Flandre's Quest (Touhou) World - (Madness Quest)
- Thread starter Entropy Judge
- Start date
[X] Spend time with Lutecia And Agito.
- [X] Chat with them and like Agito say, communicate more with each other to understands each other better. Make it a habit.
- [X] Work out our relationship with Agito. How you and her are going to handle problems in the future.
[X] Deal with any problems subtly.
- [X] Chat with them and like Agito say, communicate more with each other to understands each other better. Make it a habit.
- [X] Work out our relationship with Agito. How you and her are going to handle problems in the future.
[X] Deal with any problems subtly.
Slith10
Back from the dead and ready to party!
- Location
- New Zealand
He knows about Lutecia.
[X] Go to Calixto's House of Curiosities.
- [ ] Alone. We can wreck him when he tries to lure us into a back-room/etc because we are a pretty girl who is alone.
- [ ] Invite Lutecia and Agito. He doesn't keep the bodies in the house (Abandoned Whatsit Manor if I remember correctly) so 'Backup' probably won't matter this visit.
[X] Go to Calixto's House of Curiosities.
- [ ] Alone. We can wreck him when he tries to lure us into a back-room/etc because we are a pretty girl who is alone.
- [ ] Invite Lutecia and Agito. He doesn't keep the bodies in the house (Abandoned Whatsit Manor if I remember correctly) so 'Backup' probably won't matter this visit.
[X] Go to Calixto's House of Curiosities.
- [X] Invite Lutecia and Agito.
- [ ]Sticky fingers. Nocturnal is best waifu. Swiper, yes swiping. Remember to pick something up from the 'gift shop' actual, real gift shop. If there isn't one, improvise one that's a shame. Steal something cool, is essentially what I'm saying.
[X] Let the guards handle any problems unless it looks like they're going to lose.
-[X] Deal with any problems subtly.
- [X] Invite Lutecia and Agito.
- [ ]
[X] Let the guards handle any problems unless it looks like they're going to lose.
-[X] Deal with any problems subtly.
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Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Votes are not locked.
[X] Spend time with Lutecia And Agito.
- [X] Chat with them and like Agito say, communicate more with each other to understands each other better. Make it a habit.
- [X] Work out our relationship with Agito. How you and her are going to handle problems in the future.
2
[X] Go to Calixto's House of Curiosities.
- [X] Invite Lutecia and Agito.
3
[X] Go to Calixto's House of Curiosities.
1
[X] Deal with any problems subtly.
2
[X] Let the guards handle any problems unless it looks like they're going to lose.
-[X] Deal with any problems subtly.
3
- [X] Chat with them and like Agito say, communicate more with each other to understands each other better. Make it a habit.
- [X] Work out our relationship with Agito. How you and her are going to handle problems in the future.
2
[X] Go to Calixto's House of Curiosities.
- [X] Invite Lutecia and Agito.
3
[X] Go to Calixto's House of Curiosities.
1
[X] Deal with any problems subtly.
2
[X] Let the guards handle any problems unless it looks like they're going to lose.
-[X] Deal with any problems subtly.
3
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Votes are locked.
Edit: Hm.
[X] Spend time with Lutecia And Agito.
- [X] Chat with them and like Agito say, communicate more with each other to understands each other better. Make it a habit.
- [X] Work out our relationship with Agito. How you and her are going to handle problems in the future.
2
[X] Go to Calixto's House of Curiosities.
- [X] Invite Lutecia and Agito.
4
[X] Deal with any problems subtly.
2
[X] Let the guards handle any problems unless it looks like they're going to lose.
-[X] Deal with any problems subtly.
4
- [X] Chat with them and like Agito say, communicate more with each other to understands each other better. Make it a habit.
- [X] Work out our relationship with Agito. How you and her are going to handle problems in the future.
2
[X] Go to Calixto's House of Curiosities.
- [X] Invite Lutecia and Agito.
4
[X] Deal with any problems subtly.
2
[X] Let the guards handle any problems unless it looks like they're going to lose.
-[X] Deal with any problems subtly.
4
Edit: Hm.
Last edited:
Road to Winterhold
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
[X] Go to Calixto's House of Curiosities.
- [X] Invite Lutecia and Agito.
[X] Let the guards handle any problems unless it looks like they're going to lose.
-[X] Deal with any problems subtly.
You sit up straight and put your hands in your lap, eyes directed at the center of the table. You're going to be making a request, after all … the others notice your adjustment and look at you, and you take a breath. "Agito, Lutecia, um, I was thinking about going to see the House of Curiosities. Would you like to come with me?" You fumble a bit, rephrasing what you were going to say so it sounds less commanding, and you clench your fists. "You don't have to if you don't want to, though, I just …." You start to look up, then sink back. They're quiet for a moment.
"Well, we are going to be waiting for a few hours, so unless you wanted to do something else …?" Agito trails off, and you glance up after a moment. Sedris seems to be amused by what's going on, but Lutecia is looking down at the table. After another few seconds, she nods slightly, and Agito relaxes and smiles at Sedris. "Thank you for telling us about when we leave. Should we join the caravan at the stableyard?"
"No, meet me here. I take you." Agito scowls at her.
"We don't need a babysitter," she sends, and Sedris chuckles and pats her once on the head before leaving. Agito growls at her for a moment, then looks at Lutecia. "You did want to go there, right? You're not just agreeing because I agreed with Flandre?" You jerk your head up worriedly, but Lutecia shakes her head.
"I do want to go." She smiles slightly at you before looking back down at the table.
"Well then, we should probably get moving; you know, beat the lines, make sure we're back on time, and all that." Agito ushers you out of the inn. The sun is bright, and there aren't any clouds in this part of the sky, so it takes you a few moments to adjust to being outside. Still, it's not that much of a nuisance once you get down to it. You're certainly still much stronger than a human, after all. The three of you stay close as you make your way through the streets, and between the snow and the other people moving through the streets, it takes you nearly forty minutes to reach your destination. "So this is it, huh?" Agito seems distinctly unimpressed, and you sigh.
"You can't start out disappointed, Agito! You don't even know what's inside." Suiting actions to words, you step forward and open the door and step inside. Agito gives you a smug look as you look around, and you feel a little betrayed by your surroundings. Despite the numerous shelves with objects, the building is little more than a refurbished home, and not particularly well-decorated, either. You just hope his 'Curiosities' are enough to make the trip worth it as a man steps into the main area from a back room.
"Welcome!" He smiles at the three of you and gives a short speech that you don't really understand. Lutecia removes her hood, and his face lights up as he babbles on, something about a girl and night? Yes, Lutecia did say she met someone leaving the building, and she asked about coming here. "Ah! Most impressive magic!" He clears his throat. "I am Calixto Corrium, and this my House of Curiosities! My sister and I gathered wonderful artifacts, and I have displayed them for joy of all. For five septims, I can guide, or you can browse. What say you?" Your hand is already in your cloak when Lutecia looks hopefully at you, and you withdraw the coins and hold them out to the man. Agito rolls her eyes when his back is turned but seems interested as well. He points out some of the items - eggs from dangerous spiders and gigantic underground insects, ground residue from elemental creatures - but the pride of the first display is a collection of odd tools. "Tools retrieved from ancient crypt near city. Belonging to ancient Nords of Skyrim, before First Empire, believed for preparing dead for burial!" You lean close even as Lutecia and Agito look apprehensive. Scissors, scalpel, and two other tools, a hook and a twisted rod. You frown as you study them - you can smell blood on the scalpel. It's faint, and there's a masking odor, but you're pretty sure that someone's spilled blood with it fairly recently. You hide a scowl; now you're hungry. After giving you all a chance to examine the tools and ask questions, he displays the next shelf.
Lutecia and Agito are amusingly squeamish about the massive toes on one of the shelves, and you're interested to learn that the purple crystals, like the one you remember from Riverwood, are soul gems. If these people know how to use necromancy … you've still got some Soul Gems, and a lot of Grief Seeds. You make a note to ask about that when you get to the College. The centerpiece of this section, however, is something called the "Book of Fate." "It is supposed to describe destiny of reader, so it changes from one to next. Some are blank, no matter what, and is mysterious. Perhaps outside Fate, or signifying imminent death. Care to seek your Fate?" He holds the closed book out for one of you to take, and Agito takes it, a confident smirk on her face. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and opens the book and here eyes at the same time.
"Blank. Nothing." She shakes her head as she hands it to Lutecia. "Guess I'm too amazing to have a destiny planned out for me." Lutecia takes the book and opens it after a moment's hesitation - and after a few seconds of staring at the pages, drops the book and recoils away from it, face pale. "Lulu!"
"Lutecia? Are you okay?" Calixto seems worried as well, but after a few moments of shaking, she recovers.
"I … I'm fine, everyone. I saw …." She trails off, and you shake her by the shoulder.
"You don't need to talk about if you don't want to, Lulu," Agito says, and you nod. Calixto moves to put the book back on the shelf, but you clear your throat. "Oh, Flandre!"
"I want to see what it shows me!" You pout as adorably as you can at Calixto, and he sighs and hands it over reluctantly. You grin and dance away from the shelves before making a grand spectacle of flipping the book open, the way Patchouli sometimes does if she has an audience. Your finger comes down in the middle of the page … but nothing is there. The page is empty, and you start to scowl, but as you watch, the pages start to turn red, as if by something dripping on them, and when they're completely red, a fountain of blood gushes out, spattering the walls and filling the room - but when it reaches your knees, the illusion fades, and the pages are blank and clear once again. Agito and Lutecia are both staring apprehensively at you, and Calixto seems to be terrified. You wonder how many people saw blank pages when he offered it to them. You close the book and hold it out to him, and he takes it nervously, watching it carefully as he puts it back in its place. Awkwardly, he continues on to the next display.
"These are Dwemer items, found in ruins of one of their cities. The secret to making their metal is lost, but wonders they created live on. More importantly, however, is this - Ysgramor's Soup Spoon!" You can't be certain of Lutecia, but you're pretty sure Agito is giving him a look just as incredulous as the one you're giving him, because he's clearly holding a fork. "I know, your thoughts plain - this is a fork, not spoon! To eat soup with a fork is impossible! Young friends, you did not know Ysgramor!" You're about to respond, to tell him that while eating soup with a fork is impressive, that doesn't change the fact that he's still holding a fork, not a spoon, but Lutecia giggles at his claim, and Agito chuckles as well. You decide to hold off on making him rename the exhibit "Ysgramor's Soup Fork," at least for now, and he leads you on to the final display, a curious flute flanked by bones and skulls. "This is Dancer's Flute, said to topple empires and win wars, to change history's course. When its power is active, men are compelled to dance without control, without cease, until their end." He pauses then, and seems to reconsider something as Lutecia shivers, and he smiles kindly. "Worry not; Dancer's Flute is no threat, for words of activation have been lost for all time." Lutecia smiles at that, and he claps his hands together as he stands up. "And now, tour ends. I thank you for patronage, and wish safety and life to you." You curtsy as he bows and wave as you open the door to leave.
"Well, I liked it. It was interesting." Agito shoots you a look from the corner of her eye, then shrugs.
"I don't know. Does he really think people would believe that stuff about the tools being for burial rites?" You raise an eyebrow as Lutecia nods thoughtfully.
"Why wouldn't they? Scalpel is for cutting into the body so you can remove the organs, the scissors are for trimming things like hair, maybe nails, and the twisted rod is for getting the brain out - you ram it through the nose and stir up the brain until it's liquid, then let it drain. Just not sure what the hook is for …." You frown as you try to work that out, and it's several steps before you realize that your friends are staring at you, and you shrug. "One of the cultures on Earth did that thousands of years ago. A way to preserve the body so it could be used in the afterlife … they just didn't think the brain had anything to do with thinking, so it got tossed." You walk back and seize their wrists, dragging them along with you until their legs start working properly. "But even weirder is Ysgramor's Soup Fork. What about his Salad Spoon? Does he use his Knife to drink, and his Bowl to cut things? It's very strange, and I for one would like to see his entire Dinner Set - do you think he does the full twenty-one course meal, or would he be an eight-course man?" Agito stops again, head buried in her hands, and you wait for her.
"Flan, you're discussing the eating habits of someone we know nothing about except that some guy thinks he can get people to believe he ate soup with a fork." You nod.
"Of course! That's what's really important, isn't it? That's what we're here for! To learn about Ysgramor, to study his artifacts, and to bring back the majesty of Ysgramor's Full Dinner Set so that all may marvel at its excellence!" You end your bombastic speech by thumping your fist against your chest, and after a moment, but Lutecia and Agito break out into laughter. You act hurt for a while, but that only sets Agito off more, and you wait for her to calm down before you lead them back to the inn.
You glance at Sedris as she takes her seat opposite the three of you. There aren't any other passengers in this carriage, and neither of the other two are fully occupied, either. She winks at you, then leans back and watches the sky to the east. It's obvious that bad weather is coming; the only question is whether you can outrun it. Fortunately, the caravan should be able to put the mountains between the weather and it. Even if you do have to backtrack to do it. You scowl, remembering when you'd finally found out the route you'd be taking. You still don't understand why there isn't a road leading directly north - it wouldn't even be particularly hard to do! Instead, the caravan will head west, then northeast through the mountains until it comes out, then north to Winterhold.
To compound matters, the trip is boring. Plants are few and far between, except for scrubby little bushes that can survive the cold, and you drive almost straight through the small sawmill along the river. The road travels steadily higher, and the only interesting thing you find is a huge stone-lined bowl near the road. Sedris frowns as you pass it and tells you that the last time she made this trip, it was domed, not a bowl.
You make camp where the road swings northeast, near the shore of a small lake. Everyone gathers in two heavy tents to sleep at night, though you manage to sneak out and watch the sky, which means you're already awake when a pair of roars send people scrambling out of the tents, and gouts of flame sweep across the night sky. You suppose they're the dragons that have everyone worried, but they're far away and not coming closer, so you relax and head into the tent to get some sleep.
The next day, the climb starts in earnest before dawn - the pace is a little slower, but it's almost a straight shot to break out of the mountains, and the plan is to make camp at a small mine south of Winterhold. Fresh snow and wind-born snow conspire to mask vision and keep the outriders on their toes, and you somehow manage to come parallel to a dilapidated fort before anyone in either group notices the other. An arrow whistles from the wall to sink into the side of the middle carriage, causing confusion and alarm, but when the caravan refuses to return fire, a voice calls out for it to keep moving. The group moves a little faster after that, which probably led to the next incident.
One of the outriders screams and his horse rears and falls. The other guards draw arrows and send them flying over the fallen horse and rider - and then you hear an odd, almost familiar, hooting and roaring, and a massive white-furred creature lumbers into view, galumphing on all fours past the horse as it rights itself. Arrows pelt the bear-sized monster, and you finally recognize it as similar to the three-eyed creature you met on the way to Whiterun. You don't think arrows are going to be sufficient to kill it and start thinking about how you can even the odds without making it too obvious when Sedris stands up and starts chanting. Your head whips around to see her gathering a ball of flame between her hands, and her eyes narrow before she whips her hands out and the orb goes flying. It catches the creature full in the chest and knocks it to its back. She slumps back, breathing heavily, then shakes her head and rises unsteadily to her feet, but no more effort is needed from her - the outriders have the creature surrounded and are jabbing at it with light spears as it tries to rise. It eventually falls, and you turn to look suspiciously at Sedris. She grins and shakes her head.
"You're a mage?" Agito asks. Sedris nods.
"I am. Affiliated with College of Magic, not full member. Work for Company, provide defense and support." She winks and grins again, and you tune out the discussion that rises as you consider the new information. She's a mage - which, really, should have been obvious, since she took to Agito and Lutecia's telepathy so easily and had no issue with you all using it. And she's 'affiliated' with the very place you want to go. Perhaps you could ask her to assist you all in gaining entrance and getting the help you need? You spend quite a lot of time thinking, so much so that the blast of wind as the caravan exits the mountain pass takes you by surprise. You aren't sure whether it's a testament to the speed of the caravan, a display of how much the sun affects you, something else entirely, or a combination of some kind.
"We should be a couple hours from the mine at this pace," you hear from Agito, and nod. That means you're almost to your destination. You don't relax, though … you've relaxed enough this particular trip. Still, it doesn't help much when whirlwinds of snow and pellets of ice mask even your superior senses. It's as much a surprise to you as everyone else when the arrows fall on the carriages, and you hear shrieks of pain from ahead - and a whimper from your side. Agito curls up and drops into the center of the carriage, an arrow protruding from the same arm you injured, and Lutecia drops down to tend to her as well. Sedris leaps to her feet as the driver slumps over, at least two arrows piercing his thick cloak, and a wavering orb of fire forms in her hand as she tries to find a foe to strike. You sit still as another arrow sinks into the seat-back next to you.
What do you do?
[ ] Abandon subtlety.
- [ ] Kill as many as you can.
- [ ] Kill them all!
- - [ ] Track them to their lair and erase them.
[ ] Defensive mode.
- [ ] Stay with Lutecia and Agito, make sure they stay safe.
- [ ] Try to make sure the caravan survives.
[ ] Other?
DM Note:
- [X] Invite Lutecia and Agito.
[X] Let the guards handle any problems unless it looks like they're going to lose.
-[X] Deal with any problems subtly.
You sit up straight and put your hands in your lap, eyes directed at the center of the table. You're going to be making a request, after all … the others notice your adjustment and look at you, and you take a breath. "Agito, Lutecia, um, I was thinking about going to see the House of Curiosities. Would you like to come with me?" You fumble a bit, rephrasing what you were going to say so it sounds less commanding, and you clench your fists. "You don't have to if you don't want to, though, I just …." You start to look up, then sink back. They're quiet for a moment.
"Well, we are going to be waiting for a few hours, so unless you wanted to do something else …?" Agito trails off, and you glance up after a moment. Sedris seems to be amused by what's going on, but Lutecia is looking down at the table. After another few seconds, she nods slightly, and Agito relaxes and smiles at Sedris. "Thank you for telling us about when we leave. Should we join the caravan at the stableyard?"
"No, meet me here. I take you." Agito scowls at her.
"We don't need a babysitter," she sends, and Sedris chuckles and pats her once on the head before leaving. Agito growls at her for a moment, then looks at Lutecia. "You did want to go there, right? You're not just agreeing because I agreed with Flandre?" You jerk your head up worriedly, but Lutecia shakes her head.
"I do want to go." She smiles slightly at you before looking back down at the table.
"Well then, we should probably get moving; you know, beat the lines, make sure we're back on time, and all that." Agito ushers you out of the inn. The sun is bright, and there aren't any clouds in this part of the sky, so it takes you a few moments to adjust to being outside. Still, it's not that much of a nuisance once you get down to it. You're certainly still much stronger than a human, after all. The three of you stay close as you make your way through the streets, and between the snow and the other people moving through the streets, it takes you nearly forty minutes to reach your destination. "So this is it, huh?" Agito seems distinctly unimpressed, and you sigh.
"You can't start out disappointed, Agito! You don't even know what's inside." Suiting actions to words, you step forward and open the door and step inside. Agito gives you a smug look as you look around, and you feel a little betrayed by your surroundings. Despite the numerous shelves with objects, the building is little more than a refurbished home, and not particularly well-decorated, either. You just hope his 'Curiosities' are enough to make the trip worth it as a man steps into the main area from a back room.
"Welcome!" He smiles at the three of you and gives a short speech that you don't really understand. Lutecia removes her hood, and his face lights up as he babbles on, something about a girl and night? Yes, Lutecia did say she met someone leaving the building, and she asked about coming here. "Ah! Most impressive magic!" He clears his throat. "I am Calixto Corrium, and this my House of Curiosities! My sister and I gathered wonderful artifacts, and I have displayed them for joy of all. For five septims, I can guide, or you can browse. What say you?" Your hand is already in your cloak when Lutecia looks hopefully at you, and you withdraw the coins and hold them out to the man. Agito rolls her eyes when his back is turned but seems interested as well. He points out some of the items - eggs from dangerous spiders and gigantic underground insects, ground residue from elemental creatures - but the pride of the first display is a collection of odd tools. "Tools retrieved from ancient crypt near city. Belonging to ancient Nords of Skyrim, before First Empire, believed for preparing dead for burial!" You lean close even as Lutecia and Agito look apprehensive. Scissors, scalpel, and two other tools, a hook and a twisted rod. You frown as you study them - you can smell blood on the scalpel. It's faint, and there's a masking odor, but you're pretty sure that someone's spilled blood with it fairly recently. You hide a scowl; now you're hungry. After giving you all a chance to examine the tools and ask questions, he displays the next shelf.
Lutecia and Agito are amusingly squeamish about the massive toes on one of the shelves, and you're interested to learn that the purple crystals, like the one you remember from Riverwood, are soul gems. If these people know how to use necromancy … you've still got some Soul Gems, and a lot of Grief Seeds. You make a note to ask about that when you get to the College. The centerpiece of this section, however, is something called the "Book of Fate." "It is supposed to describe destiny of reader, so it changes from one to next. Some are blank, no matter what, and is mysterious. Perhaps outside Fate, or signifying imminent death. Care to seek your Fate?" He holds the closed book out for one of you to take, and Agito takes it, a confident smirk on her face. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and opens the book and here eyes at the same time.
"Blank. Nothing." She shakes her head as she hands it to Lutecia. "Guess I'm too amazing to have a destiny planned out for me." Lutecia takes the book and opens it after a moment's hesitation - and after a few seconds of staring at the pages, drops the book and recoils away from it, face pale. "Lulu!"
"Lutecia? Are you okay?" Calixto seems worried as well, but after a few moments of shaking, she recovers.
"I … I'm fine, everyone. I saw …." She trails off, and you shake her by the shoulder.
"You don't need to talk about if you don't want to, Lulu," Agito says, and you nod. Calixto moves to put the book back on the shelf, but you clear your throat. "Oh, Flandre!"
"I want to see what it shows me!" You pout as adorably as you can at Calixto, and he sighs and hands it over reluctantly. You grin and dance away from the shelves before making a grand spectacle of flipping the book open, the way Patchouli sometimes does if she has an audience. Your finger comes down in the middle of the page … but nothing is there. The page is empty, and you start to scowl, but as you watch, the pages start to turn red, as if by something dripping on them, and when they're completely red, a fountain of blood gushes out, spattering the walls and filling the room - but when it reaches your knees, the illusion fades, and the pages are blank and clear once again. Agito and Lutecia are both staring apprehensively at you, and Calixto seems to be terrified. You wonder how many people saw blank pages when he offered it to them. You close the book and hold it out to him, and he takes it nervously, watching it carefully as he puts it back in its place. Awkwardly, he continues on to the next display.
"These are Dwemer items, found in ruins of one of their cities. The secret to making their metal is lost, but wonders they created live on. More importantly, however, is this - Ysgramor's Soup Spoon!" You can't be certain of Lutecia, but you're pretty sure Agito is giving him a look just as incredulous as the one you're giving him, because he's clearly holding a fork. "I know, your thoughts plain - this is a fork, not spoon! To eat soup with a fork is impossible! Young friends, you did not know Ysgramor!" You're about to respond, to tell him that while eating soup with a fork is impressive, that doesn't change the fact that he's still holding a fork, not a spoon, but Lutecia giggles at his claim, and Agito chuckles as well. You decide to hold off on making him rename the exhibit "Ysgramor's Soup Fork," at least for now, and he leads you on to the final display, a curious flute flanked by bones and skulls. "This is Dancer's Flute, said to topple empires and win wars, to change history's course. When its power is active, men are compelled to dance without control, without cease, until their end." He pauses then, and seems to reconsider something as Lutecia shivers, and he smiles kindly. "Worry not; Dancer's Flute is no threat, for words of activation have been lost for all time." Lutecia smiles at that, and he claps his hands together as he stands up. "And now, tour ends. I thank you for patronage, and wish safety and life to you." You curtsy as he bows and wave as you open the door to leave.
"Well, I liked it. It was interesting." Agito shoots you a look from the corner of her eye, then shrugs.
"I don't know. Does he really think people would believe that stuff about the tools being for burial rites?" You raise an eyebrow as Lutecia nods thoughtfully.
"Why wouldn't they? Scalpel is for cutting into the body so you can remove the organs, the scissors are for trimming things like hair, maybe nails, and the twisted rod is for getting the brain out - you ram it through the nose and stir up the brain until it's liquid, then let it drain. Just not sure what the hook is for …." You frown as you try to work that out, and it's several steps before you realize that your friends are staring at you, and you shrug. "One of the cultures on Earth did that thousands of years ago. A way to preserve the body so it could be used in the afterlife … they just didn't think the brain had anything to do with thinking, so it got tossed." You walk back and seize their wrists, dragging them along with you until their legs start working properly. "But even weirder is Ysgramor's Soup Fork. What about his Salad Spoon? Does he use his Knife to drink, and his Bowl to cut things? It's very strange, and I for one would like to see his entire Dinner Set - do you think he does the full twenty-one course meal, or would he be an eight-course man?" Agito stops again, head buried in her hands, and you wait for her.
"Flan, you're discussing the eating habits of someone we know nothing about except that some guy thinks he can get people to believe he ate soup with a fork." You nod.
"Of course! That's what's really important, isn't it? That's what we're here for! To learn about Ysgramor, to study his artifacts, and to bring back the majesty of Ysgramor's Full Dinner Set so that all may marvel at its excellence!" You end your bombastic speech by thumping your fist against your chest, and after a moment, but Lutecia and Agito break out into laughter. You act hurt for a while, but that only sets Agito off more, and you wait for her to calm down before you lead them back to the inn.
You glance at Sedris as she takes her seat opposite the three of you. There aren't any other passengers in this carriage, and neither of the other two are fully occupied, either. She winks at you, then leans back and watches the sky to the east. It's obvious that bad weather is coming; the only question is whether you can outrun it. Fortunately, the caravan should be able to put the mountains between the weather and it. Even if you do have to backtrack to do it. You scowl, remembering when you'd finally found out the route you'd be taking. You still don't understand why there isn't a road leading directly north - it wouldn't even be particularly hard to do! Instead, the caravan will head west, then northeast through the mountains until it comes out, then north to Winterhold.
To compound matters, the trip is boring. Plants are few and far between, except for scrubby little bushes that can survive the cold, and you drive almost straight through the small sawmill along the river. The road travels steadily higher, and the only interesting thing you find is a huge stone-lined bowl near the road. Sedris frowns as you pass it and tells you that the last time she made this trip, it was domed, not a bowl.
You make camp where the road swings northeast, near the shore of a small lake. Everyone gathers in two heavy tents to sleep at night, though you manage to sneak out and watch the sky, which means you're already awake when a pair of roars send people scrambling out of the tents, and gouts of flame sweep across the night sky. You suppose they're the dragons that have everyone worried, but they're far away and not coming closer, so you relax and head into the tent to get some sleep.
The next day, the climb starts in earnest before dawn - the pace is a little slower, but it's almost a straight shot to break out of the mountains, and the plan is to make camp at a small mine south of Winterhold. Fresh snow and wind-born snow conspire to mask vision and keep the outriders on their toes, and you somehow manage to come parallel to a dilapidated fort before anyone in either group notices the other. An arrow whistles from the wall to sink into the side of the middle carriage, causing confusion and alarm, but when the caravan refuses to return fire, a voice calls out for it to keep moving. The group moves a little faster after that, which probably led to the next incident.
One of the outriders screams and his horse rears and falls. The other guards draw arrows and send them flying over the fallen horse and rider - and then you hear an odd, almost familiar, hooting and roaring, and a massive white-furred creature lumbers into view, galumphing on all fours past the horse as it rights itself. Arrows pelt the bear-sized monster, and you finally recognize it as similar to the three-eyed creature you met on the way to Whiterun. You don't think arrows are going to be sufficient to kill it and start thinking about how you can even the odds without making it too obvious when Sedris stands up and starts chanting. Your head whips around to see her gathering a ball of flame between her hands, and her eyes narrow before she whips her hands out and the orb goes flying. It catches the creature full in the chest and knocks it to its back. She slumps back, breathing heavily, then shakes her head and rises unsteadily to her feet, but no more effort is needed from her - the outriders have the creature surrounded and are jabbing at it with light spears as it tries to rise. It eventually falls, and you turn to look suspiciously at Sedris. She grins and shakes her head.
"You're a mage?" Agito asks. Sedris nods.
"I am. Affiliated with College of Magic, not full member. Work for Company, provide defense and support." She winks and grins again, and you tune out the discussion that rises as you consider the new information. She's a mage - which, really, should have been obvious, since she took to Agito and Lutecia's telepathy so easily and had no issue with you all using it. And she's 'affiliated' with the very place you want to go. Perhaps you could ask her to assist you all in gaining entrance and getting the help you need? You spend quite a lot of time thinking, so much so that the blast of wind as the caravan exits the mountain pass takes you by surprise. You aren't sure whether it's a testament to the speed of the caravan, a display of how much the sun affects you, something else entirely, or a combination of some kind.
"We should be a couple hours from the mine at this pace," you hear from Agito, and nod. That means you're almost to your destination. You don't relax, though … you've relaxed enough this particular trip. Still, it doesn't help much when whirlwinds of snow and pellets of ice mask even your superior senses. It's as much a surprise to you as everyone else when the arrows fall on the carriages, and you hear shrieks of pain from ahead - and a whimper from your side. Agito curls up and drops into the center of the carriage, an arrow protruding from the same arm you injured, and Lutecia drops down to tend to her as well. Sedris leaps to her feet as the driver slumps over, at least two arrows piercing his thick cloak, and a wavering orb of fire forms in her hand as she tries to find a foe to strike. You sit still as another arrow sinks into the seat-back next to you.
What do you do?
[ ] Abandon subtlety.
- [ ] Kill as many as you can.
- [ ] Kill them all!
- - [ ] Track them to their lair and erase them.
[ ] Defensive mode.
- [ ] Stay with Lutecia and Agito, make sure they stay safe.
- [ ] Try to make sure the caravan survives.
[ ] Other?
DM Note:
This can only mean good things.
Edit: Also, this is an enchantment that we'll need to replicate and have activate every time that uber-parasol opens.
Hmm. I'm not sure what Flan could do here that wouldn't raise inconvenient questions from any survivors. People already know that Lutecia is a mage, though, so perhaps she can summon whatshisdude to clean house while we sit back and punch any arrows that get too close out of the air. Demonstrating her magical prowess might also help when it comes to getting the Collage to let us in.
Last edited:
Sinsystems
Patron Librarian
[X] Make a clone to protect the Caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can, maybe even have a snack while you are at it.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can, maybe even have a snack while you are at it.
- Location
- Postcard from the Root
[X] Defensive mode.
- [X] Stay with Lutecia and Agito, make sure they stay safe.
- [X] Stay with Lutecia and Agito, make sure they stay safe.
Slith10
Back from the dead and ready to party!
- Location
- New Zealand
This seems good, but maybe an 'improved' vote would be better. Until then I'm voting for:
[X] Make a clone to protect the Caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can, maybe even have a snack while you are at it.
[X] Make a clone to protect the Caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can, maybe even have a snack while you are at it.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
And now I'm imagining Garyuu in a cowboy hat riding a Chaurus.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Votes are not locked.
[X] Defensive mode.
- [X] Try to make sure the caravan survives.
1
[X] Make a clone to protect the Caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can, maybe even have a snack while you are at it.
3
[X] Make a clone to go out and fight/cause distraction. Stay back ourself and cover the caravan.
1
[X] Defensive mode.
- [X] Stay with Lutecia and Agito, make sure they stay safe.
1
[X] Defensive mode.
- [X] Stay with Lutecia and Agito, make sure they stay safe.
[X] What's a party without guests?
- [X] Send Garyuu and invisible clones out to Kill them all!
1
- [X] Try to make sure the caravan survives.
1
[X] Make a clone to protect the Caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can, maybe even have a snack while you are at it.
3
[X] Make a clone to go out and fight/cause distraction. Stay back ourself and cover the caravan.
1
[X] Defensive mode.
- [X] Stay with Lutecia and Agito, make sure they stay safe.
1
[X] Defensive mode.
- [X] Stay with Lutecia and Agito, make sure they stay safe.
[X] What's a party without guests?
- [X] Send Garyuu and invisible clones out to Kill them all!
1
- Location
- A Place Miserably Bereft of Cats
I think Garyuu might actually be better suited for bodyguard duty than Flan is. Increased body size and ridiculously tough chitin armor being a couple of reasons, but the biggest is that he's just less... prone to bursts of limb-shearing strength.
[x] Ask if Garyuu to protect the caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can.
[x] Ask if Garyuu to protect the caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can.
Slith10
Back from the dead and ready to party!
- Location
- New Zealand
Modified.
[X] Make a clone to protect the Caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can, maybe even have a snack while you are at it.
(We can make more clones as we fight.)
[X] What's a party without guests?
- [X] Send Garyuu out with us.
[X] Make a clone to protect the Caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can, maybe even have a snack while you are at it.
(We can make more clones as we fight.)
[X] What's a party without guests?
- [X] Send Garyuu out with us.
Being larger might mean that he's a more noticeable target, and it's possible that people may mistake the great, big, chitin armoured mofo for some kind of falmer super-soldier / den-mother (omake senses tingling). The last thing we want is for friendly fireballs to be hurled in the direction of the people we're trying to keep safe.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Votes are now locked.
[X] Defensive mode.
- [X] Try to make sure the caravan survives.
1
[X] Make a clone to protect the Caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can, maybe even have a snack while you are at it.
2
[X] Make a clone to go out and fight/cause distraction. Stay back ourself and cover the caravan.
1
[X] Defensive mode.
- [X] Stay with Lutecia and Agito, make sure they stay safe.
1
[X] Defensive mode.
- [X] Stay with Lutecia and Agito, make sure they stay safe.
[X] What's a party without guests?
- [X] Send Garyuu and invisible clones out to Kill them all!
1
[x] Ask if Garyuu to protect the caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can.
1
[X] Make a clone to protect the Caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can, maybe even have a snack while you are at it.
[X] What's a party without guests?
- [X] Send Garyuu out with us.
1
- [X] Try to make sure the caravan survives.
1
[X] Make a clone to protect the Caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can, maybe even have a snack while you are at it.
2
[X] Make a clone to go out and fight/cause distraction. Stay back ourself and cover the caravan.
1
[X] Defensive mode.
- [X] Stay with Lutecia and Agito, make sure they stay safe.
1
[X] Defensive mode.
- [X] Stay with Lutecia and Agito, make sure they stay safe.
[X] What's a party without guests?
- [X] Send Garyuu and invisible clones out to Kill them all!
1
[x] Ask if Garyuu to protect the caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can.
1
[X] Make a clone to protect the Caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can, maybe even have a snack while you are at it.
[X] What's a party without guests?
- [X] Send Garyuu out with us.
1
Ambush!
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
[X] Make a clone to protect the Caravan and ensure it survives.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can, maybe even have a snack while you are at it.
You calmly remove your cloak and sweep it over Lutecia as she crouches over Agito. It takes her a moment to realize what you did, and you gently push her head back down when she tries to look at you. Sedris is still looking away, so you draw forth your clones and send them out to make sure the caravan stays safe. Defense is really the worst thing to do with an ambush, especially stationary defense; the attacker wouldn't have picked the time and place he did unless he'd accounted for all variables - and with that in mind, your clones, one for each wagon, first sweep the back of the caravan, the direction from which the arrows did not come. It seems clear, but with the reminder, you know they'll keep an eye out for sneaky foes. As they return, preparing to focus on ensuring that the horses aren't injured, Sedris sucks in her breath, and you look past her to see a pale, scrawny, goblin-like thing only a few meters away. It looses an arrow from its bow just before Sedris discharges her spell at it, and she tumbles back with the explosion, the arrow in her stomach. A bit unfortunate, but she's not dead, and you lean close to Lutecia as the clone guarding the carriage rips apart a black insect-like creature that tried to attack the horse. A pair of lightning bolts spear the ground near the caravan, and you note the trajectory - it will make a good starting point.
"Lutecia, I'm going to go now," you whisper, and the magician jerks up. "My clones are guarding the carriages, so you should be safe while you tend to Agito. Sedris was hit, too, so she's tumbled behind you." She takes a shuddering breath before nodding and leaning back over her friend. Your clones are busy with the carriages - carefully seeing who's dead and who's still alive, dealing with the giant insects and spiders, and disposing of more half-naked goblin attackers. You hop to the slick ground, take note of the charred and smoking corpse, then launch yourself back toward the bolts' origin. Barely seventy meters away you come to a halt and stare balefully at the assembled creatures. Nine of them stand in a loose cluster, with three more of the insect creatures; two carry staves and are wearing tattered rags, and you guess that they were the bolt-casters, and one is wearing a thick suit of armor that looks very similar to the insects' shells. The others wear similar but lighter armor, and none wear a full set like the apparent leader. Curiously, it takes one of the insect creatures to notice you before they react, despite your hovering in plain view. With the creature's chittering, however, the magicians raise their staves and the others hiss and snarl, waving their swords and sickles menacingly. With a fierce grin you lunge, your gift flashing into your hand, and two of the guards practically explode as you strike at them. With your free hand, you simply grab one of the magicians by the face and hurl it away. The insects turn to try and close on you, and you dance past them, casually chopping through the one closest to you. The next you club with your free hand, and its head bursts unpleasantly, and you laugh. The goblin creatures turn to face you then, but you dart through their line, Laevateinn whipping back and forth before you run it through the leader's chest. With only a single insect and magician left, you return your gift and slowly turn to face them. The insect lunges for you, and you slip past its mandibles and grab its pincer tail to hurl it straight up into the sky. You snatch the magician's staff from it and sweep it low, snapping one of the creature's legs and eliciting a thin, almost snarling hiss of pain. Tiring of the creature, you drive the staff through its chest, leaving it impaled on the snow.
You pause to take stock of your situation and frown. True, you eliminated a fairly powerful group, especially if the attackers don't have any other magicians, but you didn't see any bows, so either you missed them or the archers moved. A shame going all-out would probably cause more problems - a ten- or fifteen-meter column of fire would let you clear out a lot of the snow the creatures could be using for cover. Still, you have other options, and a check-in with your clones reveals that the first carriage received the brunt of the attackers, which explains why most of them are dead, though not why the driver and two of the outriders are missing. That clone claimed fifteen of the goblin-creatures, nearly half of the attackers' total strength. A handful managed to escape from the front carriage, far back enough that the clone didn't want to move against them. A pity she let them go, but it shouldn't be a problem.
"Flandre?" You start drifting back to Lutecia.
"I'm here, Lutecia. Are you okay? Is Agito okay?" You take a quick look at your dress and scowl. "And I'm a little bloodstained, but none of it's mine, so don't worry when you see me, okay?"
"Yes. … I'm alright. Agito … hasn't woken up …." After checking on Sedris, you land on the seat, making some noise to alert Lutecia. She starts to spin, arm rising, but when she sees it's you she checks her movement and relaxes. You lean over Agito - she's already really warm to the touch, and she mutters something apologetic as you touch her cheek. "She -" Lutecia cuts herself off as you crouch, preparing to leap as your clone warns you of something's approach. It lands on the back end of the cart, a large, thick-bodied flying insect. Its mouth works, tasting the air, as its huge forelegs support most of its weight. Its head spasms just as your clone tears it from the back of the carriage, and a short stream of liquid jets to the side before the creature is torn in half.
"Excuse me, again," you say before hopping into the air. The snowstorm is really starting to irritate you, and you're nearly attacked by two of the flying bugs before you notice them. Not that they'd be able to harm or threaten you, but it would be embarrassing …. A couple hundred meters from the carriage, you find a group of the goblins, twenty-two in total, and most of these are archers. A few are completely weaponless, and there are several of the crawling insects as well. Your assault is completely unexpected, stooping onto one of the archers before grabbing two more by their ankles and using them as flails against their comrades. It's an ineffectual strategy against the insects, of course, but they're much too slow to be a threat, and you easily tear them apart, leaving just one of the unarmed goblins alive. Except it isn't unarmed anymore - a blade, or a shimmering outline of one, is grasped in its right hand, and you scowl. You'd left that one alive because it wasn't armed, and then it goes and shows that it's a magician! You shrug - your dress is pretty ruined anyway, after all - and charge the magician, catching its left wrist and whipping it past you as you hold yourself still. Its shoulder separates with a pop, and you carefully avoid its thrashing arm as it shrieks in agony. Then, quickly and carefully, you shatter its other shoulder, rendering it impotent, and when the blade falters and flickers out of existence, you yank the creature up and tear out its throat, carefully tasting the blood before digging in. It's an odd taste, a lot different from human blood, but not … not bad, exactly. Not something you particularly enjoy, or want to have with any sort of frequency, but not something you would fault another for liking. But a fresh meal is a fresh meal, and you greedily drink from the dying creature, eventually dropping it to the snow with its comrades.
You make sure to clean yourself off in the snow as best you can - no sense walking up to Lutecia with a freshly blood-stained face if you can avoid it - and hum to yourself as you return. By now the other survivors are starting to realize the attack is over, and your clones have to work to avoid being seen, so you simply dispel them as you reach Lutecia. She relaxes when she sees you, and you slip around her, pulling her back into your lap and nuzzling her shoulder and neck. She stiffens, twitches, then relaxes, and you giggle into her hair as you pull her closer. She's so nice, your first friend.
"Flandre? Flandre!" You grumpily loosen your grip and pout as she pulls away to look warily at you.
"So, is Agito better?" Lutecia slumps, and you feel a little sad despite yourself. "Aw. Well, do you want to get some help here, or should we get moving?" She looks at you, confused, and you set her back on the seat and lie down next to her, your head on her lap. You groan and drum your feet against the carriage. "Stupid not-comfortable bench."
"Um, Flandre?" You roll your head and look up at her. "What did you mean, when you asked if I wanted to help Agito or leave?" Her voice is calm, and you shrug.
"We're pretty close to Winterhold, right? So, if you want to, I bet I could fly the three of us right to the College from here, and we'd get there before dawn. Oh, but it'd probably be cold, so we'd have to wrap her up carefully." You frown, trying to remember how to keep heat in one place. Lutecia sighs, and you turn your frown to her - she seems relieved about something.
"I … I thought you were saying we should leave Agito here." Your mouth drops open.
"What? Why would I do that? Agito is my friend, too, Lulu!" You glance nervously at the fairy. "… She is my friend, right? I keep thinking so, but then something happens, and I'm not sure anymore." Lutecia stares at you quietly for a moment, then smiles.
"Yes, Flan. We're all friends." You smile and wrap your arms around her waist. Something in the back of your head wurbles at you, so you stick your tongue out inside your head, and you hear two sets of laughter. Whatever. "About leaving, though …." Lutecia looks uncomfortably at Sedris. That's right! She's friends with the College, so maybe leaving her to die isn't such a good idea ….
What do you do?
[ ] Wait here and get help from Sedris and the survivors of the attack.
[ ] Fly to Winterhold with Agito and Lutecia.
[ ] Fly the carriage to Winterhold.
- [ ] Cackle.
[ ] Other?
DM Note: I am not completely certain this one actually flows well. Also, Flan will probably not have any lasting side-effects from her little bout with degenerated magical elf blood stuff.
-[X] Go kill as many of the attackers as you can, maybe even have a snack while you are at it.
You calmly remove your cloak and sweep it over Lutecia as she crouches over Agito. It takes her a moment to realize what you did, and you gently push her head back down when she tries to look at you. Sedris is still looking away, so you draw forth your clones and send them out to make sure the caravan stays safe. Defense is really the worst thing to do with an ambush, especially stationary defense; the attacker wouldn't have picked the time and place he did unless he'd accounted for all variables - and with that in mind, your clones, one for each wagon, first sweep the back of the caravan, the direction from which the arrows did not come. It seems clear, but with the reminder, you know they'll keep an eye out for sneaky foes. As they return, preparing to focus on ensuring that the horses aren't injured, Sedris sucks in her breath, and you look past her to see a pale, scrawny, goblin-like thing only a few meters away. It looses an arrow from its bow just before Sedris discharges her spell at it, and she tumbles back with the explosion, the arrow in her stomach. A bit unfortunate, but she's not dead, and you lean close to Lutecia as the clone guarding the carriage rips apart a black insect-like creature that tried to attack the horse. A pair of lightning bolts spear the ground near the caravan, and you note the trajectory - it will make a good starting point.
"Lutecia, I'm going to go now," you whisper, and the magician jerks up. "My clones are guarding the carriages, so you should be safe while you tend to Agito. Sedris was hit, too, so she's tumbled behind you." She takes a shuddering breath before nodding and leaning back over her friend. Your clones are busy with the carriages - carefully seeing who's dead and who's still alive, dealing with the giant insects and spiders, and disposing of more half-naked goblin attackers. You hop to the slick ground, take note of the charred and smoking corpse, then launch yourself back toward the bolts' origin. Barely seventy meters away you come to a halt and stare balefully at the assembled creatures. Nine of them stand in a loose cluster, with three more of the insect creatures; two carry staves and are wearing tattered rags, and you guess that they were the bolt-casters, and one is wearing a thick suit of armor that looks very similar to the insects' shells. The others wear similar but lighter armor, and none wear a full set like the apparent leader. Curiously, it takes one of the insect creatures to notice you before they react, despite your hovering in plain view. With the creature's chittering, however, the magicians raise their staves and the others hiss and snarl, waving their swords and sickles menacingly. With a fierce grin you lunge, your gift flashing into your hand, and two of the guards practically explode as you strike at them. With your free hand, you simply grab one of the magicians by the face and hurl it away. The insects turn to try and close on you, and you dance past them, casually chopping through the one closest to you. The next you club with your free hand, and its head bursts unpleasantly, and you laugh. The goblin creatures turn to face you then, but you dart through their line, Laevateinn whipping back and forth before you run it through the leader's chest. With only a single insect and magician left, you return your gift and slowly turn to face them. The insect lunges for you, and you slip past its mandibles and grab its pincer tail to hurl it straight up into the sky. You snatch the magician's staff from it and sweep it low, snapping one of the creature's legs and eliciting a thin, almost snarling hiss of pain. Tiring of the creature, you drive the staff through its chest, leaving it impaled on the snow.
You pause to take stock of your situation and frown. True, you eliminated a fairly powerful group, especially if the attackers don't have any other magicians, but you didn't see any bows, so either you missed them or the archers moved. A shame going all-out would probably cause more problems - a ten- or fifteen-meter column of fire would let you clear out a lot of the snow the creatures could be using for cover. Still, you have other options, and a check-in with your clones reveals that the first carriage received the brunt of the attackers, which explains why most of them are dead, though not why the driver and two of the outriders are missing. That clone claimed fifteen of the goblin-creatures, nearly half of the attackers' total strength. A handful managed to escape from the front carriage, far back enough that the clone didn't want to move against them. A pity she let them go, but it shouldn't be a problem.
"Flandre?" You start drifting back to Lutecia.
"I'm here, Lutecia. Are you okay? Is Agito okay?" You take a quick look at your dress and scowl. "And I'm a little bloodstained, but none of it's mine, so don't worry when you see me, okay?"
"Yes. … I'm alright. Agito … hasn't woken up …." After checking on Sedris, you land on the seat, making some noise to alert Lutecia. She starts to spin, arm rising, but when she sees it's you she checks her movement and relaxes. You lean over Agito - she's already really warm to the touch, and she mutters something apologetic as you touch her cheek. "She -" Lutecia cuts herself off as you crouch, preparing to leap as your clone warns you of something's approach. It lands on the back end of the cart, a large, thick-bodied flying insect. Its mouth works, tasting the air, as its huge forelegs support most of its weight. Its head spasms just as your clone tears it from the back of the carriage, and a short stream of liquid jets to the side before the creature is torn in half.
"Excuse me, again," you say before hopping into the air. The snowstorm is really starting to irritate you, and you're nearly attacked by two of the flying bugs before you notice them. Not that they'd be able to harm or threaten you, but it would be embarrassing …. A couple hundred meters from the carriage, you find a group of the goblins, twenty-two in total, and most of these are archers. A few are completely weaponless, and there are several of the crawling insects as well. Your assault is completely unexpected, stooping onto one of the archers before grabbing two more by their ankles and using them as flails against their comrades. It's an ineffectual strategy against the insects, of course, but they're much too slow to be a threat, and you easily tear them apart, leaving just one of the unarmed goblins alive. Except it isn't unarmed anymore - a blade, or a shimmering outline of one, is grasped in its right hand, and you scowl. You'd left that one alive because it wasn't armed, and then it goes and shows that it's a magician! You shrug - your dress is pretty ruined anyway, after all - and charge the magician, catching its left wrist and whipping it past you as you hold yourself still. Its shoulder separates with a pop, and you carefully avoid its thrashing arm as it shrieks in agony. Then, quickly and carefully, you shatter its other shoulder, rendering it impotent, and when the blade falters and flickers out of existence, you yank the creature up and tear out its throat, carefully tasting the blood before digging in. It's an odd taste, a lot different from human blood, but not … not bad, exactly. Not something you particularly enjoy, or want to have with any sort of frequency, but not something you would fault another for liking. But a fresh meal is a fresh meal, and you greedily drink from the dying creature, eventually dropping it to the snow with its comrades.
You make sure to clean yourself off in the snow as best you can - no sense walking up to Lutecia with a freshly blood-stained face if you can avoid it - and hum to yourself as you return. By now the other survivors are starting to realize the attack is over, and your clones have to work to avoid being seen, so you simply dispel them as you reach Lutecia. She relaxes when she sees you, and you slip around her, pulling her back into your lap and nuzzling her shoulder and neck. She stiffens, twitches, then relaxes, and you giggle into her hair as you pull her closer. She's so nice, your first friend.
"Flandre? Flandre!" You grumpily loosen your grip and pout as she pulls away to look warily at you.
"So, is Agito better?" Lutecia slumps, and you feel a little sad despite yourself. "Aw. Well, do you want to get some help here, or should we get moving?" She looks at you, confused, and you set her back on the seat and lie down next to her, your head on her lap. You groan and drum your feet against the carriage. "Stupid not-comfortable bench."
"Um, Flandre?" You roll your head and look up at her. "What did you mean, when you asked if I wanted to help Agito or leave?" Her voice is calm, and you shrug.
"We're pretty close to Winterhold, right? So, if you want to, I bet I could fly the three of us right to the College from here, and we'd get there before dawn. Oh, but it'd probably be cold, so we'd have to wrap her up carefully." You frown, trying to remember how to keep heat in one place. Lutecia sighs, and you turn your frown to her - she seems relieved about something.
"I … I thought you were saying we should leave Agito here." Your mouth drops open.
"What? Why would I do that? Agito is my friend, too, Lulu!" You glance nervously at the fairy. "… She is my friend, right? I keep thinking so, but then something happens, and I'm not sure anymore." Lutecia stares at you quietly for a moment, then smiles.
"Yes, Flan. We're all friends." You smile and wrap your arms around her waist. Something in the back of your head wurbles at you, so you stick your tongue out inside your head, and you hear two sets of laughter. Whatever. "About leaving, though …." Lutecia looks uncomfortably at Sedris. That's right! She's friends with the College, so maybe leaving her to die isn't such a good idea ….
What do you do?
[ ] Wait here and get help from Sedris and the survivors of the attack.
[ ] Fly to Winterhold with Agito and Lutecia.
[ ] Fly the carriage to Winterhold.
- [ ] Cackle.
[ ] Other?
DM Note: I am not completely certain this one actually flows well. Also, Flan will probably not have any lasting side-effects from her little bout with degenerated magical elf blood stuff.
Fuck, how am I supposed to resist that?