AN:~Crash~*Appears with a sword and shield, fighting against tentacles*
Back! Back I say!!
*The tentacles retreat*
Well that has been dealt with (Turns to see the audience)...
… Yeah, procrastination is a bitch. I have been trying to get this chapter out for a long while and had to redo the interactions between these three various times.
The first sketch was of Olga, Marisbiri and Khororhoth. This one didn't work out because it seems I can't write a sociopath…good.
The next was just Olga and Khororhoth, but neither wanted to work with the other, so to the bin it went.
Two weeks of not wanting to look at the chapter, I reenter and an hour on it I remember another person who could be there.
Enter Trisha.
She allowed me to carry this whole scene, and now she will be in my heart for it.
Welp, here is the chapt–*the tentacles reappear suddenly*
… Me and my big mouth! *Grabs sword and shield again* WAAAGH!!
In one of the dining rooms of the Animusphere Manor, there were three people sitting at a table where the remnants of a finished breakfast were laid. One of them was a young male adult with black-brown hair, purple eyes and honey-tone skin. He was wearing a dusty purple cloak, black boots and fingerless gloves.
He was patiently smiling at the second person in the room, a girl with white hair, amber eyes and pale skin. She was wearing a black and amber shirt, black skirt and dark-brown platform shoes. The girl carried herself with the dignity worthy of a noble, if you ignored that her face was in a very deep shade of red.
The final person was a woman wearing a bluish-purple dress. Her blonde hair was tied into a bun with intricate twists while wearing half-rimmed tortoise shell glasses, and she had a riding crop at her side. She held a stern face and an aura of disappointment irradiated from her.
"Now that we have finished our breakfast and took time to reflect on recent actions,-" Olga flitched "- Mister Khororhoth, would you kindly explain why you just called Miss Olga your 'Student'? Because last I knew, Lord Animusphere tasked me with young Olga's education."
"Indeed! Her education as a Magus and inheritor of the Animuspheres Legacy shall continue under your tutelage. I would have originally let her be mostly had she chosen either of the other two options she had in the contract." Khororhoth the raised his hand as if holding something, and in a burst of purple flames , a series of papers materialized.
Olga's eyes widened and her face became white pale as she saw the paper that she had signed, and then all the implications of what she did in her carelessness hit her at once.
"This is the contract that little Olga signed, the Boons she chose and Conditions placed upon her are in the other papers."
With an unreadable pokerface Trisha took the offered papers and read through them one by one, and while there was no change on her face, from time to time she stopped as if rereading the same sentence again. Once she finished reading, she set the papers on the table and turned to look at her.
"Olga Marie Asmleit Animusphere, what have you done?"
Olga sat ramrod straight and answered. "I dismissed a blatantly obvious serious contract that was approved by my father Lord Animusphere as a joke, disregarding all the evidence pointing in the contrary, decided to choose based on preference rather than thinking properly, rereading it, checking for hidden clauses and not redoing the referred actions 7 different ways and with 12 different basic Mysteries!"
"And for that, you will spend the next month restudying all about contracts down to the last letter till all the proper procedures are engraved in your Body, Mind and Soul, UNDERSTOOD."
"Yes Madam!"
"Good" Trish looked back at Khororhoth. "Now Mister Khororhoth, I will need a detailed explanation about this contract, because some the terms, conditions, and above all, referenced facts are absolutely absurd, even if it is the legit Seal of the Animuspheres backing the contract, Mysteries included."
At that Khororhoth just smiled innocently. "And I can back my claims with a simple demonstration." He turned to look at Olga. "Student, would you be a dear and open the gate to the Grial, you just need to imagine a golden cup, say "Open Gate" and focus."
Trisha raised an eyebrow and turned to look at Olga, who took a moment to process what was asked of her and, with certain unease, proceeded to do as was asked of her. A few seconds later a distortion in space appeared behind her with a loud sound, which startled the girl and put her minder in alert.
Finishing his cup of tea to allow the girl and the woman a moment to gather themselves, Khororhoth sat up and started walking to the distortion. Before entering it he said "Chop chop ladies, the day is still young and we have to spend it wisely!"
Looking at the distortion and then at each other, they decided to check it with their magecraft and nothing out of the ordinary was shown, and that unsettled them more than anything, for they didn't detect a single droplet of Magical energy, Od, and above all, Mystery on or in the distortion, it was truly ordinary. As if the World itself acknowledged that the distortion belonged.
While Olga became paler by the second and Trisha felt her stomach dropping, from the distortion Khororhoth's voice was heard "Ladies we don't have all day, we both have commitments and while I respect you for checking and verifying, we are on a time table."
With caution, the two proceeded into the distortion and felt space shift. When they could once more perceive their surroundings, they became speechless, for there was a gigantic magical artifact before them.
"So…" Khororhoth watched them with an amused smile. "...believe me now."
Martial (one action)
[ ] Martial education: DC 0/20/40/60/80/100
"We are gonna need you to bring you up to snuff if we want you to do your new job well, I will prepare some games for this one"
Reward: increase your base stat by 1d2 per threshold crossed.
[ ] Basic Forms (Unarmed Combat): DC 20
"Striking, kicking, throwing, grappling, holds, locks and ground fighting techniques, the essential and most basic of acts in the art of self-defense."
Reward: You will actually be able to throw a punch (Unlocks the Prowess Stat at 1).
[ ] Walking and Breathing: DC 80/150/250
A key concept in Magecraft and Martial Arts. Though mainly affecting one's physical fitness, it also plays a role in the strength of natural interference. The absorption of outer energy (breath of life?) to connect your inner world to the outer world.
Reward: First threshold (Body and Mind), Second threshold (Inner World), Third threshold (??????? and unlock Spirit actions ???????, Learning actions ??????? and Martial actions ???????)
Diplomacy (one action)
[ ] Diplomacy education: DC 0/20/40/60/80/100
"We are gonna need you to bring you up to snuff if we want you to do your new job well, let's chat and try to convince me on your point of view."
Reward: increase your base stat by 1d2 per threshold crossed.
[ ] Education in the local Cosmological Beings: DC 50/100/150/400
"Let's talk about the local Authorities, better to know about them properly so you don't get on their bad side."
Reward: Can now research "The Outside of the Human Order {Gaia}", low chance unlocking "The Outside of the Human Order {Mooncell}", really low chance of unlocking "The Outside of the Human Order {Crimson Moon Brunestud}", infinitesimal possibility of unlocking "The Outside of the Human Order {The Crystal Valley}"
[ ] Talk with Father: DC 200
Ask about why he allowed this and what he both gave and received in exchange for this.
Reward: You will know the terms of the contract between Khororhoth and Father.
Stewardship (one action)
[ ] Stewardship education: DC 0/20/40/60/80/100
"We are gonna need you to bring you up to snuff if we want you to do your new job well, let's see how well you do at management and construction."
Reward: increase your base stat by 1d2 per threshold crossed.
[ ] The 'Holy' Artifact: DC 200/300
You now have a dreadnought-class magical reactor core now, inspect it to see its quality and its functions, Khororhoth did say that the maker cut some corners.
Reward: A partial overview of the Greater Grail and unlocks Intrigue action "Searching for a land" and Spirit action "Reworking the Grail", possibility to get a full summary.
[ ] Bounded Field Theorem (General Fundamentals) (Practice/Making): DC 50
A topographic type of Magecraft that consists of knitting a network of Magical Energy and spreading it over a base area, such as a piece of land or a building, to create a mystic boundary line that separates the inside from the outside. Practice this craft by making some here and there. Synergies with Spirit Action and Learning Action.
Reward: Lowers the difficulty of some Stewardship actions, add 1000 progress to "Reality Marble".
Intrigue (one action)
[ ] Intrigue education: DC 0/20/40/60/80/100
"We are gonna need you to bring you up to snuff if we want you to do your new job well, let's test how good you are at the game of cloak and dagger."
Reward: increase your base stat by 1d2 per threshold crossed.
[ ] Explore the Animusphere Manor: DC Variable
Even being the heir of the Animusphere, you really do not know your house all that much, so let's fix that!
(Warning! Some places can trigger events and one of them will do so INSTANTLY, beware…)
-[ ] The Gardens: DC 30/70/???
-[ ] The First Floor: DC 20
-[ ] The Second Floor: DC 40
-[ ] The Third Floor: DC 70/???
-[ ] The Fourth Floor: DC 60
-[ ] The Fifth Floor: DC 60
-[ ] The First Basement: DC 10/???
-[ ] The North Attic: DC 80
-[ ] The East Attic: DC 10/50
-[ ] The Central Attic (The Main Observatory): DC ???/???
Rewards: Variable.
Learning (three actions)
[ ] Learning education: DC 0/20/40/60/80/100
"We are gonna need you to bring you up to snuff if we want you to do your new job well, let's test your learning capabilities."
Reward: increase your base stat by 1d2 per threshold crossed.
[ ]Magecraft Basics (Animusphere) (Theory): DC 10
Refresh your knowledge of the basics of your family's Magecraft to start into the advanced ones later on. Trisha will be disappointed if you fumble in this.
Reward: Lowers Spirit action "Magecraft Basics (Animusphere)" DC by 20.
[ ]The Scientific Phenomena: DC 0/50/100/200
Research about Science, which gathers the technology of the future humanity that Magecraft cannot reach, and expand your horizons of the possible and the impossible.
Rewards: you will not become a Technophobe and you will be able to track down the degradation of Mystery (To an extent), possible progress to ???????, low possibility of development of ???????, incredibly low chance of discovering ????????
[ ] Research Reality: DC 0/10/20/30/40/50/60/70/80/90
One of the Boons given to you by Khororhoth, he says this Boon is akin to having an extra Origin. You also have new insights about things you never considered before.
Reward: roll 1d800 +200 progress points per threshold reached.
-[ ] Inner World (Theory) (0/8500)
-[ ] Reality Marble (Theory) (0/5000)
-[ ] Textures (Theory) (0/15000)
-[ ] Miracles (Theory) (0/20000)
-[ ] The Human Order {Humanity} (0/20000)
If this one is completed, add 5000 progress to ???????.
-[ ] The Human Order {Alaya} (0/20000)
If this one is completed, add 5000 progress to ???????.
-[ ] The Human Order {The Counter Force} (0/20000)
If this one is completed, add 5000 progress to ???????.
[ ] Research Fantasy: DC 0/10/20/30/40/50/60/70/80/90
One of the Boons given to you by Khororhoth, he says this Boon is akin to having an extra Origin. You also have new insights about things you never considered before.
Reward: roll 1d800 +200 progress points per threshold reached.
-[ ] Illusions (Basics) (0/1000)
-[ ] Dreams (Basics) (0/5000)
-[ ] Fiction (Fundamentals) (0/3000)
-[ ] The Outside of the Human Order {Gaia} (0/100000)
If this one is completed, add 5000 progress to ???????.
Can't be done until Diplomacy action "Education in the local Cosmological Beings" is completed.
-[ ] The Outside of the Human Order {Mooncell} (0/80000)
If this one is completed, add 100000 progress to ???????
Same as above. It will be something for later down the line.
-[ ] The Outside of the Human Order {Crimson Moon Bruestrud} (0/100000)
If this one is completed, add 100000 progress to ???????
You don't need to care about this guy for a long while, there are things more urgent, important and immediate to deal with.
-[ ] The Outside of the Human Order {The Crystal Valley} (0/??????????)
If this one is completed, add 500000 progress to ???????
Hopefully we won't need to touch it, with luck, for 3 millenia.
[ ] Bounded Field Theorem (General Fundamentals) (Theory): DC 20
A topographic type of Magecraft that consists of knitting a network of Magical Energy and spreading it over a base area, such as a piece of land or a building, to create a mystic boundary line that separates the inside from the outside. Practice this craft by making some here and there. Synergies with Stewardship Action and Spirit Action.
Reward: Lowers the difficulty of some Stewardship actions, add 1000 progress to "Reality Marble".
Spirit (two actions)
[ ]Magecraft Basics (Animusphere) (Practice): DC 40
Put in practice all that you have learned up until now in regards to your family's magecraft, prove that you are ready for more advanced lessons.
Reward: Unlock Learning action "Magecraft, Advanced (Animusphere)" and Spirit action "Magecraft, Advanced (Animusphere)".
[ ] Bounded Field Theorem (General Fundamentals) (Practice/Application): DC 50
A topographic type of Magecraft that consists of knitting a network of Magical Energy and spreading it over a base area, such as a piece of land or a building, to create a mystic boundary line that separates the inside from the outside. Practice this craft by making some here and there. Synergies with Stewardship Action and Learning Action.
Reward: Lowers the difficulty of some Stewardship actions, add 1000 progress to "Reality Marble".
[ ] Possibility Culling (Mastery 0/10000): DC 0/10/20/30/40/50/60/70/80/90
One of the Boons given to you by Khororhoth, as it's now he said it will help me, but he also said that it's only working at 50% of capacity, rectify this.
Reward:roll 1d800 +200 progress points per threshold reached.
Personal (two actions) (Trisha will grill you those procedures, you won't have time for yourself)
[ ] Focus on a task. Add +10 to the chosen action (Can be taken multiple times).
-[ ] Which one.
[ ] Spend time with someone (Increase Bond).
-[ ] Trisha (Bond 2)
-[ ] Khororhoth (Bond 0)
AN: ALERT!! I made a change to the chosen Contract. It's recommended to reread 'Prologue (Part 3) to check the changes.
And yeah, I'm BACK!!!