Remove ads

Satan Quest, Featuring Mr. Satan [DBZ]

Reader mode
[X] have a family. You saw yourself as a father, a member of society, happy. You just wanted what everyone else took for granted– people that loved you, and people you could love in return. (Spirit growth bonus, alters goal)
 
[X] be a hero. You saw yourself as a protector, a warrior, the line safeguarding what was good from what was evil. It was a trite cliche, but in the end you just wanted to know that you did something that really mattered– that your life really meant something. (Art growth bonus, alters goal)

A hero... of justice.
 
[X] be a hero. You saw yourself as a protector, a warrior, the line safeguarding what was good from what was evil. It was a trite cliche, but in the end you just wanted to know that you did something that really mattered– that your life really meant something. (Art growth bonus, alters goal)
 
[X] have a family. You saw yourself as a father, a member of society, happy. You just wanted what everyone else took for granted– people that loved you, and people you could love in return. (Spirit growth bonus, alters goal)
 
[X] have a family. You saw yourself as a father, a member of society, happy. You just wanted what everyone else took for granted– people that loved you, and people you could love in return. (Spirit growth bonus, alters goal)
 
[X] have a family. You saw yourself as a father, a member of society, happy. You just wanted what everyone else took for granted– people that loved you, and people you could love in return. (Spirit growth bonus, alters goal)

He's got at a fighting disadvantage so I don't see me being a hero working out
 
[X] be a hero. You saw yourself as a protector, a warrior, the line safeguarding what was good from what was evil. It was a trite cliche, but in the end you just wanted to know that you did something that really mattered– that your life really meant something. (Art growth bonus, alters goal)
 
[X] be a hero. You saw yourself as a protector, a warrior, the line safeguarding what was good from what was evil. It was a trite cliche, but in the end you just wanted to know that you did something that really mattered– that your life really meant something. (Art growth bonus, alters goal)
 
[X] be a hero. You saw yourself as a protector, a warrior, the line safeguarding what was good from what was evil. It was a trite cliche, but in the end you just wanted to know that you did something that really mattered– that your life really meant something.
 
Remove ads
749 - 6 - Dinner and Horses
  • Threadmarks
    • There wasn't really ever a time when he believed in dragons, witches or heroes. It wasn't like he'd ever sat on a mother's lap, reading children's fables; his earliest memory was groping in the sewage gutters for spare change. He wasn't the kind to expect that much out of life.

    As long as your expectations were low, you wouldn't be disappointed.

    There were plenty of kids on the streets who couldn't live like that. It was annoying, seeing the coddled mommy's boys tossed onto the streets for one reason or another, cuddling up with a grimy comic book or huddled near a display television.

    Unlike him, they could read, and sometimes they told him stories. He could clearly picture a particular scrawny kid in the depths of winter, breathlessly lecturing him about hard-boiled cowboys and flamboyant vigilantes that kept the peace behind the back of the law. He'd left the kid shivering, huddling somewhere small and dark for warmth, but for some reason the idea stuck with him.

    Wanting anything you couldn't grab was stupid, Mark knew. At best, you'd end up disappointed. If you weren't lucky, strong or clever enough, all you could do was be realistic.

    But, at the moment, he was dreaming.

    As long as it was just a dream, he could maybe consider it. A world where the fantastic was possible, and anything he could possibly wish for was within his grasp– maybe in a world like that, he could have people talk about him like that. Even he could leave a mark on the earth that couldn't help but be noticed.

    He had wanted to be a hero.

    ~

    Lord Goetia hadn't been kidding. At the first light of the sun, he'd sent a servant –the same one, terrifyingly– to wake Mark for his lessons. As he roughly bumbled his way into a new set of soft day-clothes, all he could do was be thankful that this time she hadn't brought any water.

    It seemed that at some point between last night and the morning, the mansion suddenly repopulated. A small cluster of sleepy-eyed servants could be seen milling here and there, bundling laundry, gardening tools or cooking implements this way or that.

    Marked watched them with complicated expressions as they hurried by. Even the servants had expensive-looking clothing and the sort of look in their eye that would've scared him off mugging them back down in the town. It was a stark reminder of exactly how high his sudden lateral shift had been.

    Oddly, it didn't make him feel scared any more. Just a little uncomfortable, and maybe a little excited.
    The feeling was only exacerbated when he arrived at the mansion's outer grounds, and encountered the lesson that Goetia had prepared him for the day.

    "Every member of the Goetia family has been an accomplished equestrian," he said tersely to 'Markus', though grinning through thin lips.

    It became quickly evident that the old man thought horse-riding was a particularly appealing perk of living on the land, Mark noticed. The old man rode a brilliant white stallion with the ease of a man half his age, urging the animal through progressively larger hurdles with guileless laughter and a broad smile across his face.

    On the other hand, Mark was trying to think of anything that could possibly be worse than trying to control an animal four times his weight, even if he hadn't been near-mauled the previous night.

    "C'mon horsey, you don't want to –whoa, calm down, calm down!" he cried as the mare leisurely trotted about the track, not paying an particular attention to the boy carrying her reigns. Goetia, distracted by his own paces, eventually looked back at his adopted child only to break down laughing.

    "Markus, be a man!" he called, humor in his tone. "Riding horseback is about more than strength– it's about frame of mind! Own the horse, demand it listen to your commands!"

    "I don't want to own it!" he yelled back. "I just want it to stop dragging me around!"

    ~

    Despite his protestation and the initial mishap, Mark grasped the basics of controlling a horse with relative ease. After a couple hours of guiding his brun mare about the track –who Mark could swear was actually laughing at him as much as it was listening– he was considered proficient enough that the lord gave him his personal approval to continue his training alone.

    "Study is the secret of any self-made man, Markus," he said imperiously, stroking his white corkscrew of a beard. "And that applies to athletics as much –nay, more– than it does to academics, my boy."

    With a jaunty farewell, he instructed Mark to continue his study of equestrianism on his own until dinner, and Mark sighed a little in response.

    He might have misjudged Lord Goetia, he was starting to think. The man was certainly a rich screwball, and his talk of destiny earlier would be laughable if it hadn't been just a little unsettling– but he didn't really strike Mark as particularly dangerous, at least not in the way Mark was familiar with.

    Not like Bael, anyway.

    According to the servants, his 'brother' spent the majority of his days locked inside either his own room, or one of the many libraries scattered throughout the mansion. If nothing else, it seemed that he took his family's philosophy to heart. Though Mark found it hard to picture Bael doing many athletics.

    Besides fighting, anyway. The welt on his cheek still stung a bit.

    Confident he was at least safe while he was on the track, Mark spent a bit more time riding around his mare. After you got the trick of making the horse listen, it was almost a little relaxing, he found. If this was the bulk of what 'studying' meant to the Goetia family, maybe it wouldn't be so bad?

    He'd gotten as far as experimenting with a couple of the smaller hurdles. His horse wasn't quite as vigorous as Goetia's stallion, but it still flicked its tail gratefully after the exercise. She probably hadn't been taken out for a while, he started to figure; he'd seen about six horses back in the stables, and had to wonder how many people in the household actually rode.

    It couldn't just be Goetia, could it? Maybe some of the servants–

    Just as he considered it, a loud snap rang out to the north of the riding field.

    He brought his horse to a run almost without thinking of it, to the edge of the track's tallest hill. The riding field was bordered by the tall wrought-iron fence that separated the forests from the rest of the fields, but a small gate opened at the northern peak to allow access to the small, ocean-bound river that marked the furthest North point of Goetia's land.

    On the river had been a small wooden pier that Mark recalled seeing from the corner of his eye as he road. Between then and now, it seemed to have buckled in on itself– and flailing in the center was a figure, too small to be an adult, wearing the dark clothes appropriate to a servant of the manor.

    There was a small whinny from his mare, and Mark was suddenly acutely aware of the wooden fence encircling the riding area, not quite impossible to jump, but certainly higher than any of the hurdles.

    There wasn't any time. Mark-

    ~
    [x] Rushed to the rescue, astride his horse. (Average Charisma check, easy Dexterity check. Possible mild injury to self + horse on failure. Large reputation boost (heroic) on success, moderate reputation boost (foolish) on failure.)

    [ ] Scampered up the fences and rushed to the rescue himself. (Average Dexterity check. Possible mild injury on failure. Moderate reputation boost (heroic) on success, low reputation boost (cowardly) on failure.)

    [ ] Rode off to get help, quickly as possible. (No check. Low reputation boost (cowardly))
    ~

    After the disturbance had been settled, dinner time arrived. He wrung the water from his hair and clothes, but the servants had still insisted that he change clothes before attending, so he allowed them to change him once again.

    This time, his ensemble was an uncomfortably shirt with the sort of jacket he sometimes saw well-to-do men walking around with back in the town. It felt a little warm to wear to something like dinner, but Mark could hardly complain. He'd never sat down for an actual, provided meal in a house in his entire life.

    Unfortunately, he doubted it'd be that enjoyable. The food he'd gotten last night was tempting, but all through the previous day, Goetia had been going over all sorts of rules and regulations that controlled anything they did on a regimented schedule. The list of niceties and little details he'd have to keep straight just for the sake of eating was sure to be enormous.

    His stomach sank when he opened the door and saw, at one end of the enormous table, was the scowling face of Bael Goetia.

    "Markus my boy, please, have a seat," said the smiling face of Lord Goetia himself, a dinner napkin tucked behind his beard. He gestured to the seat at the left of his spot at the head of the table, directly across from Bael.

    With as much respect as he could manage, Mark awkwardly climbed into the chair. It felt just a little too small for him, somehow, and he was trying very hard not to notice the plates seemed to be covered with gold. The half-dozen varieties of cutlery were intimidating, but expected.

    Bael glowered at him openly with a fierce look clearly saying 'don't test me'. Lord Goetia, either oblivious to his son's obvious hostility or choosing to ignore it, clapped twice for the food to be brought in.

    Servants entered– a man with slicked-back hair and a black jacket who led the way, and two female servants pushing carts loaded to the brim with a variety of delicious platters. Mark felt the bottom of his mouth start to water, and nearly missed that one of those maids was distinctly familiar.

    Their eyes caught for a moment, but she didn't do more than nod before moving to her position at Bael's side of the table and setting out the first course before them.

    "So, my sons, please tell me what you've learned today," Goetia said as the servant in the black coat –he seemed to be the most senior, if Mark had to guess– loaded up his plate with a variety of goodies. The other two, he was almost surprised to note, were doing the same with he and Bael's dishes.

    "Nothing of particular interest, father," Bael said blandly, and for a moment Mark saw a shade of annoyance pass on the elderly man's face.

    Wait. Could it be?

    He was struck by the formality of the occasion. Maybe it was normal for rich people to eat like this all the time, but he also remembered Goetia's spiel the prior day about constant study and preparedness.

    If there was one thing Mark could understand, it was talking. Rich people like Lord Goetia probably had to do that sort of thing all the time, to get people to do what they wanted. It wasn't like Mark was ignorant of the point of all the pomp and circumstance– it was like a big bluff, to lure people into treating you better or showing an opening.

    So, was he trying to get them to show off their conversation skills?

    If so, it looked like Bael was floundering. Badly.

    ~
    [x] All's fair in a fight, social or otherwise. Talk circles around Bael and try to show off a little. (Easy Charisma check, bonuses for significant victory. Generate enmity with Bael. +Charisma and possible reputation gains with others on success.)

    [ ] Meet him halfway. Maybe you can draw Bael into a conversation when he can't use his fists. (Moderate Charisma check. Generate enmity with Bael and possible reputation gains with others on failure. +Guile and low reputation boost (complimentary) with Bael on success.)

    [ ] Use the opportunity to grill Lord Goetia himself. Tactfully manipulate the topic to try and get some information. (Hard Charisma check. +Mettle. Moderate reputation boost (ambitious) with Goetia on success, generate enmity with Goetia and low reputation boost (foolish) with Bael on failure.)

    +[x] Also try to draw the servants into the conversation in order to help. (Additional Charisma check of varying difficulty depending on earlier choice, possible reputation boost with others and lowering of other Charisma roll difficulty on success, generate mild enmity with Goetia and/or Bael and/or others on failure.)
    ~
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Rushed to the rescue, astride his horse. (Average Charisma check, easy Dexterity check. Possible mild injury to self + horse on failure. Large reputation boost (heroic) on success, moderate reputation boost (foolish) on failure.)

    Here comes the brave knight, riding in on his steed! Also our dexterity is crap and our charisma good.

    [X] All's fair in a fight, social or otherwise. Talk circles around Bael and try to show off a little. (Easy Charisma check, bonuses for significant victory. Generate enmity with Bael. +Charisma and possible reputation gains with others on success.)
    -[X] Also try to draw the servants into the conversation in order to help. (Additional Charisma check of varying difficulty depending on earlier choice, possible reputation boost with others and lowering of other Charisma roll difficulty on success, generate mild enmity with Goetia and/or Bael and/or others on failure.)

    While I would love to talk to Goetia and impress him, this gains us Charisma. I also 100% don't care about enmity with the person who seems to have already decided we are the enemy, and I am interested in the gains we can make on a likely high success. And just to go for broke, let's see if we can bring the servants in! We do have an 8 in Charisma after all.
     
    [X] Rushed to the rescue, astride his horse. (Average Charisma check, easy Dexterity check. Possible mild injury to self + horse on failure. Large reputation boost (heroic) on success, moderate reputation boost (foolish) on failure.)
    [X] All's fair in a fight, social or otherwise. Talk circles around Bael and try to show off a little. (Easy Charisma check, bonuses for significant victory. Generate enmity with Bael. +Charisma and possible reputation gains with others on success.)
    -[X] Also try to draw the servants into the conversation in order to help. (Additional Charisma check of varying difficulty depending on earlier choice, possible reputation boost with others and lowering of other Charisma roll difficulty on success, generate mild enmity with Goetia and/or Bael and/or others on failure.)

    Why not. Full speed ahead!
     
    [X] Rushed to the rescue, astride his horse. (Average Charisma check, easy Dexterity check. Possible mild injury to self + horse on failure. Large reputation boost (heroic) on success, moderate reputation boost (foolish) on failure.)
    [X] All's fair in a fight, social or otherwise. Talk circles around Bael and try to show off a little. (Easy Charisma check, bonuses for significant victory. Generate enmity with Bael. +Charisma and possible reputation gains with others on success.)
     
    [X] Meet him halfway. Maybe you can draw Bael into a conversation when he can't use his fists. (Moderate Charisma check. Generate enmity with Bael and possible reputation gains with others on failure. +Guile and low reputation boost (complimentary) with Bael on success.)
     
    [X] Rushed to the rescue, astride his horse. (Average Charisma check, easy Dexterity check. Possible mild injury to self + horse on failure. Large reputation boost (heroic) on success, moderate reputation boost (foolish) on failure.)
    [X] All's fair in a fight, social or otherwise. Talk circles around Bael and try to show off a little. (Easy Charisma check, bonuses for significant victory. Generate enmity with Bael. +Charisma and possible reputation gains with others on success.)
    -[X] Also try to draw the servants into the conversation in order to help. (Additional Charisma check of varying difficulty depending on earlier choice, possible reputation boost with others and lowering of other Charisma roll difficulty on success, generate mild enmity with Goetia and/or Bael and/or others on failure.)
     
    A couple of elements I feel I should probably note somewhere:
    • Reputation (quality) indicates the quality the observer will notice and appreciate in Mark. Obviously, having a high (heroic) reputation with someone will entail a different dynamic than a (foolish) reputation.
    • Enmity is a state that can be thought of as a social Wound. While you have Enmity with a person, your reputation with them counts for less until it "heals" over time. As with physical Wounds, they can become permanent if substantially aggravated; I'd document an instance of that as someone becoming your Enemy.
    • The grammar in the results is written as it is intentionally. "Use the opportunity" guaranties a Mettle bonus, while "Meet him halfway" and "All's fair" both require you to actually succeed at the checks to get their stat bonus.
    • Good things aren't solely associated with successes in all cases. "Meet him halfway", for examples, offers reputation bonus on failure.
    • Check qualifiers like "easy", "average" or "hard" are relative to your stat at the time of the roll.
     
    [X] Rushed to the rescue, astride his horse. (Average Charisma check, easy Dexterity check. Possible mild injury to self + horse on failure. Large reputation boost (heroic) on success, moderate reputation boost (foolish) on failure.)
    [X] All's fair in a fight, social or otherwise. Talk circles around Bael and try to show off a little. (Easy Charisma check, bonuses for significant victory. Generate enmity with Bael. +Charisma and possible reputation gains with others on success.)
    -[X] Also try to draw the servants into the conversation in order to help. (Additional Charisma check of varying difficulty depending on earlier choice, possible reputation boost with others and lowering of other Charisma roll difficulty on success, generate mild enmity with Goetia and/or Bael and/or others on failure.)
     
    [X] Rushed to the rescue, astride his horse. (Average Charisma check, easy Dexterity check. Possible mild injury to self + horse on failure. Large reputation boost (heroic) on success, moderate reputation boost (foolish) on failure.)
    [X] All's fair in a fight, social or otherwise. Talk circles around Bael and try to show off a little. (Easy Charisma check, bonuses for significant victory. Generate enmity with Bael. +Charisma and possible reputation gains with others on success.)

    The servent option is not worth making Marks adoptive father annoyed with him.
     
    [X] Rushed to the rescue, astride his horse. (Average Charisma check, easy Dexterity check. Possible mild injury to self + horse on failure. Large reputation boost (heroic) on success, moderate reputation boost (foolish) on failure.)
    [X] All's fair in a fight, social or otherwise. Talk circles around Bael and try to show off a little. (Easy Charisma check, bonuses for significant victory. Generate enmity with Bael. +Charisma and possible reputation gains with others on success.)
    -[X] Also try to draw the servants into the conversation in order to help. (Additional Charisma check of varying difficulty depending on earlier choice, possible reputation boost with others and lowering of other Charisma roll difficulty on success, generate mild enmity with Goetia and/or Bael and/or others on failure.)
     
    [X] Rushed to the rescue, astride his horse. (Average Charisma check, easy Dexterity check. Possible mild injury to self + horse on failure. Large reputation boost (heroic) on success, moderate reputation boost (foolish) on failure.)
    [X] Meet him halfway. Maybe you can draw Bael into a conversation when he can't use his fists. (Moderate Charisma check. Generate enmity with Bael and possible reputation gains with others on failure. +Guile and low reputation boost (complimentary) with Bael on success.)

    I would rather not have the demon summoner hate us. Alternatively, I find it amusing if he hates the fact that he likes us.
     
    749 - 7 - Failing Forward
  • Threadmarks
    • Mark Charisma vs. Faithful Steed
    Roll 14 + Charisma 8 = 22 vs. DC: 14
    Successful

    Mark Dexterity vs. Fence w/ Horse
    Roll 2 + Dex 2 = Critical Fail vs. DC: 7
    Not Successful

    -

    Mark Charisma vs. A Servant's Sense of Propriety
    Roll 1 + Charisma 8 = Critical Fail vs. DC 13
    Not Successful

    Mark Charisma vs. Bael Charisma (No Servant advantage)
    Roll 12 + Charisma 8 = 20 vs. DC 10 + Charisma 2 = 12
    Successful    ++

    Notes: The trait "Blunder Bound" causes Critical Fails (IE, automatic failures) on rolls of 1, 2 or 3 that include Dexterity. Normally, only rolls of 1 cause that particular outcome.

    That said, didn't expect to see two crit fails in the first set of noncombat checks, wow.
    It was too perfect an opportunity to pass up, Mark told himself. Realism was laudable, but there wasn't a red-blooded man on the planet who wouldn't go dashing to the rescue on literal horseback if the situation happened to come up. It wasn't that he was dashing to the rescue just because he could– it was just that this was how things were supposed to go, anyone would know that.

    Self-assured, he wrangled the reigns again and guided her into a broad circle while lining up the jump. Not that he was particularly good at riding as of yet, but this sort of thing was more about frame of mind than skill, right? How hard could it possibly be?

    "Don't worry! I'm coming to save you!" he yelled for the sake of yelling, and charged the boundary of the enclosure. His steed obeyed everything he said perfectly, fortunately –maybe he made an impression earlier?– but as the fence itself drew nearer, he felt a knot form in his stomach.

    It was a higher hurdle than even the ones Goetia jumped, and the trees on the other side were uncomfortably close. Not to mention if he passed the boundary, he'd be back in those woods again...

    "C'mon horse! we need to go faster!" he demanded to mask his misgivings, urging the animal with his heel. The horse didn't say anything of course, but Mark still felt a sense of solidarity. As the moment of truth approached, the gave the signal, and with a single great leap–

    The horse elegantly crossed the threshold, soaring just above the sharp tips of the fence.

    Mark's broad face was frozen in an expression of triumph, right up until the moment it connected with a tree branch.

    Momentum ruthlessly ripped him from the saddle, and he briefly felt his face deform in mid air into a horrified grimace. Gravity ensued, followed shortly by pain, and then finally the darkness common to knowing nothing at all.

    -

    He was woken by a cold splash of water.

    He shocked to his feet, gasping. "W-whatsis, m'sorry Officer, won't happen agai–" he blubbered, before realizing the bright eyes grinning down at him behind a smirk were from a young girl. Somehow, it wasn't any less scary a prospect.

    "Welcome back," she said calmly before offering him a towel. He blinked at her for a moment, but took it gratefully without saying anything.

    She waited for him to finish cleaning off, before directing his attention to the animal sitting down only a few paces further.

    "I should chew you out for endangering Orobas," she said as she reached out a hand out to the brown mare. "Unlike you, she is a delicate, intelligent creature unsuited to an infirmary. I can only imagine why she sent along with your foolishness. Placing her into danger was the height of irresponsibility," she shook her head as the horse nuzzled her palm. "You should apologize."

    "Uh... Sorry," Mark began, his head still swimming a little. He was sure this girl was the maid he met earlier, though now she wore a simple brown dress akin to that of the island's regular townsfolk. As his vision straightened he noticed what seemed to be a damp servant's uniform folded by the edge of the –now broken– dock.

    "I meant to the horse," she said with a belittling smirk.

    Something about her made him uncomfortably anxious, so he rapidly changed topics.

    "Er– so, what was the hubbub around here?"

    "Ah, the dock?" she said, and he noticed just the briefest wince. "The timbers must've rotted in recent years. I came to claim the fish left behind by the hired angler, and it collapsed under my weight."

    She gave him a wistful grin. "I might've drowned, if not for the encouraging sight of a mounted knight approaching. My hero."

    Changing the topics wasn't working. "Yeah, well... there are things you gotta do, sometimes," he mumbled.

    "And yet, we must also know our limitations, must we not?" she said, still with a broader grin than was probably necessary. "Youthful scars are a part of life, I imagine. Take the advice of this humble servant," she said, suddenly brimming with mock servility. "Fool I am, I taking for granted the sturdiness of wood. Learn from my mistakes, young master, and watch for danger before you cross."

    He touched his cheek and realized he'd been bandaged as he slept. It was a little humiliating to know he'd been tended by the same person twice in less than a day.

    "D-don't call me that," he muttered, abashed. "I don't think it's, uhm, appropriate–"

    "Oh? Is that so? I apologize for my offense," the girl said, her big eyes matching her feigned expression as well as any actress. "But allow this servant the audacity of suggesting introductions are integral to any informality, regardless of how small."

    Mark's ears burned. He was a great speaker, but this conversation was like stumbling through a field of beartraps. Then again, he was hardly in a position to put on any great airs.

    "Sorry," he said for the second time. "My name is –"

    "Mark Goetia, yes," she cut him off ruthlessly before offering her hand. "I am Ash Medai. I serve as a maid of the household, as well as personal valet of Sir Bael Goetia. May fortune smile upon our meeting."

    "...It's just Mark," he corrected, before shaking her hand. "But, uh... Glad to make your a-acquaintance," he mumbled, suddenly incredibly conscious of his words.

    Dropping all pretenses, Ash just giggled at him.

    Acquired Minor Wound (-1 effective Stamina and associated checks until healed, unlikely to aggravate)
    Reputation Gain: Moderate (Foolish) - Ash Medai

    ~

    Dinner was becoming more interesting than Mark could've hoped. He just wished he had the smallest idea of how to use his utensils; there were literally dozens of combinations. Deciding to hope for the best, he chose a random fork and knife.

    "I couldn't agree more, Bael. It's been a pretty dull afternoon, personally," he said in an ever-slightly sardonic tone as he cut his meat.

    Goetia and a couple of the other servants chuckled politely, while Bael's face set into a thin line. His joke was a little self-evident given it looked like someone ran over his face with a blueberry truck, but it was still lucky Bael gave him such a good opening.

    "There's always time to learn, Markus," Goetia said with a small smile. "For example, that fork you're using is for the salad."

    He played up his own sheepishness at the mistake before adroitly turning the topic of conversation to horses. As expected, Lord Goetia's eyes seemed to light up when given a chance to talk about his hobby.

    He spoke at length concerning the technique of riding the beasts–"It's in the romance, the intent, that one guides a steed," he said with a dramatic sweep of his arms, at which point Ash shot him a smirk from her place at the other side of the table– but eventually calmed down upon digressing to speaking of races, turning melancholy and dispirited.

    "Unfortunately, it's a sad fact that horse riding is not terribly popular among the masses. It's to be expected, I suppose, without a track on the isle..." he said wistfully.

    Mark saw his chance.

    "Well, I've only started riding myself, but you still have Bael, right?" he asked with expertly feigned casualness.

    "Alas, Bael shows little interest..." the older man shook his head dismissively. "My boy, you will miss half the world with your nose stuck in the books as it is."

    "...Father," Bael acknowledged, though his glare was reserved for Mark, who raised his hands in (feigned) surrender.

    "A-hey now, well, I'm sure someone has to ride, right? What about you Ash? You looked more comfortable next to Orobas than Lord Goetia did," he directed to the maid standing beside Bael.

    She discreetly avoided his gaze instead of answering. Mark noticed from the corner of his eye the male servant serving Goetia wincing as he poured wine, splashing some onto the lord's napkin– and beard.

    Bael threw down his cutlery. "And what exactly what were you doing speaking with him, Medai!?" he demanded loudly.

    "A-ah, it was my fault to begin with–" Mark hastily added, and Bael regarded him with a withering glare. "W-when I got injured by the lake, she patched me up and–"

    "By the lake?!" he parroted, spittle flying from his mouth before he abruptly stood up from the table and took off in a huff, stomping his napkin into the ground before he went.

    Meanwhile, Lord Goetia and the head servant had finished their perfunctionary assurances and apologies, and had finally dabbed the wine-stains out of his beard before turning their attention to the rest of the room. Somehow, it seemed they'd missed the entire ordeal.

    "Oh? Has Bael already had his fill?" Goetia said momentarily confused. "Such a mercurial boy... perhaps a consequence of the martian retrograde," he mumbled to himself, emptying the remnants of his goblet– and catching a few more drops in his beard in the process.

    Ash didn't chase after her master, though she head her forehead for a few moments. She gave Mark a glance from the corner of her eye clearly blaming him for the entire ordeal, then hastily cleared her master's place at the table. With a few expert motions, soon the only diners remaining were Goetia the Elder, and Mark himself.

    "I must say, Markus," Goetia said idly as he finished off a large piece of steakroast, "I certainly must respect your adventurous spirit, but one must always be aware of the consequences of one's actions. No lord is an island."

    "Of course, Sir." Mark quickly finished what was on his plate. He was used to eating quickly, so it didn't take long.

    He didn't talk much for the rest of the day, but at least Bael never tried to come after him. As he drifted off in the middle of the night, he made a promise to himself to be more careful about his words from now on.

    Acquired Enmity (moderate) with Bael Goetia
    Acquired Enmity (minor) with Ash Medai
    +2 Charisma
    Bonus: +1 Mettle
    Improved Talented Speaker Trait:
    Talented Speaker – Social
    You have an instinctive mastery of conversation, and are sharp enough to draw in even the most laconic of individuals. Your effective Charisma is +3 while you are engaging in conversation outside of battle.
    So long as you are not ambushed, you can always engage another individual (including enemy combatants) in conversation if the situation allows. You can attempt to convince an opponent with violent intentions to stand down by rolling as if using a Trick during the Initial Bout of combat (check: Charisma+3 vs. Mettle). If you succeed, they will not immediately engage in combat. If you do not, you may be forced into the Main Bout of combat with disadvantage.

    -

    Sleep wouldn't come.

    He wasn't about to try and sneak away in the midst of the night again, but he still simply couldn't keep comfortable in something so... soft, and plush. He felt like his bed was trying to pull the wool over his eyes.

    "Nothing for it, I suppose..." he muttered to himself, before pulling a thin book from under the mattress.

    It was a sort of valuable-looking book, clearly old and possibly handwritten. He'd considered smuggling it out earlier, but at this point it was more of a distraction than anything. Goetia had told him to practice his literacy; if he couldn't sleep, he might as well try that.

    He squinted at the title, slowly sounding out the symbols. The book was called...

    ~
    [ ] History of the Goetia: A Biographical Account of the Lemegeton Curse
    The man scratched his head and wrinkled his brow.
    "Well, 'vanished' is putting it a bit strongly, I suppose. There are a couple o' that family left in town. Some of them work up by the manor. There was a few more not too many years ago, but they moved to the mainland."

    [x] The Legend of the Wolf King and the Sleeping Princess
    the woman looked around furtively before hushing her voice.
    "They say he keeps her locked up in the highest tower, and that's where he gets his magic power from," she whispered with twinkling eyes. "The Goetia's have always been a sorcerous folk, so it'd be none too out of character."

    [ ] Demonology Made Easy: Introducing Yourself to the Infernal Abyss
    "Well, I admit some of his purchases have been a little off," the vendor said off offhandedly.
    "Dried onions, candlewax, spools of wool, that sort of thing." he paused. "Whole pig carcasses, which was a little unusual. Pretty rare for a noble to order that sort of thing in person."
    ~
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top