The Journey Never Ends (Original Fantasy Quest)

Stilling · Oct 6, 2024

Accept Ophelia's Help: 12 votes
Go loud and fast: 12 votes
Not sure if I need a disclaimer, but things get a little violent here.

You stand watch on a nearby building, observing the police cordon around the place where the cultists with the hacker have their base of operations in. The moment you agreed to grant a favor for Ophelia's help, the temple wasted no time in getting the operation started. Your companion gave a surprisingly… enigmatic smile before reentering the space where she can disrupt the cultist's technician further.

Gone is the beanie, casual jacket, and pants. You've donned the outfit you only take out for occasions like these which has been modified and changed over the years. A dark green hood and mask adorns your face, the cloth mask covering a specialized mask made to filter out dangerous substances from being breathed in. Black and brownish leathery material covers your upper and lower body as a cross between old leather armor and more modern protective clothing. Specialized gloves for your archery and quality boots finish your ensemble. Most of your equipment has been specially made for durability and can take much more force than one might assume.

Turning your attention away from your appearance, you run through everything about the operation in your head again. While you don't have the greatest understanding of modern law enforcement, you know enough that Sumeri doesn't have what one might consider to be traditional police force or tactical units. Avista has the most developed system of course, with a standardization unmatched by most anywhere else along with more funding. However, that mostly lies in the fact that Avista primarily relies on this force for their enforcement of the law and investigation of crimes.

Tarshish, Zhonghua, and other nations in central and eastern Kiengir have their own regular police force of course, but they also usually have unique specialized units that they rely upon for more dangerous or complex operations. They aren't exactly separate or apart from the overall law enforcement organization, but they certainly are given more initiative and independence from the various governments in how to conduct themselves.

In Sumeri, things are… different. The lack of standardization and sufficient support from the central government means that each region handles their enforcement of the law differently but usually less effectively no matter their methods. To make up for this, local groups in each area that traditionally have handled various threats are called on or even simply given the responsibility of various duties that the police are supposed to handle. You suspect that the temples in other nations definitely would have had more limited authority in handling a raid like this, and that other police forces have more people capable of dealing with magic and cultists.

With the prevalence of demonic cultists in Sumeri and the strong historical presence of the Light and other religions in the nation, it's no surprise then that the temples in various cities are heavily involved in cracking down on them. Only in Tarshish and Sumeri could this happen, and the Light's role in Tarshish has largely shifted to be more ceremonial and diplomatic. You believe this is why you were even granted an audience, as the Light's prominence here both makes your name more recognizable and your experiences during the Crusades and with Ismael valued.

This is why instead of a heavily kitted up police tactical unit efficiently organizing a raid on a potentially dangerous location, Amin along with a sizable group of martially-inclined clerics are the ones standing not too far away from the building. The paladin's mixture of traditional and modern armor is a strange but nonetheless imposing sight. The clerics too had a mixture of helmets with face shields, body armor, and the temple's various vestments draped over it in certain places.

Fatoumata is nowhere to be seen, but she's no doubt with the command organizing everything before finding an opportune moment to enter the fray herself. The police, while taking minimal participation in the raid itself, lends an official air to the whole thing and has a perimeter keeping bystanders out. Bystanders that seem to be growing more and more in number as the people gathered to watch the unusual sight.

The temple investigation members in charge of monitoring and sensing demonic taint and influence have confirmed that despite the subtle nature of its concealment, they did manage to find evidence of cultists here. The police have given a warning for the cultists to come out peacefully and had one of their officers almost shot dead if it weren't for the barrier protecting him. Amin and his squad have finished gearing up and are currently moving to breach the door.

It's time.

DC 12:
Operation Roll: 3d6: 2+1+5=8. (8+4(Amin's Great Martial)+2(Organized Unit)+1(Cultists in slight disarray)-2(Prior Preparations and Knowledge) = 15

Unlike past paladins you've known, Amin simply walks up to the door unarmed and after some hand motions to his squad, leans forward before slamming into the door shoulder first with his full weight behind it and rushes straight in without stopping. Almost immediately you hear an explosion rock the entrance way, but the protections of a paladin ensure that it mostly serves as a distraction as rapid lancer fire soon followed the attack. You hear cries of pain as Amin no doubt supplies sufficient force with his authorized fists to those inside, and as the clerics storm in after him and fan out, you sense that the cultists in the front will be swiftly overwhelmed.

However, you soon begin to focus on your own role in this. While Amin and the clerics will likely be fine by the end, it's up to you to hit the upper floors and make sure they don't pull off or organize anything major up there. If the hacker is present upstairs, you'll be responsible for apprehending them and preserving the data in their room. Taking a deep breath, you draw an arrow and begin to take aim.

Archery hasn't completely disappeared from practical usage, and you vaguely know that there are some marksmen with modified bows and crossbows that carry specialized trick arrows. While you wouldn't trade your enchanted bow and quiver for anything, the quiver's infinite supply of arrows only applies to the arrows already inside. You believe it might be possible for a skilled enchanter to find some way to change that somehow, but what little time you've been able to dedicate to find someone both trustworthy and capable of such a thing has turned up nothing.

Thankfully, the selection from the quiver is still quite diverse, and you have your ways of making up for it.

DC 12:
Personal Operation Roll: 3d6: 4+3+2=9. (9+5(Phenomenal Martial)+2(Master Marksman)+1(Cultists in slight disarray)-3(Cult is aware and prepared for you) = 14)

You clear your mind of other thoughts as you focus on enhancing the arrow and running through the familiar calculations with the trajectory and other mechanics involved with the spell. Instead of narrowing your vision to a point as you release an arrow meant to pierce, you concentrate heavily on the connection between yourself and the arrow.

The moment everything clicks together, the arrow soars through the air and slams high up on the wall of the building. It remains connected to the long trail of energy that followed the projectile currently sticking to the structure. Moments later, you're flying through the air tethered to the line from the arrow and shatter the glass window you crash into. Disconnecting yourself from the arrow and rolling forward, you immediately draw another arrow and scan your surroundings.

You are greeted by five surprised cultists making their way downstairs. A heartbeat passes, and then you move. With you already prepared for most contingencies, you instinctively prepare and loose an arrow that ricochets between four of them. Following that, you leap towards the last person before she can even process the four thudding impacts loudly echoing in the hallway. The cultist's strangled cry is cut off as your knee slams into her helmet and cracks its face protection apart.

In barely more than a second you're already running past them, leaving a body almost flipped over and the lingering misty haze of the enhanced ricochet arrow above four unconscious bodies. You were given permission to kill if you needed to, but doing it like this is both faster and leaves people alive to interrogate later. Busting open doors as you navigate the hallways of the upper floor, you speed up your pace as you start coming to the conclusion that nothing is up here.

Sending an arrow that explodes out of your bow to bowl over what looks like a cultist attempting to organize everything and the people around him in a wave of force, you step over his body and make your way to the staircase leading down to link up with Amin. As you reach the center of the room with the staircase however, you're suddenly showered by a mixture of kinetic bullets and energy blasts from all sides. You immediately pivot and slide to one side as you examine the situation, but a few projectiles impact against your armor and shielding with a few uncomfortable thuds resonating across your body.

Multiple assailants all decked out in tactical gear are spaced apart so that you can't target more than two at the same time. They're positioned to both cover as much area as possible, hit you from multiple directions with overlapping lines of fire, and to not shoot each other as well. This is a squad designed to suppress combatants such as yourself.

You've found that such squads are never foolproof.

Rolling across the floor and behind some furniture, you aim upwards at the ceiling and after some quick estimations of their location shoot another ricochet arrow. It bounces from the ceiling and you manage to hear two thudding impacts amidst the chaos. Just before they rain hell on the flimsy cover you have, you suddenly burst out and begin running forward almost before they could react.

You quickly take in the locations of the rest of the squad, loosing another two arrows in the process. One impacts a cultist and immediately knocks them out, but the other cult soldier manages to duck with a shout just in time to avoid it slamming into him. Making it in close range to one member, you dash in and circle behind him before kicking him forward into the others. They show their discipline by holding fire, but it gives you another opportunity to shoot an arrow that bounces between three of them.

Seeing only two more, you nock an arrow to finish them off. Perhaps it's the cacophony of the lancer fire rattling your senses or you forgetting that suppression units are usually there to keep you in place for something else that leaves you unable to sense the incoming collision, but your rare lapse in attention causes you to get sent flying in the air by a hulking figure from behind. You crash into a wall before you can properly process what just occurred.

Sloppy, you berate yourself as you quickly scramble out of the hole in the wall you just formed. You manage to hold on to your bow and nothing is broken fortunately with your body, but the impact has left you reeling slightly as you take in your new opponents. A large hulking gnoll slightly taller than you snarls in your direction as he walks forward, strange glowing purple veins running through his oversized body. Behind him, someone in dark robes mutters something as runic circles and glyphs begin to form in her hands.

"I'll kill you and sacrifice the last elf to the true lords of the realms," the gnoll promises. "My name will resound across all domains!"

You hum and take on an disinterested air while regaining your bearings, "I believe I've heard a variant of that a thousand times over. It usually never ends well for the speakers."

He lets out an unearthly howl that almost makes you take a step back before leaping towards you with frightening speed for one so large. Muttering a quick prayer, you aim an arrow at him as you dash to the side, the piercing light striking his shoulder. Grunting at the impact, he pivots and swings his arm in a wide arc. You duck under and nock three arrows on the bowstring before sending them straight into his head. He roars this time as one strikes his right eye out and another gets stuck in his left cheek, but manages to slam both his arms on the floor at you.

You crouch lower and then leap out just before his arms hit the ground and tear it apart. Quickly turning, you spot the caster preparing a spell that you then interrupt by sending another light arrow that goes through her entire arm. She screams but manages to send a stream of roiling energy which you have to meet with another arrow instead of finishing her off. The arrow and spell collide with a painful screech that drowns out all other sounds in the room, the two energies fighting against each other before quickly dissipating.

As you land back on the floor without missing a step, you immediately move into a back flip to avoid the grab attempt by the gnoll before sending a shock arrow at his neck. Landing once more, you feel the build-up of malignant demonic energy irritating your senses and decide enough is enough. Nocking three shock arrows, you aim one at her side, leg, and near her neck and send her convulsing on the ground.

Prepping another arrow without sparing her a second glance, you catch the gnoll glance at the fallen caster with a furious expression before directing his anger towards you. He's already leaping to you without a word as you prepare your final shot of the fight. Right as he's about to reach his hands toward you and tear you apart, you finish sharpening the arrow into a razor's edge and send the piercing projectile with a loud shink from your bow at his torso.

His face doesn't seem to react as his body is bisected into two halves, his lower half falling forward on the ground while his upper half slams into yours through inertia. He screams in agony and shock a heartbeat after, his arms holding you tightly to him and forcing you to endure his screech. Just as you're about to tear him off from you, you jolt as you feel teeth digging into your shoulder and drawing blood.

Scowling, you drop your bow momentarily and immediately pry the cultist scum from your body with both your hands. Hissing in pain from ripping his mouth away from you, you take a step forward and send him crashing into the opposite wall almost as fast as he did you. From the few glimpses you got of him, you know that the gnoll is not as finished as he seems as the fell enhancements running through his body aid in his recovery. Running past the blood and lower body, you jump forward and send your knee crashing into his head, further driving him into the wall.

Gripping him by the shoulders, you spin around and without remorse send him head first into the floor hard enough to form cracks on the surface. With the blood loss, repeated head trauma, and sheer agony and loss of functions from losing half his body, he finally stops moving. From the rise and fall of his chest however, you know he's still alive. Taking in deep breaths, you hear footsteps coming from the stairs as you start moving towards your bow.

Amin bursts into the room, but lowers his hands when he spots you standing alone. Around him, a few clerics enter after him and spread out, but stop short at seeing the devastation in the room. One cleric tilts and bends over a bit at the sight of the severed gnoll as if they're about to heave. The paladin spares a glance at everything before dismissing it and focusing his attention on you.

"We heard a lot of noise up here," he begins casually, but there's an authoritative tone beneath it. "Let's discuss what happened, shall we?"

The both of you touch base on what occurred on each other's respective floor, both still tense after the raid but managing to stay professional. He's pensive as you describe the two enhanced cultists that caught you off guard before thanking you for taking care of them. They might've killed many more before they could be dealt with. You frown as he describes the lack of any hacker or their setup and prepare to go investigate yourself.

"Are you certain you don't need any medical attention for that bite?" He asks a little skeptically.

You glance at it, the bloodied clothing and stains covering the fact that it has completely healed already before responding with, "I should be fine, thank you. It's best that you all focus on restraining the cultists here. I think at least two have already managed to get away."

Shaking his head, he doesn't press the point and moves to order his squad around. Amin is a little hard to read, but you don't think he bears any ill intentions. The casual air he tries to affect and the intensity with which he actually regards everything makes you curious though. You wonder what his oaths are.

Police and clerics both are swarming the area on the first floor when you reach it. Some of them pause at the sight of you with blood staining your clothes, but you've taken off your hood to make it easier for them to identify you. Letting the gazes slide off you with practiced ease, you start moving around the floor and looking for anything off.

DC: 12
Insight Roll: 3d6: 2+4+5 = 11 (11+6(Extraordinary Insight) = 17)

You pause as you stop at the middle of a carpeted floor, eying the out of place furnishing before realizing where the hacker probably is. After struggling to move everything out of the way, you're rewarded when you spot a well-concealed but still visible hatch door. A few minutes later a squad is assembled near it that includes yourself, Amin, and Fatoumata.

"Well done in spotting this, as well as handling the forces upstairs," the miu says. "We began to suspect they were hiding underground, but it might've taken a little too long to find them."

You nod, "Let's get started then."

Amin steps forward and easily pries open the door. A ladder stretches down into the space, and you follow after the paladin as he swiftly begins to climb down it. Walking down the small hallway and past the entrance to the room attached to it, you resist the urge to cover your nose at the musty stench of somewhere that hasn't been cleaned up in ages.

You spot a scruffy looking miu frantically trying to overcome what's attacking his system. Clothes and old boxes of food litter the small room, and the only furniture besides his computer setup is a couch, mini-fridge, and small table. Another door slightly ajar leads to what you assume is a bathroom.

"Damn it damn it damn it what the fuck is going on?" You hear him muttering.

As you and the others step closer, he spins around and looks at the crowd assembled with a frantic expression, "Shit! Not one fucking step more!"

He pulls out some device with a button and holds it up in the air, "I don't know who the fuck you all hired, but I don't give a shit. If you don't let me go, I'll blow us all straight into Hell."

Despite the brave face he's pulling, you can tell that he's scared out of his mind with how his whole body is trembling. Before Fatoumata can shoot his hand off, Amin can talk him down, or you can figure out some way to resolve this situation without risking everything, you spot something silently rippling behind him.

An explosion of cubes, lines, and colors erupts from the central monitor behind him and sends him flying towards you all. Amin quickly moves to apprehend him, but you only have eyes for your companion cheering with her arms raised high up in the air.

"Only I can blow people up!" Ophelia crows as she flies over and looms over the hacker. "You put up a good fight, but you're no match for the queen of explosions!"

You sigh as the tension leaves your body almost as fast it came, "Hello again, Ophy. Did you have fun?"

She looks toward you and flits over, "Ehh, it was alright, but things got a little weird after a while in there. If this guy was at all capable of doing stuff within the actual space himself, I think it might've been a little hard. Not too hard though! I can handle anything. What about you? You look like you got chewed on by a gnoll!"

"Ophy, you can't say things like that," you scold.

"Ahem," Fatoumata interrupts, looking less than amused. "While I thank you and your companion for your handling of the situation, we shouldn't linger here too long. If you wouldn't mind returning so that we can start debriefing everyone on what occurred soon…?"

You nod, "Of course. Ophy, will you be going back up or returning to the Currents?"

Ophelia looks at you with a scrunched up expression, "I'll be heading back, it stinks and tastes so bad here! All stale and moldy… anyways, remember to pay me back!"

You nod as she phases away, her material form shifting back into the indistinct shape of energy before disappearing. Heading back up, you take the time to collect yourself and plan your next move.

You'll be going to a commission Amina shared with you tomorrow. Do you...

Pick one:

[] Go with someone: Having either Amin, Fatoumata, or another combatant with you can help you out if things get out of hand. However, the cults must have been spooked by tonight's operation. They might be suspicious of new additions that look oddly familiar and could start something before you figure out anything important.

[] Go alone: This is largely a scouting mission to see if this is part of something bigger or shadier. Going alone will reduce the risk of any suspicions being raised, especially with you and Amina having already registered before tonight's raid occurred. If things get dangerous however, you're unsure how capable Amina is exactly and if you can protect her and any other innocents caught up in this.

AN:

This one took me longer than I thought it would. I had some difficulty conceptualizing it and sort of made things a bit more vague than I wanted. I hope you guys liked the action though. It's fun coming up with different ways Deirdre just outright cheats against regular opponents with her various abilities and how she fights. Let's see how long she can keep it up.

Stilling · Oct 9, 2024

[X] Go alone - 10 votes

You hold out the pair of sunglasses Fatoumata gave you when she prepped you for the scouting job you decided to undertake. When you told her of your great cover name for it, the miu simply looked at you for a few moments before blinking and turning away to prepare the rest of the details for this. She must've been stunned at your improvisation skills.

Of course, a pair of glasses isn't the only thing you have. You've changed your casual clothes for a loose shirt and pair of… jeans. You glare down at the offending piece of clothing you've been forced into. People all over the world seem to be wearing these in recent years yet you have no idea why. You shift your legs. It is deeply uncomfortable.

Without your bow, quiver, or bag on you because of the need to remove any identifying features, you feel strangely bare as well. Vulnerable in a way you haven't felt in a while. It's a ridiculous thought considering that you can handle yourself perfectly fine without your weapon, but it's something that bothers you all the same. There's a certain assurance that you feel when you have your belongings with you, something beyond a feeling of physical safety. Standing in some random location in the city with nothing to your name but loaned out clothes… you feel strangely disconnected and distant. As if this is some dream. You stare at a wall in front of you, the material blurring together as things start swaying slightly…

It takes a moment for you to notice your hands shaking. You shake your head violently and put on the sunglasses, taking a deep breath as you do. This… you don't know what overcame you like that. There's probably something off with how this is bothering you much more than a dangerous operation into a cultist's hideout or being robbed on the road, but you shelve that for later. With luck, you'll forget all about this and move on with your life like you always do.

So this is how you approach Amina. As a tall figure wearing a pair of sunglasses, jeans constantly being fidgeted with, and a slightly hunched over posture. You're not entirely sure what the human is thinking when she sees you walking towards her with unsure steps, but her bright smile grows wider at the sight of you regardless once she recognizes who you are.

"Ho there, fair Dee! 'Tis good to see you once more. How farest thou?"

You blink, snapped out of your funk by her vocabulary. Not only does it seem like she's maintaining her role even when alone, she's gotten even more into it. Her group must've made a compromise with her to tone it down in public with them. You won't be too surprised if your acceptance of her oddities played a role in her inviting you out today. While she isn't wearing her armor right now, the knightly human is wearing a gambeson like what one would wear underneath it along with a thick pair of trousers.

"Hail, Ser Amina," you say, a small smile forming despite yourself as you bow. "I am quite well. How about you and your companions?"

"Ah, they hath undertaken their own quests in this city," she replies as the two of you begin walking together.

You frown a little at that, "Are the five of you each on their own?"

"Thou needst not worry. None of us go out alone. I simply thought this to be a good opportunity for us all to venture out!" Amina reassures you.

"I'm flattered by how much trust you seem to place in me," you say, still skeptical. "But we only just met two days ago. I'm not so sure going somewhere alone with a person like that is wise…"

She merely shakes her head, "I wouldst not place my companions in danger, but I have faith in mine own skill to fend off any scoundrels and knaves. As for the pair of us being unknown to the other? 'Tis a matter we come together like this for, yes?"

Despite the lighthearted tone of the conversation so far, the sentiment behind her last statement makes you look briefly away. By the Light, she is really trying to emulate people long past in more ways that one, isn't she… an image flies unbidden in your mind's eye of a dusty looking alerion with a hood beckoning you, followed by the rather normal looking commander greeting you amiably and introducing you to her inner circle.

Amina continues when you're silent for a little too long, "I shall begin! Mine companions and I hail from faraway Avista, that land of glittering towers and people come from all walks of life! Though our dreams may differ, we are all united in our vision to venture out into the world beyond our home. I fulfilled my duties as a squire to the most honorable knights of the realm and trained to become a skilled warrior without peer! Now I set out to broaden my horizons."

You run her words through your mind, trying to translate it into a more modern interpretation. You could be mistaken, and much of Avista used to be territories outside the original lands of the three races that first formed the union, but Amina's group probably consists entirely of immigrants. More accurately, children born in Avista from parents who moved there, aside from perhaps Aya. You suspect there's something there in how they all became friends and decided to take up the adventuring life, but you're not sure of the specifics yet.

While you doubt there to be actual knights with any martial ability these days, Amina must've been trained somewhere. What that training is, you can't say. It's always been something left a little unsaid, but there has always been something enhancing the bodies and skills of those that dedicated themselves to purely physical melee combat beyond blessings and magical enhancements. There are several traditional orders with their own methods of creating unmatched warriors, but that has never been required for many fighters.

After all, in a world with deadly weapons and magic, how else can a single champion or fighter wielding a simple hunk of steel lead bands or armies and be able to single-handedly determine the outcome of the fight? If they could be easily shot down by a single arrow or bullet from afar, many conflicts in history would've turned out differently. You can only hope that Amina has trained herself sufficiently for whatever trials lay ahead of her and her party.

"Alas, there seems to be few who need the blade," Amina says a tad sheepishly. "I am glad to lend mine own strength to those in need of it, of course. What of thee, fair Dee? Which lands dost thou hail from, and why art thou wandering alone, if I may ask?"

You jolt out of your musings and quickly try to come up with something, "Ah… I suppose you can say I also come from lands in Avista. The situation at home is… complex, and I have had to live on my own for quite a while now."

There. That is a technically true statement you just uttered. Of course, Avista didn't even exist back when the elves first entered the world. What is now commonly referred to as the Central Kiengir region used to be anything north of the various kingdoms and empires in present day Tarshish and Sumeri. Your people lived in many different locations across the continent, but they usually formed towns on the borders of what was considered civilized lands.

Unexpectedly, Amina sucks in a breath, "Oh, I'm so sorry—ah, I mean, I deeply apologize for mine insensitive remarks, Lady Dee."

When did you get upgraded to… that's not important. You go over your words again to see what on Orbis caused her to react that way and groan inwardly at your careless wording.

"Ser Amina, I think you misunderstood—"

You're interrupted when the knight who has been perfectly polite and respectful of your space beforehand lays an arm around your shoulders and sniffles quietly.

"There is no need for that. I fully understand thine struggles, Lady Dee, and the difficulty that comes with speaking of it to others. Call on us if ever thou needst a kind ear or more immediate assistance. We shall ride to thine aid and crush whatever ails thee!"

Slightly overwhelmed by the twists and turns of your emotions the past few minutes, all you can do is burst into confused laughter.

She panics, once again misinterpreting you, "Lady Dee!? Dee? Oh no, what did I say wrong? Don't cry, don't cry…"

"Hup! Onward, Lady Dee!"

You watch in slight amusement as everyone stares at Amina effortlessly carrying several heavy crates stacked on top of each other. When the two of your first entered the area, eyes were drawn to the tall duo dressed very differently from each other. It grew when the both of you demonstrated your strength, though Amina gasped when she saw you and gallantly offered to bear some of your burden. Playing along, you've been hauling less cargo than her for the past few hours.

It's strange, you think to yourself. Back then, you used to do similar jobs for villages and towns you wandered into. They were a primary source of income along with whatever you managed to scavenge and gather during your travels. More dangerous quests existed of course, but you usually stayed away from those. They often required more than a single elf with a bow. For the past few hundred years though, you've largely stopped taking on such tasks. You can't tell if it's because of your participation in far bigger events, modern society transitioning to more full-time jobs and careers, or your financial security, but nostalgia wells up within you all the same.

However, you sadly aren't here to enjoy the feeling of performing manual labor for random people in search of a reward. Your eyes have been tracking everyone in the building since you arrived. There's perhaps between twenty to thirty people here, with a few people overseeing it all. All seems normal at first glance, but you've noticed after a while that there seems to be a few workers who seem to be doing nothing more than watching everyone. You also saw two people step away with tablets in their hands speaking in hushed voices to someone.

It's not clear evidence, but you feel that there is something going on here nevertheless. It can be something criminal if mundane in nature, but even that can be connected to the cults. Such insidious groups enjoy infiltrating operations such as these. There's only one thing left to do. You've been waiting for the stares to die down a little, and as you step into the truck, you set down the heavy crate.

You wait for a particularly loud moment in the building before quickly prying open the crate using your strength to look inside. A sharp intake of breath escapes you as your fears are confirmed. A set of firearms are present inside, the glossy black material shining back into your eyes. Closing it as best you can and setting another crate on top of it, you move out of the truck before anyone notices anything wrong.

You can call it in here and leave now, but you and the others were told to get in the last few trucks and move to where everything is being unloaded. Amina noted that part didn't seem to be in the job description but didn't protest when she remembered the expected time for the commission. Something about it bothers you though, and it can only help the investigation if you continue along with the process.

Your eyes shift to Amina, the human having dropped off her own crates full of guns and munitions. Out of everyone here, she's the only one you can reasonably trust. She's also probably the most capable of fighting if it comes down to it. She's perhaps one of the least subtle people you've met in recent times though, and you're unsure if you really want to drag someone uninvolved into this whole mess.

Choose One:

[] Tell Amina about the weapons and parts of the investigation: She's trustworthy and seemingly capable. Having another pair of eyes with you in the middle of everything can only help, and the both of you stand a better chance of protecting everyone together if things get dangerous. It's possible she might be able to call for help from her friends beforehand too. Despite everything, Amina doesn't seem stupid or unintelligent either, and maintaining her act probably requires a lot of effort. And, it's only right to inform her of what she might be getting into.

[] Don't tell Amina anything and try to get her away early: She's very... obvious, and any drastic shift of demeanor might give something away. The chance of her suddenly deciding to take action in an inopportune moment is all too possible too. Even though she and others have presumably graduated from college, they might honestly be too young for this as well. This is something you should handle yourself and send the naive young woman away on.

AN:

This again took me longer than I wanted. It's hard to pin down exactly how I want to write Amina, and it doesn't help that I need to refresh myself on certain archaic/Shakespearan language that I probably still got wrong in some areas. I also felt that I've been sort of glossing over some of Deirdre's issues, though it's sort of excused by her being focused on the mission she's set herself on. Now that she's in a bit more calm state of mind though, she's struggling to adjust. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed the interaction between the two. Next few updates will be pretty interesting depending on what you choose, I think.

Stilling · Oct 12, 2024

[X] Tell Amina about the weapons and parts of the investigation - 12 votes

You sigh as you settle on informing Amina about the weapons and investigation. It isn't up to you to decide how she wishes to live her life, and the human can be considered an adult from what you understand of the current age of majority for the race. Certainly, you've performed more dangerous operations with people even younger than her. That hesitation… you're not sure if it's you unconsciously looking down on her or something else. Regardless, you shouldn't leave her in the dark anymore now that you have a reasonable suspicion of what might be happening,

Approaching the woman casually, you speak up when you're sure the two of you are far enough away from others, "Ser Amina, there's something important I need to tell you."

She stiffens to your surprise, before turning to you with an awkward smile, "Lady Dee, I am not certain if I can accept thy heartfelt confession—"

"What, no!" You hiss out. "I'm not asking about that."

Amina cocks her head innocently, "Oh? Did I imagine thy shy glances towards me?"

You narrow your eyes at her even as you groan in exasperation. Not only does it seem like she enjoys being clever with people, she's more aware of her surroundings than you thought. You curse to yourself. It really does seem a tad suspect how you kept looking towards Amina in your musings and recent internal debate about her, doesn't it? You need to leave it be and press on however.

"... you may have been involved in my most recent thoughts—"

"Aha!"

"—but no. I swear I do not have any intentions towards you. This is something else, and a matter I need your discretion on," you finish, before tacking on something else to show the importance of the situation. "Please?"

The human's smile dims a little as she senses your seriousness, "Very well, Lady Dee. What troubles thee?"

You reach down to pick up a crate and speak during the motion, "I checked the inside of one of these crates since I thought there was something peculiar about this commission. There's firearms and lancers inside them, Amina. I believe this is a weapon smuggling operation of some kind."

Amina tenses, her smile fully dropping as her mouth parts slightly. Blinking, she looks down at the stack of crates she was about to pick up with widened eyes before shaking her head. The human looks back up somewhat uncertainly at you, but she doesn't look scared or fearful of the implications.

"Amina, I need you to listen carefully," you continue on after giving her time to process what you just revealed. "There have been signs of serious demonic cult activity in this city. I'm afraid that this is something related to that scourge. Several cultists are probably already here watching us, and I'm uncertain of will happen when we are transported to the next location."

"Should… should we not try to call someone? Or inform some of the innocent here?" She asks.

"We can notify the relevant authorities, but what I've found isn't definitive proof of anything. It may be safer for the people here to continue on without knowing if it turns out to be unrelated or stays a simple job if there are armed cultists nearby…"

"But if matters become dangerous, we will need to act," she finishes, eyebrows knitting together.

"Amina," you say. "You have my trust, as the one who informed me of this. If you wish to walk away now, rest assured I will not judge—"

"No. No, I'm not fleeing from this," Amina says, fingers clenched into fists as she stares in your eyes. "I… this is why I'm doing any of this. If I run now… why am I even here?"

Why else am I still here? You suck in a breath as you hear words so reminiscent of your own from the knight before you. The crate creaks from your tightening hold on it. You desperately hope you're not making a mistake here.

"And what of thou, Lady Dee?" She asks pointedly, her poise recovering. "I will not leave another alone to see this through."

You tap your foot in thought, conceding the point. Didn't Grog just ask you not to go into things like an idiot? Amina seemed like she would do something rash and impulsive to you, but your first instinct was to try and handle this all by yourself while sending her away. You constantly warn people and yourself to not underestimate demons and their cultists, yet you've been brazenly putting yourself in situations where you're confronting them on your own. It's... perhaps you need to start changing things now. Turning away, you jerk your head in the direction of the trucks.

"Well, let us be off then. We've spent too much time here. Remember, pretend you heard nothing from me. Here is what we shall do…"

You and Amina chat amiably with three other workers in the truck with you, half genuine interest from the human and half you pretending for the fourth "worker" watching everything silently. A message was already sent to Jasiri and the others, and Amina had informed her group and had her tablet being tracked by them. She is handling the pressure well, but you notice her tense posture despite her smile.

Finally, the truck comes to a stop and all of you walk off. Looking around, much of the area is much more dilapidated than the previous location, and you can't find signs of anyone else nearby. There seems to be more people walking inside the building as well than there were back during the job.

More than that, you feel... something in the air. It isn't obvious, but the atmosphere almost crawls into your senses, rendering the isolated location at night even more foreboding. The others seem to notice something too, as their conversations almost immediately trail off as they get closer to their destination. There isn't any active magic being performed or some sinister ritual from what you can tell, but places didn't need them to be influenced by other factors.

The interior of the building is dimly lit as the workers stream into it. Told to stay in a particular location until ordered otherwise, the group of around twenty people mills about uneasily. They fidget with tablets but don't use them, and any hint of the casual camaraderie from before dies down. Some of the workers, including the silent one watching you and Amina in the truck, aren't present.

You meet the eyes of Amina and nod towards her. In the event that this did turn out to be dangerous, she'll be the one focusing on getting everyone out safely. Your duty is to subdue any hostiles. Leaving someone who likely hasn't ever seriously harmed or killed anyone to fight others in a life-or-death situation is... unwise. You can only hope that she escapes this mostly unscathed if the situation deteriorates.

Footsteps finally are heard around you, and as the workers perk up at distracting themselves from the oppressive air, confusion spreads as several figures reveal themselves to them. Masked people in dark, concealing clothing start surrounding everyone while carrying firearms in their hands. You look around and take in their locations, ready to jump in if they attack now. It's just about confirmed then. Something as blatant as this is almost definitely related to the cults.

"What… what the hell is going on here?" A panicked gnoll calls out.

A miu lowers a hand into his belt, "Why the fuck do you all have lancers!?"

The door suddenly shuts with a loud bang, and most of the lights switch off. You instantly tense and ready yourself to spring into action, but stop yourself as a circle glowing with a sickening purple light springs to life underneath everyone. Intricate symbols and lines decorate its interior, and a brief glance is all you need to realize that this is a setup for a mass sacrificial ritual. How did it remain completely invisible to you? Something of this scale…

"We thank you all for your contribution to our great cause," a voice coming from some sort of speaker interrupts your thought process. "Now, we ask you to—"

This is your chance. A scenario like this didn't warrant you having to listen to someone else's monologue. More than likely these cultists are prepared to act as soon as the person on the speakers gives the signal, and acting first will throw them off. But what to do in order to ensure the best likelihood of everyone making it out safely? Your heart begins to beat faster and the world almost seems to slow down as you prepare to take the initiative.

You didn't have your bow, and that will definitely make taking everyone out quickly more difficult. However, you are hardly helpless without it and can most definitely move faster than many of these cultists can react. Aggressively taking out a few first will disorient them and focus their attention on you most likely for a short while before they think to attack the others. But some will eventually decide to shoot more defenseless targets, and you and Amina will both need to be constantly aware of those times. The people will be vulnerable in those precious few seconds with nothing shielding them after all.

Alternatively, you can form a magic barrier around most of the group and slowly retreat. It'll involve less initial risk for the crowd around you while giving Amina less to focus on. Perhaps the people might even gather themselves with a moment to breathe and contribute. However, it puts almost everything on your ability to maintain the barrier, and you aren't the best at creating them. They worked against the occasional arrow or spell in the past, but can they take sustained lancer fire from multiple directions? You aren't sure.

The investigation members assigned to help are on their way as well as Amina's friends. In either course of action, you'll likely need them. But you don't know how close they are or how soon they can act. Is making it out of the building faster by charging at them better, or will that lead to everyone getting fired upon outside? Is hunkering down inside while waiting for reinforcements better, or will that allow the cultists to gather together to break your barrier while trapping you inside?

You run all this through your mind in the second before you step forward and…

Choose One:

[] ...charge them to direct their attention onto you while leaving Amina to lead everyone out the building quickly:
(Requires a series of moderately difficult physicality checks from both Deirdre and Amina to make it out without any injuries or casualties)

[] ...form a magic barrier around as much as the group as you can and slowly move back while Amina handles anyone at the rear:
(Requires a single difficult magic check from Deirdre, and a moderately difficult physicality check from Amina to make it out without any injuries or casualties)

Investigation Reinforcements: 1d6 roll to decide how soon they arrive, lower is better
Amina's friends: 1d6 roll to decide how soon they arrive, lower is better

Stilling · Oct 15, 2024

[X] ...form a magic barrier around as much as the group as you can and slowly move back while Amina handles anyone at the rear - 8 votes
[X] ...charge them to direct their attention onto you while leaving Amina to lead everyone out the building quickly - 4 votes

Panic, fear, and dread suffuse the air as you prepare your spell. The eddies and swirls where the Currents mingle with Orbis spin erratically when you loosen the tether holding you to the material world. Foul energies snake their way between the connections, ranging from an almost smoky substance to all too solid writhing organic limbs and tendrils coiling around the frantic currents. Hair standing on end and your body tingling, you call to mind the most powerful barrier you can cast.

Unlike your teleportation and arrows, this isn't magic you know intimately and can cast through either sharp calculations or any intuitive sense. For this, you'll have to rely on ancient incantations and methods to make up for any shortcomings. You begin by recalling the sanctuaries of your people cloistered within the forests that once covered Kiengir and the safety and assurance its wards once granted, cementing its image in your mind. The chaos of the energies around you slow, and you seize the opportunity by reciting an incantation to focus your vision as your intent begins to crystallize.

A great veil to hide from foes,
A great ward to fend off danger,
A great shield to protect against harm,
Oh Gefn, show me how to safeguard those around me,
Reveal to me thine wisdom,
To craft anew an aegis to shelter the defenseless…

You continue chanting in your mind, eyes darting from various lines and structures slowly coming together and becoming visible. It's a hodgepodge of tricks to form a simple barrier, but it'll have to be enough. You painstakingly begin stitching together the unwilling energies yearning to flow freely, forcing it to form a solid wall between the crowd around you and everywhere else. Precious seconds are wasted as you hastily finish the necessary calculations, and as the spell nears completion, you sense a surge of hostile intent by the sharp chill running through your back and ringing in your head.

Briefly imagining all the different imagery and symbols associated with elven protection spells you can think of and uttering one last plea to the elven goddess of magic to help protect those under your care, you release the surge of energy, connection, and thought from your form as you raise both bands in the air.

The material world snaps back into your vision with painful clarity as a green veil of light suddenly forms around the group with a loud crackling sound. Decorative yellow-white lines ran through it, the plant-like imagery vaguely reminiscent of the old inscriptions your people once used in their own wards and barriers. That's where the similarities end as you can already see parts of the barrier sparking and blinking. The surface is rippling and uneven as well when you look closer

The drawbacks of a vague spell with a heavy reliance on abstraction and metaphor. It'll have to do.

You yell at everyone behind you, "Everyone! I can hold this barrier for a little while, but you all need to stay calm inside here! We will slowly walk back towards the entrance. The tall human at the back will handle anything that comes from behind, follow her lead! We can—"

You're cut off when a bullet slams into your barrier. Hissing as you feel pins and needles running through your hands, you're forced to trust that the workers are following your orders as you focus all your attention on maintaining the barrier. Covering every point of vulnerability and fixing every patch of damage the projectiles cause, you feel the strain on your senses and mind multiply. As a magic structure essentially built from scratch to resemble a barrier due to your lack of knowledge, it unfortunately requires you to be as patchwork with your modifications as with its construction.

Taking a single step back, you're almost overwhelmed by the sensory overload moving the barrier even slightly causes you. Flashes of color dance before your eyes as a constant ringing in your ears disrupts your concentration with how it shifts with each impact on the barrier. You become more and more aware that this spell isn't meant to cover such a large area against so much firepower, but you have little choice but to continue on.

More steps are taken, and you continue to struggle against the onslaught. The pins and needles have seized the entirety of your arms at this point, and it becomes more and more difficult to focus on anything else. It's inevitable that eventually your concentration slips as you frantically mend and adjust the barrier, and a moment's indecision is all it takes for the damage to accumulate to the point where it is almost impossible for you to fix all at once.

DC 15:
Deirdre's Magic Roll: 3d6: 5+3+4 = 12. (12+3(Good Magic)+1(Fae-Exposure) = 16)

Unbidden, a memory bubbles up to the surface right when the barrier is about to falter. It comes in bits and pieces, but the meaning of it is clear. An acerbic and critical lacerta you once traveled with consistently looked down on the magics of other peoples and races, especially the elves. He claimed that the "long-ears" got too lost in unimportant details and minutiae, and the two of you never saw eye to eye despite the surprising amount of time you spent with him. He wasn't always wrong though, and you take his lesson to heart in looking at the overall spell and its application.

Taking a wider view, you peer at the whole of the aetheric structure of the barrier for a moment before flooding it entirely with every bit of energy you can direct into it. You start losing sensation rapidly as everything starts becoming maddeningly numb, but the barrier holds firm. It is terribly inefficient and redundant mana-wise… but all it needs is to work for just a few more moments. With the connections of the barrier becoming stronger overall, the rippling slowly gives way to a more solid surface.

With the burden eased for a few precious seconds, you risk a look back to see how the crowd and Amina are doing.

DC 12:
Amina's Physicality Roll: 3d6: 6+2+2 = 10. (10+5(Great Physicality)-1(Slightly Inexperienced) = 14) (Edit: It should be 4 for Great Physicality, but didn't end up mattering)

You catch sight of Amina getting up from where she was pummeling a cultist with fists, looking somewhat frazzled but nowhere near as panicked as you've seen others react to these situations. When another cultist steps around the barrier with their firearm pointed at everyone, she immediately charges and tackles them to the ground after grabbing their legs. Tossing the weapon away, she rains blows on their head like an experienced prize fighter before quickly standing up once they are unconscious.

The workers aren't just watching either. Some quickly move to strip the cultists bare of any weapons and gear while others tie them up with what's left. The miu who was taking something out of his belt earlier is gripping onto a knife for dear life as he stands at the front, while a younger looking human is frantically attempting to bypass the interference and send a message on what you recognize is Amina's tablet. You suspect that if the knightly human wasn't here to support you, the crowd wouldn't have been nearly as calm and cooperative.

You turn your head away to focus on the barrier again, quickly mending it and smoothing out any weaknesses in its structure. Your whole body is trembling as you push yourself further and further, the almost unbearable paralyzing sensation running through your body threatening your focus and will. Gritting your teeth and clenching your hands, you do everything you can to maintain your connection and concentration with the spell and not collapse.

Once you estimate that the workers can safely go for the door, you risk another look back and find the crowd watching with bated breath as Amina gets to a running start before sprinting forward shoulder first into the door.

DC 12:
Amina's Physicality Roll: 3d6: 1+6+4 = 11 (11+5(Great Physicality) = 16) (Edit: it should be 4 for Great Physicality, but didn't end up mattering)

Despite whatever they did to block off an entrance that large, Amina's shoulder wins as it shatters the material with an explosion of debris and splinters. She continues running forward even, stumbling slightly as she comes to a stop. After a brief pause, the workers begin streaming out as well before either of you can tell them to wait. Cursing as you hear the distant sound of lancer fire outside, you begin to slowly dissemble your barrier and move to follow them, but know you'll end up being too slow to stop anything outside.

DC 12-2(Cultists engaged with Investigation)-2(Cultists surprised by resistance)-2(Cultists unprepared for further support) = 6
Amina's Friends Roll: 3d6: 4+2+6 = 12

Just when you're about to crumple from the strain, you sense a very distinct mental prod, like something poking your mind. Rapidly tracing it, you catch from the opening left by Amina something… flying towards all of you? You watch in bewilderment as some floating platform suddenly rushes towards the building, a figure wreathed in a violet and pink aura standing at the forefront. A black blur suddenly leaps from it while at the same time you catch a crackling red energy from behind the leading figure.

You realize these must be Amina's friends, and you're shocked they arrived to your aid before the investigation. Weren't they scattered across the city? How in Orbis did they create whatever… setup they had now? Watching as crackling red lightning shoots out to the side and presumably impacts a group of cultists judging by the cries of pain you hear, you can only stare as Kiran quickly descends when the platform gets low enough and moves to check on Amina and the workers.

Dan stands tall as he floats away from the platform and towards you after looking to make sure Amina is alright. The slouching, exasperated member who seemed relatively unassuming when you met him takes one look at your barrier before waving a hand and forming one of his own in a fraction of the time it took for you to make yours. You drop yours and collapse as the pinkish violet veil surrounds the group, the translucent barrier forming a perfect sphere around you all.

Bullets and energy blasts impact against his construct, but they all bounce off as it holds firm. He raises his other hand and layers another barrier with a swirling surface on top of the first soon after. The projectiles immediately begin to be deflected back at their shooters, and as their attack wanes, his hand squeezes and collapses the front of the building with a loud crash. A cloud of smoke and debris forms, and the yuren pushes it all towards the cultists with a wave of force.

After a few seconds of silent focus, his body sags heavily when nothing seems to be attacking back. He stays silent as you wring out your hands and shakily stand back up, clothes and purplish hair rustling from the psionic energy coming off from him in waves. The yuren is still in relatively ordinary clothes, but the amethyst parts of his body glow with an eerie light in the night. If you haven't encountered all the different magical phenomena you had in life, it would've made for an imposing sight indeed.

The young mage speaks up eventually, "I thought I sensed some weird mana readings from you. But…that was a really shoddy barrier, no offense. I'm surprised it held up for longer than a few seconds."

"I'm surprised as well," you admit. "It's not something I excel with. I thank you for your timely aid."

Dan tilts his head wearily, "Huh. Are you licensed to practice magic? Some people struggle with parts of the basics, that's true, but even those who find it hard to form solid constructs know how to make a decent barrier."

You feel the mental prod again, this time much subtler and difficult to detect. It isn't too invasive or trying to pry at your mind's secrets, but you bat it away anyways. Even spells to help discern someone's intentions and emotional state is deeply off-putting to you. The yuren's curiosity seems even more piqued by the ease with which you deflected him.

"...I didn't study at a formal academy. I simply learned a few concepts here and there, picking up from what I could from others and what texts I could decipher," you say, speaking the technical truth.

"Well, that isn't strictly illegal, I suppose," he says. "Hopefully you're ready for the interrogation of your lifetime though. Feds are always jumpy about magic, and from what I read of the various laws in Sumeri, this place isn't any different about it."

The two of you stand in awkward silence in the middle of the barrier he cast. Most of the lancer fire has died down as the cultists seem to realize they're about to be overwhelmed and need to retreat. It's replaced by the sirens of the police cars as the authorities swoop in to take charge of the scene.

You speak up, "About that thing you flew in on…"

Dan groans, "It's something Rowan came up with. She loves to come up with all kinds of stuff for very situational and niche moments. I told her not to bring something so heavy with us since there's no way we'll find an opportunity to use it. Please don't bring it up to Rowan, she'll get an even bigger head—"

"Who'll be recognized as an absolute genius?"

The yuren sighs as the both of you turn to the sylvan fiddling with her firearm on the other side of him. Judging by the smoke rising from several locations, you suspect that the shot it fired earlier definitely overtaxed it.

"Fine, you were right this one time. It won't happen again. Real life isn't some campaign we're playing through, Rowan," Dan says.

She scoffs, "Not with that attitude! We're adventurers, we're supposed to have unorthodox solutions for irregular situations. Right, Ms. Suspiciously Relevant Person who got Amina involved with demonic cultists on your first outing together? I swear, we had a session just like this…"

You look back at the sylvan casually accusing you and promptly descending into random mutterings with an even expression on your face. Dan looks inquisitive as well, but the two of you are interrupted before you can say anything in response by the officers making themselves known and shouting for the barrier to be dropped. You watch the mage as he begins signaling to the officers before dropping it.

"Time to face the music I guess—shit, Aya! Don't do that!" Dan suddenly cries out.

You look to the side to see the bake-danuki suddenly behind him, having remained hidden despite her outfit. She sports no injuries from what you can see, but the fur on her hands are matted with blood.

"Sorry," she intones quietly. "You okay?"

You can't quite decipher it right now, but you sense there's more to that question than just concern. Dan simply nods though after regaining his composure and turns away fully to regroup with everyone else. Aya peers at you for a moment before striding off to do the same, with Rowan following last.

As the tension and adrenaline leaves your body after another successful operation, a thought suddenly pops into your mind. You're about to investigate the magicians of the city, and here's a mage who graduated from an academy and presumably knows a lot about the current structure of mage society today. As Amina waves at you happily and starts striding toward you, you debate the merits of inviting Dan out with you on your investigation.

He's definitely knowledgeable and the most grounded out of the group despite wielding the most esoteric powers. From his talk of licenses, Dan seems to know what defines and makes a mage in the modern era. Not to mention that he definitely is above-average in terms of sheer ability. On the other hand, he's clearly the most suspicious and unsure of you. No doubt he'll try to investigate you in turn, and you're unsure if that can lead to potential complications down the line. Not to mention his recent comments showing his bluntness about other people's magic. You know mages to be a prideful lot that might be offended by him and turn you away.

Choose One:

[] Invite Dan out with you to investigate the freelance mages of this city

[] Investigate the freelance mages on your own

AN:

Sort of unsure on how I depicted the magic in this update, but hopefully it'll stop looking weird later. You probably would've needed to roll one or two more times if both groups were late to help. Since we're getting into magic more and more, I'm hoping I can release an informational update on magic soon before the next quest update. We'll see. And hopefully I'll get out the religion informational out too before the end of the volume...

Stilling · Oct 16, 2024

Magic

"Magic is painful. Magic is difficult. Magic is infuriating. Magic is unpredictable. Magic is despair. Magic is everything."
-Archmage Sofia

General Overview:
Magic is the manipulation of the forces and laws that exist in all life and things. It is not a vague feeling you push around and create a specific effect out of by simply thinking about it. There are many methodologies and cultural traditions surrounding the practice, but most will tentatively agree that there are two overarching philosophies that all studies of magic draw from. The first is "immersion" magic, the magic that one performs with a deeply-rooted connection or conception of the force they are trying to manipulate. The other is "calculative" magic, a magic that is done only by rigorous study of the mathematical and scientific formula involved in any given spell.

Immersion Magic:
Immersion magic, also known as impression magic, involves sorcerers and various cultural practices all over Orbis. Contrary to popular belief, these practitioners often require years of practice to achieve a basic mastery of their fields. While there may be some people able to produce magical effects without training, their use would be out of their control. They might use too much or too little, or their spells will simply stop working without them realizing why.

The reason why it is called immersion magic is that one must be utterly immersed in the specific magic field or concept that one is learning, mind and body. They can't just think about it and use it. They must genuinely feel it, know it, taste it, and be it. Immersion magic is often paired with exercises or various motions akin to a martial art as a way to formalize the process, with a student impressing the magic they are learning into every technique. Training can be so stringent and difficult that it has led many hopeful students to their deaths undergoing it.

People do not require specific bloodlines to use this type of magic, but finding the fields or aspects they match well with can be difficult and also potentially dangerous. Being able to actually cast anything can take years and being simply capable can take decades, and many people leave or quit in frustration with their lack of progress and often frustrating instructors. Adding even a single other field of immersion magic might take decades or simply be impossible, as they often conflict with each other.

Calculative Magic:
Calculative magic requires both a keen mind and strong work ethic. The simplest cantrip requires precise knowledge of its exact makeup, the trajectory, the effect of the environment, how it interacts with the caster, the proper flow of mana, and much more. People have compared it to the idea of having to manually handle every process in one's body. Technically, anyone can learn to do this. Practically, only a select few can even begin to seriously approach this.

New students have to undergo very difficult introductory periods in order to train their minds to properly process the information required to cast magic in this way, treating the brain and mind as a muscle that must constantly be trained and improved. It isn't uncommon for those learning to suffer from breakdowns or other debilitating states of mind in trying to reach mastery with this. While immersion magic can certainly be dangerous if misused, calculative magic can be truly unpredictable and catastrophic if done wrong. It is a demanding field that requires more than great knowledge or a talented mind.

The one caveat is that it is a field that grows and develops over time as magicians all over the world gradually add to the great libraries of knowledge. More efficient methods, clearly defined guidelines, countless experiments, and more have been pooled together for those studying calculative magic. For all its hardships, the possibilities are almost limitless for practitioners, and the greatest geniuses that achieved supreme mastery with calculative magic have always made their mark on history.

Hybridized Methods:
The two ways of understanding magic aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, though study of their pure forms often can be. The first elven mages in fact practiced their own specialized form of magic that combined elven symbolism, religion, and culture with clear methodologies and understanding of how magic actually works. It's widely accepted from historians that it was from this that these two fields were formed to identify what the elves were doing. Common hybrid applications that are still in use today include things such as runes, glyphs, circles, and rituals. While these are indeed symbolic methods reminiscent of immersion-based magic, they have a strict and repeatable methodology akin to calculative magic.

This layering of abstraction and metaphor serves as a fundamental concept in practicing magic, but relying on it too much limits understanding and flexibility of one's capability to use these forces. The more a mage actually understands what they are trying to manipulate, the greater the potency and versatility of their spells. Many general practitioners of magic often come up their own custom repertoire of magic that includes immersion, calculative, and hybrid-based magic encompassing their understanding of magic, the world, the Currents, and themselves. Some academies even require a magician to create their own grimoire that puts together everything they've learned and their own philosophy of magic into a single text. Such are the differing views of magic that even a well written paper can be completely useless to an aspiring mage trying to learn more.

Perception/Unlock:
One of the biggest barriers to practicing magic is being able to perceive it in the first place. While it is possible to use magic without visualizing Currents or related areas, it usually still requires someone who is a skilled magician anyways. Before the modern era, this difficulty in sensing magic was usually linked to inherited or genetic traits in some manner. After millennia of discrimination and superstition around this idea, it was finally proven that virtually anyone was able to tap into magic if they dedicate the time and effort to do so with the right tutors.

Various methods exist to help novice students. It's common for many academies to first start not too differently from any other school by instilling basic concepts about the various energies, forces, and laws related to magic in a way that eventually a student will slowly develop and connect their mind to the Currents around them. When that doesn't work, exposure to various magic phenomena in an instructive setting and manner is often tried next. Various mental tricks or even physical habits are also taught to get one in the mindset. As more research on the mind itself is performed, more and more ways to get someone to unlock their magical perception are developed.

Of course, while it technically is possible for anyone to perceive magic, there still exists a large number of people who simply cannot break that barrier even after spending years and even decades trying. Perhaps it is a difficulty in the process itself, of the disconnect from the material world being something a person's mind or body rejects. Devout adherents of various religions often have difficulty as well with this, with some theorizing that their fervor for a particular being or part of the Currents limits their perspective. Regardless, this difficult first step in an already treacherous staircase has sharply limited the number of mages in Orbis.

Science vs Magic:
The practice of magic can also be seen as painfully ironic. The rigorous nature of it and the constant need to study or improve one's understanding in turn improves everyone's general understanding of the world and various scientific fields. Through this, people invent and develop technologies that either are independent of magic or make use of the forces it manipulates in a much more efficient way. While this doesn't necessarily render mages obsolete, it has placed pressure on pure magicians as a whole to constantly improve, maintain, and adapt their skills, leading to further advancements for everyone.

What, then, separates a scientist from a mage specializing in calculation magic? The mentioned difficulty in perceiving magic is one factor, but it can't fully explain the many brilliant scientists that couldn't cast a cantrip. The answers to this question are usually blurry or skewed towards them being completely the same or entirely different. Mages have often been the driver of scientific advancement and development for much of history. Whether it be a mad wizard experimenting in his tower, a hedge witch discovering new concoctions in her forest, or a pyromancer having made some random discoveries while deepening their understanding near a volcano, users of magic have often sought new knowledge.

However, there exists many advancements as well from mundane inventors and scientists. For how many powerful and influential magicians that have existed in Orbis, they have been responsible for disproportionately fewer of the advancements that people attribute to the development of the modern era. Again, many theories are thrown about to explain why. The most common but still controversial reason are that magicians are largely concerned with the development of their own talents, abilities, and capabilities. In today's era especially, they memorize and internalize large amounts of information, formulas, and methods and focus on maintaining their skills in applying them. Normal scientists are usually the ones now coming up with new theories and concepts, and while they often make use of mage consultants, their perspective and motivation for pursuing knowledge is commonly viewed to lead to more innovation than a mage's.

Souls, Imprints, and Essence:
Most living beings have what is commonly referred to as a "soul" or spirit. The soul is what allows people to use magic, draw inspiration from faith, and accomplish physical feats beyond what the average person can do. It protects people from other magic and spiritual influences and works almost as a muscle. One doesn't need to be a mage to use aspects of one's soul for practical purposes, but it usually requires training and effort to actively use it. Many people perform certain cultural practices that provide a basic, passive defense against various spiritual threats without even realizing it.

What the soul isn't is "you". This was proven not too long after the Crusades by Archmage Sofia in her famous Experiment of the Soul where she siphoned off her own soul into a container and lived for a year without it. The body and mind don't need the energy or vitality of the soul to work. That said, it is incredibly inadvisable to tamper with the soul. It leaves one incredibly vulnerable to influences from the Currents, weakens the body, and can have any number of disastrous effects if done improperly. Soul sickness and illnesses are incredibly difficult to diagnose and treat as well. Archmage Sofia prepared a large, protected space beforehand where she could live in relative safety, along with items she carried that she could use without magic and people she trusted around her.

What is considered "someone" is still a subject of debate. Early theories after the Experiment of the Soul posit that it is a purely physical thing, but were proven wrong by the many experiments conducted to see what exactly happens when someone dies. There is something that leaves the body when one passes into the Currents. Some tentatively call it "essence", but due to the various difficulties in studying it, little is known about this mysterious part of someone despite extensive studies dedicated towards it.

The "imprint" of someone is more understood however, and has a deeper connection with the identity of someone than the soul. It is the mark a person leaves on the Currents, influenced by the way they have lived their life, their psychology, events they have gone through, connections to other people, and everything that tells the story or biography of a particular individual. It is an observable force connected to the soul but mostly categorized as its own aspect.

Imprints are often connected to various mental functions and mindscapes, often deeply influenced by one's mental state and various metaphors connected to their life somehow. It is connected to dreams and visions, with one's imprint often being an individual's sole connection to the Currents where such influences are common. Someone with an especially influential imprint often can make their sheer presence felt in Orbis as well, giving them the ability to induce various emotions in those around them.

Other Information:
To go in-depth about magic in its entirety will take too long for this overview, so this section will contain shortened descriptions on other aspects of magic that are important but do not need to go in-depth yet.

Arcane vs Psionic Forces(tentative): Arcane force is often described as the energy and make-up of various magical elements/materials, while Psionic force is often thought up as what moves and directs this energy. Arcane has been linked conceptually to various fundamental forces, while Psionic has been linked to a sort of collective consciousness and thought. They are however not really completely separate concepts, and most mages accept that all magic is, essentially, just magic and energy in some way or form.

Material Magic vs Currents Magic(tentative): Beings from the currents often have extremely potent magic and are thought to almost use calculative magic as one would use immersion magic based on how they have been recorded to think and process information. They are often less flexible however and rarely develop novel ways of using magic, though that doesn't mean they are utterly unable to adapt or simply use their slightly less effective methods to still achieve something. Magic from material beings and mortals are often less potent or powerful, but they are often able to learn a large variety of spells and applications for their magic.

Immortality: Many mages have attempted to discover the secret to eternal life. All have failed in some way, though there have been some tentative successes and unrelated advancements magicians have made in the process of researching it. There do exist methods to extend one's life, but they are often both unable to be applied to other people or come with various debilitating side-effects. For the few mages who have undertaken this research and live to today, none can claim to not have some major scar or cost they have suffered in exchange for their prolonged lives.

Combat Magic: Despite perceptions of mages as frail and slow combatants that must be protected, most mages that train for combat are often deeply frustrating opponents that are extremely difficult to pin down and defeat. With the wide variety of options both defensively and offensively they can employ, combat mages are a force to be reckoned with. Even the basic strategy taught to all of forming barriers around one self and then launching barrages of arcane blasts from behind is something a normal combatant usually can't deal with. To defeat a skilled mage fighter, one must either catch them off guard or outlast them, as magic usually requires preparation and greatly taxes a mage both physically and mentally.

This is something I've had in my mind for a while, but never really been able to finalize. It still isn't as complete or detailed as I'd like, and there's so much I feel like I should talk about that isn't come to mind right now, but since we're about to deal with a lot of magic stuff soon, I thought it'd be best to release this as a primer beforehand. I'll add to it as time goes on. More magic stuff will be introduced next update, and I'll probably have something for magitech... way later.

Stilling · Oct 19, 2024

[X] Invite Dan out with you to investigate the freelance mages of this city - 13 votes
[X] Investigate the freelance mages on your own - 2 votes

Amina was all too happy for the "great Lady Dee" to spend time with more of her friends, all but smushing you and Dan together as she dragged everyone to a bar after the authorities finished questioning everyone. The poor yuren endured the human drunkenly reciting the tale of confronting cultists many times as he sipped on his water. You stopped correcting her after the fifth time she claimed you cast a spell that split the realms in twain and cast the judgment of the gods on the wicked. It was… nice to spend time with a group like that.

What wasn't nice was the group recovering from their hangovers. When you saw Amina slumped over on a bench morosely munching on some fried plantains in a bag the next morning, you received perhaps the saddest and quietest "Lady Dee…" from her that you've heard yet. Kiran smiled ruefully at you as you patted her on the shoulder before telling you that he'll look after her.

This is how you find yourself now walking silently with Dan in the streets of Nokoyo, weaving past crowds of people going about their day. The air between the two of you isn't tense exactly, but the easy conversation you exchanged with the rest of the group fails to materialize itself with him. It feels as if he simultaneously wants to ask you various questions but holds himself back and sinks back into his thoughts.

You let him think. As someone who was distant and reluctant to speak with new people for much of her life, you were all too aware of the annoyance you feel when someone is too overbearing. You already asked him to go on this outing with you, now is the time to let him be the one to make the first step if he wishes.

"So," he says suddenly. "I noticed you got out of questioning quickly last night."

You look over to him, "I did. The officers seemed mostly concerned with the actions of the cultists than my usage of magic."

Dan nods, "Same with me, I guess. People usually get on my case about magic even though I'm licensed, but they only asked to see it when I brought it up. Kind of weird."

"Perhaps they are more concerned about demonic cultists than the public has been led to believe," you offer. "You've brought up your license a few times. What do you mean by that? I assume you've studied in Tarshish or Avista, but we're currently in Sumeri…"

"Avista, yeah. Psionics is one of the few fields we might be better than the Tarshies at. Basically, there's academies in every country, and they need to be certified by and connected to the Magi Society, the international regulating body for mages. It only really gained influence and legitimacy in recent years though. You don't need a license from the Magi Society in your own country, but it helps internationally and most mages try to get one anyways even if they don't travel for better image."

You think on his explanation for a short while, considering it. There have been several groups like this "Magi Society" that have tried to organize magicians into a more palatable part of civilization, but the reality of what mages usually are like as people usually doomed such endeavors to failure. Not that they necessarily are more evil or malicious, but the simple fact of dedicating large portions of their life to studying and training their skills leaves most woefully unable in maneuvering around politics and the interactions needed to establish such a group in the long-term. The United Peoples must have a hand in the maintenance of the Magi Society.

"What is the process for obtaining a license? Do you need to have graduated from an academy?" You ask, curiosity piqued.

Dan groans, "Annoying. There's branches in all nations, but they're all mostly staffed by people from Tarshish academies. I had my examination delayed for weeks before I finally got an appointment, and then had the snobbiest lizard ever overseeing it."

The yuren's mouth shifted into a grin, "Passed it with flying colors though, despite the crap he was giving me. But no, you don't need to have graduated from an academy, though it helps streamline the process. I know there's some stuff for those immersion guys, and there's still a few private mentorships from what I hear."

"... why do you ask?" He asks after a moment, looking at you with a side-on gaze.

"I'm wondering if I should try to gain one for myself," you say truthfully.

He chews on that, clearly dissatisfied with your answer, "Amina said you're from Avista? Maybe there's a few mages back home that might take on an apprentice, but I never heard of you. Or your accent."

You shrug, "The net is a wealth of information, and not every book on magic is banned from the general public."

"You expect me to believe you watched some hacks on YourVid and learned how to make a barrier that can cover over twenty people? It sucked, but don't think I don't know you can do more than that. Magic isn't something you can teach yourself so easily," he shoots back.

"I am unsure what you wish for me to say," you respond. "I have never attended an academy or been an apprentice to a mage."

Dan leans back, taking in what you said. You lower your defenses a smidgen and allow him to perform whatever spells he wishes to assuage his suspicion. Determining the truth with magic isn't nearly as certain as it is with the Light, but the yuren must've seen something from your posture along with his magic as he sighs and looks away.

"Fine, whatever. I can maybe leave it if it's just that, but it isn't. You're an investigator or something, aren't you? Just so happened to meet up with us, discover signs of demonic fucking cultists the first time you went out with Amina, and now you're dragging me to go check on something else," he runs a hand through his hair. "Look, I'm not totally against helping out. The others would find a way to get involved somehow, and I'm grateful you were there for Amina. But give me something at least that lets me know a little of what's going on."

You sigh internally. Keeping your identity a secret has already shown its benefits, and it's still better to maintain your anonymity with them currently. It often causes complicated situations like this however and didn't sit well with you. Transparency and honesty are the cornerstones of any good relations with other people. The best you can do now is tell him as much as you can.

"I have been involved with the investigation surrounding the increased cultist activity here, yes," you say carefully. "I am not what you would consider an investigator, and I did not approach you and the others with the intention of investigating all of you. Amina's commission did seem fairly suspicious to me, so I went along with her to see if it was truly something more sinister in nature."

Dan looks away, thinking over your words. You take the chance to look around the area as the two of you near your destination.

DC 15:
Deirdre's Insight Roll: 3d6: 6+4+4 = 14. (14+6(Extraordinary Insight) = 20)

You've been watching the area around you ever since you started walking with Dan, and you feel that someone's been following you. You eventually catch sight of a hooded figure one too many times hovering a few meters away from you looking down on their tablet. Taking care not to make any sudden movements, you look around their position for a few moments as if you just decided to turn that way before looking away. Perhaps you might've dismissed it or brought it up with the yuren, but your sharp eyes catch the fur from what is visible from the face and hands of the stalker. Aya, you realize. She must've decided to follow you two.

Keeping any outward signs of your discovery to yourself, you manage to not clue in either Dan or Aya to you finding them out. It makes sense for them to try this, and you don't begrudge them for it. You're unsure if it'll potentially lead to any complications or be helpful, but at least you know of her presence and can keep her in mind.

"Okay," Dan finally says. "Fine, I'm game. It'll probably be good to know some other mages here anyways while I'm doing stuff in this city. Figuring out if any of them are demonic cultists just seems like good sense. Just… alright. I was going to give you a whole spiel, but I've already given enough of those today. Let's just do this already."

You nod and look forward, "Let's. I won't betray your trust, Dan."

The building the mage consultants did business in is relatively nondescript all things considered. It was little different from any of the others around it, and they seemed to be one of many groups renting space in it. After entering and taking an elevator up to the floor Jasiri told you they lived on, you and Dan stand outside their office room and stretch your senses to find if there is anything off.

DC 18:
Deirdre Insight Roll: 3d6: 5+2+3 = 10 (10+(6(Extraordinary Insight)+3(Good Magic) / 2 = 4.5) + 1 (Fae Exposure) = 15.5 or 16) Slight Failure
Testing a new mechanic here, won't matter now though.

The buzz and tingling you receive in response indicates that there is something magical in nature, but you can't sense any demonic taint.

"I don't sense anything," you admit. "Do you?"

Dan shakes his head, "No. Most mages are taught to detect demonic energies, but I never really focused on that kind of stuff."

After a brief pause, you take a step forward and knock on the door. The nearby plaque proclaimed this to be the "Good Cauldron", a strange name for a business offering many services beyond alchemy. Almost immediately you hear yelling and the sounds of things falling. Sharing a look with Dan, the two of you watch the door open to reveal a myconid wearing quite possibly one of the largest wizard hats you've seen… on top of the mushroom cap on his head.

He bows without hesitation and nearly yells out, "Greetings, dear customers! Welcome to the Good Cauldron. I am the humble alchemist Iyanu Cagliostro. Come in, come in. The Good Cauldron is here to resolve any issues you may be having."

"Thank you," you reply as you step into the very disorderly room. "Unfortunately, I don't believe we need the services of an alchemist currently."

Studiously ignoring the various notes, books, and various components strewn across the floor, you and Dan step gingerly past the chaos as you follow the myconid into a room with several other people inside. The office isn't a complete disaster as you can tell there has been an effort to at least keep things clean and sanitized. An important thing to do somewhere where people are practicing magic.

Iyanu shakes his head, "I find that there's always a need for someone to consult an alchemist! Have you felt any aches or sores recently? Pains that you can't explain? I have potions that can help with that. Everyone always has a string of bad luck, but a single potion from yours truly can make them go away forever! Of course, I also have a few potions, that, well, can be ingested for a dreamlike experience—"

"A mage requires a license for the manufacture and distribution of recreational substances," Dan cuts in. "Additionally, they must receive official recognition from the Magi Society in offering services pertaining to the enhancement and manipulation of 'conceptual' forces. May I see proof that you hold these?"

The alchemist stumbles, "U-um, well, my friend, I most certainly have been accredited by the esteemed Magi Society! But, ah, I believe I misplaced my papers. Please, rest assured that I will have them to present to you in a few day's notice!"

Dan narrows his eyes, "There isn't any official recognition by the Magi Society for 'conceptual' forces. You're a damn fraud."

"Why, dear patron," Iyanu says as he whips around to glare at him. "You are quite free to leave if—"

Another voice cuts in, "My, my. You seemed stressed young man. Would you like a free consultation? I can help foresee a fortuitous future for you and your lovely girlfriend."

Dan splutters, turning to the human wearing a strange fedora who spoke up, "She isn't my girlfriend!"

The human covers her mouth with widened eyes, "Oh dear, I apologize for my misunderstanding. Perhaps you'll like some help in seeing if you two match well together?"

Watching Dan's protestations is amusing, and you're almost tempted to jump in and tease him. You hold back though. There's no reason to risk souring the tentative connection between the two of you, and you're here on business.

"We've come here for a specific purpose, if you'll allow me to elaborate," you say, interrupting before the situation spirals out of control.

"Oh! Do you two need someone to give a magic show at your wedding?" Another voice pipes up cheekily.

"You damn pus—"

You turn to the miu wearing a traditional looking green magician's robe and hood and interject with, "No. He is a mage that I've brought to add another perspective to an issue I'm concerned about. You see, he, some friends of ours, and I have recently been the victims of an attempted sacrificial ritual performed by demonic cultists in this city. We decided to investigate on our own and see what we could turn up."

The jovial mood of the room immediately dissipates as you utter those words. It seems that even they take matters related to the cults seriously. They look at each other uncertainly before the final member decides to step forward.

"I'm sorry, but we don't know anything," the miu wearing a normal light blue dress shirt admits. "I handle paranormal investigations here, but I'm really just the only one that can handle risks involved with that rather than someone good at finding out things."

You settle down on a chair and lean forward, "Have none of you found anything odd within the city?"

The miu with green robes floats up and plays around with three cube-like magic constructs in his hands as he speaks, "Well, we knew this guy who was hanging around here for a bit. We took him in since he seemed like a mage down in his dumps and we've all been there, but turns out he was a freaking cultist that killed like ten people during his time here."

You nod, having been told that much, "That sounds frightening. Did he seem suspicious at all?"

"No, not really," the second miu shakes her head. "A little snobby and defensive, but there's lots of people like him. We're really just small-time mages trying to get by. You'd probably best be served by heading to the police."

The fortune teller chimes in, "Well, maybe I can perform a divination for you? It's not a guarantee, but I can check if anything dangerous might happen in the near future."

You raise an eyebrow at her. Divination magic did exist, yes, but the efficacy of it has been... mixed, in your experience. There probably isn't too much harm in letting this human try at least.

"Very well, go ahead," you say, slapping down a large handful of credits you've prepared beforehand on a nearby surface. "Do we need to move someplace else for this?"

Iyanu's eyes boggle at the money you put down, and the human purses her lips before shaking her head and placing a tray with a mirror-like surface on the table she's sitting at.

"No need, please sit before me and wait for a moment. "

Sitting before her, you watch as she looks at you for a moment before closing her eyes. After muttering to herself, she casts a few glowing pebble-like constructs that she manifests with a gesture of her hand that then disappear with bright shimmers of light. Two glowing orbs are then revealed as she opens her eyes and peers at the tray before her, no doubt sifting through various visions. The mirror's surface is replaced with a swirling spiral that you can detect various fragmentary images forming in.

She looks for a few moments. Then a few moments more. The human remains in that focused position for almost a minute, unblinking and unmoving. You hear someone begin to nervously tap their foot on the floor as the hum of the divination spell continues to sound across the room with no sign of progress.

Iyanu begins to walk towards her, "She usually never takes that long…"

He hovers uncertainly near her for a few minutes more, not knowing if he should interrupt her or not. Eventually, the swirling effect on the mirror and her glowing eyes die down, but the human remains in that fixed position. Her eyes are wide and panicked, yet she remains unblinking as she stares off into nothing. The fedora-like hat atop her head tips over and falls off her, causing the others to move.

"Lolade? Lolade!?" Iyanu asks frantically, shaking her shoulder to no avail before whipping his head towards you. "What did you do to her? I swear, the two of you have been nothing but trouble since you've stepped in here!"

You hear Dan step in, "Excuse me? It isn't our fault that she did a divination spell with no prep like that. And if you recall, she was the one who volunteered to perform it!"

"You damn Society—"

"Enough," the investigative miu said. "Everyone else, stay and make sure Lolade is alright. Their request is in my wheelhouse anyways. I'll escort them to a different room."

Iyanu looks like he is about to curse her out too, but pulls his wizard hat over his face and waves all of you off. You stand up a little awkwardly, and knowing that any apologetic gesture will be taken badly at this point, leave with Dan and the miu quickly. Entering a smaller room and closing the door behind you all, the three of you take your seats and look at each other silently for a moment.

The miu speaks up first, "First off, I'd like to apologize for the improper conduct of the others and the treatment you've all been subjected to during this visit. They can all be a little crazy."

Dan leans back, "Well, thanks for being reasonable about all this. You know that Dee here wasn't at fault for that divination, right? There's a reason spells like that are only done by professionals."

Despite his words, you did feel at some fault and that there might've been something going on there with you and the spell, so you say, "Regardless of who is at fault, I hope that your friend is alright."

She smiles gently, "She will be. I think she's just suffering from some sort of shock. Anyways, while they might not all be certified by the Magi Society, I am."

The miu reaches her arm out to Dan and after a brief blue glow on the back of her hand, a symbol appears that you can't quite see from your position. Dan apparently recognizes it though and settles into his seat as he considers it.

"Glad to see that there's someone that seems put together here," he says, smiling for the first time today. "What did you study?"

"Mostly just combat courses. I punch things and shoot lasers," she admits with a laugh. "Paranormal investigation doesn't really require me to do anything in particular though. A lot of it is just normal investigative work that I occasionally need to blast things in. Or pretend to have gotten rid of ghosts."

"I see, I see. Well, I'm down to meet up with another mage who knows what they're doing. Don't get to talk about this sort of stuff very often," he says before rising. "Is that everything then?"

Her easy smile falls, "I'm afraid not. You see, there's another reason I brought you two here alone. If you two are concerned about cultists… well. I'm not saying anyone working here is one, but I suspect that Iyanu might have some ties to them."

Dan stops short, "That hack alchemist?"

"While I doubt his credentials, he didn't show the typical behavior of a demonic worshiper," you say skeptically.

She raises her hands in the air, "Maybe he's not one right now, but I do know there's something going on in his home. When I went over for a visit once, he was preparing something in his room that he never allows anyone in. There was definitely something off in the mana there. Additionally… he was the one most supportive of helping out that cultist we told you of earlier, and he was very silent when you were asking about the cults, no?"

Dan begins nodding his head to her words, "Huh, when you put it like that… it does seem rather suspicious."

You're still skeptical, "Why are you telling us this?"

She looks into your eyes, "Dan here is a mage, and if that bow of yours isn't just for show, then you're two people that I can bring with me to investigate Iyanu's home. He'll probably be staying here for a while to tend to Lolade. If you two are looking to find out more about the cults, then I think this is a good lead. What do you think?"

You look over to Dan, who seems in favor of the proposal. He seems to be much more upbeat now that he's talking with someone that he feels he can relate with well. Rolling the idea in your mind, you find that it's not a terrible lead to follow. Independent mages are usually the ones most susceptible to recruitment from cults, and Iyanu seems like the perfect underperforming practitioner desperate for success and improvement. The pieces all fit together nicely when presented by the miu in the way she did, and you don't think it's wrong to suspect him.

Yet… the concern Iyanu showed to Lolade was real. You could tell. While it's unwise to paint cultists as all the same, they don't tend to show empathy and concern towards others like that. The initiation and conditioning they performed to join such organizations are meant to remove such traits from recruits. It didn't sit right for you to essentially go behind someone's back like this on the word of a person you only just met as well. Bringing the matter up with him might get at the truth without essentially breaking the law on hearsay from a stranger, but he's a little upset at you right now…

Choose One:

[] Leave and immediately go to investigate Iyanu's home

[] Question Iyanu away from others and see if the conversation sheds more light on his situation

AN:

This one took me a while and was a bit of struggle to write, but hope you'll all like it. This one might require a bit more of a careful read and for you to think on the scenario/choice presented to you.

Stilling · Oct 22, 2024

[X] Question Iyanu away from others and see if the conversation sheds more light on his situation - 11 votes

You tap your leg as you consider the situation before you. There isn't any one thing you can pin it on, but something feels… off with how events progressed here. While taking the initiative and moving as fast as possible is important in dealing with potential cult activity, it is equally crucial to not become overzealous and pounce at any suspicious activity in sight. That's how witch hunts and other acts that history regrets later start. Talking with Iyanu may make things more difficult for you, but that alone won't stop you from doing what seems right.

But how to do so without tipping off either Dan or the miu, who you realize hasn't given her name yet. Not that Dan is suspicious, but neither of you have worked together or have a close bond. Your first thought is saying that you're going to apologize to Iyanu and Lolade, but considering the other two believe the alchemist is secretly connected to cults, it might seem a bit strange for you to do that.

The answer is rather simple once you come up with it.

"If we are investigating demonic influences, I may have something helpful in my room," you say, trying to look thoughtful and worried. "And I need to get myself prepared. I did not come to this city to hunt down cultists, after all. What do you say to us reconvening near Iyanu's address?"

Dan raises an eyebrow but thankfully remains silent, while the miu seems almost interested as she leans forward and says, "Oh? Do you carry around something to handle demons when you travel?"

You shrug, "I am a devout follower of the Light. While I am no cleric, I believe it to be good sense to carry such things. Orbis can be a dangerous world."

"I suppose I can't deny that," she says easily. "Alright then, he lives at…"

Twenty minutes later, you're on the streets circling back to the Good Cauldron once you're relatively certain that Dan and the miu are far enough away. Aya must have chosen to continue shadowing her friend instead, though you weren't too worried about her following you anyways. It's not as if she would have told Dan everything immediately. Taking one last look around you before you reenter the building, you step through once you see nothing and go back up to the office.

Reaching the door, you take a deep breath before knocking on it. You don't hear any yells this time around, though the thumping footsteps tell you that they're still around. This is hardly the first time you've had to confront someone upset with you or your companions, and this time there's much less risk of them attacking you, so you keep calm and assert yourself as the door opens to reveal Iyanu once more.

"Hello, we aren't—oh, it's you," he grumbles out, half looking like he wanted to close the door in your face but just barely stopping himself.

"Greetings. May I come in? I think there are some matters we should speak of."

He sighs, "Oh, I know you probably aren't at fault for the failed divination. I apologize for how I acted earlier, and I will demand no recompense of you. The Good Cauldron, however, will be closing for now. If you are here to ask if Lolade found anything in her divination, I'm afraid you'll have to come by later when she's better rested."

Iyanu's voice is mechanical as he rattles off an apology that the other miu must've convinced him to say if you came back, though he injects some steel in his voice for the last part. Until he brought it up, it didn't even cross your mind to ask about the divination. Perhaps you'll follow up on that later.

"There is no need to apologize, I understand well the pain that comes when a friend is hurt," you respond. "While I've come to offer my own regrets for what occurred, there is a different matter I wish to bring up. May I enter and speak privately with you? This is something for your ears only."

The annoyance in his bearing shifts to a confused wariness, likely not expecting this turn in the conversation. After pulling his hat down to cover his face as he thinks, he eventually sighs and opens the door further for you before turning away wordlessly. Following him to the same room you just exited not too long ago, the myconid eyes you expectantly as you take a seat.

"Well, what's this about?" Iyanu asks.

You look up at the ceiling before saying, "After the… incident, your miu friend took us to this room to discuss the matter I came here originally for."

"She goes by Carmun. Not her real name, but she likes to be called that," he interrupts.

That name… something about it sounded familiar, but you didn't have time to think about it right now.

"Thank you," you say before continuing. "When Carmun began to speak of the cultists however, she shared a… peculiar suspicion of hers. Tell me, how often does she and the others visit your home?"

He tilts his head, "We go to each other's places pretty often, why?"

You look at him for a moment before leaning back and stating, "She accused you of having connections with cultists."

Iyanu blinks for a moment, not comprehending what you just said. His hands clench soon after however as he abruptly stands up and sends the chair he was on clattering to the floor.

"Liar! First you cause, intentionally or not, Lolade to go into some kind of shock, then you try to set up Carmun in trying to what, implicate me because of your paranoia about cultists? Y-you damned… just because we're independent mages…!"

Raising both your hands, you lean forward and stare straight into his eyes before saying, "I am not accusing you of anything, Iyanu. If you wish, I will relay what she told us. She claimed that there was something going on in your home and that you were preparing something in a room that you never allowed anyone in to see. She said the mana around your home was off, and that you were the most supportive of helping out the cultist you took in while viewing your silence during our discussion of the cults as suspicious. Does any of this sound off to you?"

DC 12:
Deirdre's Charisma Roll: 3d6: 2+4+2 = 8. (8+3(Good Charisma)+1(Aura of Regard) = 12)

Iyanu's anger slowly dissipates as you talk, replaced by an expression of growing disbelief and shock. He sinks back into his chair, falling down onto his behind due to not realizing he sent it to the ground not too long ago. Taking his hat off and rubbing his cap, he begins to almost visibly shake.

"But… she and everyone knows that's where I brew everything and that it's… the mana? Carmun never told me anything about, about, and, what the hell!?" Iyanu cries out, frustration, confusion, and betrayal mixing on his face. "I submitted myself first to the temple's questioning, and she was the one who introduced that guy to us after telling his sob story! Where the fuck is she? For that matter, where is whatever the hell your friend's name is?"

"Dan, and…" you trail off as you realize something that was bothering you before.

Neither you or Dan shared his name to the people here.

"She proposed that we go investigate your home while you were busy tending to Lolade. I thought something felt off about all this, so I claimed that I needed to go back to where I was staying to prepare myself before circling back here. They should be waiting nearby your home. Tell me, what reason would Carmun have for doing this?"

The myconid shakes his head as he stands back up, "I have no idea. She's been nothing but a good friend to me all these years. I don't know… wait. There's no way she's after… shit! What a fucking schemer! We need to get there now!"

You speak as both of you stand back up, "Do you believe Dan is in danger?"

"Huh? Oh," he says distractedly. "I… I don't know. I thought I knew her well, but apparently it seems I can't get anything right. She's strong though. Carmun studied combat magic in some academy in Tarshish. I don't know how good your friend is, but she's been a powerhouse for years."

You curse inwardly and run your mind through various courses of actions that can help out Dan. Alone with a potentially hostile and powerful foe, he might be able to stall if he is aware of the danger, but will probably crumble against a powerful battlemage if caught off guard. She likely won't attack though if her suspicion isn't raised. How can you make sure the yuren is as safe as possible before you get there…

The image of a hooded figure looking down at her tablet flashes before your eyes. That's right, you know Aya was following you two. Your hand hovers your own tablet as you recall that you've exchanged numbers with everyone in Amina's party. Soon, a plan of action forms in your mind. Now, to figure out how to work the damned thing again…

You close your eyes as you focus on your breathing, preparing yourself for a potential battle. The sounds of traffic drifts by as Iyanu focuses on driving the two of you back to his home. Having left his friend behind to look after Lolade, the alchemist is more tense than ever as he skirts around the traffic laws. Despite his likely scammer's business, you feel some sympathy for his situation. His day has been one unfortunate event after another, and you're quite familiar with the sting of betrayal. How could you not, having lived so long? The Crusades alone fostered enough paranoia in you to last over a century.

Perhaps others might've spoken up in an attempt to ease his nerves, but despite all your improvements in sociability, you're still the same in many ways. You prefer to let others think and come to their own conclusions, and involving yourself in something like this has never been something you've grown comfortable doing. There is a world of difference between approaching new people and comforting them when they're struggling. Your preferred method might not always be the best choice, but it has helped more than it has harmed from your experience.

When you get near to your destination however, you feel a sudden spike in the environment's mana, the buzzing and tingling sharply increasing. Iyanu seems to feel it too as he curses and starts to drive faster. Preparing your bow, you peer out the window as you approach the scene of where things seem to be happening and ready yourself to act as quickly as you can.

You hear spells being cast and the crackle of energy being slammed into each other soon enough, and you wince at the sheer force you can both feel and hear from it. Dan may be talented, but a psionic usually can't emit that kind of raw power. Judging by the sheer volume of spells you estimate being flung about, the yuren is most probably losing the battle. Suddenly, the charged mana in the air begins to fizzle away along with the sounds of spells, and you fear that the worst may have occurred. Once Iyanu makes the final turn and you look to see what's going on, you see something… unexpected.

DC: 12
Opponent Insight Roll: 3d6: 2+3+1 = 6. (6+4(Great Insight) = 10) Opponent fails check, does not suspect you are up to something until Aya is informed and you are driving there with Iyanu

DC: 12
Aya Intervention Roll: 3d6: 4+4+4 = 12. (12+3(Good Martial)+1(Ambush)+4(Triple Duplicate of 4)+2(Opponent Too Late In Knowing) = 22) Overwhelming success, triple duplicate.

A black blur presses at the black glowing form of Carmun and lands a series of strikes at her, each one accompanied by flashes of color and sending a thudding impact through the area. Aya tilts her head to dodge a laser blast by a hair's breadth before stepping in and digging her fist in her opponent's midsection, sending her up in the air for a few meters and stumbling when she lands back on the ground. Settling herself, the bake-danuki swiftly rotates her body and drives her back foot straight at her opponent's exposed head. The miu frantically tries to block with her arms, but cries out as she's sent flying back with a wave of force.

Without hesitation, Aya drops to all fours and chases after her, leaping the last bit of distance feet first in a drop kick that slams into Carmun's head and sends her crashing into the wall of a building. Spinning in the air before pulling off a perfect three-point landing, the bake-danuki looks at the cloud of smoke and debris with a calm, expectant gaze while breathing evenly.

You don't realize that Iyanu has stopped the car and is also watching until he groans, "That's my house… how am I going to get the money for the repairs?"

"We'll cover it," you say, ready to have to actually be the one who covers it in full if the group's finances aren't in order.

A sharp surge in mana runs through the area, and before you can cry out a warning for Aya to look behind her, she's already turning and dashing forward at Carmun, who's running towards her with a glowing, crackling fist of energy. The martial artist steps into the mage's attack, slipping past the strike before sending her arm over the limb still sailing past her. In a blink of an eye, the counterpunch cracks the miu's jaw and sends her flipping multiple times in the air before falling onto her back with her arms up, groaning.

The two of you stare at the scene for a moment, almost in anticipation, before you both snap out of it and begin exiting the car. Running forward with your bow drawn out and looking around the area, you catch sight of Dan slumped over and sitting against a partially broken fence. His watchful eyes however thankfully show that he's still up, though you see a few nasty burns and wounds on his body.

"Aya, Dan!" you cry out, making your presence known. "Are you two alright? What happened?"

Aya looks over to you first, but it's Dan who calls out to you, "This damned… cat attacked me randomly. Sucker punched me and woulda killed me if I didn't prep my usual shield beforehand."

"You're too late. I punched her first," Aya says simply.

You laugh, "So you did, so you did. Now, I suppose it's time to call this in…"

As you go to support Dan in standing back up however, you catch sight of Iyanu looking down at his coworker and friend with a complicated expression. As you bring the yuren over to them all, the miu seems to have woken up and is blearily staring up at Aya and the myconid standing over her.

"What… what is this all about? What is going on?" Iyanu asks, the desperate tone you recognize of someone deeply wishing this is all a big misunderstanding.

For a moment, she stares uncomprehendingly at the alchemist, before suddenly exploding with a wheezing, horrible laughter that reeked of amusement and malice.

"Oh, innocent Iyanu. I suppose the act is up. Thank the lords," she lets out between peals of laughter.

He stumbles back slightly, before whispering, "Act?"

She shakes her head as she sits up, "It was unbearable being with you absolute messes. Especially you, you inept piece of mold."

"What are you saying…" he lets out, his hands clenching.

"What?" she says questioningly, looking at Iyanu before smirking. "Did you actually believe I cared for you? Thought I was just some kind stranger helping out a shitty alchemist out of the kindness of her heart?"

At his silence, she cackles again, "You did, didn't you? That's just so hysterical! I bet you thought we were just the perfect band of close-knit friends, struggling against the big guys huh? Oh lords, this makes getting caught almost worth it to see your expression."

"You…!" Iyanu rushes forward, only to be held back by Aya.

"Speak on why you've chosen to attempt this pathetic deception before I do what Aya did here much more painfully," you speak up finally, taking pity on Iyanu and seeking to take her attention off him.

The miu glances over at you, "Ah, you. I should've guessed you figured me out with that flimsy excuse you gave. It doesn't matter though. We completed our objective here anyways. We obtained the only thing that makes poor Iyanu here matter at all. The plan is already underway and can't be stopped."

Iyanu bristles with indignant anger, "You fucking cat! You didn't take… not my…"

You kick the miu and send her back into unconsciousness when she bursts into more manic laughter. Iyanu slumps in Aya's arms and almost stumbles forward once released as his expression, so confident and cheery when you first met him, now twists in hurt and confusion.

Surprisingly, it's Dan who asks first, "You alright there, buddy?"

Iyanu shivers, clenching and unclenching his hands, "I… when I was struggling and about to lose everything when my master died and the authorities were going to take everything, she approached me and helped me out of that situation. She supported me and the others and helped us figure out how to achieve our dream jobs even with our lack of qualifications."

"She… she was so good to us. Celebrated all of our birthdays, spent the holidays with us, joked and teased us so normally. I don't… why…" Iyanu trails off and looks down, his mushroom cap covering his expression.

The day has been difficult for him. His friend suffering from a failed divination and another having betrayed him so deeply… you hand Dan over to Aya and rest an arm around his shoulders, quietly letting him release his emotions as he sobs uncontrollably.

Dan speaks up, hesitation coloring his voice, "Don't feel too bad man, I didn't suspect anything either. I thought I was the smart one in my group who knew what to suspect or trust, but I was the first one to get duped just because I found someone who seemed agreeable and logical to me."

Though it doesn't really seem to be helping, you respond anyways to not let an awkward silence descend, "Demons and their followers are insidious. They are thought of as unthinking, slavering foes, but there are many who understand very well how to manipulate people for their own ends. They latch onto what you desire and crave most in moments where you are least equipped to deal with them and slowly render themselves integral to your life. It is a well-practiced process that they have refined for millennia on some of the greatest people in history."

A brief silence follows your explanation as the others digest what you just said. Right when you're about to call the investigation team however, Iyanu speaks up.

"I—I need to take it back," he says, trembling.

You look down at him, "Take what back?"

He stands back up slightly, "My master was part of a long line of alchemists dating back thousands of years. They declined in recent centuries though, and he was the last member of his line when he took me in. Part of the reason why they were so influential was because they were in possession of a special cauldron they liked to call the Basket of Existence."

Dan raises an eyebrow, "That's… a name alright."

Iyanu laughs wetly, "I didn't learn much before my master passed, but even I could make something really potent with what little I knew with it. If cultists have it now, I can't even imagine what they could do with it. More than that… it's the most important thing my master left to me. If I lose it, I… no. I'll do what I must to get it back. You're investigating cultists right? Let me and the others help. I… we aren't the best mages, but I have some stuff left over from my master and what I managed to brew successfully. I can't just sit back like a failure again…"

"Of course," you reassure him. "We'll return your cauldron to you and remove the demonic taint from this city."

As you go to inform the investigation of what occurred, you consider everything you've learned the past three days. There will be a meeting to summarize everything learned by the operations conducted by everyone soon, and hopefully it'll lead to the final demise of the cults infesting Nokoyo.

The investigation continues, but you have some time before you move. Who do you choose to meet up with to socialize and discuss things further?

Choose Two:

[] Amina's Group

[] The Good Cauldron

[] The Temple Investigation Trio

Additionally, two people feel free to roll a 1d6 (each) for the results of what happened with the police and museum investigation. Higher is better.

AN:

I was going to include the part where everything gets summarized and the next course of action is chosen, but I'll leave that to a second part ~~tomorrow~~ next few days since it probably deserves its own update. For this update, you guys got very lucky aha. The first bad roll of the quest and it happens to the enemy, and the first triple duplicate happens at the same time as the bad opponent roll. It was very likely that Carmun escapes here and Dan gets more seriously injured, but you guys got the best possible result.

Stilling · Oct 24, 2024

Adhoc vote count started by Stilling on Oct 24, 2024 at 6:48 PM, finished with 11 posts and 9 votes.

6 people have voted
[X] The Temple Investigation Trio
- ProfessorB
- The Sandman
- Zaealix
- TimEd
- Calico J
- Mars
6 people have voted
[X] The Good Cauldron
- Zaealix
- TimEd
- Calico J
- Mars
- Crawkid
- EternalObserver
5 people have voted
[X] Amina's Group

Vote seems to be really close! I'll close the vote in around 4 hours. If there's a really close vote/tie though, I might extend it until the morning. If it helps with decision-making, this will be closer to socializing/getting to know the group better than something actually pertaining to the investigation, though there will be some small hints or blurbs for it of course. Edit: Guess I'll be extending the vote by another 12 hours.

Stilling · Oct 25, 2024

[X] The Temple Investigation Trio - 8 votes
[X] Amina's Group - 7 votes
[X] The Good Cauldron - 6 votes

"Wow, look at this Danny! You'd never see anything like this back in Avista."

You, along with the rest of Amina's crew, stand in the Well of Orishas. A structure built near the seat of power and governance of both the capital city and of the entire region, it is the spiritual bastion of much of the region through which most of the nearby villages and towns are connected to. Every nation has its own way of providing protection against various magical influences from within and without. While Sumeri's methods are often less powerful and secure due to both the more open connection between it and the Currents and the lack of cooperation between the various autonomous states within the nation, they are still potent.

Standing within the building, you drink in the sight of one of the few remaining magical wonders of the world. Glowing white orbs and lights dance around each other in a mesmerizing display. Sometimes they circle the room in an orderly fashion, and other times they scatter and create a riot of blinking lights. The domed walls are lit up and revealed at different times, displaying the decorations on them in what some say hold hidden meanings.

You aren't totally sure of that, though you admit that your understanding of the Orishas and how exactly the people in this region of Sumeri have created such a phenomenon is incomplete. You know that the Ori of people here is in some way related to their soul, imprint, and essence, and that the Orishas are spirits sent to guide and assist them in some way. From that, it's not too large of leap to guess that parts of the Ori of past, present, and future inhabitants of the region must be gathered here, intertwined with each other's fate and destinies to help protect the common spiritual health of the people.

Dan, limping slightly but looking much better after Kiran's ministrations, peers up at the lights before replying to Rowan, "We have our own way… but I'll admit that this looks much more mystical."

"The Light's wonders are truly awe-inspiring," Kiran breathes out.

Rowan turns to him, "Actually, this was here before the Light even existed…"

The sphatika shakes his head, "I don't claim that the institutions of the Light own this, but I do think that all things that fight back against the evils lurking beyond fall under its umbrella. If you wish to be pedantic, Rowan, many religions and similar beliefs have chosen to adopt the philosophy of the Light in some way while maintaining their own unique customs. If you looked at the plaques before entering here, you'd have known that."

The sylvan huffs, "Oh for crying out loud. Of course they'd say that…"

You tune the two bickering members out as you look at Amina quietly staring up at the Ori with a strangely solemn expression on her face. Moving to stand beside her, the two of you start attracting a few of the lights, the orbs circling and slightly obscuring the two of you from the others.

"... it's beautiful." Amina finally says, not speaking in her usual grandiose tone and speech.

You nod in agreement, "It is."

After looking at the lights for a few more moments, she tears her eyes away from them to look at you, "Lady Dee, I want to ask something of you."

Turning to her, you gesture for her to continue.

"I know you are investigating the demons and their loathsome worshipers. Don't worry, I don't doubt your intentions in approaching us. In fact, I believe it to be quite the stroke of luck for our merry band. While you may think of us as just pretenders playing a game… I genuinely wish to help. I want to protect sights such as these and those that can't protect themselves."

You suck in a breath, but she continues before you can say anything in response, "I understand it'll be dangerous. I'm not blind to the fact that I might've died in that warehouse, or that Dan could've lost his life to that witch. I don't want to ever put my friends in that position again… so please call on all of us to help when you have need of it. If it comes down to it… I swear I will take responsibility. I brought them all here, and I'll lay down my life first to protect them if I have to. This is something I want, no, have to do. I know you worry about us, and I understand why, but we all knew what we were getting into when we left our homes."

Despite the brave words, you catch an undercurrent of fear and uncertainty in her voice. Just then, the Ori circling you two drifts away, and Amina catches something over your shoulder that draws her attention. Sending you one last meaningful look, she walks away and hollers something at them as you're left alone to ponder on what was shared between you two. Well, mostly alone. You catch sight of the solitary bake-danuki not too far from where you were, clearly having heard what you two discussed. You don't really know what Aya thought of what Amina said, but she simply nods at you before walking away as well.

To your surprise, you receive a text from Jasiri not too long after you left the Well of Orishas asking if you'd like to go on an outing with her, Fatoumata, and Amin. She claims that she's been trying to get the miu to take a break for a few days now, and that if you come by, it might help get Fatoumata to actually stay there for more than twenty minutes. Curious on how this will all go down, you accept and head to your destination.

Arriving at the busy street that hosts much of the food stands and restaurants of the city, you swivel your head a bit to find who you're looking for a few moments. Catching sight of the hat that Fatoumata still seems to be wearing, you make your way to the three and almost double take at the sight of the three.

Jasiri mostly seems to be normal, but Amin looks downright strange dressed in baggy work pants and a t-shirt with the logo of some band on it, the guitar standing proudly at the center. A very tight shirt as well, if the muscles that seem to be almost bulging out of the fabric are any indication. Fatoumata almost makes you wonder if someone else stole her hat as the very colorful blouse and almost scandalous skirt she's wearing is very far removed from the impeccable dress shirt and pants you've come to expect from her. Walking on specialized heels for miu and wearing a scarf around the fur of her neck, you come to a stop as you stare at the miu who previously seemed to have only one outfit in her wardrobe.

Fatoumata cocks her head challengingly at you, "What?"

You shake your head, "Nothing."

Jasiri laughs at you two as she gestures for everyone to follow her, "Fatoumata loves to dress up whenever she can. Technically, demon slayers have their uniforms, but she took one look at it and simply showed up at the temple in the outfit you usually see her in one day without a word. There were objections to it, but when the other demon hunters started to dress their own way too, the priests and clerics stopped protesting."

"You don't need to tell my whole life story to her, Jasiri," the miu says without too much heat.

The gnoll simply giggles, and soon the four of you are seated in an outdoor dining area with food and drinks for all of you. You and the other two women have something slightly alcoholic, but Amin has some sugary concoction with at least four different colors in it. The paladin raised an eyebrow at you when he catches you staring over his drink. You decide not to comment on it. Instead, the four of you exchange some small talk before you decide to ask some more probing questions.

"While I understand how Jasiri and Amin might've chosen their paths, I'm curious how you became a demon hunter, Fatoumata. That's not a profession people tend to pursue on a whim. If it's something you're not willing to share though…"

The miu takes a sip of her beverage before looking you in the eyes, "Mmm, I suppose I do know a lot more about you than you do me. I don't mind sharing. I was taken in by a demon hunter, friend of my parents from what I understand. He raised me along with his daughter, but while she decided to pursue a different path in life, I suppose I was drawn in by the mystique and heroism of fighting back against the demons…"

She trails off, and you wait patiently for her to continue. She didn't outright say it, but you were able to infer that her parents must've passed away. Possibly from cultists? It might explain their relation to a demon hunter and her desire to become one.

Jasiri pipes up before the miu continues, "Oh come on, Fatoumata! Why don't you tell her about when you started dressing up in trench coats for weeks, or stared gruffly at everyone in the corner of the classroom while mumbling to yourself? By the Light, I remember whenever you did presentations—mmphiejwr"

Fatoumata covers the mouth of her friend while keeping her expression as blank as possible, though her pulling her hat down to hide her face reveals that she's failing in that. Amin simply continues savoring his sickeningly sweet drink in peace.

"Ahem. Eventually, I became a demon hunter of the church, and inherited my… father's position," she says the last part a bit awkwardly, as if not used to saying it out loud like that. "I… suppose I should let you know that he didn't simply retire to a quiet life afterwards. He moved into politics, and is currently the President of this region. Demon hunters are quite well-regarded here, and retiring from the position allowed him to pursue a political office quite easily."

Jasiri grins once the hand is removed from her mouth, "Yeah, Fatoumata is really proud of him. She watches all his press conferences and debates when she can, and—AH!"

The gnoll is cut off once more when a drink is spilled all over her, the miu wearing a faux apologetic expression as she sets her glass back on the table.

"Oh my, it must've slipped from my hands. So sorry, Jasiri."

"FATOUMATA!"

The conversation never recovers from there, so you resign yourself to enjoying your meal in peace with the paladin. This isn't what you were expecting coming into this, but it relieves you in a way to see that the three still seem capable of enjoying life.

Nokoyo, Wazobia, Sumeri - 08/21/1493

The meeting room is jovial despite the tenseness that comes with an official briefing, the recent string of successes having served to uplift everyone's morale. Small smiles can be seen on the faces of clerics, initiates, and technicians alike as they chatter quietly amongst themselves. Cleric Eze, the human you met on the airship here, gives you a nod as you take your seat near the front of the table. Jasiri gives you a distracted smile as she prepares something on the various devices before her, ears tucked back in concentration.

You consider the past few days as you wait for everything to start. In comparison to your more crazy adventures, it was relatively calm all things considered. Nobody was killed or seriously hurt, you managed to foresee the betrayal, and you were given clear goals that were achieved without issue. Not only that, but you managed to mostly maintain your cover while also handling the ambushes the cultists set up in anticipation of your arrival. Heh, Commander Nasrin would've—

Your mood instantly plummets from the thought you unwittingly walked into. Looking away from the others, you take a deep breath and try to loosen the tightness of your hands and posture. The sudden lump in your throat remains though, as well as the heaviness that settles on your shoulders. You've been doing better the past few decades, but all it takes is a single stray thought for you to be torn out of this… illusion you continue to deceive yourself with.

Screwing your expression into something as neutral as you can make it, you look back at the people around you. Clerics and initiates mill about, and if you can will yourself to believe in it, you can pretend that you're back in the Incursion, aiding the never-ending Crusades against the demon host. It isn't though. You spot a robed human who wouldn't have been out of place back then on her tablet, while a gnoll was listening to something connected to his ears with his eyes closed. Familiar apparel clothed unfamiliar faces, and you know that the empty seat is awaiting Fatoumata and not the Commander of the Third Crusade.

You wonder if the ease in which you slotted yourself into this investigation is due to your longing for something resembling even a little bit of your past life. In retrospect, it's almost a little ridiculous how you've ended up here. Going off a single offhand comment from Grog to investigate demons in one of the largest nations in Orbis? The fact you landed in the one city among many with significant demonic influence and found yourself involved in the main investigation…

You blink. What are you doing here? You've… already done this, did your part in ridding Orbis of malign forces from the Currents. Why are you here again, and do you need to involve yourself like this? A tingling chill runs through your back and a painfully hollow feeling begins to form in your chest. You try to think to yourself how stupid it is since they've only known you for a few days, but you can't help but feel isolated from everyone happily conversing with each other. No one approaches you, and the reminder that no one is here from back then is all the more apparent because of that. Your thoughts begin to jumble together as they seem to almost impact and crash into each other. How many times will you what are you who are where are you don't want to be—

"Ms. Pathstrider?"

The world snaps back into focus as you jolt at your name being called, your knee hitting the table when you look at the one who said it. To your surprise, it's Fatoumata, the demon hunter having arrived and begun the meeting while your mind was spiraling. The miu peers at you with an unreadable expression, hands steepled together and looking as well-groomed as ever. However, the first thing that leaves your mouth isn't an apology or a request for the demon hunter to repeat what she just said, but a random detail you immediately notice.

"This is the first time you didn't refer to me as Ms. Crusader."

Silence. The others in the room who have fallen silent have somehow become even more quiet to see how this will turn out. Amin, standing loyally behind Fatoumata, raises an eyebrow on his now open face at you. Jasiri looks like she can't quite connect what was just said with the dignified and mythical elf before her. You stoically stare back at the miu, keeping your expression as blank as possible to hide the fact that you blurted out something after not paying attention. Honestly, of all the bad habits you could pick up… Fatoumata slowly unfurls her hands and lays them flat on the table as she tilts her head.

In the tiniest, smallest, and slightest amount that you'd need a magnifying glass despite your enhanced eyesight to be sure, you see a corner of the miu's mouth turn up.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're speaking of, Ms Pathstrider," the lying, cheeky cat says. "I of course respect your participation in the Crusades, if that is what you are referring to…?"

So this is how she wants to play things then. Making a great fuss out of this in front of everyone won't be a good look for you, but an elf's revenge is something to be feared. You'll get her for this when she least expects it. Taking a deep breath that calms whatever tension and nerves still remain from earlier, you focus your mind on the matter at hand. Namely, responding with snide and petty remarks.

"Ah, pardon me. I must've misheard you several times across four days," you say, leaning back without a hint of humor on your face.

Fatoumata almost lounges in her seat as she replies, "That sounds serious. Perhaps you should have that treated by a professional. Would you like me to repeat my previous statement since you seem to be struggling with your hearing?"

"That would be preferred, yes. I appreciate honesty and forthrightness from others."

"I endeavor to be truthful and direct, as the Light advocates its followers to be," she intones. "I was just commending you on your excellent performance and great contributions to the success of the investigation. Would you like to speak a few words for all of us here?"

You spare a glance at the spectators, catching Jasiri in the middle of whipping her head between the two of you in disbelief and receiving a very unimpressed look from Cleric Eze that seems to be put on to stop himself from laughing. Clearing your throat while standing up from your seat, you place both hands on the table and lean forward to meet everyone's gazes.

"I would like to first commemorate the bravery and courage of everyone here. Confronting demons and their worshipers is a task never easily performed, and it is all too easy to dismiss concerns of such things until it is too late. I have seen it all too many times, of officials and authority figures reluctant to look within their walls to expose the rot, frightened of the power of demons, or having lost their motivation due to the seemingly unending tide of demonic encroachment on our beautiful world. To know and see individuals such as yourselves ready to take action immediately against such influences is heartening to see."

Nods all around as normality returns to the meeting room and you smoothly transition to 'inspiring legendary elf' mode. Grog would tease you so much if he could hear this right now.

"However, I would like to remind everyone that courage and piety alone will not cleanse the infection that has gripped this grand city," you continue, drawing more intent looks. "The Crusades against the Incursion had seen many great and grand figures rise to the occasion to safeguard our world. Yet for decades, Kiengir was beset on both the northern and southern fronts of the invasion in a bloody stalemate, with us slowly losing our will and capability to fight back until the Third and Last Crusade, the struggle to end all struggles."

You peer at the people before you, so painfully similar to what a room full of crusaders back then might've looked like, before continuing, "Many of you might've wondered what changed during this final crusade. I am sure you've debated and studied this in your lessons. I cannot claim to have all the answers, but I do know one. I've seen the Commander of the Third Crusade and how she led. She was no great military mind with a storied lineage, a pious and unyielding warrior of light blessed by the celestials, or someone who balanced making dark deals with fell powers with achieving their goals. I cannot even say she was a woman of the people, for she was truly terrible at convincing people at times and quite fond of what few talents she had."

There are a few scandalized looks from those you assume might've admired her. Surprisingly, you catch one from Amin of all people. You can't think of two more different people, so you're curious what drew that reaction.

"I think what struck me about her was… how unbothered she seemed at all times," you say, tone turning wistful as you close your eyes. "Not in an arrogant or uncaring fashion, but more that she never lost herself. She joked with her companions, took vindictive pleasure in pushing back on negative influences on the Crusades, and made quite possibly the worst quips ever against even the most ferocious demons in the middle of battle. Truthfully… I believe that is the only way in which to combat demons effectively. To show how little hold and influence they have on you and your ability to be happy, to live a life that while aware of their threat, is free of their insidious control."

You don't realize the large smile on your face until you open your eyes and for a moment, see a painfully familiar visage staring back at you at the head of the table that wipes it from your lips. Light, messy hair framed the dark eyes and tanned face of a human dressed in only slightly decorative light armor with a dusty gray cloak almost draped over her like a coat. The circlet that she liked to wear is tilted a little over her slightly pointed ears. A smirk and raised eyebrow from Commander Nasrin greets you as she points to herself as if to ask, "who, me?" to you.

And then all of a sudden, she disappears in a blink of an eye. You surreptitiously brush your face with your hand, clearing the water that must've gotten on your face somehow. There is a respectful silence from all present for a moment as you take your time to regain yourself. It seems that this is a day of remembrance for yourself, unasked for as it is.

You sit back down as you finish your speech, "I apologize for going on a tangent there. Thank you for listening."

Fatoumata looks at you with an even more intense expression than she usually wears as she inclines her head, "No, no. That was… enlightening. Thank you for sharing, truly."

Amin surprisingly speaks up, breaking his silent vigil, "The demons are a multifaceted force. One must not let them impact any part of their life, lest they establish a stronghold within your heart."

The miu makes a strange expression at those words, face twisting slightly before she schools it back into her usual neutral look. Amin doesn't seem too bothered anymore at least, so what you said earlier about Nasrin must've not been too serious to him.

"Let's move on to why we're all here, yes?" Fatoumata says. "In the past few days, we have accomplished important objectives and obtained a wealth of information. Jasiri and her team have been hard at work in organizing it into something useful, so I'll leave it to her to explain what we've found and what conclusions we can draw from it."

Jasiri nods as she presses a few buttons on the devices before her and opens up a few holographic displays for you all, "Yeah, the information that we found on the hacker's computer is extensive. We've located a bunch of their supply routes and hideouts, as well as various individuals connected to the cults. The police and temple have coordinated to apprehend most of them, while the rest have been scattered. Whatever small scale operations they've been conducting here have pretty much been taken down for good."

"Deirdre's discovery of one of their shell companies has pretty much dismantled what remained, as well as giving us a few more leads into the few things we still don't know for sure yet. The cultists were careful in sharing truly important details and despite there being signs of a central leader organizing this, many of the cultists we interrogated seem to have reported to different people."

Jasiri brings up an image of Carmun, "This is Carmun, real name Nneka Chidozie. While not part of the leadership in the cult, she is an important part of their operations and possibly one of their strongest individuals in combat ability. She has been… surprisingly open with our questioning, and confirms our suspicion that the cult has been speeding up their operations the past few days. It's possible that despite much of their infrastructure having been dismantled, they may have allowed it in order to expedite their true goal."

Fatoumata interjects here, "With everything put together, it's clear what they are planning. Tomorrow is Sumeri's National Day, the day in which we all united under one flag. Many of these cultists are people recruited in the northern regions before being sent down here where it is more vulnerable to demonic influences. Whether this is an attempt to destabilize Sumeri overall or some deranged plan from an independence movement from whichever region is threatening to separate from the confederation this time, we're still not sure. Either way it's something we need to stop."

"Which means we do not have much time," you infer.

While it made logical sense on a surface level for operations to speed up to meet a deadline, you wonder if they would've been so reckless and hasty if you had arrived here differently. Disposable resources are still resources, and there's nothing saying they couldn't have still achieved their goals on time while conducting their operations normally. Yes, their hastiness gave you more information, but it also spurred them to conduct more operations despite the risk, and who knows what they succeeded with that they wouldn't have otherwise? There's no use thinking about this however.

"Correct," Fatoumata says. "It might've been possible to pursue some other leads today and then tackle the main problems tomorrow if they haven't shown themselves to be hasty and erratic… but I'd rather not leave it to chance now that we have a better idea of what they are like. 'Thankfully', it seems that our 'friends' have supplemented our investigation for the matters we didn't have time for. Jasiri?"

You note the reluctance in the miu's tone. What group could she be so grudging about receiving help from?

1d6 roll for police investigation: 3 1d6 roll for museum investigation: 4
At least one roll is greater than 3, so receive a free tip from the Advocates. Police investigation is greater than 1, so receive information regarding them. Both investigations are tied to each other, so was able to use the Advocate's information to also help in finding moles within the police force.

Jasiri sighs, "Help is help, Fatoumata. The Advocates gave us a tip on where to find some information on what was stolen from the museum. After questioning the one they directed us to, we both came to the conclusion that the cultists stole the Mmaagha Kamalu. We don't know why exactly since it's a sword that's lost most of its enchantments, but it probably can't be good."

You start as you recognize the blade in question. It was a sacred weapon used by those a bit further south, and you distantly remember several wielders of it during your time there. It glowed red in the presence of demonic energies and influence while causing increased reverberations onto whatever it impacted. When Commander Nasrin was in the middle of her campaign in the south, it was offered to her as she was a swordswoman with few equals, but she declined it and claimed that it was better for powerful weapons to be in multiple hands rather than just her own.

"Additionally," she continues. "There were… insinuations and implications that they left in their message about the police who were handling the museum investigation. Along with what we found out on our own, we believe we managed to cull most of the cultist's influence over our friends in blue. They've again stated that they expect no repayment for this, and request another meeting in order to coordinate our efforts."

Fatoumata frowns, "They aren't so generous usually."

Jasiri shrugs, "You and I both saw that it was written personally by the person that seems to be leading the investigation on their own side. Noor Maamoun. All I got is that she's a gnoll and arrived here recently, around the time Deirdre came here actually. She definitely seems more intent and willing to take the fight against the cultists. I suspect that this is something personal for her."

"The temple can't be seen communicating with them regardless," the miu says, remaining firm in her denial. "But if someone not officially part of us wishes to speak with them, we will not protest if they come to… help."

Fatoumata carefully doesn't look at you, but everyone knows that she's talking about you.

The gnoll technician speaks up, "Anyways, there's really only two paths for us to take now that we have gathered everything we could. We know roughly where they're storing their… sacrifices at."

Jasiri spits out that last part, and everyone's mood plummets as the realization that there's still many people stuck in deplorable conditions in their city. With the amount of people they gathered just for a sudden ritual in the warehouse earlier, the victims in a designated facility for sacrifices can number in the hundreds. Possibly even more with the most grim estimations.

"It's somewhere outside the bounds of the city, but within reach by car or air from other regions of the nation," she continues after a moment. "While we are most definitely sending a team to rescue the people the cults have abducted, there is unfortunately another, equally important matter."

Eyes turn to Fatoumata as she chooses to speak here, "While we have long suspected it, it is now all but confirmed that there is someone influential in our government supporting the cults. We believe they are the likely ringleader, and that they have long prepared for whatever they have planned tomorrow. As the one with the highest authority here with regards to the investigation, I plan to go speak with the President who has returned to Nokoyo recently about our discoveries while finding out what I can from various officials there. A support team will be on call nearby in case this gets hot and will help escort the President out."

The miu turns to you finally, "Everyone's role here is mostly decided already, but you have proven your ability, Ms. Pathstrider. I shall leave it up to you on which course of action you wish to provide your direct aid in."

You lean back and consider all the information and options presented to you. The most important decision to make is deciding whether to help rescue the victims or figuring out the ringleader of the cult. Instinctively, you want to get the hundreds or more people that might be killed at any moment out as soon as possible. Without you there to handle anything unexpected, the casualties from the operation may be far greater than any here will like. Additionally, taking away sacrifices will hamper any rituals the cult might be planning on performing. This is a mission you will be more suited to handle as well.

However, their operations will definitely be more hampered if you can ferret out the mind behind all this. Even if you don't apprehend or kill them, you may force them in a disadvantageous position and seize whatever is left behind in their escape. How many more people will be killed if the mastermind is free to complete whatever foul plans they are conducting? The final confrontation, if there even is one waiting for you all, will be made easier and less fraught with danger as well for everyone in the city. Fatoumata will be able to bring you too without rousing as much suspicion under the pretense of introducing you. All it will cost are the likely many lives stored in a heavily defended facility.

It is a classic case of hitting the belly or going for the head, just in a slightly different frame. Going for the safer but likely less impactful result or going for the riskier but likely more rewarding outcome seems to be the current dynamic of the investigation. It rankles you to use such terms when the lives of the innocent are at hand, but it is the simplest way of seeing it.

As for the Advocates, while they may not have been directly confronting the cultists, it's not as if they had the authorization to do so anyways. They've provided aid free of any strings attached to the investigation, and their apparent leader in this city has demonstrated some sort of personal interest in removing the cultists here. With things moving faster and the stakes getting higher, their help will be appreciated. You don't doubt that they have some form of combat support to give right now that could help tip the balance. You can just meet them and decline their aid if it isn't to your liking really, but you just don't know if you should even give them an inch they can use and potentially waste precious time meeting them if discussions don't go well.

Amina's party has all but offered their direct assistance to the investigation at this point, yet hesitation still lingers within you. This is likely the last chance you have in distancing them from the dangers of the investigation. You have already connected with them and formed friendships, so it's not as if you'll never see them again if you don't draw them in further. If this investigation is going into more dangerous waters like you're expecting, there is a very real chance that they get hurt or, you hate even thinking about it, killed. Their aid has been indispensable and they are clearly talented and eager, yet they have so much of their lives left to live.

You shelve that for now, focusing on the last being you can call upon for help. From what you've been told, you're not really sure if Ophelia can help much with either task. You can't really bring her with you to meet the President if you want any chance at subtlety, and you're very hesitant on entrusting her in a mission involving the rescue of hostages that she'll probably struggle in caring about while throwing explosions around.

But… something that this investigation has missed is identifying just who all these cultists are worshiping and performing sacrifices for. You don't know how many demons or what exactly they're following, and you're sure the lowly henchman was told some random title that barely references who it might be. Ophelia might be able to investigate the Currents around this area to figure out who exactly is orchestrating this from beyond Orbis, but it's definitely more risky. There's a significant chance she won't find anything, and while she may not demand anything in return for that, it'll probably make her reluctant to perform more tasks afterwards.

There are many decisions you have to make here, which will affect the conclusion of this investigation. Laying both hands on the table as you lean forward, you open your mouth and give your answer.

Investigation Action:
Choose One:
[] Hit the stomach, go rescue the sacrifices stored in the cult's main facility for them and stop them from being used
[] Go for the head, discover the mastermind behind all this and stop their plans before they can enact them on the city

Advocate Decision:
Choose One:
[] Meet with the Advocates
Depending on how the discussion goes, they will provide support for either the operation you choose not to go on or help you in your own operation. They will be part of any future discussions with the investigation as well.
[] Ignore them
You will likely not see them again in Sumeri.

Adventurer Decision:
Choose One:
[] Bring in Amina's group for support
[] Leave Amina's group out of this, they've done enough

Ophelia Decision:
Choose One:
[] Have Ophelia investigate the Currents around the area
(DC 18 rolling 3d6. Uses Ophelia's Phenomenal Magic Stat(+5)+1 from using magic in the Currents. If failed, Ophelia will not demand a favor from you, but it will count towards the three total requests you can ask of her for this volume. She has two remaining.)
[] Don't call on Ophelia
It's a demon you'll have to handle anyways, and you have enough experience to adapt to whichever one is directing this. Don't waste her here.

Vote will be counted by line, but if it helps format your vote, feel free to format it in a plan and I'll count it accordingly.

AN:

*collapses in exhaustion* Whew, this is the biggest update yet of the quest. It started flowing though and I got into it easier and easier as it went on. Probably one of the few chapters where I'm sort of satisfied with finishing, even if there's still some things that feel off. Anyways, this is a very important vote that will decide pretty much how the last parts of the quest will go. When I asked earlier if the pace was too slow, this was sort of what I had in mind for making it faster, but I sort of compromised when I came to actually writing it and added a bit more to it. If there are any questions, I will answer them as much as I can without outright spoiling. Hopefully you all enjoyed this one.

Stilling · Oct 27, 2024

Adhoc vote count started by Stilling on Oct 27, 2024 at 11:14 AM, finished with 10 posts and 9 votes.

8 people have voted
[X] Bring in Amina's group for support
7 people have voted
[X] Meet with the Advocates
5 people have voted
[X] Go for the head, discover the mastermind behind all this and stop their plans before they can enact them on the city
5 people have voted
[X] Have Ophelia investigate the Currents around the area.
4 people have voted
[X] Don't call on Ophelia
2 people have voted
[X] Hit the stomach, go rescue the sacrifices stored in the cult's main facility for them and stop them from being used
- TimEd
- Crawkid
2 people have voted
[x] Ignore them
- Wootius
- RadioRobyn
1 people have voted
[X] Leave Amina's group out of this, they've done enough
- RadioRobyn

Edit: I'll be extending the vote by another 12 hours.
I think I'll be closing the vote in 12 hours, though I might extend it by another 12 depending on what it looks like by that time since it's a very important vote. Some of the votes seem to be closer than others though. Differential between them if anyone is confused:

Investigation Action: 3 more in favor of going for the head instead of hitting the stomach. 5 to 2.
Advocate Decision: 5 more in favor of meeting with the advocates instead of ignoring them. 7 to 2.
Adventurer Decision: 7 more in favor of meeting with Amina's group instead of leaving them out. 8 to 1.
Ophelia Decision: 1 more in favor of having Ophelia investigate the Currents instead of saving her for later. 5 to 4.

The Journey Never Ends (Original Fantasy Quest)

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