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Elven Empire Quest (CK2)

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The Eternal Empire, Anathros, is in decline. Centuries of stewardship by an ailing empress has brought low the era of Elven dominance. The luxuries once exported by the hinterland territories are now exported by encroaching Human kingdoms, and the damage wrought by the Reckoning has only just begun to heal. Will you return the Empire to Glory?
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OP - Character Selection
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    • Powerofmind

    Powerofmind

    In Madness Fallen
    Location
    United States
    This quest is a very old original idea I once had, and with the end of the semester and actual free time, I found myself wanting to polish it up and use it to get my mind used to writing again.

    Four hundred and seventy three years ago, Beren, the first and last Emperor of Elvenkind, drew the ire of the gods. A just and compassionate man, it is not known how, nor why such could have come to pass, but the result, the Reckoning, is a stain that has remained upon the Earth ever since. Hundreds of thousands of miles of blasted desert and dead wastelands, spanning the vast majority of imperial lands, were left in the wake of the Emperor's passing, and worse still was the damage wrought upon the Elves themselves. Once a populous and hardy race, their numbers were brought low in the blast, and the survivors have been far less fertile than their forefathers past.

    The hinterlands which once were burgeoning communities became overrun with the ancestors of Humans, and the colonists, desperate and forgotten in the crisis, mingled with them, and elevated them from base creatures to the petty kings they are today. The Dwarves, ever cautious, ever deliberate, have shut themselves off from the Empire. In all the corners of world, Elves decline. However...

    [] Five hundred and eighty two years ago, you were born.
    [] Four hundred and seventy years ago, you were born.

    Daughter of the Empress, Heir to Empire. You represent the end of half a millennium of decay and decimation. And after centuries of persistence and a sorrowful half-life, Mother is dying. It is your time to rise.

    The Imperial Daughter Aldagard is driven, powerful in magic, and has made great strides in understanding the cause of the Elven plight. Unfortunately, spending decades researching in the Manawastes has driven her slightly mad. As a consequence of this, among other things, the Empress has not seen fit to show her as much favor as her younger sibling.
    The Imperial Daughter Eris is gracious, caring, and pious. She is much beloved by Elvendom, and is heralded as a saint. She has remained in the Imperial Palace for much of her life, and the Empress shows her favor.
     
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    Notable Figures
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    • Touched by Alindis - Aldegard is at the pinnacle of reason and numbers. +12 Stewardship, +6 Arcana, +3 Learning, -3 Martial

    Personality Traits:
    Ambitious - Aldegard is driven to success and status. Improves chance of gaining skill points.
    Arrogant - Aldegard is keenly aware of her superior position, and self-assured in deserving it. Gain Diplomacy as Prestige increases.
    Ruthless - Aldegard is brutal and pragmatic in the extreme. +3 Intrigue, -3 Diplomacy, May use any scheme against any character.

    Genetic Traits:
    Sylvan Beauty - Aldegard is an Elf, a supernaturally beautiful race blessed by the god of the Elves, Sylvas.
    Genius - Aldegard is possessed of almost supernatural intellect and capacity to learn. +5 to all non-magic skills, +3 to all magic skills, improves chance of gaining skill points.

    Other Traits:
    Magical Expertise III - Aldegard is an exceptional spellcaster. +6 Arcana, Forma, and Incanti.
    Scholar - Aldegard is a talented scholar and researcher. Improves all research attempts, and improves gained development in her domain.
    Wastemarked - Aldegard is afflicted by a mostly-benign reaction to overexposure to mana, an ashen complexion and disconcertingly bright eyes. -4 Lux, Elves find this less attractive, other races find it exotic.
    Mental Resilience - Less prone to outbursts when overstressed.
    Mortal Adoration - Lovers will sometimes sacrifice themselves to protect you from assassination.

    Relationships:
    Mother - Mava of Anathros - Weak
    Sister - Eris of Anathros - Weak
    Son - Logon of Anathros - Strong
    Several lesser lovers of little note - Adoration
    Lover - Valerian, Steward of Everlake - Adoration
    Lover - Shiel, Lowborn - Adoration
    Lover - Ethaem, Imperial Assessor - Adoration

    Skills:
    Diplomacy 23 - Aldegard is a passionate orator and a skilled conversationalist.
    Martial 20 - Aldegard has some mastery of war.
    Stewardship 33 - Aldegard is a savant of administration and management.
    Intrigue 23 - Aldegard is exceedingly capable of manipulating the threads of social contract.
    Discipline 17 - Aldegard shows great restraint and forethought.

    Prowess 19 - Aldegard is capable in a fight, but hardly a champion.

    Incanti 13 - Aldegard is very skilled in the use of the magic spoken.
    Forma 14 - Aldegard is very skilled in the use of the magic physical.
    Arcana 17 - Aldegard is a burgeoning peer of the capital's High Arcanists in the magic formulaic.
    Sanguis 16 - Aldegard has mastered the dreaded magic vital.
    Lux 5 - Aldegard is capable of some of the magic spiritual.
    Temporary Modifiers:

    Notable Possessions:
    Unspecified amount of wealth and coin, useless in the frontier

    Summoned or Crafted Beings:
    Vetrix the Foul-Tongued

    Dedication:
    Scholarship and Knowledge - Can give associated traits, sometimes triggers skill point checks

    Touched by Aelin - Eris is at the pinnacle of personal discipline and piety. +12 Discipline, +6 Lux, +3 Diplomacy, -3 Intrigue

    Personality Traits:
    Calm - Eris is stable and level-headed. Reduced stress, and less likely to succumb to panicked decision-making.
    Forgiving - Eris does not hold grudges, and has faith in others. Less annoyed by vices, which makes characters have higher opinion of her.
    Compassionate - Eris is keenly aware of the lives of others. Certain intrigue actions are restricted, other characters have higher opinion of her.

    Genetic Traits:
    Sylvan Beauty - Eris is an Elf, a supernaturally beautiful race blessed by the god of the Elves, Sylvas.
    Hale - Eris is healthy and strong of body. Less likely to succumb to illness or suffer injury. As an Elf, her longer lifespan is hardly noticeable.

    Other Traits:
    Clerical Expertise III - Eris is an exceptional channeler. +6 Lux, Forma, and Incanti.
    Saint - Eris is a true saint. Improves spiritual interactions, and healing spells are enhanced.

    Relationships:
    Mother - Mava of Anathros - Strong
    Sister - Aldegard of Anathros - Weak
    Nephew - Logon of Anathros - Average
    Several lesser friends of little note - Average
    Close Friend - Gallin, Highmost Priest of Sylvas - Strong
    Courtship - Eddilam, Lord of the Third Legion of Anathros - Strong

    Skills:
    Diplomacy 31 - Eris is a supremely gifted speaker.
    Martial 12 - Eris knows only a passable amount of warfare.
    Stewardship 22 - Eris is well-talented in management of a realm.
    Intrigue 6 - Eris is virtually incapable of subterfuge.
    Discipline 35 - Eris is a paragon of enlightenment and personal excellence of spirit.

    Prowess 15 - Eris can hold her own, against a Human.

    Incanti 15 - Eris is very skilled in the use of the magic spoken.
    Forma 12 - Eris is quite skilled in the magic physical.
    Arcana 9 - Eris is quite capable in the magic formulaic.
    Sanguis 0 - Eris refuses to stain her hands with the magic vital.
    Lux 18 - Eris is counted among the High Channelers of the magic spiritual.

    Touched by Vethail - Logon is blessed with supernatural military skill. +12 Martial, +8 Prowess, +3 Forma, -3 Diplomacy

    Personality Traits:
    Impatient - Logon is unwilling to wait for success, and is impulsive, for an elf. He may force tasks to complete faster, but their quality will be reduced.
    Diligent - Logon is conscientious, capable, and exacting. He is less likely to fail any task, but takes longer to complete them.
    Compassionate - Logon is keenly aware of the lives of others. Certain intrigue actions are restricted, other characters have higher opinion of him.

    Genetic Traits:
    Sylvan Beauty - Logon is an Elf, a supernaturally beautiful race blessed by the god of the Elves, Sylvas.
    Genius - Logon is possessed of almost supernatural intellect and capacity to learn. +5 to all non-magic skills, +3 to all magic skills, improves chance of gaining skill points.
    Hale - Logon is healthy and strong of body. Less likely to succumb to illness or suffer injury. As an Elf, his longer lifespan is hardly noticeable.

    Other Traits:
    Son of Venar - Logon's blood ties with the father are considered non-existent, preventing hooks or secrets through parentage. Some elves find this distasteful.

    Relationships:
    Mother - Aldegard of Anathros - Strong
    Grandmother - Mava of Anathros - Weak
    Aunt - Eris of Anathros - Average

    Skills:
    Diplomacy 23
    Martial 42
    Stewardship 15
    Intrigue 6
    Discipline 10

    Prowess 36

    Incanti 5
    Forma 7
    Arcana 4
    Sanguis 3
    Lux 3
     
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    • The Empire
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    • Anathros, the Eternal Empire - First and last nation of the Elves, may it shine another two thousand years.

    The Manawastes - Formerly the eastern hinterlands of the Empire, the Manawastes are both inhospitable and strangely wonderful, a region filled with death, but brimming with mana, powerful spirits, and the potential for life.

    Wandering Tribes - A land of human horselords and herdsmen, the Wandering Tribes have ever been peaceful and avoidant of the Empire.

    Haven Isles - A home for pirates and free traders of all races, the Haven Isles are a mess of small republics and autocrats.

    Feran - The dense jungles of the southern continent are mostly unexplored, though a race similar to the Dwarves home there.

    Saex - Formerly the western colonies of the Empire, the human kingdom of Saex is rife with Half-Elfbloods. Feeling themselves the rightful usurper of the Empire, they are consistent in their encroachment, and the Empress has not had the will to deny them.

    Petty Kingdoms of Man - The other kingdoms of Men on the continent have their share of Half-Elfbloods, but they are limited in number, and the superstition of the many kingdoms see them culled from time to time. They are of little note and barbaric in their ways.

    Markarlands - The Markar are a half-breed race of Man and Dwarf, stubborn, ill-tempered, and ill-disciplined, they conduct raids on all around them, from their dreary and cold homes in the north.

    The Dwarflands - The Dwarves home mountains, where they live in solitude and isolation from outsiders. Their use of unusual mechanical devices is a thing of storied myth.

    ALDEGARD'S HOLDINGS AND COMMANDS
    Population: ~3000, consuming ~30 units of food per anum
    Food stored: 88 units
    EU (Economic Units): 3
    Free Labor: ~2900
    Mage Labor: ~100

    Facilities:
    Walls and Ditches (T2): Provides an automatic success in defense per tier against enemies lacking siege equipment
    Scrier's Tower (50 Mage Laborers - Walled): Provides automatic detection of most activity in the region around the settlement, and direct contact with other such towers
    Simple Farms (T1 - 100 Laborers): Provides between 3 and 12 units of food annually, strongly trending towards the middle of the range
    Tent City (T3 - Sprawl): Provides simple housing for about 3000 people
    Colonial Administration (T1 - Walled): Provides 1 EU annually, as well as enabling more efficient use of labor
     
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    • Other Information
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    • The Five Magics
    The Five Magics are inherent in most races to a limited degree, often to exclusive specialty. Dwarves are innately gifted with Forma, for example, and Humans, at least, those not of the kingdom of Saex, were originally gifted in Incanti. Elves have, since time immemorial, been equally capable of all five magics, and with enough centuries, have been known to exceed even the greatest natural masters of the other races.

    First is the matter of scale. A skill level between 0 and 5 is considered barely enough to perform simple cantrips of the associated magic, if that. From 5 to 10, a mage can perform some small feats in short bursts, such as simple mending or as elite soldiery. Up to 15, a mage can perform larger, more impressive feats, or use their abilities in esoteric ways, even to combine magics. Outside of racial talent, few non-elves ever achieve anything greater than this. Surpassing level 15 is often the work of centuries for dedicated mages, or a blessing of extraordinary talent. Uniquely, those settlers of the Manawastes have a much greater capacity for magic and an easier time learning it, which is probably the only good thing about the region.

    The magic of Incanti is the magic of words, and of ascribing meaning to things. Most Incanti spells are suited to enchantment of people and objects, and are equally split between runic and spoken words. They are relatively simple for the most part, typically individual words of power or runic symbols, though masters can string together chains of powerful words for extreme effects. Generally, Incanti is considered a base magic by the Elves, not in small part due to the natural Human mastery of it.

    The magic of Forma is the magic of physicality and corporeality. Most Forma spells are naturally inclined towards transmutation and manipulation of the physical world, and the physical elements of earth, water, and air are often ascribed to them, but there is more nuance to Forma than the raw elements. While difficult and a relatively niche specialty, Lifeshapers require significant skill in Forma to enact healing or growth of land or people. Dwarves are known to possess natural affinity to Forma, being a very grounded and physical race.

    The magic of Arcana is the magic of logic and formula. Most Arcana spells are inclined towards long-term or far-ranging effects, due to the ability of the self-maintaining spell formulas to propagate over great distances. They are complex and require a strong understanding of mathematics, as well as an inclination to precision. The energetic elements of fire, cold, and lightning are the easiest to manipulate through Arcana. The strange, dwarf-like race of the southern continent is known for a connection to the magic.

    The magic of Sanguis is the magic of vital energy and base emotion. The public perception of Sanguis spells ranges from shameful to criminal among the communities of the world, since very few have ever been discovered that do not have a detrimental effect to the vital spirit of either the caster or their victim. Necromancy, the spawning of ghosts and other vengeful spirits, and demons have known connections to the use of Sanguis. However, a skilled practitioner can benefit greatly from the amount of power it provides, so long as they can find someone to shoulder the burden of it. Demons, when they can enter the material world, are known to use Sanguis, as are the greater undead capable of magic.

    The magic of Lux is the magic of the gods and spirits, and of the pure expression of will. Lux magic allows it's user to channel divine powers and domains without the aid of dedicated priests or godly favor, though the latter still helps, as well as many forms of protection and defense. Lux mages are also capable of crafting or calling upon spirits, creatures of energy that can be used for a number of purposes and have very alien minds, if they possess a mind at all. The Divines, and greater spirits of the world, are the progenitors of Lux, and their existence as beings of will and thought grant them greater understanding of it than most races.
     
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    • Character Specialization
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    • According to ancient tradition, an Elf's life is separated into it's many centuries. The first of these centuries is always spent in childhood, learning the necessary skills to survive in the world. It is in this century that each Elven young learns the blade and bow, their first craft, and develops the wisdom necessary to survive each century thereafter. Each following century of an Elf's life is then a dedication to Sylvas, who spent a lifetime in mastery of each art and each magic. Like Sylvas, an Elf is expected to dedicate each century of their life to mastery of a craft, be it mental or physical in nature.

    Aldegard's current statistics are a measure of her first century, and her most previous two. What did she spend her second, third, and fourth century in pursuit of? (CHOOSE THREE)

    Primary Choices (REPEATABLE, using x2 at the end of the vote, each choice triggers a series of rolls and gains for the skill in question, averaging around 8 additional points):
    [] Mastery of Speech, Eloquence, and Graciousness
    [] Mastery of Strategy, War, and Soldiery
    [] Mastery of Mathematics, Management, and Logic
    [] Mastery of Cunning, Cleverness, and Deception
    [] Mastery of Self, Soul, and Body
    [] Mastery of Blade and Bow
    [] Mastery of (Magic School)

    Secondary Choices (NOT REPEATABLE, each choice triggers a series of rolls and gains for all manner of other things, from mystical equipment to lovers):
    [] Mastery of Diplomacy
    [] Mastery of Artifice
    [] Mastery of Command
    [] Mastery of the Forge
    [] Mastery of Business
    [] Mastery of Seduction
    [] Mastery over Death
    [] Mastery of Summoning
     
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    • Scheduled vote count started by Powerofmind on Dec 9, 2020 at 2:54 PM, finished with 33 posts and 22 votes.
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    • The Halcyon Days of Youth: 0-100
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    • She comes to be abruptly. She is... Aldegard. She likes many things, and dislikes many things. She likes Mommy and Daddy. She likes playing. She does not like having to wait. She is silently amazed at her newfound clarity, and ponders the nature of consciousness and the self in the simple, absolute terms of a child.

    "Allie, what are you doing over here?" Calls her father. "Has something caught your eye, little one?"

    "No Daddy!" She runs along the garden path to catch up, ideas forgotten.

    -----

    Her parents tell her many times to take joy in her simple and easy youth, but Aldegard never saw much worth desiring in idleness. After the third time she had been caught trying to crack open a magelight, her father cut into the middle of Mother's scolding to suggest that Aldegard be apprenticed earlier than tradition dictated.

    Aldegard's tenth birthday is accompanied by a similar announcement, and Aldegard immediately cheers in joy at seeing the mage her parents said will be her Master for the next few decades. It takes a bit of extra work to make her understand that her master does not exist solely to answer her petty questions about the inner workings of a magelight.

    -----

    Aldegard chafes under the yolk of her first apprenticeship. Years of study and fetching for a self-important lackey of her parents have made her seek out more and more creative means of 'proving' her completion of the apprenticeship, and her mastery of her first craft, and her insubordination of her master is simply too much for the man to take after she publishes a well-regarded work under his name that his peers cannot distinguish from his own writings.

    Her parents don't even bother punishing him for his outburst as he drags her into their court and loudly declares that she is no longer his problem.

    -----

    She spends much of the remainder of the century in the libraries and studies of the High College, being interrupted in her fifties to set aside a decade for training in swordplay and archery. She is utterly engrossed in earning a seat at the Mage Council, a feat she manages in her ninties, which few other geniuses can boast before her. Several parents on the council attempt to obliquely give their condolences to Mother and Father for their frustratingly precocious child.

    Aldegard just wonders what she'll dedicate herself to mastering in a few years on her hundredth birthday.
     
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    • Ashes... Ashes... All... Fall... 101-200
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    • Learning Results: 9 + critical development (Mental Resilience - Less prone to outbursts when overstressed)
    -----

    On the eve of your birthday, Aldegard announces to the people around her that she's decided to dedicate herself to the mastery of spirit and body, to seclude herself in the trappings of the ascetics and monks, and find understanding of self in the urges she will deny. Despite the solemn air of the proclamation to her parents, she feels a distinct eagerness to partake in the next hundred years of solace and quietude, though she's sure there's some minor perversion to be found in being eager for such deprivation.

    Her mother nods, and Aldegard suspects mother's eagerness for her to reign herself in after her impetuous youth. Father, on the other hand, seems almost sad to hear that she will not be shattering the practiced calm of his courtiers for the next hundred summers. "Little one, you have to promise me that you'll cause quite the uproar next century!"

    "Father! I'm-" She stalls, seeing his smirk and mother's rolling eyes at her outburst, and sighs, composing herself. "I'm past my hundredth year. I'm not a child any longer."

    "Boo, I shall have to convince your mother to make another one, then, you were more fun when you were infuriating the court!"

    Aldegard can't help the upturn of her lips. "Well, Father, I'm sure after a hundred years of time to plan I'll have many more disruptions for you to enjoy, but you're ruining my efforts already!" She does not care that she sounds petulant. Because she does not sound petulant.

    Father's smile is warmer, understanding. Aldegard feels a sense of respect that she has never felt from any thousand-year. "Very well, Little one, I shall leave you to the temples, then."

    -----

    Aldegard is quiet, thoughtful, and solemn. So much so that, despite the peace she has for herself, her fellows and superiors cannot help but gain a growing sense of nerves after what they'd heard of her from their own families and friends. She takes no more than any other, and only rarely engages in the few pleasures still open to the monks. The only indulgence she gives herself regularly is the yearly meeting with family. She is such a cause for vexation that several of the most practiced have used her repeatedly as a means to grapple with the base desire of envy in themselves.

    -----

    Aldegard allows herself to smile a little. Father takes most of the time of the meeting up with talking, and mother can say little, such is his fervor. He tries, to increasingly little avail, to rouse her desire for a spirited debate. This year, he speaks of powerful and mysterious places in the eastern hinterlands. Fonts of spiritual energy and mystical lifesprings rarely seen in such concentrations elsewhere. Aldegard's heart yearns to discuss, to ask for more. It especially yearns to study the place herself.

    She also cannot help but notice the rounding of mother's stomach. "When is the child due, mother?" She should have expected the reply to come from her overexcited father, as it did. "Oh, three months from now, most likely." Mother's sigh is one of much put upon suffering.

    -----

    Aldegard looks down at the yearling child, smiling up at her and giggling from her spot perched on her lap. She cannot really restrain herself from smiling.

    -----

    Father has been on pilgrimage for a few months now, following his last meeting with Aldegard. She has settled back into her routine of picking apart her motivations, her desires laid out in her mind's eye. Then it happens. The world shakes and rumbles, the truth of it only further evidenced by the grains of mortar and dust streaming from the ceilings. Aldegard moves swiftly, the vows of asceticism may be cast off in an emergency, and draws a glaive from the temple armory with her peers, who all rush outside with her.

    Someone points. Aldegard stares, face blanched and heart gripped with fear, and sees the aftermath of the catastrophic event. From their place on the lower mountains north of the capital, they can see the formerly-green and lush east has become a desolate hellscape, the land blackened, the trees and even the terrain burned flat. All that stands are deadwoods, bent and broken in the same direction. It takes a few moments for her mind to traitorously supply thoughts of Father and his expedition, and...

    and...

    Aldegard bites her tongue, her eyes clear, and her wails are cut short. A strangled noise escapes her throat, even as others among her dedication collapse, overwhelmed by the very grief she feels, tears streaming from their faces and hiccuping cries issuing from their mouths.

    Aldegard cannot remember how her feet return her to her cell. The following days are spent less in contemplation, but in what little grief she allows herself to express.

    -----

    By the time she is ten, Eris no longer remembers Father, and being confronted with her during the family meeting time is agonizing. When she is twenty, Aldegard asks mother to stop bringing her. Without Eris, their conversations become stilted, awkward, and increasingly formal. Mother could never understand her first child. Aldegard could not understand what her mother wanted her to be.

    Eventually, the cracks of maintaining such discipline, of denying herself grief, leave Aldegard feeling cold. Her words are sharp, her actions devoid of compassion. She pays little more than lip service for the remaining decades. Eventually, near the end of her time in the temple, Eris returns of her own volition, Mother no longer capable of restricting her.

    Aldegard hates her kindness.
     
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    • Out of the Convent, Into the Fire: 201-229
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    • A Warning for the unprepared: Some of the things Aldegard does are of questionable morality, as anyone who would attempt to make sport of seducing others or trying to convince them to bend their morals for her own benefit. Aldegard is a person, and, as a person, naturally makes bad choices sometimes. This is not the players' fault. She likely would have found some way to do something objectively bad eventually even if you didn't pick this dedication. That said, I will not shy away from writing what I have been asked to write as I do see some value in narrating it, but I will not go into great detail or describe the course of events beyond the broadest and most important terms for the story.

    Seduction Results: Gained a few lovers. Gained a child. Gained 2 Intrigue. (Smooth Operator - Aldegard succeeds much more often when seducing)
    Eris chooses to dedicate herself to Diplomacy, and the forming of bonds: Gained three close friends. Gained a courtship (which may take a while).

    For those who would rather not read to the bottom for the vote.
    [] Name him (write in)
    [] Let mother do it.




















    -----

    Aldegard returns to the palace to find things much changed. There is tension and furtive glances, scheming and power-mongering. Courtiers and supplicants who bowed head to Beren are not so willing to bow to Mava. Lesser houses see weakness in an aging and grieving woman whose children are young and do not conform easily with tradition.

    Aldegard sees only carrion feeders and maggots, eager to dine on the corpse of her father. Her mother commands loyalty, but Father asked for one last glorious uproar. Aldegard honors his wish, and descends immediately into hedonism and debauchery. It is not often considered a positive decision, but there exists a grand sub-culture of those elves who have chosen to give themselves over to Venar, God of fertility and love, for a century, and it is a group Aldegard enters with the same air of conquest she has entered all of her trades and efforts. At each party, at each meal, her entrance is punctuated by her gaze selecting her current victim.

    --ACTUALLY QUESTIONABLE BEHAVIOR BEGINS HERE--

    There is an unspoken rule among the devoted that Venars should not approach those that have never been dedicated to him. The convoluted tradition has many words which essentially boil down to 'if it were desired, they would have done so.' Aldegard sees only a challenge yet unsurmounted. Having taken her pick of the hedonists, she sets her sights on an ascetic, one without the means to complete her dedication in the temples proper. Naturally her fellows cheer on her bravado and ignorance of the consequences, so when Aldegard is spurned, she has a few desperate men and women willing to assist her if it means sharing the princess' bed.

    Her approach of the ascetic is methodical, precise, and exact. Study of peculiar texts and inflammatory writings offer her a means of driving the girl to the edges of madness, the seduction of her circle of friends, generous bribes to the greedier voices in her life, turning her planned period of solace into frustration and desperation both, thoughts meant to be turned to matters of self instead driven down paths of want and need and lust.

    'The defeat' is much celebrated by the fellow devotees, and Aldegard learns of several who had previously kept their pasts private when they cannot help but obliquely express their own feelings on the matter, good or bad. The girl herself returns to her asceticism shortly after, but smouldering letters continue to reach you now and again from an anonymous source.

    --BEHAVIOR ENDS HERE--

    Mother is, of course, mortified by the whole affair, but her concerns are rendered somewhat moot when you come to be with child in the middle of your dedication. Indeed, your fertility is so unusual in the wake of the Catastrophe that you quiet many grumblings of the aristocracy an high court simply with the presence of a bastard in your stomach.

    Even with that being the case, there is no way for her to force you or whichever lover it may have been to marry, as for once longstanding tradition surrounding the dedications falls in your favor. The child is yours and yours alone, a little baby boy...

    [] Name him (write in)
    [] Let mother do it.
     
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    • Scheduled vote count started by Powerofmind on Dec 14, 2020 at 3:22 PM, finished with 34 posts and 20 votes.
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