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>>5083216
However, this is not your ONLY objective. You have just left a meeting with an incubus—a so-called ‘greater demon’, who has been enemy to you in the past… But now seems a conditional ally. In exchange for assistance in mastering the occult arts, and a pledge of non-aggression and total honesty, the incubus has gifted you a sample of its ectoplasmic essence with which to infect the second-in-line to the throne of Hawksong—a man named Rufos, who will be in attendance at the Gala. So, too, were you given permission to wield a symbol of the incubus’ authority to help tame and direct any demons you may encounter in the mages’ demonological labs. This is all a great boon… But a part of you still does not trust the mysterious entity who granted you this aid.

On top of all this, you have Edwin of Engel to think about. This idle-rich son of a storehouse tycoon is your date to the event—rather, it is HIS ticket which has allowed you to attend. He and his father, Fynn, hope to turn it into a business opportunity. While this is tertiary at best to your other objectives, you cannot help but dwell on your inability to secure a source of abundant shirin spice to market to the social elites, as Fynn had requested. Edwin is…

<Affection: 99%>

…Special to you. You don’t want to let him down, or appear unworthy in the eyes of his father. Perhaps there is still a way to achieve some mercantile successes for the Engelson Storehouse Company, as well?

[ Previous volumes, for those of you just joining us, are at http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=reptoidqm ]

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>>5083217
LEVEL UP!
You have become better still at dance, melee combat, mercantilism, mentalism, seduction, AND occultism! This is based on choices you’ve made.

When facing a matter where success is not guaranteed or terribly likely, failure has notable consequences, or I’d feel railroady making you fail or cheap forcing a success, I will roll dice: one d20 for each star next to that aptitude. If a couple apply, you will get a bonus d20 as well.

You also have an inherent bonus to disguise attempts when relevant, can use human magic items without your Reptilian race’s usual penalty, and you have a decreased difficulty to rolls wherein you fight an untrained opponent hand-to-hand due to martial arts training.

Having formed a symbiotic pact with the succubus Irinnile, you can also shapeshift (including to create wings or natural weapons), sense and influence emotions and even read surface-level thoughts or enter dreams, and you are seemingly immune to permanent injury as a result of fire and mundane weapons.

In general, DCs are 15, but disguise, magic item use, and favourable melees as discussed have DC 10. Thanks to Irinnile’s powers, you also currently have this reduced DC of 10 for nighttime or shadowy stealth checks, seduction rolls, and single-target illusion or mentalism checks.

Your demonic powers are not without a price: Irinnile has a powerful sense of <WANT> at her core. Every time you use her powers or deny her something she desires, the <WANT> grows stronger, increasing the DC of rolls to control her impulses. Thanks to your soulbond, this isn't as risky as it once was... But could still result in complications. Your current level of <WANT> is DC 12.

You have also gained a one-time invocation of your Dark Gods’ <DIVINE FAVOUR>, and access to their <AKASHIC RECORD> of their mortal agents’ past activities; the DC to access it varies depending upon how long ago the event took place, how far away it occurred, and whether you have a relevant focus.

You also have limited use of the ectoplasm the aforementioned incubus gave you—enough to place a permanent and subtle influence upon the soul of a single being without fail if transferred to them—and the incubus’ influence and authority over lesser demons.

You have acquired a number of items in your inventory, though you may not always have access to all of them: a suit of leafweave armour and a Serpent Priest staff (left in your room at the Engel Manor out of necessity), a protective magical cloak (smuggled into the event by a fellow agent, to be retrieved when the time is right), a magical diadem granting clarity and control when your perceptions are affected by outside sources, a demon-trapping scroll-case, a hidden charm which suppresses your succubus partner’s demonic aura inside you, and your trusty dagger. You also have a very small amount of shirin stimulant, a magical dwarven puzzle-box which has frustratingly eluded your mastery… And the suicide-poison.

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>>5083219
You have just left the populous apartment block where the enigmatic incubus has set up its little den of iniquity. Traveling on foot with your fellow infiltrator Roth, you could JUST make it to the Engel Manor in time to meet with Edwin and his father, get changed into the evening’s attire, and take a carriage to the event with them.

…But then, you could also meet with Inquisitor Felman, your utterly-enthralled agent on the inside, to learn more about venue security and to take another stab at mastering that damn dwarven puzzle-box. The latter in particular could prove a useful aptitude when the master-stone is in your clutches. This would mean arriving a little late for the Gala, and on your own, but perhaps it would be worth it?

…Or you could turn around and attempt to understand the subtle control and greater potency the incubus achieves from its use of ectoplasm, and thus to gain access to some of the same abilities through careful application of Irinnile’s own ectoplasm, which you have in greater supply. It would probably be difficult to master such an ability in a single study-session, but you’ve achieved greater feats before. How long could it truly take?

And, of course, there is always the option to head in the opposite direction, to where the Eastern Standard Silk and Spice company is encamped, to acquire the shirin you promised Fynn of Engel could be used to begin building demand among the social elite of Hawksong. That’s so far out of the way, though, that you would surely be unfashionably late by the time you concluded that business.

What do you do?
>Meet with Edwin and get ready—you don’t want to be late, and these other matters can wait
>Take a detour to meet with Felman, and to try once more to master enchantment magic (as well as to discuss your planned infiltration for the evening)
>Return to the incubus, to demand a crash-course of ectoplasmic manipulation right this instant
>Screw it—go see Cuggi of Eastern Standard about hooking you up with more shirin for tonight, timeliness-be-damned
>Write-in

>>5083227
>>Meet with Edwin and get ready—you don’t want to be late, and these other matters can wait

>>5083227
>Meet with Edwin and get ready—you don’t want to be late, and these other matters can wait

Arriving late and alone would be sus? That puzzle box is unsolvable anyway

>>5083227
>Meet with Edwin and get ready—you don’t want to be late, and these other matters can wait

Actually, none of these matters can wait, but we've run out of time. How the hell are we going to explain this to Flynn and Edwin?

>>5083227
>Meet with Edwin and get ready—you don’t want to be late, and these other matters can wait

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>>5083416
While the other tasks are all important, you don’t want to risk raising suspicions at this critical hour. The other issues will have to wait for tomorrow, you decide. You and Roth travel half-way through Hawksong before you part ways, with the old dragonblood stopping briefly. His human disguise is almost as inscrutably inexpressive as his true visage, and yet you can tell he wants to say something.

“What iss it?” you ask.

He is silent for a time, but he doesn’t leave, nor turn away. Eventually, frustrated, you sue Irinnile’s empathic succubus-sense to scan the male’s aura and find…

“You’re worried,” you say allowed.

Roth scoffs, as if outraged, but says nothing.

“Compartmentalize your feelings more effectively, oh superior one,” you whisper in the True Speech of your people. “If you cannot get yourself under control, I will mock you most mercilessly in my reports.”

Roth grumbles unintelligibly, but turns away and sets off on his own. The last thing he tells you is “You should endeavour to ensure you are alive to compile those reports.”

‘I think that’s the nicest thing he’s ever said to us,’ Irinnile says, with a mix of annoyance and amusement.

You dwell on this farewell as little as possible, as you make the rest of your journey to the boxy, utilitarian warehouse of a mansion that is the Engel household. Therein, you quickly located father Fynn and son Edwin. Both are well-dressed, and to your shock Edwin is—perhaps for the first time in memory—note wearing his oversized wizard-robes and rumpled mage-cap. Instead, he is in the formal, high-collared tunic, breeches, and snug leggings of formal courtly attire, with hair slicked back by some sort of grease. He’s even shaved his stubble!

‘Damn,’ Irinnile comments with a psychic wolf-whistle, ‘our boy cleans up NICE!’

That he does… But you can see how uncomfortable Edwin is in his tight-fitting formalwear, constantly fidgeting, fussing with his sleeve-cuffs or touching his hair. Fynn wears much the same outfit, albeit in a dark charcoal grey rather than Edwin’s brighter, youthful blue version, and he wears it with the stillness of practice and comfort.

“Izzy!” Edwin greets you. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t make it in time.”

“Yes, welcome back,” Fynn greets you as well… But, businessman that he is, he is immediately cognizant of your lack of obvious packages. “Did the negotiations with Eastern Standard go poorly? I don’t see any shirin.”

What do you do?
>Lie, saying that you have the shirin supply secured, but that they needed time to retrieve it
>Admit that you were busy with vaguely-defined ‘other matters’, and didn’t get around to it
>Play at indignance and outrage, and get Fynn off your back that way
>Coolly ask Edwin to let you manage your business in your own time and way
>Weave an elaborate excuse of some other variety [write-in]
>Say nothing on the matter

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>>5083460
You also need to get changed for the gala. You have a couple options, now: the green velvet dress with its sheer contours and matching gloves is classy and appropriate, while still quite eye-ctaching it its way… But at a Tower Gala, many will be wearing more expensive, magical fabrics. You have no such thing, but thanks to your seamstress friend Agatha Johan, you have a reasonable non-magical facsimile: golden and gauzy, sparkling, slinging, barely there. It’s startlingly avante garde, but very fashion-forward in a way that would attract eyes and impress those it doesn’t incense. And then, of course, there is the option to shapeshift a different outfit with Irinnile’s abilities…

What to wear, what to wear?
>The classy green dress
>The gold quasi-magical ensemble
>Shapeshift something else [specify, please]
>Wear one of your other outfits [Kamunu bellydancer attire? Floral peasant dress? Leafweave armour? Other?]

>>5083460
>There were certain... complications. While Cuggi was amendable to a deal, it couldn't happen due to the authorities' investigation into his affairs. Something about a catwoman attacking an official, unrelated to Eastern Standard.

>>5083461
>The gold quasi-magical ensemble

>>5083461
>The classy green dress

Made it for this, right?

>>5083460
>There were certain... complications. While Cuggi was amendable to a deal, it couldn't happen due to the authorities' investigation into his affairs. Something about a catwoman attacking an official, unrelated to Eastern Standard.

This seems like a good write in to back. Yet more blame pushed onto Foxy?

>>5083499
Dead foxes tell no tales, as they say. Would've love to see what the pearl would've done though.

>>5083499
Also, we made the gold quasi-magical ensemble for this, not the classy green dress.

>>5083460
>>Admit that you were busy with vaguely-defined ‘other matters’, and didn’t get around to it

>>5083461
>>The gold quasi-magical ensemble

>>5083461
>There were certain... complications. While Cuggi was amendable to a deal, it couldn't happen due to the authorities' investigation into his affairs. Something about a catwoman attacking an official, unrelated to Eastern Standard.

>The gold quasi-magical ensemble

>>5083460
>Admit that you were busy with vaguely-defined ‘other matters’, and didn’t get around to it
>>5083461
>The gold quasi-magical ensemble

>>5083491
>>5083499
>>5083632
>>5083803

“There were ccertain... complicationsss,” you begin.

“Oh?” replies Fynn, eyebrow arched.

You weave an elaborate falsehood, interspersing threads of truth, such as the matter of the investigation and the attack on Felman.

“While Cuggi wass amendable to a deal, negotiations couldn’t truly happen due to the authorities's investigation into hiss affairs,” you say, affecting a sheepish grin. “Ssomething about a catwoman attacking an officcial, unrelated to Easstern Sstandard.”

“Gods Above, what a mess,” Fynn mutters, rubbing his forehead… But, at the very least, he doesn’t seem frustrated with you on a personal level.

“Is that why the Inquisition was at your work the other day?” Edwin asks, eyes widening.

Fynn’s attention immediately snaps to his son, then back to you. “Inquisition?”

You hold back a sigh. Oh, Edwin. Still, you suppose it was bound to come out sooner or later, being such a public spectacle.Prhaps it’s better to get ahead of Fynn hearing about it elsewhere.

“Yess,” you reply, almost-truthfully, “but it hasss been handled.”

“I… Am glad to hear that,” Fynn says, expression and aura still revealing a mix of surprise and discomfort at all this negative Tower attention directed at your workplace, other employer, and upon the burgeoning shirin operations.

Irinnile giggles. ‘If he only KNEW, amirite?’

You excuse yourself to get changed for the Tower Gala. Your eyes linger momentarily on the green dress—the more formal, more traditional choice, purchased specially for this event weeks ago… And then slide off of it, and to the box containing your golden ensemble. You open the case and extract the gorgeous art-piece of an outfit: near-invisible translucent fabric underlying an interlocking mesh of interlocking golden shapes, almost like scales, which disperse into a wave of sparkling stars about your otherwise-bare legs and wrists.

You squeeze your succubus-swollen chest and rear into it, it takes perfect advantage of your new measurements to hold itself on, even as you move. It offers a surprising amount of leg mobility, and total freedom of your arms. You indulge yourself with a quick snippet of your exotic dance routine, finding yourself utterly unimpeded. That Gatha Johan really IS an amazing talent!

There’s only one problem: there is nowhere to hide a dagger on hip or thigh in this dress, for all such areas are tightly-clad or mostly-exposed. You sigh, stowing the dagger into your pack. You will fetch it later, if you need it. For now, you rejoin Edwin and his father. Edwin is wowed by you, gasping at the sight of you in your new attire.

>>5083886
"Izzy, you’re… Angelic!”

You smile, feeling a slight blush rise to your cheeks at the praise.

“It’s… Certainly a look,” Fynn says ambivalently.

You sense disapproval from the older male, but have to resist a smirk at the hypocrisy, for your succubus senses can practically taste his lust for you from across the room. You ignore Fynn’s passive-aggressive commentary, and thank Edwin as you take the younger man’s arm.

“Shall we?” you ask.

The three of you step into one of the company’s carriages, and set off for the Gala. Along the way, Edwin is chattering excitedly about what innovations and great works he hopes to glimpse—apparently, he has attended only one such Gala before, and it left a distinct impression on the arcane enthusiast.

“Don’t forget,” he father admonishes, “this is BUSINESS, Edwin. We’re here to form connections, to make an impression. DO try not to bombard the mages with endless questions this time, hm?”

Edwin shuts his mouth, and his aura wavers and wobbles as if struck. It’s not the first time you’ve seen this dynamic between father and son…

What do you do?
>Change the subject to something more amenable [business proposals? Fynn’s impression of the last Gala?]
>Call out Fynn for his treatment of Edwin, and humour your boyfriend’s passions [will max out Edwin affection]
>Flirt with Fynn to calm him down, maybe even with a touch of glamour if required [-affection]
>Say nothing—more heat upon Edwin is less heat on you [-affection]
>Write-in

>>5083877
Sorry, was already writing... But it seems the results were the same!

>>5083887
>Call out Fynn for his treatment of Edwin, and humour your boyfriend’s passions [will max out Edwin affection]

We've been so shit to Edwin. We might fucking die here. May as well do right by him for ONCE.

>>5083887
>>Call out Fynn for his treatment of Edwin, and humour your boyfriend’s passions [will max out Edwin affection]

>>5083887
>Call out Fynn for his treatment of Edwin, and humour your boyfriend’s passions [will max out Edwin affection]
Not the best possible time but still works

>>5083887
>Change the subject to something more amenable [business proposals? Fynn’s impression of the last Gala?]
>wanting to max out affection fighting rather than on the dance floor

Honestly, you anons really can't wait can you?

>>5083887
If we do call out Flynn, might as well say that we're surprised, as taking an interest in some of the Tower's higher ranked magi could be the connections we need to do more business with the Tower. Just a thought.

>>5084288
Does it really matter tho. Isn’t it better to have the benefit sooner than later?

>>5084428
I think that it's more of a distraction than a benefit before our main mission tonight, and I honestly don't know what benefits he would bring to the table that would help us complete our mission right now, but far be it from me to dissuade all of you on an action you all set your hearts on.

>>5083887
>Say nothing—more heat upon Edwin is less heat on you [-affection]

yall really wanna max that affection right before the Gala?

like with Iri we don't know what benefits/drawbacks it'll bring

>>5084168
>>5084727
I mean, you guys think it's too soon, maybe we should agree on a different option rather than maxing out affection?

>>5083887
>Change the subject to something more amenable [business proposals? Fynn’s impression of the last Gala?]

Yea, best not to be distracted before the Gala.

>>5083955
>>5084143
>>5084168
>>5084288
>>5084727
>>5085082
[Seems we have a bit of split--three votes to call Fynn out, three to not... But with two different choices for what to do instead. I'll try to write up a reply before work if I can, but whether it's in the next fifteen minutes or later today, the current write-up would probably end up with a compromise and affection held at 99.

Keep in mind for anyone doing it for the bonus: maxed affection can be a double-edged sword for a secret agent.]

>>5085096
You know the smarter strategy is to say nothing—at most, to change the subject. This is the big night: your greatest mission upon the surface! You already have distractions aplenty without adding Engel family politics to the mix.

And yet…

“Honestly, Edwin,” Fynn continues, “I don’t know why you waste your time trying to play at being a wizard. You realize you are nearly thirty years old, right? You won’t be receiving some familiar-delivered letter of enrollment to the Tower.”

“…I know, Father,” Edwin mumbles, looking down at the floor. You can see his emotions flicker through his aura: shame, anger, sadness, loss.

“You aren’t going to just BECOME magic because you read enough books, and all that mental space would be BETETR spent preparing to run the storehouses. Do you think I do all this for MY benefit?”

“…No, Father.”

Fynn sighs, rubbing his forehead. “You know, I honestly wish I believed you that this was going to stick... But for such a smart young man, you can be so stupid.”

This is a harsher lambasting than you’ve witnessed Fynn give Edwin before. Maybe he’s just more comfortable around you, or maybe it’s the stress of preparing for the Gala—of this lowborn mammal trying to impress to magical and nobleborn elites. Regardless, it’s not your concern. You take a deep breath, willing yourself not to say anything, but then:

“You’re right: he isss ssmart. Perhapss ssmarter than you realize, Fynn.”

Both pairs of eyes turn to you.

“Excuse me?” Fynn asks, not (yet) annoyed or angry—just confused by the interruption.

“I’m ssurprised you don’t ssee it, Fynn,” you say, delicately as you can. “Think about it for a ssecond: Edwin iss well-verssed in the artss of alchemy, in magical theory, in the history and esoterica of the Tower mages.”

“A bunch of nonsense that has no practical use to anyone who can’t wiggle his fingers and magically avoid real work,” Fynn scoffs.

“Exccept that it hass already been invaluable to our mutual shirin operations,” you shoot back quickly. “You’ve never allowed him to purssue anything of actual interesst to him, and yet in just hiss sself-directed sstudiess, he hass become knowledgeable enough to disscusss alchemy with alchemisstss… And magical theory with actual magess.”

You pause for a moment, before pointedly adding: “The magess we have to impressss tonight.”

Fynn just looks at your for a time, before inclining his head in a gesture of assent.

“You raise a fair point, Ismena,” he acknowledges, then says to Edwin, “Make sure you hang onto this one and just… Try to remember to discuss business as well as your hobbies, will you?”

You feel Edwin squeeze your hand. You meet his eyes, full of adoration and appreciation, and he silently mouths “Thank you.”

>>5085150
It isn't much longer before you arrive at the Mages Tower. The great ivory spire towers over the weaving and vaguely non-Euclidian disarray of the Initiate's Village neighborhood, and in fact over nearly every other building in the human metropolis around it. If a civilization's priorities can be understood by their architecture, then the power the wielders of magic hold over these humans and their lands is dwarfed only by the Paladin King himself. You are given a startling reminder of the nature of that other great power by the shrieking cry of a great bird of prey, like a tremendous hawk or eagle.

“The Paladinss are here as well,” you note, recognizing with a slight shudder the sound of a gryphon—their mount of choice.

“Well, Price Rufos is going to be in attendance,” Fynn points out. “It only makes sense.”

“The Tower is responsible for breeding tye gryphons, as well,” Edwin adds. “That could have come from one of their mares, maybe?”

Regardless, it sets you on edge: a reminder of the many, many dangers you face tonight. Luckily, you come prepared, and well-equipped! You pat your bag for comfort.

“What do you mean I have to check in my things?!”

You and the Engel men are stepping out of the carriage when you hear the protestation. The outraged outburst comes from a rather overstuffed-looking dandy of a nobleman at the Tower’s main entrance. Behind him are two servants, young porters, each carrying a great trunk in their arms, full of whatever expensive luxury this well-placed male seems to believe he might need for the soiree ahead.

“Apologies, Lord Blakely,” the blue-hatted Tower Guardian at the entrance says, with a tone that suggests it is neither the first nor the last time he will need to give this explanation, “but for security purposes, we store all such belongings in the entry hall.”

“And what of grubby-handed thieves?” Blakely demands.

“Not a lot of those on the guest list, sir,” the guardian mage says tiredly. “And we have people checking in on and guarding the room.”

“Absurd….” Blakley mutters, loud enough for you to hear, but he complies.

Well, this is a wrinkle. What do you do about your pack, and the many useful tools within?
>Attempt to sweet-talk your pack past the guard
>Use glamour and mentalism in an attempt to go unnoticed
>Get out of the carriage and sneak in the rear entrance instead
>Use Irinnile's shape-shifting ability to store two items of your choice within or against your own flesh, unseen [specify the items]
>Forget it—give up the bag, you don't need its contents tonight, and you will retrieve it if it comes to it
>Write-in

>>5085152
>Attempt to sweet-talk your pack past the guard

>Use Irinnile's shape-shifting ability to store two items of your choice within or against your own flesh, unseen [specify the items]

The second just in case the first doesn't work. Refresher on everything in the bag?

>>5085152
>Attempt to sweet-talk your pack past the guard
>Use glamour

Seconding the bag check for potential utilization of the body horror storage.

>>5085152
>>Use glamour and mentalism in an attempt to go unnoticed

>>5085152
>>Attempt to sweet-talk your pack past the guard
>>Use glamour and mentalism in an attempt to go unnoticed
Disguise the blatantly suspicious stuff

>>5085177
>refresher

See >>5083219

>>5085476
Ok thanks, last paragraph I see it now.

UUUUUMMMM

We should be able to just openly wear the diadem and charm without hiding them.


dagger we body horror in
suicide poison too

Rolled 7, 10, 13, 3, 4, 2, 10, 15, 4, 17 = 85 (10d20)

>>5085177
>>5085250
>>5085408
>>5085450
[3d20 for sweet talk (option one, DC 15), 6d20 for illusion/mentalism if it fails (DC 18, 1d20 mystery/reaction roll.]

>>5085875
Fucking hell

>>5085875

>13

As the three of you approach this male mage in his pointy blue cap, you cling ever more tightly to you bag. You have your diadem above your head… But your charm was created with materials and techniques that might be known to mages. Dare you extract it and wear it openly, when you are to be surrounded by such learned magical masters at the Hawksong Tower Archmage? And that’s to say noting of carrying about a long killing knife like your assassin’s dagger, or a stolen dwarven artefact, a foreign ‘spice’, or a vial of suicide poison! You cannot spare any of these tools, but nor can you openly reveal them.

“Alright, pass me your things or leave them with your carriageman,” the Tower Guardian says.

You laugh girlishly—or, well, like your best impression of a harmless, female, mammalian socialite. “Awww, do we have to?”

‘You’re doing it again,’ Irinnile pouts. ‘That thing where you try to act like an idiot, so you do an impression of me!’

You ignore the succubus’ tizzy. Unfortunately, so too does the Tower Guardian ignore your appeal. “Sorry, miss. For security purposes, we store all such belongings in the entry hall.”

You make your appeals, shifting from ditziness to haughtiness to ALMOST flirtatiousness… Well, insofar as you can, with great subtlety in each so your probing attempts to breach the mage’s defences aren’t too obvious or suspicious a ploy, or seemingly-indicative of some mental derangement. No approach works, however. The Tower Guardian is as much a fortress as the one he stands before, but even less impregnable!

‘Maybe, maybe not,’ Irinnile muses. ‘Let’s turn up the heat!’

You do so, employing glamour and mentalism in an effort to subtly divert attention and suspicion—to make the bag appear negligible, or disappear entirely. You can only weave such illusions and glamour with moderate effectiveness without overt somatic components… But it seems to be working, causing the man to look away and to yawn!

“Think I’m impressed by hedge-magic?” he asks.

>15

You stop making your fourth appeal to him, and withdraw your magical aura… But it’s too late.

“Say… I know you,” he says, squinting at you. “You’re that woman from the…”

He flushes, fully realizing where he’s heard of you from: you’re that hedge-mage exotic dancer from the brothel in the slummier part of town, a place a Tower mage may fanatsize over but never partake in due to their vow of chastity.

“Look, you’re lucky w-we’re even l-letting in a… You know.”

“Danccer?” you ask with a tilt of the head.

“…A hedge-mage,” he mumbles.

>>5085891
>17

Embarrassed by his sudden erotic thoughts, by his very knowledge of your reputation, and by his own embarrassment, he doubles down on dutiful aggression. He seizes your bag from you, which you can only weakly protest against, and hands it off to a tower staffer. She, in turn, carries it away… Presumably to the storage area.

“Go on in,” he says authoritatively, as if to brook no further discussion.

What do you do?
>Do as he says—you don’t need a scene here
>Leave the gate, and then sneak back in by other means to retrieve your things, and then to join the festivities
>Challenge the Tower Guardian to a mage’s duel, with your right to keep your belongings the stakes
>Attempt to intimidate and threaten him into compliance
>Write-in

>>5085892
>Do as he says—you don’t need a scene here

We can have our Staff people retrieve it before we explore the basement proper, but hot dam, what an unlucky start.

>>5085892
>Do as he says—you don’t need a scene here

I'm going to be optimistic and think that we got all the bad rolls out of the way

plus yeah another operative should be able to get us the essentials later

>>5085892
>Do as he says—you don’t need a scene here
>Give him the smugest grin we are capable of as we depart

>>5086064
>>5085937
>>5085924
You sigh melodramatically.

“Can’t blame a girl for trying,” you say.

As you, Edwin, and Fynn step through the gate, you shoot the guard a smug smile. He raises his eyebrows and his forehead wrinkles in confusion. The absolute blunderer has no idea that he has simply placed your belongings under guard until such time as you send one of your fellow Degenerates to retrieve them!

At least… That is your hope.

The Tower Gala is hosted in a great, two-tiered hall. It is nearly as expansive in length and width as the loading-and-unloading area you snuck into the night prior, but with high, vaulted ceilings that make it seem immensely larger. In character, however, there can be no comparison. The rear entrance was full of caged and crated wonders, the varyingly-clandestine alchemical labs and experimental areas below that were foreboding and fascinating, but this public-facing entrance is a WONDER.

It is as well-lit as day, illuminated by three glowing orbs which orbit one another in unknowable ways above everyone’s head—miniature suns, complete with even the feeling of daytime warmth! Everywhere, there are tables, but without legs—floating discs, bearing magical fruits like some great market. There are weapons to be delicately handled and inspected by rigid-spined military men or pretenders to the same martial dash; there small chimeras cooed over by high-society ladies, or displays of new wonder-fabrics with applications protective and sartorial alike. Smaller such floating discs, directed by black-hatted Tower staffers, navigate the crowd, bearing drinks and finger-food; garishly or beautifully-attired humans snatch up what they desire from these as they pass. The attendees wear robes, dresses, brocades, tights… Even the finely-polished armour of Paladin status, you note in one corner.

‘This place is…’ Irinnile begins, but cannot finish.

‘Yes,’ you agree, sensing her awe

Terror creeps in, however, and she whispers even in your mind: ‘We gotta’ keep a low profile, Lispy. At least until we get back our charm.’

You unconsciously nod. You’ve never seen so many pointy hats in one place. The hall must play host to many dozens of worthies already, and they are still filtering in. Meanwhile, there are at least a third that many spellcasters, many of them no-doubt skilled and experienced enough to detect demonic activity. You think you can even spot a few of the blue-hatted bastards watching you with idle curiosity, no doubt tipped off to your hedge-mage status and troublemaking arrival. Luckily, they don’t seem overly concerned or attentive… Honestly, given how many other people are staring or stealing sidelong glances, it may just be the combination of your figure and your attire, which is pretty eye-catching even by the standards of the event.

‘Gonna’ make it trickier to go unnoticed,’ Irinnile laments.

>>5086317
“What do you think, Izzy?” Edwin asks eagerly. “Isn’t it amazing?”

You agree—how could you not?—and feel Edwin take your hand.

“Come on!” he says. “If I can find Professor Myrthen… Well, let’s just say that his work on multi-elemental blended conjuration spells is nothing short of GROUNDBREAKING. Imagine this: summoning lumps of ice that HEAT water as they melt, or arcing lightning that FREEZES a target inside and out! Plus, he always puts on a flashy show, even outside of the technical dimension…”

“Don’t forget about why we’re here!” Fynn reminds the two of you.

What do you do?
>Let Edwin drag you around the exhibits and luminaries of this Gala for a time—it’s an easy way to case the joint, and it makes him happy
>Seek out persons of interest you know to be in attendance [Price Rufos? The Archmage? Miriam Vaz nee Yosef? Other?] for some conversation
>Attempt to find and coordinate with one of your fellow Infiltrators, to see about retrieving your belongings and having them ready for you
>Do as Fynn asks, and attempt to build some business connections for the shirin trade and Engelson Storehouse Company
>Write-in

>>5086319
>Attempt to find and coordinate with one of your fellow Infiltrators, to see about retrieving your belongings and having them ready for you

>Let Edwin drag you around the exhibits and luminaries of this Gala for a time—it’s an easy way to case the joint, and it makes him happy

>>5086319
>Attempt to find and coordinate with one of your fellow Infiltrators, to see about retrieving your belongings and having them ready for you

>Let Edwin drag you around the exhibits and luminaries of this Gala for a time—it’s an easy way to case the joint, and it makes him happy

>>5086319
>Attempt to find and coordinate with one of your fellow Infiltrators, to see about retrieving your belongings and having them ready for you
Tell Edwin we want something to drink and will be back in a sec, locate a nearby Degenerate and arrange to get that Tiara delivered ASAP
>Let Edwin drag you around the exhibits
>Try to find someone who might be interested in shirin
We can use Edwin's connections to find alchemists and see if any of them would be interested in this rare new mind-altering powder.
Also boost him in Fynn's eyes this way. Make it nothing personnel for that 99%, tho.
>Keep your eyes peeled for the Prince and security

Hopefully not too late for a write-in.

>>5086434
supporting

>>5086434
+1

Keep our eyes peeled for the Archmage as well.

>>5086434
Not just our tiara, but our bag as well, ya?

>>5086434
>>5086669
Your tiara/diadem is still being worn. What you lack is the charm that hides your demonic aura against close scrutiny.

>>5086673
>What you lack is the charm that hides your demonic aura against close scrutiny.

Run that by me again? I thought we did a ritual, not a charm? Had I known, I would've voted to shapeshift the charm into our skin.

>>5086990
[You have a dark stone that, when in your possession, serves to mask your demonic aura. You created it in volume... 6, I want to say... By sacrificing a goat in a warehouse while consulting the akashic records. The diadem simply grants you greater clarity and mental focus for seeing through illusions and for your mind-affecting abilities, and was created on a whim during your ritual to create a potion for Roth's mortal wounds.

See >>5083219 (the last paragraph) for pretty much your full inventory, give or take some assorted coinage and changes of clothes.]

>>5087000
I didn't know the charm was something physical, as it really wasn't relevant until this moment. Had I known, I would've voted to bodyhorror it into us, because to not do so is frankly retarded, especially here, in the beating heart of the Tower's power.

We need that stone asap.

>>5086365
>>5086366
>>5086434
>>5086659
>>5086665
You let Edwin take you by the hand and carry the two of you along from one exhibition to the next. His eyes are alight with the swirling patterns of the three diminutive quasi-suns above, wide like a child’s, as he enthuses over the (admittedly quite impressive and potentially-deadly) display of arcane mastery by the professor in question. To your amusement, his wonder is no less when you next stand amidst a thinner crowd watching a damp and sweaty man in a long, thin wizard cap directing a tankful of little, glowing fish with flourishes of a driftwood wand.

“They’re so coordinated,” Edwin says. “But how do you direct them? And how did you make them glow? An enchantment?”

“Nothing so crass!” the demonstrator replies. “They are chimeras—subtle oens! For all that they appear to be common pond-stirrers, these fish are in fact a tripartite HYBRID of the pond-tirrer, a rare bioluminescent sea-jelly, and…”

You both wait while he pauses for effect.

“A DOG! They have the intellectual capacity of the latter, the glow of the jelly, without changing the outer form even a little save for the iridescence!”

“Amazing…”

You smile and squeeze Edwin’s arm. The fish are… Something, you guess. Conceptually interesting, academically, technically, insofar as you even understand the disciplines involved and the challenges in their creation. It’s Edwin’s pure interest, and instant grasping of these concepts, which has your attention, though. You’re so enrapture that you almost fail to spot Wasegun, the strong-jawed and black-eyed Degenerate agent you met the night prior, loading foodstuffs onto one of the floating trays hurriedly.

Spotting your fellow Reptilian Infiltrator immediately reminds you of your true purpose.

“I’m going to go fetch ssome food and drinksss,” you tell Edwin, who nods and squeezes your hand in a brief sign of acknowledgement and thanks. Then, you slip through the crowd and to Wasegun’s posting.

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9 KB JPG

>>5087320
Wasegun’s eyes are immediately on your body, though his expression seems less enamoured with your curvaceousness and spectacular attire than it is… Skeptical? Disapproving, even.

“You draw much attention,” he says quietly.

“I hide in plain ssight,” you say, picking hors d'oeuvres off of his tray. You pop one meaty morsel of some spiced mammalian appetizer into your face for appearances. It’s… Not bad, but humans really cover up the flavour of their meats too much for your liking.

“Anything but plain,” Wasegun says. You ar eusnure whether to take it for flirtation or further criticism.

It is true that, with all these eyes on you—many capable of gazing beyond the material to see the demonic magic beneath your skin if they were to look closely enough—you feel practically naked.

‘And not in the fun way,’ Irinnile quips.

You need your bag as soon as possible, ESPECIALLY the black stone charm in its concealing wrappings. Only when it is in your possession again will you feel safe navigating among these mages. Without giving Wasegun too many unnecessary details, you communicate as much.

“And you will carry thiss bag with you as you travel among these hum—thesse people?” he murmurs.
He raises a good point. You are not done here yet.

“Bring me my charm,” you command, describing the object.

“Iss there anything elsse which you require?”

It would need to be inconspicuous, as he noted. You consider the request, and tell him…

>Just fetch the charm, and have the bag ready with your cloak for when you give the signal
>Bring the shirin, too—you plan to talk shop with interested mages next
>Bring the dagger—you will conceal it within you if you must, but you will not be unarmed in an emergency
>Write-in something else

>>5087321

You return to Edwin’s side, carefully carrying two stemmed glasses of some sweet-smelling alcoholic concoction in one hand and a small platter of those spicy meat-balls in the other.

“Thanks, Izzy,” he says. “And, err, not just for the meat-balls and bubble-brew.”

“Hm?” you reply, eyeing the ‘bubble -brew’ with a bit more suspicion now that you know the name.

“For what you did earlier for me… With father. In the carriage.”

“Oh!” you say, smiling easily. “It wass nothing.”

You still aren’t sure what moved you to do that—guilt, maybe for not treating Edwin as well as part of you feels he deserves? Annoyance at Fynn’s tone? A sense of sympathy for a fellow underdog, aspiring beyond his means?

“It was far from nothing,” you assures you, and raises his glass with a mix of sincere affection and playful mischief in his eyes. “A toast, to… Very dear company?”

You narrow your eyes at the drink, which only seems to amuse Edwin further. He is hardly able to hold back laughter, clearly anticipating… Something. Knowing Edwin, whatever he is up to is no doubt tame and harmless… But you aren’t a trusting sort by nature. Furthermore, your alcohol tolerance is still not the greatest…

Do you drink?
>Yes
>No, you refuse
>No, but you’ll pretend to and dump your drink in a convenient location to hide the lack of imbibing
>Write-in

>>5087321
>Bring the shirin, too—you plan to talk shop with interested mages next

Not just the mages though.

>>5087322
>No, but you’ll pretend to and dump your drink in a convenient location to hide the lack of imbibing

I wouldn't mind drinking if this wasn't so important.

>>5087321
>Fetch the charm and shirin, have the bag ready with your cloak for when you give the signal
>>5087322
>No, but you’ll pretend to and dump your drink in a convenient location to hide the lack of imbibing

>>5087335
Too bad Ismena's organism is this weak to intoxication.

>>5087322
>Bring the dagger—you will conceal it within you if you must, but you will not be unarmed in an emergency

>No, but you’ll pretend to and dump your drink in a convenient location to hide the lack of imbibing

yeah we're the type to black out from one drink

>>5087321
>Charm + Shirin

>>5087322
>>No, but you’ll pretend to and dump your drink in a convenient location to hide the lack of imbibing

>>5087888
>>5087661
>>5087491
>>5087335

It’s not that you don’t want to have a good time but… Well, you’re a lightweight. If your tolerance for alcohol has improved slightly, it is still notably less than that of the full-blooded humans of this city, even innocent Edwin of Engel. You smile, and raise your glass… But the moment Edwin swigs his back (closing his eyes as he does so), your bubble-wine is tossed into a nearby garbage receptacle.

“Deliciouss,” you say with a smile.

Edwin says nothing, staring at you expectantly.

“...Yesss?”

Edwin opens his mouth as if to say something, but instead a small torrent of pearlescent bubbles explode from his mouth. You leap backwards, reaching for a dagger which isn’t there, as the cascade tumbles towards the ceiling. Your eyes follow it upwards, and then lower back down to meet Edwin's confused and disappointed expression.

“You didn't drink yours,” he notes.

Well, there's no point in denying it, you suppose. You were vaguely familiar with bubbling, so-called ‘sparkling' wines and ciders from your coworkers at The Pretty Kitty, and your earlier training. How were you supposed to know that ‘bubble-wine' was something else entirely?

“I jusst wanted to sstay sharp and professional,” you say, truthfully. “You know how low my tolerancce isss!”

Edwin sets his glass down gently, and you follow suit.

“Your father hass ssome quite high exxpectationss,” you say, also technically without falsehood.

“You didn't need to pretend to drink it,” Edwin says, with a sigh. “You know you can be honest with me, right? You don't need to hide things.”

You get the feeling that he is talking about more than bubble-wine. You are still plotting a response when Wasegun flags you down subtly, out of the corner of you eye.

“I'll be back in a moment,” you abruptly excuse yourself from yhe awkwardness.

You start towards Wasegun, but he nods his head, and you follow the signal to meet up with another of the Degenerate agents. You can't quite remember the female's name, but she beckons you into a momentarily-empty adjoining hall. There, you blissfully retrieve your charm—and some sense of safety, thank the Dark Gods!—as well as your small collection of modified shirin.

However, there remains the question of what to do with them to avoid attention. The shirin in particular presents an issue for, while you could use shape-shifting to store the items within you, you cannot then exactly present the shirin to those you hope to market it to… Nor would you have a good explanation for carrying it openly if questioned by a Tower Guardian. It isn't illegal… But it's something they would well know you should have had confiscated and stored away until after the Gala. Damn these surface females and their dress code, which seems to afford such little accommodation for pockets!

>>5088202
‘We DID also pick the sluttiest dress,’ Irinnile acknowledges, noting the sheer amount of exposed skin and lack of places to hide things on your person that has resulted. ‘But you gotta’ admit, we look DAMN fine! Are you FEELING all these looks we're getting??’

What do you do?
>Shapeshift the charm and shirin into your body, save a very small amount to offer as a sample
>Carry the shirin openly, relying on your natural charisma to avoid questioning—nobody asks someone what they are hiding when they are making no effort to hide it!
>Forget the shirin—Engelson financial objectives are not YOUR objective, or at least not your primary ones tonight, and if it comes down to it you can probably sell the IDEA of shirin just fine
>Have this Degenerate serve as a porter—her servant's attire, at least, includes a jacket with pockets
>Write-in

As for who you plan to market your shirin TO, you have not been remiss in scanning the hall for potential candidates. You have a few options lined up. The first is a mage who seems to be demonstrating an array of exotic, perhaps magically-modified, plants; perhaps he could help to enrich or cultivate your ‘spice' locally, or source ingredients? Another is a high-society noblewoman, whose ornate and gaudy attire marks her out as uniquely frivolous with her wealth; her sheer quantity of accumulated glasses and cups attests to an addictive personality, which may make for an easy mark to obtain a wealthy client and financier.

And then, of course… There is Prince Rufos, flanked by Paladins. Young, thinly-bearded, tall and with brilliant green eyes. You were quick to spot him at the far end of the hall, and you have kept tabs on him ever since. The thought of him brings the undefinable feeling of the incubus essence within you to pre-eminence. You have other business with him tonight. Two objectives could be met, perhaps, in one fell swoop?

Who do you approach?
>The plant-mage
>The dilettante noblewoman
>The Prince
>Keep looking for other marks
>Forget the shirin, damnit!

>>5088203
>Shapeshift the charm and shirin into your body, save a very small amount to offer as a sample
>Have this Degenerate serve as a porter—her servant's attire, at least, includes a jacket with pockets
I don't mind either.

>The Prince
The plant-man is totally Edwin's mark. Also, we'll drink some bubble-wine with Edwin after we accomplish our main objectives, as a celebration to our success.

>>5088203
>Shapeshift the charm and shirin into your body, save a very small amount to offer as a sample

>Forget the shirin, damnit!
primary objective first

as an incentive having the master control might help us solve the puzzle box

>>5088232
I think getting the Prince under our influence gives us a Get Out of Jail Free Card if we're caught, and I can only hope that the master control helps with our efforts there.

>>5088203
>Shapeshift the charm
>Give shirin to Edwin
He has pockets and asked for us to be honest with him, so yeah.
>The Prince
Fuck it.

>>5088214
>>5088232
>>5088714
[I'm running a little late today, so the next post will come later, after work.]

>>5088203
>Shapeshift the charm and shirin into your body, save a very small amount to offer as a sample

>The Prince

>>5088214
>>5088232
>>5088714
>>5089153
You cast a quick glance around, to ensure nobody is watching—well, besides your fellow Infiltrator, you suppose. Then, you take a deep breath, shut your eyes, and allow Irinnile to work her magic.

The other female chokes down a yelp of shock and surprise as you slip the charm and most of the shirin into your body. The means by which you hide these illicit objects: an opening which splits above your sternum, where your skin peels away to reveal empty hollows in your demon-enhanced chest. You face away from the party, of course, and in this instance your flashy and revealing attire helps to make the manoeuvre easier and less conspicuous.

<WANT: 13>

“B-but how did you…?” the other Reptilian Degenrate stammers.

You smile and wink. “The ssurfacce iss a very peculiar placce.”

You turn on heel, the remaining shirin pouch palmed carefully to hide it from passing glances. You scan the crowd briefly, seeking your primary target: Prince Rufos. Second-in-line to the throne of Hawksong, son of Paladin King Archos, he is a secondary objective in this entire venture… But perhaps he could also serve as a truly monumental score for your shirin business? If you were to use the shirin to lure him, you would be able to deliver the incubus’ payload of mind-affecting ectoplasm in private. If you were to thus ensorcel him, you would have someone who could buy and spread your ‘spice’ through the city and TRULY put Fynn’s concerns to bed, even while raising your profile and obfuscating your activities!

You finally locate him again, standing on the second, tiered level of this grand hall, milling with many others both literally and socially above you. At the base of the stairs between his milieu and your own, there is a Tower Guardian at half-attention. Closer to the Prince himself, you see his Paladin escort, paying closer attention perhaps than the Guardian. The Prince seems at ease, not overly attentive himself—eager to interact with his people, or at least the wealthier and more prestigious humans among them. An easy mark, maybe, if you can find a way to get past the obstacles between the two of you, and to hold his attention.

What is your approach?
>Signal the Degenerates to create a distraction, hopefully luring the Guardian away and holding the Paladins’ attention while you slip past them and approach the Prince
>Flag down Edwin, rejoin him, and talk your way past the Guardian and up to the Prince with an exciting new intoxicant and an equally exciting business proposition
>Attempt to smooth-talk and seduce your way into his orbit, to catch his eye, and to thus lead him into privacy where you can act
>Write-in

>>5089475
>>Flag down Edwin, rejoin him, and talk your way past the Guardian and up to the Prince with an exciting new intoxicant and an equally exciting business proposition

Lol, captcha TGT2K. Big time target.

>>5089475
>Attempt to smooth-talk and seduce your way into his orbit, to catch his eye, and to thus lead him into privacy where you can act

We're better at seduction and stealth than we are at mercantilism, and while I wouldn't mind combining mercantilism and seductive together, Edwin will be a distraction rather than an asset, and I don't want to unnecessarily get him doubts or jealously while we seduce the Prince into buying out shirin (and injecting him with the ectoplasm and our other machinations in private).

>>5089475
>Attempt to smooth-talk and seduce your way into his orbit, to catch his eye, and to thus lead him into privacy where you can act

>>5089475
>Attempt to smooth-talk and seduce your way into his orbit, to catch his eye, and to thus lead him into privacy where you can act

You should start backing up your updates QM, one janny is going around deleting random QM updates and anon votes, and no one in QTG knows why.

>>5089669
Context in case other anons here don't read QTG: (>>5081756)(>>5089556)

>>5089475
>Attempt to smooth-talk and seduce your way into his orbit, to catch his eye, and to thus lead him into privacy where you can act

Also lads, the Grand Husbando Tournament has begun, and our boy Edwin has been nominated! Let's try and make this a good showing, eh?

>>5090058
>>5090058
>>5090058

Rolled 14, 8, 4, 15, 15, 13 = 69 (6d20)

>>5089669
>>5089675
Has anyone noticed anything like that happening in this thread? Please speak up if so.

>>5090096
Good luck, all!

>>5089869
>>5089662
>>5089545
>>5089498
>>5089487
[Seduction, with a bonus for politesse]

>>5090107
>collective 69 on a seduction roll

Holy shit, is that considered a crit here? Either way, the Dark Gods approve!

>>5090107
With easy grace, you step towards the small staircase leading up to Prince Rufos and his higher-than-high class entourage. Predictably, it is not so easy—the Tower Guardian moves to stop you, albeit without great enthusiasm.

“Sorry,” the man in the pointy blue hat says, crossing his arms.

You have to stifle a laugh. You know such guardians are no small threat due to their magical abilities, but… Does any bullyable little manlet of a male in the Tower consider himself physically imposing enough to pull off such a manoeuvre? The mages of this realm are no exactly physical adepts or naturally-dominating figures, you’ve noticed. Edwin, were he admitted to the Tower, would TOWER over his contemporaries. Felman, as effective a combatant as he proved to be, is still scrawny and barely taller than you. This man lacks even that.

“Ssorry for what?” you ask innocently. “Delaying me? Never fear, all isss forgiven.”

“Sorry to say that there’s no room up in the Very Important Personages area of the upper echelon.”

You make a show of looking up and beyond the Guardian for a moment, before turning back to him with a charming smile. “Lookss as if there isss to me.”

“Not without an invitation or an escort,” he says, standing firm.

You tap a finger to your chin. “An invitation or esscort BY ssomebody important, I assssume?”

“Uh, yeah…” he says, with a shrug.

“Then problem solved!” you say, slipping your arm around his own and allowing your chest to squeeze up against him, nearly in this short male’s face. His eyes widen in surprise and aroused fixation.

“Hey!” he says. “I can’t just walk some… Hedge-mage right up to the Prince of Hawksong and his friends. The Archmage will—”

“The archmage will be impresssed by you showing ssuch initiative in keeping me on my bessst behaviour and averting a sscene.”

He looks unconvinced, even if more than a little distracted by your proximity.

“Come on,” you wheedle. “Jusssst a quick fly-by, sso I can ssee how the rich and famousss live. I can hardly be a threat with you watching my every move, and sso many other powerful and elarned arcane masssterss presssent, right? And I’d be SSO grateful…”

>>5090197
>15: marginal success

The gambit works. The Tower Guardian leads you up the stairs without even the need to attempt a magical push. With subtle guidance, you lead him to believe that HE is leading YOU, even as you close distance with the Prince, his Paladins, and the rather important-looking male and female with whom he is speaking.

‘Irinnile, catch some eyes.’

Irinnile increases the bounce of your bust, insinuates herself into the sway of your hips, and increases the shine of your already meticulously-oiled skin. The combination of these touches and your eye-catching golden garb catches more than a few eyes—Prince and Paladins among them. The Paladins’ gaze is as suspicious as it is hungry, if not moreso. The Prince’s own eyes slide up your body once, down once, and he smiles appreciatively, meeting and holding your gaze for a moment… Before turning back to his conversational partners.

‘That son-of-a-royal-bitch barely even eye-fucked us!’ Irrinile screeches, outraged at the lack of more careful attention to her hard work.

‘Well, it’s not as if we have a glamour or you aura actively at work,’ you acknowledge. ‘And this is a high-value male, of great status and… Not unattractive features. He surely has many opportunities for sex.'

>>5090200

You wait until the conversation with the two lesser humans draws to a close—or, at least, a pause while they go greet another mover-and-shaker of society. Then, seizing the opportunity and slipping out of the grasp of your protesting Tower Guardian escort, you approach Prince Rufos.

“Your Highnesss,” you greet him with a curtsy.

“I’d suspected you weren’t up here on your own status,” he muses with an arched brow and a small smile. “Everyone on this level saves the ‘highnesses’ for my elder brother and father.”

You return to smile and stand tall. The Paladins don’t seem to appraise you a threat, not bothering to step into intercepting position or assume stances of battle-readiness… But then, appearances can be deceiving, can’t they? You’re certainly deadlier than you appear. Perhaps, so are they.

“Maybe I wasn’t invited to thiss level,” you admit. “ But do I look like I belong down there?”

“No,” Rufos admits with a laugh and a subconscious lick of his teeth. “Certainly not. Now, what can I do for you, Miss…?”

“Rosssgard,” you offer. “Isssmena Rosssgard.”

He holds out a hand, you extended your own. He takes it in his strong, but utterly uncalloused, fingers, and kisses the back lingeringly.

“I wass thinking it might be nice to sspend ssome time where my worth might be better appreciated,” you say suggestively.

“Alas!” the prince laments. “I am in high demand this evening. However, I’m sure you will find the company up in this echelon to your liking…”

The prince gestures in dismissal to the miffed blue-cap who guided you up the stairs, and he returns to his post. Prince Rufos looks back to you, and winks.

“I won’t tell,” he says.

What do you do?
>Ask if he’d like to try this marvelous and exotic spice you have on your person
>Dial up the seduction, daring to touch the prince in order to deliver a dose of succubus-energy to him… At the risk of being detected by the Paladins
>Signal the other infiltrators to create a distraction, so you can get the prince alone
>Just make easy, natural conversation with the prince and hope for an opening
>Intimate that you have dire and important news about a plot to undermine the city defence project… That you need to discuss in private
>Write-in

>>5090203
>Ask if he’d like to try this marvelous and exotic spice you have on your person
>Just make easy, natural conversation with the prince and hope for an opening
If that fails
>Signal the other infiltrators to create a distraction, so you can get the prince alone
Then when his guards are gone
>Dial up the seduction, daring to touch the prince in order to deliver a dose of succubus-energy to him… At the risk of being detected by the Paladins

Might as well try all of our tricks here.

>>5090219
I will do as people vote, but just be aware: choosing every single option (or ALMOST every option) makes updates trickier, longer, and less frequent. It is a sad truth of quest-running.

>>5090232
Ah. Well, in that case...

>>5090219
Just these
>Ask if he’d like to try this marvelous and exotic spice you have on your person
>Just make easy, natural conversation with the prince and hope for an opening

I'm not exactly happy with our previous rolls, but I can deal with it. Hopefully we can make at least make an impression on him this time.

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487 KB PNG

>>5090203
>Ask if he’d like to try this marvelous and exotic spice you have on your person
>Just make easy, natural conversation with the prince and hope for an opening

I wanna point out that we shouldn't spend too much time on the Prince. We need to descend tonight while the Gala provides distraction and cover.
Preferably when the staff is under the most strain.

How long is it gonna go for, RQM? Approximately what hour is it now and what time will it end?

>>5090219
>>5090232
Well, it's not like we have to throw everything into one update, might just as well enjoy the Gala for longer after all these real life months of buildup.
Let's see what happens and then decide the further course of action.

Please vote and roll for Edwin to pay off out debts to Dice Gods and start rolling the 20s on Gala: >>5090082

>>5090253
>How long is it gonna go for, RQM? Approximately what hour is it now and what time will it end?

[You arrived in the late afternoon, early evening. The sun was setting, but by now it has very nearly set. Dancing will begin, as you understand it, when the sun sets. This is likely to be the busiest time of the evening, when you could most easily escape... Though, depending on your timing, Edwin may miss you. It will go, in some form, until midnight.]

>>5090289
I don't think we can leave prince before completing our tasks with him. Should definitely deal with our humans before we move on to the dirty work, so we don't have to worry about them later.
So ideally we wrap it up with the Prince asap, hit Edwin to dance and maybe talk with Fynn to keep the facade, then slip away somewhere mid-dance. Ideally.
Idk if there's better course of action we can take.
Push It To The Limit started playing as I was typing this, lmao.

>>5090203
>Just make easy, natural conversation with the prince and hope for an opening

Even if we don't get one right now, it might lead to one later on.

>>5090203
>>Ask if he’d like to try this marvelous and exotic spice you have on your person
>>Dial up the seduction, daring to touch the prince in order to deliver a dose of succubus-energy to him… At the risk of being detected by the Paladins

Rolled 12, 13, 20, 19, 7, 4 = 75 (6d20)

>>5090237
>>5090253
>>5090363
>>5090437
You step back from Prince Rufos with a slight bow of the head. This is a man who must surely find himself at the centre of a great many attempted manipulations and half-baked powerplays, so it does not do to appear too cloying. You do as he suggests, doing an unhurried lap of the upper tier of the great hall. At the banister, you take a moment to spy upon Edwin and Fynn. The latter hardly seems to notice your absence, hobnobbing with other respected merchants, the tower’s secretary, and the Zikas—his partners, at your urging, in the recent excavation-and-storage business with the Tower.

Edwin is not too far from him, but the younger Engel man is clearly distracted, neck craning about as he searches the crowd… Most likely for you. He doesn’t think to look up, or perhaps he already did and missed you in the crowd. There will be dancing when the sun has fully set and night has claimed the outside world, or so you were told. It would be… Nice… To be down there in time for that.

Not just yet, though. Your route has carried you back to the Prince, just in time to greet him anew.

“Did you find the high-life to your liking?” he asks, perhaps a little teasingly. He seems to have you pegged for a social-climber. He’s not ENTIRELY wrong, you suppose… But you are so much more.

“It’ss sso glamorous. How could I not?”

In reality, you barely even paid attention to these other, lesser stars to the Prince’s brighter moon.

“It musst sseem like nothing to you, though,” you note. “How many of these thingss have you been to?”

Prince Rufos laughs and finishes his drink. “Well, it depends on if you mean Tower Galas or such parties more broadly. Either way… A few. The Tower always does a good job of keeping it fresh, though, at least by comparison to NON-magical social obligations.”

“I’m ussed to a different ssort of party,” you admit, and begin to regale the prince with a slightly-sanitized retelling of the events of the City Guard’s own gala weeks earlier.

[Rolling for politesse and mercantilism]

>>5090542
oh man we're polite and merchantile

>>5090542
Fuck, who knew the Prince was a Coke fiend?

>>5090559
I’d be more surprised if he isn’t

>20
Your Infiltrator training was always more focused on the sorts of broad, political conversations which appeal to caste like that of the Prince than those with whom you have lately been associating, and it shows. Though it takes you a moment to shift from the earthy interests of the lower-born back into international politics and philosophy, it is perhaps the sheer CONTRAST between your appearance and initial approach and your knowledge you now espouse that comes to captivate the human prince.

From orcish troop movements on the eastern front, trade difficulties with the erratic and arcane Southlands, and goblin raiders between here and the Elvenwood, you are undeniably learned. On matters of ancient human and elven philosophy—learned from tomes kept as teaching aids for many generations of your people’s infiltration specialists—you are as well-versed as any student of the classics born and raised on the surface… And much more than the commoner you at first appeared.

For his part, Prince Rufos is an effortlessly charming man, but one with a streak of cynicism and arrogance. You get the feeling he sees this whole exercise as artificial, and his role in it as that of a professional diplomat without real emotional attachment to anyone else in attendance. He finds some of them interesting playthings or reasonable enough company, but he is flippant about revealing their personal foibles, and speaks of everyone else—even himself—with a detachment. You, at least for the moment, seem to be an exception.

“Where did you COME from, Miss Rosgard?” the Prince asks, leaning in eagerly. He has long since gestured for his Paladins to stand further back, and found you both a seat in a richly-cushioned lounge area at the back of the upper half-floor, far out of the view of the rabble below.

“A border provincce to the Easst of your realm,” you say quickly. “It’ss of little note… Ssave, perhaps, for one exxxport.”

>19

The Prince rolls the small pouch of shriin in his palms, as you expound at length about the benefits of the wonder-drug—the far-eastern ‘spice’ which improves energy, confidence, and mental acuity when ingested.

“I can’t say I’ve ever heard of it,” the Prince admits.

“Why not give it a try?” you egg him on with a snake’s smile, reaching out to touch his hand, and to guide it to undo the string holding the pouch closed. “There’ss sso much I could show you…”

Prince Rufos’ guard is already lowered by your careful conversational manipulation, by your subtle touches and flirtatious batting of eyelashes, and by the general atmosphere of near-romance you have cultivated. This IS, after all, one of your specialities. It is a small thing to push him to ingest some of the spice, and you can already tell that—should he enjoy the experience—it will be just as simple to earn his patronage for further spice in the future!

>>5090561

Which variant of the shirin do you offer him?
>The sedative, to give him the pleasant sensations without stirring his passions
>The unpredictable-but-powerful psychoactive variant, to weaken his mental defences so you can better insinuate your mental influence (or the incubus’ ectoplasm) into him
>The diluted strain of the original, to spike his energy levels and lower his inhibitions JUST enough to inflame his passions and drag him somewhere private
>Write-in

The sun has set during the course of your conversation with the second-born Prince of Hawksong. Down below, you can hear some high muckety-muck of the Tower giving a speech, and the three swirling false-stars above have dimmed. You can hear someone tuning a lute of some sort, while another nervously taps a drum. Dancing will begin soon… And Edwin will be wondering where you are. What do you do?
>Focus on the seduction, infection, and manipulation of the prince—the mission comes first [-affection]
>Hurry this up, and go see Edwin for the first dance of the evening [+affection]
>Leave the prince and Edwin to their devices and sent a signal to your fellow operatives—it’s time to begin your TRUE mission in the Tower’s subterranean levels [-affection]
>Write-in

>>5090565
>The diluted strain of the original, to spike his energy levels and lower his inhibitions JUST enough to inflame his passions and drag him somewhere private
With a spike of
>The unpredictable-but-powerful psychoactive variant, to weaken his mental defences so you can better insinuate your mental influence (or the incubus’ ectoplasm) into him
Not enough for him to completely lose his mind, but more that enough to weaken his mental defenses for our manipulations, when we're alone.

>Focus on the seduction, infection, and manipulation of the prince—the mission comes first [-affection]
I probably would've went with Edwin first, had we not been on the cusp of full affection and in the middle of actual completing our side-mission and capitalizing on our success. We shouldn't waste that at 20 after all.

>>5090565
>The sedative, to give him the pleasant sensations without stirring his passions
>Hurry this up, and go see Edwin for the first dance of the evening [+affection]

Slow burn. We have our snares set. Just waiting until the right time for him to enter fully.

>>5090589
Just remember, we are on a bit of a time limit here, and I do want to complete our secondary objective in this Gala, alright?

>>5090565
>The diluted strain of the original, to spike his energy levels and lower his inhibitions JUST enough to inflame his passions and drag him somewhere private

>Leave the prince and Edwin to their devices and sent a signal to your fellow operatives—it’s time to begin your TRUE mission in the Tower’s subterranean levels [-affection]

>>5090706
Not to be insistent, but I think ensuring a Get out of Jail Free card via the Prince would be well worth the time we spend turning him into our creature. That's just me though.

>>5090565
>The diluted strain of the original, to spike his energy levels and lower his inhibitions JUST enough to inflame his passions and drag him somewhere private
>Focus on the seduction, infection, and manipulation of the prince—the mission comes first [-affection]

>>5090565
>The diluted strain of the original, to spike his energy levels and lower his inhibitions JUST enough to inflame his passions and drag him somewhere private
Fuck it, not everyday do we have a chance to do the Prince. See? No need for the incubus.
>Focus on the seduction, infection, and manipulation of the prince—the mission comes first [-affection]
We will catch Edwim soon. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity so I'm sure he will understand.

>>5090585
>>5090589
>>5090706
>>5091195
>>5091204
You have this highly-placed male around wrapped around your little finger before he even has the drugs in his system. Eager to sample your wares—in more ways than one—Prince Rufos dismisses his guards and the two of you navigate a side corridor towards the restrooms. There’s nothing cozier and more private, alas, but the Very Important Personage area is at least outfitted with several areas with locked door for individuals to relieve themselves. Better yet, the music starts up down below, easily masking any sounds you or the Prince might produce.

Somewhere, down below Edwin of Engel is without a dance partner… But that’s just business.

<Edwin Affection: 94%>

The prince enters the restroom first, and you latch the door behind you as you follow. It is well-furnished, to be sure, with ornate fixtures and a great deal of space. You honestly aren’t sure what to make of some of it—what appear to be raised basins with taps or faucets, such as for a water pump laced above. Is it some sort of indoor, in-wall, plumbed contrivance? Or straight-froward magic?

You have little additional time to contemplate the confusing fixtures. Almost immediately, Prince Rufos is upon you, pressing his weight into you and pinning you to the door. His hand grabs and roughly squeezes your breast as he seizes you with the straightforward insistence of a man sued to taking what he wants, and the certainty of a man used to being desired and appeased.

“Careful,” you gently admonish him. “You’ll rip my dresssss.”

“Bah,” he replies dismissively. “I’ll buy you another.”

His pushiness is… Off-putting. You prickle in instinctive arousal at the desire radiating from him—Irinnile is practically bouncing up and down—but you, yourself, have always preferred to take the lead, and to be in control. Being at the mercy of a larger and more aggressive partner’s pawing is hardly your style… And anyway, you LIKE this dress! Still, it suits your purposes. You merely need to remind him of the other reason the two of your came here: the shirin.

>>5091510
You dangle the pouch in front of Rufos’ strong, aquiline nose, catching his gaze and slowing his rapacious advances. You settled upon the shirin cut with relaxants, and now you’re doubly thankful for having done so: it’s a means to curb this entitled male’s dominant instincts.

“It’sss even better with a bit of thiss in your sssystem,” you promise.

The prince acquiesces. He steps back, and you pull yoru dress back over your touch-hardened nipples, then untie the small pouch and lick your finger suggestively before dipping it into the faintly blue-tinted powder. When you pull your fingertip out, it is coated in a layer of the spice’s fine granules. Utterly tantalized, Prince Rufos gladly suckles the drug from your extended digit.

You do not sample the spice yourself—not yet. Instead, you seize the initiative, pushing the prince up against the opposite wall and beginning to massage his body, to kiss and lick at his throat and face as the drug’s effects seep through him. As with the first of The Pretty Kitty’s clients to try this particular admixture, the prince’s ambition to rut is cooled slightly, even as you watch pleasant sensations radiate through his bloodstream and nervous system from his centre. He is not without lust, certainly, but now HE is YOUR plaything… AT your nearly non-existent mercy.

The question is: what will you do with him?
>You have a pact to keep: implant the incubus’ ectoplasm, allowing your demonic frenemy to subtly guide and influence the prince with little chance of detection [no roll, low risk, low control]
>Attempt to enthrall the prince yourself [DC 19 for permanent enthrallment, DC 10 for temporary control, possibility of detection]
>Sate some WANT with a quick fuck, and manipulate him with sex and drugs the old fashioned way
>Extract some coin, and the promise of more, and depart… Leaving Prince Rufos wanting more, later
>Subtly interrogate him for information [on what subject?]
>Write-in

>>5091514
>You have a pact to keep: implant the incubus’ ectoplasm, allowing your demonic frenemy to subtly guide and influence the prince with little chance of detection [no roll, low risk, low control]

that pact is big for us

>>5091514
>You have a pact to keep: implant the incubus’ ectoplasm, allowing your demonic frenemy to subtly guide and influence the prince with little chance of detection [no roll, low risk, low control]

>>5091514
>You have a pact to keep: implant the incubus’ ectoplasm, allowing your demonic frenemy to subtly guide and influence the prince with little chance of detection [no roll, low risk, low control]
>Sate some WANT with a quick fuck, and manipulate him with sex and drugs the old fashioned way
>Extract some coin, and the promise of more, and depart… Leaving Prince Rufos wanting more, later

If we went with the relaxant, it's probably better if we make him eat us out. Besides, sitting on the Prince's face as it if it was our throne, have the Prince kiss our ass and brown nose us instead? It just too amusing to pass up.

>>5091572
>>5091609
>>5091641
As useful as a prince under yours and Irinnile’s direct control would be… It would also be an unmistakable risk. The danger is threefold: you could fail and be caught in the act or forced to take drastic action to avoid such; you could have your spell, less subtle than the deep-buried incubus essence, detected and traced back to you by some Inquisitor; or, even if you were successful, the failure to deliver your payload of demonic ectoplasm could result in a break in your pact with whatever being dwells in that eerie and smoky mid-town apartment complex, amassing power. No, best to keep to your end of the bargain. So it is that, as Prince Rufos leans against the wall and allows the sensations to wash over his drooping form, you deliver the incubus’ ectoplasm to him as it was delivered unto you: with a kiss.

The kiss is long, and intense in its own way. It hardly sates your <WANT>, for more power is leaving you than is being drawn in, but the sensation of that fragment of the incubus awakening within you is its own special heaven and hell. A roiling sensation swirls and tumbles through you, out of you, from your gut into your throat, then out your lips and into the prince’s. From there, you track it seeping down into him, until it escapes even your Irinnile-upgraded second sight. The Prince slumps further down the wall as you release him, twitching slightly and then settling once more into even breathing. His eyes are glossy, dull, but his vitals regular. You pat his head gently, your job here done, and leave.

“Until nexxxt time,” you say. “There’ss more where that came from.”

You leave him in the restroom, adjusting your dress and returning to the party. There, you are surprised to see the upper echelon of the great hall almost emptied out—it seems the siren song of the magicians’ musicians has called even these oh-so-important persons down to dance on the floor below, closer to the sound’s source. However, among those who remain on the floor above, you see a familiar face that you didn’t expect: Lord Isaac Yosef!

Lord Yosef is a character of no small interest to you, personally, religiously, and professionally. HE is an old human, a nobleman from a long lined of well-heeled men. His ancestor was instrumental in bringing down the Green Dragon, a great and powerful servant of your Dark Gods; for this, he and his entire bloodline have been consigned to extermination.

>>5092013
Moreover, Lord Yosef ihimself is privy to your conspiracy, though he has not yet been taken seriously—his suppositions of a shapeshifting and ever-meddling race of subterranean lizardfolk serving unknown and sinister gods is so far-fetched a polemic to most as to only be published by the scandalous and lascivious Gray Press publishing house, and Yosef himself was so aware of the lack of evidence as to publish it under a pseudonym. Still, there is ever the risk that he will use his newly-acquired glasses of true-sight to uncover compelling evidence, or else find some other way to make someone believe him…

Oh, and there is also the matter of old Lord Yosef being your paternal grandfather, you suppose. It is a dark and shameful truth that must be acknowledged. Looking at him now, in light of this revelation, you cannot help but see him differently… To see a few of his features, perhaps, an unsettling reflection of your own.

A conversation with the well-established Reptilian contact Dame Albacete had tipped you off that Lord Yosef’s disbelieving daughter Lady Miriam Vaz would be here. Peering over the banister to the dancefloor below, you see her there, with her husband Lord Vaz, waltzing. So too do you briefly spy Edwin, standing near to the wall; he has stopped searching for you, and is instead taking long draughts from a glass of some libation, looking utterly dejected even from a distance. Hovering at strategic points around the room, always with at least one in line-of-sight to your last spotted location, are your fellow Infiltrators, awaiting your signal to regroup for your main objective: the invasion and burglary of the floors below.

…But closer still, there is Lord Yosef, speaking to a wizened old man with a thick white beard and rosy cheeks, but with cunning eyes and rich robes. His tall, black cap with medallion upon it marks him out as someone important… Someone IMPORTANT, and MAGICAL, speaking with Lord ‘V. Rilney’ Yosef!

What do you do?
>Inject yourself into Yosef’s conversation with the old wizard, to shame and discredit him
>Listen in on the conversation, but do not intervene
>’Bump into’ Miriam Vaz, and let her know that her crank of a father is busy ruining her family reputation with conspiracy theories upstairs
>Send a signal to your fellow Reptilians to begin the true mission—the rest can wait
>Write-in

>>5092015
>’Bump into’ Miriam Vaz, and let her know that her crank of a father is busy ruining her family reputation with conspiracy theories upstairs

>>5092015
>’Bump into’ Miriam Vaz, and let her know that her crank of a father is busy ruining her family reputation with conspiracy theories upstairs
Kek

>>5092015
>>’Bump into’ Miriam Vaz, and let her know that her crank of a father is busy ruining her family reputation with conspiracy theories upstairs

>>5092015
>>Send a signal to your fellow Reptilians to begin the true mission—the rest can wait

>>5092425
>>5092276
>>5092066
>>5092596

You aren't yet ready to expend or dispel the clout you've built with old Lord Yosef just yet—you might yet need to exploit that connection to more climactic and lethal ends, after all. No, better to let Yosef's daughter take point on this.

You descend the stairs, shooting the somewhat sullen Tower Guardian from earlier a wink and a smile as you pass him by. Without Irinnile's empathic sense, you still have the benefit of her more passive night-vision, as well as your own keen sense of direction. You find Miriam Vaz swiftly, and with little difficulty, and engineer an ‘accidental' bump into her.

“Ah, I’m sorry, I didn't see you,” she begins, looking towards you with a somewhat-forced smile… But then, she narrows her eyes, registers your features, and even that false politeness slips away.

“Hello,” you greet her cheerfully. “Lady Vaz, yesss?”

“You!” she nearly shouts in surprise.

>>5092812
“Dearest?” Lord Vaz is puzzled as his wife leaves his arms, practically squaring up with you. “Do you know this… Uh, young woman?”

You tilt your head. “We've met. A pleasssure to meet you as well. Lord Vaz, I presssume?”

No need for presumption, of course: in astral form, you watched the two of them and their infant spawn dream, all the while contemplating their demise. He confirms it, anyway. Miriam Vaz's response, though, puzzles you.

“You sseem… Upsset, Lady Vaz,” you note. “I hope I haven't done ssomething to offend?”

“What are you DOING here?” she demands. “Did Father somehow smuggle you in here somehow? And in such a dress… Where is that dirty-minded old coot? What does he think he's playing at?! I knew e had some ulterior motive to actually attend the Gala this year, after so many missed…”

“Oh, no, not at all!” you assure Lady Vaz as she scans the crowd for her father. “I'm here with… Another. Though if you're looking for your father, I think I ssaw him upsstairss, sspeaking with ssome important-looking old mage.”

Miriam's attention immediately fixates on you once more. “Pardon me?”

You smile brightly, explaining further: “Yes, up in the ares up the sstairss… I think he had a medallion on hiss hat? It looked like Lord Yossef wass getting quite enthussiasstic! Maybe he'ss makinh ssome real headway with… You know…”

You lean closer, and whisper conspiratorially: “The Reptiliansss.”

Miriam Vaz's right eye twitches. “Oh Gods, he's going to RUIN our name!”

Without another word, she has hiked up her dress enough to practically bound up the staircase. It is a testament to her family’s reputation, you suppose, that nobody moves to stop her.

You turn back to her husband, Lord Vaz, who still looks utterly confounded and disoriented by what just happened. You grin helplessly, and shrug.

What do you do next?
>Offer a dance to Lord Vaz—maybe you can seduce or enthrall the man, to grant you opportunities to infiltrate his household later, or just further annoy Miriam?
>Go listen in on the chaos you have created upstairs, to make sure all goes as planned
>Seek out Edwin—it may cut things dangerously close but, damnit, you took dance classes for this! You will have that dance!
>Attend to something else at the Gala (write-in)
>Move along to the main mission--it’s time to give the signal

>>5092814
>Go listen in on the chaos you have created upstairs, to make sure all goes as planned
>Seek out Edwin—it may cut things dangerously close but, damnit, you took dance classes for this! You will have that dance!

If we can't do both and our mission, prioritize the dance please.

>>5092814
>Go listen in on the chaos you have created upstairs, to make sure all goes as planned
>Seek out Edwin—it may cut things dangerously close but, damnit, you took dance classes for this! You will have that dance!
Like the other anon said. Just try to overhear her giving poor Isaac shit before finding Engels.

Oh, and we might want to not specifically mention the Prince until after the Gala, since I don't want to send Fynn into overdrive and get any crazy ideas or pester us. Just tell them we've got a big fish, but want to leave that discussion for later cause muh dance.

>>5092814
>Seek out Edwin—it may cut things dangerously close but, damnit, you took dance classes for this! You will have that dance!

>>5092866
Seconding this

If he asks where we’ve been - answer with a half-truth. Getting the Prince to try shirin

>>5093294
Hell the fuck no, don't tell her ANYTHING about what we're doing here and don't get anywhere close so Isaac can't see us.

Rolled 20, 2, 17, 20, 3, 9, 3, 2, 7 = 83 (9d20)

>>5092866
>>5092917
>>5093294

It may not be the most professional decision you ever made… But by the Dark Gods Below and Beyond, you spent DAYS learning this dance, and you're going to make use of this otherwise-useless skill! Besides, Edwin looked miserable. The mission can wait.

“I'll ssee you again, Lord Vaz,” you bid your unwitting uncle an enigmatic farewell.

‘What about, you know, your crazy grandpa? Shouldn't we go see how that whole thing went?’ asks Irinnile.

‘There's no time for both,’ you say.

In fact, there's scarcely even time for this dance… You have already lingered later than you planned, and every moment you now spend politicking or dancing is a moment you could be exploiting the business and noise to slip away unnoticed and burgle the basement. This doesn't dissuade you, though, as you sift through the crowd. Luckily, the glimmer of your avant-garde dress has caught Edwin's attention as well—he finds you before you find him.

“Izzy!” he cries. “There you are! Where were you?”

“It wass a bit more of a processss than I anticcipated,” you admit, putting it lightly, “but I think I have found uss a truly sspectacular cussstomer for our shirin.”

Edwin frowns slightly. “You left to go… Work?”

‘Oh Eddie, if you only KNEW!’ Irinnile giggles to herself.

You shrug. “It wass too good an opportunity to passs up.”

“Who is it?” Edwin asks, curious despite himself.

“You'll ssee,” you tease.

“Why didn't you bring me?” he asks.

You don't answer, instead placing your hands upon his shoulders as the bards begin to play a faintly militaristic intro to an unfamiliar waltz.

“Nevermind that,” you say softly. “Let'ss both take a break from work… Jusst for a moment.”

You meet Edwin's uncertain eyes, channeling your inner Irinnile into a pleading pout that makes the man burst into laughter. He sets a hand on your hand on your hip, and take your other hand in his.

“Fine, later,” Edwin agrees. “May I have this dance?”

[Four dance dice, three politesse dice to see how suspicious or insecure Edwin is feeling, and two mystery background event dice. The rest of the post may have to wait for after work, alas!]

>>5093516
What the hell dice

>>5093516
Come on, two crits? Would that mean the opposite of insecurity, or at least help manage it? Ugh.

>>5093576
both crits were in the dance section
so I'm hoping it means we dance so hot that even though edwin is insecure he forgets all about it

>>5093599
I know, I hoping for the same thing. Like fuck, if we danced THAT well together, surely he'll realize that we that we're made for one another and calm down.

>>5093570
>>5093576
>>5093599
I think that the outcome of Albacete's lessons got double 20s is a sign to cut the crap and start the infiltration. Those degenerates are probably questioning our choices already and Roth might hear about our slugging from one of them later.
Unless we ace it so hard they think there was no chance of us failing and we knew it so well we didn't care.

>>5093516
Dame Albacete may be a secret Reptilian shapeshifter helping to engineer the downfall od their entire race, but let it never be said that the humans aren't getting their money's worth with their children's dance lessons! Or, perhaps, you are simply a natural talent, you suppose. Whatever the reason, you find yourself effortlessly slipping into the rhythm of the waltz. It is a surprisingly fast tempo, but your ear and your soul are trained to the improvised rhythm of an elven bard—adjusting your speed to what is essentially the same basic rhythm is nothing to you!

Edwin struggles at first, gangly and lanky man that he is… But he's been taking lessons, too, and this is hardly his first waltz. With a only a few false footings, and your gentle guidance, the quickly find the same pattern. His eyes cease to flit downwards, settling on your own. You smile and nod approvingly, squeezing his shoulder. You have been using Irinnile's abilities sparingly, to avoid attracting the attention of mages or paladins, but even her passive sense for attention and desire tells you that others have taken envious notice of the elegant grace of yours and Edwin's dance. It all falls into place: your waltz, your spirits, even your very breathing is in sync with his. It's almost, ALMOST as if you were made for this—for each other!

…But, of course, you were made for darker purposes than this, and it is those purposes which call to you as the song fades away and the dance approaches its end.

“Izzy, that was FANTASTIC. It was like we were…”

“In perfect harmony,” you finish.

“Yes,” he agrees, voice hushed and husky and eyes alight with wonder.

You catch sight of one of your fellow Degenerate Infiltrators, Chika. She is holding a bundle under one arm, which you know to be your enchanted cloak. It is time—you have already dallied for hours, and you must leave before the opportunity is gone if you are to take full advantage of this Gala. Regretfully, you step away from Edwin's embrace.

“Izzy?”

You smile apologetically, and tell him: “I'll be right back.”

It's a lie, of course. With all the Tower's security and their maze-like hallways, a proper infiltration will take over an hour, even with your advance scouting and your preparations taken into account.

“We only had a single dance,” Edwin points out. “You already found a buyer… A big one, you said. Can't we set work aside, just for a little while longer?”

“I'm ssorry,” you say, and start to leave.

>>5094059
Edwin follows after you, though, as you navigate the crowd. “Then let me help. I' not incapable. You said so yourself: I know this place, these people!”

He's overstating things somewhat, of course: Edwin is no Tower Mage, no mage at all. It wouldn’t matter if he was, though. You aren't attending to that sort of business.

“Edwin…”

You can see Wasegun, staring at you from the opposite side of the hall with an expression that all but screams “Move it along--we're ready to move!” The other Infiltrators only await a signal… But how you can signal them, let alone slip away, when Edwin is hot on your heels? This damned persistent, attentive male won't let you go! Under other circumstances, it might even be flattering. It's not as if you wouldn't enjoy another dance.

“I told you before, there are things I can't tell you,” you say to Edwin. “I need to step away for a moment, but I will come bavk to you.”

“I don't understand,” he says. “What's so important? Can't you, I don't know… At least give me a hint?”

You shake your head.

“Ismena,” he says, “taking your hands in his before you can withdraw them. “Please… I love you.”

W-what did he just say? You feel your heart hammering in your chest.

What do you do?
>Kiss the fool, and say it back—damnit, you love him too! [maxes affection]
>Stay for one more dance, and hold him a while longer [+ affection]
>Apologize, but leave, and try to lose him in the crowd
>Make up an excuse [what?]
>Tell him the truth
>Tell Edwin to back off, in no uncertain terms – this is too much [-affection]
>Write-in

>>5094061
>Kiss the fool, and say it back—damnit, you love him too! [maxes affection]

>"Edwin.. I love you too, but I am beholden to something greater than all of us. I can't hint to you anything more, but we WILL be together, over my dead body. Nothing will stand in the way of our life together. But I have to do something, and I have to do it now. Trust me. Please."

>Depart for your infiltration posthaste

>>5094087
+1 to this, makes sense to me. Edwin deserves it; hell, he could even bail us out if this goes badly.

>>5094061
>Apologize, but leave, and try to lose him in the crowd

If we have kids with Edwin would they be half degenerates?

>>5094161
"kids with Edwin
Degenerates are are rare. This small screw of Southern human-Reptilian hybrids are the first you've ever encountered. You may be sterile, for all you know.

>>5094061
>Apologize, but leave, and try to lose him in the crowd
or
>Tell Edwin to back off, in no uncertain terms – this is too much [-affection]

>>5094087
Supporting

Oh god oh no

I'll be real with y'all, I'm conflicted. One one hand, I don't want any distractions when we go down into the basement, and I don't know if Edwin will attempt to follow us if we admit our love for him. On the other hand, I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic at heart, and this is sort of just screaming as the perfect time to reciprocate his love. I'm divided on this issue, and the only think I know for sure is that I ain't giving up our hedonistic lifestyle even when we admit our love for him. I'd be open to kiss him and reciprocating/showing his love with action instead of words, but I'm definitely afraid to speak out feelings aloud, especially in the word spaghetti such as >>5094087, which I disavow hinting at the conspiracy for his own safety.

>>5094250
If that turns out to be true, that will sadden me immensely.

>>5094392
Ngl, if Ismena hooks up with Edwin for real-real cause muh feelings, then I'm leaving the quest myself. I know all too well to where it will lead and the volumetric ton of puke it will induce in me isn't worth pretending to be a cool reptilian agent every x update that isn't taken up by your slice of life larp.

>>5094533
There aren't that many threads left after this one anyway, likely one or two.

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>>5094087
>>5094121
>>5094161
>>5094372
>>5094381

You know you have higher priorities than… This. Whatever it is you and Edwin have, it is artifice. It is a cover-story. It is founded on lies, and deception, and secrets, and half-truths. It isn’t REAL, damnit! You are not human female, to become besotted at some silly man’s ineffectual wooing. You are an INFILTRATOR, scion of a Reptilian master race, dedicated to scouring the surface and enslaving those who remain to the Serpent Priests and the Dark Gods!

And yet, here you are, and here he is. His eyes are so kind, so earnest. His hand is so warm in yours. And he wants you, wants to be with you. He values you as nobody—maybe not even Irinnile—does. He is no desirous soul-parasite, locked in a partnership of mutual benefit and hedonistic pleasure. Edwin of Engel just… Loves you.

<Edwin Affection: 100%>

And you love him, too. You know it as soon as you kiss him. You squeeze him close, holding him in an embrace. You shut your eyes and let him lift you high. There are murmurs of disapproval from the crowd around you, and a few snickers or quiet jeers at the impropriety of this dramatic showing of affection in a public space. You do not care. For that one, sweet moment, you need nobody else’s approval or acceptance: Edwin is enough.

>UNLOCKED: [The Power of Love]—Edwin’s presence, and in particular any physical affection from him, if enough to motivate you to greater heights. When working together with him, the difficulty of rolls made to overcome mutual challenges is decreased by 2.

>UNLOCKED: [Ties That Bind]—You cannot take action which would directly or knowingly lead to Edwin’s suffering or death; where this conflicts with your duty as an Infiltrator, a roll is required to overcome this, but even then you will feel compelled to come up with ways to mitigate harm to him

>UNLOCKED: [Do It For Him]—When rolling for any event that puts you or Edwin in mortal peril, the difficulty is reduce by 2 (stacks with “do it for her”)

But, of course, that too is a lie. Edwin is not all that matters, not even close. Would that your life could be so simple.

"Edwin… I love you too, but I am beholden to sssomething greater than all of uss. I can't hint to you anything more, but we WILL be together, even if it’sss over my dead body. Nothing will sstand in the way of our life together. But I have to do… Ssomething, and I have to do it now.”

“Izzy, why can’t you just tell me what’s going on?” Edwin presses, even as you break your embrace.

“Trusst me. Please."


Edwin stares for a moment… But he does not step forward to follow you. Finally, he nods.

“But we’re going to talk about this later, okay?”

You smile reassuringly. Edwin’s tone is infirm, uncertain. His worry, his… His LOVE… Is greater than his annoyance or insecurity. You can only hope it also eclipses his boundless curiosity.

>>5094553
The taste and warmth of Edwin's lips lingers on yours as you slip through the crowd. Eventually, you spot the lightest-skinned Degenerate, Alhazred, and give him the signal. It is time to begin the real mission.

What would you have the Degenerates do?
>Knock over something big and expensive, capturing everyone’s attention while you and your two chosen allies slip away
>Engineer the lethal poisoning of some high-profile person, so you can make your escape AND take out a target [Yosef? Miriam? Lord Vaz? Someone else?]
>Fake a medical emergency, and have one of the Degenerates ‘get you some fresh air’
>Create an spectacle outside, luring everyone (including security) away from some of these valuable exhibits—you play to take something for the mission from one of these displays
>Explode one of the three false suns, cascading light and flame down onto the partygoers below [requires that you either stick around to ensure Edwin’s safety, or else take some other measure to warn or protect him]

>>5094541
Ouch. Are you gonna run something else after RIQ?

>>5094554
>Create an spectacle outside, luring everyone (including security) away from some of these valuable exhibits—you play to take something for the mission from one of these displays

Well, I'm glad me passing out did lead us astray. Let's see what we can steal.

>>5094541
Shame, but expected. Getting mastery over our core skillset would indicate the maturity of this quest. Hoe that you ain't too burned out from this RQM.

>>5094673
>Well, I'm glad me passing out didn't* lead us astray.

>>5094554
>Explode one of the three false suns, cascading light and flame down onto the partygoers below
I'm sure Edwin can fake care of himself.

>>5094916
Free shit if we get everyone outside anon. You can't beat free, especially when you can steal cutting edge wiztech.

[Looks as if we have a tie! I will await more votes and post tonight either way.]

>>5094554
>>Create an spectacle outside, luring everyone (including security) away from some of these valuable exhibits—you play to take something for the mission from one of these displays

>>5095170
>>5094673
>>5094916

Almost immediately once you give the signal—a snap of the fingers, and a spark of blue and green light, Alhazred nods. He slips away, and Chika too vanishes from sight. For a moment, not a single one your fellows Infiltrators can be found in the hall…

And then the explosion goes off.

Mutters of confusion and concern immediately ripple through the crowd, as people move towards the entranceway and the windows along that side of the building. Not you, though. Part of you regrets this—it must be quite the spectacle, you reckon. After all, it was your idea, dreamed up while thinking back to one of your dates in the Initiate’s Village, when you first met Paula… By the Endless Fountain. That semi-illusory pillar of water, like an endless upward-flowing waterfall, has been sabotaged, its powerful magic shattered and disrupted by not dispelled. You had theorized about how it might look: perhaps the water now seems to shoot off in all directions, or loops in on itself, or fractals and crumbles in peculiar ways. You smile, thinking back to how majestic a work it truly was, and how much more beautiful the chaos of its disruption must be to hold the attention of so many.

You have eyes for another prize, however. Chika and Alhazred renter by a side entrance, lingering at the entrance of a hallways and beckoning to you urgently. You wave them off, and scan the now half-empty hall. Many humans are pouring out into the commons outside, and the Tower Guardians are scrambling. Nobody, not even the most diligent mage, is managing their various booths and displays. It’s the perfect opportunity to steal…

>A magical weapon
>Some magical accessories to augment random abilities
>A floating disc
>A small, cute, and ideally useful chimera
>Magical plants which could be useful for shirin modifications
>Lord Yosef’s magical glasses [further away, risky, will result in higher possibility of being noticed]
>Something else [specify what you’re looking for; also risky, with a heightened chance of failure or detection]
>Forget it--just leave while the getting is good
>Write-in

>>5095334
>A magical weapon
Obvious choice
>Some magical accessories to augment random abilities
Would be nice to have
>A small, cute, and ideally useful chimera
Honestly? Cute really sold me on the idea. I'm hopeless against cute pets.

>>5095348
[If you try to grab multiple things, your chance of detection increases. Careful getting greedy! But, hey, you may pull it off...]

>>5094555
[Almost certainly! I already have a few ideas... Though I'll probably take a couple weeks off. I may even use setting elements or do a dirwct successor quest, depending how this all goes. We'll see.]

>>5094673
[Not burning out yet, though this month is a tricky one between seasonal depression, work stress, a busy schedule, and lots of opportunities to overimbibe. Sorry of I've been less regimented in posting, buds.]

>>5095393
Honestly? Wouldn't have expected anything less, otherwise I would've also added the floating disk as a gift for Edwin. Would've made for a wicked desk to bang him on.

>>5095348
This sorted by priority. I ain't expecting a pet, but I would love it forever, and clean up after it, and take it on trips, and....

>>5095334
>A small, cute, and ideally useful chimera

>>5095348
We have a magical dagger already, anon.

>>5095515
I thought it was just the shirin and the black stone?

>>5095518
We didn't get all the contents of our bag back. Just grab it and we have our dagger.
I'd rather not touch the Tower's toys, because we're not trained or supposed to engage in melee combat down there.

>>5095515
>Magical dagger
[I may have forgotten something, but I'm pretty sure your bag only contains your original, non-magical dagger. The enchanted bone dagger you stole off of the goblin scavengers was later taken and used by Felman to almost kill Roth... And never reclaimed, to my recollection.]

>>5095634
Oh fuck, well this needs clarification then.
If the dagger isn't magical, I'll change my vote (>>5095515) to:
>A magical dagger
Anything lightweight and small if there are no shivs on display.
>A small, cute, and ideally useful chimera

>>5095334
>A magical weapon
A small and concealable one

>>5095334
>A magical weapon
>A small, cute, and ideally useful chimera
Can’t resist a chimera

Rolled 13, 15, 1, 11 = 40 (4d20)

>>5095348
>>5095638
>>5095687
>>5095963

[DC 15 stealth (no darkness, reduced to 13 by your distraction... But +2 because you're truing to grab multiple things. Specifically...

>A magical weapon
>A small, cute, and ideally useful chimera

On a 14, you get the first item and escape scrutiny, but don't grab a chimera. On a 15, you snag both. If you don't roll above a 10, you are forced to escape before you can grab either. On a crit fail, combat it initiated.

Likely won't get written up for another few hours, though.]

Rolled 33, 93 = 126 (2d100)

>>5095994
>a 1
>but ALSO a 15

[Whew, that was close. Rolling for quality of items snagged.]

>>5095996
>kino pet

The Dice Gods are based.

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>>5095996
>>5095994
You decide to take your chances, and to stage a daring raid of two separate displays while the foolish humans' backs are turned. What is it Roth said of his cover profession? ‘Strike while the iron is hot'?

First and foremost, you'll need a weapon. Your usual dagger is a fine implement for killing mortals, but you know it is no good against truly eldritch enemies. Too many have made that error when facing you and Irinnile for you to repeat their folly!

>33
Sadly, though, humans are not dwarves. The table of weapons reveals fine ornamentation and flashy aesthetic enchantments, but no truly deep and powerful magic embedded in the iridescent metals or glittering gemstones. At least most of the items on display are compact, being display pieces. You settle for an ornate, bluish blade with a sapphire-studded hilt. A prick of its tip on your finger reveals a capacity to draw your blood and a strange ability to draw heat from a target to icy effect. You give your numb hand a shake to get the feeling back in your fingertip, and move along.

‘Well there ARE demons down there,’ Irinnile remarks.

<Frost Dagger +1, acquired>

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>>5096141
However, your magical senses tell you that there IS something truly worthy in this hall—besides the false suns, you mean. You follow your sixth sense with nictitating membranes shut, physical eyes dimmed, and let the arcane energies guide you to your prize. It's… It's…

>93

‘Gods be DAMNED, that's cute.’

Irinnile isn't wrong. Sitting atop a golden platform, staring out of a platinum cage, is the masterwork of the Tower's miniature bestiary: a golden chimera of impeccable craftsmanship. The curious hybrid is scarcely larger than a housecat, and covered in shimmering feathers to match its folded wings. Its feet are talons, like an eagle's. But it’s the face, and the eyes, that hold you captive. It has no gryphon's beak, but a head like a drake's… And with the eyes like Roth's. The eyes of a dragon! Behind those eyes is a curiosity, and intelligence… An understanding.

“What flesh was woven to create you, little one?” you hiss in True Speech.

The creature tilts its head, recognizing speech, but curious at the unfamiliar language. It seems docile enough, as you unlatch its cage, but as you extend a hand, it makes a croaking rattle and spreads its wings in a warning. Father fluff up, and you wince at a sudden a burst of light. Heat washes over you, and flame, as this beauteous little beast sets itself ablaze without apparent concern. The entire cage glows and hums with power.

“Sshhh, sshhhhh.” You soothe the strange little dragon-thing. You takes few uncertain steps back as you reach through the fire, unharmed thanks to Irinnile's affinity for the element. The cage begins to melt and buckle as you extract the creature, lifting it up gently under its armpits. At your touch, it immediately relaxes—your mentalism is more than enough to set its tiny mind at ease. Before long, you are stroking its feathers back to smoothness.“Sshhh, sshhhhh.” You soothe the strange being.

‘Can we keep it?’ Irinnile asks.

You look to the melted slag of the cage. Obviously! Imagine if this entity, capable of generating such intense heat as to melt metal to a molten state in seconds, could be properly trained and what sort of Reptilian would leave a dragonling in the hands of humans, anyway? The creature nuzzles its head into your caress, and the matter is settled on an emotional level as well.

<Golden Feathered Greater Drake, acquired>

What do you name your new minion?
>Write-in

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>>5096143
Unfortunately, for all your new acquisitions, you find RE-acquiring your old possessions a trickier proposition.

“What do you MEAN you don’t have my pack?” you demand of Chika, who flinches slightly.

You and the two Degenerates you hand-picked to accompany you in your return to the Tower’s subterranean levels have gathered away from prying eyes, near a servant’s hallway leading between a cool storeroom full of wine and food and the hallways, to which a few guests and wizardly hosts have begun to return.

“The humans still have a guard posted over the belongings of these decadent surface-rulers,” Alhazred replies calmly. “It seems the man who they have placed there realized what those in the hall did not: that this disturbance provides the perfect cover for thievery. He did not join the other sin investigating the distraction, and so Chika and I could not retrieve further items from your pack.

“Why did Wasegun or whoever even return it to that room?” you demand.

“I assume it is because carrying your bag around would have drawn attention,” Alhazred replies stonily.

You sigh. A fair point.

What do you do?
>Go get your bag and its contents from the storeroom with a charm offensive
>Slip in stealthily, if you can, to retrieve your things
>kill the Tower Guardian—no doubt a low-ranking one, given his inauspicious duty—and take your belongings back
>Forget it, you have what you need and you’ve already wasted too much time—delve down into the basement levels!
>Write-in

>>5096143
Name it Drakey

>>5096146
>Go get your bag and its contents from the storeroom with a charm offensive

We want that cloak and diadem for sure, and maybe the puzzle box.

Really we should have just worn the diadem in.

>>5096156
>cloak and diadem

[Good news! as mentioned, you did wear your diadem in. You also have your charm and some shirin. Better yet, Chika has your cloak! It wasn't in your pack, because the other Infiltrators had to go pick it up from Agatha Young to bring it to the gala.]

>>5096143
Count Drakula. But if you really want a non-meme answer
>Hirschel

>>5096146
>Forget it, you have what you need and you’ve already wasted too much time—delve down into the basement levels!

I think we already got what we need- after all, we probably don't need the Cube here, right?

>>5096169
oh pog
someday I'll learn to read

in that case just save time and head right on down, the magic dagger we got trumps our normal one and we never did figure out the puzzle box anyway

>>5096143
>Spiky

>>5096146
>Go get your bag and its contents from the storeroom with a charm offensive
If fail, kill

>>5096169
*Agatha Johan

[My phone is fickle.]

>>5096314
Gonna have to corrupt our gal one of these days.

>>5096146
>Call it Blizzard
Cool and nobody will expect it to blast them with fire.
>Forget it, you have what you need and you’ve already wasted too much time—delve down into the basement levels!
Tell the degens to pick it up later, since only two of them are coming with us.

Man, I hate name votes. Feels like they leave almost everyone dissatisfied lmao.

>>5096146
>Forget it, you have what you need and you’ve already wasted too much time—delve down into the basement levels!

>>5096653
>>5096611
>>5096313
>>5096181
>>5096179
>>5096156
It seems you must abandon your bag out of necessity. Well, nevermind—you will return for it later. Chiak hands you the rich, elegant blue cloak—Agatha Johan did a marvelous job of extending it, as she always does—and you press on. You allow Chika and Alhazred to guide you down through service passages into the more familiar storerooms of the mages’ underground complex. You didn’t exactly take this route during your scouting mission into the bwoels of the Tower, but it isn’t long before you are once more in a realm familiar to you.

‘Hey, we fingered Paula in that room,’ Irinnile wistfully recalls of one storage closet as you pass.

Indeed you did, but this is no time for fond remembrances of sneaky sexual escapades. As with even that evening, your true purpose here is much greater than any illicit liaison...

And anyway, this fluffy, golden chimera-drake on your shoulder still needs a name. If you’re being honest, petting its curiously snub-nosed head and mulling over possible appellations for the little creature occupies at least as much of your conscious thought as planning the operation to come.

What will you name it?
>Blizzard
>Spiky
>Hirschel
>Drakey
>Count Drakula[/spoiler[

And on a (perhaps) more important note… How do you plan to approach this infiltration?
>Have Chika use her lockpicks and skills to lead you through the elss-familiar, but likely less-dangerous, storage and maintenance areas when possible
>Use your mastery of shadow and stealth to cloak your party and to make a direct run through the route you plotted before
>Send a psychic missive to the Tower Guardian who you enthralled on your last visit, and have him serve as your guide
>Advance cautiously, floor by floor—you can never say for certain that security or patrols haven’t been modified, even in such a short time
>Write-in

>>5096709
[Damnit, pardon the botched spoiler text. Was doing that post up in a hurry. That'll teach me, I guess.]

>>5096709
>Hirschel

I think it's be a neat throwback to Father desu.
>Count Drakula will be his true name, if enough support is gathered

>Use your mastery of shadow and stealth to cloak your party and to make a direct run through the route you plotted before

Plan A.

>>5096709
>Blizzard
>Have Chika use her lockpicks and skills to lead you through the less-familiar, but likely less-dangerous, storage and maintenance areas when possible
We must leave as little magical trace in others' brains as possible. No joke this time.

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>>5096728
>>5096752
[Just remember: if everyone votes for their own name, this little scamp isn't going to get named anytime soon.]

>>5096709
>Count Drakula

Drakey calls to me, but I can accept this too

>>5096709
>Drakey

>Send a psychic missive to the Tower Guardian who you enthralled on your last visit, and have him serve as your guide

>>5096728
If it lands on Dracula, can we skip the "count" part? This is not a vote, btw.

>>5096876
[I mean, if the vote is for Count Drakula, so shall your new pet be called. I call my dog by short nicknames and such all the time, though.]

>>5096899
Oh god I hope it doesn't get called that, then.

>>5096728
>>5096752
>>5096859
[We seem to have three way tie... But also, it's Christmas, so I'll wait to do a post.]

>>5097571
Then conside me officially supporting
>Count Drakula
if Hirschel doesn't receive any support.

>>5097595
[Noted! But we also have a tie on method of approach.]

>>5097598
I'm willing to try psychic missive just to expedite this, but I want us moving under the cover of stealth and shadow when he gets here as an added caveat, that cool?

>>5097595
Okay I (>>5096752, >>5096876) will support
>Hirschel

It's cool and keeps the 4th wall intact for me.

>>5097652
I can agree to
>Hirschel
Though my heart will be forever set on Count Drakula, if only for the meme of it.

>>5097598
If you're looking for official confirmation of my change of vote as stated >>5097630, then this is it.
>Send a psychic missive

>>5097691
They're so gonna know who we are when they unfuck that guy's memory...

>>5096709
>Use your mastery of shadow and stealth to cloak your party and to make a direct run through the route you plotted before

Don't go full retard with the psychic shit.

>>5096728
>>5096752
>>5096802
>>5096859
>>5097652
>>5097691
>>5097963
[So if I'm counting the votes correctly, we're leaning towards Hirschel for name, but tied between stealth and a psychic missive. However, as >>5097630 changed it to break the tie and was orig8nally also leaning stealth, stealth is the actual preference. Correct?

I'm tryptophan'd to a near coma, but I'll post before I go to sleep.]

Rolled 11, 18, 20, 13, 1, 20 = 83 (6d20)

>>5098088
‘Hirschel?’ you suggest across your mental link.

‘What, like your dad?’ Irinnile asks.

‘Why not? It amuses me, and it's the name of a noble. Does this creature not look noble to you?’

Irinnile is quiet for a moment, then asks: ‘He on your mind a lot? This because old Yosef and Miriam were at the party?’

‘Don't read so much into it,’ you shoot back haughtily.

“What do you think of the name ‘Hirschel’?” you ask aloud, scritching the greater drake under its chin.

It croaks and tilts its chin up. That's close enough to approval for you. The two other Reptilian hybrids exchange a look, which you pointedly ignore.

“Infiltrators,” you say, speaking up authoritatively in the True Speech. “I have scouted the route ahead. Our destination is a storage facility or laboratory four floors below the surface. However, to reach it, we must pass through a number of hallways wherein there may be a security presence. Mages, chimeric creatures, demons, security wards…”

“I have some experience with wards,” Alhazred volunteers. “If you can perform the actual spellcraft, I can likely advise you on the principles and mechanisms underlying the spells, so you may unweave the..”

“And you, Infiltrator…” you turn to the one who goes by ‘Chika’, “you will be able to handle any locks we encounter upon our arrival on the third floor?”

“I…” Chika hesitates. “Are they likely to be magical in nature as well?”

“I’d suspect so,” you say.

“I can also assist with that,” Alhazred says, with the same easy confidence.

‘Pretty cocky for a guy who can’t even cast a spell,’ Irinnile notes.

‘Hopefully it is confidence well-earned.’

“I will use my… Tamed demon… To cloak our approach. Stay close, stay quiet.”

They are fellow Infiltrators they don’t need to be told twice. Irinnile doesn’t, either, despite blowing a psychic raspberry at your less-than-flattering cover story for your peculiar relationship.

[5d20 for stealth with some illusion thrown in, DC 11 (10 for stealth in darkness, +2 for your companions, -1 for having scouted it before). 1d20 reaction dice for if you fail.]

>>5098108
>duo nat 20s on stealth and reactions

Nice, knew stealth was the right path!

Rolled 5, 1, 19, 20, 18, 11 = 74 (6d20)

>>5098108
You shroud the three of you with shadow and glamour, and follow the same course you did on your previous visit to the Tower. It is a simple thing to retrace your route, and the knowledge you gleaned from the Tower Guardian you bested on that same visit now serves to allow you to easily dodge his fellows who are on patrol—you know their schedules, their familiars, everything!

“Not many mages seems to be patrolling this evening,” Alhazred notes. “This Gala has proven most useful indeed.”

“We aren't entirely alone, however,” Chika notes quietly.

She’s right: a patch of moving light in the dark of the winding hallways reveals that you have happened upon a Tower Guardian off of his scheduled patrol route. No… Wait! By the emblem on his hat, similar but not identical to that of the man who Lord Yosef was speaking with, you can tell that he is some sort of administrator or authority here—no mere Tower patrolman. Despite no doubt impressive magical acumen, he seems utterly unaware of the three of you, even as he seems to descending to the second level as well

What do you do?
>Stay focused on the mission, slipping right by him and down past the second floor before he or any other mage is the wiser
>Create a distraction with glamour to lure him off of your route, then carry on without any risk of his interference
>Assassinate him while the foolish mage is vulnerable—they will know someone was here regardless, once the artefact is taken, so you may as well take out some of the leadership as well [lowered DC for your critical success on stealth, and the assistance of your allies]
>Attempt to mesmerize him—imagine having someone like this in your pocket [unknown DC, but high reward]
>Write-in

>>5098127
>Assassinate him while the foolish mage is vulnerable—they will know someone was here regardless, once the artefact is taken, so you may as well take out some of the leadership as well [lowered DC for your critical success on stealth, and the assistance of your allies]

We're three on one here, with the drop on him. I don't wanna deal with this dude later.

>>5098135
Though, non-lethally if at all possible. There may be alarms for his death, so we don't wanna set those off- we can always stuff him in a closet and slit his throat on the way out.

>>5098127
woah new 6d20 at the top there

>Assassinate him while the foolish mage is vulnerable—they will know someone was here regardless, once the artefact is taken, so you may as well take out some of the leadership as well [lowered DC for your critical success on stealth, and the assistance of your allies]

worried about if he's expected somewhere else, but with the distractions already in place him missing should just add to the confusion which is perfect for us

>>5098127
>Attempt to mesmerize him—imagine having someone like this in your pocket [unknown DC, but high reward]

Another 20? Can't be insanely high, and having a man on the Tower's leadership is invaluable to the Grand Design.

>>5098149
>>5098161

[Sorry, the second 6d20 was in error. My mobile app doesn't clear the options field between posts. Still... That 20 I rolled should count for SOMETHING. Won't be an auto-success, but I'll reduce your DC on whatever option you choose by an extra point.]

>>5098127
>Assassinate him while the foolish mage is vulnerable—they will know someone was here regardless, once the artefact is taken, so you may as well take out some of the leadership as well [lowered DC for your critical success on stealth, and the assistance of your allies]
>>5098135
I agree to non-lethal, but only if we can avoid being seen.

Get rid of him so he doesn't get alerted if we fuck up later. Leave as little trace as possible and avoid our standard techniques, if we have to fight.

>>5098127
>>Assassinate him while the foolish mage is vulnerable—they will know someone was here regardless, once the artefact is taken, so you may as well take out some of the leadership as well [lowered DC for your critical success on stealth, and the assistance of your allies]

>>5098183
I like freebies as much as anyone else but that’s unnecessary

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>>5098183
>randomly rolls extra 20
>wants to give it to players
Not right. Here's a hella lizard for you instead.

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>>5098139
>>5098246
>votes to assassinate
>wants it to be nonlethal

Clearly you want to knock the fucker out and mesmerize him, right? So he can lead us straight towards our objective and tell us more about the monster on the third floor?

>>5098149
I'm mainly worried about the patrols finding the body and raising the alarm. It's why I also voted to mesmerize the guy, avoids raising any alarms.

>>5098339
>so he can
NO

>>5098370
Frankly, I don't see the benefit from just knocking the fucker out and not mesmerizing him, so it's either elite capture him and put him to sleep in a storeroom, or kill him and potentially raise the magical alarm.

>>5098183
I was more worried about the 1 in the first 3 lol
let's say they cancel each other out

>>5098444
Just accept the gift from Snek Nick and move on, it not like we're using it to fight a boss battle.

>>5098444
This quest has no critical fails, so the highest roll always wins regardless of whether there are 1s or not.

Rolled 1, 20, 2, 16, 20, 17 = 76 (6d20)

>>5098457
[Point of order: there are critical fails, but only if none of the other dice pass the difficulty threshold.]

>>5098135
>>5098149
>>5098161
>>5098246
>>5098252

[Rolling to assassinate. 3d20 for melee combat, 1d20 for each ally, 1d20 reaction d20 for if you fail. DC 12 (-3 for having the drop on him. If you beat it by at least 5, you have a nonlethal option, per you accidental crit. Fair enough?]

>>5098493
pog rolls

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>>5098493
We'll, I'd be damned. Time to control this fucker.

>>5098493
>rigged christmas dice
where's the roll for Hirschel

>>5098493
“Chika, Alhazred,” you whisper.

You need say nothing more—a gesture suffices. The others move into position. Under cover of darkness, the three of you move like a pack of wolves or a shoal of sharks. You may never have operated in the field together, but you are Reptilian Infiltrators, taught in the same martial arts and methods of approach. It is as if you had trained together since birth. It is… Oddly familial.

“Hm… Something wrong with the lights?”

It seems your target, this senior mage is not oblivious by any means… But seeing a patch of darkness in the hallway, where lanterns fail to ignite by sorcerous means in their sconces, is an entirely different matter than suspecting the cause or what dwells in the darkness ahead. He slows down, but without wariness, and when he waves his hands to cast a spell, it is one of simple illumination. It is perfect timing to strike: while he is focused on that spell, he can neither cast another, more dangerous one, nor protect himself from your blade or your allies fists and feet.

The wizard cries out as Alhazred jumps upon him. The male Degenerate is a moment too early for perfect coordination, but the shock of the assault draws all the spellcaster’s attention to him. Chika yanks down his hat over his eyes from behind and sweeps his legs out from under him. He catches himself, but the jostling reveals a silvered charm about his neck on a length of entwined bark: an anti-demon charm!

Alhazared’s eyes are keen, and he is at least knowledgeable enough to recognize the gem-and-herb configuration in its enchanted glass bauble. Drawing a knife of his own, he slices the protective item away from its owner. A lucky break: that could have been dangerous in opposition to you, had the three of you not uncovered it.

The mage whirls about and, with a swiftness you didn’t expect, begins to summon crackling lighting about his fingers and to coalesce a powerful elemental spell in the palm of his wizened hand… But it is then that you strike, and from an angle he couldn’t have possibly expected.

With Irinnile within you, it was a simple thing to materialize wings of enmeshed flesh and shadow, and to soar to the ceiling to suspend yourself from the unlit lighting fixtures. Now, tangled in his baggy robes and blinded by his hat, tumbling to his knees, he doesn’t even get the chance to cry out, let alone to cast another spell. Like an angel of death you descend, crashing down upon him and smothering his art. Then, with a blow from the hilt of your blade you end the threat.

“Is he dead?” Chika asks in hushed hiss.

“No,” Alhazred says, checking his pulse. “The human spellcaster is unconscious, concussed, but he yet lives.”

“Perfect,” you stay, standing up and folding the demonic wings back into your body to reabsorb beneath your cloak. “Leave him to me.”

>>5098528

Hirschel the Drake, disturbed by this sudden flurry of movement, stares down from one of the unlit sconces and tilts his head in curiosity. You loom over your victim, mirroring your pet’s reptilian movements as you consider what to do with the old human.

What do you do?
>Slay him swiftly with your frost-dagger, stuff the body somewhere inconspicuous, and move along
>Feed the man’s mana to Irinnile with an erotic and life-draining dream
>Attempt to enthrall the unconscious man and reawaken him as a guide [DC 12 for a temporary enthrallment, DC 18 for a permanent one, given his uncosnciousness]
>Check his mind for useful intelligence about himself and the facility
>Write-in

What is your next move?
>Descend methodically, floor-by-floor, and looking for opportunities for further mages to incapacitate or items to steal
>A straight shot to the third floor, bypassing the second as swiftly as possible and aiming for the dwarven artefacts forthwith
>The third floor is your destination, but you desire to free the demons there and to use the incubus’ symbol of authority to request their aid
>The fourth of fifth floor and their dangerous chimeras call out to you; Hirchsel almost looks like a dragon, and that makes you wonder what lurks in those lower quarters…
>Write-in

>>5098531
>Attempt to enthrall the unconscious man and reawaken him as a guide [DC 12 for a temporary enthrallment, DC 18 for a permanent one, given his uncosnciousness]
>Check his mind for useful intelligence about himself and the facility
Turn this arcane master into our pawn. Could we use our green shirin to help with the enthrallment?
>The third floor is your destination, but you desire to free the demons there and to use the incubus’ symbol of authority to request their aid
Might as well get some backup if we need it.

>>5098531
backing >>5098566

>>5098531
>Feed the man’s mana to Irinnile with an erotic and life-draining dream
>Slay him swiftly with your frost-dagger, stuff the body somewhere inconspicuous, and move along

>Descend methodically, floor-by-floor, and looking for opportunities for further mages to incapacitate or items to steal
Might as well go on a murder spree and decapitate the city’s magical line of defence.

>>5098531
>Check his mind for useful intelligence about himself and the facility
Then
>Feed the man’s mana to Irinnile with an erotic and life-draining dream

>The third floor is your destination, but you desire to free the demons there and to use the incubus’ symbol of authority to request their aid

>>5098531
>Check his mind for useful intelligence about himself and the facility
>Feed the man’s mana to Irinnile with an erotic and life-draining dream
>Stuff the body somewhere inconspicuous, and move along

>The third floor is your destination, but you desire to free the demons there and to use the incubus’ symbol of authority to request their aid
Break them free and order to start a total shitshow on our call. That way we'll have a comfy cover for our demonic traces here and there.

>>5098566
>>5098603
You anons realize that our demonic magic, even the "permanent" option (like with Felman), can be broken by as little as a protective amulet and then the thralls regain all the REAL memories, including our face, right?

>>5098531
>Attempt to enthrall the unconscious man and reawaken him as a guide [DC 12 for a temporary enthrallment, DC 18 for a permanent one, given his uncosnciousness]
>Check his mind for useful intelligence about himself and the facility

I deplore senseless violence, I only approve of cunning violence.

>Pick the Gardian's mind over useful items to steal, then steal them.
>The third floor is your destination, but you desire to free the demons there and to use the incubus’ symbol of authority to request their aid

If this gets mess, this'll be a good cover.

>>5099079
>not installing preventive measures and a suicide switch in a high ranking official

Honestly? Even if it's temporary, this would be more than enough to frame him for a mess and shift the blame if this turn into a shitshow. Besides, I think having a master magi fighting and potentially dying to the Tower's monstrosities and other defense mechanisms is infinitely preferable to killing him and stuffing him in the supply closet, if only for the investigation to focus on him and his dealings and social circle.

>>5099094
I'd rather we kill him before we leave, once his helpfulness has run out. Aka throw him to the demons.

>>5099095
I personally think keeping him as a pawn for future subversion of the Tower would be better, but then I'm considerably less risk adverse than some of the anons here.

>>5099103
It's because choices have consequences here and QM will most definitely use this crack to expose Ismena later.

>>5099121
Choices always have consequences, and being worried about every perceived crack of exposure is Stalinesque paranoia. I would say that having an mole inside of the Tower's leadership, that can keep tabs on and influence investigations into our matters, is more than worth the added risk of exposure, especially with preventative measures to stop such exposure from coming out, not to mention all of the other Tower's research projects and security network of Hawksong.

It really just comes down to risk tolerance, because having an operative penetrating into the Tower's leadership is invaluable to the Conspiracy in of itself, and I don't see this individual subversion as an end goal in of itself, but of a greater plan to gain control of the Tower's leadership itself, and turn it to our and the Dark God's ends.

I don't expect this to convince you, since this is a question of risk tolerance at it core, but I just wanted to explain where my thoughts are in this situation.

>>5099149
>quest about reptilian spy
>trying to cover up and not leave trace after yourself is a bad thing

Using deadswitch on Felman is one thing, but trying to leave a Tower's higher up enthralled by a demonic spell and expecting nobody to notice is too risky.
We were just worried about Ismena getting detected herself, because there was a fuckton of mages around, who she did not even directly interact with, but we will expect them to just glance over him after he was on security during Gala, during which the Master Stone from one of deepest underground levels was stolen?
We also expect them to not use all the antidemonic firepower after the demons from -2 have broken free at the same night?
And please don't tell me you are 100% SURE he can kill himself before a bunch of mages cast exorcism on him and thus remove the deadswitch. At that point you're just taking risks mindfully.

>>5099158
I never said trying to obfuscate ourselves to the Tower is a bad thing, I'm merely pointing out that having influence of the magical security apparatus that's a threat to the Conspiracy is invaluable, and that if you are risk adverse then infiltration in general isn't for you.

Ever heard of the term, 'who's watching the watcher'? It applies to the Inquisition leadership. Is there a risk of exposure? Sure, but no more than us traveling though these levels and failing to neutralize a patrolling magi, and this leader knows all about their security measures against demonic influence. Hell, he may have even wrote the book on it. It isn't inherently more dangerous to us to have his enthrallment noticed than it is going down through the Tower's basement of horrors and past their patrols of magi.

Beyond that, they may not have realized what the Master Stone is yet, or it's importance, and in all likelihood they'll at least consider that someone misplaced it (assuming we don't start a killing spree during our stealthy infiltration mission), or better yet, that this archmagi took it out to conduct more research on it in one of the lower floors. It's not like his subordinates will question his authority on the matter.

We can also expect them to be understaffed in the basement level while the Gala is ongoing, which was why this night in particular was chosen instead of all the other nights. There's also a Chinese proverb that comes to mind- A thief cries "Stop thief!" It means that he who is causing mischief should accuse others of his crimes, to give him an appearance of innocence and obfuscate the truth. That applies just as much in this situation as it would in any other, probably more so to an authority figure such as the archmage.

Also, I'm pretty sure he can kill himself if necessary before they exorcise our influence, assuming they ever find out. I'm planning on a failsafe killswitch as well, just in case the first one fails, though that'll require us learning Zivic's ectoplasm trick tomorrow. I'm not taking risks without considering the consequences anon, I just consider them acceptable tradeoffs for the opportunity this allows us to springboard from.

Again, the core argument is about risk tolerance, and I just have a higher threshold than you. I've long ago accepted that fact.

>>5098566
>>5098603
>>5098691
>>5098712
>>5099079
>>5099094
[We seem to be tied between enthralling and killing this mage, though a majority wish to go recruit some demons to the incubus' cause afterwards, before acquiring the master stone. I will wait a bit longer for a tiebreaker before I roll.

Also, a reminder: when you first gained the ability to make permanent thralls, it was noted that they still couldn't be made to take action that would obviously result in serious harm or death to themselves or a loved one.]

>>5099214
>when you first gained the ability to make permanent thralls, it was noted that they still couldn't be made to take action that would obviously result in serious harm or death to themselves
Oh, for fuck's sake.

>>5098531
>Check his mind for useful intelligence about himself and the facility
>Bind, gag, and stuff the fucker in a closet