Soul harvest. Metal harvest. Go to fallen Ozmand and see if we can speak with his soul like we did with the souls in crystal. Regroup, make sure our warriors aren't to decimated to hunt down the rest of the bandits - although I am favoring leaving them be to let the guard deal with them because, honestly, we were hurt pretty badly and it might be better to just regroup and let the fear of our name spread. Keep our guard up, Dulu might be here somewhere. Wrap Verther carefully in a blanket, it might be the easiest way to protect the skin.

>>154068
Maybe if we pickle or smoke it it will count.

>>154075
I think he's been smoked enough already.

well arkus's spell that called up the world spirit was supposed to keep him alive without eating. and i'm sure Jojo may have something.

>>153747
First, eat Verther's soul.
Second, Ozmand's soul. You can suck it along with others (likely not something your allies will appreciate) or you can try to talk with him. If talking is possible, inspirational speech like : "You can go into afterlife now and have your deeds forgotten in generation or two, or you can become part of this Soul Grave, lending it your skill and strength, and be remembered as long as it exists." Also you can say that your goals will mean many more fights will happen and as part of Soul Grave he will also participate. Assure him that his soul, being soul of hero will never be used as mere fuel.

Afterwards, suck bandit's souls and maybe (if you could sneak or gain permission) few from your allies.

Meanwhile, set your soldiers to making camp. They are certainly tired from hard battle, and there are little reason to chase bandits.

>
>[When? I may write the results of the rolls in different orders in the updates, but I was under the impression I was consistently assigning the first roll to the Premen, the middle to Ozmand, and the final roll to Askeladd.]

>>153245
...would be refering to...
>>152918
when Ozmand and Askeladd got switched.

>>153749
>>153755
>>153819
I feast on Verther's soul first, intent on claiming his power for my own.

+1 MAGE SOUL (HUMAN): VERTHER THE BANDIT KING

As I consume Verther's soul and let it be absorbed by the magics within my form, I can feel a greater understanding of Magnetomancy seep into my consciousness, as well as a significant increase in the amount of magical power I can direct towards any given spell. I have advanced by one step on the path to becoming a masterful mage, and feel that at the very least I would now be considered quite skilled in Magnetomancy, if not an outright expert.

>>153790
>>153824
I silence my dirge, thankful that I had changed it's cadence and rhythm earlier, as the Reavers Of Nibelhiem do not seem to have noticed any similarities between it and the version I used while masquerading as a collection of forest spirits. But then, the crackling of the fires I started and the continued screams of the wounded may have helped.

I then start working my way about the battlefield, cutting down what few foes still foolishly try to oppose me, and bringing death to the wounded bandits unable to flee as I feast on the souls of the fallen brigands. I stay clear of the areas where my allies have fallen for the moment, leaving the possibility of feasting on their souls to be determined after I have dealt with the bandit souls. While many have been incinerated by the supernatural flames of my Soulfire, there is still a wealth of souls here for me to harvest.

[+167 Souls (Human) Total Remaining: 274]

As I finish harvesting what souls of our foes are available, I note that Ozmand's soul is slowly starting to coalesce into a defined spirit, and make my way to his corpse in the hopes of communicating with his specter.

>>154162
As I approach the glowing mass of soul energy that Ozmand is now, I see his visage reform into a crooked, wistful smile as he speaks.

"Well.... crap. I mean yeah, that was a fun as hell fight, but.... shit, that was a bit of a bitch death there, wasn't it? So I'm dead now, huh? Well that sucks..... wonder what I do from here?"

"You can fade into afterlife now and have your deeds forgotten in a generation or two, Or you can become part of this Soul Grave, lending it your skill, strength, and vigor, And be remembered as long as it exists, and I intend to see this golem last a long, long time. As your soul has enough density and presence to by categorized as that of a Hero, Your soul would run no risk of simply being consumed to power this Soul Grave: Instead, you would become part of it as this golem is used in conflict after conflict. An eternity of fighting..... not for everyone, to be sure, but I can certainly see the appeal.... And I imagine you can as well, Ozmand."

The specter before me is motionless for a time as it broods over my words before it shakes it's head, a rueful smile spreading across it's face.

"Psh, dead is dead. If you think my soul would be so useful to you, use it.
Hell, I wasn't even expecting there to be anything after I bit the big one:
Why not spend my remaining existence towards that which I love most?
But promise me that you won't put this golem in some dusty warehouse,
And let my soul wallow in inactivity just because some other bit of research interests you.
Promise me that, and I will gladly give you the remnants of my life."

I see tears on the faces of Ozmand's followers close enough to hear this exchange, and several offer mournful farewells to their late teacher. But when Ozmand glances over to them, I see his disciples tighten their resolve, and choke off their grief, knowing this to be what Ozmand has chosen.

"I promise you that this golem will not rest, Will not be recalled from duty at any point, Lest it be damaged so that it ceases to function. I would not cage you so, Ozmand, To simply wall your soul in this golem and leave it at that. Conflict will abound down the path you choose."

".....Heh, that is good. .....Right then, get on with it."

I say no more words as I solemnly feast on Ozmand's soul, noting the sense of contentment I feel exuding from his very essence as he is added to my own form.

+1 HERO SOUL (HUMAN): OZMAND THE HAMMER

As I meld Ozmand's soul with my own magics, I feel his presence drawn to the cannon set within my left shoulder, his expertize with a hammer, able to bring a crushing demise to any in his way intermingling with the Anti-Golem Cannon, though what the end results of this fusion are, I cannot say till I find the opportunity to test the cannon in it's new state.

I consider issuing orders to our forces to pursue the fleeing bandits, but they scatter throughout the woods with such abandon that tracking them would be difficult, and those still standing look close to exhaustion. I elect to order a temporary camp be established here so that we may recuperate. I ask that the arms and armor of the fallen bandits be scavenged, but Askeladd and the Reavers are already working towards this end, so I view the order as arbitrary and do not bother issuing it.

Oggroth and Ugrokk both make their way to my side, both attempting to speak first.

"Ambush on other force a great success-"
"They fell like leaves before out might-"
"The plan Mordre gifted us with was truly cunning-"
"Less survivors than this engagement-"
"The one called Dulu was not seen-"
"But souls aplenty were rent from their bodies."
"Derkin saved Arkus' life, with Arkus at sight of battle-"
"Jojo in woods near warriors, working to restore the fallen-"
"Unknown when such shall be done, or what the outcome shall be."

Oh? I expected that the ambush went well, but the way they phrase it their own success following the plans to ambush I left them with led to a greater victory than we collectively had against Verther's main force...... and the prospect of adding even more souls to my reserves draws my interest. Beyond that, whenever the Hletwan army arrives, I may wish to not be present, as these woods, still within the Duran territories, are barred to Soul Graves the same as any other part of the Duran land. Then again, I imagine removing such a threat as Verther could be seen as quite a mitigating circumstance.

>>154167
[....Well shit. Alright, Posting ID: 45be60 now has a marker they can call in, either to force me to answer a single question about Golem Quest (even if related to the plot), or use as a pseudo-Pristine Soul to make an event work better than it normally could. For future reference, only the first person to point out any numerical inconsistency I make will get such a marker. When calling in such a marker, either identify yourself in IRC when I am on for a question, or put a notice in the Subject field that the marker is to be used in quest.]



What should I do? Should I wait here, gathering up the metal the dead bandits possess and speaking with my allies now that the fight is over, or should I move elsewhere, either to avoid the Hletwan army or to see what souls may be salvaged from the Premen ambush? Or should I do something else?

>>154209

I say that we quickly use magnetomancy to attract as much metal as we can. After that, quickly let Askeladd + Ozmand's men know that we will be going to the forest to avoid unnecessary confrontation. Let askeladd know the location of where we intend to camp, so later he can hook up w/ us and verify that we are leaving. We can then go to the forest and suck up those souls.

After that though, we'll prob hang around until we can get our armor then it'll be time to head out away from here.

>>154209
Why not both? Your allies could help you collect the metal, if they're willing, and that would shorten the task enough that you could still relocate to consume the souls at the other site, with chatter occuring along the way.

I'm gonna suggest regroup and find how many losses we sustained. We do have enough souls that it wouldn't matter - however, after regrouping and inspiring, it might be a good idea to go back and harvest souls and metal.

>>154209
Not much to do now.
Get Verther's skin, and something to ID him with. Find a use for the beast, either as a pack animal or food for celebration. Congratulate the Premen on a job well done.

>>154209
You can never have too many souls, so eating from Premen ambush seems like a good idea.

>"Derkin saved Arkus' life, with Arkus at sight of battle-"
Hmm. Chance to reinforce your image as fair and honorable leader. While Derkin isn't as useful as Arkus, his knowlege of criminal circles, such as buyers of stolen good or merchant who sells weapons and equipment to bandits can be interesting. Offer him chance to serve you or some sort of boon, like : "By sword you have earned your freedom, but by shield you have earned my gratitude." Or sligtly reworded.

We need to figure out a way to collect on the bounty while still keeping Verther's skin intact.

"Askeladd, my good man! We still have our deal to work out. Now that Verther is dead, there's the matter of the bounty to collect, hmm? How might we do that? I must admit that I have some vested interest in Verther's body. It will be highly useful in my own experiments on extending my lifespan! Especially his skin. My own is getting rather wrinkled as of late!"

>>154228
i thought we planned on using the mount for arkus or someone else...? surely there is a better use for such a massive beast then sustenance.

i think the only way to collect the bounty is to convince the town that we killed him. We cannot hurt the skin, or it will be unusable for kyorto.

LEts regroup, see how many premen are dead, and see if jojo can help any of the wounded. Perhaps we should tell askeladd to wait for the army from hletwa and collect the bounty while we hide in the forest. I don't think the hletwa army would be happy to see a soul grave, even if it did just knock out a self-proclaimed king of bandits.

>>154269
We planned on giving the mount to Oggroth.

>>154274
that does seem to be a bit more fitting...

>>153747
Did any of the bandit cavalry's mounts survive, because securing mounts for all the premen seems like an AWESOME plan right about now.

>>154239
That is creepy beyond all mentioning.

Lets just leave it at "We require Verther's body, intact, for use in an experiment." Sufficient, and not liable to ruin our image.

>>154357
[What horses survived the conflict bolted the moment they could, and the fires Mordre started helped encourage them to flee. Only Verther's mount, the gargantuan, hardy and hairy beast he rode still remains, though it does not appear bothered or wounded as a result of all the fighting that occurred about it.]

>>154274
>>154339
[Attempt to gift Verther's mount to Oggroth will be made upon return to this location]

>>154221
>>154222
I elect to use my Magnetomancy to aid in the collection of discarded metal arms and armor about the field, as I intend to reclaim my blades..... as well as the Anti-Golem round. While it may have claimed Ozmand's life, the shells are time consuming to replicate, and crass as the fleshlings may view it, it would be far more efficient to simply reclaim the munitions, considering Ozmand's face was not as durable as the normal targets the cannon is supposed to be utilized against, so the shell should still be in near pristine condition underneath the gore.

I apply my Will to my command of Magnetomancy..... and I can feel every piece of metal about the field with even a glimmer of a controllable magnetic field. The shell still embedded in Ozmand's skull, blazing like a beacon to my senses, is easily hefted free, and after it is briefly spun at radical speeds to fling off the organic detritus covering it, I guide it back into my left should armament, once more anchoring it within. At the same time, I reach out to all six of my blades scattered throughout the field, feeling the nicks and scuff marks they have acquired through their repetitious use, and reclaim the as well, making a mental note that I must spend some time remolding them if I am to restore them to peak performance. I reclaim all seven pieces of my munitions from their widely spaced resting places without taxing my Will, and I did not even need to tap the Soul Nexus I have for further power. The changes in my command of Magnetomancy are already showing.

Now to test it more thoroughly. I attempt to grasp control of as many pieces of arms and armor scattered about the field as I can, trying to ascertain the limits I must operate under. nearly a hundred weapons start to float skyward and drift towards my form as I create a sustained effect of attraction betwixt one of the slagged cannons and the weapons. The armor proves somewhat more difficult to command, as much of it is still strapped to the corpses of the previous owners, and their added weight proves burdensome. I quickly exhaust my Will, but am pleased to find that it regenerates markedly faster than it previously could, no doubt due to the wealth of souls I just claimed.

I make one final contribution to the collection of arms and armor, testing the precision of my altered powers by reaching out not to the armor, but to the clasps and buckles locking them in place. It takes me some time, as I need to determine the appropriate method of dealing with each different model of clasp or buckle, and some have been warped from impacts enough I need to wrench the metal apart. But far sooner than the fleshlings could have done so alone, all the metallic equipment scattered about the field is gathered up into a large pile, to which Askeladd sets his Reavers to sorting. I attract the attention of all the humans about, Ozmand's disciples and the Reavers both, as I inform them of my plans for the immediate future.

>>154239
>>154269

"Askeladd, my good man! We still have our deal to work out. Now that Verther is dead, there's the matter of the bounty to collect, hmm? How might we do that? I must admit that I have some vested interest in Verther's body. It will be highly useful in my own experiments on extending my lifespan! Especially his skin. My own is getting rather wrinkled as of late, haha! But beyond that, as Soul Graves like the one I command are prohibited in Duran land, So I fear I must temporarily relocate to avoid issue when the Hletwan militia shows up."

I make a snap judgment after my rough estimate leads me to believe there are several thousand pounds of metal thus far harvested from this battleground, and phrase it to align with my cover.

"Tell you what, while I check with my apprentice on the outcome of the other battle, Why don't you all help yourselves to any arms and armor you find suitable in these spoils? The test subjects I brought with me will soon have their own equipment to use anyway, So it might as well be put to use by who needs it, eh?"

Askeladd and the Reavers quickly confer with the Disciples of Ozmand, before some form of consensus seems to be reached and Askeladd addresses me from the combined front of my human allies in this struggle.

"...Okay, yeah, I get that you can't really be here when the army shows up. Well, I don't think Verther has.... had any particular identifiers, but between his corpse, the veritable mountain of dead bandits and the giant war beast, I have little doubt I can convince the army we did indeed fell Verther and thus require payment for his bounty.

About the skin thing..... as a personal comment, you mages can be right creepy bastards. But moving past that, I see no issue with keeping Verther's body here until the army has left and you return."

>>154223
I find myself satisfied with Askeladd's response, and sweep my gaze about, assessing the conditions of those who fought against Verther.

The Disciples Of Ozmand were hit the worst. Beyond losing their leader, a scant sixteen of them still live, and many of them are sporting wounds, though none appear to be life threatening. While I see sorrow amongst their ranks at the loss of their leader and so many comrades, I still see a glimmer of vitality in each one of them, and I suspect none shall fall prey to the lunacy fleshlings can be subject to, that of simply giving up on life under sufficient distress. A laughable concept to my eye, and I am thankful I do not see it here.

The Reavers Of Nibelheim seem to have fared notably better, thanks in no small part to their heavier and sturdier arms and armor, as unlike Ozmand's disciples they bear well-fitted and crafted gear, and while nearly all of them have been wounded in some form or other, those still breathing bear their wounds in largely superficial areas, their cores well warded by their armor. Bjorn and Brom both seem to be bickering, Brom complaining about having to watch over Bjorn while the once more mild-mannered Bjorn sullenly complains that he can't do anything about it. All said and done, thirty seven of the Reavers Of Nibelheim still stand and draw breath.

I must wait to appraise the Premen forces till after I have moved some distance away from the battlefield, so that I may assess the wounded why were taken away from the battleground. An exhausted look Jojo mutters as he works on the seven wounded Premen before him, working on the more dire wounds first..... Interesting, it would seem luck is on my side, as should they all pull through, I believe all twenty three Premen, including Jojo, Oggroth and Ugrokk, will all have survived this conflict. It may have helped that the bandits by and large did not have heavy enough arms to offer as much risk to the larger, hardier and thicker skinned Premen, and with Verther's attention almost solely on me throughout the conflict, they were spared his attention as well.

I motion to the Premen to stay here and focus on recuperation while I go to meet with Arkus and presumably Derkin at the other battle sight. I trundle off into the woods at my full speed, hoping to salvage as many souls as I can before they begin to dissipate, generic souls not potent enough to last for prolonged periods in most cases.

It takes me some time to return to our original campsite by the river, perhaps thirty minutes, but the scene I am greeted with fills me with contentment.

Corpses little the ground, and not a stone can be found that has not been stained red with their blood. Fallen trees still smolder, none beneath them still alive. I see collapsed pits, snares, a multitude of traps all triggered with corpses marking their success. And in the middle of it all, I see Arkus reclining against a rock, the ruby topped staff claimed from the yetis that once inhabited Mordreden prior to its reclaiming and renaming in his hand, his eyes affixed on Derkin, who is busy rummaging about the corpses. Both look up at my approach, but I hold up my right arm to ward off speech as I immediately set to salvaging what souls I can from the dead. I make my way about the battlefield, meandering about as I harvest everything I can.

[+198 Souls (Human) Total remaining: 472]

I finish consuming the last fragmenting pieces of souls to be found, and turn to face Arkus and Derkin, both of whom stare expectantly at me, waiting for me to address them.


What should I say? And after speaking with them, what should I do? Should I wait here for a time, or start heading back to where Verther fell?

>>154814
"Well done, we are victorious. But not without a price. I underestimated the power Verther still had despite his injuries; he killed Ozmand, with one of MY weapons. Fortunately, I was able to gain a swift advantage and destroy Verther, I'm sure he's getting along just fine with Ozmand in -here-. (motion at anti-golem cannon)"

"As for you, Derkin... You are freed from my service. You are also welcome to join us, it would help our cause greatly to have someone like you to go where I cannot. Payment will not be a problem, there will be plenty of spoils where I'm heading. Your choice, Derkin."

"Askeladd and his Reavers shall deal with the Hletwan militia and collect the bounty on Verther's head. After that, we rest for the night, collect our armor and move out."

What happened? Congratulate the pair. Also, this >>154235.

>>154831
Oh be sure to point out that Ozmand's soul coalesced into a form that will not be used as fuel. We seek to avoid destroying the souls of our allies.

>>154836

On that thought we really got to do some experimentation on both our new ozmand powered mortar and our immortal genocide (which we still haven't figured out the primary function for...)

We've gotta repair our arm before messing with IG any more. Much more use and the arm may simply break.

>>154831
say this.

gather with the premen and whatever bandits who wish to follow us, and make camp in the forest. we really need to spend some time fixing our arm

>>154831
>>154835
>>154867

"Well done, we have proven victorious... But not without a price. I underestimated the power Verther still had despite his injuries; He killed Ozmand, with one of this Soul Grave's own weapons, no less. Fortunately, I was able to gain a swift advantage and destroy Verther, I'm sure he's getting along just fine with Ozmand in -here-."

(I motion at the anti-golem cannon)

"Though to be fair, whilst I know the Hero Souls claimed do not deteriorate, I have no such guarantee about Mage souls consumed: Though if Verther's soul ends up tormented in some form, I imagine I shalt lose very little sleep over it. As for you, Derkin... You are freed from my captivity, as agreed. You are also welcome to join us, it would help our cause greatly to have someone like you to go where I cannot. Payment will not be a problem, there will be plenty of spoils where I'm heading. Your choice, Derkin. As to what we shall do for the moment... Askeladd and his Reavers shall deal with the Hletwan militia, And collect the bounty on Verther's head in my stead. After that, we rest for the night, collect our armor and move out."

As Derkin seems to be mulling over the offer I just posed, Arkus appraises the hole in my arm with a grimace, shaking his head as he speaks.

"...Wow, that does not look too good. Ah, I know that this is... your Soul Grave and all, but you might want to fix up that arm right away, it just CAN'T be good for errant power to just be snapping and arcing about like that. And.... uh, in case it slipped your attention, what with all the fighting, but if you deactivate those runes you had me copy to your chest, and thus restore access to your own magnetic fields, I would Imagine you could use you Magnetomancy to effect repairs much more swiftly. Now, that is just a guess on my part, as we both know how hard it is to find clear texts documenting the ins and outs of golem use."

>>154840
While Arkus may have had some issue with keeping his initial bout of dialogue in alignment with my cover, his words catching in a place or two, Derkin seems far too deep in thought to have paid it much mind.... and Arkus' suggestion sounds like it holds merit. I nod at him as I deactivate the magics in runes emblazoned on my torso, and yank a few pieces of armor into my grasp, this time paying mind to the clasps that bind them to corpses before I summon them to my grasp, and shortly settle to feasting on them as I direct my attention and Will to my own form.

As I start to reshape the warped and gouged metal about my right elbow, I apply my command of Magnetomancy to the very same arm, trying to pull and push the metal about to expedite the recover process. The combined efforts are even more labor intensive than normal repairs, and the world is difficult to keep track of lest I lose my focus, and yet.... I find myself astounded at the alacrity of my recovery, clearly benefiting from the combined efforts I bring to bear.

In what feels like no time at all I finish the repairs as I consume the last of the armor I beckoned to, and tentatively flex my arm, inspecting it's elbow joint carefully. I find full motion restored, and the hole vanished as if it had never been there at all, the magics within my form once more safely contained. I turn my gaze to the sky, and appraise myself as having spent less than an hour on these repairs, a marked improvement over my previous speed of recovery. I also note that Derkin rises as he sees me move about, sidling up to stand before me, Arkus rising as well as he spies my movement.

"....Eh, so.... Mordre.... ah, your mageship, sorry, uh, so, I've given your offer some thought, and I got a pretty good handle on where you are heading next, The Azelhaedran State, all that, and... if signing up with you isn't some permanent dealie, you know, with my death the moment I try to leave or some such, then.... yeah, I'll tag along for a time. I just can't promise anything long term, I got some issues of my own that I need to pursue from time to time. ....And respectfully, no, I really, really can't say anything more specific about them, in case you are wondering. So, if that works for you, then yeah, I'll join. And if not, well, thank you for keeping your word, I imagine that if you stay in The Azelhaedran State long enough, I'll run into you again anyway. ....So, what'll it be, mage Mordre?"

As I reflect on Derkin's counteroffer, I pluck the compressed disc of bronze from it's hiding place behind one of the larger rocks about our old campsite, and motion to Arkus, who grabs his bags and scrambles onto the makeshift platform with relative ease, the repetition of the act starting to lead to greater surety in the act. I intend to travel back to where Askeladd and the others wait, sure that the hour or so that has already passed, coupled with the half hour needed to make my way back, should be enough that the army has at the very least arrived, if not already departed back to town after being informed of the situation.


What should I say to Derkin's counteroffer? And should I do anything else here before returning to check on the Premen, the Reavers and Ozmand's Disciples?

Accept. Tell him he's free to leave when he wants, but if he leaves to, say, give information about where you are to someone who's trying to kill you, Well that's a dick move and he can expect his soul to get eaten because souls are SO DELICIOUS GOG DAMN

>>154961
"An acceptable offer, I have no problems with it. I only ask that you let me know when you must depart, and for how long. I expect my dealings in the Azelhaedran State to be somewhat time consuming. However, there may be times when I must leave to tend to other business as well. Should this be the case, I shall leave someone behind in my stead to see that my men are taken care of. Now then, let us be off. I imagine that Askeladd has already finished speaking with the militia."

>>154971

Definitely say this.

>>154971
>>154988
I'd leave out the part about souls being delicious, we are still under the guise of Mordre: THE MAGE. But yes, the point still stands that souls ARE in fact delicious.

>>154971
>>154978
>>154988

"An acceptable offer, I have no problems with it. I only ask that you let me know when you must depart, and for how long. I expect my dealings in the Azelhaedran State to be somewhat time consuming. But I must make myself clear: If you gain sensitive information about me, And elect to share it with any bearing grievances against me, I will not look kindly on such a transgression. Moving past that: To clarify, there may be times when I must leave to tend to other business as well. Should this be the case, I shall leave someone behind in my stead, To see that my men are taken care of. Now then, let us be off. I imagine that Askeladd has already finished speaking with the militia."

"...Yeah, I figured if I learned anything important I'd need to keep my trap shut, mages pretty much always have secrets. ....You do make decisions rather quickly, don't you? But hey, you accepted my offer, so I guess that means I follow you now. Alright, lead on, Mage Mordre."

I trundle my way back to the sight of the battle, and do a double-take as I spy what I first assume to be Ozmand back from the grave, but quickly realize is simply one of his Disciples who has donned his armor and now bears his hammer, it seems to be the same one who led the rallying charge after Ozmand's death. The disciples of Ozmand seem to have had their wounds seen to, bandages and wrappings adorning their forms, and now simply kneel before a freshly dug grave, their heads bowed as they face it.

The Premen, barring the ones Jojo still is caring for, are the complete opposite, rowdy and boisterous, congratulating themselves on their performance, Oggroth and Ugrokk arguing over who killed the most bandits, and all in all in high spirits. I also make note of the fact that Oggroth has a hand clamped on the reins of Verther's war beast, forcing it to acclimatize to his scent by sheer dint of proximity.

Askeladd and the Reavers Of Nibelheim have pitched a temporary camp, and Brom nudges Askeladd as I approach, their leader rising to address me.

"Okay, so they took a look at the battlefield, between it and a bit of persuading, they accepted that we did indeed kill Verther. Left the corpse too, so hey, do what you want with it. Anyway, about the bounty, they obviously didn't have it with them, and as they said it would take a day or so to get the funds together in Hletwa, and you got that commission to pick up in.... what was it, two days? Anyway, I figure we'll hang about until you go to pick up your goods, and go into town then, so we can split the money, and then I can follow you lot until I am sure you are out of Duras, so I can get our fee from our client for removing you. Sound good?"

I consider Askeladd's offer, but my mind also addresses a different concern: What do I do now? It will not be until the dawn of the day after tomorrow that the armor will be ready, and as it is.... I feel I have found that which I can in these woods. Then again, who knows, a diligent enough scouting of the area may yield something new. Glancing to the sky, I see it is now mid-afternoon, with evening not that far off.


What should I do now? And do I find Askeladd's offer agreeable?

>>155071
Oh, man. A full day? Hurm...
How about we send a few souts out in a spiral dealie and just practice with the IG until we can figure its primary?

Also hace some sparring between either Ogg and Ugg or between yours and Askeladd's. Some nice sport to relax and train.

Make sure to try and talk with the new leader of Ozmand's disciples when you can. Not right now, of course, they're busy paying respects to Ozmand, but after they're done with that. I'm interesting in seeing what their new leader is like, and where they're planning on going from here.

>>155073

Agreed. Now that I think about it, we have a whole host of things we can/need to work on right now...

1) Securing/Preserving Verther's skin for long-term storage and travel.

2) Primary IG function discovery

3) Practice with IG tertiary function (soul soldiers...)

4) Practice w/ ozmand cannon.

5) Practice more magnetomancy. Dunno if more practice helps our proficiency as with normal humans...but it cant hurt.

6) Work on getting verthers mount integrated into whatever role we decide on...

We should also talk to Derkin and see what he knows about the place we are headed to. Besides all this we need a day or two for our forces to rest/recuperate...but don't neglect putting up a sentry grid....Dulu is still out there...

>>155085
Maybe we can directly feed IG with our own souls before activating it, instead of directing it to feast upon souls or life on the battlefield?

Yes, Quite agreeable. We have what we came for and more. The only thing I would desire now is some of the armor from the fallen. I'm sure the the Reavers cant lay claim to them all , that would just be horrible.

As for what we can do now?
1. Gather provisions for the premen and the humans to consume. I'm sure that the Premen would have no trouble with human flesh, but the humans may have a bit more of an issue with that. You can send Derkin in to secure a good amount of dried meat and vegetables and possibly a cart and horse for pulling things. In any case I want him busy.

2.While he is gone, you and Arkus can get some magic stuff done. You teaching him Magnetomancy and him doing rune-work and stuff. It would be splendid if we could further advance each other.

3.With your new magnetomany powers you can now pimp yourself out. Smooth out all the dings and scratches and warp your surface so you look good (good-shiny or good-more-foreboding its your choice). Shine up the skull, make it better, sharper outlines and stuff. Maybe you can even make yourself a symbol and plaster it on your back.

4.Experiment on the efficency of your new abilities, namely the new and improved Drill cannon, Immortal Genocide, and see if you cant figure out what the heck it is that Jojo uses for his stuff, such an ability would be most useful for you.

5. Lastly, try and get as much walking done as possible, I want the AA guns to get all nice and charged.

I might be missing some but feh, ill remember.

Consider the implications of Immortal Genocide's functionality. It now seems evident that it uses soul magic in its runes, so either you claimed an irreplaceable portion of the original soul grave when you took it from the Steel Fists, or if they can replace it, they have a practitioner of soul magic on staff. And they left the arm behind when they dragged off their irreplaceable broken golem, which in all honestly probably requires soul magic to repair anyway. This is important information to have in the back of your mind for the future.

In the short term, speak to Ozmand's men, see what they are planning to do now, and if that plan could include following you.

Does Ozmand's soul in your shoulder cannon have any reaction to the reloading of the shell that killed him? It seems like there might be some sort of sympathetic reaction possible. In any event, we should really see what he can do up there. Somewhere far away from people.

>>155073
>>155085
obviously the primary function of the IG will involve punching something, as it is a giant fist. I think we should hold off on testing it until we have a physical, living opponent to use it against, lest we cause some unwanted chain of events involving highly powerful magics...
Also, as far as i understand, in order to call forth soul soldiers, nearby souls not residing within us must be used, so testing it would be impossible, unless we choose to kill our own men in order to do so.

Talking to Derkin does sound like a good idea... i suppose... getting to know the lay of the land before we arrive in the azelhaedran state would be beneficial.

>>155128
Definitely we should get in as much movement as possible to build up energy for the AA, i like that idea a lot.

Lets send out some scouts and see if they can find anything karazy!

rolled 15, 16, 16, 6, 12, 8, 7, 12, 15, 19 = 126

---

>>155073
I order the Premen still fighting-fit to move out in a spiral pattern, making a thorough scouting of the area. Some nine Premen bound off into the woods, Ugrokk leaping after them shortly thereafter. Oggroth seems set on going, but as he starts to move the war-beast he still has a hand clamped upon snuffles and digs it's feet in, and Oggroth goes nowhere. After a moment of consideration, he sets himself to bonding with the beast as the scouts vanish into the woods. I wonder what they shall learn.
[The rolls above are all for scouting Premen and what they may or may not find, with Ugrokk's roll being the LAST roll of the series. High AND low rolls will lead to discoveries, with middling rolls meaning nothing was found]

>>155085
>>155128
I appraise Verther's corpse, still resting on the ground where last I had seen it, and address Arkus, musing at the possibility of preserving the skin for Kyorto. Almost instinctively Arkus' hands fly to the books he carries, before he stops himself and simply responds outright.

"..Ah, well, actually, yeah, there is something I can do.... I think. But just to be clear, if we do go with what I am about to offer forth, there is absolutely no guarantee it will work as it should, I've never tried the spell before, but as far as I could tell Kyorto tried to communicate a spell for preserving skin to Sugro and I while you and Mingsk headed back to.... guess it's called Mordreden now.

Ah... well, to the spell in question, it seems to be a Word and World magic spell designed to.... focus, I guess? Focus, localize, SOMETHING like that, the decay of the body, keeping the skin completely isolated while the rest of the body rots. If Kyorto was noting numbers the way I think she was, this could buy up to a month of preservation in normal weather conditions, more if the body is stored in a cool, dark, dry place. But again, and I really want to stress this in case it does go wrong, while I feel relatively sure I got the entirety of what Kyorto communicated in that magic-based universal language we've been bumbling about with, it is still a crude means of communication, so I have no way of being completely sure it will work as I think it will. But if you give me the go ahead, I'll give it my best effort. Barring that, I don't have any ideas on how you could preserve the skin, sorry."

As I consider Arkus' response, I recall previous times he was greatly hesitant to offer a solution, and his track record would suggest his worry is largely unfounded.... and in absence of other options, the choice seems simple. I give him the go ahead, and set Arkus down so that he may set to his work.

I call over Derkin, mentioning a desire for a cart, as the arms and armor we salvaged that the Reavers did not claim is still quite substantial, and with a means to move it such could be converted into a much more portable form of wealth. I also consider adding provisions to the list, but considering that the Premen have harvested enough human flesh and stored it for their own needs for weeks to come, and that the appropriated supplies and horse carcasses being stripped will provide a similar bounty to the more picky eaters, I deduce that such is not a pressing matter for the moment, and any further supplies would run the risk of spoilage before ever being needed. Besides, if I truly decide the additional supplies are needed, I can simply have Arkus and Derkin pick them up when we claim the gear Rogo shall have ready for us. Derkin considers my request of a cart for a moment, before he nods decisively.

"A biggish one, could carry a good bit of weight, and won't get stuck trekking through the forest, something like that? ...Yeah, I can get one of those. Ah.... guess I'll be back sometime tonight, I know a guy who stays open late, and I found enough dosh on the dead to buy this easy. Alright, I'll be back with a cart."

I make my way some distance away from the battlefield, giving Ozmand's disciples time to mourn in peace, to give Arkus time to do what he must with Verther's body, and to find a place to test my altered armaments, starting with Ozmand's cannon. I find a series of two trees, large enough I believe they qualify as 'old growth' as I have heard fleshlings call them on occasion, with a massive boulder of some dark stone behind them, all lined up relatively neatly. This seems as appropriate a place as any to test the Anti-Golem Cannon now that Ozmand has taken up residence. I place my repaired arm upon the ground to brace myself, and fire the cannon.

The shell rips through the air, boring a hole through the first tree swiftly enough that smoke starts to curl away from the impact point. But more importantly, the moment the shell even touched the first tree, some unseen force, like a hammer with a face ten feet across, pounds into the tree, shattering branches and snapping the trunk as the entire tree, more than a hundred feet tall, starts to fall from the tremendous impact.

As the first tree falls, I see the second tree subjected to much of the same, if in a lessened amount. The hole bored through it by the shell is not quite as neat, and only a few wisps of smoke exude from it, but the tree is once more hit by this invisible hammer of the giants, and leans dangerously close to toppling, spidery cracks rippling up it's trunk as pitch oozes freely. The projectile smashes into the stone behind the trees at last, shattered chips scattering about.... and immediately smashed back into the stone, as once more the unseen wall of force follows the shell, smashing a small crater into the stone, cracks spreading like spiderwebs across it's surface.

Interesting.

I reach out with my Magnetomancy and pluck the shell from it's place deep within the now cracked stone, noting it's rather damaged state.... and realize that my command of Magnetomancy offers me many options. I focus first on the Anti-Golem shell, forcibly warping it 'till it is roughly in it's original shape, before replacing it in my shoulder. Then I split my attention between both sets of munitions I bear, smoothing out scuffs and removing dents as I restore them to pristine condition. After that, I run my senses over my entire form, smoothing out scratches, scuffs and dents as I have acquired them, restoring a smooth, well-cared for finish to my body, making my silver skull motif positively gleam. These minor cosmetic changes collectively take me some time, and so I decide to head back to camp, to assess the situation.

The shadow of night has fallen completely by the time I return, the only illumination a few fire-pits erected about the campsite. Arkus looks pleased with himself, so I must assume the spell on Verther's corpse was successful. Derkin and the Premen scouts are still nowhere to be seen.

I note that Ozmand's Disciples have finished their mourning, and now gather about their own campfire, mulling over recent events as they stare at the fire. I decide to leave them be for now, and instead address Arkus, offering to instruct him in Magnetomancy.

"Well yes of course I accept, I always want to learn more magic. Just as a forewarning, I haven't yet been able to manage Will based magic, and as far as I can tell that is the form your Magnetomancy takes, yeah? Don't get me wrong, any chance to learn I will take, just... don't expect me to become an expert overnight, alright?"

I begin communing with Arkus, discussing how I access my Will and direct it to magic, as well as describing the general rules that seem to govern Magnetomancy, a rather flexible field of magic, as far as I have observed. We spend several hours deep in conversation, with my time also spent constantly pacing as I try to rebuild charge for my Amaranthine Annihilator as swiftly as I can, when finally Derkin returns, pulling at the reins of a mangy looking donkey with a sturdy cart trailing behind the beast. I ask the Premen to help Derkin load the arms and armor we salvaged in to it's bed as neatly as possible as I continue to discuss Magnetomancy and Will magic, as far as I now understand both areas, with Arkus, who seems completely absorbed in the conversation. Some time later, Derkin calls out to the Reavers, asking if they want to bum his some escorts and load their own loot into the cart, as he knows someone who would be willing to buy at any time of day or night. Several accept after Askeladd nods at Derkin, and shortly Derkin departs once more, with ten escorts now in tow.

The night wears on, and eventually exhaustion starts to dull Arkus' attention, and I elect to force him to rest so that he is not useless to me on the morrow. I continue pacing about the camp to build charge for the Amaranthine Annihilator as the night slowly becomes morning.

[DAY 56

The day dawns uneventfully, and I hear noise from the foliage about our camp, and see flashes of exposed skin. It would seem the scouts are returning, I wonder what they have found....

>>155367
[15, 16, 16, 15, 15 or greater X4]
While five of the scouts report having seen nothing of true note, too many scattered tracks from the fleeing bandits strewn about to find anything of note, four of their number all seem to have eventually tracked down the same remnant force, some hundred or so bandits now traveling to the south east of here. They make note of the fact that they were traveling away from our location, and considering how distant they were when first spotted, it could take a significant amount of time to reach them. They do make note that the group seemed to demonstrate a preference to moving with at least some subtlety and attempt at stealth, clearly not seeking a fight.

[Ugrokk: 19, >15, >17, >18]
Ugrokk brings somewhat more interesting information. He was able to track down a lone bandit, a surviving cavalryman that had served under Verther, who trekked through the woods with a clear destination in mind. Ugrokk was able to track the bandit without being noticed, to an ancient looking hut deep in the forest, where an aged individual met with the bandit. The two shared words, and the aged man looked upset, and waved his hand at the bandit. From what Ugrokk saw, the bandit's blood started to explode out of his skin, and a gray haze was withdrawn from the discharged blood, and formed into a simple ring, that the aged individual then placed on one of his fingers, joining a multitude of similar trinkets. The old one waved his hand again, and the bandit's armor flowed like water, encompassing his entire from, before the old one clenched his fist. At this, the metal simply compacted with such force that only a single dull sphere of metal, less than a hand in diameter, was left to mark a bandit had every been there. The old one then grabbed the reins of the horse, oddly complacent during this exchange, and tied it up outside his hut before entering his abode and beginning to rummage around. It was at this point Ugrokk left, intent on making sure this information reached me.

All of our scouts are accounted for, though Derkin and the escorts that left with him have not yet returned.... in fairness, it is still quite early in the morning, so I have little reason yet to be concerned.


What should I do with this day?

>>155370

Harass the remnants of the enemy force. Give them no quarter. Doing this, use hit and run tactics and rely on guerilla. The war must be brought to a chase to achieve final victory, otherwise they might uprise surprisingly soon and cause a lot of grief in the future.

The old man in the forest seems powerful. Better not to conflict with him. He doesn't seem to be interested about the bandits or joining a resistance. The area of the woods around his hut seem to be under his grip.

>>155370
How long does it take for a normal human soul (non-hero) to dissapate? I'm thinking we travel to the part of the forest Ugrokk was observing the exchange from, use Magnetomancy to pull the bandit's remains to us, and see if we can't discern the details of their little encounter from eating the bandit's soul(IF it's still there).

And if we're going to pursue the remaining bandits, we can do it alone. Now that we're pretty much patched up, I doubt that any of those bandits are strong enough to take us. Unless they're being led by DULU, in which case I'd rather not engage them yet.

We only have enough time to investigate one of these two discoveries. I don't think it will be worthwhile to try and catch the pack of bandits. They seem too far away to effectively chase.

So, I'll tentatively agree to checking out the old mage.

>>155371
War? where did you get that idea from? If anything, we just won the so-called "war".

The old dude must be part of the Mortal Coil, and thus he must have taught Verther his tricks. The fact that blood spewed forth from the bandit leads me to believe this is serious shit. The grey haze was the bandits soul, and the mage captured it into a ring, an eternal prison for the soul.

As to how we handle the situation...we must be careful. Ignoring this incident would be devastating. We should pay this old one a visit, however im not sure with what intent we should talk to him. anyone have an idea?

no, i think this old guy is a maximum lvl magnetomancer and he pulled the iron and other metals out of the bandits body. which means he could probably see us coming from a billion miles away.

First off, If you activate those anti-magnetic runes, can you sense yourself with your new skill in magnetomancy? Just wondering if they completely nullify it or just make it much much harder. Well, I suggest talking, civilly, and alone, to the old man later. Perhaps he can give you a few pointers on magnetomancy or something.

Or crush you into a soccerball sized sphere.

>>155391
I think he's right for what the old man is, and what he did to the bandit. As such, I think we should just make note of this, and leave him for later. If he's skilled enough to literally pull the iron out of a man's very blood... Well, we had a lot of trouble with Verther, I seriously doubt we could beat his guy. There's too much of a risk involved in trying to talk with him.

>>155418
These were my first thoughts as well.

Though one thing is very interesting, why did the old man react like that? No doubt Verther was his student, but I don't think its normal for someone to annihilate the messenger that brought the news of his death, especially without a hint of rage.

Theory. Old man is a powerful mage and he wants something Del Roga has, maybe something that would amplify is power greatly or even that axe.
Let's say that he IS a part of the Mortal Coil, this would probably prevent him from moving openly if he were getting his hands on something powerful, jealous mages and all. So he trains someone with the skills necessary to get whatever item it is in his stead(A Magnetomancer attacking a forge is pretty unstoppable) and ensures that he doesn't have anything lead back to him (You know, high class mages associating with bandits, way too below him). Of course hearing that his plan has failed he would endeavor to ensure no one become the wiser, so he kills the messenger (I dare say the messenger may even be a creation of his, which would explain many things, like the odd choice of turning him into a ring rather than just crushing him outright).

I know this is a pretty big conclusion to jump to after only that description, but my plot senses are telling me this is it.

>>155469

I believe we should work off of this assumption, though perhaps sans the Mortal Coil and him creating a bandit bits. If this is correct then we still have work to do, if we don't stop him now he'll keep trying to acquire Del Roga's axe. Whatever he wants with it can't be good, and more importantly it has information on our Premen. We can't have this happen, we should strike while we have the element of surprise and his location in mind, though we'd have to strike alone. He could kill anyone we bring with us in a blink of an eye with the exception of ourselves and our rune protection.

Why are we worried about an ultrapowerful magnetomancer? If Mordre keeps his rune active, then the mage can't affect him. We can just calmly talk.

Lets not forget when Bob said that the roll for this event would cause something very good to happen... perhaps if we interacted with the old man we could gain something important?

>>155534
Man we have no idea the strength this guy possess. He could be similar to Kyorto or Lenryt(unlikely though...)and just bypass all our runes and screw over our existence. Remember, soul graves were MADE to be controlled, that means that if we meet a strong enough mage, he/she could overpower our will and take over.
In any case. Never underestimate an opponent.

Jesus christ the old man is motherfucking Magneto. He pulled the iron from a man's blood for christ's sake!

>>155394
I re-activate the lone rune amongst those replicated from Dulu's staff that I have yet found a use for, the one which when shining masks my magnetic field, and appraise what I can sense with my now heightened Magnetomancy. ....And after a careful and thorough appraisal of my own form, I can still not detect a trace of my own magnetic field, and no amount of effort puts it under my grasp whilst the rune is active.

>>155386
>>155389
>>155469
>>155527
Possibilities abound as I consider the scene Ugrokk viewed. While it seems reasonably likely, given what he saw, that this aged individual is capable of Magnetomancy, as the manipulation of the metal armor and what sounds like the drawing of iron and other metals from the bandit's blood both sound like advanced applications of Magnetomancy, I am unsure as to what affiliation the individual could have, given the response he had to the bandit's arrival. Though the bandit had to have brought him word of Verther's demise, and coupled with the old one's skills, it seems likely he could have trained Verther. I begin to consider what seems likely to be true about this mage.

-Likely a Magnetomancer.
-Likely trained Verther in Magnetomancy
-Likely more capable than Verther in the realm of magnetomancy
-Possibly seeking something in Rogo & Sons through bandits
-Possibly too high profile to move openly, thus why bandits are used/Verther was trained.
-Possibly aligned with Mortal Coil

There are many questions here that I feel I would find greatly illuminating to answer, but to do so would risk ruining the element of surprise should the old mage prove hostile (which seems likely), and while I cannot pierce the protection the rune offers me, there is no guarantee I would be safe from a true Magnetomancer, as I fear this individual may be. However, I still find myself severely intrigued by what could be learned or gained from this individual's existence, and the possibility of either learning from him or feasting on his soul piques my curiosity.


What should I do? Should I trust the rune to keep me safe and go investigate the old mage? Or should I track down the other bandits to the South? Or should I stay here any continue teaching Arkus what I know of Magnetomancy as we await Derkin's return? Or should I do something else?
[First choice to get three votes behind it is chosen]

>>155582
We will NOT seek out the old man. Just because he can't grab you doesn't mean he can't do all sorts of crazy shit. Leave him the FUCK alone.

Hey, can you make yourself fly yet?

Votan for teachan Arkus. MALE BONDING YAY :D

>>155587
slap some armor on him and HE can fly above us as some kind of scout, figure out invisibility from Jojo and we have a perfect early warning system.

>>155589
Not to mention how funny it will be the first time.

I am with them on studying with Arkus. It may give some insight to him. I also suggest sending out a war party (lead by the Premen) to eliminate the leftover bandits unless Dulu is with them or that they outnumber ours.

>>155582
Talking with old mage without non-magnetic backup (considering that this guy can manipulate iron in human blood, thats a tall order) and fully charged Amaranthine Annihilator is simply too dangerous.
Derkin could know something, so lets wait for now.

I would like to point out that if the old mage is allied with the bandits, he's going to try to move against us later anyway. Better to go meet him now when he's not prepared.

Visit the old mage.

old mage

Training, Male Bonding damn it.

Also, let us talk to Ozmand's followers. Find out what they think of us, what's happened, and if they wish to follow us.

I'm pretty against facing the optional secret boss underleveled. Yes, if we win we'll gain a HUGE advantage over anyone looking to pick a fight with us. But the odds do not look too good for us, even with all our new stuff.

Personally, my vote is for training with Arkus until Derkin comes back. But if everyone does have their heart set on interacting with this shady character, then I suggest we prepare a few things before we even get near his house:
1. Instead of making a tree sized wooden javelin, make a wooden spear for Ugrokk to chuck at this guy while Ugrokk waits in the trees.
2. No matter what course of action we take, whether we kill him on the spot or decide to talk to him, pre-emptively charge and activate the IG's second function.
3. Be ready for GODDAMN DULU, because the golemslayer is slowly becoming the Gary Oak of golem quest.

Male bonding can wait. This mage is a serious problem, and if not dealt with will continue to cause issues for Hletwa. He would have blasted the city to pieces in the process of stealing Del Roga's axe. There's nothing to keep him from coming back and trying again if we let him go. He may be powerful, but he must be stopped.

Bob!t/UKid4z5s 2010/03/30(Tue)20:51 No. 155679 ID: d1210a
File 127000748767.jpg - (181.12KB , 1416x2265 , Arkus Axe From Del Rogo.jpg )

>>155587
>>155596
>>155599
>>155617
[First to reach three votes]
Ultimately, I decide to leave the mage well enough alone, preferring to not risk running afoul of such a potentially powerful Magnetomancer. I choose to leave the mage well enough alone, and spend the day awaiting Derkin's return as I continue to discuss Magnetomancy with Arkus while pacing about the camp.

It is midday when Derkin and the Reaver escorts that went along with him, the mangy donkey now replaced with a powerful oxen, the cart now larger and of a better make, all riding in the cart as Derkin commands the oxen, a sack upon the cart bed amongst their number. I cease my conversation with Arkus as I listen to Derkin's update.

"Ok, I managed to get some decent coin for all that stuff, the news of the bandit king's near attack on the town made many parties interested in self defense, and we managed to sell everything, at pretty good prices once people were encouraged to understand how close danger came to their homes. Anyway, got... eh, give or take about a hundred fifty Duran marks, about average size gold coins.... I guess about the worth of some fifty head of prime cattle? Anyway, plenty money for the moment, I figure."

I acknowledge Derkin's report as the group re-enters the camp, and continue speaking with Arkus as the day wears on. By the time night falls, I feel Arkus has started to gain a grasp of how Magnetomancy works as far as I use it, and a rough sense of how I tap my Will to power spells. But by the time he retires, he is no closer to being capable of Magnetomancy than he was this morning. I continue pacing about the camp in my bid to charge the Amaranthine Annihilator as swiftly as I can.

[DAY 57]

The sixth day since I made my agreement with Del Rogo finally begins, and I send out Arkus with several of the Premen to collect the equipment promised, and Askeladd goes along with them, seeking the promised bounty on Verther. We agree to meet on the road skirting the northern border of Duras that I had trekked along when I first intended to slip through Duras and ran into the Steel Fists, close enough to the borders that I could leave swiftly after claiming what I seek.

Ozmand's disciples seem intent on following me for the moment, and trail along as I lead the other Premen and the Reavers Askeladd did not take with him to the new destination. I make note of the fact Oggroth seems to have managed to mount the war beast taken from Verther, and though he still guides it very roughly, he manages to keep it going in the right direction as we march. It is past midday when Arkus, Askeladd and the others return, now managing two carts, both packed with carefully wrapped bundles, and Askeladd carries a heavy sack. The group walks up to me and take their turns reporting on the situation, Arkus first.

"Ah... okay, well, the second cart was free with the equipment, I had to get another oxen to pull it, but otherwise we got everything right here, as requested, a full set of twenty-two customized suits of arms and armor. Ah, and Del Rogo put an axe in the pile, with a note saying.... well, let me just read it out to you, that'll be easiest.... *ahem* 'This Axe's for yer runt apprentice. The gems in it can do the normal pissant magic shit, make spells stronger, yada yada, and the pipsqueak can actually be useful in a proper up close fight. Tell him to shut up and take it. Rest of your shit here as promised. The hammer is for the big feck, supposed to attach to that ball and chain he got. Rest is straightforward if you ain't stupid. Now don't bother me again.' ....So yeah, apparently I have an axe now."

"Well, on behalf of the Reavers Of Nibelhiem, who the town of Hletwa now knows slew Verther alongside a mage named Mordre, I accepted the bounty of five hundred Duran marks, which I have here. So, how are we going to divvy this up?"

At the mention of the bounty, I see the disciples of Ozmand perk up.


What should I do or say?

>>155679
50/50 is 250 to each group, but seeing as Ozmand bought the farm I think his group deserves greater compensation. 300 of Ozmand's men, 200 for Askeladd's. But only if they agree.

>>155686
we are not giving away the entire reward. lets take 300 for ourselves, and 100 to each of the two groups. ja?

off to the azelhaedran state then, i guess

>>155679
Well, I think it is only just to split some of our share of the money to Ozmand's men. They lost more than any of us during the battle and they deserve it.

Before we leave though, we need to warn Del Roga about the mage. If we aren't going to go out and kill him, we should at least warn him. Send out Derkin with message to be delivered to Del Roga about the mage with as much detail as we can about him and his last known whereabouts.

Once all of that is done and we are all suited up with out new gear we can leave. We might want to invite Ozmand's men with us to fight, they seem rather aimless with their leader gone. We could also attempt to trade contact information with the Reavers Of Nibelhiem, ask for the location of outposts we could reach them at and so on. It'd be a terrible shame to lose contact with potential long term allies once they've fulfilled their contract on us.

>>155694

Definitely agree with the warning about the mage. We should tell him our suspicions also...

We should just divide the bounty fairly between the three groups...with ozmand's group getting a slightly bigger slice...

Split it into three equal portions, then give Ozmand's group a quarter of your share.

Guys guys guys, the spoils of this conflict are 500 from the bounty PLUS 150 from selling the loot. That's 650 split three ways.
Go for a 220, 220, 210-plus-the-carts split, see if there is negotiation from there.

>>155704
I'll agree with this and second inviting Ozmand's men to join up with us. And the Reavers, if they feel like it; but I doubt they'd quit the mercenary business to putz around with us.

>>155693
>>155696
>>155700
We can also spit it per men we have at the begining of battle, that a five golds per one, right? Then let every group to sort rest internally.
Ozmand's : 165
Reavers : 210
Us : 125

So...

Why have we not offered Ozmand's remaining followers a place with our growing army? The new leader, in particular.

I would think that since we are now the new residence of there former master's immortal soul, they would be amenable to such a proposal. Then it becomes easy enough, because their share becomes further incentive to join us. After all, who knows what loot abounds with a force strong enough to rout a 500 man army with less than a hundred men.

Extending similar offers, or at least offers of later employment, if interested, could be directed towards the Reavers. We could at least get a way to contact them if we need muscle to hire.

I'd like you all to not forget that I said the mage was going after Del Rogo and Sons because we don't know if there is anything of greater interest around here.
But yea, It would be good if you could tell him about the mage. If it all turns out square, then he owes us one, if not then not.

As for dividing the money... I don't have a good solution.

Yes. Offer Ozmands men a chance to have their leader lead them again.

>>155855
I'm not basing that asumption off of anytyhing you said, I'm basing it from something that was stated by Ozmand and Askeladd in a previous post.
>>152388
>Ozmand looks troubled, his eyes distant as he thinks, but Askeladd wastes no time in responding.

>"Crap. If Verther's heading North-East, he has to be going for Hletwa.... and that explains the cannons, real handy when attacking fortified locations. Well shit, even at four hundred, if a Magnetomancer is guiding the bombardment, that could still be enough to attack the city.... but not enough to hold out when more than just the local garrison show up. So he can't be looking to take the city, so-"

>"Rogo & Sons!" Ozmand blurts out, a worried look spreading over his face, his nearly constant cavalier attitude subsiding in the face of this realization.

>"....Shit. That makes way too much sense to not be it. Bust up the local garrison, raid the smithy, and get as many new toys as he can get his hands on before more of the Duran army shows up. ....I commissioned something from Del Rogo once, no way am I letting anyone get their hands on his axe, that would lead to too many problems down the line."

>"The same for me. ....Well Mordre, if you really think you can drop them swiftly, then yes, do what you can to end the closer group here and now, but I figure Askeladd feels the same as I, that we can't let Verther pull this off," When Askeladd nods in confirmation, Ozmand continues.

Doing some quick math, based off remaining members of all three bands after the battle with Ozmand's Warband amounting to 3x the actual rate, due to the loss of Ozmand and considerable losses to life and limb we could divide the wealth as thus:
Ozmand's Warband: 288
Reavers Of Nibelheim: 220
Premen/Funds: 138
With about four gold as a bonus to one group - I'm favoring Ozmand.

Another calculation, with the Premen numbers only counting one-third due to the premen not needing new arms and armaments and the fact that we have a gosh-darn Ruby Mine:

Ozmand's Warband: 259
Reavers Of Nibelheim: 336
Premen/Funds: 53
With two gold to a group, again I'm gonna suggest Ozmand's.

However, it would be best to discuss amounts the groups what the division should be. I don't want the Reavers to feel slighted - I like these guys and hopefully we can put them on retainer once we take over this place - and Ozmand's Warparty needs reconciliation for their losses no matter what happens. Ozmand was a true warrior, an ideal warrior, and to be struck down by a lowly wizard as glorious Mosmordre was is an affront to our senses. I would remind everyone that we do have funds we can reclaim – our Ruby and Bronze mine - and there is nothing stopping us from attacking more thieves and raiders when we continue our journey to gain more funds.

As for what to do, divvy out the weapons and armor - I want at least half a day of training for everyone.
Next, send someone to Del Rogo to tell them about this Magnetomancy magus. Also telling the actual city about him might be a good idea too, as they'll be the ones that will have to deal with him soonest.
Also! Ask Askeladd what the leaders of Hletwa actually said - If it is possible that we can make friends here, or even make these people believe that having a Soulgrave as controlled by a wizard and his army as protectors is a good idea, let’s go for accidentally our first city.
Lastly, speak with the new leader of Ozmand’s Warparty. I want to know this Ozmand Reborn.

>>155694
>>155696
>>155855
>>156026
A multitude of different methods of determining who gets how much of the collective wealth gained through this venture, and considerations to the heavy losses Ozmand's disciples play a critical part in this calculation. Ultimately I offer up what seems reasonable to me, after rounding values to less obtuse numbers.

"Of the total 650 Duran Marks we gained, I suggest 220 marks for the Reavers Or Nibelheim, 290 marks for Ozmand's disciples, considering their losses, And 140 marks for my own funds. Does this allocation sound agreeable to you?"

While the disciples of Ozmand seem distracted by varying degrees of shock at the amount of funds I am throwing their way, I see Askeladd nod approvingly at the gesture before he replies.

"Yeah, that sounds more than fair. You are the one who actually killed Verther, so I find no issue with this allocation, and I thank you for the payment."

[MORDRE WEALTH IN COINAGE: 140 MARKS, DURAN]

"Of course, I found you Reavers to be quite competent coworkers, And you should be rewarded accordingly for your services. Now, I know Arkus discussed the mage we found in the woods with you, Have you informed the Hletwan military and Del Rogo of the danger posed? Further, I am curious, how could I contact you to employ you myself?"

"As to the mage, I told the military and the Rogo smithing company both about the issue, and I made sure to explain that odds are good this individual was related to Verther's attempted attack, so they seem to have taken my words to heart. Short of taking over the city and reforming it's defenses yourself, I don't think they could be treating the mage as any bigger of a potential problem, and I doubt they would like you butting in, what with the Soul Grave stigmas and all. And in case you were wondering, no, I sincerely doubt that even if you could convince them that you are the mage in question that helped kill Verther, that they would let you in when you use a Soul Grave as your faux-body. ...Yeah, they REALLY don't like Soul Graves.

As to contact, that's easy. Over the years we've managed to get a fair number of contacts in the Mortal Coil, enough so that any message left at a Mortal Coil outlet will find it's way to us rather promptly. Just as a personal request, please only use this method of contact for actual job offers, as it does take time and effort to get the message to us. ...And if you don't want some Mortal Coil mage taking credit for your findings, you might not want to mention any particularly sensitive information in the message, if you catch my drift. Well, whenever you feel ready to leave Duras, we'll be ready, as we still fully intend to complete our initial contract and escort you out of the territory before we part ways."

I order the Premen to begin suiting up, and spend some time familiarizing themselves with their armor. For now all I can tell is that every piece of metal unpacked has a dull gleam and a polished surface, no imperfections visible in their crafting. Ozmand and Ugrokk both have sizable packages, though Oggroth's is largest by far. I leave them to adorning themselves with their new belongings as I face Ozmand's disciples.

>>155792
I was awaiting an appropriate moment to broach the subject to Ozmand's disciples that they may follow me, and through me Ozmand's soul....

Such as now, after they have gained wealth for their troubles, and have such an example of possible gain under my command fresh in their minds. I see them distributing the Duran marks between themselves as I approach, and the one garbed in Ozmand's gear stands to address me.

"...On behalf of the Disciples Of Ozmand, I want to thank you for what you offered us. It was our choice to follow Ozmand.... you didn't need to give this to us, but it will help a great deal. ...Ah, sorry, we haven't spoken before, my name is Ozrick, I am now the.... leader, I suppose, of the Disciples of Ozmand, by dint of having picked up our fallen master's hammer in battle. ...So, is there anything you need?"


What should I say, considering I am trying to convince the Disciples Of Ozmand to join my forces? And after speaking with them, and giving the Premen some time to don and familiarize themselves with their new equipment before we march, what should I do before we depart Duran territory?

>>156086
"I hope you can forgive me for my failure in this battle. In my rage to outmanuver Verther, I neglected my surroundings. I should have known Verther would try something like that, but I was too focused on crushing that bastard. It's my fault that Ozmand died, and by my own weapon. Well, if it would pose no insult to you, I ask that you join us. I understand if you resent me; I am but an old man in a tower, too frail, too afraid to fight his own battles. You are free to go your own way as well, finding a new purpose may be for the better. You need not decide immediately, walk with us to the border, a resolve can be found there."

>>156110
we're admitting we are weak, and expecting them to join us? that makes no sense.

unfortunately, i cannot offer any positive advice right now...

Inquire about their plans. Offer employment. Offer a ride on your magical unicorn.

Actually instead of joining us, I think that we should send them on with Ozmands blessing. I have a feeling that this will make them stronger than if they came with us.
Instead of "following their master" they can forge their own way, make their own path with a zeal that could only be born from the loss of someone they care about. It's time for the birds to leave the nest and the student to surpass the teacher.
If it all works out well they will be powerful allies in the times to come. I think that it is what Ozmand would have wanted.

>>156323

This also lets us avoid the issue of how to further conceal our true autonomous nature from them....

>>156323
Oh, yes, aye, second. Offer to help if they ever need a hand, as well.

>>156270
Also Offer Harmony, Harmony, Oh yeah.

But as much as I love letting the sparrows fly on their own, we need to make them like us enough, first. Letting them see us in action should be enough, so helping them along for a little might be a good idea.

Bob!t/UKid4z5s 2010/03/31(Wed)17:49 No. 156432 ID: d1210a
File 127008297431.jpg - (346.69KB , 848x1240 , Ugrokk New Equipment.jpg )

>>156323
>>156329
>>156337
An idea occurs to me, a method to maximize the usefulness of the disciples of Ozmand. If I send them off, if I can inspire them to move on, possibly become adventurers, mercenaries, whatever they may choose, they could grow to become powerful allies in the future--and all the while be speaking of a mage Mordre with a Soul Grave as this command, aiding in the dissemination of my cover throughout the populace. The more widespread it becomes, the harder it will be for people to disbelieve it, so this could be highly beneficial to me... that, and if I keep Ozmand's disciples with me, it would mean having to maintain my cover more thoroughly.

"I need to see you thrive, Ozrick, You and the rest of Ozmand's disciples. With Ozmand in this Soul Grave's shoulder, I feel obligated to see you through this moment of sorrow. I will tell you what any deceased master would wish their pupils to know: That if you truly wish to honor him, then simply surpass him: No master could ask for more, from those that follow them. Perhaps I shall see you again, and you can tell me how far you have gotten, eh?"

I elect to go with a more positive image of 'mage Mordre,' on the off chance it can assist me in maintaining my cover. I still have far too little military power to my name to even consider risking my exposure as a free willed, sapient golem.

The kindly words seem to work wonders, and I see tension sliding out of many shoulders, strain easing off of faces. I may have said something they wanted to hear, judging from their response. Ozrick finally addresses me after a long pause.

"..Thank you, for that. I think we all know Ozmand would tell us much the same. .....Well, we are going to stay here for the time being, rest up, clean ourselves up.... and then I think we are going to go looking for work, where we could hone what Ozmand taught us. ....When we see each other next, I hope we will be able to repay the debt we now owe."

I spend a moment playing the part of a thoughtful master wishing well to students, hoping they perform well, both to enforce a positive image, and to attempt to instill greater surety in the surviving disciples, so that they may survive to carry that message rather than be weighed down by doubt. By the time I head back to check on the Premen, now fully armed and armored, I feel the disciples hold no ill towards me for their master's death, and that they think quite highly of me.

The sight of the now fully-equipped Premen is quite impressive. No two suits are quite the same, and no one fidgets with uncomfortably settled weight. The ten Premen with Ugrokk, the taller, slimmer Premen, now wear full leathers with metal studs woven in at regular intervals, a segmented breastplate with pauldrons, leather coifs with metal helmets atop them, all open faced with a latticework of bars to guard nose and eyes. Greaves and gauntlets both adorn the ends of their respective limbs, and with new sets of bucklers, several axes, and a quiver of heavy javelins each, they seem likely the most heavily armed 'scouts' I have ever heard of.

The Premen with Oggroth are a see of dull gray, cleverly segmented plate festooning all of them, each appearing to have been designed to match the individual bearers body in the most utilitarian manner possible, curves and lack of embellishment everywhere.... yet the lack of corners or clear angles will make this armor most vexing to land a solid hit upon, as anything not carefully aligned will simply skip off at an angle. And with the enormous and tall mauls they bear, each larger than Ozmand's hammer, with the reverse end a slightly curved metal spike some two feet long rather than another hammerhead, they may likely be able to harm my own form, which would mean little could avoid their clutches in battle. Between the armor and the heavy weapons, I think they will prove most formidable against conventional foes.

Oggroth's armor has what appear to be over-sized pauldrons with plates running down from them as extra protection to his upper arms, but when I see his weapon I dismiss my puzzlement. He now has a hammer much the same as those the Premen that follow him now bear, simply expanded in size.... with a set of runes emblazoned on it's side. I also note the chain of his original weapon is attached to the base of his new hammer, and that the actual lump of metal, the actual sphere is clapped against his side. But more importantly, even fully armed and armored, his form so cloaked in metal he appears a smaller Soul Grave, were it not for the lack of soulfire about him, Oggroth is still astride the war beast we pilfered from Verther, now managing to guide it with at least some degree of accuracy. To bear all that weight and still move so freely, the creature must be strong indeed.

Ugrokk now sports a surprisingly large Axe, and beneath a heavy pelt, I see plate and leathers both. He seems to be considering how to manage the belts that his new set of some eight axes works, before finally pushing down on a final buckle, and removing his hands to find the assembly hang freely down his back. He lets the heavy pelt fall to cover it as he hefts his new axe, swinging it about as he twists and turns, testing his flexibility. I note several runes worked into his armor, and wonder what purpose they could serve.

I see Arkus peering over a piece of paper, and frowning at Oggroth and Ugrokk both. I walk up to him, and as he turns to face me I see some measure of relief on his face.

"Perfect, you can speak their tongue fluently, I can barely manage a few words, could you tell Oggroth that his rune activates when he hits the metal ball? It looks like Del Rogo made some sort of weapon set-up for him, made to work with his ball and chain. Lets him accelerate the ball to some pretty high speeds while magically amplifying the mass of the ball. It also makes the chain elastic.... or maybe it grows, not really sure. Oh, but he did make a note we would regret it if we let Oggroth try this when he wasn't on stable ground. Something about needing to anchor the hammer after hitting the ball... really, it took me this long to get past all the cursing and his terrible handwriting. Anyway, that's all I know about Oggroth's rune, but we should probably test it to make sure I got that right.

For Ugrokk, his note says that it activates by pressing both gauntlets to the helmet, looks like the hands should be as thoroughly in direct contact as possible, he wrote 'If the pissant tribal can't get it's feckin hands proper on the damn helmet, won't do shit for the bugger. That why it don't activate when yer stupid tribal's takin the helmet on and off, you idiot!'..... yes, it has been a joy to decipher this note of his. Really. Back to what the runes actually do looks like they take in light, cloak the wearer in shadow, or make him invisible, not sure, but it says it makes the suit get colder and colder the longer it's active. It also mentions that to deactivate, it has to discharge all the absorbed light, which is going to be very visible, .....also looks like it will heat the suit in proportion to the amount of light released. Says should be fine for at least an hour 'unless the tribal's a coward about facing some cold, or dealing with a bit of heat thereafter.' ...Ah, does say the wearer is sheltered from both the light eating and light releasing effects of the armor, in terms of what they see. So they won't get blinded discharging it, I imagine."

Most interesting. I glance over to see Askeladd looking at me, having been patient while I spoke with Ozmand's disciples, but clearly anxious to see us leave as we agreed, it has been some time so far.


What should I do or say, and to what or whom?

Tell Oggroth and Ugrokk about the magic in their new equipment. Also ask Arkus if the Axe does anything other than the magic strengthening thing, and ask if it's better than the staff.

"Worry not Askeladd, my departure is at hand"

Inform the guys about the function of their runes but warn them not to try in now. Partly because we have to go and partly because I don't want the Reavers knowing what they do. Friends or not, they are mercs.

Take one last look around and get going.

>>156482
Welp, this while we get going. And try and find a way to contact the Disciples of Ozmand if you never need them again - find a way that we can send them a message or whatever. Ask both groups about The Azelhaedran State as we leave, lets see what they have to say. But, mostly, lets montage!

While talking to Askeladd, make faint meowing in the background. At some point, tell the 'cat' to shush, you're not letting it in the room.

Have the cat noises stop for a few seconds, then continue. Let some irritation sneak into your voice.

Yes. And include more science-noise in the background. Bubbling beakers, sizzling things, some kind of electrical burst.

And,damn it, someone write Cheese and Ham for the Great Mage Mordre! We're gonna loose that ham bonus until we have to talk to normal folk again.

>>156585
No sciency stuff. We must remain consistent, aside from occasional random happenstance.

Well, we should be pushing ourselves. Pass it off as 'moving closer to our research lab to fend off those bloody pixies'. Just some background stuff we can practice our super ventriloquism on.

>>156573
Yes. Tell Mr. Cuddlebumps to be quiet, then have it meow again, be slightly irritated, and then go "No, Mr. Fuzzums, Get off the damn controller, no, damnit, not that but-No, Bad Mr. Fuzzbumps" while performing a series of random actions, possibly concluding in falling down.

Suggestion 2010/03/31(Wed)21:02 No. 156770 ID: 2aaaf1
File 127009452020.jpg - (156.40KB , 800x800 , gentlemen.jpg )

>>156521
>>156585
>>156643
>>156690
You want HAM and CHEESE? I will give you HAM and CHEESE.

First, cue Arkus into our plan. Start walking over to Askeladd, once you are in range and ready to address him, stop. Use Magnetomancy to "get dragged" into the nearest patch of forest, do this without running over anyone. Once you are out of sight, have the forest explode into that same childish laughter that we made the first time we encountered Askeladd. Pretend to be thrown out of the forest, our mouth full of branches, complete with fuzzy shrubbery eyebrows and a mossy beard. Skid to a halt on our stomach and slowly rise to our feet, ridding ourselves of our wooden visage. Silence Arkus's giggling with a glare, and turn to address the group: "We're LEAVING."

>>156770
...thank you. That's brilliant.

>>156770
Fucking yes.

>>156770
Brilliantly done if I do say so myself.

Wait a minute... when we first encountered the Revers we tried to take Askeladds armor using Magnetomancy. He frowned and took it off before we did anything. I wonder if this is because he felt it start to move unnaturally or does he actually have some prowess....

GOLEM QUEST Arc 2: COMPLETE Bob!t/UKid4z5s 2010/03/31(Wed)22:11 No. 156801 ID: d1210a
File 127009866911.jpg - (206.74KB , 763x1500 , The Azelhaedran State WarMage Alexander Armstrong.jpg )

>>156489
>>156573
>>156603
>>156643
>>156690
I inform Ugrokk and Oggroth both of the words Del Rogo left on the magics in their belongings, and warn them not to test them just yet, explaining that Askeladd and the Reavers are the rough equivalent of an unaligned tribe: It helped us this time, but there is no guarantee of such in the future, so knowledge is to be withheld. They nod in understanding at my reinterpretation of the actual case, that of mercenaries taking whatever contract they must. I then take a moment to look around, appraising this final campsite in Duras, before I give the order to pack camp, and begin marching, on to The Azelhaedran State..

But first, I hope to imprint the image of the mage Mordre further into Askeladd's psyche... and possibly have some entertainment at his expense in the process. As we collectively march away, bidding farewell to Ozmand's Disciples as the campsite slowly shrinks in the distance, I begin to add a new twist to my ongoing conversation with Askeladd.

"-nd so as I've demonstrated the magne- *meow* ..... The magnetic fields of iron are- *meow* AHEM iron's magnetic fields ar- *meow* NO, I AM NOT LETTING YOU IN THE ROOM! ....................................................*meow?* Fffffhe, heh, hold on one second-"

I create the sound of pacing feat and irritation directed at a pet, a simple human act to give some depth to my false character, as the 'mage Mordre' deals with an insistent cat. Finally a door is opened, and shut again with force, before I bring the footsteps closer and begin speaking once more, the whole while my body marching in a straight line, my head still turned to face Askeladd.

"...My apologies for that. ...And now I have lost my train of thought, wonderful."

I turn back to the rode and do what I can to exude the sense of an old man once more bothered by an obnoxious pet, and Askeladd seems to buy it quite easily, laughing under his breath at my simulated persona.

[+2 HAM points. Total HAM points: 009 Amount required for next reward: 010]

>>156770
>>156775
>>156778
>>156791
After we have marched some distance farther, I see the last bit of forest beside us, the final bit still connected to the dense woods that I spent most of my time in Duras in. I decide to add some more credence to my falsified forest spirits.... and use my Magnetomancy creatively, electing to not bother attempting to tell my own of my plan, as their surprise will play into it's credibility.

I pull myself off into the woods, anchoring myself on some clumps of iron I find in a deeply submerged boulder, and simply pitting our relative immobility against each-other: The rock wins. As I am pulled off into the woods, I make some sounds of confusion and surprise, but keep my body otherwise unresponsive. Once pulled out of sight, I quickly break off some branches and start arranging them about my face, creating a faux beard and brow of leaves while I once more create the sound of laughing children, the same I used for the forest spirits. I then stand atop the rock with iron woven through it, and repulse myself from the rock sharply, sending myself catapulting out and back towards the road. I guide my descent to insure I strike no one, and land in a clump, righting myself to be dirtied and still adorned with my leafy beard, the laughter having cut out before I ever left the woods mid-flight.

I get up, ignoring the few questions posed to me as I run a swift ripple through my form with Magnetomancy, shaking off the dirt and leaves as I once more buff myself to pristine cleanliness, before uttering but one more thing:

"WE'RE LEAVING"

And marching on.

And sure enough, everyone followed, and we traveled, on to the Azelhaedran State.

[+3 HAM points. Total HAM points: 012 Amount required for next reward: 025]
HAM POINT REWARD:

NEW UNIT IN THE AZELHAEDRAN STATE:
THE ARMSTRONG ARMADA,
LED BY COMMANDER ALEXANDER ARMSTRONG
WAR MAGE IN SERVICE TO AZELHAEDRAN STATE,
FROM LONG LINE OF MAGES SERVING THE STATE,
EXPERT AT MORPHIC MAGIC:
THE RESHAPING OF MATTER ON CONTACT
EXPERT AT CLOSE COMBAT
EVIDENCES ECCENTRIC BEHAVIOR


ARC 2: THE COMMAND OF METAL COMPLETE
Next thread soon.