Intruder, quick punch them in the dick.

Avoid or grab the impending kick, they who dare strike at us with their dirty feet should not be allowed to do so with impunity. Then take measure of the current situation and respond accordingly.

WHO DARES DISTURB OUR SL- Oh wait, this actually looks important.

I think we can work with this kid. We can probably harden him up. He has the motivation, as long as we teach him to channel that rage toward long-term goals rather than short sighted revenge we should be good. He is still young and malleable, we can turn him into the cold calculating manipulative shadow ruler he needs to be.

There is a suspicious person looming over you.

Skrakar 2015/11/01(Sun)12:28 No. 680640 ID: d47f77
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>just 5 more minutes.
???: “There’s no hurry. You’ve got about a decade to perform the task you’re about to be given. Frankly, you won’t have much else to do during that time.”

>Intruder, quick punch them in the dick.
>There is a suspicious person looming over you.
>Avoid or grab the impending kick, they who dare strike at us with their dirty feet should not be allowed to do so with impunity. Then take measure of the current situation and respond accordingly.
???: “You’ll notice that young Lucifer here is completely out of it, being in a magically-induced sleep and all. Actually, he’s in stasis, except not. It’s a bit hard to explain the properties of the orb without getting technical about.

…But I do commend your attempts. The kid is going to get far with some guardian spirits who know cheap shots.”

>WHO DARES?
>WHO DARES DISTURB OUR SL-
???: “I’ve never heard that one before. Note the sarcasm. However, you can never go wrong with the classics.

I am Shepherd. Or Spirit Shepherd, if you want the whole title. I am the one who awakens the ancient spirits of evil such as yourselves within the Dark Ones when it is their time.
In other, less glamorous words, I’m the herald of puberty for Villains. For those who don’t know what puberty is, it is a time when young Darklings go through some physical changes and start getting new cravings, such as world domination or planet-wide genocide. The usual.”

>what are good and evil when good finds the idea of child murder acceptable?
SHEPHERD: “I see you’re already rummaging through his memories. Good. Learn what makes him who he is in order to better guide him in his quest, whatever it may be.

But let me ask you something. Is it evil to kill the puppies of a wolf pack that slaughtered all the sheep in your village? They will do the same as their parents when they mature. It’s in their nature. Darklings’ nature is to do evil.

And murderhobos gonna do what murderhobos gonna do. No need to overthink it. A Hero, on the other hand, would hesitate, believing in redemption and whatnot.”

>Subjective. And both filled with suckers that are unknowingly subservient to those intelligent enough to draw lines in the sand and watch the ants build their empires around them.
SHEPHERD: “Ha, weird! A spirit of evil, advocating moral relativism in a world where Good and Evil are quantifiable.
I like you. You’ll confuse the Hell out of some upstart Hero. Maybe literally.”

>I think we can work with this kid. We can probably harden him up. He has the motivation, as long as we teach him to channel that rage toward long-term goals rather than short sighted revenge we should be good. He is still young and malleable, we can turn him into the cold calculating manipulative shadow ruler he needs to be.
SHEPHERD: “And I like your enthusiasm. But remember, and never forget, that you will be his advisors and guides, not his masters. Lucifer will always have the final say in whatever he is up to.

Now with all that said, if you have any more questions, ask them now before I lay the metaphysics on you.
Emphasis on the ‘meta’ part.”

so what is the metaphysics exactly?

>>680640
Alright first question. His stats are straight 10. 10 out of what, 100?

>>680640
>But remember, and never forget, that you will be his advisors and guides, not his masters. Lucifer will always have the final say in whatever he is up to.
Of course, if we were his masters things'd get very confusing very quickly, what with conflicting and stupid orders.

Could you explain more about what this whole "evil by nature" thing entails? Excessive malice rapidly developing in the mind of a pubescent boy seems like the kind of thing that could really get in the way of pragmatic decision making.

If you could give us a general rundown of the current geopolitical situation we'd be ever so grateful. What sorts of intelligent life inhabit this planet (plane?)? How does magic work?

A bunch of different questions:
How much effort and focus do we have to spend on ensuring the subsequent generation after this? What are the tradeoffs of becoming nomadic instead of establishing a fortress of evil? What can you say about the detection/counter-detection game we will be involved in for the indefinite future trying to hide our immature and inadequately-supported charge? What can you say about the social, political, technological and economic landscape we will be operating in?
A little bit of talk about the physics and chemistry we'll be working within could also help, so we aren't operating in ignorance and maybe attempt a trick or two from other worlds.

How do we improve the boy's uh 'attributes'

>>680699
Don't mention other worlds, too meta.

>>680640
Where do we start training this kid? I think we're willing to teach him in his kid years for a few months, followed by a few time-skips spanning a few years each. If we start out with him as an adult then it's less interactive and less attaching.

So will we talk later, or is this your only debut in the story?

Also, "moral relativism" is pretty much a SCIENCE here. What happens when you can train the wolves and cross-breed them with dogs? Sell the puppies to families of heroes after injecting them with fatal diseases (but not fatal to dogs)? Spam magic experiments and attempt to breed a fluffy wolf? There's a slew of possibilities even in a Light and Dark world, and the kid's going to need all the options he can get if he wants to survive in two different worlds that want him dead with extreme prejudice. Asking questions and pursuing strange viewpoints will make finding the possibilities even easier.

>Is it evil to kill the puppies of a wolf pack that slaughtered all the sheep in your village?
A false aphorism. There's no comparison- wolves aren't people, and don't have the same intrinsic worth.

>No need to overthink it.
>a world where Good and Evil are quantifiable.
I would disagree. If Good and Evil exist as real forces with observable effects, it is necessary to understand them in order to play them to our advantage. One should seek to use the rules of reality to their advantage, not to be controlled by it.

>metaphysics
Lay it on us.

>>680750
You are right, there's more demand for people's organs than for wolf pelts. People intrinsically are worth more once you harvest and sell all their body parts. You need the right skills and connections to realize that value though. Without it, they're only worth the value of their meat as animal feed.

>>680750
God, we're the worst spirits of evil ever. Is it normal for us to have morals, loose as they may be? I'd hate to think this poor kid is any more messed up in the head than we already thought.

wolves have a pack mentality, you can slaughter the adults and raise the newborns as your own. they will see you as their leader and master, they will fight and die for you. turning your foe's children into allies is much better then killing them all.

>>680769
Fits with the analogy, but not very applicable to our situation.

sure it does, we assassinate the people that killed our parents and raise their kids as our own.

>>680880
No no in the analogy WE are the wolf pups, and I don't think we're exactly willing to be raised by those assholes.

1/2 Skrakar 2015/11/04(Wed)10:05 No. 681372 ID: 8ebdb8
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SHEPHERD: “My, aren’t you easily fixated? Yes, one may keep wolves, but a wolf will never be a dog and it will do as a wolf does, for the wild is in its blood as evil is in Darkling’s.
Perhaps I should have chosen a more exotic beast that feasts on flesh to satisfy your pedantry?

And I did not mean that you should not ponder on the factuality of Good and Evil, but that you should care less about the typical murderhobo of an adventurer who, at times, possesses less sapience than an average cave troll. And if you concentrate enough, you can discern how dark Lucifer’s Aura is – he has but a few specks of Light in him.”

>So will we talk later, or is this your only debut in the story?
SHEPHERD: “Oh, you will see me again in ten years when this bubble goes pop. And at that time, I will have some nice things for Lucifer. After that, who knows? I might show up occasionally if you miss me too much. I am, after all, Shepherd and I do care for my flock.”

>Could you explain more about what this whole "evil by nature" thing entails? Excessive malice rapidly developing in the mind of a pubescent boy seems like the kind of thing that could really get in the way of pragmatic decision making.
SHEPHERD: “Fret not. Evil nature does not equal stupidity. The boy knew to bestow benevolence when it suited him, and sadism was not something he actively enjoyed. But, he is a very driven child and will climb a mountain of corpses if it leads to a goal.
A more detailed rundown is that Lucifer will not feel empathy for others unless he wishes to and that he will see the world from a selfish perspective. In other words, his conscience will act up only if he cares for someone.”

>God, we're the worst spirits of evil ever. Is it normal for us to have morals, loose as they may be? I'd hate to think this poor kid is any more messed up in the head than we already thought.
SHEPHERD: “Hey, even Evil can have standards. Kicking puppies gets old quickly.”

>How much effort and focus do we have to spend on ensuring the subsequent generation after this?
SHEPHERD: “Well, as much as any ruler should. And I’m sure Lucifer will show interest in procreation. I will ask you not to peek when he does. Out of courtesy.”

>What are the tradeoffs of becoming nomadic instead of establishing a fortress of evil?
SHEPHERD: “Given your current predicament, I’m pretty certain your journey will start out nomadic and eventually form a Dark Horde. But, nomadic life is more suited for Heroes. Villains share certain traits with dragons – they hoard, require a lair and occasionally abduct maidens. And only lairs have the protection a Villain needs – it’s not that easy to place effective death traps with open skies above you.”

>What can you say about the detection/counter-detection game we will be involved in for the indefinite future trying to hide our immature and inadequately-supported charge?
SHEPHERD: “For the most part, this orb we’re in will keep Lucifer hidden and protected until he is ready strike back at his malefactors. But even after that, it is unlikely that anyone will recognise who and what he is. Most commoners don’t know how their king looks like, let alone how a Dark Lord should look like.
He’ll be okay until he forms a Dark Horde. Unless he decides to initiate a one man genocide.”

>What sorts of intelligent life inhabit this planet (plane?)?
SHEPHERD: “Hmmm, I’ll list those I think to be most important, but you could encounter other creatures in your travels with Lucifer.

First of all, Dark Ones and Light Ones. Villains and Heroes. You’ve probably deduced that they have been at each other’s throats since forever. It’s almost ironic how similar they are, as if they are two sides of the same coin. Both obscure their visage. Both are aided by ancient spirits. Both have indefinite lifespan. Both are very powerful entities and the only creatures that can mate with any sapient humanoid and produce viable offspring. There are only two differences: their allegiance and that Villains are inherently stronger than Heroes individually. You may argue the existence of Fallen Heroes and Reformed Villains, but such occurrences are never permanent – wolves may change their coat, but never their temper. Oh, and one more thing. Lucifer might narrate internally about the things he does. I don’t know why Heroes and Villains tend to do that, so try to roll with it.

Next are the humans. Though short-lived by some standards, they are a thorn in many a side. If you need the bodies to defeat a Dark Lord, you better call the humans for they will gladly lay down their lives for a cause they believe in. However, humans don’t really fall on either side in the conflict between the Light and the Dark. As a race, they are as likely to fight Evil as they are to join it. Because of that, it’s harder to stereotype against them and that makes them unpredictable.

Halflings are loathsome little creatures. That’s my personal opinion of them with their hairy feet. It’s quite a shame when a Villain is thwarted by a halfling. They’re often described as incredibly lucky and nimble. Their adventurers are often referred to as ‘child molester’s worst nightmare’. And they are all so sickeningly joyous that it plants them firmly in the Light camp.

Dwarves are, for the lack of a better word, angry beards on legs that are out to slap your shit. Angry, beer-soaked beards on legs. If you’re evil, they will not hesitate a single moment to rectify your existence. On the other hand, they are incredibly greedy because of which they tend to dig too deep in their mountain holds. That usually ends up in either them slapping some evil’s shit or dropping the whole mountain on top of said evil to keep it buried.

On the other side, we have orcs. Orcs are the perfect soldiers for any Dark Lord or Overlord. They are dumb enough to follow orders without question and relentless enough to go through with them. However, leaving them without any supervision makes them dangerous to everything around them and to themselves as they can and will attempt some really crazy stuff. Fortunately for them, orcs are very durable and can survive even decapitation if the head is reattached quickly enough.

Goblins are your best friends when it comes to sneaking and assassination. They are also malicious and cowardly, which makes them rather poor soldiers. In spite of their cowardice, they really hate the dwarves and will fight them if a push comes to shove, though you should not hope for a goblin victory. One can sometimes find goblins in orc company as the two races co-operate with devastating efficiency when it comes to destruction.

Beastfolk are one of the rare heteromorphic races. Werewolves, wererats, werecats, minotaurs, goatmen and others – they are all the same race and there is no rhyme or reason to the results of their reproduction as two werewolves won’t necessarily produce another werewolf. They are strictly carnivorous and do not mind eating sapients in the slightest, sometimes even indulging in some cannibalism. They often flock to destructive Dark Lords as war is a good source of food for them.

Trolls are some of the most interesting creatures one can encounter in this world as their intelligence is completely reliant on their upbringing. A typical troll is as smart as a rock and as tough as one. Such a troll can’t follow complex orders and will often be relegated to shock troops where his size and tendency to gobble up enemies will prove useful. On the opposite end you have the changelings, trolls who were raised by non-trolls. They are both brains and brawn and that can be terrifying.

And now we come to the elves, divided by the schism based on Light and Dark. The Light Elves of the Summer Court and the Dark Elves of the Winter Court emulate the enmity between Lightlings and Darklings. As such, they ally themselves with their corresponding betters. And just like Heroes and Villains, both Courts are similar as they all fancy themselves to be very long-lived and are arrogant pricks, regardless of the affiliation.

And last, but certainly not the least, we have dragons. They are often very ancient and very powerful, which means that you should give your best to dissuade Lucifer from engaging one unless he is certain that he can win. Dragons are also a heteromorphic race as no two dragons are the same. Some may have multiple heads or lack wings and legs, but there are three traits all of them share: a hoard, flight and fire breath. Regardless of their claims of benevolence or malevolence, dragons are a destructive force that leaves ruin behind it, the only difference being if they like having humanoids on the menu.

That’s all I can say from the top of my head.”

>How does magic work?
SHEPHERD: “Same as the gods work. At times unpredictably and dickishly, but one has to love it when it brings ruin to your enemies.
Magic is usually divided by the elements: flame, water, air, earth, metal, wood and energy. However, there are schools of magic that are outside this classification, such as domination, divination and diablerie.

But, don’t assume that only mages wield magic. What do you think how Heroes can deflect a swipe of a dragon’s tail or inexplicably materialize behind your back?

Oh, and one more thing, the better one is at magic, the more resistant he is to its effects. So, keep that in mind when dealing with mages – cold, hard steel does wonders on them.”

>other worlds
SHEPHERD: “There are other worlds, but I only know this one. Sorry.”

2/2 Skrakar 2015/11/04(Wed)10:06 No. 681373 ID: 8ebdb8
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>What can you say about the social, political, technological and economic landscape we will be operating in?
>If you could give us a general rundown of the current geopolitical situation we'd be ever so grateful.
SHEPHERD: “Let me check something with Lucifer.

Okay, his connection to the Map is fine, though we’re too high in the air for a more detailed representation.

Geopolitics is sometimes rather simplistic: destroy or be destroyed. Such is the struggle of Good and Evil, Light and Dark. But I’m guessing you didn’t mean how Abaddon’s domain fared.

Here you have the Erythrean Empire, the reflection of Lucifer’s former home. It is populated by all sapient races, though some chafe more under it than others. It is ruled not by an emperor or a king, but by the Church of Light which worships the Light itself, with addition of gods they deem to be Light-oriented. Its goal is to remove all that is Dark and Evil from the world and unite all in the Light. The Church has a Hierophant at its head, who is unnamed and completely covered in order to symbolise how race matters not in the Light. One then has to wonder why there is a lack of really short Hierophants in spite of dwarven and halfling involvement in the Church.

Next is Seltria, a human kingdom under the rule of King Velerad Rezni. Its people resembles the dwarves in mannerisms and wealth and Light Elves in their respect for forests, with the oak being their most sacred tree. They also believe to have descended from wolves – silly, if you ask me. The kingdom is often in armed conflict with Uwerland since they squabble over certain territories. Velerad had three sons and all three of them died in battles against Abaddon. For a time, it seemed that the youngest son would survive thanks to his cunning…until he ran into a troll that was too dumb to be tricked. Now he only has a daughter of eight summers. Considering the orb’s velocity and where we currently are, I believe that Lucifer will land somewhere here in Seltria.

Uwerland is another human kingdom, ruled by King Seltkirk Attergrift. Humans of Uwerland are highly disciplined, but often debt-ridden as their land lacks many natural resources and it seems that they are welcoming of the Church of Light. It is quite possible that they will abandon their old ways at the prospect of having a powerful ally that could aid them in their plans regarding Seltria. However, I wonder if they will continue with their non-human purges in their woods after the Church establishes itself within their borders. Considering Seltkirk’s heir, I am not optimistic in that regard.

Then there’s Morudain, a federation of dwarven holds, ruled by various guilds. In general, there’s little to say about these guilds as their heads change relatively fast, but it is notable to say that, in spite of dwarf xenophobia, they trade quite a lot with all other countries in the region, overcoming even their stereotypical dislike for elves. As a final note on it, I tell you that Morudain is unassailable from topside.

And now…Brackenert Isles. Do I really have to talk about halflings? Alright. They’re largely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things and the only reason why the isles are independent is that other good races feel sorry for the hairy-footed blighters. They don’t even have a proper government, but live in some kind of anarcho-capitalist communes. Disgusting. But I’ll admit one thing about halflings – they cultivate some good blazeweed.

Aen Targnir is the homeland of the light elves, with the pompously named Everking Cerion of the Summer Court as its ruler. His domain used to be far greater before the rise of humans and that was long before the time elves needed surnames and titles to avoid confusion. In my opinion, the humans have only pushed the light elves into more realistic borders considering their population, but elves don’t forget such slights easily.

Morgwath, on the other hand, was a dark elven vassal state under Overlord Abaddon’s rule and governed by the Council of Matriarchs. They enjoyed Abaddon’s protection from Erythrean Empire, but now that he has fallen, I’m not certain how long they will hold before being annexed in the name of Light.

And for the end, Desolation. That’s how many called the domain of Lucifer’s father for he never bothered to properly name it. Calling it ‘my domain’ was enough for him. It is the home of many orcs, humans, goblins, trolls, dark elves, beastfolk and others where they could have lived as brutally as they wanted to. A troll did not have to worry about killing a trespasser in his lair. Minotaurs were not judged for consuming manflesh. Goblins dominated the underground. Orcs marched under the watchful gaze of their Overlord. Now it’s up for grabs and I think that Erythrean Empire will take the largest piece of that cake, though it will take some time.”

>so what is the metaphysics exactly?
SHEPHERD: “Metaphysics is a traditional branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world that encompasses it. And it boils down to the struggle between Light and Dark, which will inevitably always reach balance for short periods of time. And math. Lots and lots of math. Nearly everything can be expressed in numbers, and not in the sense of ‘force equals mass multiplied by acceleration’. Experience is quantifiable and people gain levels when they accumulate enough of it. Health is quantifiable. Mana is quantifiable. Hell, even your mundane skills like brushing teeth can be expressed in numbers. And everything’s success or failure depends on random chance, as if someone or something is rolling the dice in the background. That’s scary, if you ask me.

However, most people are not aware of it at all. I believe that a peasant would die from such a realisation, even though he’s a level 3 Farmer. Adventurers, on the other hand, actually know about leveling and classes, but they lack the ability to control their own progression. At the end, we have Heroes and Villains who are intrinsically aware of all this and, with the aid of spirits, can control their own path.

To make it even easier for you, Heroes and Villains have access to Inventory and Map. You’ve already seen the Map, though in a slightly limited edition – a magic abstraction of your surroundings from a top-down perspective. Inventory is, in layman’s terms, a pocket dimension with unlimited storage capacity. Before you ask, no, you can’t store anything that can move by its own volition, living or dead. I don’t know why, it wasn’t me who designed the system, but he or she who did was a bastard for certain.”

>Alright first question. His stats are straight 10. 10 out of what, 100?
SHEPHERD: “That is a good question, though I have no answer to it. It is possible there might be a cap, but I’ve never witnessed anyone that reached it. The progression on higher levels gets so tedious that one begins to wonder if it’s worth the trouble. The highest stat I have seen in a Villain was Intellectof 87. It didn’t really help him against a Hero with Strength of 41.”

>How do we improve the boy's uh 'attributes'
SHEPHERD: “We’re about to cover that unless there are new questions.”

hmmm, no i think we are good.

so we're going to land in the realm of man populated by mostly light based races. Well that's not to bad. I mean everyone is going to be focusing on the the kid's old homeland so no one is going to be looking over their shoulder to see who's behind him but it might be a pain to build an army back there. I mean Seltria might be able to be persuaded if we can use there conflicts with Uwerland to our advantage. But hell Uwerland sounds like it's actually pretty close to the darkness it's self and only is allied with the light because they are promising power. Again we might be able to use that to get Seltria to help us. Hell if we can get Uwerland to try and purge Aen Targnir since they seem to hate none humans, then point out to Seltria these guys are followers of the church of light and make it seem like they're nothing but monsters we could get a good war going on and take some of the focus of the dark races. Not sure how to drag the dwarfs and hobbits into the chaos though. Oh well we still have lots of time to plan.

Seltria seems like it is potentially a perfect starting place if we can establish a false persona as a hero and 'win' the princess' hand in marriage to take over the throne. The hardest part about this is the question of how we can support our natural allies in Desolation and Morgwath to prevent the Imperial state from genocidally crushing them before we develop our power base. We need to know more about Seltria, the princess, the current king, their key governing figures and other sources of authority if we're going to either subvert or destroy it: If ascending their hierarchy is impossible, or too costly, we also will need to know how to create a power vacuum there and exploit that instead.

What's the underground look like? What shape is the world, and how big is it? How did Seltria get its name?

Big question: will there be any natural / self-imposed affinity for certain stats? Basically, you say that trolls are dumb, but if a troll puts in a serious effort to learn basic mathematics, to the point that they gain the same amount of experience that it takes for a child of the same intelligence stat to increase his intelligence by 1, will said troll gain 1 intelligence, or will they require MORE?

Can we break the bubble now or do we have to wait until he turns 22?

>>681438
"However, most people are not aware of it at all."
i take this to mean that most trolls simply don't gain int because they can't even attempt to pick it as a level bonus.

also int is more or less how fast you can think, someone stupid can do math with enough time and paper. but it takes smart people to do it fast and in their head.

I have more metaphysics related questions, but I'll wait until after your explanation of stats. I need to know though, what is magic? What is actually happening when a wizard casts a spell? Where does the energy come from?

>>681396
I like this strategy, with the major problem that there's probably people in this world that can detect light/dark auras. And that could really mess up such a plot in a hurry.
(Hell it'd be hilarious to take over as the Heirophant of the Church of Light, but that would be even harder with such abilities.)

I kind of feel like the Isles might be a good place to start building a foothold since the other countries aren't going to care much about what happens there. Gives us a head start, yanno.

>>681611
Anarcho-capitalist communes man, the political system is pretty darned close to impossible to exploit because it lacks exploitable hierarchy. There's not gonna be factions to play off, or bounties (monsters?) to hunt, and them halflings are not disposed to the dark side of the force. So, if we look like we're trying to perform a fascist takeover those danged fur-feet will gang up and shoot us until we're dead, if we even make it that far.
We'll get much further trying to take over or collapse an already-unstable feudal hierarchy.

1/2 Skrakar 2015/11/08(Sun)14:53 No. 682473 ID: 1a54f7
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SHEPHERD: I do like some of these plans I’m hearing.

> The hardest part about this is the question of how we can support our natural allies in Desolation and Morgwath to prevent the Imperial state from genocidally crushing them before we develop our power base.
SHEPHERD: “I wouldn’t worry too much about that. One of the advantages of dark races is that they know when to quit. I’m quite certain that the minions are already scurrying in all directions and into enemy territory to hide. The Light-aligned often forget that a Dark Lord, for the most part, keeps the orcs and others out of their countries. Now they’ll have to deal with orcish shenanigans.”

> We need to know more about Seltria, the princess, the current king, their key governing figures and other sources of authority if we're going to either subvert or destroy it
SHEPHERD: “ I can’t tell you more than I already have. I am neither omniscient nor omnipresent. Most things I know I’ve learned like everybody else: by listening, seeing or reading. And it would really spoil the fun if I did tell you everything, don’t you agree?”

> What's the underground look like?
SHEPHERD: “Hard to say for the most part. Aside from Morudain, it’s very unstable and dangerous.”

>What shape is the world, and how big is it?
SHEPHERD: “…It’s a cube. I don’t why some always assume that a world can be any other shape but round.
I don’t know how big it is. There are always some unexplored parts of the world and I’m not exactly free to roam around wherever I like, nor would I want to be.”

>i take this to mean that most trolls simply don't gain int because they can't even attempt to pick it as a level bonus.
SHEPHERD: “Exactly. A troll born and raised in the wilds among trolls generally don’t achieve the requirements for a class that allows growth of their Intelligence during their childhood. A troll that lived a solitary life can barely speak two words in a row.
However, a troll that lived with a family of humans or elves will become averagely smart because he or she needs to modify typical troll behavior. But don’t expect to find a troll inventor or something like that. That’s just beyond their capabilities.

>How did Seltria get its name?
SHEPHERD: “How does anything get a name? Someone thought it was appropriate.
In all seriousness though, it’s derived from its people’s ethnonym - Seltri.”

> Big question: will there be any natural / self-imposed affinity for certain stats?
SHEPHERD: “There is. We’ll come to that.”

>I need to know though, what is magic? What is actually happening when a wizard casts a spell? Where does the energy come from?
SHEPHERD: “You’ll hear many different explanations during Lucifer’s travels. Power is drawn from interdimensional gaps. Magic is the gift of the gods. It’s all bollocks.

Magic is a state of mind. And I firmly believe it’s a result of some miscalculation.
As I’ve already mentioned, wizards aren’t the only ones with magic. Everyone has access to magic, but not all can tap into that inner power. Most lack the confidence, will, faith or plain insanity to channel their own magic and alter the world around them. That’s actually why certain rituals require sacrifices – to harness the magic of the ones sacrificed.

However, don’t misinterpret my comment. Gods do exist and they perform miracles, but miracles are no magic.”

>there's probably people in this world that can detect light/dark auras
SHEPHERD: “They’re called paladins and sorcerers. Some priests can do it too.”

>Can we break the bubble now or do we have to wait until he turns 22?
SHEPHERD: “Let me bring up Item Description. Maybe I’m wrong.

…Nope. A decade, as it is standard. Though he has made some mistakes due to his lust, Abaddon was no fool. He knew that Lucifer would be safe only within the orb of darkness until he grows strong and the orb forced the boy into sleep to protect his mental health. It can’t be good for a child to have voices in his head as only company. And I’m sure that Abaddon himself will…

…Wait. This is…This is Abaddon’s orb of darkness. I’ve just realised that he had never requested a second one. Then, he sacrificed the last ace up his sleeve to save…his son? His last act was one of nobleness? Wow. When you think you know somebody…

Listen, I’ll…I’ll try to have something extra for Lucifer when we meet again. For now, let’s get on with the explaining.”

2/2 Skrakar 2015/11/08(Sun)14:59 No. 682476 ID: 1a54f7
File 144702356668.png - (170.11KB , 807x1006 , VQ017.png )

SHEPHERD: “This is the Sheet, something only you as spirits can see. On it you can find the most important information about Lucifer’s status.

First, you have Hit Points that represent the life force of a creature. When they hit zero, you enter near-death state where you need to be healed immediately or you die.
Then, there are Magic Points which allow the casting of spells and use of abilities. When you deplete them, the body needs to recover before one can cast again.

Physique affects the physical power and endurance. Each point adds 10 Hit Points and 3% chance of resisting physical effects such as Knockdown, Stunned or others, as well as 3% damage reduction from effects such as Bleeding or Poisoned. It also increases melee damage, depending on the weapon type.

Coercion is your social competence to get others to do what you want them to do. It encompasses actions such as diplomacy, intimidation, bluffing and charm. Besides that, every 5 points adds 1 more member slot in Lucifer’s Retinue and it enhances the effectiveness of domination spells.

Arcana represents one’s magic power and resistance. Each point adds 10 Magic Points and 1 point of damage to offensive spells, as well as 1% chance to completely resist or deflect a spell cast by the enemy. It also reduces the time before magic debuffs wear off.

Perception encompasses awareness and insight. Through it, Lucifer will be able to identify points of interest and discern character traits of other people. Additionally, every 5 points will add 1 to Lucifer’s Initiative score in combat situations and aid him in executions through deadly Critical Damage which is dealt to vital organs.

Intellect includes learning and reasoning. With high enough score, Lucifer will be able to analyse situation correctly with less input and better accept or refuse your guidance. He will need less experience to expend to learn new spells, schools of magic and martial skills. And, as the final cherry on top, for every 10 points invested, he will be able to choose 1 more Perk every second level.

These statistics will be used in challenges that Lucifer will probably face in his quest for vengeance. But take note, only half of the rounded-down value will matter during such challenges to increase the chance of success or decrease the chance of failure.

Then we have Respect and Fear gauges which numerically abstract these two emotions others feel for Lucifer into tiers. Depending on how much others respect and/or fear him, Lucifer will be treated differently. Some of his actions will increase or decrease these values by a certain number while others might increase one but decrease the other. And while you might think that respect is all one needs, a wise person once said that it is better to be feared than loved. Both have their pros and cons.

And then there’s the sliding scale between being a conqueror and being a destroyer. This one also affects how others react to Lucifer, but while Respect and Fear influence one’s relations with people, this scale shows how political entities regard him. For example, as a conqueror, other rulers might see Lucifer as someone who is a threat that one can reason with and maybe befriend, while as a destroyer, Lucifer would be either a force that must be fought at all costs or something one must submit to in order to survive. Choices relating to these two extremes often conflict by lowering the score of the other, so it might be for the best to stick to one side.

Now, as you have probably noticed, young Lucifer is classless and without any experience points. That is because children gain classes only after they reach puberty, since, you know, it would be very weird to have a two-year-old paladin. Or a wizard. Could you imagine the horrors wrought by a baby wizard? It’s…actually fun to imagine that. But I’m digressing. What we need to do now is to enhance certain things from Lucifer’s past in order to turn them into Traits that will in turn define his class on the Sheet. You can choose up to three Traits, but some are more or less powerful which will then increase or decrease the number of Traits Lucifer can have. You can choose from these.”

Demonic Heritage
As Lucifer’s mother, Lilith, was a succubus, Lucifer is, in fact, part demon. This means that Lucifer will eventually be able to assume a demonic form and enter Hell to create his lair in it. His grasp of rituals used in diablerie and knowledge of demonology will be greater than normal and said rituals will be easier to perform. However, his voice will be infernal in sound which will make others fear him more and add penalties to all social actions besides intimidation.

Outrageously Boisterous
Lucifer was not a very subtle child, though his demeanor did have a charm to it. Because of this, Lucifer will be unable to take any stealth actions as his MANLY, BOOMING VOICE will alert anyone in the vicinity of his presence. However, there is a certain type of charisma to a boisterous bruiser, but people will be less likely to fear him when it matters most. This Trait allows you to choose one more.

Silver-tongued Devil
To say that Lucifer could talk a dwarf out of a gold nugget wouldn’t do justice to his persuasive abilities. Thus he will gain a massive bonus to any Coercion challenge and his speeches could lead others to respect him more. Let’s not mention that ladies can overlook many things for a very smooth talker. This Trait requires you to choose one less.

Beast Lord
Lucifer showed signs of a deeper connection with wild beasts during his childhood. He will be able to control wild animals and beastfolk will be more obedient and effective in combat, but due to his more beastly outlook on the world, Lucifer will be able to use only a quarter of his score in any challenge involving Intellect and bluffing challenges.

Benevolent Tyrant:
The young Darkling learned how to be magnanimous when it suited him. Pursuing the Path of the Conqueror will lead others to respect him more, armies will have higher morale and conquered populace will be less likely to rebel. A thriving domain will allow for less costly construction of lairs and their upgrades. On the other hand, choices that suit the Path of the Destroyer will greatly harm his reputation and if this Trait is chosen along with Demonic Heritage, it will result in weaker demonic forms and less effective diablerie. Slavery, if practiced, will be required to be financed and regulated by law. This Trait is incompatible with Ender of Days.

Avatar of Hatred
Lucifer’s trauma will consume him. He will have harder time to earn respect of others, Coercion challenges will be severely penalised except for intimidation. His domain will suffer more rebelions and slaves will not last as long as they would normally do. However, his every other attack during combat counts as Critical Damage. This Trait allows you to choose one more.

Mind and Matter
Lucifer’s father put great emphasis on training Lucifer both physically and mentally. Lucifer’s Physique and Intellect will gain one additional point each and after the final allocation of remaining stat points, the lower stat of the two will become equal to the higher one. This Trait requires you to choose one less.

True Cult
It felt good being adored for Lucifer. Lucifer will develop a god complex and gain Zealotry gauge on his Sheet which represents how worshipful of him his subjects are, which will make them more loyal and terrifying in battle. Impressive feats will make Lucifer’s followers awe-struck, but un-godlike behaviour will disillusion them. Certain choices related to Respect and Fear can increase or decrease Zealotry value. However, certain religious structures will also take an interest in thwarting you instead of being neutral.

Ender of Days
Lucifer always knew how to react disproportionately to slights. Following the Path of the Destroyer will lead others to fear him even more than they normally would and no army fielded against him will be able to have full morale, unless it is led by a Hero. His diablerie would be augmented and said augmentation would be even greater if combined with Demonic Heritage. His mental state will also allow him to learn necromancy if he finds someone willing to teach him. On the other hand, Lucifer’s only income will be from raiding and pillaging and survivors will often attempt to flee his domain rather than remain settled. Due to lack of populace, it will take more time to build lairs and upgrades for them. Choices that fit the Path of the Conqueror will damage his reputation. This Trait is incompatible with Benevolent Tyrant.

SHEPHERD: “If you’re wondering how they ‘ll be chosen, I’ll tell you. With the help of the most evil and malevolent method that brought much misery to all but those in charge: a democratic vote!
You can discuss your choices amongst yourselves if you feel inclined to do so.”
STRAWPOLL!
http://strawpoll.me/5958650

>Ender of Days
How viable is Necromancy in this world? Could one simply staff a mine with skeletons, or build a castle with the labour of zombies?

Or do such creatures require the conscious control of their master to not simply crumble?

-I need to know more about the relationship between the True Cult zealotry feature, respect and fear, and their synergy/clash with the Ender of Days morale features.
-I'd also like to know more about what the True Cult warning, "However, certain religious structures will also take an interest in thwarting you instead of being neutral," means. Do these 'religious structures' supernaturally develop instantaneous complete enmity towarrds Lucifer, and if not how does this opposition originate and progress differently than normal?
-Can we select both, "Silver-tongued Devil," and, "Mind and Matter," simultaneously or would that stretch the allowance too far?

think combo of Outrageously Boisterous, Benevolent Tyrant, as well as Mind and Matter is good. we can send others on sneaking missions for us, so OB wont be that big of a drawback. M&M will also make him far more suited towards the outright combats that OB will draw him into.

>>682473
We've seen weirder than cube planets. Still, this may get awkward.

As for Abaddon, maybe he just got sick of everything that he had become. Watching his own children tear apart their own lives just to kill him; an act of stupidity, hatred, envy, and outright humiliation. I think that it's quite possible that he survived with injuries, but has no intention to return to politics.

Also, I vote we break the damn bubble. If we can make some childhood friends, it might help restore the kid's sanity.

Can we give the kid a new nickname? I'm not comfortable typing his real name in friendly overtones. His name seems too "copyrighted" to feel like we deserve to interact with him.

We should take Outrageously Boisterous, Silver-tongued Devil, and Benevolent Tyrant. This way we could pretty much conquer anyone at all with little resistance, we'd have the highest morale of any army and our people would love us. The guy who said it is better to be feared than loved was wrong, love is better than fear, because people lash out against things that they fear. The real issue is respect. If people love you but don't respect you then you have issues. It is better to be loved and respected than to be feared and respected. Brutally oppressing the whole world isn't viable, but conquering it in the name of peace, justice, and equality is doable (even if your motives are selfish, and your morals low).

AHAHAHAHHA! As I suspected, magic breaks conservation of energy! Therefore the most efficient way to turn calories of energy into hps of damage is with MAGICALLY POWERED RAIL CANNONS! They're rail cannons, so they're awesome, plus they're magic, which makes them double awesome, plus they're effective on magic users as well as meat swingers which makes them triple awesome!

>>682569
Perks to Outrageously Boisterous:
1. Enemies will underestimate our cunning
2. Basically be Lucifer, king of conquerors
3. Better wartime speeches

Reasons not to pick Mind and Matter:
1. Too expensive
2. We'll be gaining stats anyway

who's voting beastlord? i mean sure you can vote what you want but i want t know your reasons for wanting:

+good with animals
-stupid
-bad at lying

>And, as the final cherry on top, for every 10 points invested, he will be able to choose 1 more Perk every second level.
Long term, Mind and Matter is the cheapest perk because it buys us more perks and skillpoints.

looking at the poll, it's already fallen apart. top ranked traits are severely incompatible. people are voting on full builds, the vote is taking traits individually. so we have a mess.

Skrakar 2015/11/09(Mon)10:47 No. 682733 ID: 2f5a7c
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First, I need to apologise for some certain writing errors in the previous update. I was a bit…sleepy, so my proofreading was not really up to par and I really wanted to update.
Second, next several posts from me will probably be just clarifications and answers to your questions until I’m certain that voting is done.
>How viable is Necromancy in this world? Could one simply staff a mine with skeletons, or build a castle with the labour of zombies?
>Or do such creatures require the conscious control of their master to not simply crumble?
SHEPHERD: “I hoped you wouldn’t ask. Necromancy is…the ultimate expression of disdain for life. Down that path, one will lose what little empathy one possessed beforehand and that path ends in lichdom if one survives long enough.

Standard undead are semi-autonomous magical constructs that do not really have skills beyond repetitive tasks. They wouldn’t suddenly fall apart if the one who created them died, but they do require constant supervision for anything more complicated than extinguishing life and standing around. This can be remedied by creating intelligent undead who can assert their own will on the mindless automatons, but that requires ripping a part of someone’s soul in the afterlife. As I said, the ultimate expression of disdain for life, where even life after death is in danger and not even the dead can know peace from such Evil. It’s an iffy subject even for me.

The major downside of it is that one might anger a god enough for him to conveniently forget that he’s not allowed to directly smite specific mortals.”

>I need to know more about the relationship between the True Cult zealotry feature, respect and fear, and their synergy/clash with the Ender of Days morale features.
SHEPHERD: “Zealotry is closely related to acts that inspire great Respect and/or Fear. For a greatly exaggerated example, if Lucifer killed a dragon with his bare hands on his own, aside from making him more respected and feared, such an action would be a confirmation of his own divinity – because there’s no inexplicable phenomenon so bizarre that you couldn’t find some group of people, somewhere in the world, worshipping the damn thing. And when someone asks you if you are a god, you better always answer yes. On the other hand, if Lucifer was shamefully defeated by halflings, all three gauges would suffer, with Zealotry taking the greatest hit as people’s expectations of him would be betrayed.

Further explanation on Respect and Fear and how they can affect each other requires another practical example. Imagine a siege of a city. Doing it normally would slightly raise these stats because Lucifer, as a Villain, showed that he is a competent commander and a legitimate threat. If he allowed the non-combatants to evacuate the city, Lucifer would be respected more as an honourable foe, but he would be feared less due to his mercy. However, if he promised safe passage to non-combatants and then backed out on his word, Lucifer would become more feared as someone unpredictable, but people’s respect for him would suffer thanks to his dishonourable action.

If combined with Ender of Days, Zealotry would start producing aggressive death cults that would further terrorise the world in Lucifer’s name and his own warriors would become zealots bent on destruction. When it comes to morale of the enemy, normally, Fear would reduce their morale and make them easier to route, with the exception of dwarves and Light zealots. With Ender of Days, even they would require brown pants when facing Lucifer without Heroes leading them.”

>Do these 'religious structures' supernaturally develop instantaneous complete enmity towarrds Lucifer, and if not how does this opposition originate and progress differently than normal?
SHEPHERD: “The opposition would stem from the fact that Lucifer would start stealing the faithful from other cults. No one likes competition. In normal circumstances, evil cults might try to ally themselves with Lucifer, but with True Cult, they’d be more likely to see him as a rival to their own beliefs. In another case, a peaceful religion would start to very actively badmouth Lucifer as a false deity and whatnot once they learn of the cult of personality centred around him.”

>Can we select both, "Silver-tongued Devil," and, "Mind and Matter," simultaneously or would that stretch the allowance too far?
SHEPHERD: “They are two very powerful Traits that would allow Lucifer to breeze through his life and thus require two slots each. No dice on that.”

>think combo of Outrageously Boisterous, Benevolent Tyrant, as well as Mind and Matter is good
>We should take Outrageously Boisterous, Silver-tongued Devil, and Benevolent Tyrant.
SHEPHERD: “This could work, but only if Outrageously Boisterous is more popular than Mind and Matter or Solver-tongued Devil, else these Traits will eat up the last remaining slot.

However, if you give me the right incentive, as a Spirit Shepherd, I could throw in a vote that could ensure such a combination. After all, I am connected to every Dark One in this world.”

>who's voting beastlord?
SHEPHERD: “Don’t discount mastery over beasts, humanoid or otherwise. As a Beast Lord, Lucifer could achieve things with beastfolk he normally wouldn’t be able to, like actually disciplining them, and just imagine what he could do with rats and other vermin during a siege. His intellect won’t be reduced…it’s just that his mind won’t be as quick as it would normally be at a moment’s notice.

>MAGICALLY POWERED RAIL CANNONS
SHEPHERD: “What are…cannons? If you mean canon, I don’t know why you are so happy about a bunch of religious books. Or why they would hang from rails.”

>We've seen weirder than cube planets.
SHEPHERD: “I don’t know how you could have since this is the first time I awakened you, but...okay?”

>As for Abaddon, maybe he just got sick of everything that he had become. Watching his own children tear apart their own lives just to kill him; an act of stupidity, hatred, envy, and outright humiliation. I think that it's quite possible that he survived with injuries, but has no intention to return to politics.
SHEPHERD: “Actually, he probably has never been prouder of his bastard sons and daughters, even though he’d behead them all if he had won. And that would be more of a punishment for failure than retribution for betrayal. It’s not that uncommon for Villains to be usurped by their own offspring. And without his orb of darkness to escape in, Abaddon’s tale is sadly finished for good.”

>Also, I vote we break the damn bubble. If we can make some childhood friends, it might help restore the kid's sanity.
SHEPHERD: “This is a terrible idea for the following reasons.

First, how are you to break the orb? You have no agency in this world outside of Lucifer and the child is in a state of deep slumber. At this time, you can’t do anything but help forging this Darkling into an instrument of Evil from within.

Second, the orb of darkness cannot be broken in a conventional way. It is the ultimate defense of a Villain that needs to escape from the jaws of defeat. Heroes would have if they could. The only way that an orb of darkness could be destroyed would be if it collided with an orb of light at great speed. And that is extremely stupid as both orbs would disintegrate themselves and their content, not to mention that such collision would bring about a magical cataclysm. It happened ONCE before and no one dared repeat it in the last three millennia.

Third, Lucifer’s sanity is fine. For a Dark One, I mean. Sure, he had a traumatic experience, but this child witnessed blood eagles and impalements his whole life. There’s nothing to fix about him. The problem would arise if he started to regard you, spirits, as his friends due to isolation at this young age. And he’s about to enter that period of rebellion and poor impulse control with all those hormones involved…Do you really want to deal with that? I certainly wouldn’t. ”

>It is better to be loved and respected than to be feared and respected.
SHEPHERD: “Is it? If others do not fear Lucifer, do you think that being loved by the common folk will stop a party of murderhobos from waltzing into his citadel to plunder or from attacking him? No, it won’t. Being respected does not mean that others take you seriously. Many inventors, artists, poets, courtesans and so many other people were respected and well-loved in their communities, but they were still robbed or even killed as no one feared retribution. That’s why there’s always a group of idiotic highwaymen who will attempt to rob the Heroes – no one is afraid of them.

Fear does not necessarily require oppression of others, but every ruler needs to make an example of those who dare make a mockery out of their authority. Even a world of justice and rainbows needs gallows for certain non-desirables. And it’s always good to have a very particular set of skills that allows you to find them and kill them.”

>looking at the poll, it's already fallen apart. top ranked traits are severely incompatible. people are voting on full builds, the vote is taking traits individually. so we have a mess.
SHEPHERD: “I know, right? Democracy at its finest. Sometimes spirits need a crash course in it to get that. Fortunately for you, dealing with Lucifer will be more like enlightened dictatorship or the likes of it.”
Still the same strawpoll.
http://strawpoll.me/5958650

>>682733
Um. The traits that give you an extra slot seem like they take... 0 slots? I'm not sure how they'd be incompatible with any build.

>Um. The traits that give you an extra slot seem like they take... 0 slots? I'm not sure how they'd be incompatible with any build.
Destructive interference of effects. For example adding, "Outrageously Boisterous," and, "Demonic Heritage," would make someone that was bad at social interactions, without the bonus to inciting fear (because that would be nullified by the Outrageously Boisterous).

>Many inventors, artists, poets, courtesans and so many other people were respected and well-loved in their communities, but they were still robbed or even killed as no one feared retribution.
But here you must think about WHY they were respected. Those artisans gained respect through skill at their crafts, our craft is war and battle, you'll notice how none of those poets were challenged to high-stakes rap battles. If we gained respect as a conqueror people wouldn't really fear us as a threat to their safety, but they would respect our strength enough not to cross us. Although this whole thing might just be arguing semantics. And it's not like not enforcing laws would make the people love us more, we'd still have punishments for crimes and treason, they'd just be fair laws.

>>682780
Demonic Heritage is more than just fear. In fact, the fear thing is partially a disadvantage from Demonic Heritage. I'd say Outrageously Boisterous even works well when paired with it, because the "too much fear" and "too little fear" disadvantages cancel out.

>>682733
Cannons are a form of projectile weapon designed to take down giant enemies, vehicles, and structures; the basic ingredient is explosions. I'm kind of surprised that this world doesn't have common knowledge about cannons; how the heck did the heroes of Light damage the overlord's castle towers without obsidian-piercing siege weapons?!

I think that the kid has a vendetta against those that murdered his close family for fun and profit. Let him torture them psychologically; force them to see who they are and do things that they would not normally do. Like breaking all their taboos on sex. And working a few days as a scholar. And renouncing their faiths to save the lives of those they care about. And some butchering and diseases every once in a while, just to keep the fear and respect stable.

Small note: some of us were helping an overlord from another planet/dimension/whatever, and we got connected to the kid instead. We're not stupid, just humorously idiotic.

>>682733
well, only incentive i can think of is power. as in, when lucifer grows up we have him give you something good.

>>682733
A rail cannon is a device that harnesses the magnetic properties of lightning to launch a metallic projectile at ludicrous speeds.

Skrakar 2015/11/11(Wed)08:01 No. 683233 ID: a6b0fe
File 144725766485.png - (12.83KB , 248x363 , VQ019.png )

>Um. The traits that give you an extra slot seem like they take... 0 slots? I'm not sure how they'd be incompatible with any build.
SHEPHERD: “In theory, you’d be right. But in practice, it’s a bit different. Such a Trait takes up a slot and adds another of its own as it’s more of a flaw. That’s why you could take Avatar of Hatred and Mind and Matter in that order as second and third Trait, but not the other way around since Mind and Matter would take up the remaining two slots.

Also, what your compatriot said. A boisterous half-demon would just confuse most people, no matter whose side they’re on.”
>Destructive interference of effects.

> If we gained respect as a conqueror people wouldn't really fear us as a threat to their safety, but they would respect our strength enough not to cross us.
SHEPHERD: “You missed the final part of my argument. Two-bit brigands will attack Heroes who are clad in armour that would make angels weep in envy and made a fancy seafood dinner out of a kraken because Heroes don’t have a Fear gauge. That’s actually why they are the only beings in this world that have to fend off regular rats with swords at lower levels. If a Villain does not maintain at least some reputation of terror, he will lose a lot of time dealing with challenges that are far beneath him.

I feel I exhausted every venue of trying to convince you that a Villain needs Fear as well as Respect in his pursuit of world domination, so make what you will of it.”

>And it's not like not enforcing laws would make the people love us more, we'd still have punishments for crimes and treason, they'd just be fair laws.
SHEPHERD: “Now we truly enter the realm of semantics as Light and Dark view fairness differently. A lawful Hero would argue that a rapist should be imprisoned and possibly whipped. A lawful Villain would have a far more gruesome punishment for said rapist: blinding, removal of the tongue and teeth, ripping of nails and castration. In my opinion, draconic laws can be more than fair.”

>Cannons are a form of projectile weapon designed to take down giant enemies, vehicles, and structures; the basic ingredient is explosions.
>A rail cannon is a device that harnesses the magnetic properties of lightning to launch a metallic projectile at ludicrous speeds.
SHEPHERDS: “Sounds a bit convoluted to me and it seems like you’d need wizards to achieve those things. And wizards can already make explosions and launch metal projectiles, so it’s like you’re adding an unnecessary step to the equation.”

>I'm kind of surprised that this world doesn't have common knowledge about cannons; how the heck did the heroes of Light damage the overlord's castle towers without obsidian-piercing siege weapons?!
SHEPHERD: “I’ve never heard of using volcanic glass to build fortresses either. And you have catapults, trebuchets and wizards to explain the damage dealt to Abaddon’s lair. Just like in any other siege.”

>I think that the kid has a vendetta against those that murdered his close family for fun and profit.
SHEPHERD: “Very observant. What tipped you off?”

>Small note: some of us were helping an overlord from another planet/dimension/whatever, and we got connected to the kid instead.
SHEPHERD: “That…shouldn’t happen. I think I should file a report on that.”

>We're not stupid, just humorously idiotic.
SHEPHERD: “I’m beginning to see that. And that leaves me worried.”

>well, only incentive i can think of is power. as in, when lucifer grows up we have him give you something good.
SHEPHERD: “Power and objects mean little to me. In all seriousness, it’s usually me who grants the goodies to others, but I appreciate the thought.

However, it seems that my vote would mean little now. Benevolent Tyrant will most likely win, while Silver-tongued Devil and Mind and Matter are consistently tied.
Would you agree to a second round between the two to break that tie? Should Lucifer be a master of negotiation or an image of physical and mental perfection?”

Going with Silver Tongued. It's a powerful skill. Also, let's get this second round of votes over with.

Cannons are actually an overpowered weapon. Each of them is capable of decimating enemy structures WITHOUT a wizard to use them, and they can be used in large quantities by multiple minions of great strength. It gets even better when you miniaturize the cannon to fit in your hand. A strange concept for sure, but in the same way that bows are so effective because they traverse long distances and can attack weak points that will result in great damage with a little force, the hand cannons we've seen are so powerful that the projectile fired is faster than the speed of sound. Dodge THAT.

sure, a round two to figure out the final selection would be good.

>>683233
I was thinking we could store magical energy in the form of electricity, and then use that to fire the rail cannon(s). This way we wouldn't be limiting our damage output based on the wizards' MP and it wouldn't count as a magical attack. Of course we'd have to invent a whole bunch of component parts first, but this is more of a long-term plan. Thinking more short-term, regular cannons and arabesques are probably a good point to start our mad science at. Is sulfur a known of thing in this world? Maybe we should be asking a dwarf.

I think I see your point about the fear thing. It's less about having the common man cowering in terror at our mere presence, but more about having something to act as random encounter repellent.

Also, for the love of god, give us another round of voting.

Skrakar 2015/11/12(Thu)12:10 No. 683562 ID: c90c0a
File 144735902747.png - (71.13KB , 758x545 , VQ020.png )

>Also, for the love of god, give us another round of voting.
SHEPHERD: “Wow, such an attitude, wouldn’t you agree, Tinyfer?”

TINYFER: “Oh, yes, no respect for you. But not without a reason.”

SHEPHERD: “Huh? What do you mean, Tinyfer?”

TINYFER: “You took too damn long with that ‘teach them about democracy’ crap instead of doing what you’re supposed to do, you lazy bum!”

SHEPHERD: “Oh, right. Sorry, my bad. Getting off my soapbox.
Anyway, the most popular Trait is unsurprisingly Benevolent Tyrant. Prosperous domain of Evil with expansionist tendencies, here we come!
The runner-ups are Silver-tongued Devil and Mind and Matter, each a very powerful Trait that takes up two slots, both with the same number of votes.

And now we enter the second round of voting to break the tie!
If there are still spirits around that didn’t expire from boredom, I guess.
GO!”

http://strawpoll.me/5989598
Winning trait will be known within next 24 hours.

>If there are still spirits around that didn’t expire from boredom, I guess.
Would someone as clever and great as you summon impatient spirits to raise a child for more than 10 years?

I give you that this exercise showed some flaws of simple-majority, single-runoff, polling democracy. That said, you did not attempt the harder task of discrediting all forms of democratic decisionmaking, least of all consensus-based ones. It's trivial to show that divided leadership and confrontational decisionmaking can lead to an outcome nobody likes. However, even these problems in a voting-based system can be varyingly compensated for or outright solved with different voting systems. I'm not a specialist in the field, but even I can tell you that some of these include votes of non-confidence, hierarchical votes, and successive-elimination. Heck, even just allowing people to nominate particular sets of options instead of separate and potentially-contradictory traits would have made this easier to handle, as we could have considered and planned for synergy more effectively than we did.

That is behind us though, and now we need to talk about the normal means of getting our start and developing our skills, abilities, allies and resources. Do we start like a journeyman adventurer, or what?

Skrakar 2015/11/13(Fri)15:04 No. 683789 ID: 002a73
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>Would someone as clever and great as you summon impatient spirits to raise a child for more than 10 years?
SHEPHERD: “You’d be surprised how many ancient spirits expire after awakening. It’s almost like when you surprise a very old man who was sleeping. Keeping you busy after awakening is one of the standard procedures to prevent expiration.

Ah, I remember my first day on the job. That Villain had only two spirit advisors left after I was done with him. Had to monitor him after that as punishment.”

>Do we start like a journeyman adventurer, or what?
SHEPHERD: “Woah, watch your language. Never refer to Heroes and Villains as ‘adventurers’, no matter what they have to do for a living. They don’t like that.

But, in reality, yeah, sort of. Most likely. Unless you find out upon Lucifer’s awakening that the orb became a totem in a goblin settlement or something.

In other news, Mind and Matter won and Lucifer’s class is despot. Here’s another long-winded lecture.

Despots are the most political of the Villains as they specialise in state-building and leading armies from the front. Historically, despots are usually remembered as positive figures, though history books are often modified to hide the fact that they are Villains. Unfortunately, their domains usually crumble thanks to chaotic Heroes or other Villains.

Despot’s most important Attributes are Physique and Intellect, of which one should be chosen as the Primary Attribute and the other shall become a Secondary Attribute, since they enhance his Class Perks.
Coercion is despot’s fixed Secondary Attribute as he relies more on the adoration of his subjects than other Villain classes and it also enhances one of his Class Perks.
Arcana and Perception are Attributes that are somewhat less important for the class, but it’s never a good idea to make either a dump stat.

Despot’s Class Perks are Inspiring Leadership, Stewardship and Warrior.
Inspiring Leadership grants one more member slot in Lucifer’s Retinue for free and the ability to issue specific orders that give his Retinue combat bonuses. It also reduces morale loss for the army led by the despot. Physique, Coercion and Intellect improve this Perk.
Stewardship allows the domain to run smoother and lessen the impact that expansion has on the domain. It also reduces the need for vassals that would run certain provinces in despot’s stead, thus avoiding certain problems of feudalism. Intellect further improves this Perk.
Warrior is a Perk that represents the despot’s martial ability. With it, the despot has free access to certain special moves in melee combat, depending on the weapon he’s wielding, and the effectiveness of his armour is increased. Physique upgrades this Perk.

Now, my friends, you should choose Lucifer’s Primary Attribute – the chosen Attribute will automatically receive 10 Attribute Points now and once Lucifer is big and strong, he will need less Attribute Points to upgrade it in the future.

Oh, and one more thing. You have 10 additional Attribute Points to allocate, so I’ll leave you to debate amongst yourselves how you will do it. Give me a whistle when you’re done or if you need further clarification.”

We got Mind and Matter, so just dump them ALL into INT.

>>683789
I believe his Primary should be Physique. We have been warned that focusing on Intelligence will leave us vulnerable to warrior-type heroes. Mind and Matter will give us a boost in Int right now, but we should focus on Physique for the future.

We can minmax by effectively putting 20 points in Physique and taking advantage of the spillover into Intelligence to let us coast through most confrontations until we can get Coercion or other stats up to give us a more rounded approach.

I think we should consider putting a few points into Coercion right away though.

>>683795
Unless there's additional secondary effects for advancing physique not mentioned, most of the benefits of doing so cap out at 34 points. In contrast, there's no upper limit to how much increased intelligence can help us, although there is definitely hazards for overspecializing in any attribute.

>Never refer to Heroes and Villains as ‘adventurers’, no matter what they have to do for a living. They don’t like that.
What's a more appropriate term less likely to offend then, murderhobo? I'm asking because I don't know.

>>683790
Yeah, I like the thought of starting with 90 beginning attribute points by spending 20 to increase us by 40. Int is our best choice of primary attribute as well because it gives us additional perks and skillpoints beyond compare.

Can anyone come up with an alternative that's actually sane, keeping in mind that we don't really want to increase physique beyond 34 unless and until most of our other stats have caught up?

>>683789
>Heroes and Villains don't like being called adventurers.
Uh... why not? Is there some unusual stigma associated with the term?

Anyway yeah I have to agree with dumping all our initial points into either Int or Phys to get max value out of Mind and Matter, not sure which should be the primary though. Probably Int, just based on our general play style.

Why would physique or int be primary or secondary? Doesn't mind and matter make them identical?

Mind and Matter make both equal at allotment right? That means that the best option here is to dump every single point we have right now (20, total?) into one of those two so these points are worth double. After that future points can go towards balancing the other stats.
Plus, higher int is more effective early on when we can use it to buy more perks.

I vote all on Int.

the way i am reading it, the primary stat will need less points to get better. so while the trait will balance them now, we need to pick how he will evolve. i vote int primary, with a sprinkling of Coercion, 6 points into it, and 2 to each of the other 2. will give us some front load but not a massive over specialization.

Time to min/max like a motherfucker, I'm all in on INT! (with the understanding that we'll have to grab some Coercion as quickly as possible)

Maybe we can find some orcs to impress with our strength...

Skrakar 2015/11/16(Mon)09:50 No. 684379 ID: 51280d
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>What's a more appropriate term less likely to offend then, murderhobo? I'm asking because I don't know.
>Uh... why not? Is there some unusual stigma associated with the term?
SHEPHERD: “As I’ve previously mentioned, adventurers are a completely separate thing from Dark Ones and Light Ones. As for the reason why both Heroes and Villains have a problem with adventurers, both sides dislike them because adventurers are power without purpose.

Heroes have to deal with the fact that Light-aligned adventurers often do what Heroes are supposed to do, but they do it the wrong way. Adventurers make a mess of what is supposed to be a clean job. Additionally, adventurers tend to rummage through the belongings of the common folk, who are often too afraid to call them out on it or report them to the authorities. And let’s not even start with the murderhobos whose only goal in life is to increase their own power and defeat powerful opponents for the sake of looting.

Villains, on the other hand, hate adventurers as they’re often an obstacle in their path of conquest and destruction as they aimlessly thin out one’s armies for experience and loot important outposts to fuel their lives of laxity. Sometimes, adventurers are a Villain’s competition and Villains simply don’t take kindly to competition. It’s simply embarrassing when people are more afraid of a bunch of murderhobos than they are of you or when some adventurers overtake a kingdom before you could.

In short, Heroes and Villains have a disdain for the term because it symbolises a life without direction and full of screw-ups. So, just call them Heroes, Villains, Dark Ones, Light Ones, Lightlings, Darklings…They’re doing what they’re meant to do and they do it how it’s meant to be done.”

>Maybe we can find some orcs to impress with our strength...
SHEPHERD: “Keep your…interests to yourself, thank you.”

>We got Mind and Matter, so just dump them ALL into INT.
>In contrast, there's no upper limit to how much increased intelligence can help us
>Yeah, I like the thought of starting with 90 beginning attribute points by spending 20 to increase us by 40. Int is our best choice of primary attribute as well because it gives us additional perks and skillpoints beyond compare.
>Anyway yeah I have to agree with dumping all our initial points into either Int or Phys to get max value out of Mind and Matter, not sure which should be the primary though. Probably Int, just based on our general play style.
>I vote all on Int.
>Time to min/max like a motherfucker, I'm all in on INT!
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!

SHEPHERD: “WHAT DID YOU DOOOOOOOOOO?!”

Oh, those achievements? They're something of a gimmick for us; fun stuff, you get collectibles in exchange for doing something exceptional. A lot of evildoers are incentivized to get as many achievements as possible to challenge themselves.

Also, what's wrong with excessive strength and intelligence? It's not like the kid can't spend the rest of his time increasing his other stats.

... Unless of course, you want to pop the bubble.

What did you expect us to do with mind and matter? Did you think we would just spend two perk slots and ignore the beneficial effect?

Wonderful things obviously, is this the first time you have seen this happen?

>>684379
>Keep your…interests to yourself, thank you.
OI! What're you implying there, mate?

>WHAT DID YOU DOOOOOOOOOO?!
It's called winning.

Anyway, I can't think of any more questions, so unless there's still more we need to do here, or some incredibly important thing which you've neglected to tell us, then I think we're ready to head out into the great wide world.

he can break things in half, with muscles or his MIND.

We found an exploit and we abused the hell out of it. As you do.

Why, is there some problem with having three of our stats at 10? I mean we're planning to rectify that come next level. It shouldn't be too much of a problem, right?

Ooh, we should go make 3 more characters to get the other '30 at level 1' achievements.

You gave us an optimization question, we optimized. We are now playing a battle-philosophist for the next while. Now we move on to skillpoints, right?

Skrakar 2015/11/17(Tue)11:29 No. 684607 ID: 2739fe
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SHEPHERD: “You misunderstand. What did you DO? You just put points into stats. How is that worthy of an achievement? HOW?! What effort was made to do that? Should I get an achievement for dealing with you?”

ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED!

SHEPHERD: “…This world is going down the drain, I tell you.”

>What did you expect us to do with mind and matter? Did you think we would just spend two perk slots and ignore the beneficial effect?
SHEPHERD: “I don’t know, some restraint? You’ll understand what I mean once Lucifer re-enters the world. Before you ask, there are no backsies now. The die was cast and it landed firmly.”

>... Unless of course, you want to pop the bubble.
SHEPHERD: “In one ear and out the other with you, isn’t it?”

>OI! What're you implying there, mate?
SHEPHERD: “Look, I understand you’re from a different time, being ancient and all, but things change. It’s just not okay to have such…feelings toward orcs anymore. And…and I think it’s wrong to force such outdated views on Lucifer. He should be able to choose for himself who he shall impress.”

>Now we move on to skillpoints, right?
SHEPHERD: “Not exactly. You need experience for that and sadly, Lucifer has none right now. And though I can see much of his psyche, I can’t exactly determine what he is good at or what his untapped talents are, aside from the fact that he knows some moves in melee – but those aren’t related to any Skills. I guess you’ll have to learn of those things when he’s able to answer you.

But, now that you’ve decided that Intellect should be Lucifer’s Primary Attribute, we can move on to the penultimate question. What type of magic, or to be more precise, what mage archetype do you want Lucifer to have?
Lucifer has an affinity towards magic as all Dark Ones do, but he knows only the basics right now. What I can do is implant some knowledge into his head about more advanced spellcasting, but I wouldn’t risk teaching him more than one school of magic right now. And, unfortunately for you, I know only five archetypes suitable for a beginner and each of them gives him access to three basic spells. Fret not, Lucifer will be able to learn other schools if he wishes to. I even recommend it.

Oh, and one more thing. The archetype you choose now will give a small bonus to the spells of the same school that Lucifer learns later.”

Pyromancer
A mage whose power manifests in the form of fire. Highly destructive archetype.
Starting spells:
Flame Weapon – Pyromancer engulfs a weapon in flames, adding fire damage to attacks and chance to ignite the enemy at the expense of causing Bleeding on the enemy as fire cauterises wounds.
Lesser Fireball – Pyromancer hurls a ball of fire at an enemy that may explode upon contact instead of simply igniting the enemy. The explosion may ignite adjacent opponents.
Fire Mantle – Pyromancer engulfs himself in flames for defense. Opponents will be less likely to attack the pyromancer in melee and if they do, they will take damage for each attack with a chance of igniting themselves.

Frost Mage
A mage whose power manifests in the form of ice. Archetype that focuses on debilitating effects.
Starting spells:
Frost Weapon – Frost Mage enchants a weapon with a frost aura, adding frost damage to attacks and a chance to either slow or freeze the enemy.
Ice Bolt – Frost Mage hurls an ice spike at the enemy that deals piercing and frost damage to a single target with a chance of either slowing or freezing the opponent.
Iced Ground – Frost Mage covers an area with ice, making it hard for the enemy to move without a chance of being Knocked Down or Stunned after falling. There is also a chance of being slowed or frozen when traversing iced ground.

Dominator
A mage who specialises in muddling the minds of his opponents. Archetype that relies on Coercion besides Arcana for spell effectiveness.
Starting spells:
Confusion – Dominator clouds the mind of one opponent. Such an opponent has an increased chance to miss an attack, receive an attack or do nothing at all. Additionally, in this state, said enemy has a chance of attacking his allies.
Lesser Domination – Dominator invades the mind of one person and fills it with such lies that said person begins to see the dominator as their ally for a limited time. During that period, the person will obey every dominator’s command aside from committing suicide and divulging greatest secrets. However, the extent of out-of-character deeds, such as kinslaying, depends on the quality of the implanted lie.
Lesser Mindreading – Dominator may dig through the memories of a dominated target to acquire information. However, the dominated mind could still fight back subconsciously with mental barriers which require persuasion and bluffing to bypass.

Diviner
A mage whose magic reveals possibilities past, present and future through complex rituals. Non-combat archetype.
Starting spells:
Lesser Foresight – Diviner receives a vision of a possible outcome of an action within a week, determining whether the result will be good or bad with the help of a focus.
Lesser Identification – Diviner learns what an object is by touching it. The spell is limited to simple and famous magic objects.
True Sight – Diviner sees the Aura of a single creature with the help of a focus and prepared ritual that involves blazeweed. Diviner should not perform this spell without supervision.

Anti-mage
A mage who uses energy to sabotage other mages. Archetype that is specialised for disruption of opponent’s spells and casting.
Starting spells:
Lesser Dispel – Anti-mage removes a single debuff from a friendly target or a single buff from an enemy target that is magically induced.
Lesser Mind Blank – Anti-mage makes an enemy magic user lose their train of thought for a short period of time, making them unable to use their abilities. The enemy becomes Silenced.
Mana Burn – Anti-mage uses a fifth of the enemy’s current Magic Points against them, converting them into damage. However, this spell can’t kill the target, no matter how many Magic Points have been burned.

SHEPHERD: “I believe you’ve already learned what comes next. Voting!”
http://strawpoll.me/6031862

We decided that the kid will be an inherent genius, so those "whacky" ideas that we have could synergize with his magic abilities - see, we don't know how to engineer new magic spells, but we do know how to harness and modify technology to work with well-documented magical effects. So if the kid learns how to conjure a tiny explosion in the barrel of a cannon, "Boom". We can also use domination as a means for storing data, so that the kid can traumatically inscribe blueprints and captain's logs in the minds of his prisoners, to be reviewed at his leisure or fervently improved by said prisoners if they can't think of anything else.

So, is the final question what title the kid will take?

>>684608
that's a bad idea, because people die, books last longer then people's minds.

>>684610
The mind is a terrible thing to read.

But people are ALIVE. Books are not. Books can be re-interpreted. People can TEACH and DEBATE.

We'll need both to build a research center.

>>684607
>was saying those achievements are cheap
Well, I can't argue with that, but we didn't put them there.

>some restraint?
Fuck restraint, we're abusing shit.

>>684607
I usually like Frost magics, but since our Coercion is already going to be high, probably Dominator makes more sense.
Methinks we should look into getting some Diviner spells later, though, those look useful.

We should pick diviner. We intend to rule a nation, and on a national scale reliable information is more valuable than any but the most godlike or mass-produced direct spellcasting (which we would not get from the other archetypes, due to our stat and class build). Rather than being a powerful mage we should aspire to have powerful mages, with our own magic working to direct their power and detect any treachery they might attempt long before it happens.

>>684607
>Look, I understand you’re from a different time, being ancient and all, but things change. It’s just not okay to have such…feelings toward orcs anymore. And…and I think it’s wrong to force such outdated views on Lucifer. He should be able to choose for himself who he shall impress.
OH! OHHHH! Of course your mind goes straight there. Obviously, because I'm an ancient spirit of evil, I must be a pervert, you racist. Maybe you're the pervert here, you ever think of that? I was just saying that since Lucifer has a low coercion score, he could find some followers who're more easily converted with shows of strength. Get your mind out of the gutter!

>>684616
I agree with this guy. We don't have enough coercion right now to make dominator viable, and the others are too combat-oriented to be practical for someone who already has great physical strength and will soon have lackeys to do the fighting for him.

i say anti-mage, can even keep it secret until a wizard hero thinks he has us because we don't have +10 armor of anti-fire.

We need some damn information on what our threat/opportunity balance is to make this choice well: At the political stage divination should trump nearly any other power choice in most situations and it can help lead us on the path there quicker in useful ways too. If we expect our most dangerous opposition to directly use magic against us anti-mage is the obvious counteractive choice. Dominator should have obvious and significantly useful applications throughout our career from beginning to end. The other two are very useful for being our own siege-engine and augmenting our direct combat capabilities against all threats.
Which one is worth more, what will we face, what has historically ended or stalled the careers of all our colleagues and predecessors?

Skrakar 2015/11/24(Tue)05:24 No. 685465 ID: 24ff96
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>We can also use domination as a means for storing data, so that the kid can traumatically inscribe blueprints and captain's logs in the minds of his prisoners, to be reviewed at his leisure or fervently improved by said prisoners if they can't think of anything else.
SHEPHERD: “As much as I like this idea for its sheer cruelty if for nothing else, I am not sure how it would help Lucifer’s reputation of benevolence. And you’d have to feed all those people if you were to keep that knowledge. Seems wasteful.”

>Obviously, because I'm an ancient spirit of evil, I must be a pervert, you racist.
SHEPHERD: “One cannot be racist against spirits. Mainly because spirits aren’t a race.”

>Maybe you're the pervert here, you ever think of that?
SHEPHERD: “No, I’m Spirit Shepherd. I am here to update spirits on current social norms in whatever fashion I see fit. And I prefer to annoy when I do so. Sticks better.”

>I was just saying that since Lucifer has a low coercion score, he could find some followers who're more easily converted with shows of strength.
SHEPHERD: “Who’s being a racist now?”

>Which one is worth more, what will we face, what has historically ended or stalled the careers of all our colleagues and predecessors?
SHEPHERD: “What am I, omniscient? I have no idea what Lucifer will face in his future aside from at least one group of five Heroes – that much is certain with him being a Villain. And deciding on which archetype would be worth more was up to you.

And the answer to what was the most common bane of Villains historically will be, again, Heroes. Or, if you want it in broader terms, the same thing that is the bane to any ruler – resistance to his or her rule.”

>Fuck restraint, we're abusing shit.
SHEPHERD: “Joyous news, to be sure. I’ll be having fun writing reports on you in ten years.

Now that you’ve chosen Dominator as Lucifer’s mage archetype, now we can focus on his weapon, which is also the last thing on my to-do list. The choice is between five weapons of old, each of them unique and powerful. The winning weapon will come with a suit of armour and the additional trinket I’ve mentioned. Lucifer will receive his gear upon awakening from his decade-long slumber. And, unlike your typical murder tools, these artefacts will improve with use.
Hint: that use is murder.

Choose wisely.”

Kingslayer
Zweihänder
Damage Types: slashing, piercing, bashing
Magic Conduit: Medium
Special: Parry
Length: 2.1 meters
This sword had the blood of more than thirty kings on its blade, which earned it its name. Some say that the weapon itself craves noble blood. Others have claimed that the sword has a voice of its own and that the crystal eye moves ever so slightly when a foe is slain.

Gorefiend
Bearded Axe
Damage Types: slashing, piercing, bashing, armour-piercing
Magic Conduit: Low
Special: Hook
Length: 1.7 meters
Malice in physical form is how many describe this axe. All who have witnessed it in battle swear that they heard gorging sounds of a vicious animal when it would bite into the flesh of its wielder’s enemies. One thing is certain, guts never remain on the inside when it’s on the field.

Impaler
Double Moon Spear
Damage Types: piercing, slashing
Magic Conduit: High
Special: Hook
Length: 3.4 meters
Named after a nickname of its first wielder, this spear has been the death of many creatures – from insignificant game to dragons. It is said that the spear produces a satisfying hum when it skewers a victim, which resembles the voice of a maiden.

Dwarfbane
Morningstar
Damage Types: bashing, piercing, armour-piercing
Magic Conduit: Medium
Special: Stunning Strike
Length: 1.5 meters
Forged in volcanic fire, this morningstar is one of the elder weapons. It is believed that this weapon holds nothing but hatred for dwarfkind as it is inexplicably effective against them and everything they make. It glows when dwarves are nearby as well.

Voidchild
Scepter
Damage Types: bashing, piercing
Magic Conduit: Very High
Special: Magic Regeneration
Length: 2.5 meters
Most know that a scepter is a symbol of power, but this scepter is power. They say that an eldritch abomination from the Void is trapped within its magic orb and that it collects the souls of those it has slain. But such details shouldn’t bother an aspiring magician.

SHEPHERD: “As per usual, you may ask questions and I will answer best to my ability, but don’t expect me to walk you through everything there is.”

http://strawpoll.me/6088833

Got any one-handed weapons? I get the feeling that the kid won't be able to use his intelligence if he's too busy parrying with both hands. I'll vote for the weapons that would be good as one-handed versions, for now.

Impaler. A balance of weapon and magical potential, and also with what appears to be a minimum of its own agenda (as opposed to Voidchild which would totally plot against us).

It's pretty clear that Dwarves are a problem, and Dwarfbane has a good combination of medium magic channeling potential, armour-piercing ability and a special that's probably useful for capturing an enemy alive.

Impaler. Spears are nearly always useful.

Either Impaler or Voidchild. Magic is fun. Spears are almost always the best weapon. Being named after Vlad the Impaler (or your regional equivalent) is also cool.

How tall will Luci be when he grows up? Twoish meters?

1/2 Skrakar 2015/11/25(Wed)15:58 No. 685724 ID: d57162
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>Got any one-handed weapons? I get the feeling that the kid won't be able to use his intelligence if he's too busy parrying with both hands. I'll vote for the weapons that would be good as one-handed versions, for now.
SHEPHERD: “ Pearls before swine, as they say.
I offer what I can offer, not what you wish for.”

>How tall will Luci be when he grows up? Twoish meters?
SHEPHERD: “He will be of imposing stature as most Villains are. He might well exceed your estimate, considering how high his Physique is at such a young age. Let’s just hope he doesn’t become…larger than life.”

>Impaler. A balance of weapon and magical potential, and also with what appears to be a minimum of its own agenda (as opposed to Voidchild which would totally plot against us).
SHEPHERD: “Heh… HA – HA –HA – HA – HA – HA – HA!

Sorry, but your naivety was so…I just couldn’t control myself. But, the vote has already been concluded. Impaler has won – an unorthodox choice for a Villain, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy watching Lucifer twirl his spear at Heroes and Heroines alike. *snort*

Ahem. That concludes my role here. Duty has been fulfilled and a new Villain has been prepared for the journey ahead.”

2/2 Skrakar 2015/11/25(Wed)15:59 No. 685726 ID: d57162
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SHEPHERD: “Good timing though, considering that the orb is about to hit a mountainside in a minute or two and I’d rather not get knocked out for a decade with the lot of you.
So, I bid you spirits farewell till next time.

Toodles, snagas!”

Okay, bye.

POP THE BUBBLE!!!

Soft landing, soft landing!

Wait, what's a sna-

>Sorry, but your naivety was so…I just couldn’t control myself.
Well sure I expect it to have its own agenda some, just less than the others judging by the descriptions, and more of a general killing things desire than a specific grudge or an implied plot to eventually hatch like and egg and try to eat us at some inconvenient time.

2/2 Skrakar 2015/11/25(Wed)17:36 No. 685740 ID: d57162
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END OF CHAPTER 00

HEY KID WAKE UP

Begin intense brain action.