Dio.

>>196970
I chose the protagonist. The one with the ability to use illusions to send messages back to the one still in the cell.

>>196970

Jai~

Jai. Save Dio for after.

Dio.

Alright guys, we need a game plan. I say we use our illusionist powers to compromise the Queen's mind.

Dio.
He can give Jai a play-by-play of the conversation, and if they both fail to convince the queen, Jai will be a type of magic they're unfamiliar with, and more able to dish out massive damage since she's on the plane her magic's focussed around.

For talkan, send Dio. Jai is in reserve as a secret weapon. So far they have illusionists, I doubt they know anything about other kinds of mages.

I also vote Dio. Illusionist scamp that he is.

Dio

A good point is made. Have Jai make an escape, then let Dio go.

Dio.

And for goodness sakes man, don't piss her off.


Oh is that Underwear Hat? Maybe you can call him Fastest Spear, or suggest an alternate name, perhaps the brand name of the underwear would be nicer sounding. Or "Briefs" or something.

...Or you know, not bring up touchy subjects with him, or any subjects.

>>196992
Those are totally boxers though. Boxer Hat?

>>196994
Just boxer. Explain to him that it's another name for underwear, and is also what we call people who can hit things really well.

>>196970
Dio, definitely.

Dio should be messaging Gryph with an update and a "if you get called, it'll probably be soon", by the way. Want her to be ready if things go horribly wrong.

>>196970
Dio is the best choice I think.
Also, see if telling Underwear Hat that wearing boxers on one's head is a sign of virility improves his disposition.

>>196992
>Maybe you can call him Fastest Spear,
This sounds like a good idea.

>perhaps the brand name of the underwear would be nicer sounding. Or "Briefs" or something.
This doesn't. He didn't mind his name until he found out what it meant; he probably won't appreciate a synonym as an alternative.

>>197026
>Also, see if telling Underwear Hat that wearing boxers on one's head is a sign of virility improves his disposition.
Neither does this. Even if he believes us, it'll just make him angrier when he finds out otherwise.

If he' s still insecure about it, you can always give him the "A thing is what you use it for" talk. Seriously. If its warming your ears, its not underwear, its ear warmers.

>>196970
Dio.

And remember to call this guy fastest spear. It might make him lower his guard some.

Damn. The first time we get a chance to control Jai, and we have to pass it up because Dio is a far better option.

Brom 2010/06/22(Tue)11:27 No. 197192 ID: f98e0b
File 127723127225.png - (128.40KB , 800x600 , 74.png )

"Come with me, small creature," says Underwear hat, pulling him out of the cell and pushing him forward with his spear. Dio looks back at Jai, who is gazing after them with a worried expression.

"Is she going to be able to talk to the Queen too?" asks Dio.
"No talking," says Underwear Hat.
"Sorry, Boxer," says Dio.

They walk on in silence for a minute. Then Underwear Hat, in quieter tones, says, "What did you call me?"
"Boxer," says Dio.
"What is that?" asks Underwear Hat.
"It's another name for the underwear on your head," says Dio. "It's also another name for a fierce warrior who beats his enemies with his bare hands."
"It is both of these things?" asks Underwear Hat.
"Yeah," says Dio.
"Then I shall be called Boxer Hat now," says Boxer Hat, sagely. "It is a name fitting a great warrior like myself. And I do not even need to take this underwear off my head. It is comfortable."
They keep walking. Boxer Hat seems less spiteful now, and his spear is no longer pushing against Dio's back.

>>197192
"If, and this is a crazy if, we all end up as friends after all this, I know a guy who could give you a few tips on boxing. Ever heard of a Shoryuken?"

>>197192
Alright, lets go see the queen.

>>197194
If he seems even the slightest bit interested, describe boxing as the following:

A means to contest strength between two warriors through the power, speed and precision of their arms, the swiftness of their feet, and their resolve to continue fighting even as they get injured. It is a method built on strength and determination, should you ever wish to learn.

>>197192
With the spear no longer pushing against your back, you would be able to substitute yourself with a dummy like you did against that shifter you first summoned... and he wouldn't notice if you made yourself invisible at the same time.

Of course, we can't actually do that. Oh well!

>>197192
Well lets get on with it. We have a queen to talk to. Not sure how much good the talking will do. But I'm sure we can wing it once we're there.

Brom 2010/06/22(Tue)12:06 No. 197212 ID: f98e0b
File 127723358895.png - (129.13KB , 800x600 , 75.png )

They enter a huge room Dio can only assume was once a gymnasium or auditorium. The ceiling is covered in catwalks, that hold lights that are now smashed and dark, and which disappear into darkness. Kithik climb all over them, chittering, staring at him. They are in the bleachers, too, all around him, and perched on the throne, made of detritus gathered from the fort. Atop sits the Queen. Dio can barely make her out from this distance.

"My Queen," says Boxer Hat. "I have brought the prisoner before you."

Brom 2010/06/22(Tue)12:07 No. 197213 ID: f98e0b
File 127723366173.png - (146.42KB , 800x600 , 76.png )

"I know," she says, descending her thone. "And he is FABULOUS~"

oh spirits the queen of the kithik is a CROSS BETWEEN FREDDIE MERCURY AND DOCTOR FRANK N FURTER

>>197213
"Mister Mercury-furter, did you know that the Qal are immune to HIV and have a thriving transsexual community?"

>>197212
Hmm, she doesn't look that big. Anyway, get down on your knees and tell her it's a great honour to meet her.

Then tell her that you have come to talk to her in the hopes of avoiding unnecessary bloodshed. If she does follow through with her plans of invasion then it's quite possible that she will find that the price of it is alot steeper than her people might be able to pay.

Brom 2010/06/22(Tue)12:11 No. 197216 ID: f98e0b
File 127723386575.png - (253.56KB , 800x600 , 77.png )

((I am really really sorry guys MrQ made me do it))
((now we return to your regularly scheduled quest))

She does not respond, but simply sits upon her throne, her head perched in one hand, her eyes closed.

She appears to be waiting for him to say something.

>>197213
WAKE UP!

>>197216
Say nothing until you are spoken to.

Hey! Dream buddy! Want to take a look inside that noggin of hers?

'Tis a glamor.

>>197216
Say "Greetings, your Majesty." and bow.

Get down to one knee in respect and say "Greeting to you, queen and strongest of the kithik, I am Diometricus. Formerly the unknowing mentor of horned, my pleasure to be granted your audience"

Brom 2010/06/22(Tue)12:33 No. 197228 ID: f98e0b
File 127723518717.png - (84.63KB , 800x600 , 78.png )

"Greetings, your majesty," says Dio, bowing.
She grins, showing a toothy maw rivaling Gryphona's.
"GrEeTiNgS, mOrSeL," she says, in a voice even more shaking and flickering than her subjects. "HoW PoLiTe yOu aRe."
"Thank you, Queen," says Dio, trying not to shake.
"YoU ArE A MaGe, ArE YoU NoT? mY ChIlDrEn hAvE ToLd mE."
"Yes, Queen," says Dio. He can't lie, now that he's taught half of them how to cast spells.

"AnD YoU HaVe bUt oNe eYe? LiKe tHe qAl bUt... DiFfErEnT? aN AlIeN?"

>>197228
Well you're an alien on this plane. So tell her that yes you're an alien.

Ask her why she wishes for a wholescale invasion rather than negotiate to gain territorial concessions.

Say that you used to have two, but now it's just the one because you're a mage. Compare it to horned Kithik. Say you're a creature from another plane, but you visited here as a rite of passage, to help people here. Say that there's peaceful interaction between all three planes, and ask why she's waging a war.

Brom 2010/06/22(Tue)13:01 No. 197244 ID: f98e0b
File 127723686270.png - (120.33KB , 800x600 , 79.png )

"Yes, Queen," says Dio. "I used to have two, but now I have just one. I'm a creature from another plane, here to help-"
"A CyClOpS?" she interrupts. "So yOu aRe oNe oF ThE GrEaT FaThErS Of tHe kItHiK, oF ThE PeOpLe, ReTuRnEd."

She opens her eye, her single eye, her huge, bloodred, staring eye, and gazes down at him.
"YeS. i sEe."

ohjegusfuckshehasanoculus

>>197228

"There are many other races besides the Qal, Highness. My people are friendly to them - that is why I chose to travel here - but reside on another plane. There are yet other races on other planes still, some of whom we are fortunate to call friends as well."

Essentially, deliver some polite exposition, while subtly, as an aside, trying to get across the idea that eradicating the Qal will have further ramifications, that the world is bigger than she might be aware of.

>>197244

Woah ok keep calm. You probably won't be able to keep yourself from being surprised, and its probably a bad idea to try bluff things. Perhaps you can present your youth as an excuse for not having an inkling of this before, and maybe angle for some information out of her?

>>197244
Ah, I think this is one of the Ark Fraternity's backup plans in case another war broke out. It's a bit out of control now though! Just like the Arkers themselves. Maybe we can convince her that she's working cross-purposes with the Fathers.

>>197244
Well now that is truly quite interesting. She probably found something that the Arkers left behind a long time ago, probably from the Wars or even the cyclops purge, a sort of revenge from beyond the grave thing by the Ark that they might have forgotten about since then.

Ask her what she knows of the cyclops.

Single red eye? This is not good. Either the arkers have a hand in this, or worse.

Don't let her intimidate you. It's time to launch Operation Domination.

We are going to use illusions to mind control her. Bear with me. Pull a Nervelock+Greater Glamor combo. We never tried it before. This should either effectively lock her into her own mind/Dreamspace, or place her in a state where she'll believe anything and is prone to suggestion.

After that it's going to be a bit hairy, but the damage we needed to do will be done. Her consorts will learn the spell. Shouldn't take long for them to burst into a power struggle once they can see they can control her.

>>197246
This.

Also:
Show this to Jai, and tell her to send word to Orpheo.
"Fascinating; I hadn't heard of any Kithik Cyclops. Oh! Right! There's a speech for these kinds of things! Err... I can't remember it, exactly, but the gist of it is that since you have an oculus I'm supposed to offer to take you back to the Arcanopolis so you can be taught to the extent of your gifts."

This is completely true for all you know.

Hey uh... let's not attack right now, instead of trying to talk to her and seeing what her reasons behind war are. Here, let me actually write up dialogue.

"Might I ask more about these Great Fathers? My people visit this realm regularly."

When someone asks if you're a god, you say yes.

>>197244
Returned? People have been coming and going from this world for quite some time....

And we need to be sure to convince her that the Arkers mean bad news, if she indeed is connected with them.

FUCK! She' s The One Arker!

 

>>197283
Related.

I said a mage was involved in making this happen, and I was right.

God she's ugly.

Brom 2010/06/22(Tue)22:39 No. 197511 ID: f98e0b
File 127727156574.png - (242.37KB , 800x600 , 80.png )

((queen's accent reduced for the sake of readability))

"I..." says Dio, staring up at her. "I am young for my species."
"Is that why your eye is not red?" asks the Queen.
"Yyyyes," says Dio. "I admit I had not heard of the kithik's ties to us, perhaps because of my inexperience. Would you enlighten me?"
"It was twenty-nine moons ago," says the Queen. "That is four weeks and a day. We the people lived in darkness, knowing only Base, Animal things. Eating scraps. Fighting over carrion. Hiding. Fornicating. Then, we were Chosen, I know not why. By you. The Alien Visitors. The One-Eyed creatures." She leans forward in her chair. "It was they who granted me, the Queen, this new face, and the power that came with it, and other gifts, gifts that would spark knowledge and sentience among the kithik. And they, you, gave us something else, a purpose, told us to adapt, to learn and grow, and to spread our influence over the Plane Arcana. And look what we have done!" she grins delightedly. "We are on our way to becoming dominant and fulfilling our purpose for you, our masters. See, I am become more than an Alpha. I am a Queen, and live in a Queen Palace and sit on a Queen Chair. Have we not done well?"

>>197511
"I don't believe that exterminating the Qal was intended, but besides that you've done very well.
Perhaps you would like to come with me to the Arcanopolis, so you can be rewarded with training?"

"Yes, you have done very well.

Now that you explained this to me, this is beginning to sound like our planar colonization program. Our people give the gift of knowledge to younger races, and in return, we assign them to build us cities where we and they may live. The Qal were our first servants here in the Arcane. I was not aware we had placed a second here. Either way, it is my duty to bring you to Arcanopolis, our home, so we may teach you our ways and you may return to lead with the greatest wisdom."

Epic bluff, but it will give them something to do with all this might and manpower they built up AND it compromises their Queen.

From what you and horned have told me, your efforts to spread influence are indeed powerful. But I must ask, why through war have you decided? Horned seemed to be certain you would not be swayed of this, and there is more than war and conquest to garner influence.

"spreading, grow and adapting is all well and good but influence is more then raw power. you have enough force that you don't need to wage war to have influence over this realm, and the other realms would not stand for it."

also, maybe teach her the summoning circle for shifters but leave out that line for the star so the summoned thing would be very... interesting.

oh wait. maybe tell her the story of the war and how she needs to stop this and skip the mistakes of the past.

Tell her to make her people the dominant species, not the ONLY species. She doesn't need to start a hugely destructive war against all other sentient beings in this plane. She could just lay down borders such that her people have plentiful access to resources and living space, and build it up into a successful nation. If they've come this far in a few weeks, in a few years they can be the undisputed masters of the arcane plane, superior even to the cyclops in magic and science.

Tell her that the Kithik have had the power to kill for centuries. Only recently did they gain the power to think. Ask which of these two powers will make them great.

"No, you have not done well. You were uplifted to become more than animals, not to start a genocidal war. That is not adaptation or growth, merely destruction. You must cooperate peacefully with the Qal, as only thinking beings can."

>>197536
do not antagonize the queen. we need her on our side, and we are not in a position of power here. She has done an impressive job, but yadda yadda other things not the best way.

>>197511
I bet this is going to make the Ark love you even more, you finding evidence of them tampering here and upsetting their plans.

Tell her that she has some quite impressive work. But you're there to give her a new set of instructions due to a change in policy. She doesn't have to take over the entire arcane plane anymore. Just the areas that were the Kithiks natural habitat before. And you're there to make sure negotiations over that happens with the Qal.

>>197550
"Change" implies that her initial interpretation was correct. Make it a "clarification", as if peaceful co-existence was what they were meant for from the start.

>>197511
Message Jai, tell her send word of this to Orpheo or someone back at the Arcanopolis. They need to know about this as soon as possible.

>>197531
This. The praising the newfound ability to think is important.

>>197536
We shouldnt berate her, it will only serve to push her away. What we need to do is to establish with her that there are many different kinds of mages some good, and some (and this is the important part) are evil, such as the Arkers. We should congradulate her on her race's ascension, but warn her that there are others that would seek to exploit the Kithik for thier own benefit.

To sum it up we say that:
1. They have done very well in becoming sentient
2. Not all of the "fathers" are on the same side
3. The "fathers" that call themselves the Ark Fraternity or "Arkers" care only for themselves and would not think twice about using the Kithik as mere playthings.
4. The arkers are trying to manipulate them.
5. We are an enemy of the "arkers" and therefore her ally.

I dont know HOW exactly to say this, so I'll leave the wording to someone else. Saying all this at once is probably going to be a bit much.

She may find that she relates more to the arkers. If that is the case, we may put Dio on the wrong side of the war again if we tell her that. Just a thought.

Brom 2010/06/23(Wed)10:54 No. 197643 ID: f98e0b
File 127731569643.png - (120.87KB , 800x600 , 81.png )

"Uh, yes," says Dio, carefully, feeling the eyes of the room on him. "You've done extremely well spreading the influence of the kithik across the plane." She grins broadly. "But is war and conquest the best way to go about this?" he asks. "I wish to clarify your purpose. It's not to exterminate the Qal, or fight an unending war across the planet. We have given you the ability not to fight, but to think. Given time, you could easily become masters of the plane through thought, surpassing the Qal. You always had the power to kill. Only recently have you gained the power of knowledge." He feels a surge of confidence. "Which do you think will make you great?"

The Queen sits back, frowns. "I do not understand. Your orders were quite clear. Learn, adapt, and kill. Grow strong and take the Arcane Plane for ourselves, then prepare for when we are needed. There was no mention of giving quarter to the slimebeasts. In fact, I believe we were told to spare none who would oppose us if we wished to be great." Her expression hardens. "We were also warned of those who would come here and try to turn us from our goal. Are you one of them?"
"No, I-" says Dio.
"Why is your eye not red?" she interrupts.

"I'm from a different caste. Have your masters not said anything about where they are from?"

"You know nothing about the cyclopean? About Eivr?

"Why haven't they say a thing about us? About where they're from?"

Time to pump some info from her, while still keeping her in the dark. A bit.

>>197643
Ugh, such an annoying question.

Tell her that you have a very important story to tell her, it's going to take time to get through it and you hope that she will listen and then make a judgement when she has the entire truth to work with. Then tell her the story of your people Dio. Of how the Ark was founded, what it has grown into these days and what she is risking to put her people through.

Hopefully, if she agrees to listen to you she will be able to form a better decision. If she doesn't want to listen then I think it might be time to get out, inform higher ranking mages of what is going on here and hopefully get a somewhat sane Arker here to set things right. This thing doesn't really seem to be planned by anyone high up in their hierachy, the plan seems to disregard what happened the last time there was a planar war that Arcanapolis got involved in. And it's unlikely that the mages will just stand around and let something like this happen.

>>197643
Glamor your eye red if it wouldn't immediately be noticeable as a magic effect. Someone else think of an excuse why it was blue. Like, "we were keeping our power under limits" or something.

>>197646
Voting against this. The Kithik are incredibly loyal from everything they've shown. We tell them they've been working for the Ark, and that we're working against them, everything goes to hell.

>>197643
"Alright, let me lay out all the facts. Those of my people with red eyes are known as the Ark Fraternity. Originally they were formed to fight against others like us that had two eyes, but hated us and tried to exterminate us all. They continue to seek to protect us by gathering as much power as possible by any means necessary. I think they want you to be an army to serve them in a time of need. I say this is unnecessary, as relations with the two-eyed people have improved drastically and we are no longer in any danger. The Ark Fraternity has served its purpose, yet still they continue to gather power, destroying everything in their way for this outdated purpose. You don't have to serve them. Serve your own people; not all of them are happy with this war. Many of them shall die fighting for a fruitless cause. I beg of you, Queen. Stop this conflict and make peace."

Brom 2010/06/23(Wed)11:55 No. 197657 ID: f98e0b
File 127731930885.png - (120.63KB , 800x600 , 82.png )

"Have your masters not told you?" says Dio. "There are many cyclopean castes. Why haven't they told you about us? About where they're from? Let me tell you our history."

The Queen sits up, the corners of her mouth lowering.

"The ones who came to visit you are called the Ark Fraternity," says Dio. "Originally they were formed to fight against others like us that had two eyes, but hated us and tried to exterminate us all. They continue to seek to protect us by gathering as much power as possible by any means necessary. I think they want you to be an army to serve them in a time of need. I say this is unnecessary, as relations with the two-eyed people have improved drastically and we are no longer in any danger. The Ark Fraternity has served its purpose, yet still they continue to gather power, destroying everything in their way for this outdated purpose. You don't have to serve them. Serve your own people; not all of them are happy with this war. Many of them shall die fighting for a fruitless cause. I beg of you, Queen. Stop this conflict and make peace."
His plea echoes off the walls in the following silence.

"I see what you are doing," says the Queen, quietly. "You think we are animals, yes? Mere tools for this Ark Fraternity. The Poor Noble Savage, exploited by those in power. Told nothing. And you think" she says, waving her hand in the air, "that you can simply waltz in here and open our eyes to your ways, to the smarter, clearer path. Yes? Guide us into a brighter future because clearly the poor stupid Queen and her poor stupid subjects can't make their own decisions. The Red Eyes told us all we need to know, Vidder. Could it possibly be that we are not ignorant? That we are simply loyal to those who changed our lives, changed the future of the entire Kithik people, enough to follow their word?" She stands up.
"My people were lost. We were animal. I fought with vermin to secure scraps of rotting carrion to feed them. The kithik merely existed. Then the Ark arrived and showed us how to live. They gave us life. Do you know how that feels?" Her eye flares. "To live forever in darkness, the be suddenly bathed in light? We were nothing before them, and now we are poised to have everything. I will not forget what they did for my children. Never. And what have you done, Masked, besides kill kithik? Tell me. Shall I listen to my saviors or to my butcher?"

>>197657
Lie like a motherfucker. Glamor your eye red, say she passed the test.

I told you so.

"they are the butchers, they are using you to destroy the qal and when your mission is complete they will take what they have given you back and cast you back into darkness because they see no further use for you."

>>197657
Ah, good old unquestioning obediance. How nice it is to see it.

Well lets go with the lying red eye plan. The ones you killed were in self defence, they attacked you, also tell her that they were weak, only horned was strong enough to survive the encounter and learn from it. That way he proved himself worthy.

>>197657
We seem to be losing our audience. Hopefully we won't lose anything else..
Still, we could see the kithik had grown beyond being 'animals' once we spoke to them. We fought and killed to protect ourselves and our allies, but we also showed mercy when it was asked. We have come before this Queen to hope for something similar. The Kithik are powerful, numerous, and intelligent, and we have come before them, as captives, completely at their mercy to sue for peace. Alliance with the Qal and the other people of the world can only strengthen the kithik. Attempting to exterminate the Qal will turn their allies against you.

Time for some childhood story.

"I know, how it is, queen, to be given hope. I was a mere slave, an animal in the eyes of my kind, deprived of freedom, of will, of choice. To live or die under someone else's whims was my destiny, but I was rescued by other mages. They gave me a new eye, this blue one which I now see the world with.

They took me to their City, and taught me their ways. They send me here, to the Arcane, for many reasons, one of them to learn."

I'm at a loss on where to follow up from this point.

Maybe something like, I am loyal to their ways, and war is not one of them. Which brings me here. They understand loyalty.
Or, question if she was given the same chance. How was she taught? What did they teach her? Anything but just mass trampling and destruction?
Do not question the butchering. You did kill one of them. You speak for the Qal; they did used to kill them.Do not question it, do not confirm it, do no contest it.

>>197664
(Also, may the grammar Gods forgive me for my stream of consciousness post.)

Not to question the red eye plan, but what do we hope to do AFTER convincing her we are the of the Ark?

My though is we should instead ask her what it is she wants then. Explain that you are not telling her what to do, but only what you think of the situation as you know it. Say that you are ignorant right now, but as Horned could attest we are willing to learn. You also have no motive to stifle their growth, just that you wish to see less deaths on all sides.

>>197667
Start giving her orders. Hopefully orders that will end up having the Kithik lose the war, and possibly even start an internal rebellion.

Or we kill her.

Either way we are in a much safer spot to run away from.

You think the Ark cares for it's tools? Any poor bastard could have done what the Ark did... I raised your mate to sentience by mere chance and would have killed him just as thoughtlessly had he not proven himself more caring for life than a very clever beast.

You are drunk on the newness of thought, of power, of magic. But knowledge is a well that makes you drunk on a little... but sober in the depths. Perhaps you will Annihilate these Qal, what then? You will not be satiated by the cries of the dead. Perhaps you will expand further, to other lands and other species, but still their plunder and lands will give no respite. You know of that of the Divine Plane? Where the souls of the dead go to petition for their reward of their deeds among the living sooner or later, one day you will find yourself there, but what will those who have come to those lands before have to say of you?

Do you think that becasue you are now smarter than a beast that it somehow justifies your claim to anything more than a mortal life of suffering and pain? I was born a slave to slaves... did I deserve more than the child next to me merely becasue I had magic? That child is still in slavery while I walk free, is that just?

>>197665
yes, how we were uplifted as well.

>>197657
"I didn't know the Kithik were smart until just recently. The instant I found out, I stopped killing and started talking. I know you're not stupid or ignorant. You're learning faster every day, and at this point I find myself wondering if you've already accomplished what the Ark wanted. There's 5 million Kithik out there ready for war. You already outclass them in military might, so why not work on economic and cultural strength?

Did you know they really like our people, those with one eye? They feel some sort of kinship with us. I really don't know why the Ark would want you to kill them, aside from paranoia."

"I merely find, very, very hard to believe, that if you knew the whole drill, the whole story, you would be so willing to sacrifice yourself and your kin for them."

Nah, maybe not. There's no way that line wouldn' come out sounding subversive.

The queen knows magic. Will the red eye plan fool her?

Oooh, I almost forgot! We can offer to get more people to teach them magic. Point out that the Ark did not, despite their obvious talent.

"Of course I can assume you don't know a thing! You don't even know why my eye is blue!"

Ok, not in this tone.

Oh yeah, we never brought up the 'genocide begets genocide' thing. Here let me just copypaste that.

"The Qal have allies that wouldn't care much about a simple land war, but genocide?
Well... last time something like that happened it ended with a third of an entire plane turned to sand and ash and millions of dead on all sides. There aren't millions of kithik."

Brom 2010/06/23(Wed)13:16 No. 197683 ID: 4f6e37
File 127732416127.png - (289.33KB , 800x600 , 83.png )

"My Queen. Please." says Dio, dropping to one knee. "I know how it feels to be saved. Long before I was a cyclops I was a slave, forced into servitude against my will. I was brought up and out by the Magi. They gave me a new eye, this blue one which I now see the world with. They took me to their City, and taught me their ways. But would I kill an entire race for them? No. One of the greatest joys of self-awareness is self-determination, surely you see this. I find, very, very hard to believe that you would be so willing to sacrifice yourself and your kin for the Ark, if you know of their flawed doctrine. Last time there was a war of this magnitude on the Material Plane a third of it was reduced to ruin. Genocide begets genocide, and loyalty must have its limits."

The Queen stands. "So you too were brought up from the Dark. I see we are not quite as far removed from each other as our philosophies would suggest. Perhaps if you were kithik or I was cyclopean we could have been comrades." She looks down at him, grimly. "As it stands, I shall spare your life, and the life of your friend. Your intentions were noble, I am sure, but, so long as I am Queen of the kithik, I will honor the loyalties I must. You shall remain a prisoner of the Kithik until such time as our conquest is complete and the Plane is ours. Then we will return you to your city. Have you anything else to say?"

>>197683
Ask her if she would accept it if an Arker told her to stop.

Which leads to the next part. Use the fact that you have cell coverage to get in touch with Orpheo and Everett. Together they should be able to find someone in the Ark that is decently high on the hierarchy and isn't a total nutjob who wants to plunge the Arcane plane into a genocidal war just to get some loyal Kithik to act as attack dogs in case of a new purge. Especially not when they can get loyal Kithik without the genocide.

"Yes. Your mate, Horned, learned in days spells that took me years. Frankly, it makes me scared. At the same time, it hurts to think of that kind of talent, in him or in others, being lost to the tip of a Qal blade. Just think, when you make your decisions, of what kind of raw potential might be sacrificed."

"Well, you are cyclopean. You're loyal to your people, and loyal to your masters. But you have the Eye."

"I have no reason why my being a cyclops precludes me from being your comrade, oh queen. If you wish me a prisoner, such is your will, but that does not mean I would consider your kind not worthy of comradeship. I have learned much in this sort time from you, and am certain I could offer you much. If it is your will, I would like to petition to work at your side instead of being a prisoner. The Ark has not left you any trained mages to teach you, and I have knowledge in other things such as trigonometry and the like. It is not my right or power to stop you, but with time maybe we can learn from eachother, and both gain in the long run."

>>197687
Specifically we should mention that we were responsible for teaching him those spells, and that we thought that we had become friends since then... he even implied that not all Kithik were happy about fighting this war, but did so anyway because the Queen ordered it.

If all this fails, we may just have to challenge her to a duel for the position of leader.

Challenge her to the oldest game.

>Have you anything else to say?
"While I counsel against your current intentions, times and desires change; if you want my honest opinion on anything for the duration of my stay here, I would be glad to give it."

We'll need to tell Gryphona to stop the Qal from coming to try and extract us. It would only ruin what credibility we have.

>If all this fails, we may just have to challenge her to a duel for the position of leader.
Somehow, I don't see that ending well. Even if we won, we'd still lose by virtue of supposedly being in charge of millions of kithik who hate our guts.

Challenging her to a fight for control of the hive might be our only chance. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't work, but I don't have any other ideas.

They may hate Dio's guts, but we already know how they feel about the queen. Not all of the Kithik love or even agree with the queen but follow her together with (at the moment) unquestioning loyalty.

If Dio won...well that's better than the alternative I guess.

>>197711
Well, they still seem to have a perogative, to some level at least, to follow an alpha, so beating the queen, current alpha, would probably be useful.

You know, when we came here we knew this wasn't likely to just end. But we still have an opportunity. You are an illusionist, since diplomatic efforts have died, I think maybe it's time for a little assassination. It's going to be difficult but I'm confident in Dio's abilities.

Can we create an illusion that would block the Kithik's view of us? A three sided image of what the room looks like now? If we can, we could throw that up over us and the queen, entomb her so she can't call for help, wait for her to die while Dio is still hidden in a sizable area by his illusion, and then use the illusion to fake her killing herself. We then extend the same illusion to the back of the room and use it's cover to make an escape into the hall. Once we are outside, an illusion of something dangerous to impede their advance (a fire? If the terrain is flammable. Or some sort of structural collapse? Maybe we could actually summon a boulder to block the doors.)

I hope you memorized a way back to Jai's cell. If you could relay data on her whereabouts to Gryphona and ask her to go there in an attempt to affect a rescue, that would help.

Of course, you could go back to your cell, wait with Jai for the Kithik to do their work, and then leave the Arcane plane. It'd be safe, they've offered you an exit, but something tells me you don't want to just leave the Qal to their fate, particularly now that you know the Ark is involved.

>>197816
I'm disinclined to think that assassination will work. It'll piss the kithik off to no end, and at this point we know that the queen isn't the one directly pushing for war- it's the Ark behind her that's doing so.

Also, I don't think that they actually have a cell which can effectively hold us. Considering our ability to conjure up any object from nothing... escaping us just a matter of some ingenuity, should we choose to do so. I'd like to at least see if we can play nice a bit before making such an irreversible move.

Also, we don't know how capable the Queen is with magic. A botched assassination attempt could potentially be endgame for us.

Choose Dio's Action Brom 2010/06/23(Wed)18:20 No. 197857 ID: 4f6e37
File 127734244453.png - (36.62KB , 800x600 , 84.png )

"I have no reason why my being a cyclops precludes me from being your comrade, oh queen," says Dio, his heart pounding. "If you wish me a prisoner, I can't force you away from it, but that does not mean I would not consider your kind as possible allies. If you want my honest opinion on anything for the duration of my stay here, I would be glad to give it."
"I see," says the Queen, stiffly. "If that is all, then-"
"My Queen," says a chittering kithik voice. All eyes turn to its source. Horned is standing in the bleachers. "Wait."
"Horned." the Queen says, her expression softening. "What do you need?"
"I... perhaps it would be wise to be less dismissive of what this boy says," says Horned. "I spoke with him on the journey here. He is not one who would harm the Kithik. We should give credence to his warnings."
"Your counsel is valued, as always," says the Queen. "But you of all should know of the ties of loyalty that bind us. Do you break them?"
"My loyalty is to you, O Queen, and to the people, not to faceless red-eyed masters," says Horned.
"I see," says the Queen. "Does anyone else think this way?"
There is murmuring erupting throughout the hall. "Well, he does have a way for names," calls out Boxer Hat.
The Queen stands. "Now hear me," she says. "You know of the love I bear for all of you. The fealty you give I reciprocate in turn. But I say to you now, to this crowd and to you, Masked, that as Queen it is my duty to fulfill my assigned fate, and I will not be turned from it."
The room grows quiet once more.
"My Queen..." says Horned.
"I am sorry, love," says the Queen.
"In that case," says Dio...

"I'll return to my cell. Please think about what I've said and consider speaking with me again."

"Here before your subjects I challenge you to a one-on-one duel for the leadership of the Kithik."

((Attempt an assassination))

>>197857
Duel.

Cell

duel. but start up a displacement so that her opening attack would strike not you.

>>197857
I don't see that we've got much choice here. I'm saying Duel.

Duel. But ensure that it is a NON-LETHAL duel. The last thing we want to do is to kill her and then have EVERYONE hating us.

Maybe we could see if Jai can help convince her before we start dueling it up.

Duel. oh shit oh shit

No, go back to the cell. We can plan something out from there.

Woah, I just realized that there is a parallel here between this situation and the dream Dio had at the beginning of the chapter.

Maybe he -is- destined to usurp control of this Kithik kingdom.

Duel, and I write this while crossing my fingers.

>>197865
Oh well wait. I guess we could have Jai try her hand, and then if that doesn't work pull the duel then.

Maybe.

Hm.

DUEL.

LET'S DO THIS.

Cell

Brom 2010/06/23(Wed)19:34 No. 197905 ID: 4f6e37
File 127734689170.png - (76.54KB , 800x600 , 85.png )

"In that case," says Dio, "Here before your subjects I challenge you to a one-on-one duel for the leadership of the Kithik."

A deathly silence descends on the hall.
The Queen looks from Dio to Horned, then all across the room at her gaping subjects, then back to Dio.

"I accept," says the Queen.
"My Queen, wait-" says Horned.
"Silence." she barks. She turns back to Dio. "You are the challenger. Name the terms for this duel. But I warn you, attempt no coward's competition or gambit. We will fight. I will kill you."

the first to surrender or be rendered unconscious loses. you can use any powers at your disposal.

She's really got you beat in close combat, so the rules are that we pick weapons. Then pick a shield and a big fat sack of throwing knives.

No spells. No melee. Foam hammers only.
Summon a few of them.

>>197905
No melee combat. Ranged spells/weapons only. WE will not be attempting to kill the Queen. See if she'll agree to stop the fight on first blood or something.

We need a good arena without much chance of killing bystanders, and the arena should be relatively flat without cover.

The duel should happen soon... We need to get it done with before the army starts to move against the fort, so that when we win we won't have to chase them down.

Magic and magic byproducts only. Location: right here.

Send a mental not to Grypona telling her to shapeshift into a dagger and throw her in the combat. Flying, Queen-seeking dagger. Don't let her cover be blown.

We're so boned.

Whatever we do, the way I see it, we need to let the Queen live. Dio kills her and he no longer has an ally in Horned.

Let her live and maybe we can use that as a reason to let her go and forfeit the kingdom to Horned, who seems much more reasonable.

Honestly, I think Dio would get bored of being king quick.

As for actually beating her, fuck if I know. Anything not hand-to-hand.

>>197905
Damn it, /quest/, why is it when I get home from work and check Eivr we're always in some shit? One on One means we can't even use Gryphona, damn it. Okay, we don't know what sort of powers she has which is hugely problematic but we've just gotta roll with the punches I guess.

Seeing as the Kithik seem capable as climbers and their bodies blend rather well with the dark, an open area with a good light source is a must.

As for the nature of the bout, I agree with this >>197910 so hopefully she will as well.

Making it a head on battle of strength seems like a bad idea though. I figure Kithik have a high amount of stamina considering that they had no problems scaling the mountain. If we have the bought at the fort entrance that should make for an open enough area.

Oh, and have them release Jai as well (if they agree). Even if she can't help Dio, last thing we need is her as a bargaining chip if things go any more sour.

>>197920

Seconding holding the battle nearby the fort. Dio doesn't need anymore against him than he already has.

>Honestly, I think Dio would get bored of being king quick.

Which is why we make Horned king.

>Which is why we make Horned king.

Exactly.

"A three on three battle, where surrender, incapacitation, or death of both members must occur for victory to be declared. By bound of honor, anyone who surrenders must not be harmed, and must exit the battlefield and give no assistance from there on. Killing or intentionally harming a person who surrenders is a loss for the entire side. No outsider may be allowed into the duel. For my side, I choose myself, my mentor Jai, and a summoned dream creature of my control named Grypona. For your side, you may choose yourself and two others, or three champions of your own. The battle shall occur in front of this fortress you now call base. On my end to recognize the piked Qal as behavior I wish to see end, and for you because it is considered a show of your power. Combat can begin upon the arrival and a short rest of my final ally."

>>197929
Ah, to fix my own errors.
1) All three instead of both, I originally was writing for a 2v2 format.
2) if its not obvious, any natural or trained weapons, in addition to magic an be used. As the cloaks are magical Dio and Jai have, allowing enchanted weapons seems fair (else weapons on all side can be lost, since the Kithik have natural weapns, and Dio's side are mages)

>>197925
>Horned as king

Uhhh... I don't think he would get much respect if he was just placed as a leader instead of reaching there via his own strength. I suppose we could ask him about that though. I don't think Dio wants to be stuck here!

>>197933

It isn't strength that makes a good leader, which is exactly why it should be Horned up there on that throne and not the queen.

>>197931
Already declared a one on one. Considering much of their developing society still appears to put a focus on personal strength (which in turn assists the community), suddenly having Dio change his mind to a three on three would be a show of weakness.

Damnit guys, that was so abruptly changing the flow of the conversation. Dio was all "well, I guess if you need anything... we fite naow! You made brom write bad dialog. :p

In an attempt to salvage conversational threads and public opinion, make sure to say to the Queen, and those gathered here, that you are making this challenge because you too have a role you are bound to fullfil, and loyalty you cannot ignore. You have a responsibility to do everything in your power to prevent needless conflict, and save as many lives, both Kithik and Qal, as you can.

Make note that while you will be dueling her, you did it out of respect for her, her people, the Qal, and the rest of the denizens of this plane. You only do this because it is your duty to save the lives that would be lost in this conflict. You will for the sake of further sentience and growth of all people and that peace must be made, etc. etc.

>>197910
This sounds good. We should also request that Jai be allowed to witness the duel, since we'd hate for her to get a misimpression afterward and do something foolish.

I am tempted to try for a no melee rule, but that's a blatant statement that we can't take her if she uses her melee abilities. We had better appear as strong as possible, and that means no holds barred.

This is going to be bad, we know NOTHING about her capabilities. Before the duel even starts we should create an illusion that displaces us by a bit. Something she shouldn't notice but would cause her to miss if she attacked us.

As for rules, she knows some magic, but we don't know what. We should still have the advantage in a magic duel, since shes known magic for four weeks and Dio has known magic for much longer, so a wizards duel seems appropriate.

Or we could challenge her to the oldest game. That'd be a larf, but I doubt she'd accept.

>>197905
Make it a contest of magic alone, if she objects, say something along the lines of

'does not your power, and by extension the very basis for your claim to lead, stem from the power, magical in nature, you gained from the Ark? If you do not feel that sufficient to defend your cause against another's magic, then how could you claim it justifies your leadership or your choices?'

Stipulate that magically created items count as magic, only so long as they are made wholly by the caster, rather than reformed from matter around you (as otherwise that isn't just magic, but magic and the corporeal combined)

Best idea I have on swaying this battle to be stacked as much in your favor as possible without making it seem you are actually stacking the odds, what with EVERYTHING YOU KNOW HOW TO DO BEING OKAY BY THESE RULES... barring punching her in the face, but i imagine you weren't planning on that anyway.

I really wish we could do this without outright killing the queen, but I just can't think of an ability Dio has that would force her to yield.

Maybe we can create a challenge that they must complete -while- dueling to win. The only example I can think of is a game of capture the flag: You win if you capture your opponents flag and/or kill them.

I know that's not very creative, but I'm hoping someone can come up with something better. That is, unless we really want to leave our friend Horned heartbroken without his misguided queen.

>>198032
We drop a big ball of paste on her.
She'll be forced to the ground and rendered unable to breath.
Wait about two minutes, then dispel the paste and revive her.

"We fight with nothing, save our magic and the fruits thereof. First to be incapacitated or to yield will lose."

... what it we too her to the City for a little spar in controlled conditions?

Armor, jewels, everything? Could we bring that setup to here? Imean, the point is to make this as real as possible without killing her, right?

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)09:26 No. 198227 ID: 4f6e37
File 12773967986.png - (220.27KB , 800x600 , 86.png )

>>197952 ((I justify it by having Dio realize there's nothing he can say to stop her after her little speech to her people and her most trusted advisor. -ed.))

"No melee, no claws," says Dio. "Magic and magical byproducts only. We duel in front of the fortress on the plain. And let Jai free, too."
"Very well," says the Queen. "She will be able to watch your death."
"Fight to unconsciousness or surrender," says Dio.
"No," says the Queen. "A challenge of this magnitude must be resolved by death."

They walk out to the grass in front of the fortress, and the mass of kithik follow them, crowding the ramparts up above to watch. Jai is brought out by Boxer Hat, and looks down from the walls as well. She watches with a look of trepidation on her face.

A glamor of Horned strides out between them. "The duel's rules have been specified, the place is here. You may begin when I give word."
He lopes back toward the ramparts, but pauses near Dio. "Please." he whispers. "Spare her."

>>198227
Remember how you used to eat paste?
Make a gigantic glob of that and drop it on her. As a distraction, surround her with a glamor of blindingly bright light.

>>198227
Nod to Horned. I have no idea how viable it is, but the ideal result here is that you win the duel and no one dies. :V

considering the wording used is magic and magical by-products, and considering Gryphona is a summoned creature to an extent. Getting her here seems prudent. Also, as soon as this starts, Glamor and do not be where you currently are.

>>198227
Tell Horned "I'll do my best."

When the duel fights, start off with a whole lot of clones. Vary their undies. In fact you should glamor your own. Wait, you're wearing a robe already. Hmm, would your Tell change?

Can you glamor up a big physical transparent shield sitting between you two? Do so as soon as the match starts if you can. She seems the type to lead off with an attack.

Simultaneously make a flashy magic-looking blade in your hand.

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)09:56 No. 198235 ID: 4f6e37
File 127739856152.png - (268.24KB , 800x600 , 87.png )

"Ready?" asks Horned. "Begin."
Dio instantly summons an elaborate, gold-hilted sword with a gem inset into the blade, and throws up a glamor of a shield to get behind, which proves to be a good idea. The Queen howls and leaps forward, ripping a long, skullheaded snake demon out of Hell and sending it hurtling toward him. As it nears the shield, she hisses and sends it twisting around, as opposed to directly at Dio, which gives him time to react.

>>198235
Drop the glamor and hit her with an entomb. Lets see how good she is on controlling a demon when she has no air. Go on the offensive also with some thrown knives.

>>198235
Hit her with Entomb and Mind Jolt. Also, keep in mind how a thaumaturge works. If you face some Angelic thaumaturge magic to get her to focus on offense then you might trick her into overloading on hellspawn.

>>198235
Drop the glamor, launch your sword at the fire demon thing, and hit her with a Mind Jolt.

>>198243
>>198242
>>198240
Wait, lets deal with the attack first.
Summon a slab of rock and knock that fireball back at her.

I wonder if I need to tell Dio to dodge?

Dodge, Dio. Throw up a Lesser Glamor clone to confuse things.

Drop the shield, summon a glamor clone congruent with yourself, duck back and out of the glamor, then stab the snake thing with your awesome sword when it (presumably) goes for the illusion.

She is a Thaumaturge, which means she needs to balance offensive and defensive spells. We should try focusing on defenses to make her unbalanced, and then counterstrike.

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)10:34 No. 198251 ID: 4f6e37
File 127740087032.png - (254.20KB , 800x600 , 88.png )

Dio moves back, summoning a heavy boulder between himself and the demon. It slams into the rock and explodes, violently. Dio hurls his blade at the Queen, but she bounces the abyssal energy back through the Divine into a shield of her own that the sword harmlessly bounces off of.

A quick primer on thaumaturgy: The Queen has just evened out her abyssal and divine energies. Thaumaturges make use of two separate sources of energy; abyssal and divine. Abyssal is mostly damaging, attacking spells involving demons, with a few exceptions, and divine is mostly self-preservation and defense, with a few exceptions. If you cast one energy type exclusively for a while, it powers up the next spell of the opposite energy type while weakening the same one over time, so if you cast shields for most all of a match your ending attacks can be truly punishing. Too much casting of either energy type can result in dangerous and violent backlashes, so to any thaumaturge knowing your own limits, technique, and variation is key. Go overboard on one end or another and there's trouble. Dio knows this. He wonders if the Queen does.

>>198251
Hit her with an entomb and mind-jolt and see how she likes it.

Okay, new plan: Ever heard of Rope-a-dope?

Dive behind your big rock. As she hits it with some big attack, drop to the ground and summon an illusion of yourself. Make said illusion seem off-balance and vulnerable.

>>198251
Throw a glamor dagger at her while splitting up into a bunch of clones using the same Lesser Glamor spell. Toss a Blind on her, then start putting glamors up of fake grass and background that you can hide behind. Maximum confusion.

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)11:06 No. 198261 ID: 4f6e37
File 127740279418.png - (247.55KB , 800x600 , 89.png )

Dio takes a play from his fight with Dahlia, and slowly starts growing the grass all around his side of the field, to take cover and concealment in. He'll maintain the glamor until he needs to drop it.

He leaps behind his stone and drops to the ground below the tall grass. At the same time, behind cover of the rock, he throws up a glamor of himself. He feels the boulder above him disintegrate below the force of the Queen's next attack, and his glamor falls back, stunned. The Queen grins, then screeches and sends another demon screaming through the air toward his doppelganger. It isn't quite as large or impressive as her first two, but he feels the heat of it graze his back and is thankful for the cloak.

>>198261
Let the glamor get hit, have it drop to the ground and try to put out its flames. Have it throw a (fake) dagger at the Queen that will obviously miss.

The next spell she casts, throw an illusion on it to make it look just as strong as it should be. Meanwhile, begin moving off to the side. keep yourself cloaked so she keeps looking at the clone.

Oh yeah, send a quick message to Jai telling her not to worry, but to act worried.

If the dio clone isn't already dead, have it dive into the grass, in a different direction than you did, of course, and have it do its best to dodge. If it successfully dodges, so much the better. If it doesn't, have it stumble to its feet, badly singed. Have it summon an illusory sword and put another illusory wall in front of it, because that worked so well before.

Okay, Dio, next opening you get (and remember this one for later), I've got a great offensive illusion fro you to try out.

NERVELOCK+GREATER GLAMOUR

With any luck, this will make her believe she's on fire and be totally unable to do anything but try and put it out. Any magical attempts to put out the fire will fail because, well, she's not really on fire.

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)11:41 No. 198282 ID: 4f6e37
File 127740487535.png - (270.35KB , 800x600 , 90.png )

Dio's glamor leaps out of the way and rolls through the tall grass. It comes up with a sword and a glamored wall protecting it. But Dio's maintaining quite a few glamors at this point, and he feels sweat starting to bead on his brow.

And when the Queen's next attack comes he reacts the shield wall too late, letting it simply punch through. The Queen hisses confusedly, then sees the grass growing out all along Dio's side.
"Show yourself, Illusionist," she hisses, and brimstone glows around her feet. Looks like she's prepping an Area of Effect spell.

>>198261
Put your clone back up before the smoke clears, have him dive into the grass away from you, let him drop. Then hit her with an Entomb.

Shit's she's a chargin' her lazer!

Do it now! Kill her concentration!

>>198282
Area of effect spell? Well. Time to try that flying trick, I suppose. Or just summon up a big object to stand on top of.

>>198282
Have your clone stand up off to the side and chuck a dagger at her.
When she responds summon a stone wall to protect your clone then let the clone drop.

drop the illusion of yourself and summon a big ass rock dome over yourself right before she uses it to deflect the attack.

Guys we're trying to get her to overextend herself and get OWN'T by backlash. Attacking her is going to cause her to shield herself, which means no backlash.

>>198282
It's going to be more Abyssal, so should be severely weakened. Summoning a shield should be enough to block it.

Drop all current glamers except for the tall grass, and summon up a new glamer standing up somewhere away from you. Immediately protect it with a rock wall, then dismiss it too.

Don't attack.

Dispel the clone and sword and wall. Summon a tiny concrete bunker over yourself, covered in grass so it looks the same as before.

Get ready to summon some illusory fire to make her spell look more flashy. Also, pray that this step is necessary.

>>198282
Oh, if you can, drop all the other glamors and make her spell look as impressive as possible.

>>198296
This. Seriously.

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)12:08 No. 198300 ID: 4f6e37
File 127740651259.png - (297.36KB , 800x600 , 91.png )

Dio drops his glamors and throws up a stone bunker, covering the top in fake glamored grass. Then he focuses on turning the Queen's increasingly fizzling spell into an over the top, dazzling inferno of a display.
He hears her laughing from outside as she pumps more abyssal energy into the pyre. "You had no idea what you faced, Masked. You never did." the Queen is howling over the flames. "I am Queen through Strength, and no amount of cowardice will save you from me!"

Dio is easily shrugging off the spell inside the bunker. It's toasty, of course, but his cloak keeps him safe.

>>198300
Combine the grass and the fire into a single glamor and have it turn to ash, then put a glamor on yourself of serious burns and some scorching on your eye and dispel the bunker
"You haven't won yet!"

>>198303
Do this, but stay down low. Have the ash glamer cover yourself, and the burned you be your second glamer. Have it stand up and walk towards her, in a staggering sort of manner. Be sure to taunt her!

>>198300
Let the 'grass' get burned to a crisp and drop that glamor. Begin glamoring the bunker so that it looks like it's failing. Start screaming like you're being burned alive.

Dispel everything but the bunker and the fire.

>>198308
This.

Also, taunt her right back. Piss her off, if you can.

I bet if she gets angry enough she won't even notice that her spells are slowly going to shit.

>>198300
"Through your strength? Your power is that of the Arker's! You would be nothing without their gift!"

>>198305
I like this plan. Make sure the fake you isn't heading straight forward, keep if off the line between you and her.

Also, call her a casual.

>>198306
plus
>>198312
Start screaming, but after a few seconds, turn it into a laugh, then go from there, low blow after low blow, make fun of her abilities and that she doesn't know how they work, et al. Hit every single possibly sore spot.

>>198314
Oh god only do this if the fire has stopped. We do not want to be burned.

Ill agree with the taunting, waiting until a backlash is achieved, and then using the opportunity to use something like Entomb or Nervelock to disable her.

"Strength you say? so far I've seen nothing but claims of power, and anyone can talk. Ive seen more power from a mage who just woke up!" (you have too, the first time forgot that rune of shielding when dealing with Jai a few years back)

>>198321
No, we are not going to tell her that she doesn't know how her abilities work. We are going to act like a sore loser.

>>198327
This.

>>198327
I actually like this idea.

>>198320
Okay, I laughed. Then I considered this on its merits, and I think that insinuating that the reason she possesses only borrowed power is because she has not invested the effort to understand her magic properly would not be unwise.

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)12:49 No. 198333 ID: 4f6e37
File 127740898493.png - (205.83KB , 800x600 , 92.png )

Dio lets out a few good throaty screams before the spell ceases, then lets the flames die down and reduces the grass to ash. He hunkers down and covers himself in illusionary ash, tosses up another mimic, and dispells the stone dome, causing it to crumble.
He lies on his belly, and sneaks a look at Jai. She is just staring. He's not sure whether she knows his plan and is just faking it or if she's horrified. It'd take an extra glamor to talk to her he can't afford.

His double coughs and hacks, violently, then turns it into a low, rasping laugh. "You think you've won?" he says. "I've been hit harder by mages that just woke up."
"Silence," howls the Queen, throwing another spell at him. The fake Dio dodges desperately out of the way, while the real Dio quietly amplifies it. "You have already lost, and I have won, and now nothing you can say and nowhere you can hide and no cowardly thing you can do will keep me from killing you."

>>198333
Have the fake RUN AWAY and dodge erratically.

>>198333
"You want me to shut up? Come over here and make me!"

Keep the illusion of the spells not fizzling up, man.

>>198333
"Go ahead and try, weakling!"
Remember to glamor her spell into matching her rage.

"Yeah? Well. You're ugly."

>>198334
I'm thinking something like this... don't make it too obvious that you want her to attack again. She may guess we are goading her intentionally.

"I still don't know how you got to be queen if thats the best you can do! did you just glare at them with your eye to make them back down, or break the code of your own race and cheat your way into it"

Prepare the glamor to dodge again, potentially going to ground, and then feebly standing back up.

Glamor her pants ripping and exposing a penis jutting out of her crotch, then say "At least I'm not the one showing my cock to the audience"

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)13:20 No. 198346 ID: 4f6e37
File 12774108164.png - (441.18KB , 800x600 , 93.png )

"Yeah?" says Dio. "Well you're ugly. Ugly."
"What," says the Queen, striding over to him. "Be silent."
"Make me, uggo," says Dio, his clone glaring up at her with a reddened, ash-choked eye.

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)13:21 No. 198347 ID: 4f6e37
File 127741086136.png - (317.10KB , 800x600 , 94.png )

"Oh, I will," says the Queen, gathering her energy for another spell. "And I will enjoy it greatly."

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)13:21 No. 198348 ID: 4f6e37
File 127741088468.png - (311.79KB , 800x600 , 95.png )

The spell fizzles.

"Wait, shit." says the Queen.

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)13:21 No. 198349 ID: 4f6e37
File 127741090382.png - (241.09KB , 800x600 , 96.png )

Bang.

>>198349
Okay now quickly jump up, dispel all your glamors, and double-summon a big, nasty looking blade and aim it right at her, demand she surrender.

>>198349
Hit her with an entomb and mind-jolt, summon up a blunt weapon and knock her the fuck out.

Drop all illusions. Cast Blindness and Nervelock on the arm she wasn't using to cast with. Demand surrender.

...if she's alive, that is.

Remember that we said no melee. We'd have to launch stuff.

>>198349
Drop all the spells you have going and Mind Jolt+Nerve Lock her.

Then say:
"Horned. By the terms I set she has lost. By her own terms she would lose by forfeit if any of her people helped her of their own volition.
I am now going to take a short break, thirty seconds or so, before I kill her. Do you understand?"

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)13:46 No. 198356 ID: 4f6e37
File 12774123996.png - (473.54KB , 800x600 , 97.png )

>>198350
The kithik Queen stumbles backward, clutching her arm. She tries to rebalance herself, but stumbles, and sits heavily on the ground. She stares at the grass below her, then up to the point of the blade Dio has to her eye.
"Yield," he says.
"I hereby yield my throne and people to you," she hisses. "Kill me quickly."

>>198356
"I would like you to announce that, much more loudly."

Say "No. I don't know what effect losing your oculus would have on the rest of the kithik. For that reason, I won't kill you, and I forbid you to kill yourself."

>>198356
"Why would I kill you? I came here to stop the killing."

>>198356
"Louder, so that your former subjects can hear you."

>>198356
Make sure she admits defeat and that the fight is over, too.

>>198356
Ask her upfront, if she could live with not following the orders to kill, and instead aid Horned One in building Kithik CULTURE, rather than Kithik STRENGTH, to make their people a true race rather than simple weapons of the Ark.

If she can't agree to that.... then yeah, kill her, while saying you are sorry it came to this, but hopefully one death can prevent millions more.

>>198359
This, with a little of >>198358 mixed in.

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)14:10 No. 198369 ID: 4f6e37
File 127741385513.png - (477.32KB , 800x600 , 98.png )

"Louder," says Dio.
"I hereby yield my throne and people to you," barks the Queen.
"And would you be able to live, if you pledged your loyalty to Horned rather than to the Ark, and helped him build kithik culture rather than kithik strength?"
Her eye widens. "Is he to by my successor?"

>>198369
Answer the question: Could you accept a new life priority of building kithik culture, and building relations with other races, to show your newfound mental abilities are not just for war, and do so under the new leadership of the Horned One, or not?

>>198369
If he accepts.

Say "Eventually, if I decide he's up to it. For now, I'm emperor."

>>198369
"That is my intent. You care about him, right? You won't try to take the title away from him like I did to you? He should make a fine leader, from what I saw. He is strong, assertive, compassionate."

>>198372
>>198375
These.

>>198375
Actually yeah let's hang around for a bit, enjoy being King while we have the chance.

First order of business is recalling the army.

>>198375
(If you can work with part in without it sounding like backpedaling do it.)

"He will be your emperor in you absence."

Wait for shock to hit her, then continue.

"Meanwhile, you're coming with me to Arcanopolis. For re-education."

Make that last word sound particularly nasty.

>>198383
Yeah, something like "I want to give this King thing a shot for a little while first."

>>198369
"Not now, but soon enough. The Kithik are very intelligent, but lack the wisdom that comes with experience. He has much to learn about ruling a nation, but he will take the crown when he is ready.
For now, I will keep the position and find him a skilled teacher.

Your personal loyalty, however, is now to him. These are the terms before you."

Don't hold the blade so close. She might be able to BS win by injuring herself on it, thus breaking the no melee rule. Or is that still the glamor you? In which case, awesome. (I can't keep up with your awesome illusion-fighting.)

>>198372
>>198375
I second these. You do after all have those dreams Dio. Wouldn't it be good to be emperor? And think of the achivement you would bring home. Not only did you unveil a plot and avert a genocidal war. You built up a great new culture. That one would be really hard to top.

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)14:33 No. 198395 ID: 4f6e37
File 127741520358.png - (123.74KB , 800x600 , 99.png )

"Well, I'm going to hang around as the emperor for a bit. But maybe eventually," says Dio. "After I leave for the Arcanopolis, yeah. Horned can take over. That is, if he wants to."

And so it came to pass that on the first day, Emperor Diometricus called before him his vizier, Horned.
"Horned," quoth that wise king. "Would you accept this position, and would you make peace with the Qal rather than war, and work on the betterment of the culture and knowledge of the kithik rather than the gain of power?"

"Of course, my king," Horned did say, and emperor Dio did nod, saying, "And can I name you Aaron, by the way? Is that okay?"
"Yes, King," Aaron did say, confusedly.

I second the motion that involves taking her to the city. Imean, seriously. She is one of us. Might be a tad complicated to keep her away from the Ark and stuff, red eye and all, but...

... I still think we should bring her with us, but now it doesn't sounds like a very good idea.

>>198395
Glamor yourself a crown! You can't be king without a crown!

Pat yourself on the back. No, really. Glamor-clone, pat. "Good job, Dio." "Thanks Dio, I'd really like to thank Dio for this, though." "You two leave me out of this, you weirdos."

:D

Recall the armies, but make a note to establish a border that 500,000 kithik can actually become successful in. (Is it actually 500k?)
Take down the impaled bodies. Talk to the Qal prisoners and send them back with the good news.
Try and get a better idea of how everything works here.
Message Dahlia with the good news. Ask if the bet is about how long before you each do something good enough to be finished with alienation, or how long until you actually return.

>>198395
Go high five Jai!

Smile and wave at Jai. I wonder if she's mad at you for using that particular plan?

Let's not release all the prisoners until we get some good diplomacy going. We need to serve as an intermediary between the Kithik and the Qal, find out how peace can best be acquired.

>>198395
Have Arron take his wife to receive treatment and have some quiet time to adjust.
First order: Take down the Qal bodies.
Second order: Release any remaining Qal prisoners.
Third order: Send word to the troops that the queen has been deposed, and the war is canceled.
Fourth order: Ask Jai to lead any surviving Qal to the fort to explain the situation, and make some Kithik accompany her to carry the bodies of the dead Qal to their people.
Fifth order: Text Orpheo saying "I just stopped a genocide and became a king. Am I supposed to write a report on 'How I spent my Alienation' or something? What's the process?"
Sixth order: Text Dahlia saying "I don't know which of us will be free first, but if it's you then you should totally come here. You can be my queen and we can have royal sex, 'cause I'm officially a king. Seriously!"

>>198401
Truly there is no better suggestion.

>>198408
>Fifth order: Text Orpheo saying "I just stopped a genocide and became a king. Am I supposed to write a report on 'How I spent my Alienation' or something?
Don't forget the iambic pentameter.

Oh good. I was worried people were just gonna go "K, everything is fine now, lets go!" and have the shortest alienation ever. The important task Dio will accomplish is not putting a bandaid on a volatile situation, it is helping to build a new civilization from the ground up.

>>198407
Releasing the prisoners and having Jai escort them back is all we need. The people at the fort know and respect us, so having Jai there will confirm that we ARE the ones running the show now.

Summon Gryphona so you have an extra set of eyes running around to watch the ex-queen and make sure she doesn't pull anything sneaky.

>>198416
More like summon Gryphona to tell her we're glad she could help but I guess we didn't really use her enough to justify the slavery bit. Apologize, send her home and wipe your hands of that bit of dickery.

>>198417
And see if you can get her something as an apology gift. Like the next book in that series.

>>198418
If we're going to do that, then give her your cell phone number so she can properly bitch you out.

Although to be honest, I think it doesn't really matter as long as she's happy. Or thinks she is, which is really the same thing.

>>198395
Yeah bring Queenie back to the city with you. She could use some proper training and know a bit more of the story behind the Ark. Maybe even met Everett and someone else from the Ark, someone sane that doesn't think planar genocide is a good plan.

We should keep Gryphona around. Have her help out with stuff. Then, once we finish and are about to leave the plane, free her. The terms were 'to help on the arcane plane' after all, right? But yeah. The gift for helping and such would probably be a good idea. Heck. Even when she's on the plane, an occasional 'thanks for being around' gift might be good.

>>198419
Ask Orpheo if there's even a signal on the Dream Plane. THEN give her your number and full permission to yell at you when you unsummon her. Hopefully you can apologize correctly to an unbrainwashed Gryph and possibly have a friend in the Dream Plane.

Hell, maybe you could even visit her some day.

>>197880

Hate to gloat, but I totally called it! Woo!

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)15:57 No. 198443 ID: 4f6e37
File 12774202662.png - (162.62KB , 800x600 , 100.png )

Jai rushes outside ahead of the throng of kithik approaching to meet their new king.
They both start talking at the same time.
"Jai I'm sorry I didn't tell you my plan but I was in the middle of a fight and I couldn't spare a glamor and I was thinking maybe you'd like act differently and give something away if you knew so I didn't let you know I'm sorry but we did it"
"Dio holy shit you were amazing out there I was like freaking out when she was torching you but then I remembered how you operate and I realized exactly what you were doing and holy shit we're going home-

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)15:58 No. 198444 ID: 4f6e37
File 127742028658.png - (193.59KB , 800x600 , 101.png )

-mmmmm."

start babbling incoherently!

>>198446
Did you just kiss her? I think we will just put that off to high spirits and feeling good for winning and stuff. Don't make anything super serious out of it.

Anyway, lets send Gryph with a message to the Qal. Invasion averted, Kithik pacified and oh yeah, I just became their emperor.

Fuck! Well, Unfortunately I didn't see that one coming. Dammit, Dio!

The alienation is supposed to be a learning experience. So what have we learned from this?

>>198444
Oh god Dio what did you DO

WHAT DID YOU DOOOOO

Pose as a team, cuz shit just got ROMANTICALLY COMPLICATED.

Or not, because it was just the stress and excitement. Probably. Well okay maybe not. You've been her best friend for kindof a long time, Dio; it's not surprising you've got feelings for her. Question is, what are you going to do about your feelings for Dahlia?

'Mentor', eh? IN BED!

get out your to do list and add "have whole gang sit down and sort out feelings"

>>198460

Well.

Threesomes, maybe.

Looks like you have some admirers back there.

Dio: Continue being overwhelmed with rush of euphoria. You just saved at LEAST fifty thousand lives. You can kiss whoever the hell you want right on the mouth.

>>198475

Brilliant. KISS EVERYONE.

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)16:49 No. 198479 ID: 4f6e37
File 127742339868.png - (328.64KB , 800x600 , 103.png )

They both stare at each other. Dio can still taste her on his lips.
Uh.

She snorts, then starts laughing, nervously. He joins in.
"Heat of the moment?" asks Dio.
"Heat of the moment," says Jai. "We both have to get laid soon before we start fucking the kithik."
"That can wait until we're home, no?" says Dio.
"Home!" says Jai. "I totally forgot about that place. The arca- arca- uh-"
"Arcanopolopolis," finishes Dio.
"Anopolis," says Jai. "Shit. Yes. I need a shower. A hot arcanopolis shower." She licks her lips. "A cold arcanopolis shower."
"Well I think I'm king now," says Dio. "There's king stuff to do, first."
"Oh, really?" says Jai, her smile losing some of its force. "What kind of king stuff? How long are we staying?"

>>198476
Yeah, starting of with the former Queen, tell her to give you some suger as well and then say that it's good to be king.

>>198479
Well with the rate Kithik society seems to develop I think you could be out of there in a month or so. Say two months just to be certain that things are going to be fine.

>>198479
Eh, maybe a day. Depends on how long it'll take to make sure the Kithik and Qal are going to talk to eachother peacefully and bang out a treaty.

>>198480
I encourage this wholeheartedly on the grounds I refuse to believe Dio is not a Mel Brooks fan to such an extent that the realization this may be his one chance to make that line truthful pass him by.

DO IT DIO, MOVIE REFERENCE THAT DIFFUSES SEXUAL TENSION AND MAYBE MAKES QUEEN OPEN TO MORE SOCIAL PURSUITS, WHO KNOWS?

>>198484
You mean Sam Raimi. Or Bruce Campbell.

We still have to take the Queen with us. Aaaand she has to teach the ropes to Horned. Aaron.

We can't come on to the queen after we called her ugly. We'll have to find some other kithik poon.

Say "Probably a week, but whatever it takes to put a lid on this thing. You can go, if you want. I think the alienation proper is about done."

>>198479
>"What kind of king stuff?
A formal alliance with the local Qal groups would be a good start. We should look into the developing social structures too; shaping them into a healthy society would be wise.
>How long are we staying?"
I doubt it would take much more than a week.

See
>>198412

You have some fundamental changes to their society to effect there Dio. Some of the Kithik clearly agree with your ideas. but not all. You need to make sure that things aren't going to degrade back to square one as soon as you leave. Help them carve out a decent land for themselves, make the Qal more valuable as allies than as victims, see if we can't find a better method to select leadership than "I am the strongest."

...Though that last one might be as easy as "Okay guys, you feel like you have to have a king, so I am still king, but I have delegated out all my responsibilities to skilled statesmen, and I am leaving now. Anybody who wants to be king has to get me back here, challenge me before the people, and then accept having little actual authority because all the duties are handled elsewhere. Make Horned-I-mean-Aaron your steward while you are away.

We should apologize to the queen for the ugly remark.

Changing my vote to 'Have frustration-relieving celebratory sex with Jai.'

Let thoughts of home cheer you, Dio, and what will wait you there. Soon you will be back, for you have earned the trip home for sure with this. Take the time to take care of things here with high spirits in your heart, and hold pleasant thoughts and pleasant dreams for fulfillment soon.

You're a hero, boss! Think of the story you can tell that little lady waiting back home, and the fun you can have conspiring with her to get your mentors together.

Perhaps a message to her would not be premature? She must be worrying about you.

It could take anywhere from 1-2 weeks to 2 months depending on how things go. We want to make sure there is some decent diplomacy in place before we leave. Also I bet there would be plenty of mages back home who would love to take a look at the Kithik.

>>198479
Long enough to stop the qal from going to war with the kithik, now that we've stopped the kithik from going to war with the qal. We'll need to set up some sort of recognized international borders. Get the whole violent shebang thus far smoothed over.

We'll also need to start getting kithik society rearranged, which will take... however long it takes. Hopefully not too long, but as Jai pointed out so recently, you'll live a long time. What's a week, a month, a year, or a decade? Your friends can come visit.

>>198495
I agree with this.

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)17:50 No. 198520 ID: 4f6e37
File 127742702339.png - (335.99KB , 800x600 , 104.png )

Dio resolves to get the job done before he goes home, which will undoubtedly involve crafting a peace between the Qal and the Kithik. He messages Gryph to tell her to inform the Qal of what has happened, but not to come up until he signals, since he is not sure the kithik have fully stood down yet.

Aaron looks to his new king, then walks to the former Queen, sitting away from the crowd, still staring at the ground.
"Let me help you up," he says.
"I am not Queen anymore, Horned," she says. "The eye means nothing. You need not be my mate."
"It was not the eye I fell in love with," says Aaron, "Nor the Queen. Nothing so superficial as a belt buckle or a piece of underwear or a red shirt. It was you."
"I love you, Horned. Aaron."
"I love you, Once-Queen. What shall we call you, now?"
"How about Red Eye?" asks Red Eye. "It is descriptive."
"I do not think it is," says Aaron. "I like Wildflower. It's a pretty name, isn't it?"
"It is not very descriptive," points out Wildflower.
"Nor is Aaron," sighs Aaron, taking her paw. "We will manage."

Become concerned about the return of the Arkers. They won't be happy that you've stopped their evil plan.
Start trying to figure out how they made the Kithik intelligent, and how to stop them from reversing this process, as they'll undoubtedly try to do.
Call Orpheo to bring him up to speed and ask for his advice on these things.
Call Dahlia to apologize for having sex with Jai.

Let her know that you have won a kingdom. Then send her the paperwork for joining your harem.

>>198524
>Call Dahlia to apologize for having sex with Jai.

But... we... haven't.

Anyhow, we do need to call some people, we may be mages but do we really have the first idea how to set up a nation state of people who are literally pants-on-head ignorant of how civilization works? We need some professional advice or something.

"Dahlia it's Dio

They made me their king"

>>198532
YES! perfect!

let Aaron and Wildflower have their moment, take a minute to rest and soak in what you just did, We have alot of work ahead of us Dio. Priorities include learning more about your new people and their motivations, giving them things to learn, making up some lost tutelage to both Aaron, Wildflower (she deserves to know something about her magic and Oculus), and any other mages. And some direction is needed in deciding where to move their civilization forward.

Also, give Deliah a message before she jumps through the planes and strangles you for being stupidly heroic and noble.

>>198537
I still think we should take Queen Redeye Wildflower with us to Arcanopolis. That is the proper environ for teaching her das ropes.

>>198544
I think we may want to abstain on that until she discovers more respect for life/eschews more of her drive to serve Arkers until we bring her to where there ARE Arkers.

>>198548
Plus they'd probably kill her for defecting. That's kindof what they do.

I'm certainly in favor of potentiality taking the kithik mages if they wish back home with Dio, but I think before then he has a duty to give them some basic education in the matter while hes helping them out. Going with my theme you could say of some basic mage morals, Wildflower deserves to know what her magic does as far as Dio knows, that it can send part of her soul away (as we learned before in the battle vs Jai), and that overuse of one type can cause such reactions as before so she dosen't end up harming herself.

Plus, Aaron deserves a mentor! hes been a nice guy. Plus he may have found a spell that Dio dosen't even know yet potentially, or the reverse.

Brom 2010/06/24(Thu)18:46 No. 198557 ID: 4f6e37
File 127743037617.png - (445.88KB , 800x600 , 105.png )

Dio sits down with his phone during a quiet moment and sends a fuckton of text messages.

master orpheo the alienation was a success. im king of the kithik now and it appears they have mages w. them reply when you get this ill tell you more

Orpheo doesn't really have his phone with him all the time, so he's not expecting a rapid response.
He messages Dahlia.

dahlia its dio they made me their king
>lol
seriously
>no shut the fuck up
>really
really
>i
>what
>im holding an ancient dinner plate in front of me that i was really excited about just a second ago
neat
>it belonged to our magic forefathers. i found it in these ruins
coolio
>they ate like magic ancient shit off it
>uh wow dio i thought i had you beaten
>what the shit
>you are telling me everything and also you are going to have to bring back a kithik servant or 2 or 5 ok
no
>y
they have big claws
>i am waiting for a good reason
>that seriously seems like a draw we would never have to be on time for anything ever again
well see
>think about it
>when will you be back you think
unsure. week? 2?
>ok well maybe ill at least beat you home this place is a gold mine of stuff
>oh fuck me pyramus just set off some sort of weird boulder trap thing for the fifth time talk ltr runnign

>>198549
That's a good point. When we have the time, tell them about when they kidnapped you and tried to hold you hostage to force your friend's friend to join them. They need to know how the Ark Fraternity treats "friends" who don't go along with their plans.