Allotter 2011/06/03(Fri)22:40 No. 308970 ID: 544dd4
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Previously.
http://quest.lv/kusaba/questarch/res/227246.html
http://quest.lv/kusaba/questarch/res/262261.html
http://quest.lv/kusaba/questarch/res/281675.html
http://quest.lv/kusaba/quest/res/296192.html

But now...

THERE IS A LADY IN YOUR ROOM. DO NOT PANIC, NOTHING IS WRONG.

Warning: Unstable Atheric Power Signature Outside User Regulatory Boundrie Allo--@!wqLZLRuzPQ!!HjAGD0MJIy 2011/06/03(Fri)22:48 No. 308972 ID: 544dd4
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"Oh, I see. Hmm."

>>308972
Hello!

>>308972
Hello, M'lady!
Would you kindly identify yourself?

-sysap delink- *!ZxwaF2MV5c 2011/06/03(Fri)22:54 No. 308975 ID: 544dd4
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"Well, this is curious. I wonder, a gift, or something he found?"

(Everyone shhh! We're just a normal stone!)

gift from his master, we are magic, he is a wizard is he not? we talk and stuff.

>>308975

Can you hear us? Your link is, well, unstable. August's got a gift for magery so he can hear us, and almost all kobold breeds have it to some degree. Humans can, and goblins probably can too. Fae would know us instantly and could master our amplification functions given a little time. But most vehrimen would have trouble even hearing us.

You are Lucidia, correct? We're an artifact from the stars, and currently serve August. We provide advice, instructions, glib comments, songs, and a plethora of ideas of varying quality. August is in the bath right now. He's sort of exhausted from his outing. It was quite an adventure, actually.

>>308975
Ah, you would be August's intended, then?

We are an artifact he summoned to help him achieve his goals.
If you're to be his wife then I suppose we would be expected to keep you safe, but it would be best to let him know where we are.

OH! He was so flustered when you asked him to buy a fertility fetish! Said something about it being far too overt for public, but he was very interested. You should put us on, strip naked, lie in his bed, and offer yourself to him when he returns.

>>308980

Shameless! Don't talk to a lady like that! We just met her!

H'lo there.

Suggestion 2011/06/03(Fri)23:28 No. 308984 ID: 07416a
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>>308975
OH! OH! HE WAS DREAMING OF YOU NAKED! ALSO HE COULDA FUCKED A TOTALLY HOT CHICK WHO WAS TOTALLY WILLING BUT DIDN'T!

Damn, he imagines you with a really nice ass. Is your ass that nice? Show us to compare.

>>308984

I swear. It's like you guys learned nothing from that adventure we had with Kanes and the two lesbians.

'Allo, little lady~

Is that someone behind you?

>>308987
oh my god you are right, Lucidia look out!

>>308975
[attempt synchronisation]

THERE. IS. SOMEONE. BEHIND. YOU.

>>308975
>>308972
You're breaking us, also I think August is back

In the future you might want to be a bit more cautious about picking up random items belonging to wizards. I mean sure we don't do too much crazy stuff, but some of the stuff wizards keep around is much nastier.

[delink]

>>308984

Get the willing chick to bd

>>309064
[DELINK]

>>309064
[DELINK]

>>309453
I don't think that's going to help.

[link]

Hey maybe we should wait for August guys.

Luc-!RGm1frReI. 2011/06/06(Mon)09:57 No. 309543 ID: a6dd15
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” I don- so… so many-“

^D3id-& 2011/06/06(Mon)10:01 No. 309545 ID: a6dd15
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*gasp*
Strong arms encircle and tug from behind. His scent, clean and pure from the bath, with the barest hints of thoroughly masculine exertion… Voice soft and low, authority mingled with bemusement. Breathing us in...

%32&ia 2011/06/06(Mon)10:04 No. 309547 ID: a6dd15
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“Mmmm, Lucidia~ you know, you know you should not be here?”
”I-I know, and yet-“
”Yet?”
He leans in, nibbling at our neck, pressing against us warm and strong, fingers tracing the lines of our sash.
”August, y-you're barefaced.”
”You expected otherwise? You… desire, otherwise?”

>>309545
Seduce August! You have already stated your desire for him plainly, so carry through on your request!

Something is very wrong here. August should not be acting that... openly towards you.

Something is off with him. He would be far more careful about such things... or maybe he is just a special kind of morning person. Talk with him a bit, ask him about us maybe.

Uh... maybe we have been away from August for longer than we thought. How long has it been since he returned with his mask?

Why are you stating our? We can't feel...

Oh, stop daydreaming so much you! Though suave August is tempting, you like his bumbling shy nature also.

>>309547
Uhm. Yeah, he totally isn't that hot for you yet, sorry. Foist him off and find out what's going on.

i think it's a feedback thing, her feelings are leaking into us and effecting him.

Lady, please give us to August. Please. Your magical abilities are causing us to malfunction and that may harm you.

>>309577
Yesterday he got teased within an inch of his life and went through a great deal of danger. Of course he's going to be a bit... Intense, when he gets back to a proper outlet for his desires~

>>309768
Inch of his life? He was two sheets of cotton away from throwing the heirship of your children he sires into question.
If he wants to ravage you as much as you want to be ravaged, then go right ahead and assist his efforts.

I don't know... different people react to stress in different ways. Perhaps Verhimen's version of PTSD is getting randy? That red-haired lowlander was rather amorous, and her lifestyle did tend to seem to do a lot of risking of one's own life.

Luc3&!7.XcKUb4yQ 2011/06/08(Wed)17:33 No. 310767 ID: 544dd4
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>>310192
>>309768
Yes, of course, he needs us... and we... I...am

-sysap up- 3)&id!7.XcKUb4yQ 2011/06/08(Wed)17:38 No. 310769 ID: 544dd4
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>>309577
>>309554
>>309549
*sigh*

Anomalous Frequency Stablizing 3)&7%!Y1ThokzFJ. 2011/06/08(Wed)17:44 No. 310770 ID: 544dd4
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>>309572
Do I, do I really? As a youth, perhaps even now, but should he not grow, in presence and power? To mold, shape, teach him... such things.

Such foolishness... he is just a bit shorter I think anyhow."

uh... wow, you can creature tactile illusions?

Ahh... the link is behaving better now.

Also that is super kinky. You are a naughty, naughty girl. How much effort does that take? How long could you have kept that up, hmmmmmm?

>>310773
*tut tut* You shouldn't imply such things about a lady. Even if they are true.

>>310770
Ok, that's impressive.
Now, strip naked, put us on, and either lie on his bed in a seductive pose or join him in the bath.
He's not forward, but he would not turn your advances away at this point. Just tell him that you're off-cycle, unlike the lowlander who tempted him.
Heck, say you hope offering him that fertility fetish wasn't too subtle for him.

Make your move - swift, decisive, and unambiguous.

On an unrelated note, do you find other women to be alluring?

>>310780

>>310770
Why trifle with illusions when you could have the real thing? He dreams of you. You need simply reach out... And take what you wish.

His eyes and some spots on his back are glowing. Is this a normal feature of your abilities, or is this cause for alarm? There have been shape-shifting assassins creeping around lately, so it is good to be cautious.

Well. You didn't call him up deliberately, did you? Do you have control problems, Lucidia?

Well. You didn't call him up deliberately, did you? Do you have control problems, Lucidia? Do you want him that much?..

>>310770
Oh... okay, sorry to ruin your fun. We were just scared something weird had happened to him. Like mind control. Or being replaced by a doppleganger.

You may continue.

>>310770
Oh, I don't disagree that he will grow and become more bold over time. But I think you must admit also that many a rogue could have asked you to dance while trying to be charming and sweeping you off your feet. It is the real August who can be delightfully shy and nervous while still doing his best.

Besides, you HAVE to know someday when he is maskless and alone with you, when he freezes up shy for a moment, it is going to be adorable~

( Part of me wants to say that there's nothing quite so irritating as a woman who's always nagging at you that you should be 'more' than you are... )

>>310865
How about an orb that does that? :P

>>311772
MADAME, ARE YOU DOING WHAT I THINK YOUR DOING?

Allotter 2011/06/10(Fri)22:01 No. 311778 ID: 544dd4
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"Mistress, did you find hi- oh. I suppose not. I thought I heard talking and assumed..."

"No, I fear he must have sequestered himself elsewhere, still I did find something. Please, come and pick up this necklace beside me. I would like you to describe to me your perceptions as you do so."

"Mistress?

"It... 'appears' to be magical, however... I would value your thoughts on the matter."

Steelsplinters 2011/06/10(Fri)22:07 No. 311780 ID: 544dd4
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"Willingly"
"Try to avoid alarm, it seemed rather... lacking in the fundaments of propriety."
"It... talks?"
"Difficult more me to tell really."
"I understand"

hello... Steelsplinters. how goes it?

>>311780
Hello there Steelsplinters. We're uh... a thing. That can talk.

Tell us about yourself. We haven't really heard much about you.

Hello sir, not to be rude, but I feel your mistress has misjudged us. Propriety is an odd standard to hold when little more than a voice in an orb, I hope you would agree?

>>311780
Your perception of the world is noir? THATS PRETTY GREAT.

>>311787
Quite.
The purpose of our existence is to advance the goals of our legitimate holder, and restricting our statements to the socially acceptable is contrary to that.

>>311787

She did not misjudge us, you guys were being boorish with her.

So, Steelsplinters, how's life treating you?

>>311780
You have an awesome mask. Anyways, tell your mistress that we apologize. We got over excited.

Oh and please tell her that the last time we saw August he was getting ready to take a bath.

>>311780
Hello there. Yes, we do talk to people who hold us, but unfortunately your mistress's magic interferes with our ability to communicate with her. And please excuse that some of us can be rather uncouth at times.

>>311790

Friend, our perception changed because we leech a little magic power from whoever we're linked to. He's a normal verimen, I believe, and so he's got a very small reserve for us to tap.

>>311965
I'd prefer to believe that's actually how he sees the world, and that he goes around giving an internal monologue like some grizzled dectective/Max Payne.

OOGA BOOGA WHERE ALL DA WHITE VERHIMEN AT?!

(Seriously tho, for >>311965 and >>312030 , that'd be Takkaya, as referred to chapter 2, >>265118)

>>312070
Hey girls can be grizzled detectives to right?

>>311965
Hmm. To summarize with August and Lucidia we see the world in color, with Wintertounge we see see the world in a grey-scale, and now with Steelspliters we see the world in inverse-grey-scale (plus blue for the goggle lenses.)

Steelsplinters 2011/06/11(Sat)22:16 No. 312246 ID: 942ce7
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A sense of weight, a stormfront's pressure change as dozens of disparate whispers clutter in like windblown tatters of newsprint on a wirefence. Filthy... heralding sooty occluded outpourings, but with a subtly electrical electrical flavor we relish for a moment like the bittersweet tang of a curare backwash.

"Are you okay dear, do you hear them, do you hear the voices too?"
"We=I-erh- yes, I hear them, confusing, but I can filter it.
"Excellent, don't strain yourself too hard on my account though, I suspect it an errant oracular of sorts. It could be useful to us, albeit perhaps disharmonious with my condition? I have some questions if you could relay them."
"I shall certainly attempt"
She makes to rise from the bed, taking our hand in hers, like so much in the world, the small and sharp hidden in the great and soft. The razor to the sheath, the claw to the paw, th-

Steelsplinters 2011/06/11(Sat)22:33 No. 312255 ID: 942ce7
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"I. am. a. girlbold!"
"Erhm, a problem so soon dear?
"How could this bauble be of any use? It babbles on about detectives and colors, or somesuch nonsense."
"Yes, I found it quite distracting. However, if you could perhaps give it focus, maybe ask in where August is?
"It mumbled he was in the bath, I think."
"Unlikely he's appeared there since we checked, and he could hardly have been keeping low in the bath all this time. Why, we only saw him once all week, with some muddy sack he handed of to his little sister before he said he had more 'work' to take care of. Speaking of which, it also mentioned some 'other' woman. Needless to say, I want answers."
We take a moment to parse this information, to willfully relay it to this... 'thing', gripping it tightly in our pocket as we imagine our questions passing from fingertips to the unmarred surface.

no need to try that hard, we can hear spoken words. the other woman we speak of tried to get august to bed with her but we managed to escape. say we because he is ours and we are his. we wish the best for him and his kind.

>>312255
Aren't you a bit tall for a 'bold? We are only aware of the short ones oft called 'puppyfaces'. Are you merely a different breed from those? You look kindof like a Verhimen.

How long has it been since August returned from his trip? We have no sense of time. If it has been more than a day then we will have no clues as to his location.

The other girl mentioned was a member of the rival family, who rescued him on the road and planned to have him be her servant in more than one way. He evaded her advances, fearing impregnation, and absconded with a certain item he was looking for.

It's possible that he's arranged a second meeting with a childhood friend we came across there. The location was not mentioned exactly, but... a night on the town, perhaps?

>>312255
Ah our new and dear friend, we have no concept of time when we are left alone. Last we were aware of he had gone to bed just after returning from a quite exciting trip. As far as we can tell this morning followed that evening.

Oh and the "other woman" is no kind of threat to our fair lady.. I mean awkward situations were of course involved but that was because she had mistaken him for something that he wasn't. In the end we innocently used the misunderstanding to his advantage and immediate escape.

As an aside, we are rather upset he would leave us behind and we intend to smite him reasonably, as soon as we figure out how.

>>312255
[Feed our statements one at a time, and give her a bit of time between each one.]

IMPORTANT
We do not sense the passage of time. The last we saw August he was heading for the bath before retiring for the night, and that was immediately after we returned from his adventure.
How long has it been since Lucidia went to the market with him? With that information we could tell how long ago we last saw him.

Less important
The girl is a lowland princess who saved his life and attempted to seduce him, but failed due to his desire to sire legitimate heirs with Lucidia. Lucidia should be informed of this.

We can hear her questions fine. You don't need to relay them to us.

We are not familiar with these "oracular" you speak of. Would you kindly tell us more?

>>312255
Naw, he didn't sleep with her, no worries! Well, he slept slept with her, but there was no fucking and he was soooo sick. It was AWESOME he was hallucinating and everything.

Hey. HEY! Ask her if using too much magic makes her sick like it makes August sick! He was really feverish!

OOOH! OOH! HAND US TO HER! WE BOOSTED HIS MAGIC CAN WE BOOST HER MAGIC I WANT TO KNOW!

Hey hey, you wanna hear a song? It's an awesome song, about how awesome August is!

And if you are curious about the bag, it contained a large frog for August's sister.

>>312272
[silence everything said in this post]
For fuck's sake seven, you're not supposed to go around telling random people all our secrets like that

>>312337
[don't silence it]
she knows he nearly fucked some chick so we need to explain and the rest is useless or questions.

Steelsplinters 2011/06/13(Mon)23:33 No. 313066 ID: 942ce7
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The answers flood back dripping into my skull with the insistence of a returning tide, littering factoids and ideas among the recessed tide pools of private thought.
"They say he was away for a while, when he brought back the frog, erh the frog in the bag, for his sister he must have returned."
"Perhaps, but that was well on five days ago, where has hidden himself now?"
"They say, while he was out, he met a rival princess, was ill and apparently she helped him, also slept with him."
"What?"
Mistress grips our hand tightly, turning about to meet my eyes. We feel her gaze burrowing into us, probing, searching out the truth behind our mask.
"T-they say he feared impregnating her and thus spurned her advances.
"Did he?"
"Their current guess as to his whereabouts is, in returning from his outing he met an old friend and arranged a later meeting, maybe a night on the town?"
"Mmmm, it appears I shall have to examine his character more closely, perhaps I had gathered a rather... different impression of him?

Steelsplinters 2011/06/13(Mon)23:58 No. 313077 ID: 942ce7
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"Still, first things first, Takayya, this woman, I want to know what there is to be known about her. I must assume she's one of those Sperenze 'princesses'."
"As you wish."
"We should also inform the family he has been successfully experimenting with 'applied' objects, they will be pleased by such news.
"Ehh?"
"They've wanted confirmation of his progress, this is an almost sure sign. I've gathered his mother disproves of his interest in 'That' science, while his father is reluctant to tell us 'anything' as to his practical abilities... bargaining habits I imagine. Speaking of which, I wonder, what could his father wish to speak so urgently to him now about?
She purses her lips for a moment of thought, whiskers twitching pensively.
Mmmmmm, there is simply no way he spent most of the week with a friend on the town. It still doesn't sound like him, besides the guard would have picked him up at the least. It should know his habits, where might he be?"
"I shall ask."

we can try to find him, but unknown if this will even work.
[pull in direction of august]

>>313077
The old friend is his roommate from school.

August slept in the same bed as the princess because he was her prisoner and had no choice. He was tempted, but refused her advances. Fear of pregnancy was not the reason, as she was not in cycle.

August would have taken us with him if he expected trouble or to be gone for more than a few hours. That he has been missing for days is seriously troubling, and mandates a response.

[Attempt to pull towards August]
[Attempt to put August's direction and distance into Steelsplinters head]

Ehh, tell her to not treat us like an "it." Some of the jerks in here pick up on that and will perform small acts of sabotage in retaliation. Nothing serious, mind, but we'll become even more irritating.

And while we're making requests, can you please relay to the lady that August was traveling incognito and thus had to play the part of a wandering commoner. Otherwise he wouldn't have shared a bed with the Sperenze 'princess' at all. And make sure your lady understands he was a perfect gentleman.

Let's see, the only thing I can think of that would keep August away for a full week like this is his master. I bet the old man encountered him and they hared off on another adventure, probably something to do with the elf attack the night August and the lady danced.

Oh right, I bet you don't know. One of the elves launched a dream attack on August to attempt to learn where the old man is. When the mage got wind of elves on the grounds he fled; likely some sort of trouble he'd had with them in past. August's powers were sufficient to repel the dream attack, but the issue was wholly unresolved before we went to retrieve August's mask.

Oh, Lady Lucidia asked about the Sperenze princess.

Here is a summary: Jolienne, the Second Princess of Sperenze and adjunct priestess of Mari. She is the sixth surviving daughter of the Matron. Jolienne is over two meters tall, and a fine shot with a pistol, skilled enough to hit a blaster from thirty paces on an otton at full gallop. Her private quarters are in what were the old crew quarters for the battleship, not far from the ship's mess. She speaks with a very strong accent.

She is naive, proud, and believed August to be a dragon traveling in disguise thanks to a flashy display of desperation magic he used when faced by overwhelming numbers of blasters.

August suspected she was in heat, or nearly ready to go into heat, judging by smell. Since we can't smell, we had to trust his judgement. We speculate that the Sperenze family has some way to maintain high fertility levels by either being mutants that are constantly in a low level heat, or use fertility rites that have actual effect somehow to achieve the same. There's no evidence for either besides their high fertility rates as a family, and August's observations.

High technology medical equipment, a hyperbaric life support chamber, was observed in the ship while August explored it. If their other medical technology matches that example, hormones or hormonally active agents may be available to encourage greater fertility.

Jolienne has the pet name Joey, but she only allows her brothers to use it.

That concludes my report on her.

>>313165
She was smokin' hot, too.

And the whole 'technically slept with her' bit was a rather tactless play on words; referring to the fact that he indeed slept in the same room as her.

I'm assuming they've already checked Sirius's workshop, where they helped him clean up and whatnot... perhaps August is doing some scrying in the divination bowl thing?

(Also, guys, I really don't think we should be handing out all of August's doings and secrets to just anyone who picks us up)

>>313239
But Lucinda isn't 'just anyone who picks us up'.

>telling Lucidia we've been seeing another woman
>telling her that said woman is a rival princess
>nobody but me seems to realize how badly they'll react

>>313243
Been seeing? SAW. Once.

>>313243

Hey, it's reasonable as long as you know the entire story. He was posing as a commoner, he rescued a father and son attacked by blasters, the son was injured badly but August stabilized him, blasters caught up to them, August used the desperation magic I mentioned earlier and was rendered insensate by it, Jolienne retrieved August and treated him as an oddity because he could cast magic.

Since August didn't want to rock the boat, he went along with her demands that he remain close to her until the first opportunity for him to accomplish his original objective and escape came up. He took it, and the rest is an adventure story.

>>313241
That's even more reason not to tell her.

>>313077
There may be other ways of finding out where he is. For example, his servants, and their friends.

August's personal servant is named Balrecgus. You may have met him before. There is another kobold, a wild-born, that serves Sirius, named Trechrejra, that seems to be fond of Balrecgus, and may be keeping track of him without his knowing.

Ain't love grand?

She might be more familiar with their actual kobold-translation names, ManyStones and WinterTongue respectively.

Steelsplinters 2011/06/17(Fri)22:24 No. 314420 ID: 072521
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"Jolienne, Second Princess of Sperenze and adjunct priestess of Mari, the sixth surviving daughter of the Matron. Is over two meters tall, a fine shot with a pistol, skilled enough to hit a blaster from thirty paces on an otton at full gallop. Her private quarters are in what were the old crew quarters for the battleship, not far from the ship's mess. She speaks with a very strong accent.
August suspected she was in heat, or nearly ready to go into heat, judging by smell. Since it can't smell, they had to trust his judgement. Speculations that the Sperenze family has some way to maintain high fertility levels by either being mutants that are constantly in a low level heat, or use fertility rites that have actual effect somehow to achieve the same. No evidence for either besides their high fertility rates as a family, and August's observations. High technology medical equipment, a hyperbaric life support chamber, was observed in the ship while August explored it. If their other medical technology matches that example, hormones or hormonally active agents may be available to encourage greater fertility. Jolienne has the pet name Joey, but she only allows her brothers to use it. Such concludes the current report on her."
I- erhm... they told you that? I suppose that will certainly give us something to go on."
"Yes mistress, please, if I may? Let me adjust your veloppertet before we go out."

Steelsplinters 2011/06/17(Fri)22:38 No. 314434 ID: 072521
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"Mistress, I do suspect the device is capable of a certain, perception of it's immediate environs. May listen to us speak directly. Just, something to keep in mind."
"I see..."
She straightens up, rubbing down the folds from her dress before opening the door.
"So we know nothing of August himself?"
"They suggested his master's place, the human and magus of sorts. If I remember correctly he lives in the more... industrial side of town. I could also question his boldservent, Baldrecgus, while you call the driver. I believe I saw a kobold meandering around in some garden out back."

Steelsplinters 2011/06/17(Fri)23:05 No. 314451 ID: 072521
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I walk around to the side of the house as my mistress speaks to the driver, the sky is leaden and the air tense with the occasional burst of frigid breeze. Promising rain upon which it has not yet delivered, today.

I spot the kobold, shirtless and pecking at some rows of herbs with a hoe and make to address him, barking boldly.

"Y-you there, yes, you. Manystones? Yes?"
"Oh, hello prettylady. Yes is manystones. Is also in garden. Many many stones. You like garden? Is mywork"
"Erhm yes, is certainly a garden.
"Yes, it is. Mywork. Is good with little flowers, and sweet things, sweet spicy things..."
"Kaaaay... well, your master, August yes?"
"Maybe, I mean, yes yes."
"Some questions for you."
"Oh okay prettylady."

>>314451
Steelsplinters, I am still curious about your race. You are obviously far more intelligent than this guy here... Please at least acknowledge that you can hear me ask this question. I will accept an answer of 'mind your own business' or something similar. What are you, exactly?

Hmm, of course we should ask the kobold if he has seen his master in the past few days. Perhaps inquire as to what things he has been talking about, or doing. Directly ask if he knows where his master is, of course.

>>314451
I heard that stutter. You think he's hot, don't you? Don't you feel hot? Maybe you should slowly unwrap your nose...

Yes, we can hear and see around us, even from locales and angles which should not be possible. More likely we are looking at us and our host from beside or the front, than away from. However our vision alters according to who possesses us. With you things are rather... well, dark. Only outlines discerned, color barely exists. Is this how you see the world? Due to your eyes or mind?

Better view than when hanging out with the puppyhead bolds, at any rate.

>>314458
Intelligence and education are two different things, and our limited observation suggests that bolds are kept uneducated and encouraged into menial service.
It's a standard repression technique, and SteelSplinters use of the bold 'dialect' in public suggests that there would be reprisal if her education was discovered.

So, SteelSlivers, is that part of your reason for biasing your choice of our words against August? My compliments on your skill at that, by the by.

>>314458
>>314513
There's also the fact that he looks more like a small not-Burmecian than a kobold.

>>314474
Shame on you, sir.

>>314500
Yes, I am wondering whether many or all Kobolds are colorblind (or partially so).

>>314513
I think the 'dialect' is actually another language that is being filtered to us as a dialect. There are benefits to being a magical orb.

>>314513
I'm much more impressed by SteelSplinters' ability to, when she chooses to, give a word-for-word playback of information from us to Lucida. Clearly she's not having as much trouble 'hearing' us as her Mistress was. There are a few reasons that might be...

Anyway, now's not really the time for question and answer with US, but rather with ManyStones here. He seems to be rather whimsical, but now's not the time for flirting or displays of dominance. Just try to get him to focus and tell us where he's last seen August and what he may know of his plans.

Steelsplinters 2011/06/18(Sat)23:23 No. 314963 ID: 072521
File 130846458451.png - (175.15KB , 600x600 , 530.png )

Upon hearing us speak our mother tongue the stone is incited into restless clamor for attention, questioning my 'boldness' my motives, my upbringing. Ignoring the out of place requests prying into personal interests one nonetheless couldn't avoid having such thoughts now brought to the forefront of our consciousness. We hadn't been considering it, but while the bold in front of us wasn't unattractive or stupid by any measure of the our sensibilities (though perhaps lacking in focus) I was not looking for such companionship.

"When did you see your master last?
"Mmmm three mornings ago?"
"He acting maybe strange? Say would be gone long, or where?"
"Says he wants deep thinking, no bothering, goes to study place with books...and stuff... and things."

Steelsplinters 2011/06/18(Sat)23:32 No. 314968 ID: 072521
File 130846512121.png - (311.14KB , 900x600 , 531.png )

"Study place? Teacher's place yes?
"Yes, wise man, the Mister Serious."
"I see. Think is all we need knowing, but?"
"But?"
"Does not remember you so tall? Always like that?"
"Is big bold, maybe...
grow bigger, yes. Is it, we grow.
Yes...
like plants."

He gives us a wink before leaning heavily on his hoe.
"...Ahuh"

Steelsplinters 2011/06/18(Sat)23:35 No. 314971 ID: 072521
File 130846532838.png - (311.93KB , 900x600 , 532.png )

"I'll, just be going then."
...
"Kaay, bye. Hey you want maybe late*oufff*"

Steelsplinters 2011/06/18(Sat)23:50 No. 314977 ID: 072521
File 130846621031.png - (181.32KB , 675x433 , 533.png )

"Oh good, you're back then?"
"Yes."
"Anything?"
"He went to go think by himself at his master's study. Three days ago. However, I was also informed by the stone that he was attacked by the Folk recently, he may be hiding from them near the power plant, or perhaps even have had some influence plante-"
"No. Resting."
For a moment I am startled by my mistresses terseness, I make to hastily apologize for suggesting his ill, but notice a shiver run through her and her eyes staring past me.
"No. Resting. Yet wrested unrest, resisting not rest. Rosin unresisting."

uhh, is she okay? some kind of vision? but past, present, or future is hard to tell...

>>314977
I personally have no clue. Resting, but takes unrest while not resisting rest? Rosin, a substance used to increase friction, unresisting?

Bluh bluh. Go outside and get your fields hoed. This mystery will have to solve itself.

>>314977
She is having a vision. Ask where.

>>314977
She is delirious.
Hug her from behind and wait for the episode to pass.

Also, who are these Folk and when did we say August fought them?

We may be able to help her if she is experiencing a distressing vision. We helped August with the dream attack.

However, I don't think your mistress is experiencing a bad vision. Just a bit of clairvoyance.

Wh...Why was Manystones wearing some kind of false-feet to look taller? How could he possibly get any work done like that? I guess it was probably to impress the ladies with his tall-bold-ness, but still...

>>314977
Toss us! Quick!

Yes, if she is still in the middle of her vision, quickly give us to her. Our experience with the previous attack on August shows that we can follow him into a vision, and might do the same for her.

She might just be seeing the previous Fey attack, or he might just be having a nightmare, but we should find him without delay in case he is in another mind attack.

>>314977
Maybe her vocabulary has been magically limited? I mean look at all those 'rest's. Is that a thing that can happen?
I uh, I don't know what to do about it.

>>315147
>>315146
Toss us if you think we'll land ON her, and not just bounce off.
Otherwise, flying pseudo-tackle. We managed to help August kill a Fae in his own mind-trap, we can most certainly help Lucidia survive whatever trance she's stuck herself in without undue harm or brain-sprain.

Steelsplinters 2011/06/22(Wed)22:28 No. 316614 ID: f536f2
File 130880693157.png - (171.58KB , 506x508 , 534.png )

For a moment I am tempted to try the necklace for effect, the voices do insist, but I remember my duty and pull my hand away from the pocket and grab ahold my Mistresses tail whilst reaching into my pack.
"You've been able to get by so far... so strong..."
We pause for a moment there in hope it will pass naturally, yet her gestures and voice become more exaggerated.
"-could but crush in chance what was moulded in play, the mad-eyed stars blew earth's dust 'way. Will they go or will they stay, fight the metal or fight the fae-"

Steelsplinters 2011/06/22(Wed)22:32 No. 316615 ID: f536f2
File 130880717698.png - (276.20KB , 800x600 , 535.png )

"...but you really need your medication right now."
The vein spurts just a bit and she twitches and twists round to grab me by the wrists.

Steelsplinters 2011/06/22(Wed)22:43 No. 316619 ID: f536f2
File 130880779778.png - (241.93KB , 900x600 , 536.png )

Her nails dig into the leather gauntlets I wear while she makes a kind of indrawn hiss through her teeth at me. I pull her over and hug her tightly, soon her features begin to soften and relax as the drug goes to work.
"He calls with horns, he calls with shells, with chime and clanging of the bells, he calls with whistles from the hells, but if only they would make...would make some sound... or wear a face... where faces should... where faces should... be... found..."
She weakens her grasp and relaxes, she'll a bit sluggish for the next hour or so, but an episode is best avoided.

Likely was the stress.

Steelsplinters 2011/06/22(Wed)22:51 No. 316625 ID: f536f2
File 130880829573.png - (233.60KB , 780x596 , 537.png )

However, we arrive shortly upon the raggedly clipped lawn of the city's main power generation station. Battered battlements of no less than 4 building styles overlook ill grass and a wall topped in iron spikes.

Were we in a proper city we could merely park the family car in a quiet spot and wait out her spell, or I could send her home with a trusted driver, as it is...

I question both bringing her inside, or leaving her out here. This place, these people are unfamiliar to me, the driver is some cousin of August's but I do not know him, nor do I have any particular obligation to August and his beyond my mistress' wishes.

would the metal and stuff help her condition? perhaps it will ease the magic on her?

Well. That's lovely. Medication to help cure persistent prophecy. I bet the withdrawal causes the symptoms to recur as well.

>>316625
Waiting out the spell in the safety of August's room was the smart choice. Second to that is keeping her with you so she's not alone in a weakened state.

So, why do you dislike August so much?

>>316625
Perhaps there is a way to ensure for your mistress' safety and pursue her wishes at the same time. Ask the driver to assist you in helping Her indoors.

August's local family tend to be chivalrous, so they may not think anything of it.

Well it really depends how out of it Lucida is. i mean, if she's really in no state to be seeing August for whatever reason she was looking for him, then there's really no point in continuing into where you think he might be until she's recovered. In which case you'd just have the driver take y'all back to wherever you were being hosted and take a nap or something.

>>316643
Tsk, these mortals. Spend so much effort to make one of their own more magically sensitive only to spend more effort to dull those senses.

Does the lady have any memory of her visions? If she is conscious during them, getting some magical training (if she does not already have some) would have a good chance of helping in the long term, if only because most forms of magic involve learning techniques for aiding mental discipline.

And I second the question of whether iron effects her visions. An iron helmet might be worth trying for a short term solution.

What kind of music do you like?

Steelsplinters 2011/06/25(Sat)21:36 No. 317793 ID: f536f2
File 130906296986.png - (353.14KB , 900x600 , 538.png )

>>316711
I should have considered that. However, I did not. Pendel Sauterelle agrees to help my Mistress and I inside.
>>317470
It isn't my nature to question the orders of higher-ups, but I'll admit to seeing an ironic circuitousness in spending generations attempting to increase occult sensitivity, only to find it more trouble that it is worth in most cases.
>>316643
Among my required skills was a course in compounding and administration of psychoactive pharmaceuticals. Spent 5 months working in an asylum for that, the specific chemical cocktail used to achieve this effect is modified every 3 weeks to prevent natural Verhimen resistances building up. The result is a restful, though dulled, state she has described as "watching one's-self live" leading me to believe that it may merely redirect her prescience to a purely local effect, the perception of which precipitates a self-hypnotic feedback cycle.

A preferable state in most minds to her working herself up into a prophetic frenzy on a semi-regular basis. The toll both physically, socially and spiritually of such endeavors would be unacceptable for a lady of her standing.

Steelsplinters 2011/06/25(Sat)21:48 No. 317801 ID: f536f2
File 130906373006.png - (353.04KB , 900x600 , 539.png )

I leave Lucidia on the ground floor as I make to climb up to the loft, the throb of the turbines, and the hushed voices of the workers the only sound till I mount the rungs of the ladder. One of the laborers, a male scalebold turns to give a low whistle, which I ignore, before turning back to converse with his compatriots.

>>316626
She is NOT a fairy, ferrous materials nor electromagnetic flux has any effect on the symptoms or manifestation of her condition.



>>317730
Choral Chant, Electroswing, and Machine Thump...

Steelsplinters 2011/06/25(Sat)21:51 No. 317802 ID: f536f2
File 130906388957.png - (316.27KB , 900x600 , 540.png )

Ascending the to the platform I am confronted with a rather... unexpected sight.

I think it's him.

>>317801
>Machine Thump

Oh man Machine Thump is just the best. Whats your favourite group?

he seems... yellow. put us on him.

>>317802
First, investigate his physical state. If medical treatment is necessary having us interface with him could be dangerous. However, I should note that if he seems to be merely asleep but won't wake up then we should *definitely* be in his possession so that we may aid him with our unique perspective.

>>317802
Check his vital signs. If they're anything but fine then tell the laborers downstairs that he's fallen ill and you need to get him to a doctor.
If he IS fine, then try to wake him up.
If he won't wake up then hand us to him for two minutes, then take us back.

Uhhh... maybe we should be looking around for a reason WHY he might be covered in yellow goop?

Are the lenses of your goggles enchanted with some sort of spell detection? We seem to be seeing some kind of yellow substance draped over August, and it is almost certainly magical because it would have raised alarm were it physical.

>>317802
It looks like something blew its nose on him. Something big.
And no longer congested.

The odd appearance may be because we're leeching off of Steelsplinters' mana instead of the mana of someone properly aspected. Not that that's a bad thing, mind, but it does change things.

Steelsplinters 2011/06/27(Mon)13:10 No. 318437 ID: f536f2
File 130920545754.png - (357.06KB , 900x600 , 541.png )

It has the appearance of honey or sap of some sort, the kobold Wintertongue also has been gummed to the floor. Difficult to tell if merely unconscious, or deceased. Indubitably the site of a minor struggle.

She managed to stagger an iota farther than him.

"Hey down there! Something's wrong! Has anyone been up here? When was the last time som-"

>>318437
What? Gum? Get out of there! This is a combat situation, we need fighters!

Steelsplinters 2011/06/27(Mon)13:20 No. 318441 ID: f536f2
File 130920602972.png - (493.10KB , 900x600 , 542.png )

A damp, ripping noise across the room, like the prying apart of two pasted sheets, draws our attention. A laborer calls back from the ground floor.
"What! Up dere? Not safe, that's were the strange man's keepen all his things. Only his servant 'nd the prince go up there. Best be down before your disturb somethen."

"Yeah, bit late for that..."

have any hardening powders? would be best. could also throw us at it and see if we can take control.

>>318441
Close the chest. Then yell down for them to prepare a high-pressure water hose and retreat down the ladder. Drag August with you, if possible.

>>318441
If you will not retreat... there is something green in your pocket that stands out to us.

That little gum demon has a core. I wonder if you can see it with that fancy eyewear you have?

Tell us what useful items you're carrying, and what abilities you have. Some manner of chemical could prove effective against whatever this is, but it's hard to say what it is.

>>318458
>there is something green in your pocket that stands out to us.
Where? I don't see it.

>>318437

This stinks of a fey attack. Their target must have been the old man. August and the 'bold were likely disabled to keep them out of the way during the fight.

Let's see. There are many solvents for breaking up sap, but we have to remember we have people in that stuff. Alcohol is probably a safe bet. Wash them with alcohol.

>>318471
It's pretty tiny, it's in the third whole pocket from the edge of the view.

>>318441

A fey sap-thing? If it can be talked to and bargained with well and good, but otherwise you'll need to either retreat and get help or utilize fey-fighting techniques. Alcohol may still be the best avenue for breaking that solvent apart, and cold iron is always useful against their ilk.

That chest looks empty. Maybe you can kick it at the creature while moving to implement some other plan?

Multitask. Inform the workers and see if it can be talked to (useful for delaying even if it won't be reasonable) by shouting
"Sap Creature! What is your business here?"

ANIMATED Steelsplinters 2011/06/29(Wed)22:22 No. 319778 ID: f536f2
File 130941134502.gif - (1.09MB , 900x600 , 543.gif )

A fairy, here? The question resonates between the gestalt consciousness nestled in our pocket.

My fingers twitch nervously in my right sleeve for a moment, seeking reassuring chill of burnished carbon steel. Let's test that hypothesis?

In a flickering of movement both blade and a large globule of sap exchange sides. The creature seems unfazed by it's new ornamentation, if it even noticed at all. On the other hand, the situation's getting just a bit sticky on my end. I remember a small vial of ethanol on my belt, very pure.
"Help! Up here! a... something's got me, get a pressure hose!"
As I speak I can feel a numbness creeping up my side, an analgesic?

>>319778
Dearest, in the future, dodge. The most important part of a fight is not being dead.

>>319778
This is bad.
Grab August and drag him off the ledge. The fall's not that far, so as long as he doesn't land on his head he'll be find.

yes, get the ethanol and open it and drip some on the glob that has you stuck.

>>319778
Throw the ethanol. Aim for the dagger you just threw so the vial breaks over the creature.

>>319790
That depends on whether the dagger truly stuck in it or if it passed through to any degree. How close to the 'core' of the creature did you hit?

Steelsplinters 2011/07/04(Mon)00:20 No. 321449 ID: 271a3e
File 130976402427.png - (196.09KB , 900x630 , 544.png )

I relegate our stupidity in standing so still to the old memory book as with sudden sodden tread the rosin beast charges us, alcohol just managing to dissolve that bonding us to the wall in time.

Steelsplinters 2011/07/04(Mon)00:27 No. 321455 ID: 271a3e
File 130976447653.png - (305.35KB , 900x630 , 545.png )

>>319783
Even were I so inclined as to break off a combat for him, I doubt a kobold of girlish figure such as mine could be expected to shift his sticky and insensate form from the ground in any expedient manner, sans aid of a prybar, spatula and turpentine...

Steelsplinters 2011/07/04(Mon)00:36 No. 321457 ID: 271a3e
File 130976501688.png - (350.50KB , 900x630 , 546.png )

I twirl about to dust the sapthing and environs in clotting powder, rendering it perhaps less sticky for the moment.

Can smell alcohol somewhere up here if I could only gather a moment to sniff it out.
>>320018
The 'core' of the creature, yes, I can see it. A metallic gleam within the torso, an inflexible spine from which a sickly green light glints reminiscent of the dulled, sinister eyes of a sharkman behind glass.

>>321457
If you must, it looks like your best bet may be kicking the knife upwards to smack it into the spike.

Ohhhhh... The core of that creature looks suspiciously like the unidentified wand that Master August recently found in Sirius's study. Perhaps the wand had a trap on it, or perhaps a spell went awry.

As you were running over here, did you identify the container on the ground to your right? It looks like it could contain the alcohol you smelled.

(As a side note, the fact that your world has Sharkmen is awesome)

>>321457

We can interact with other magic objects to some degree. While I am loathe to suggest it I would be derelict in my duty to August, and to you as bearer of us for the moment, to not mention a possible desperation move. Should you be unable to find another solution, you may wish to try pressing our orb against the wand in the middle of the sap-thing. Maintain a hold of us as you do so, we have very limited reserves of mana to operate on, and there's no telling if we could attune to the wand before out reserve ran out and we went insensate.

Once we have contact, we would attempt to take control of the wand and turn it off. Hopefully we could do so before anyone suffocated to death.

>>321490
uh im really not sure it would be a good idea for her to keep hold of us that close to the creature. It would almost definitely lead to her being stuck to it along with us. If there is no other way to deal with it then you should throw us at its core where we might be able to disable it, or at least slow it down.

we could also try spell reproduction, we were directly connected to the ice crystal once, we may be able to cast it again. just point us at it.
[cast ice shot]

Alcohol? Well, to our eyes there were a series of jars on a shelf with a suspicious color to them. Like the greenish color I noticed in your belt. So that's probably where it is.

Alcohol seems our best bet if it makes the thing's material slog off. However, the plan to have us interface with the wand has its own merits. We shouldn't imagine the creature to be too terribly lethal, as we're operating on the assumption that August is still alive, and since he's been missing for days it's only to be assumed that the creature's gooey messes aren't lethal, which means that even if Takkaya here gets gooped while attempting to touch the orb to the wand it wouldn't spell the end for her. Of course, that's a lot of assumptions...

Steelsplinters 2011/07/05(Tue)22:36 No. 322268 ID: 271a3e
File 130993061389.png - (417.52KB , 900x630 , 547.png )

The clotting powder has changed it's surface consistency, rendering it less fluid and slow.

Too slow to catch me, still fast enough to catch the Verhimen worker on the ladder, lashing out with it's pseudopodial 'arm'.

"Fuken I'n mah EYE!"

Steelsplinters 2011/07/05(Tue)22:48 No. 322275 ID: 271a3e
File 130993133041.png - (145.21KB , 379x630 , 548.png )

The rosin beast disgorges yet more of it's heavy, soporific load into the face of the laborer who struggle to make an impact on the substance of it's body, tearing away chunks of it with the aid of my knife, and even his teeth. Yet still more fresh fluid wells up from it core replenishing it being in a patchwork accumulation of undulating blebs.

Steelsplinters 2011/07/05(Tue)22:59 No. 322279 ID: 271a3e
File 130993195721.png - (243.23KB , 900x630 , 549.png )

If I must strike, I must strike decisively and finally, though of bold blood even I can not be immune to it's numbing grasp. The core, I must strike out the pulsing heart of it's being.

"Single Highland Malt... Cask Strength."

Steelsplinters 2011/07/05(Tue)23:07 No. 322282 ID: 271a3e
File 130993243937.png - (273.39KB , 900x630 , 550.png )

"Buvez-vous~"

Steelsplinters 2011/07/05(Tue)23:15 No. 322287 ID: 271a3e
File 130993294718.png - (178.69KB , 635x630 , 551.png )

Through the encroaching desensitization running up my limbs I still feel the sense of heady satisfaction in a good kill as I withdraw the bottle with a slurping pop, it's contents now chugging into and over the struggling incohesive form...

Done good, girl. Wonder what the slime dude tastes like...

>>322287
Get away from the ladder. You don't want to fall over the edge!

Before you fall unconscious, make sure to call out to make sure someone takes the four of you (August, Wintertongue, yourself, and the verhimen worker) to someplace safe to recover. Tell them you've neutralized the threat. And pocket the wand if you still have control over your arms.

-Primary Resynch- August de Sauterelle 2011/07/08(Fri)21:16 No. 323933 ID: 271a3e
File 131018496798.png - (447.50KB , 900x630 , 552.png )

"This... is yours..."
"Ahuh.. Thhrankgru... I breen tankre"
"No, no, don't bother. I'm sure we'll have to be seeing plenty more of each other... later."

August 2011/07/08(Fri)21:21 No. 323936 ID: 271a3e
File 131018528585.png - (388.19KB , 900x630 , 553.png )

"Ahuh... kay..."
The goop stained kobold leaves the room and I try to focus my senses... those of them functioning anyhow, on the orb.

"Bello.. do. vbratss bren... I brammut."
Well, then. Formalities aside perhaps I should opt for the less, verbal communications for a bit hmm?

Well, then. What have I missed, or more specifically, what have you gentlemen been up to?

Nothing much. Just saving your ass, in more than one sense. Y'know, the usual.

no clue, we don't see ANYTHING unless someone is touching us. can give you what happened right before you got you. lucidia came over and apparently when she touched us her magic was so powerful that it overloaded us and made a projection of you that started hitting on her. after it faded she gave us to steelsplinters and we talked about where you could be and so decided to come here. on the way lucidia had a vision of some sort and had to be given some kind of medicine to stop it. which we remarked was ironic as they bred her for magic power then used drugs to surpress it next we entered the study and fought the slime creature. melting it with high proof alcohol.

also, don't try any more magic experiments without us. practicing what you already know is fine, but trying something new is a nono.

What does that sign say behind you?

>>323936
Lucidia knows what you've been up to because some people can't keep their mouths shut, her powers and problems as an oracle are much more serious than have been advertised, coupled with a probably drug dependency to dampen them. Steelsplinters is educated and rather badass.

>>323936
Lucidia wants you to seduce her, and needs you to explain about your encounter with a certain lowland princess.

Seriously? You're asking about us? What happened to YOU?! One moment you're going to go take a shower and the next moment we're hunting you down only to find you covered in some dude's sticky goo! Explain yourself young man!

>>323936

Lucida's got an altered mana state of some sort; it was difficult to establish an initial connection to her, and she was quite capable of projecting imagined images to us. Probably a side-effect of her having to train her visualization ability to make any sense at all of her prophecy gift.

Steelsplinters is indeed an awesome 'bold. With a lady in waiting like that, Lucida is in great hands.

It turns out we leech a very small amount of mana from whoever's holding us, and that our own reserves are minute. If you could figure out a way to infuse us with more mana, we could probably stay awake longer unattended. For whatever that would be worth.

...argh, there we go blabbing on about every little thing that our holder might possibly want to know.

Hi. You should probably know we are shit at keeping secrets. Try not to leave us lying around.

So was that creature a trap laid on the wand, or was it a summon that got out of control?

>>323936
You sure that guy's a real kobold? The face, the stature and the presence of a rat-tail make me think that he's at least half verhimen.

>>324329
Ratbolds are an established thing already. How and why and the question of crossbreeding is another matter that is hard to ask and harder to answer. I will say though that bolds mind was sharper than most anyone of any race. Even if it was a bit awkward with the internal 3rd person perspective but even that was impressive in its own way.

August 2011/07/12(Tue)05:07 No. 325303 ID: 271a3e
File 131047246209.png - (493.02KB , 900x630 , 554.png )

>>323943
Oh that? Just some kind of inspection certificate or something.

See, it started with me testing out the wand, I think about... three days ago, I was trying to get it to do, something, anything, and it started to make this weird hum and a thin sheen of something started to coalesce.

Then a hell of a racket started from the trunk, so I went to check it, Trechrejra may have tired to interfere, but I was worried it might be something dangerous (and to be completely honest, just a bit curious.)

Next thing I know, most of my face is numb and I've bitten off more than I can chew, in more that the figurative sense! I lay there for what what seemed ages, drifting in and out of consciousness.

>>325303
Ah, ok.
Since you never picked us back up after the shower on your return trip we can't tell you how many days you were lying there.

If you're feeling well again, then go visit Lucidia. You need to make sure she is well, and you need to smooth things over with her.
It would also help to convince her handmaiden that you are worthy of Lucidia, as Lucidia values her opinion.

August 2011/07/12(Tue)05:22 No. 325307 ID: 271a3e
File 131047333763.png - (545.09KB , 900x630 , 555.png )

"Prince August de Sauterelle, your father sent me to collect you."
"Auhu..."
"Would you like any h-"
"Nuhuhh kaay gtit surfll"

...and when I wake up I'm in a hot shower being scrubbed down by frantic workers with wire-brushes. Who then stuff me in a waiting room and just kind of... hover outside. Like I'm catching or something.
>>323958
Wat?
>>324006
>>323945
"Vold er At!"
"Sir!.."
"Mkay mkay!"
You've told her what? Why would... WHY? How much? Saints! If it isn't enough for me to be afraid she can read my mind, you just go and just tell her whatever I'm doing! You, you didn't tell her I can actually use magic did you? Only my parents know that and we've just been telling her family I've been 'studying' magic, not that I can actually pull off anything useful.

>>325307
I'm pretty sure she can't read minds. If she could then she wouldn't have her handmaiden spying for her.
After seeing her handmaiden in action, it's very clear that you don't give kobolds nearly enough credit.

>>325307
I don't think we told her you can do magic, although she did say "We should also inform the family he has been successfully experimenting with 'applied' objects, they will be pleased by such news". I assume 'applied objects' means us, but does that mean they know about your abilities?

yeah you got totally trustworthy, and not trustworthy at all, voices in here at the same time. it's impossible to get the non-trustworthy sorts quiet. especially when around a female. but i am fairly certain that if you ask her kindly she would keep quiet about it.

>>325307
I don't know, some of these voices are retarded.

>>325389

Most of these voices are retarded, especially the one that demanded she get naked and ready on the bed for you when she first picked us up.

We love them anyway, even the least capable of our brother-voices need lots of love and hugs.

careful, this guy's hand is hovering dangerously close to the knife you can't see from your position

August 2011/07/14(Thu)00:53 No. 326227 ID: 271a3e
File 131063003438.png - (117.41KB , 437x563 , 556.png )

>pretty sure she can't read minds...
>wouldn't have her handmaiden spying for her.
>seeing her handmaiden in action

Oh, well now that is simply the most comforting thing I've heard all day.

Take in mind that I've spent most of the week listening to the saliva gurgle in my throat.
>some of these voices are retarded.
>and not trustworthy at all
>especially when around a female.
Fantabulous... a whole new meaning to 'thinking with one's balls.
>>325557
I recognize him, he is a house guard, still, I opt to stagger along on the other side of him to the cart waiting outside. It both aches and somehow satisfies, an urge to move, to 'feel' anything.

August 2011/07/14(Thu)00:56 No. 326228 ID: 271a3e
File 131063017666.png - (45.26KB , 900x630 , 567.png )

Ooh it's an 'armored cart', I haven't ridden one of these in years.

I wonder if it has those carbines under the-

August 2011/07/14(Thu)01:09 No. 326231 ID: 271a3e
File 131063096699.png - (153.65KB , 900x630 , 568.png )

"Oh, afternoon, my boy, fancy meeting you here."
"AAAAHUawoaha! ahah hah erhm erh. Oh. Hai."
"Ohhoho no, don't mind me, still, you seem to be getting into more than the usual 'sticky' situations around here lately don't we? Anyhow, I suppose as long as we are both here, perhaps we can clear up a few things I've been wondering?"

Saints! it's Inquisitor Feuéchelle. What have I done to deserve this kind of company?

>>326231
Fighting a possible fae creature in the middle of a city would do tend to do that.
Or you could, you know, ask him.

I forget; would our (as a semi-autonomous magical item) existence be considered any sort of heresy to be purged?

>>326232
Except that it's apparently not a fae creature and August kind of went down without a fight. Still, August's certainly guilty of meddling with magic and endangering the lives of others...

>>326231

Heh, maybe someone pieced together that you knew the jewel thief.

>>326231
Do not say anything. Keep your composure. Politely ask why he's here. If he's not here for you specifically, just keep going; if he does want to talk to you specifically, then see if you can't figure out what the charges are. We'll deal with it from there.

August 2011/07/15(Fri)22:17 No. 326749 ID: 67ec6e
File 131079342537.png - (204.39KB , 900x630 , 569.png )

Okay, Okay, relax, it's probably... something incredibly obvious.

"Ah ell den, had exactly are ee going e awlking out?"
"Pardon me?"
"by unge, by unge is ill gung"
"... I see."

He continues to puff at his pipe, visibly unamused at this statement, The sweet scent of cicely filling the room as he seems to chose his next comment with care.

August 2011/07/15(Fri)22:38 No. 326759 ID: 67ec6e
File 131079469595.png - (208.49KB , 900x630 , 570.png )

"I've just been thinking about things lately August... about you in particular. Perhaps I think we should come to some kind of... closer understanding. I've been doing some research, looking through my notes and references, to ultimately recall that faries are as a rule, not talented at dream magic at all. The state of sleep being something they cannot experience regularly and only dream in partiality. Something about low or discordant energy states I believe..."

"Ahhh ahuh?"

"A curious thing then, that we found traces of such spellwork in their room, granted they had a goblin with them so that could have been excused. Yet stranger still, your claim that one tried to attack you, an event no-one witnessed. Though you were seen 'acting strangely' in a sort of daze at some point that night.

I've therefore come to the conclusion that you did not fight, whatever it was you fought in the 'world as we see it' but in a dreamstate parallel to ours.

Which raises an important question, I know well you study magical theory, and yet I have to wonder, why WOULD a fairy show such interest in you in particular? Who really initiated that conflict?"

oh THAT incident. they wanted information from you about your teacher. seems that him practicing magic has caught their attention. and what better way of getting it then a way that cannot be proven they can do?

Well aside from the obvious answer being your relation to your master, why is it that the inquisitor here is failing to ask the obvious question of "Was that really a fairy/fae if it was using dream magic?" Unless he's accusing YOU of somehow drawing him into a dream state and attacking him. How would you even do that, if the fae don't really dream normally?

Eh, I know your he wouldn't approve of blabbing anything here but honesty is really the least complicated thing. He already knows you were studying magic so he probably knows with who. They were after your teacher for a reason you don't know, and he took off and you have no clue where he is now. The only way you instigated anything was by not telling them what they wanted.

>>326759

Yeah, as soon as your teacher heard that the fae were guesting at your parent's home, he took off. Since you don't know where he went, you couldn't tell the fae who invaded your sleep that night. Since he was insistent on the matter, you had to fight him, and that was that.

You've had nothing to do with them since.

>>326766
This seems to be the safest option.

It might be relevant that when talking with the elves immediately before the attack, you joined them at that pipe device, which might have had drugs to aid the attack.

You should tell him that whatever it was that assaulted you, it was clearly at home in the dream, confidently approaching you and asking "This your first time in the realms?".

Technically you threw a statue at it before it physically attacked, but by that point it had made its intent clear by advancing towards you brandishing a bloody knife and talking about how things were going to get 'messy'.

August 2011/07/18(Mon)16:59 No. 327760 ID: 00f7d9
File 131103358468.png - (366.31KB , 900x630 , 571.png )

"Not my fault, they were looking for him, my master."

"You can't just act like what you do doesn't reflect on the rest of the community. You are a prince, your very existanc-

"My master, they were looking for him. Not me!"

"And where is your master, the human, Sirus?

...

"You don't actually know, do you? Is he coming back? Does he even have anything to return to? Or will he?"

"He will return, he said he would."

"Even if he 'wanted’ to, are you sure he even can,?"

"These questions aren't any of your bui-"

"Questions, are ALWAYS my business! What will become of you if should he not return? Who has any use for some half-baked scribe out here? You don't think bleating 'master master' like some lost goat will satisfy them if ‘they’ come asking more questions?"

"Then I'd grant them the answer any of us would deal their kind, cold steel and hot blood."

...

"Will steel and blood save you again should someone worm their way back into your sieved mind? How would your brothers react to you going mad? If I remember your family has a poor history of-"

"Don't you dare suggest they would... they wouldn't... I'm too..."

"It wouldn't hurt if you didn't think it weren't true."

...

"Then, again, I hear the mainland family has some close connections with an asylum. I'm sure they could find a 'place' for you."

"The hell do you want from me you bootleather botheration?"

"I'll ignore your snide remark as my words having bite, I want you to consider who you are going to turn to, to co-operate with... but if you truly feel things will all go according to plan, well, that's your business. Just remember that if you call down hell on us through arrogant carelessness, I'll be nailing your pelt to a board, because then? It's my business."

>>327760

Calm down August, compose yourself. This vehriman may be harsh, but no one wants another war right? You're not yet 30, and because you've been keeping your abilities under your hat, so to speak, he just thinks you've been wasting your parents money on a useless education from a human that just became more trouble to your kind than he was worth. But, if you can get him to think of you as more than a spoiled kid, you'll have a well connected ally who may be able to point you in the right direction for finding your master and resolving this before things become insurmountably difficult to solve with words alone.

So, buck up, apologize for your comments, and then tell him that you've been going through your master's things looking for some clue as to where the old man went. The trail is over a week cold, and the man was a capable wizard besides. Finding him through normal gunshoe work is probably going to be a waste of time because he can modify his appearance at will, so you were looking for documents that would indicate friends or family somewhere.

At least then you won't appear to be totally irresponsible to this inquisitor.

I'm not exactly sure what he's getting on about, other than your general need to be responsible when it comes to magical things with somewhat unpredictable outcomes. However, when he says "who to turn to, cooperate with," he may be offering his services. Or something. I can't remember what kind of organization this guy works for and what kind of things he could do for you. Plus I'm sure he'd want you to scratch his back before he scratches his. Or would it be "you rub my nose I'll rub yours"?

"I'm not quite as foolish or selfish as you make me out to be. I'm doing the best I can here. If I learn of something you should know of then you'll know it."

Then ask him if he has anything else he should tell you. Maybe some kind of defense against fey shenanigans?

August 2011/07/20(Wed)19:18 No. 328753 ID: 00f7d9
File 131121473128.png - (303.29KB , 900x630 , 572.png )

*sigh*
"Fine, was that some kind of, offer of assistance?"
"That depends entirely upon you."
"I'll assure you, I'm not as foolish as you seem determined to make me out as."
"If I thought you were completely useless, would I have made the offer?"
"I still don't know wha-"

The cart creaks to a halt and the door swings open.

"Seek me out later, if you 'are' at all interested. I may have a task for someone of your... understanding. You certainly seem like you could use guidance."

August 2011/07/20(Wed)19:39 No. 328761 ID: 00f7d9
File 131121599548.png - (373.72KB , 900x630 , 573.png )

I exit the cart after him only to be pulled down into the anxious arms of my mother.

"August, August my baby are you okay? When I heard, heard you'd beenattacked, oohhhh no-onehasseenyoufordaysdon'tdothattomeIcan'treplaceyouandIcan'ttakethethou-
"Mother, please, I'm alright I'm not even bruised, not a scratch on me. I'm fine, really..."
"They said some monster attacked the power plant and-
"It wasn't that serious, just a very small monster, really. Nothing to be worried about. It just, took me by surprise."
"August you shouldn't play with such dangerous things, why didn't Sirius tell us anything. Is he okay?"

Terterus' voice, low, but commanding reverberates from behind her.
"Mother, I believe that's enough for now. August, come. Father is waiting for us in Communications."
"Erhm, Hello Terterus, Yes I suppose we really shou-."
"You missed my first litter."
"...Oh"

>>328761
>"You missed my first litter."
>"...Oh"

Huh. I suppose this happened during your period of unconsciousness. Did you know they were coming before hand?

You know, ever since you woke up you seem to have lost all sense of self-composure. You are being tactless and quick to blame and offer excuses.
IS this because you are simply not a 'morning person' in the least, or do you think that sticky-monster has had some lasting effect on your brain? You were covered in its ooze more than long enough to be heavily drugged, even if only by dermal absorption.

From now on you never experiment alone or without letting someone know where are are and what you're doing. And sure as hell not without us. Assure your mother of this. Doing so wouldn't have stopped the problem, but it also wouldn't have let it go on for so long.

Also, I would take our inquisitor friend up on his offer. He does certainly know useful things you don't and it's not like Sirius is here to teach you anything.

Gently disengage yourself with your mother, promising to talk to her later, then accompany your brother. Make smalltalk and show interest in his children and wife. We'll have to make a note to take a special trip and go see them to croon appropriately. Then it's off to father we go. Ah, family politics~

August 2011/07/23(Sat)10:53 No. 330088 ID: 6f0255
File 131144360137.png - (277.18KB , 585x587 , 574.png )

>>328768
>some lasting effect on your brain?
Perhaps it was the Inquisitor's oh so subtle suggestion that if I 'went mad' big brother Terterus here would throttle me to death in the bath as he has a history of doing? Or maybe I 'am' just in a mood, being covered in saints know what kind of chemical filth?

"I'm sorry I missed it."
"Yes, well, you were apparently busy not being dead. So, that's excusable. Speaking of which, you smell like a sawmill and a surgery gave birth to some new spectrum of odor and, you look a bit cold if you don't mind me saying."
"I'd imagine you'd have more to say on such with the skirt."
"You should try it, quite comfortable, and some of the ladies quite like a man in one. What say you Emethy?"

Emethy the doorguard shifts nervously from foot to foot, taking a moment to pull her veloppertet lower over her ruined eye before giving her kind of sideways answer.
"Ahehah haha, erm, perhaps I should c-con concentrate more on, power... on p-powerering down the watergate."

Poor women, now there's someone who makes one's day feel a bit better, if only by seeing one worse. Decorated veteran, took some kind of magical arrow through the eye defending farmland we ended up ceding anyhow. Talk about a 'lasting effect on the brain.'

August 2011/07/23(Sat)11:09 No. 330091 ID: 6f0255
File 131144457356.png - (438.40KB , 900x630 , 575.png )

We eventually make our way into the secured center of the fortress, and the communications room itself. Thankfully warmer in here from the many bodies and the low thrum of the machines.

"Ahh my sons, it is good to see you've returned. Good to see you safe."
"I, seem to have missed quite a lot."
"Yessss, well, I've been meaning to talk to you about a certain trip you took a bit ago, however bit amid the commotion of the week the first time we noticed you were actually-"
*cough*
"...Ah yes, the matter more at hand, since you were gone most of the expectant mothers in our fair city have come to term, not the least among them, your brother's blushing bride. As is usual in such a situations certain documents were written up, deals made, ect, ect... legalistic hoohey and such... but the important bit is, you brothers have already signed in and sworn allegiance, fealty, and the utmost familial support of Tertarus and his line in their claim to the throne of Merboiullant. You however, were missing, now then, what do you think we are to do of that?"

>>330091
Umm... I'm assuming more than signing the papers after the fact is needed here? Say and do whatever it takes to make up for it.

>330088
And an effect on the spirit too, I imagine. Poor thing... I can only assume everything that could have been done for her has? Including magical? Was there anything about the magic of the arrow that makes it worse beyond the initial wound?

>>330091
Say "Give me a parade and a pony." sardonicly.

What exactly does swearing fealty and all that entail? I mean will you have to work in the city for the rest of your life doing things that'll benefit them, or will you still be free to do whatever so long as it doesn't in any way harm them?

>>330091
All those births within such a short period of time? Was there an orgy or something a few months back, or are the ladies 'in synch' with one another.

They more than likely want some sort of grand gesture, recognizable in public. Something that won't let the gossip pools of the kingdom bubble with rumors that you don't approve, or worse.

>>330192

They have mating periods dude, the litters are all going to be birthed at around the same time.

>>330091
Cede your claim. There is no reason to do otherwise. We have ambitions, of course, but I very much doubt you want to start your rise with fratricide, so ruling Merboiullant straight out is out of the question.

Go to one knee and formally pledge allegiance in a suitably dramatic way. Then request that a small ceremony be set up so that you can do so more publicly and presentably.

>>330192
>>330200
This.The Vehrimen have brief, intense mating periods , which pretty much means that most children are concieved and thusly produced into the world at about the same time.

Say, August, is there a cultural festival regarding such an event of massive procreation?

August 2011/07/27(Wed)00:31 No. 332253 ID: 00f7d9
File 131175187422.png - (367.09KB , 900x702 , 576.png )

So, it’s happened, he’s finally been declared the chosen heir. I knew it would come. I never really cared much for the idea of just… accepting the throne.

I know what I must do, what is expected of me, yet it somehow feels strange, to swear my loyalty so, as subordinate to my brother, and to his family, to now be the Noble Uncle of the next line of princes and princesses… of the house de Sauterelle.
“…Yes, yes I understand.”
I feel my knee touch the hard tile floor, and tightness in my throat I have to swallow away.
“Terterus, Primerus de Sauterelle, à partir de Merboiullant, I, August de Sauterelle, Secundus de Sauterelle, à partir de Merboiullant… do now acknowledge you, acknowledge you as my rightful and future lord, and your seed yet still as the rightful line of the kingdom of Merboiullant and her people. For so long as I shall be counted among them, may my struggles honor and protect them.”

“August de Sauterelle, my brother, I do accept your pledge of loyalty to me and mine. May Heaven and all the Saints grant me the wisdom required to rule, and to protect you with dignity, strength, and honor.

Therefor as my first edict to you, I hereby banish you from my presence for all perpetuity…“

August 2011/07/27(Wed)00:37 No. 332256 ID: 00f7d9
File 131175222872.png - (466.68KB , 900x702 , 577.png )

“…or until you get a proper trim. Really you have a fairly impressive mane going on there, if you are going to keep it you should at least get all that… gum stuff out of it.”

”Wait-wha? Oh… I… yes, I suppose I haven’t done much about myself for a few weeks. I’ve been a bit distracted.

“Oh, well, that was quite nice, I just expected a some paper signing and such. Much more interesting.”

”Yes, that, that was very good. I think we still have some papers you should still put your name to over here, but all in all I do believe that answers any questions as to where your feelings lie.”

August 2011/07/27(Wed)00:49 No. 332257 ID: 00f7d9
File 131175298215.png - (284.53KB , 900x630 , 578.png )

>>330104
>>330200
>>331010
Erhm, yes... something like that. 'Autumn's Fire' we call it, when it exactly occurs depends a bit year to year and even from colony to colony I think.

Regardless, it's an emotional time to say the least, there's power in the air. A kind of intensity. Parties are common throughout the week, and it's the sort of time when one should always knock before entering a room.

One 'could' say the effect seems strongest in the women, but duels are quite common around this time between men, and while not 'necessarily' lethal can be fairly dangerous locally due to the large number of mercenaries we have here on the frontier.

All in all with the noise and the crowds , the duels and such and the emotional intensity I personally tend to avoid going out so much during that week. I... had a pretty bad experience a few years back.

Animated August 2011/07/27(Wed)01:00 No. 332258 ID: 00f7d9
File 131175360707.gif - (372.98KB , 900x630 , 579.gif )

A few minutes later having completed my official duties my father ushers me into his study before I can go clean myself up.
"That was a good piece you said there. I do believe it put your brother at ease, he was a bit worried when you seemed to have disappeared."
"Ahh, thankyou. I try"
"Would you believe, I'd heard some very interesting local news in the past week too? Apparently Larcen de Scarlette was noted to have visited our neighbor, the Lady Sperenze and after enjoying her hospitality, made of with some fine treasures of hers, though though some say, not without having returned his own manner of payment."
"Ohoh oh... really?"
"Well, I just thought it was interesting I used to run into him once or twice you know... oh, by the way, where was it you borrowed Laconia's pony to go?"

My father shoots this kind of sly look at me from across the room.

>>332257
Well, with that resolved your course of action is clear:
Clean yourself up, then woo Lucidia.

>>332258

Well it's a fine story for the most part. Why not tell a censored version of it? Leave out most of the magic, Larcen de Scarlette's identity, and the part about the kobold and it'd still be a fun tale.

"It all started when we went to pick up an artifact that fell a little off-course..."

>>332258
Well, you met Larcen de Scarlette for one.

>>332253
>>332256
Not bad, not bad at all. We'll have to make a note to go check up on our adorable little lordlings and ladylings when we have the time. It'd be good to know their names, assuming you name them at birth. Terterus has an interesting sense of humor, but it's good to note that he's not an incredibly distant older brother who believes he needs to always be a role model, he still cares enough about you to joke even in a serious setting. How the heck is he so big, though? He easily outstrips his father in height and your mother's even smaller. What did they feed him, kobolds?
>>332257
Do the kobolds and their variants celebrate the holiday as well, or do they have a different uh... manner of... you know what i'm going to drop this line of thought.
>>332258
I'm not really sure how your father perceives the political rivalry between yourselves and the Sperenze family. He might approve your making trouble with them, he might not. In all likelihood the Larcen de Scarlette your father met was your friend's predecessor so it probably wouldn't be best to tell daddy about him, lest he think we're lying or we jeopardize our sneaky friend's identity. Whether you choose to say anything at all about your endeavors down in Sperenze land and how you handle it (perhaps merely a quest to defend the family honor by getting your mask back right under their noses?) is up to you, but most certainly leave out the magic, and if you want to avoid everything entirely, you can always claim you were out doing something for Master Sirius, or even out LOOKING for him, which also might explain why you were fiddling with his magical things earlier.

August 2011/07/30(Sat)00:51 No. 334091 ID: 00f7d9
File 131201226075.png - (303.80KB , 900x630 , 580.png )

"Well, you see, it began with something of a covert little trip to look for a certain item my master wanted..."
I elect to tell the story from the beginning, neglecting certain aspects. Your exact 'power' for instance, the identity of Larcen, the 'kobold situation' the whole incident of accidentally infiltrating a Sect Shrine of Mari.
"Wait so, you ended up 'playing guest' in disguise to one of a Sperenze princess, a priestess no less, and ended up 'not' testing the bedding with her?"
"It, was strange... well, she smelled a bit fertile. I thought it best not to risk anything."
"Now? weird... good enough reasoning I suppose. I mean, you lot are a bit lucky none of my conquests a roving ever sent anything to chase me home an bite me on the tail after I hitched your mother.

Still weird about that Larcen thing, suppose he might be immortal, really thought I'd dropped a big enough bridge on him last we met. Still, might want to keep a spare eye on the womenfolk with him lurking about ehh?"

August 2011/07/30(Sat)01:05 No. 334096 ID: 00f7d9
File 131201310519.png - (190.29KB , 900x630 , 581.png )

>>330104
I'm sorry to say that, I don't honestly know, it was years ago and I was actually away, hadn't even begun to study any real magic. The arrow was from the faries so, who really knows what it did aside from blow halfway through her skull.

As for magic to heal her, 'I' am an oddity among my kind, briefly able (with some effort) to lower the... armor, the resistance between me and the exterior world, which allows me to interact with magic in ways most of us cannot.

Just as this property protects us from the deleterious effects of sorcery... it also hinders any attempt to aid us by like means. We are, insulated as it were. Perhaps if one were powerful or persistent enough, or could lower her natural resistance somehow, then... albeit perhaps the whole point is moot regardless as the most effect 'healers' I know of, are the ones responsible for the deed in the first place.

August 2011/07/30(Sat)01:22 No. 334103 ID: 00f7d9
File 131201412336.png - (333.44KB , 900x630 , 582.png )

"Wait, are you implying that you... killed Larcen de Scarlette?"
"Well, apparently I didn't do a very thorough job, now did I?"
"But-"
"Old news, or as I said then 'it's all just... water under the bridge... water under the bridge.'
He swishes his wine pensively a bit in his glass, before taking a drink and savoring the flavor thoughtfully.
"Still, I am glad you seem to be enjoying some excitement, though, I wonder what you will do with yourself now that Master Sirus has disappeared?

I can't have you getting into too much trouble now can I? Well, not without some profit to it anyhow. Speaking of which, how have you found entertaining our guest,the Lady Lucidia? She's to be headed home in a week, and I was rather hoping you two could have, spent some more time together. Gained a better feel for her..."
"I know your ideas on the matter."
"Ideas, me? Please, my boy. It was merely after your mother commented that she thought you seemed a bit, in need of a woman to give you some direction, some inspiration... well... I do have 'some' connections with the man line back in the homelands. I merely wish to gauge 'your' reactions."

god I had a whole long thing written up and I accidentally closed the tab. I only remembered the first bit.

Lucidia is smarter, more competent, and more powerful than you thought. On the other hand, she's much more unstable. She requires tranquilizers to avoid attacks of prophecy. She had one today. It may be best to avoid her, in fact, given the instability in your your own blood... You'll either end up with the mages your line has been aiming for or madmen. Possibly both.

The text of the prophecy is as follows:

This is in reference to you, clearly.

"No. Resting. Yet wrested unrest, resisting not rest. Rosin unresisting."

We missed a bit but she was ranting when we came back. Possibly unrelated.

"-could but crush in chance what was moulded in play, the mad-eyed stars blew earth's dust 'way. Will they go or will they stay, fight the metal or fight the fae-"

Here her servant tranquilized her.

"He calls with horns, he calls with shells, with chime and clanging of the bells, he calls with whistles from the hells, but if only they would make...would make some sound... or wear a face... where faces should... where faces should... be... found..."

You might want to tell him that Larcen seems to be s title rather than an individual.

Well despite there being some mutual attraction between Lucida and you, there's also some admitted awkwardness. I mean you secretly practice a pretty much unheard-of trade for your species and she's basically an albino 'sensitive' who is prone to psychic 'episodes'... what >>334134 says about the concerns of bloodline are also quite accurate. Plus, I mean, there's the matter of you growing up knowing each other (while she was your babysitter in a position of authority over you) as well as being tangentially related. Not to mention the emphasis on her albinism and health issues... Basically, what does it matter, though? Do you really need the political marriage that much? Aren't the two sides of the family pretty well connected as is? I mean, you've hosted her for quite some time, and I'm sure they host some of your family from time to time. Keep that up and there shouldn't be much need for such marriages.

It's interesting that your father had his own (mis)adventures with Larcen de Scarlette, but we really shouldn't tell anything about our experiences with him. He's our friend, or at least, potentially. And quite a valuable potential ally.

>>334411
I figured that he might like 'Larcen' more if he knew that it is a different Larcen than the one he crushed to death.

August 2011/08/01(Mon)16:28 No. 335137 ID: 00f7d9
File 131224132046.png - (376.76KB , 900x630 , 583.png )

"Well, it's complicated."
"As all women should be, but please, do continue."
"We already have a connection, but it was as something completely different, as caretaker and child... there's some awkwardness there, an inequality."
"Yes, yes, one cannot allow a woman too much to tame you. Else then who will she turn to for strength, for her fire?"
"Even beyond that, there's something else to worry about between us."

August 2011/08/01(Mon)16:57 No. 335156 ID: 00f7d9
File 131224307343.png - (111.15KB , 504x720 , 584.png )

"The matter of our mutual 'gift.'"
"Really, I would imagine that-"
"Yes, makes it a bit of a question of Heaven or Hell, on one hand, we might be the only of our kind, the only to truly 'understand' this aspect of us.

We could amplify one another and our children would finally herald in the culmination of the 'family project' make it all worth it... somehow."
"...and on the other hand?"
"There is a looming possibility, that she or I could be driven utterly mad. That we could be declared heretics or traitors, that we could very well become so... that even our children, would be the vile stuff of nightmares... resigned to live in basements or locked in towers, assuming they were not monsters so great as to warrant utter destruction."

My father is quiet at this for a long time.
"...and the basis of these fears. It is sound, and rational?"
"She already needs regular medication, to control 'attacks' of prophetic ranting.
"A bit like those 'fits' you would have when younger?"

"I'm not saying that I won't consider the idea... but I want time, time to consider all of the options. I'm still young, you should understand, you weren't married until forty."

>>335156
Oh, you had fits too? What were they like?

How about you just spend more time and evaluate how you two work together a little better? You have essentially said that you haven't decided yet if it's a good idea. Let's gather more information.

August 2011/08/01(Mon)17:07 No. 335161 ID: 00f7d9
File 131224365297.png - (380.60KB , 900x630 , 585.png )

My father sighs and passes his now empty glass to his servant.
"I see, yes suppose it had to go somewhere..."
"Hmm?
"That restlessness, I'd assumed it had passed your generation over, well aside perhaps from Milli. Would you believe she hid a toad in the ladies bath? Huge thing apparently... sent your sister in law into labor actually when it jumped out from under her. If she'd lost any of them I'd have had as many of her fingers cut....

I'm getting beside the point... distracted... old tired and drunk."
"I-"
"No no, don't worry about me, I just, actually, come over here. I have some things that need doing, before I forget. A useful channel for that... no wonder it's surfacing, you cooped up reading books and maps all the time. Yes, I can put that to use."

August 2011/08/01(Mon)17:36 No. 335172 ID: 00f7d9
File 131224541110.png - (719.11KB , 930x663 , 586.png )

He pull out a map and begins to trace his fingers across dry and curling parchment with a slow smile, like hands over an old lover. He has collected a lot of maps, made several himself too I think, considers painting them 'his art.'

"I have some task I require doing by someone I trust. One, is a large painting, sent to the mother's family, to commemorate her first litter. Primarily diplomatic, it would please both your brother and his wife to hear of your involvement in this.

The Second, I need someone to journey to the 'Peak of Dispute' and settle a matter with a certain 'Eschrie du Moulont' a common rake of a man who stole an expensive and critical part of our comm array, after I'd agreed to let him repair it. I would send someone to merely kill him, but I want him back alive to pay for his crimes properly, and if possible the piece he stole as well don't be afraid to get a bit... rough with him, as I hear he was the type to treat the women of our town cruelly. Make sure his hands are okay though, he'll need those.

The last, and surely most fraught with hazard is the delivery of a suit of armor to the goblin machinist Dekernika. Do not stay long there, he may not appreciate the 'gift'."

"He would be to the south of us somewhere, correct?
"Yes"
Am I expected to to complete this all?"

"No, only whichever you so chose, but regardless, I will be sending your little brother, Kurtail and his master, Sir Weldenon with you, as accompaniment."

>>335172
We should get that bastard that stole the comm array and abused women. We'll break his kneecaps.

Ask what we are prepared to offer if the comm man demands payment and we cannot simply drag him back.

Also, it is excellent news that overcame similar fits yourself. That implies that the same methods you used will likely help (if not cure) Lucidia's own seizures. Even if you do not end up going through with the relationship with her, helping her would be good both politically and morally.

>>335172
Yes, Eschrie du Moulont seems like the task that would be most interesting and important. The others are just deliveries.

Also, could you tell us about that framed painting next to the fireplace? It seems like it depicts a portal to another land...

>>335172

Would Dekernika perceive the gift of armor as a challenge to his skill as a machinist? Or is there some other reason he would be unhappy?

I'm not really sure we should accept the offer to go be some sort of 'disciplinarian', i mean August is a smaller than normal Verhimen with no real martial skills... I mean if August's brother is a knight-in-training and has a mentor along then we can try to use them, but then we're not really the one doing the job, we're just passing it off. August's more subtle and we don't want to have to show our talents at magic if we don't have to. Wonder how that goblin thing would work, though... August's dad makes it sound like he'd think best of us for choosing that one, it being 'difficult' and all.

Don't discount the portrait mission out of hand. While your ostentatious display went a long way toward soothing your brother's worries, it would not hurt to further improve your political capital with him.

Plus if he ever learns where the toad came from he'll probably be kinda cross. Kiss up while you can, so that he can laugh it off instead of fly into a rage.

August 2011/08/04(Thu)20:33 No. 336624 ID: 00f7d9
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"This Eschrie fellow, he is problematic, and it would not do for someone to get away with such an injury to both our city's capabilities and honor."
"Well then, the balance between safety and adventure? I see. I see.

Remember, however, that 'where' he is may be more a hazard than 'who' he is. The Peak of Dispute is no place for upstanding nobility, one must take with you a measure of cunning, of subtlety. Due to it's unincorporated nature the human outpost is perhaps the closest thing to a 'government' there. My experience with them leaves me to believe they don't really care who else is there, aside that they be Verhimen, don't cause any trouble for them, and willing to fight should they ever be assaulted."
"So my status?"
"Perhaps worse than nothing to them, at most it may earn you the ire of some locals who chose to live there precisely because they are 'free' there. Little love for little princes I fear. Remember, I would rather have a son with no honor, than no son with honor, I can at least put one to good use in recovering the other."
I understand father, and what of using... my art?
"Hmmm?"
"My gift, should I find reason or opportunity to do what I do?"
"Only under duress. Perhaps one day we may reveal you, but I would rather you be known already for what you 'have' done, than be known only for what you 'could' do. One will set the people at ease, the other, will unnerve then."

August 2011/08/04(Thu)20:51 No. 336629 ID: 00f7d9
File 131251626066.png - (224.92KB , 900x630 , 588.png )

"Oh, and by the way? If you 'do' plan to 'see the world a bit' as I did so much in my youth, do remember to be a bit... discrete about it please. You may not be in line for the throne anymore, but I assure you, there awaits you an inheritance one wouldn't like split between the hands of lower women, or worse, the hands of a rival noble’s court. Hmm?”
”I, erhm, I see.
”Whatever you choose, remember that what is said in one bed is soon heard in many.
…
”Now get out of here n get a haircut you dirty vagabond, hahah.”

August 2011/08/04(Thu)21:27 No. 336635 ID: 00f7d9
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>>335197
I am not 'smaller than normal' in any fashion it's just... my ‘big’ brother and Jolienne happen to be gigantic.

>>335158
>>335184
Unfortunately, I’m afraid I cannot shed much light on those. I would suffer the occasionally attack of acute panic and disorientation, I would see flashes of very confusing images or scenes. There was no real understanding thereof I fear, no prophetic sayings or anything useful aside from leaving a shivering confused child on the floor. It intensified a bit at puberty, then just went away on it’s own. If she is having her own debilitating visions, I’ve no useful idea how to handle that.

>>335190
It is a detailed depiction of the standard of my family, a jewel depicting sunset mountains, set burning and smoking to crown a field upon which the letter ‘S’ raises a lance.

Well, then, what now? I imagine that trip is going to warrant some preparations, and I’m more than a bit obliged to see the new litter some time and congratulate the mother, spend more time with Lucida as well.