This is me thinking ahead. The only moment that Lilliana should think that she is loosing control, is when she is already on the floor bleeding out. But why betray her? Because we can.
[X] Pursue Greater Mastery
[X] Ulgu (from 3 to 4)
[X] Seek a tutor (-1 piety for two bonus dice)
[X] Work on synthesising drugs, poisons and other alchemical concoctions worthy of the Temple of Khaine. (Ghyran, Difficulty 4, benefits from Yara bonus)
[X] Research what is known about the faith and spellcraft of the women of Bretonnia (Hysh, difficulty 3)
[X] Attend religious services at the Temple of Khaine (Hysh, difficulty 1)
[X] And engage a Witch Elf in fruitful discussion on religious doctrine (raises difficulty to 5)
[X] Replenish and strengthen the wards around your personal chambers (Hysh, uncapped difficulty, hits set the difficulty of hostile intrusion)
I still think we should start learning about affairs close to home sooner rather than later, at least with the Azyr-based action as that one is likely to succeed. Maybe there's nothing in particular we should be aware of, maybe there is something OOC, there almost certainly is, but going into, uh, General Druchii Sorceress Life while wilfully unaware of the current affairs seems like tempting fate.
Also, I want that sweet sweet information, I'm a sucker for worldbuilding. So there's that.
[X] Plan Getting back into the swing of things
[X] Familiarize yourself with current affairs and any recent development in the Convent. Provides a general summary of significant figures, their known skills and current projects. (Azyr, Difficulty 2)
[X] Work on synthesising drugs, poisons and other alchemical concoctions worthy of the Temple of Khaine. (Ghyran, Difficulty 4)
[X] Replenish and strengthen the wards around your personal chambers (Hysh, uncapped difficulty, hits set the difficulty of hostile intrusion)
[X] Map the current alliances, grudges and rivalries among the Convent of Har Ganeth (Ulgu, difficulty 3)
[X] Seek to please and ingratiate ourselves with our mistress. We have been too long away. Perhaps there is some tasks she requires doing.
I know this probably seems like a boring set of options, but I believe them to be the most practical ones.
We've just come back from a long journey, and have no idea what the fuck is going on locally in the ever-shifting game of Druchii politics and sorcerous rivalries. A lack of knowledge is a deadly thing for a person of our station. We need to entrench ourselves and get a handle on the situation before embarking on any fancy projects.
Hence, Prioritizing learning the ins-and-outs of who's who, who's sleeping with who, who hates who, and who's doing both. The value of understanding gossip cannot be overstated, we cannot afford to fly blind in this convent. Hence, the two options that increase our understanding of the big players and their intentions.
Replenishing the Wards may seem unnecessary right now. We aren't important enough for anyone to really bother with, and nobody in particular is gunning for our throat. But that's never a guarantee of safety. More to the point, when our actions inevitably do draw attention later on, id prefer to have the wards already up at full strength rather than having to rush to prepare them after upsetting someone. A little effort now can save us a lot of pain long term.
With our skillset doing alchemy is easy work, and easy money. It nets us some cash to work with in the future, and also gives us potentially useful contacts. A job like that, while not the sexiest thing, is beneficial to us in general and is a good way to get back into the swing of things after so long away. Nice and simple.
I wrote in the last option because, while our relationship with Lilliana is, of course, so toxic it could poison a hydra to death, it is also useful. We are the personal favorite and pet of the leader of the entire coven, her favor is probably the single greatest resource we can acquire at this point in time. Plus, cuddling up to her will make it all the more dramatic later on when that relationship inevitably sours (More than it is already, anyway.)
With our skillset doing alchemy is easy work, and easy money. It nets us some cash to work with in the future, and also gives us potentially useful contacts amongst the local military. A job like that, while not the sexiest thing, is beneficial to us in general and is a good way to get back into the swing of things after so long away. Nice and simple.
With our five dice and favored-bonus in Ghyran, we're more likely than not to roll four hits or more. It's literally so easy that we're routinely capable of overdoing it. That's why I think we're overqualified: remember, the stated (social) drawback of Ghyran was that Sorceresses of any skill don't like the kind of drudge work most often associated with it, and only a few things like poisons are respected.
We're a Sorceress of fairly respectable skill. Socially, taking this could be seen as, at best... ah... humble. Unambitious.
Meanwhile, the harder job of brewing poisons and drugs for the Temple of Khaine would benefit from Yara's assistance, giving it about 9/10 chance to succeed (so it's not some vain risk), and also falls squarely in the subset of Ghyran-work worthy of a respectable Sorceress.
I do like the military contacts - they could lead to something fairly useful - but on its face...
With our five dice and favored-bonus in Ghyran, we're more likely than not to roll four hits or more. It's literally so easy that we're routinely capable of overdoing it. That's why I think we're overqualified: remember, the stated (social) drawback of Ghyran was that Sorceresses of any skill don't like the kind of drudge work most often associated with it, and only a few things like poisons are respected.
We're a Sorceress of fairly respectable skill. Socially, taking this could be seen as, at best... ah... humble. Unambitious.
Meanwhile, the harder job of brewing poisons and drugs for the Temple of Khaine would benefit from Yara's assistance, giving it about 9/10 chance to succeed (so it's not some vain risk), and also falls squarely in the subset of Ghyran-work worthy of a respectable Sorceress.
I do like the military contacts - they could lead to something fairly useful - but on its face...
I don't think there's anything wrong with starting off with drudge work early on, to work up to more ambitious projects in the future, but you are correct in that the poisons are probably are probably more rewarding, and I hadn't accounted for Yara.
Besides that, it's evilly thematic (why heal when you can kill?) And potentially getting contacts with the cult of Khaine is probably just as good, if not better, than the military.
You've convinced me, and I changed out healing for poison in the plan.
-[X] Familiarise yourself with current affairs and any recent development in the Convent. Provides a general summary of significant figures, their known skills and current projects. (Azyr, Difficulty 2)
-[x] Pursue Greater Mastery, increasing your rating in a specific Wind by 1. This action may be taken more than once, and hits can be assembled across multiple turns. (Any Wind, difficulty [new level x new level])
-[x] Go hunting in the wilderness surrounding Har Ganeth (Ghur, difficulty unknown, may result in contacts among the nobility, escaped slaves, slave catchers or shades. May also result in getting jumped by something big and hungry.)
-[x] Take a contract with the city guard as a healer and medical alchemist. Passable money, potential contacts in the armed forces of Har Ganeth. (Ghyran, difficulty 2)
-[X] Experiment with directed and deliberately induced mutations, establishing a baseline of experimental results and theory for later work. (Dhar, difficulty 2)
[X] Work on synthesising drugs, poisons and other alchemical concoctions worthy of the Temple of Khaine. (Ghyran, Difficulty 4, benefits from Yara bonus)
[X] Familiarize yourself with current affairs and any recent development in the Convent. Provides a general summary of significant figures, their known skills and current projects. (Azyr, Difficulty 2)
Whoops, forgot to set the tally to block rather than line. Looks like Plan: Dark Beginnings wins.
Adhoc vote count started by Maugan Ra on Nov 8, 2023 at 12:22 AM, finished with 50 posts and 31 votes.
[X] Plan Dark Beginnings
-[X] Work on synthesising drugs, poisons and other alchemical concoctions worthy of the Temple of Khaine. (Ghyran, Difficulty 4)
-[X] Familiarise yourself with current affairs and any recent development in the Convent. Provides a general summary of significant figures, their known skills and current projects. (Azyr, Difficulty 2)
-[X] Attend religious services at the Temple of Khaine (Hysh, difficulty 1)
--[X] And meaningfully participate in the rituals (raises difficulty to 3)
-[X] Replenish and strengthen the wards around your personal chambers (Hysh, uncapped difficulty, hits set the difficulty of hostile intrusion)
-[X] Map the current alliances, grudges and rivalries among the Convent of Har Ganeth (Ulgu, difficulty 3)
[x] Plan Patient Hunter
-[x] Pursue Greater Mastery, increasing your rating in a specific Wind by 1. This action may be taken more than once, and hits can be assembled across multiple turns. (Any Wind, difficulty [new level x new level])
--[x] Specify Wind to rise - Ulgu.
--[x] Seek a tutor (-1 piety for two bonus dice, -2 piety to secure lessons from a master and double the pool) - Two Bonus Dice
-[x] Go hunting in the wilderness surrounding Har Ganeth (Ghur, difficulty unknown, may result in contacts among the nobility, escaped slaves, slave catchers or shades. May also result in getting jumped by something big and hungry.)
-[x] Take a contract with the city guard as a healer and medical alchemist. Passable money, potential contacts in the armed forces of Har Ganeth. (Ghyran, difficulty 2)
-[x] Research what is known about the faith and spellcraft of the women of Bretonnia (Hysh, difficulty 3)
-[X] Map the current alliances, grudges and rivalries among the Convent of Har Ganeth (Ulgu, difficulty 3)
[X] Plan Hubris is a coward's word
-[X] Work on synthesising drugs, poisons and other alchemical concoctions worthy of the Temple of Khaine. (Ghyran, Difficulty 4)
-[X] Replenish and strengthen the wards around your personal chambers (Hysh, uncapped difficulty, hits set the difficulty of hostile intrusion)
-[X] Familiarise yourself with current affairs and any recent development in the Convent. Provides a general summary of significant figures, their known skills and current projects. (Azyr, Difficulty 2)
-[X] Attend religious services at the Temple of Khaine (Hysh, difficulty 1)
--[X] And meaningfully participate in the rituals (raises difficulty to 3)
-[X] Experiment with directed and deliberately induced mutations, establishing a baseline of experimental results and theory for later work. (Dhar, difficulty 2)
--[X] Borrow the stock from a fellow Sorceress (1 Piety)
[X] Work on synthesising drugs, poisons and other alchemical concoctions worthy of the Temple of Khaine. (Ghyran, Difficulty 4, benefits from Yara bonus)
[X] Plan Playing to Strengths
-[X] Pursue Greater Mastery (twice)
--[X] Ulgu
--[X] Seek a tutor (1 Piety for 2 bonus dice)
-[X] Work on synthesising drugs, poisons and other alchemical concoctions worthy of the Temple of Khaine. (Ghyran, Difficulty 4)
-[X] Replenish and strengthen the wards around your personal chambers (Hysh, uncapped difficulty, hits set the difficulty of hostile intrusion)
-[X] Familiarise yourself with current affairs and any recent development in the Convent. Provides a general summary of significant figures, their known skills and current projects. (Azyr, Difficulty 2)
[x] Plan Patient Hunter
-[x] Pursue Greater Mastery, increasing your rating in a specific Wind by 1. This action may be taken more than once, and hits can be assembled across multiple turns. (Any Wind, difficulty [new level x new level])
--[x] Specify Wind to rise - Ulgu.
--[x] Seek a tutor (-1 piety for two bonus dice, -2 piety to secure lessons from a master and double the pool) - Master
-[x] Go hunting in the wilderness surrounding Har Ganeth (Ghur, difficulty unknown, may result in contacts among the nobility, escaped slaves, slave catchers or shades. May also result in getting jumped by something big and hungry.)
-[x] Take a contract with the city guard as a healer and medical alchemist. Passable money, potential contacts in the armed forces of Har Ganeth. (Ghyran, difficulty 2)
-[x] Research what is known about the faith and spellcraft of the women of Bretonnia (Hysh, difficulty 3)
-[X] Map the current alliances, grudges and rivalries among the Convent of Har Ganeth (Ulgu, difficulty 3)
[X] Familiarize yourself with current affairs and any recent development in the Convent. Provides a general summary of significant figures, their known skills and current projects. (Azyr, Difficulty 2)
[X] Plan Dark Beginnings
-[X] Work on synthesising drugs, poisons and other alchemical concoctions worthy of the Temple of Khaine. (Ghyran, Difficulty 4)
-[X] Familiarise yourself with current affairs and any recent development in the Convent. Provides a general summary of significant figures, their known skills and current projects. (Azyr, Difficulty 2)
-[X] Attend religious services at the Temple of Khaine (Hysh, difficulty 1)
--[X] And meaningfully participate in the rituals (raises difficulty to 3)
-[X] Replenish and strengthen the wards around your personal chambers (Hysh, uncapped difficulty, hits set the difficulty of hostile intrusion)
-[X] Map the current alliances, grudges and rivalries among the Convent of Har Ganeth (Ulgu, difficulty 3)
The Convent of Har Ganeth has always been among the smallest and by some measures weakest of those gathered beneath the banner of your order, for the Cult of Khaine guards its territory jealously, and while Morathi is High Priestess it is Hellebron who holds the title in all but name. Such a division of responsibility creates rivalries, fuelled in turn by millennia of squabbling and sabotage, and your nature as sorceresses places you firmly on the far side of that divide as far as most within Khaine's Holy City are concerned.
Only the devout and the exiled call your Convent home, or those bound in service to either, and what plans they enact and such schemes as they concoct are ever flavoured by zeal or the spiteful hunger that only desperation can bring. To ignore such things is perilous, to think yourself above them foolish in the extreme, and so you spend much time during the first weeks and months after your return reacquainting yourself with the subtle flavours of home. You attend discussions in the library, extend and accept invitations to private meals, and arrange to be nearby when your peers vent their feelings to the air in ways they know will be overheard.
Despite your best efforts, however, none of your labours bear fruit. Your compatriots are polite enough, even pleasant in one or two places, but you recognise the signs of imposed isolation with bitter familiarity. Lilliana has not taken another apprentice, nor does anyone think to criticise your performance during the year you spent abroad, but though your position is not threatened nor are you presented with any avenues by which you might change or improve it.
Someone is planning something, that much you can tell, and those who are not involved have elected to say and do nothing in response, shutting you out and waiting to see how the hidden affairs of the Convent play out. If you survive you will be welcomed back in, and if you perish there are none among your sisters who will take the risk of being dragged down with you.
Such portents are worrying, but frustratingly far from actionable. You could ask Lilliana for guidance, trust in her foresight and divinations over your own, but there is a price for such ignorance and you should rather not be forced to pay it. Even if you were, the thought of being a burden… no. You will prepare as best you can, and let Morai Heg's threads spin as they may.
-/-
The air rings with all the rapturous sounds of combat – furious roars, hungry cheers, metal on metal on flesh. Six iron rings mark the boundaries of six arenas, and in each of them a human warrior is locked in battle with one of Khaine's own wives. The weapons of the Witch Elves drip with poison, the veins of the humans burn with hallucinogens, and all of it is your doing. Your work, carefully brewed over weeks with only the spiteful genius of Yara for company, now put to holy work.
Ghyran roll, difficulty 4 – 7 hits, success.
Your diligence pays off; not one of the humans succumbs to fear or falls to his wounds before the appointed time, and when at last they succumb to the paralytics that coat the Khainite blades it is their limbs that still and not their hearts or lungs. All survive, furious and defiant, long enough for the Witch Elf tasked with their execution to drag them over to the central cauldron and open their throats with a single unified flourish.
"A fine omen," the witch by your side says, smiling in satisfaction as the blood blossoms like crimson flowers in the boiling water. In a truly sacred rite the cauldron would be filled to the brim with blood alone, kept boiling by the heat of Khaine's own divine fury instead of mere charcoal, but this is a lesser rite conducted by a local temple and so you will make do. "Disrobe."
You obey wordlessly, unpinning your brooch and letting your dress slip like water to pool around your feet, and when the witch steps forward you follow obediently in her wake. The watching crowd stands hundreds strong, the population of several neighbourhoods gathered for the ritual formalities, and the feeling of their eyes upon you sends lightning crawling down your spine. On any other day you might have called upon the thread of dhar to strengthen your will and disregard your fear, but today piety suffices, the expectant glare of Khaine's own statue drowning out awareness of all others.
"From across the sea, our kinswoman comes to us!" The Witch Elf calls to the crowd, spreading her arms wide and indicating you with a sweep of her blade, "She has done Khaine's work upon those foreign shores, but so too has she lived in squalor, endured the crudest and most wretched of surroundings. Now she returns to the fold!"
Hysh roll, difficulty 3 – 5 hits, success.
The witch falls silent then, the first in an expectant hush, and you pick up the thread without delay. You studied the rite in advance, of course, but more than memory it is instinct that guides you, the correct words coming to your lips from somewhere deep within your heart.
"I belong to Khaine!" You cry, spreading your arms and tilting back your head, baring all that you have to the brazen form of your god's judgement, "I am a soldier in his hosts, a daughter of his holy city, a bride to his blessed scourge! Let all here bear witness to my pledge, and to Mighty Khaine's reply!"
Traditionally the next step would be to plunge your hand into the boiling liquid, to keep it there for as long as you could bear as Khaine and his devoted passed judgement on your worthiness, but you did not come here to be satisfied with the bare minimum. With teeth bared and hands balled into fists you step across the final barrier and into the cauldron itself, wading out into the midst of the boiling, bloody water. Then, as the exultant cheers and zealous chanting reaches a crescendo, you drop to your knees and submerge your head beneath the crimson waters.
It burns. It burns like the flames of Khaine's own hells, but somehow it does not hurt. The heat surrounds you, swallows you, passes into and through you… and all it takes is what you offer it. The pain, the fear, the lingering regrets and hidden doubts, all of them you offer to the fires and all of them burn to ash and dissolve in the river of blood spilled at your behest.
You rise, born anew in the fires of Khaine's judgement, and the bloody froth that slides from your skin feels like a newborn's caul falling away. Shaking, limbs trembling, you step out of the cauldron and almost fall… and are caught by the calloused hands of a killer.
"Well done, sister," the Witch Elf says, a joyous smile on her face as she helps you steady yourself once more, pressing a cup of narcotic wine into your bloodstained hands, "Khaine has judged you, and found you worthy. Now, let us celebrate!"
-/-
You have always loved Hysh. The White Wind is not well favoured among the sisterhood, difficult to master and most useful for sabotaging and destroying the traditional tools of the sorceress, but you've always had a knack for it. The delicate subtlety of the light comes easily to you, and as you set yourself to the task of rebuilding your wards you find yourself humming softly with the joy of the work, weaving the notes of the song into the flow of the magic.
Hysh roll, uncapped – 5 hits.
It took you years to create these wards in full, layers upon layers of shining white running through the very walls of the Convent around your quarters and a full corridor in any direction. Unlike the active defences that your sisters often favour, your wards do nothing by themselves, perfectly safe to pass by or even through. It is only when one seeks to wield magic against them, whether to unbar the door or peer through your windows, that they will burn into blinding life. Spies will be blinded, trespassers burned, daemons freed of their bindings… the very tools that your sisters are so proud of, turned into the instruments of their punishment. Small wonder that those who specialise in Hysh are regarded so poorly, but you'd not have it any other way.
Satisfied with your work, you turn away from the wards and find yourself looking at the one exception to their protection. Lilliana Hoarfrost stands in your chambers unharmed and unimpeded, a strange gleam in her eyes, and though your gut ties itself into sudden knots at the sight of her you say nothing. From the corner of one eye you notice Yara skulking by the entrance to the hidden passage, but you cannot find it in you to chastise her for not attacking this intruder nor warning you of Lilliana's approach. You both know better by now.
"Fine work," Lilliana says at length, turning away from the wards and taking a seat at your table. She raises a single expectant eyebrow, and with a dry gulp you hurry to attend her.
"Thank you, mistress," you murmur softly, setting a crystal goblet on the table and pouring out a generous measure of the finest wine you have on hand. You don't make a habit of stocking such things, but you have a few vines heavy with grapes among your many blooms, and they have a unique spice to them that you've been thinking of marketing to those who may be interested.
"Death Night is approaching," Lilliana says calmly, inhaling the scent of the wine and giving a thoughtful hum, "You wish to spend it with your family?"
You've said nothing of the kind, but then you hardly need to. You know your parents live, you confirmed that through missives sent while abroad and others upon your return, but words on paper are poor substitute for the evidence of your own eyes, and poorer still compared to the strength of your own efforts in seeing them live out another year.
"By your leave, mistress," you say, bowing your head. She can't stop you – on Death Night alone, Khaine's will alone reigns supreme, unfettered by the laws and rules and dictates that govern society all other nights of the year. Yet she could still ask you to stay, and you cannot with surety say what your reply will be if she does.
"Very well," Lilliana says with a sharp nod, deferring your crisis for another year, "But first, I wish to bestow upon you a gift. Your panoply is far too minimalist for a student of mine, especially one called to roam abroad."
The box she produces is small and light, barely large enough to fill one hand, yet the dark wood blazes with runes of warding and even at a glance you can feel the malignance that radiates from it like a cloud. Despite it all, your lips quirk into a smile. A dangerous, poisonous gift that requires unflinching will and exquisite care to use – among sorceresses, such things are either a veiled test or the finest of compliments, and Lilliana has never been the kind to soften a test so.
"My thanks, Mistress," you say, setting the wine bottle down and picking up the small box. You don't take a seat, though. This is Lilliana's domain now, and you'll sit when she asks you to and not a moment before. "For your permission, and your gift. I shall cherish both."
"See that you do," Lilliana sniffs, taking another sip of the wine, "And call that pet of yours. I want to see if you learned anything from our time together."
Article:
Lilliana Hoarfrost has deigned to bestow upon you a treasure from her collection, forged by her own hands. What is it?
[ ] Mirror of Mirrors Within the faceted depths of this hand-sized crystal can be seen every image reflected in a mirror within a radius of nine hundred paces. When used, your own image appears faintly in some part of the borrowed reflection.
[ ] Hunting Hawk Removed from its scabbard, this gleaming dagger rises to hover at your shoulder like a loyal shadow. It can be controlled by conscious thought, and if left to its own devices will violently assault anything within eight paces.
[ ] Diadem of Desire This delicate silver headpiece is set with six gleaming diamonds, each of which can capture a single thought of someone who looks upon you while you wear it. Such thoughts can then be viewed and sampled through later meditation, as if they were your own memories.
Such portents are worrying, but frustratingly far from actionable. You could ask Lilliana for guidance, trust in her foresight and divinations over your own, but there is a price to pay for such ignorance and you should rather not be forced to pay it. Even if you were, the thought of being a burden… no. You will prepare as best you can, and let Morai Heg's threads spin as they may.
well shit that not good and by the descirption of it would do no good to simply try to do the action again well we best perpare for the coming storm heading our way maybe we can try a more speific approach to figre out what is coming
[X] Hunting Hawk Removed from its scabbard, this gleaming dagger rises to hover at your shoulder like a loyal shadow. It can be controlled by conscious thought, and if left to its own devices will violently assault anything within eight paces.
I'm going to be honest, I just think this one's the coolest. It allows for her to get into a fight with her hands pleasantly folded behind her back, and also just as importantly, it furthers the "evil disney princess" aesthetic if she gets to sing while her flying murder knife stabs people.
Well, the social mapping rolls failed, but they were too important not to at least try. Tempted to summon a demon and have them investigate or do some divination. Then again, Maugan Ra has said some plot is on its way so I guess we'll find out whether we're prepared or not.
Yes yes yesss, this is beautiful (both the failure and the success). I'm glad to know that Lilliana has not taken another apprentice, so the possible social dangers have been narrowed down a little; and knowing that something's definitely coming is a good thing as well.
Question: how does the diadem targeting work? I know it's too fiddly to pit up individual instances to a vote, but would Thystra have the option of activating it in specific moments, or would it just capture any thoughts thought while looking at her?
Question: how does the diadem targeting work? I know it's too fiddly to pit up individual instances to a vote, but would Thystra have the option of activating it in specific moments, or would it just capture any thoughts thought while looking at her?
It's consciously activated, so Thystra will use it when she is specifically curious or trying to interrogate someone. Or it can be used as part of specific plans submitted by voters.
