintenance) [2 is free to use]
Use 2 on holy fire
2 is then used in maintenance
turn 1: 0 od (bonus still there since it was maintained)
can't maintain anymore, so lose it at the end of this turn
turn 2: No more enhancement.
If you used 3 you'd lose one of the enhancements and I'd pick unless stated otherwise (since it's mostly equivalent in combat, only really matters for uncontested or directly contested tests)

I'll also note that holy fire doesn't go away on a miss if you imbue a weapon with it.
So say
Turn 0: use holy fire imbued on black key
Miss
black key still infused with holy fire
turn 1: recover and use again
hit
damage dealt, holy fire expended to boost damage.

hope that helps.
>>
>>5101556
Thanks for the clarifications, regardless my vote remains the same. We'll have to wait to see if anon checks in to change his vote or if another voter comes along, or you could just go ahead with the current vote tally, as it stands I am outvoted. Though anon did say he was close to being convinced.
>>
>>5101654
I'll wait to see if there's a change in opinion, it's only fair.
>>
>>5101517
>>5101542
>>5101556
>>5101654
>>5101659
Sorry for the wait, that makes a lotta sense, so I'll switch my vote from >>5101138 to
>Drop the strength enhancement, use brother Michael to get his attention again and then empower your sword with holy Fire to end him (costs 4 od)
>>
Rolled 34, 25, 36 = 95 (3d100)

Alright with that
>Drop the strength enhancement, use brother Michael to get his attention again and then empower your sword with holy Fire to end him (costs 4 od)
wins
____________

Give me 3 1d100s

Challenging DV 50
Agility B(C) vs Agility C(D) +5
Strength C vs Strength C(D) +0
Magic C vs Magic A -10
Final DV 45

Crit Fail: Where did they come from?! (You're swarmed by the undead, you take 4 damage and must focus on them next round)
0 Successes: The slippery bastard (You take 3 damage and the undead block the way making the next round more difficult)
1 Success: A scorching result (You deal 4 damage to the Accomplice and take 2 damage)
2 Successes: A fiery response (You deal 5 damage to the accomplice)
3 Successes: You will Burn (You deal 6 damage to the accomplice)
Crit Success: Cremation Rite (You deal 8 damage to the accomplice and he loses one success on his roll)

___________

This is the Enemy's roll!

Hard DV 30
Agility C(D) vs Agility A (Michael) -10
Strength C(D) vs Strength A (Michael) -10
Magic A vs Magic D (Michael) +15
Magus Domain +10
Final DV 35

Crit Fail: How could this be?! (The Accomplice takes 6 damage, loses his enhancements)
0 Successes: So this is how it ends? (The Accomplice takes 4 damage)
1 Success: I won't let this be the end! (The Accomplice takes 2 damage and deals 2 damage to Michael)
2 Successes: You will know fear. (The Accomplice deals 2 damage to Michael)
3 Successes: This is how you die! (The Accomplice deals 3 damage to Michael)
Crit Success: I will mount your skull on a pike! (The Accomplice deals 4 damage to Michael and stuns him)
>>
Rolled 2 (1d100)

>>5101869
Oh boy
>>
Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>5101869
Here we go. We got a good start.
>>
>>5101869
Do you want either of us to roll again or do you want to wait for a third anon? I'll be sleeping now, so you may be waiting until tomorrow.

I guess we are going unconscious...or dying depending on what happens when you hit 0 HP, at least Michael lived, hopefully he is smart enough to set up a barrier and pick us up and run from the remaining Dead if they don't have their threads cut.
>>
Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>5101869
this dice system is tough
>>
>>5101895
You're critically wounded at 0, basically means you'll pick a debuff until you fully recover. You can chose to continue the fight with that debuff or retreat.

I'll wait for another anon to make the roll, if they haven't by the time I wake up in about 8ish hours feel free either of you if you're on to roll again.
>>
>>5101900
Speak of the devil.
It is, but I find that the baselines match their names rather well.
Challenging rolls will trend towards 1 to 2 successes which is a success with a complication or a normal expected result from the action

Hard trend towards 1 or zero successes
Brutal trends towards zero
Average towards 2 and 3 successes
and Minial towards 3 successes.

It's just that most of the time enemies tend to be on a similar playing field as you in terms of skill so they're typically challenging fights.

It's why I roll as well for them, helps keep the pacing and allows for a sort of back and forth fight, at least that's how I feel about it.

anyways.

Here's the results

2 Successes: A fiery response (You deal 5 damage to the accomplice)
2 Successes: You will know fear. (The Accomplice deals 2 damage to Michael)

Joshua
Health: 2/5
Od(Mana): 0/15

Michael: 2/8
Od(Mana): 3/10

vs

The Accomplice
Health: -1/6 (CRITICALLY WOUNDED)
Od(Mana): 7/30

The Dead 3/20 remaining

I'll do the write up in the morning.
>>
You're breathing heavily, the last bit of Od you have left is ticking by and the bastard still hasn't gone down, if anything he seems to be getting more dangerous.
This needs to end now, and decisively. You drop your strength enhancement and the weight of your fatigue staggers you for a moment.

The Magus is still mostly focused on Michael, concerned that one good hit from him will end this fight and likely his life.
You can hear the undead in the background staggering closer and closer, it is now or never.

Brother Michael seems to have the same mentality as you in this moment as he grits his teeth and begins pacing to the left, the Magus turning to face him but not without glancing your way, both arms outstretched covered in his own blood as he chants.

Michael is the first to move dashing in, this time you give him the space he needs, to grab the Magus full attention.

The Magus sneers at this bring his other arm back finishing his chant as you hear another explosion of gore behind you, a hail of bone shards and viscera descends upon Michael, it's not enough to stop but it's enough to obscure, small cuts all over his body. The Magus then follows this up by causing the viscera to attempt to constrict Michael's throat and legs, which works for a few moments before it's broken out of.

His attention is glue to the executor.

You make your move running with all your might, air raspy and cold, painful even in your throat. You say the prayer and chant the sacrament imbuing your blade with Holy Fire, putting all the Od you have left in it, beyond what you need to maintain the speed you have now.

You slide to a stop just behind the Magus, he's caught up in his seeming advantage over Michael, to preoccupied to notice that you've moved and your blade runs right through his chest, piercing his lung just missing his heart as his body bursts in to flames.

The smell is horrid, the sight is brutal, you watch as the flesh is torn apart from the holy fire, immolating the man to third degree burns, the last of his will to fight was gone.

He crumples to his knees as the flames dissipate, his voice lost from the flames and screams. Your ears are ringing.

The Dead crumble their master no longer capable of sustaining them, the shadows return to their natural darkness.

Blood is spit up onto the ground by the Magus, you hold your blade in him and lift him up before pushing him to a wall thrusting your blade through that as well, holding him up.

You look the burned man in the face, it's disfigured in disgust, pain, and abject despair.

Brother Michael approaches, seems he's taken the time to grab his weapon which is now a sword again, he seems rather intent on decapitating the magus.
What do you do?
>Let the Brother do as he pleases, there's not much we can get out of him in this state, a small price to pay for ending the conflict.
>Stop him, we still need to question him, he'll need some healing to do so however
>Write in
>>
>>5102263
>Stop him, we still need to question him, he'll need some healing to do so however
>>
>>5102263
>Stop him, we still need to question him, he'll need some healing to do so however
>>
>>5102263
Thank god we got the extra success.

>Stop him, we still need to question him, he'll need some healing to do so however

>Tell Michael this goes deeper than just these two, there is an informant that knew things about us and a black market supplier.
>>
>Stop him, we still need to question him, he'll need some healing to do so however

Wins

Writing
>>
You hold a hand out in an attempt to stay Brother Michael's blade as you catch your breath.

You're met with a frustrated sneer and the slamming of the blade into the ground, it would seem both of you are to spent to even want to fight further.
He just gives you a look of agitated incredulity, waiting for you to explain your reasoning for staying his blade.

You nod at him before continuing, "I have questions for him."

Brother Michael rolls his eyes, "Yes I'm sure he's fully capable of answering them considering his..." he gestures at the scorched magus, "state of being. Unless your suggesting that we heal him?"

You nod again, "The other Magus, spoke of a black market supplier that sold mystic codes that acted as a two way communicator for some sort of info broker. We need to see if he knows any other details regarding these tools or the Black marketer that sells them."

The Magus writhes slightly at the conversation, it's frankly astounding that he's not passed out yet.

Brother Michael just gives you a tired look, "If the first Magus you caught couldn't give you conclusive information about these then what makes you think this one will?"

You frown, "Nothing, but I can tell when they're lying so it doesn't hurt to push for information regardless, now are you going to help me take him back to the church or am I going to have to drag this toasted necromancer back myself?" your tone is flippant and done with the Brother's attitude.

For his part Brother Michael simply raises an eyebrow to this, before sighing, "Fine, I suppose this request is owed if nothing else." was that a thank you from him?
Doesn't matter, Brother Michael hoists the Magus up onto his shoulder from one side and you from the other, You pull out with your free hand your phone and call Father Honigman.

The Call is short informing him that the Accomplice had been caught, and to prepare some minor healing sacraments to keep him alive long enough for questioning, and to throw some favors to have the warehouse cordoned off, You'll need to come back here to deactivate the traps and search for anything that didn't self-destruct with the Magus defeat.

It doesn't take to long to get back to the church, and by the time you were back and the Magus was set down you collapsed into a nearby chair breathing heavily.
That bastard fought like hell, you've got to give credit where it's due, these magi weren't any joke, the first one went down easy enough, but he was caught on the back foot. You'll have to keep this in mind if this ever happens again, Never fight a Magus whose prepared on his home turf, and if you have to, never do it alone. If it was just you or Michael it would not have ended well.

You hold your chest, a few ribs were cracked, you could feel it, and you were completely out of magical energy. You're going to need a long nap, and a hearty meal tomorrow after this.

[continue]
>>
Still there's work to be done, Father Honigman calls you into the back room where the Magus had been secured. Sacraments and Enchantments placed upon the bonds to drain the Magus of any of his remaining Od, while being sustained by minor healing miracles. His throat well enough to speak again. He didn't look much better than he had before, but he wasn't ready to kill over.

You pull your chair up to his, everyone in the room watching as you start.

What's do you ask?
>Tell me about your black market connections, your ally already spilled it before he died, but I want more.
>What do you know about these Mystic Codes that you used to gather information on this town and myself?
>Any other caches or back up bases? Do some good in your life and make our clean up easy.
>Give me one good reason to not take this Black key ram it through your skull.
>Write in

_________

Congratulations, you've successfully dealt with the Magus duo and their necromantic schemes.

Select 2 boons
>Increase Attribute (Magic)
>Increase Attribute (Endurance)
>Learn spell (Manipulate Life Force) [Allows you to apply drained life forces to other creatures, both living and dead]
>Learn Sacrament (Shadow Pin) [Black keys only, costs 3 od, Can be used to pin a target to its spot by sticking the black key into their shadow]
>Gain access to an Ash Lock (Conceptual weapon) [what form does it take normally and what form does it take when activated?]
>>
>>5102802
>Tell me about your black market connections, your ally already spilled it before he died, but I want more.
>What do you know about these Mystic Codes that you used to gather information on this town and myself?
>Any other caches or back up bases? Do some good in your life and make our clean up easy.
>The Dead, who were they? Did you collect them from this town or elsewhere? They deserve to be put to rest and their next of kin notified.
>Your partner obtained a ritual dagger in this town, what was it for, how were you informed about it, what was the ritual supposed to do specifically?
>Tell us the nature of the remaining traps in your base.
>Any last requests or words for friends or family you want?

>Gain access to an Ash Lock (Conceptual weapon) [It takes the form of black ash held in a ornate ceramic container held through a loop in the side with a colourful length of cloth, the cloth allows it to be carried on our back or over our shoulder. When activated it form of an beautiful archaic flintlock pistol]

>Increase Attribute (Endurance)

We can always get the other upgrades later, especially as some of them are pretty fundamental basic upgrades. I'd like to put more room between us and death. Victory can still be achieved with good choices, and another +5% isn't going to make that big a difference right away, though we should eventually upgrade so as not to be too behind in terms of stats.

Question for QM, does increasing our magic stat do more than just giving us a percentage boost to our rolls? Like doesn't it affect the strength of our spells or give us more magic choices for character advancement later if we take Magic B sooner or something like that? Or does it give us a bigger mana pool?

I will say that it'd be cool to be able to give the drained life to allies or be able to drain from the dead, but until we get a bigger mana pool I don't want to rely on it to sustain us and would rather just get the health directly.
>>
>>5102867
Increasing your magic from C to B confers the following benefits
*+5 to all magic tests
*+5 to your Od supply
*More complicated spells and sacraments can be learned (When the opportunity presents itself)
*Increases the Clock Towers interest per The Clock Towers Eye Flaw
>>
>>5102867
I don't mind +1ing the questions, but I just have a couple questions before I support any upgrades.

Would the Magic upgrade move our C Magic into a B? And what is exactly Ash Lock (and why not connect it to our belt instead)?
>>
>>5103027
Attribute upgrade is From C to B or whatever the next step up would be normally.
At A it goes to A+, then A++, then A+++ and stops there baring some extraordinary boost, which would put it in EX but that's the realm of entities near the end game and trust me you don't want to go picking a fight with anything that has an EX in an attribute.

Ash Lock's are conceptual weapons used by the church that are ostensibly an easier to use and more versatile replacement to the Black Key.
Brother Michael's Sword/Lucerne is an Ash Lock, it is normally a Baton, but when he activates it he can pick between his blade or his hammer depending on the task.
It's not restricted to melee specifically it can be any sort of weapon and take any sort of shape before becoming that weapon.

Conceptual weapons imbody a concept, in Michaels case his Ash Lock embodies, severing and shattering, hence the blade and the hammer.
You can flavor it however you'd like, get creative, just bare in mind that there limits, you can't create Black Barrel (which embodies the concept of mortality) so I do reserve a veto on that.
>>
>>5103061
I'll note that I'm taking creative liberties with the attribute system compared to the setting, since technically there's things like C+ or D++, which really just represent a burst potential.
So if C was like a 30 then C+ would normally sit at 30, but could burst to 60, C++ bursting to a potential 90 and C+++ bursting to 120.
There's also things like C- which has the inverse effect of halving, thirding and quartering it.
But that's a bit much to handle so I'm abstracting for the sake of simplification.

Suffice it to say the setting is one that thrives on it's exceptions to the rules, and that's why EX exists here, and it just goes to show that most people don't break that +35 attribute bonus in these rules, but the things that do are truly exceptional, hence EX.
>>
>>5102802
My questions choices will remain the same, however I think I'll switch my character advancement choices until I gain more information.

Switching to...
>Increase Attribute (Magic)
>Learn spell (Manipulate Life Force) [Allows you to apply drained life forces to other creatures, both living and dead]

If I'm reading this right, we'd be allowed to heal others using the life we drain, or we could possibly even apply healing to the dead or drain life from them somehow? Can I get a clarification on that?

I didn't know that about the Ash Lock, I haven't been keeping up with Type-Moon since the early 2010's despite loving their properties, I kinda just fell off of following it. Can I ask how the concept embodiment would work mechanically? Would we get to choose the concepts? Are we supposed to choose the two different forms? I was confused and thought there was only one active form and then a disguised or "carrying form" based off your description. I'd also like to ask the statistical benefits using it would confer or what the effect on rolls and successes would be.
>>
>>5102802
>Tell me about your black market connections, your ally already spilled it before he died, but I want more.
>What do you know about these Mystic Codes that you used to gather information on this town and myself?
>Any other caches or back up bases? Do some good in your life and make our clean up easy.
>The Dead, who were they? Did you collect them from this town or elsewhere? They deserve to be put to rest and their next of kin notified.
>Your partner obtained a ritual dagger in this town, what was it for, how were you informed about it, what was the ritual supposed to do specifically?
>Tell us the nature of the remaining traps in your base.

>Increase Attribute (Magic)
>Learn spell (Manipulate Life Force) [Allows you to apply drained life forces to other creatures, both living and dead]
>>
>>5103075
First question: So think of it as two things, one an improvement to Siphon Life Force, where instead of just healing yourself you can give that life force to others.
It also allows you to utilize your own life force now to give if you haven't siphoned any.
It can be applied to undead or corpses, depending on the recency of death for a normal corpse it could be basically bringing them back to life or it could be creating effectively a zombie.
With undead it's a little more complicated, but it lets you drain the magic sustaining them to replenish Od.
Unless they're Dead Apostles in which case shit gets really complicated and depends on how much blood they have stocked up since you can't actually drain their direct life force before they run out of blood.

Second Question: Concept embodiment is a tricky thing to deal with, essentially depending on the concept embodied I'd give a bonus to the application. So I'll use Michael's as an example.
His Ash Lock's concept is Severing and Shattering. Which is why it has two forms beyond it's base. Think of it like Kiritsugu's Origin Bullet, which was a conceptual weapon using Severing and Binding.
The Ash Lock just takes the form most fitting for that when not in it's disguised form.

Anyways If he was attempting to severe something or shatter something with it he'd get a +10 to the test to do specifically that, and he'd technically be able to apply his weapon to other conceptual entities, but that's a can of worms best left for a higher power level to elaborate on when and if it becomes relevant.

I am allowing you to choose the concept.
There are two different forms, the base form of the object [Like Michael's Baton] and the active form of the object [Michael's has two since it's a pair of concepts, but it doesn't have to be two it's just easier to work with]

As for what it'd do narratively, I'll use a different concept one that's easier to demonstrate, if it were something like Black Barrel, it would allow it to kill immortal creatures by applying the concept of mortality to them.

In Michael's case, he can if he applies his Ash Lock properly break unbreakable objects by 'severing and shattering' them, of course there are degrees to this as not all things are created equal, powerful entities aren't inherently instantly or permanently killed by black barrel as is evidenced by the events of Notes, nor is the Ash Lock that Michael uses able to severe and shatter powerful enough mystical barriers or conceptual defenses [like Rho Aegis for example].

Does that help?
>>
>>5103100
Yes, that helps. I'll keep my vote the same. I feel like the decision to design our Ash Lock should be done when more anons are participating, both so it is more representative of the voter base and so we can get more back and forth on the ideas for it. Plus, I'd like more time to think of ideas for it myself. Presumably we can still get all these character advancements at a later date.
>>
>>5102802
>Increase Attribute (Magic)
>Increase Attribute (Endurance)

I think a general stat increase is probably best.

>>5103247
Same, as I was willing to vote for your Ash Lock design if the passive form was small enough to be carried on our belt. Oh well, maybe next time eh?
>>
Ok before I call the vote just to clarify since there's a lot of discussion on the matter,
These are the current valid votes:
>>5103086
>>5103075
>>5103251
Correct?
>>
>>5103309
Correct
>>
>Tell me about your black market connections, your ally already spilled it before he died, but I want more.
>What do you know about these Mystic Codes that you used to gather information on this town and myself?
>Any other caches or back up bases? Do some good in your life and make our clean up easy.
>The Dead, who were they? Did you collect them from this town or elsewhere? They deserve to be put to rest and their next of kin notified.
>Your partner obtained a ritual dagger in this town, what was it for, how were you informed about it, what was the ritual supposed to do specifically?
>Tell us the nature of the remaining traps in your base.
>Any last requests or words for friends or family you want?
for the questions

and
>Increase Attribute (Magic)
>Learn spell (Manipulate Life Force) [Allows you to apply drained life forces to other creatures, both living and dead]
for the upgrades

Character Sheet updated: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ODkZgPMO5swNDpzPQDmGySuPqDOhJ6HlnQWTCgaOjdw/edit?usp=sharing

wins

Writing.
>>
>>5103251
For sure, a +10% bonus for when we use it for an appropriate task and just having a cool signature weapon would be nice to have.
>>
Apologies for the long write up, hopefully the length will be sufficient salve.
_________________________

You look him in his eyes, his chestnut brown eyes are somewhat dulled the energy and fight that had been in them to this point was now gone and with it any luster.
However you could still feel the spite in his soul, burning beneath the dulled exterior.

His face twitches, but the muscles fail him, the damage making him incapable of sneering at you.

To this he groans.

You nod your head, "Lets start with something simple, Tell me about the Black market connection you have, every detail that you can."'

He narrows his eyes, "What connection?"

You grip your hands on his face, just the act of a foreign body touching such sensitive wounds was enough to make him wince and groan in pain, it did not help when you squeezed his face harder, opening up some of the slowly scabbing wounds, "Don't play stupid with me, you know full well that doesn't work, and your Ally already spilled it before he died."

You let go of the face, taking a handkerchief and wiping the blood off your hands.

He seethes for a moment regaining his composure, "What'd he tell you that we met him in the London Underground, he was the front of our allaince, I stayed back, prepared the workshops, researched the spells. He did the leg work, prepared the ingredients, kept people off of us and me."

You lean forwards at he explains the nature of his partnership.

"Seems he failed this time, he was always to cocksure of his own illusions, seems I made the same mistake though so far be it from me to criticize the dead." the accomplice continued, "The Black market guy goes by an alias, Crowley, subtle right?"

You narrow your eyes, he's not lying, but the name bothers you some what, you're not quite sure why, and you turn back to the rest of the group, "Do we know anything about this Crowley?"

Father Honigman gives a slow nod, "It's a name that comes up on occasion in records, obviously there's the Occultist of history who tread a fine line between violating the veil of secrecy and being a plane lunatic. However he's long dead. Seems the name has been used as an off hand for a series of individuals who've taken up the role of peddling the magic to the general public, and not just parlor tricks either. We've caught several Crowleys in our time, there's always a new one not long after."

You look back to the accomplice, and he shrugs, "Originality is dead anyways. That said I've known this one on and off for about a decade, my partner knew him for longer, so it'd seem that this Crowley slipped under all of your noses for quite some time."

You frown, but decide to set this to the side for now, "Lets move on, The mystic codes you used to gather information, what do you know about them?"

[continue]
>>
He closes his eyes at this, "The Miracle machines? If I didn't know any better I'd call them true magic."

You glare at him and he continues, "If... I didn't know better. it has it's limitations just like any modern sorcery. You can't ask about the distant future, to many plausible outcomes, you can't go to far in the past, to much information, you need to actually be terribly specific or else you'll just waste it."

He pauses for a moment, "Very useful though if you know just the right questions to ask."

You're response is swift by comparison, "And what are the right questions?"

He gives a wheeze which you think was meant to be a laugh, "Specific ones, pay attention" you slap him and he bites his lip, "No fun allowed, fine, depends on the functionality. You can use it to scry a person or location when you give it a period of time and it'll play back a recording of that information, if it's a location it's like watching a real time birds eye view of the place, if it's a person it's like watching it from a third person perspective, you can't move the camera though. The constraints on time is typically 3 days in either direction from now."

He takes a breath again pausing to see if you've got anything to say before continuing, "Otherwise you can use it to bring up something akin to an Encylopedia entry on an individual or group of individuals, we knew about your family's... magic so we thought about recruiting them, but we hadn't heard about their fate in the meanwhile until we used this, more specifically when we used it on your family it said you were the only one left. Then it listed out a plethora of historical facts about you like it'd been recorded by a personal biographer. Fucked up childhood, normal for a mage, being raised by the church as an orphan? You're a real freak."

Your grip tightens at that but you don't retaliate, "Get to the point."

He looks off to the side, "It was clear you wouldn't help even if you could, no crest made you more useless than your attitude. Regardless, I have no clue who make the damn things though, If I knew that I wouldn't be going through a black market contact."

You nod, "Any other caches or back up bases? Save us the trouble of hunting them down and do some good."

He rolls his eyes, "Good, a bunch of hypocrites like you shouldn't use that word."

This time Brother Michael steps up and picks the Accomplice up slamming him into the near nearby wall, causing the accomplice to cough up a good amount of blood, "I'll wring your neck!"


All the accomplice could retort with was choking noises as the the rest of the group pulled Brother Michael back the interrogation wasn't done yet he couldn't die like this.

The Brother stepped out of the room as the interrogation continued, for the best considering his response back there.

[continue]
>>
The Accomplice spits a small bit of blood on the floor, "No, no other caches, just the treatment plant and the warehouse, the treatment plant was just supposed to be a red haring anyways, but you all moved to damn fast, our mistake really, should have prepared both the false base and the real one before making any moves."

You're starting to grow agitated yourself at the Magus flippant attitude, but continue, "The Dead, who were they? Did you collect them from this town or elsewhere? The deserve to be put to rest and their next of kin notified."

He gives you as quizzical a look as he can, "You think we kept their IDs? No, Most were homeless or runaways, when those ran out we started picking 'problematic' children, and I'm sure since the news made a fit of it you already know who they are. Every last one from this town, you were fast, but only when we got sloppy."

You glower, "How long?"

He is quick to respond, "About a month and a half, the last two weeks were when we started having a hard time getting easy subjects. That's when we started making mistakes."

You're sick to your stomach with this revelation, "What was the ritual dagger for?"

He tilts his head, "Still got a Magus' curiosity don't you? I'll indulge you since it's the only way for my research to live on, even if it's only recorded as heresy by you lot, mentally or in book at some point."

He leans back a bit, "The ritual dagger was meant for the final stages of the plan, which needed refining, impale the target, chant the five verses, empower the reagents and consume them along with necromantic mana from the various undead to create something akin to the chain that links dead apostles to their familiars. Except instead the dead would act as excess reservoirs of energy that we could expend at any moment. Like spreading your self across a horde, while still be centered at your body. if one body dies, then a fragment simply goes. If you killed me, then you only killed one of the horde and I'd come back from the back up lifeforce."

Everyone in the room had a grave look upon their face, as the Magus continues.

"It was ingenious, but the ritual was to tricky to complete, we'd have needed another month to finish. Considering what your family's mage craft is you'd have been invaluable in completing the work, but we already covered that didn't we? It would have made the whole process much easier."

You're coming to the end of your interrogation, "The traps in your base, what are they and how many?"

[continue]
>>
He looks up for a bit, "Trip wire spells, landmines, a few illusions that paralyze you if you look at them directly, please by all accounts bury the place, there's nothing left for me or our plans anyways thanks to you. Destroying it would solve your problem a lot faster than disarming it."

You frown at this, "And what do we have to gain from destroying it? What are you hiding?"

He wheeze's again, "Research notes, but they'll get destroyed anyways by you lot."

That was the last question you had, "Any last requests or words for your friends and family?"

His eyes narrow and the dull look brightens a little, "My friends? What Magus has friends? Family? They can rot in hell with me, I'm sure they'll be soon to follow regardless. I've no requests, I'd have preferred death over this interrogation anyways."

And so you grant it to him, the same way you did to the Tall Man, and with that he dies.

There's a lot to process after this.

Regardless you'll need to head back to that warehouse first and foremost to clean it up and get those research notes, Father Honigman and the Brothers can decide what to do with them when you get back.

----

The Trip back to the warehouse was relatively quick, the traps weren't hard to disarm as it seems with his death a portion of their strength had began to wither, reality overtaking their existence.

Searching through the warehouse you finally find the notes. Something strikes you at this moment, he mentioned your family, and a lot of the principal of the ritual mentioned seemed very similar to their magic. It's clear they hadn't interacted before, but you can't help but draw the connection with the similarities.

.....

Do you keep the notes for yourself?
>Yes
>No
>>
>>5104096
What do you think anons? My gut tells me it is in-character to hand them over to be destroyed, we've been raised by the church, I think we wouldn't pursue personal power at the expense of the trust of our surrogate father and the organization we hope to join. Or we might, but we'd be honest about it or at least not try to hide the research.

>Turn in the research notes, but take a few close up photos with our phone or something, make sure the writing is legible in the photos.

This is how I'll vote for now until there is further discussion.
>>
>>5104096
>>5104149 +1
>>
>>5104149
I'm fine with that I guess. If it's related to our family's research, I'd say that we're duty bound to carry on their legacy any way we can.
>>
Vote will remain open for 12 hours, I'm spending new years with friends and family, everyone have a good New Years, here's to 2022 being better than the last.
>>
>>5104855
Enjoy your New Years QM.
>>
Alright

>Turn in the research notes, but take a few close up photos with our phone or something, make sure the writing is legible in the photos.

Seems to be the consensus, I'll do the write up tomorrow morning, until then everyone have a good night and a happy new years.
>>
Good Morning All

_____________

You reach out to the research notes and stop for a moment, before gently sliding them across the desk you found them on, quickly skimming the notes to see if anything caught your eyes. The verbiage is thick, and the whole thing is dense as hell, you'll never find anything just skimming the notes. You sigh, about to resign yourself to taking the pages away when you remember that you have a phone on you, you can just take some pictures.

You head over to the light switches and turn all of them on for this room for the best lighting you can get, before heading back to the desk and you start taking pictures of the notes, doing your best to make them all legible.

Once you're satisficed you pocket the phone and gather the notes up into a stack and put them into a bag.

You pause at the door why even record these notes in anyway? The objective and hypothesis of these tests is ultimately a stain upon humanity and life itself. You sigh as you make the trip back, the accomplice had gotten into your head somewhat. You had until this point written off any chance of getting information pertaining to the events of your childhood and your family. Yet he mentioned them and your family's personal magic.

What struck you as odd about the whole thing was that if they had known the name of your family then they should have known their reputation as being strongly church leaning. Unless they had mistaken something or there was something you weren't privy too. Your memories of that period of life are fuzzy at best.

Most of it was spent studying you remember that, the occasional visit from Father Honigman, your parents going on long trips with him, sometimes heading off to London to testify to the Clock Tower. You think a bit harder on the matter but find that there's just not much more to remember. Magus family's weren't exactly the most nuclear, nor the most happy to begin with.

You sigh, Ultimately these notes are the only thing you have until that 'Crowley' was found, and one of those Mystic Codes could be obtained. A small price to pay, you'll delete the photos once you've got what you wanted out of them.

What is it that you want out of them exactly?
>Any hints or ties to my family's magic, if there's a lead here to what happened back then I want it.
>A better understanding of Necromantic magic, disgusting though it may be it could benefit me when dealing with such Magi down the road.
>To see if there is an antithesis, a way to invert the process and counter the creation of undead.
>write in
>>
>>5106019
>To see if there is an antithesis, a way to invert the process and counter the creation of undead.
>>
>>5106019
>To see if there is an antithesis, a way to invert the process and counter the creation of undead.

I wanted to choose all of those options, but I'll refrain from being one those "pick everything" anons just this once.
>>
>>5106019
>Any hints or ties to my family's magic, if there's a lead here to what happened back then I want it.
>>
>To see if there is an antithesis, a way to invert the process and counter the creation of undead.
Wins 2 to 1

Writing
>>
You're a little rusty when it comes to the fundamentals of mystic research as you haven't really need to do it since you were a young boy, however given that the opponents you faced were by your account fairly advanced and skilled magi, that their notes should be able to inform you somewhat on the process, and through their application you may be able to develop a means to invert the process of necromancy.

It's a simple matter to kill an undead, but to drop a horde of them takes time, having a means to make them inert would be incredibly helpful for the church and yourself should you ever have to deal with Necromancers again. That said it will take some time to formulate a proper anti-thesis to the processes used in these notes.

Once you get back you hand the notes over to Father Honigman who gives you a nod, only sparing a glance to confirm their contents before taking them to the fireplace and burning them, stoking the flames to make sure they're properly burnt to ashes and nothing more.

You notice that both Brother Michael and Brother Mark are still here. Honigman gestures for you to have a seat and you do, "We were discussing the events around the resolution of this matter as well as the coverup."

You nod, Honigman continues, "We'll be using a sinkhole as an excuse for the pit you dug up at the warehouse, a team from the church will be disguised as a survey team, and will handle the rest of the clean up of the area."

He turns to Brother Michael who nods at him, "The Brother here would like to say something."

"Really now?" you can't help but reply.

Michael's serious face sticks through this, "When we arrived and before we came here, the Father her pressed us to use this moment to, test you regarding your worth as a potential member of the 8th sacrament, Given the events I'm willing to voice my recognition of your talents on a few conditions."

You lean forwards, somewhat surprised at this turn of events, "What conditions?"

He pulls out a list and hands it to you, it's a list of targets, "These are heretics and monsters within the local region, currently between myself and Brother Mark we're short handed, many Executors have been dealing with escalating events in England and the East as such the rest of us in Europe are... well we can't handle things the way we'd like to."

He sighs, "It's almost as if they've forgotten the routine horrors that crop up here in favor of the more immediate issues. None the less as part of our recommendation we'd like to see more of what you can do, Select 3 of these targets from here and deal with them, normally Executors work in pairs, however if the list is to be dealt with in a timely manner you'll have to find allies locally as neither of us can lend you our blades."

You give him a long look then look at the list.

There's 5 targets, though what's more important is their designations and classifications.
[continue]
>>
You ask the obvious question, "What do the ratings mean specifically do you have an example of these classifications?"

He nods, "Simply put, the Magi dealt with here were a Rating B threat, had they succeeded in their plans I rank them at A, most Dead Apostles are Rating A threats, making them the most difficult but highest Priority, Thankfully there's no Dead Apostle Ancestors stirring up trouble at the moment, but they'd be an EX rating, and frankly beyond any of us alone or together to deal with."

You nod at this.

They read as follows:
Jean d'Hoc - Heretic Magus - Pas De Calais - Rating C
Unknown Dead Apostle - The Hague - Rating A
Potential Demon Half Blood - Milan - Rating B
Renigard Halfdenson - Heretic Magus - Oslo - Rating D
Unknown Dead Apostle - Marseille - Rating B

You look through the list and back up at Michael, "Why are the Dead Apostles Unknown?"

He sighs, "We don't have the resources to dig up the backgrounds of these blood suckers at the moment, we can confirm that the activity recorded in those regions is likely caused by a Dead Apostle and based on the scale and timeline of these events we assign a rating to them."

You nod, "One more question, Executors are supposed to be specialized against their target typically, why the varied list?"

His response is quick, "To gauge how well you do against any given threat, Half-Bloods are rare, but typically we deal with Magi or Dead Apostles, myself and brother Mark specialize in Magi as I'm sure you're aware."

Which are you interested in (Pick 3)?
>Jean d'Hoc - Heretic Magus - Pas De Calais - Rating C
>Unknown Dead Apostle - The Hague - Rating A
>Potential Demon Half Blood - Milan - Rating B
>Renigard Halfdansson - Heretic Magus - Oslo - Rating D
>Unknown Dead Apostle - Marseille - Rating B
>>
>>5106396
A rank threats are still beyond us even with our level up, this goes double for the fact that the only A rank has no known info about them and could actually be stronger than the rank suggests.

Whether we can handle rank B's is a matter of specific details on the target and whether the threat we just faced is a rank B when the two mages were combined or just individually. If they are rated together as B but would individually be weaker, then we can take B's probably. Though that second mage was way tougher, though that may just have been his prep work. There is also the fact that we can probably find local allies to even the playing field as mentioned.

>Jean d'Hoc - Heretic Magus - Pas De Calais - Rating C
>Potential Demon Half Blood - Milan - Rating B
>Unknown Dead Apostle - Marseille - Rating B
>>
Though, if this is the total list for ALL of us to deal with and they want us to take 3, then perhaps we should let them take the mages and we'll just have to rely heavily on smart choices and local allies to deal with the tougher threats. Hopefully we'd get a level up before facing the A rank. Though, for now I'll keep my vote the same.
>>
>>5106582
They were rated B together.
And no this isn't all of the issue this is just a list that they selected from the issues they knew about that they thought you might be able to deal with.
>>
>>5106396
>Unknown Dead Apostle - The Hague - Rating A
>Potential Demon Half Blood - Milan - Rating B
>Unknown Dead Apostle - Marseille - Rating B

I'm slightly more interested in the higher level threats than the lower heretical mages.
>>
>>5106396
>Jean d'Hoc - Heretic Magus - Pas De Calais - Rating C
>Renigard Halfdansson - Heretic Magus - Oslo - Rating D
>Unknown Dead Apostle - Marseille - Rating B
>>
>Jean d'Hoc - Heretic Magus - Pas De Calais - Rating C 2 votes
>Potential Demon Half Blood - Milan - Rating B 2 votes
>Unknown Dead Apostle - Marseille - Rating B 2 votes
The rest have 1 vote

Gonna call the vote here.

Next write up will be the last of the thread while I prep for the next one which will take a couple of days.

Writing
>>
You look the list over picking out an average spread of targets, "What can you tell me about these three?"

Brother Michael looks at your choices before pausing for a moment, "The one we can give you the most information on is the Heretic Magus Jean d'Hoc. d'Hoc has decided to breach the non-aggression agreement we have with the Clock Tower, and in turn has been summarily foresworn by them. As to the reason why she broke it, I believe the justification given for her assault on one of our reliquaries was that we had, 'taken her rightful inheritance' or some other such nonsense. Regardless she's stolen several artifacts from the reliquary and has thus far managed to evade our scouts by constantly being on the move in the region. However we have a cordon on the area. She won't be escaping Pas De Calais without us knowing."

You pause for a minute, "Then if she's managed to steal a number of artifacts and evade being found why is she only Rating C?"

Michael leans forwards, "Because she's not being an active antagonistic threat, as detailed earlier potential and active threat go into the rating, she's mostly being passive about the matter, evading rather than damaging, even deaths were minimal in her assault on the reliquary. Her profile from the Clock Tower implies that she uses spiritual evocation as well as basic elemental magic, predominately wind. My guess is that she's unlikely to engage in any combat unless cornered, so you're better of getting the drop on her."

You nod, "And the others?"

He sighs, "The Half Blood in Italy is somewhat of a complex situation, Normally something so close to the Vatican would have been detected almost immediately, but this one has been rather clever and quiet. We have a few details that tip us off to its presence. There's been distortions in reality radiating from a particular manor in the town, some individuals report a Roman Villa being there in pristine condition, others a Victorian Mansion, and others still a piece of modern architecture. City plans tell us that it's a simple manor built in the mid 1900's just after the second world war."

"This is rank B?" you ask

He nods, "The distortions are sporadic, and that's the only reason we know it's a half blood, the implication being that they're beginning to lose control of themselves. Obviously the half-blood has some control over time due to the way the distortions manifest. I'd rate either this or the next one as the highest priority. Especially so if the distortion begins expanding, it will elevate to A rank, I don't think I need to explain why a city that's caught in a constant state of temporal flux would be bad."

[continue]
>>
"Alright..." you say, "And the last one?"

He looks to the side, "Dead Apostles speak for themselves, if left to fester in a city then it will be a den of the dead. Depending on ambitions and stupidity this could be from entire suburbs to the whole damned city. We seem to have caught this ones schemes early, hence Rank B. It's clearly an inexperienced dead apostle, likely recently elevated to Rank 4, possibly 5 and let off the leash by their maker as a distraction. Unfortunately a distraction dead apostle is still a dead apostle and therefore still a threat to the entire city if left unchecked. Do not engage with it unless you are certain you can win, otherwise you're simply going to die, to many Executors have been lost to their hubris fighting these monsters, they are not to be toyed with nor empathized with."

"What exactly has tipped you off?" you ask curious of the circumstances.

"A large number of missing persons cases, that inevitably lead nowhere, and if they do lead somewhere it's a gruesome site. What has us believing that it's a Rank IV or V is that there's been no sightings of lesser dead apostles, usually there'll be a person that gets away from the dead after heading down an alley way for a short cut, and they'll scream their lungs out, but by the time they go to show everyone they're gone. Especially given the time period that these disappearances have been happening. If it goes on much longer though the Dead Apostle may yet elevate to Rank VI at which point it will escalate to an A rank threat." Michael says this with a tired expression.

Which of these will you go after first?
>The Dead Apostle
>The Half Blood
>The Magus
>>
>>5107441
>The Magus

Work our way up, though I am tempted to try the hardest first just to prevent an upgrade in their Rank. Thoughts lads?
>>
>>5107441
>The Magus

I agree with working our way up, by the time we confront the stronger ones we may very well be stronger ourselves.
>>
>>5107441
>The Magus
>>
>>5107441
>The Dead Apostle
While I agree on us working our way letting the dead apostle do the same would be stupid
>>
Alright we'll go with the Magus
You can expect the next thread to Drop around this Sunday.
Until then thanks to everyone who participated, and to those who are reading I hope you enjoyed.
>>
>>5109962
Thanks for running QM.
>>
>>5109962
Thanks for running Warden!
>>
For anyone watching the quest Thread two is up
>>5114302



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