>Available power
>Shapeshifter – You can change your shape to replicate any living creature of lower aetheric content. This includes animals, mortals, and low-tier demons like Imps. This can also be used for partial transformations, such as the claws of a bear, the wings of a bird, etc. While this lets you use that creature's physical traits, such as claws, wings, etc, it does not grant you their innate abilities, such as an Imp's ability to steal the memories of those they've eaten.

>”You talk as though you know me, Maloch. Who am I?”

>>40350633

"These names sound familiar - who am I then, Maloch? Where are we?"

>>40350633
>”Lilith...I feel like I should know that name.”
>”You talk as though you know me, Maloch. Who am I?”
>”Where am I?”

Hmm are we the Priestess doppleganger or someone we know reincarnated.

>>40350633
>Practice shapeshifting
>Shapeshift to the first thing we remember

>>40350698
>These names sound familiar - who am I then, Maloch? Where are we?"

This, yeah i think we are the dopleganger too.

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>>40350633
"You talk as though you know me, Maloch. Who am I?"

"You went by many names, but the most recent you used was Aleria. You are a doppelganger, a child of the Leviathan like me. You were killed during your last mission from what I heard, and so here you are."

Killed? You were killed? You furrow your brow and try to remember, but nothing comes to mind.

"Who killed me then?"

"I do not know, though if I were to hazard a guess I'd say it was that new champion the Lords speak of."

Champion...You remember a shining sword, intricately designed, but you don't remember anything about whoever was wielding it. You trace along your neck, recalling a burning sensation where the sword struck you.

"I think that might be right...Where are we, and why does the name Lilith sound familiar?"

"Lilith, the Lord of Pride. She has led our kind since our Lord the Leviathan fell in the Great Crusade. You stand in front of her castle, in the Spawning Grounds."

The mention of spawning grounds brings more information to the forefront of your mind. You remember rituals and spells, meant to attract the forming Aether so that the spawning demons will reform here, where they can be organized and sent back to whatever duties the Demon Lords have for them.

The mention of a Leviathan sparks another memory as well. A giant serpent, who's scales were as hard as iron and who's head pierced the clouds. You remember feelings of great reverence, and of sorrow. An image of a great angel, adorned in gleaming armor and sporting ten wings striking her down comes to mind as well, the death of the Lord of Envy.

"Something about the name Lilith doesn't sit right with me." You mutter aloud.

Maloch scoffs. "You are not alone in that, child. I would suggest you keep such comments to yourself from now on though, else you may find yourself in the Void once more."

>"So what happens now?"
>"Sounds like you don't like her either."
>"How long have I been gone?"
>Other

>>40351220
>>"Sounds like you don't like her either."
>>"How long have I been gone?"

Damn reincarnated fast. That was like what 2 months?

>>40351220
>>"How long have I been gone?"

Got some shit I gotta do real quick, if the next update doesn't come for a while, that's why.

>>40351220
>>"How long have I been gone?"

>>40351220
>>"How long have I been gone?"

>>40351220
>"So what happens now?"
>"How long have I been gone?"

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>>40351220
"How long have I been gone?"

"As I understand it, two months. Not that fastest rebirth I've seen, but a quick rebirth regardless."

Two months. Only two months earlier you were killed by the Champion, whoever that is. The thought of being killed by a mortal leaves a bad taste in your mouth. You make a mental note to learn more about this Champion when you get the chance.

"I'm sure you have more you want to ask me, but I have business to settle here. You will want to speak to Lord Lilith now, she should be able to answer your questions. She will likely have a job for you anyways, so it would be best not to keep her waiting."

"Where can I find her?"

Maloch points to the highest tower of the castle. "You will find her there. Tell her your name, Aleria, and she will recognize you."

>Last comment? (Specify)
>Head up to Lilith's tower.

>>40351827
>>Last comment? (Specify)
"Thanks, Maloch."
>>Head up to Lilith's tower.

>>40351827
"Thank you, General Maloch"
>Head up to Lilith's tower.

>>40351827
>>Head up to Lilith's tower.

>>40351827
>>Head up to Lilith's tower.

Well if the demons respawn this quickly, it seems that mortals have plenty of work ahead of them, and in a very brief timeframe.

>>40352068
Blitz em in within 2 months, though I assume the doppleganger's respawn is faster than most.

>>40351827
"Thank you, General Maloch."

The general only nods in reply, and returns to sorting the other demons. Meanwhile, you make your way up to the castle, unsure of what to expect from the Lord of Pride.

The inside of the castle is abuzz with activity. Birds of all sorts fly in through the windows, landing in front of various robed demons and speaking in whispers. Familiars, you realize. The main form of communication between Lilith's spies and her. No one pays any mind to you as you climb the stairs up to the castle's tower, all of them are too busy with recording and sorting the information the familiars are carrying.

At the top of the tower is a single wooden door, leading to the Lord of Pride's chambers. In mortal lands there would be guards posted outside, but there's no need for that here. Though you don't remember the specifics about the Demon Lords outside of your own deceased lord, the Leviathan, you do remember how powerful they all are. Guards are completely unnecessary.

You step up to the door and take a deep breath. Before you can even raise your hand to knock, someone on the other side answers.

"Whoever you are, this had better be important for you to be bothering me personally." You hear from behind the door.

>"I was told you may have a job for me, my lord."
>"General Maloch told me to come find you. My name is Aleria, I have just been reborn."
>"I can come back later if this is a bad time."
>Leave, it sounds like she doesn't want to be bothered.
>Other

>>40352383
>>"General Maloch told me to come find you. My name is Aleria, I have just been reborn."

>>40352383
>>Leave, it sounds like she doesn't want to be bothered.
Alright later bitch.

Nah I'm just kidding
>"General Maloch told me to come find you. My name is Aleria, I have just been reborn."

>>40352383
>>"I can come back later if this is a bad time."

>>40352383
>>"I was told you may have a job for me, my lord."
>>"General Maloch told me to come find you. My name is Aleria, I have just been reborn."

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>>40352383
"General Maloch told me to come find you. My name is Aleria, I have just been been reborn."

"Aleria? So you're back already then."

The door opens inward, revealing the Lord of Pride, Lilith. She looks almost human, were it not for the glowing purple eyes. She has raven black hair, and is wearing light armor. However, you know enough to know that this is not her true form, though you don't know what her true form actually is.

Lilith examines your shadowy form. "Hm, I can never tell your kind apart when you look like that, but your aura does indeed look familiar. Come inside then, we have much to discuss."

You do as your told, stepping inside to Lilith's chambers. Various trinkets can be found around the room, from crystal balls to several rows of scrolls. In the center of the room lies some sort of basin, filled with water and glowing a light blue.

"It's convenient that you've come back so quickly, Aleria. You were one of my better spies, before you made a foolish mistake and got yourself killed. Hopefully this time you'll have learned from that mistake."

You feel a pang of annoyance at Lilith's words. You don't remember what happened in your past life, but being called foolish does not sit well with you. Still, you have to wonder what mistake you made that ended in your demise.

>"What mistake was that?"
>"It sounds like you have another job for me."
>"What happened during my last mission? Maloch tells me I was killed by some Champion, but I don't remember anything."
>Other

>>40353055
>>"What mistake was that?"
Cant really fault her for underestimating Sieg. Everyone does that. Also flying angelic swords out of left field.

>>40353055
>>"What mistake was that?"

>>40353055
>>"What mistake was that?"
>"What happened during my last mission? Maloch tells me I was killed by some Champion, but I don't remember anything."

>>40353055
>"What happened during my last mission? Maloch tells me I was killed by some Champion, but I don't remember anything."

>>40353055
>"What mistake was that?"
>"What happened during my last mission? Maloch tells me I was killed by some Champion, but I don't remember anything."

Aleria is going to re-experience the lust for Siegfried's cock.

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>>40353835

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>>40353055
"What mistake was that?"

"It would be easiest to show you." Lilith says, before walking over to the glowing water basin and muttering something under her breath. As soon as she does, the water begins to glow a different color, and she gestures for you to come closer.

Once you get closer, you notice that the basin is not just glowing, but it's showing you something. Looking closer, you see two people sitting by a campfire. More accurately, one is sitting by the fire while another is tied to a nearby tree. The one at the tree is a human with brown hair, wearing clothes that bear some sort of heraldry you're sure you've seen before. The other is a blonde haired elf, wearing blue priest robes. Somehow it registers in your brain that the blonde one is you.

"Touch the waters Aleria. You'll remember soon after."

You do so, reaching a shadowy hand out to touch the water. The scene inside ripples and dissipates, and after a moment you wonder what that was supposed to do when it happens. Scenes quickly flash in front of your eyes, a human carrying a golden sword, a red haired warrior bleeding, an imp missing an arm and a leg, and yourself, tied up to the tree as the human points his golden sword at you.

Suddenly you remember everything. The imp, the watchtower, Siegfried, all of it. You remember capturing him, about to bring him to Andras for an extra reward, when that damn sword of his came flying from out of nowhere. You fought for a while, but direct confrontation was never your specialty. He knocked you out, tied you up to a tree, and interrogated you. You answered his questions truthfully, thinking he'd let you go. Then...

That's right, he cut your head off right after you did what he said. That asshole! Granted, you were thinking of ways to attack him after he let you go, but still.

>>40353920
You slap your hand into your face. "Dammit, now I remember. Should have killed him as soon as I had the chance."

"Indeed, you should have. I didn't learn about your deal with Andras until after you were killed, when my familiars came back and showed me this. I hope you know that in any other circumstance I would have informed Malaphas and had you brought to his fortress for punishment."

You shiver, suddenly realizing the position you're in right now. If Lilith knows you disobeyed a direct order, there's worse things than death waiting for you at the fortress of Malaphas. However, it sounds like she hasn't told the king of demons, not yet at least.

"Then his highness doesn't know?"

"No, not yet at least. I was sorely tempted to do so when I learned of your disobedience, but in the end, I'd rather not lose one of my better spies if I can help it. Therefore, I'm going to give you a second chance."

"A second chance?"

"Yes, I'm going to give you one last chance to finish the job you started. If you succeed, we'll sweep this little incident under the rug and no one will have to know. If you should fail though..." Lilith smirks. She knows she doesn't have to tell you what will happen if you fail again.

You gulp. Now you remember why you never liked Lilith. Besides not being your true lord, you've seen how easily she could ruin someone by letting certain information slip to the right person. You always feared she'd find something on you, and now she has. Still, for all her faults she at least keeps her word, if you can kill that champion, Siegfried, you won't have to worry about Malaphas learning about your side deal with Andras.

>"What's the plan?"
>"How much has he changed between then and now?"
>"Will I have any help on this mission?"
>"When do I leave?"
>Other

>>40353956
>>"What's the plan?"
>>"How much has he changed between then and now?"

>>40353956
>>"What's the plan?"
>>"How much has he changed between then and now?"

The real mistake was rolling a 1 and slipping on Imp meat vomit Aleria.

>>40353982
There's that too.

>>40353956
>>"How much has he changed between then and now?"

>>40353982
but shit it was funny

>>40353956
"What's the plan?"

"Straight to the point, good. The plan currently is for you to go to Galloway and infiltrate the Red Watchtower."

"I thought the Champion was at the White Watchtower?"

"He is, currently. However, he'll be going to Galloway and Belmore sooner or later to rally support. The Red watchtower will certainly be one of his destinations. So, the plan is for you to meet with some contacts of ours in Galloway, enlist at the Red Watchtower, and wait for him to come. When he comes there to rally support, your job is to kill him by any means necessary."

"Contacts? Why would I need help infiltrating a tower?" You ask, puzzled.

"Because the security at the towers has changed since your last mission. You'll need help from the inside to get in."

"Alright, and what about the Champion? How much has he changed since my last mission."

"He's grown a lot stronger, which is another reason why your contacts are there to help."

"How much stronger?"

"Well for starters, he's nearly killed Andras while you were gone."

You blink, thinking you misheard. "He what?"

"Andras led an attack on the Champion's home city to rile up the mortals. In the process, the fool nearly got himself killed. He's now missing both legs as well as his left arm, and has been with Balaam since then."

That...complicates things. Your powers give you a decent edge when you're forced to fight head-on, but if Siegfried can tackle Andras now, you don't feel very confident in your chances should you fight him head-on like last time.

"That's the basics of your mission, if you have anything else to ask, you should ask them now."

>Any other questions? (Specify)
>No other questions

Also, because I forgot to do this earlier:

>You have relearned your old spells!
>Sleep - Forces target creature to sleep. Does not work on creatures that do not sleep, like demons.
>Haste - Increased speed for a limited time
>Heal - Heals wounds. Less effective the older the wounds are. Does not heal wounds caused by Galadriel.

>>40354557
>>No other questions

>>40354557
>>No other questions

>>40354557
>No other questions

Time to get this shit on the road! I wonder, would she feel anything towards Siegfried burying her, or would it be some more general indifference?

>>40354664
>would she feel anything towards Siegfried burying her,
Maybe, I don't think the water showed that. Only up until she was killed it seemed like.

>>40354557
"No questions ma'am."

"Good, then get going. Your destination is a town named Redford. Go to the local tavern there and ask for Lucas. If he's not there, then wait for him to return. Here's a map, I've marked Redford for you already. Don't keep them waiting."

You nod, and exit the Lord of Pride's chambers. As you walk down the steps and outside the castle, you mull over what you've learned. Siegfried is now much stronger than before, there's some sort of new security at the towers, and you have to kill him when he comes to the Red Watchtower, or you're in for something much worse than death when Lilith tells Malaphas you disobeyed him. This won't be easy, but what other choice do you have? Once you've exited the castle, you change shape and grow two leathery wings, and take off in the direction of Redford.

----------
It takes several days of constant flying to get there, but at last the border between Galloway and Balaam's domain comes into view. You look down at the map in your hands as you fly. According to this, you should arrive at Redford in about two da-

Your thoughts are interrupted as an arrow whizzes past your head, just a hair's breadth away from hitting you. Looking down, you see about four people in red armor riding horses chasing after you, firing a volley of arrows at you. You're forced to land, going bellow the treeline and taking cover behind a nearby tree.You hear the horses stop about twenty feet away from you on the road.

"It landed somewhere around here." One of your pursuers says. "Did anyone see which way it went?"

>Attack
>Hide
>Run
>Other

>>40354761
Yeah, it only showed up to the point where Siegfried cut her head off.

>>40355041
>>Hide
>Other
Transform into a squirrel or something small.

>>40355041
>Take the form of a Ranger, in hopes of duping them.

Can we mimic weaponry as well, or is transformation limited to the form we use?

>>40355103
I suppose a small animal is better now I think about it.

>>40355109
After shooting a demon that goes into the forest a random ranger just pops up? Not the best idea.

>>40355109
Can't mimic weaponry, only living creatures.

>>40355129
Yeah, I'm pretty tired. Didn't put much thought into it.
>>40355134

>>40355152
Thanks for the clarification.

>>40355041
>>Hide
>Other
Transform into a small animal.

>>40355041
>>Hide
>>Transform into a small animal.

>>40355041
You think fast, shifting into the form of a squirrel and climbing up the tree.

"Split up and search the area." You hear one of the mortals say. You hear them all split off into different direction, only one of them coming in your direction. He's wearing chainmail, with a red tabbard bearing heraldry you recognize as belonging to the Red Watchtower. You sit still, completely calm. You know he won't catch on to you, they never do. Or at least, they never did in the memories you regained from Lilith.

Five minutes pass of the crusader searching the area top to bottom. By now his companions are out of earshot, and it looks like he's about to give up. As he starts to walk back to the horses, however, he steps on something on something next to your tree.

"Hm? What's this, some sort of map?"

Dammit.

>Let it go
>Attack
>Other

Side note, by attack I mean any sort of aggressive action, like casting a Sleep Spell. Since we're switching to the action chain system, you'll have a chance to decide what all you want to do if you attack.

>>40355451
>Attack
>Sleep Spell, though you probably want to initiate combat chain first.

Hehe I was really hoping you would forget about the map Sparks

>>40355451
>>Attack
>>Cast Sleep

>>40355481
>Attack
>Sleep Spell,

>>40355481
I never forget anon. Except when I do.

Alright then, sleep spell it is then.

Someone roll 3d10 and if that doesn't work, we'll enter the combat chain. Meanwhile, I'm going to go grab a sandwich, be right back.

Rolled 2, 5, 5 = 12 (3d10)

>>40355687
Come on one hit knockout

Rolled 3, 2, 4 = 9 (3d10)

>>40355687

Rolled 7, 2, 8 = 17 (3d10)

>>40355687

>>40355754
Good enough?

>>40355687
>>40355713
While the crusader starts to reach down for the map, you quickly whisper the incantation for a Sleep spell. The spell goes off and hits the Crusader.

"Wha-what's going...Aureus, but I'm tired...no, wait! What's going on?"

Dammit, looks like he resisted the spell's effects. So much for finishing this quickly.

>Choose four actions

>>40355915
1. Cast Haste
2. Leap from the tree to the air above Crusader
3. Shapeshift into bear and flatten the sucker
4. Claw his throat when he is down.

>>40355915
>4. Claw his throat when he is down

>>40355915
1. Turn into mountain lion
2. Snag the map
3. Run like a bitch
4. Fuck his shit up if he follows

>>40355915
Consensus seems to be these two
>>40355991
>>40356010
Roll me 3d10 twice, to flatten the crusader and to claw his throat.

Rolled 9, 5, 4 = 18 (3d10)

>>40356151

>>40356151

Rolled 4, 8, 7 = 19 (3d10)

>>40356151

>>40356212
>>40356169
Both the flattening and the clawing were somewhat decent.

>>40356151
Quickly, you mutter the incantation for Haste, giving yourself an extra boost of speed. The crusader hears the incantation and realizes something's wrong, but it's too late. You leap out of the tree and shapeshift into a bear, planning to flatten the crusader before he can act. He grabs for his sheathed sword, but is too slow. You land on him, pushing him onto the ground and claw his throat while he's down. He lets out a scream before your claws reach his throat, killing him. The map is currently in his hands.

"Nathaniel?! What's wrong?"

Sounds like the crusader's squad is coming. You have the map, you could either make a run for it or stand and fight if you want.

>Run for it
>Stand and fight (Choose six actions, as haste gives you two extra actions).
>Other

>>40356151
so I'm a little confused with this new combat, if there are four actions why are there only three rolls? Which rolls effect which actions?

>>40356370
>Run for it

>>40356370
>>Run for it
Shift into a wolf and run for deeper in the forest with haste. Map in mouth.

>>40356374
OK so Leaping and casting haste are easy actions that dont require rolls. The other 2 were rolled for

>>40356169 for the Flatten action
>>40356212 for the Clawing action

>>40356370
>>Run for it
We're a secret agent, not a combat specialist.

>>40356374
Some actions don't require a roll because there's not really any chance for failure. Casting a self-buff doesn't really have any chance of being resisted, and jumping isn't particularly hard either. Flattening him before he draws his sword and clawing his throat out does require a roll though.

>>40356370
>>Run for it

i'll be honest i do not like this new system it looks like a gigantic cluster fuck

>>40356370
>Shift to a wolf and run like hell

>>40356471
You're just not used to it yet. It'll give us the players alot more involvement instead of saying Power attack and rolling 3d100,

>>40356471

Choose X actions and roll for success work a lot better story wise then the roll vs higher and higher dc's cause the bonus got higher.

Also moderates haste.

>>40356471
It's new and it's going to be problematic at first. Once we get into the flow of things, I can see it working out fairly well. Will definitely make our actions feel more involved.

>>40356370
Consensus seems to be to change into a wolf and run like hell.

Somebody roll 3d10

Rolled 9, 1, 8 = 18 (3d10)

>>40356567

Rolled 2, 8, 9 = 19 (3d10)

>>40356567

Rolled 8, 8, 7 = 23 (3d10)

>>40356567
I do think you should just do d100s for out of combat chain things though.

>>40356507
>>40356552
>>40356557
well from what i can see we have to come up with a few different actions to follow through with; then have every one vote to pick on what actions what seems like it will take longer on what could be a few seconds.

>>40356632
It'll be fine. I've seen it work in other quests pretty damn well. We just got to get into the flow of it.

Also work on capitalization and punctuation man, I had to read your post like 3 times.

>>40356567
>>40356582
You're a spy, not a warrior. You've got the map, so now it's time to run.

Changing shape once more, this time into that of a wolf, you grab the map in your teeth and run as fast as you can, which is very fast. By the time the other crusaders have found the body, you're already long gone.

----------
Two days later, you've arrived at Redford. Your map, though torn and wet from when you grabbed it in your teeth, was still legible enough to lead you here. It takes some work to steal some clothes to wear, but you manage easily enough, adopting a humanoid form before heading to the tavern.

The tavern is almost empty when you get there. Maybe it's because you got here during the day, who knows. When you ask the bartender for Lucas, he points you to a group of four sitting to the side. All four of them are wearing armor from the Red Watchtower.

You approach the group, currently drinking and joking with one another. "Excuse me, is one of you Lucas?"

Everyone in the group stops their conversation and look up at you. "Who's asking?"

>"My name is Aleria. A mutual friend of ours sent me."
>"Someone looking to enlist. I was told to find Lucas if I wanted to join."
>"Aleria, now which one of you is Lucas already?"
>"None of your business, now answer the question."
>Other

>>40356988
>>"My name is Aleria. A mutual friend of ours sent me."

>>40356988
>>"Someone looking to enlist. I was told to find Lucas if I wanted to join."

also just a quick question with the system, how is it determined if you pass or fail a roll?

>>40356988
>"Someone looking to enlist. I was told to find Lucas if I wanted to join."

>>40356988
>"Someone looking to enlist. I was told to find Lucas if I wanted to join."

>>40357056
I set a DC that seems appropriate, same as before. Things you do can make that DC lower though, and any excess over the DC in a previous roll carries over to the next one. For example, the DC for running away early was really low since you had Haste and changed into a wolf.

>>40357156
so do you choose the highest of the first three posted rolls like before as well? and do you use each of the three separate rolls or the number they add up too?

>>40357223
Separate rolls. Its not best of three. The first roll corresponded to the first action, second roll to the second action, etc.

If we beat the DC of a roll hard that excess number will carry over to the next action if we didn't do so well on the roll.

>>40357288
ah I see, and I meant best of three roll as in the best of three 3d10 rolls of that makes sense.

>>40356988
"Someone looking to enlist. I was told to find Lucas if I wanted to join."

The four of them look at each other. One of them, the one with a beard wearing platemail, nods and they all seem to relax a little.

"I see. And I'm guessing it was Lilly that sent you?"

Lilly? You're sure he means Lilith and just doesn't want to say her real name aloud, but it still sounds ridiculous to call a Demon Lord something as silly as Lilly.

"You could say that." You respond.

"I see...Well you found me then, have a seat."

Two of them stand up, letting you move in to sit opposite of Lucas before sitting down. Lucas takes a drink of his ale before setting it down to talk.

"So you're the one "Lilly" sent us then? Look pretty human to me, that makes my life easier...Oh don't look at me like that, these three are in on it too, calm down."

"Then the four of you are, er, "Lilly's" contacts then."

"Yep, all four of us. Been waiting on standby for you to get here. So, I'm guessing you've already been filled in on the plan then?"

"For the most part. I was told you would have a plan for me to get in."

"Right. Well, here's the gist. Normally, there'd be no way for you to enlist now that we've started pouring Holy Water on new recruits before letting them in. Lucky for us though, yours truly is one of the examiners. So, when it's time for the recruits to line up and be checked, you come to my line, and I'll be using regular old water. No one will know the difference. After that, you get your armor and that Sigil they've started making us use, and you're home free."

>>40357678
"They've started using Holy Water to check for demons?"

"Yep, ever since that old knife-ear at the White Watchtower sent a message to the other towers, we've started checking more carefully for infiltrators. It's made our jobs a lot harder too, since everyone's keeping an eye out for suspicious activity now. Whoever that dumbass that got herself caught at the White Watchtower was, she made our lives a lot harder."

You feel your muscles twitch at the unintended insult, but say nothing.

"So, anything else you want to know before we head out? We're gathering all the recruits in an hour or so to head for the tower, so ask them now if you have any."

>You have a question (specify)
>You're ready to go.

>>40357702
>You're ready to go.
Damn nigga 5 infiltrators at the Red Watchtower, maybe more. We got our work cut out for us.

>>40357702
>>You're ready to go.

>>40357726

Good thing we now have our dick ass thrill seeker thief.

>>40357702
>>You're ready to go.

>>40357702
Alright I got to go soon so Sparks real quick. Before every combat chain you should give the current status of whoever we are playing as so we can make more informed plans. I will now blatantly rip off how EEQ does it.

Siegfried Schmidt Status

Hit Points: 50/50
Limb Status: All good
Concussion Status: All good
Mana Points: 20/20
Weapon: Galadriel (Halbred)
Secondary Weapons: Holy Water vial, Dagger

Powers:
>Righteous Strength
>Angel Wings

Spells:
>Haste - Increased speed for a limited time
>Heal - Heals wounds. Less effective the older the wounds are
>Blink - Short range teleport
>Flash - Burst of light that can blind foes


Aleria Status

Hit Points: 20/20
Limb Status: All good
Concussion Status: All good
Mana Points: 40/40
Current Shift: Wolf
Attacks: Claws, Bite

Spells:
>Sleep - Forces target creature to sleep. Does not work on creatures that do not sleep, like demons.
>Haste - Increased speed for a limited time
>Heal - Heals wounds. Less effective the older the wounds are. Does not heal wounds caused by Galadriel.

I know you don't use MP and I don't think you want to use the Limb/Concussion statuses either so you can just delete those.

>>40358013
One more thing. Instead of asking for 4 actions, just ask:

>Plan of Attack?

To which we will do write ins showing what we want to do, which then can get support and be modified by other anons if need be. After a bit you would see what the general gist of the plan is and then see how many actions it would take to complete.

For example instead of giving a list of actions I would have said 'Quickly cast haste, then jump out tree onto him as a bear and try to claw his throat.' It makes it so we aren't forcing ourselves to keep it to 4 actions and can be a little more freeform with it and then you can decide how many actions it would take.

>>40357702
"No, I'm ready to go."

Lucas pick up his mug and finishes it off in one last gulp. "Good, then lets get this over with already."

-------
The ride to the Watchtower takes a few more days. There are others with you as well, normal people from the city of Redford who want to enlist at the tower. Some of them chat amongst each other on the way to the tower, but for the most part you keep to yourself. You're not the only one, many others enlisted alone and aren't familiar with the other recruits.

It's already night time when you arrive at the tower. A red fortress, complete with multiple ballistae and catapults. The White Watchtower was by no means inferior, but this tower somehow seems more noble. Maybe it's the paint, or the architecture, or maybe it's just the spirit of the people enlisted here.

The first thing to happen when you arrive is everyone lines up to be checked with Holy Water. Others from the tower come out to assist in this, bringing bowls of water with them. They bless the water on the spot, save for Lucas who is only pretending to...at least, you hope. Then, everyone lines up at one of the bowls and goes to wash their face. You must admit, even knowing that Lucas in on your side you're a little nervous about splashing allegedly holy water on your face. Still, you do as your told when you get up to the bowl, and when nothing happens you relax, wondering why you were so nervous when you knew Lucas was on your side.

>>40358252
"All initiates, head for the dining hall after you've been tested. Dinner will start soon."

You follow the rest of the recruits, entering the watchtower and filing into the dining hall. The dining hall here is even larger than the one at the White Watchtower, yet it feels even more cramped. You sit at the same table as the other recruits, who start adding food from the large platters onto their plates immediately, all of them famished from the long journey.

>Chat with the other recruits, it'll help you blend in.
>Eat silently, you're here for a reason, and it's not to make friends with mortals.
>Other

>>40358268
>>Chat with the other recruits, it'll help you blend in.

>>40358013
>>40358131
Alright, I'll keep all that in mind. Don't think I'll go with the concussion status or the mana points (keeping "mana" abstract), but I'll keep the rest of that in mind.

>>40358268
>>Chat with the other recruits, it'll help you blend in.

Standing out is bad, so trying to fit in.

>>40358268
>Chat with the other recruits, it'll help you blend in.

>>40358268
>Chat with the other recruits, it'll help you blend in.
>Talk about the champion; gush like a lovestruck maiden (because you secretly are, even if you're not aware)

>>40358322
This, THIS. In all seriousness it will help us get info on our target.

>>40358322
I'll support it. Even with the latter joking half, it's fitting to both fit in and gather intel.

>>40358373
>>40358373
not too sure. Siegfried hasn't QUITE made a name for himself yet. Where would we have fallen in love?

>>40358268
>>40358322
please this

>>40358449
We are attempting to join up as a raw recruit. There's any number of ways where we could have seen him on the road, or been told of his bravery and skill.

>>40358478
>been told of his bravery and skill.
do people really fall in love just by being told like that?

The way I see it, our best bet is being someone from the farm or a passing traveler when Morslad was attacked, but that's far fewer than "any number" and is not so easily ignored.

Unless this is in the future a bit Siegfried hasn't been outted as Champion yet guys.

>>40358449
We were visiting relatives in Moorsland at the time of the attack. The way he rallied the defenders and charged fearlessly charged into the hordes of demons....*sigh*. We signed up in the hope of working with him!

>>40358600
I figure if they're going to make a huge announcement that a new Champion has been chosen, they would have provided his name to the people preparing to host him.

>>40358449
It doesn't have to Seig specifically, we could just be swooning over the paragon of virtue that everyone heard rallied the city of Moorsland to rout a demon invasion. A Champion groupie, if you will.

Sorry this update is taking a while, just posting to let you guys know I am still around and I am writing.

>>40359155
It's cool. Take your time.

>>40358268
You grab some food and dig in. Say what you will about mortals, but the food they make beats Imp meat by a wide margin. Even though you don't technically have to eat at all, it's enjoyable to do so.

It occurs to you as you eat that you should probably socialize with the mortals, if only to blend in more. You listen to the other recruits, it seems they're asking each other why they enlisted.

"I joined because my father enlisted when he was my age. Once I heard the news about Iseria and the new Champion, I signed up as soon as I could."

"I signed up to earn my knighthood. A friend of mine left for Iseria to do the same, I hear he was there during the attack."

"I always planned on signing up once I was old enough. My pa used to read me stories about the Great Hero Asher, so I've wanted to enlist since I was a kid."

"What about you?" The elf woman next to you asks. "Why did you enlist?"

"Uh..." You think fast. "Well, I was visiting relatives in Morsland when the demons attacked. I signed up beca-"

"Wait, you were THERE?!" Someone across the table asks.

"Yeah, I was." You lie. You'd heard enough about the invasion to know what happened, and thankfully you're as good at lying now as you were in your past life.

"Then did you see the Champion?" The elf next to you asks.

"Siegfired? Yeah, I saw-"

"You see Daniel, I TOLD you his name was Siegfried."

"Well how the Void am I supposed to tell the difference between Sigurd and Siegfried? You know Iserian names sound the same to me."

"What did he look like?" Another woman across the table asks.

"Well, he had brown hair and brown eyes, and he was carrying a golden sword that kept changing into different weapons. I saw him lead the charge when Andras attacked."

"I hear he cut off the bastard's legs and arms."

"You moron, he only cut off his legs from what I heard."

"Who're you calling a moron? I'll have you know I heard-"

>>40359422
The two men across the table engage in their own conversation. Meanwhile, the elf next to you presses you for more information on the Champion himself.

"You saw him lead the charge?"

"Yeah, I was looking out one of the castle windows before they barricaded it when the demons attacked. I saw him and a few others lead the charge."

"Was he as handsome as they say he is?"

"Huh?"

"You heard me, was he handsome? I hear he used to be a blacksmith, so I bet he's absolutely built."

It takes all your willpower not to look at this woman like she's insane. You're not exactly familiar with what constitutes as "handsome" among mortals, but the fact he cut your head off doesn't exactly endear him to you. You wonder if this is how all the mortal women in this tower behave. If it is, well...

"He's not built, no, but he does have a certain...charm to him." You force out.

"Oh, you mean like a sort of commoner's charm? I could see that...haaah, I want him to hurry up and come to the tower already."

"So do I." You agree, for a completely different reason.

>>40359438
----------
Dinner lasts a while longer, before the Knight-Captain comes up and gives a speech to welcome the new recruits. He tells them they're all brave, that they had the courage to enlist when a Crusade was upon them, and blah blah blah, you didn't really pay attention to what he said. Before long, everyone finishes dinner and begins to file out. You stay longer than others though, as you continue to eat while the others are leaving. If you had to choose, you'd say the food at the White Watchtower was better, but the food here isn't half bad either. The elf with the interest in the Champion sits with you, chatting a bit longer about the Champion and the various rumors going around about him. By the time you both get up to leave, everyone has already left a long time ago.

"It was good speaking with you Aleria, I'll see you tomorrow at training alright?"

"Until then." You respond. To be honest, you have no problem talking with mortals, sometimes they're even fun to talk to, but spending over half an hour talking about the man who decapitated you and pretending to have a soft spot for him didn't exactly leave you eager to speak with her again. Still, it's all so you'll blend in, so you'll just have to grin and bear it.

The halls that lead to your room are mostly empty by now. Most people will have either returned to their rooms or gone somewhere to spar by now. As you walk to your room though, you come across a large reinforced door, with three keyholes on the ground floor. It looks like the sort of place that would be guarded, but when you look up and down the corridor, you don't see anyone at all, let alone a guard. To top it off, the door appears to be opened just a crack. You shrug, and are about to leave it when you feel something in the back of your mind pull your attention back to the door, almost like something is calling to you...

You look both ways down the corridor again. There's absolutely no one in sight.

>Investigate
>Leave it
>Other

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>>40359438
Shoot, forgot groupie elf's pic.

>>40359473
bitches be thirsty for ol' sieg.

>>40359454
>Investigate

>>40358600
This actually does take place somewhat in the future from where normal HSQ is. Sorry for not addressing that sooner.

>>40359454
>Leave it

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>>40359454
>Investigate

>>40359482
Even if they don't even know it, right?

>>40359454
>Investigate

>>40359560
right

>>40359454
This old things just screams "suspicious", but you have to admit you're curious. Making one last check to make sure no one's looking, you open the heavy door and step inside, closing it behind you.

Immediately upon entering the door you come to a staircase leading down. The staircase goes down very far, making you think you must be underground by now. When you finally reach the bottom of the staircase, you look around and see hundreds upon hundreds of shelves, reaching all the way to the ceiling. Books, underground...could you be in the Red Watchtower archives? Impossible, Balaam has tried to get in here countless times before, sometime directly sometimes subtly, there's no way you would just find the entrance to the archives completely unguarded and open...right?

Besides the countless shelves of dusty tomes, there is another staircase going further down on the opposite end of the room. Something, this time stronger than before, compels you to go further down.

>Investigate the tomes
>Go downstairs
>Leave
>Other

>>40359761
>This old things
*This whole thing*

God dammit.

>>40359761
>Investigate the tomes

I smell a trap; doesn't hurt to get info before running away, however.

>>40359761
>>Go downstairs

Stronger?

>>40359761
>Investigate the tomes

>>40359761
>>Investigate the tomes
This is beginning to sound suspiciously like a demon lure to me.

>>40359761
>>Investigate the tomes

>>40359422
>>40359438
>Meanwhile
"Achoo!"
'Bless you Siegfried'
'Hah, that's funny coming from you'

>>40359761
Well, if you are in the archives, then there's a lot you could learn here. You pull one of the tomes out at random and blow the thick coat of dust off it's cover, hoping to read it's title. However, the words on the cover became faded and indecipherable long ago. You'll have to open the book and figure out it's topic yourself.

>Roll 3d10

Rolled 7, 3, 9 = 19 (3d10)

>>40359970

Rolled 4, 9, 1 = 14 (3d10)

>>40359970

Rolled 9, 3, 7 = 19 (3d10)

>>40359970
Gg no re

>>40360003
>>40360013
The numbers have flipped! God save us!

>>40359970
>>40360003
You open the tome and read through it's contents. It's written in a very old dialect, but you manage to make sense of most of it. It appears to be a tome on Demonic Possession, an old art which fell out of style after the Great Crusade. The process involves a ritual which requires a mortal sacrifice, which allows a demon to take control of the sacrificed mortal's body. Unsavory, even in your opinion, but you remember Lord Eligos used to love using such rituals to intimidate his enemies, before he switched to necromancy. Once, there were mortal cultists who actually thought it was an honor to be so possessed, though to your knowledge that cult of mortals died out a long time ago.

You can still feel whatever's beckoning you to go deeper. Of course, you could continue looking through the tomes if you wanted.

>Investigate more tomes
>Go downstairs

>Take the book on demonic possession
>Put it back

>>40360149
>>Go downstairs
>Take the book on demonic possession

>>40360149
>>Go downstairs
>>Put it back

>>40360149
>>Investigate more tomes
>>Put it back
leave the book they will find out if its missing

>>40360149
>>Go downstairs
>Put it back

>>40360149
>>Go downstairs

>Put it back

Calling the votes and writing now.

>>40360149
You put the tome back where you got it. You don't know what security here is normally like, they might notice if one of the tomes goes missing. Once you've put the tome back exactly where you found it you go down the stairs, further underground.

At the bottom of this flight of stairs, you find yourself in another large room, though instead of shelves upon shelves of tomes, you see various items organized in lines. Many of them are sealed away in heavy stone cases, while others are not, like a crystal ball you see sitting atop a stone pedestal.

Once again, there is another flight of stairs heading even further underground at the opposite end of the room. This time though, you feel more than just a compulsion to head further down. Now you hear a voice, almost too soft to hear, inviting you further down.

"We----ild, c-----rther, so ----k wi----ou."

No doubt about it now, something wants you go even further down. As suspicious as the situation seems though, something about the voice sounds warm, inviting, familiar...

>Investigate the items
>Go downstairs
>Leave
>Other

>>40360412
>>Go downstairs

>>40360412
>>Go downstairs

>>40360412
>>Go downstairs
Anyone else scared?

>>40360412
>Investigate the items

>>40360412
It's Leviathan, or what remain of him isn't it?

>>40360412
>>Go downstairs

Weird none of the other demons here found it.

>>40360412
>>Go downstairs

>>40360412
You're tempted to investigate some of the things on this floor, but you're more curious about whatever's calling to you from deeper in. As you reach the bottom of the final flight of stairs, you think how far below ground you must be by now.

The final room has only a single thing, a large brass door with no less than five keyholes. You give the door an experimental push, to no avail. This door is still locked, and far too sturdy to knock down. However, the voice from before is now perfectly clear, speaking to you through some strange mental link.

"Hello child, it has been far too long since I saw one of my kin here."

"Kin? Are you a demon as well? Who are you?"

The voice chuckles. "You wound me, young one. Do you not recognize you Lord when she speaks to you?"

Your eyes widen in shock. "Leviathan? Impossible, you were killed by Aurelius in the Great Crusade."

"That is what Malaphas would have you believe, yes. But though I did die in the Great Crusade, it was not to the angel's blade."

"Then what happened? How are we speaking?"

"Listen closely, child. There are many things you do not know which Malaphas and that harpy have hidden from you. Don't worry, we have time to speak, I assure you..."

Calling it a night here folks, hope you enjoyed this little one shot while I get ready to run normal HSQ again. I'll stick around to answer questions if you've got them, thanks for playing.

Wasn't sure about bringing Dopplelf back, but anons seemed to want it, and I had a few ideas that could work if I did, so here we are. Hope you guys enjoyed it.

>>40360496
>him

>>40360514
As far as Aleria can tell, she's the only other demon in the tower.

>>40360788
thanks sparks good night

>>40360761
Oh shit. Conspiracies up in here.

>>40360788
Thanks for the run boss. 2 weeks you think til next HSQ?

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>>40360761
>Demons betrayed one of their own

>>40360824
Possibly some time next week if I'm feeling it. Keep an eye on the twitter.

>>40360788
I hoped for Galadrial, but I was pleasantly surprised. Did this happen to be the character you wanted to write most, Sparks, or did I assume incorrectly?

>>40360870
Will there be more Aleria side chapters or are they not necessary since going to the Red watchtower soon.

Any chance of other side character threads?

>>40360908
Honestly, I was cool with writing any of them. If I had to choose some that I'd have enjoyed the most though, it'd be either this, Daniel, or Ganelon. This because I get to surprise you guys with the return of dopplelf and set the scene for more things to come, and Daniel or Ganelon because then I'd have had a chance to get into their backstories. This works for the best though, backstories are probably best introduced organically anyways. Come to think of it though, a Galadriel side chapter could be fun.

>>40360936
No more Aleria side chapters, at least not until later on. As for other side chapters, I don't know. If that's something you guys would enjoy then I might do one every once in a while, but it probably won't be an every week thing.

>>40360997
>Galadriel side chapter could be fun.

Would it have been a past event or 'A day in the life of Galadriel putting up with Siegfried's bullshit'?

>>40361040
A day in the life of Galadriel putting up with Siegfried's bullshit, with the occasional flashback to the past.

>>40361098
"Galadriel! Galadriel! Can I totally misuse Wings and Righteous Strength to shut Erika and Roland up about the behemoth. Pleeasse."

>>40360997
I'd be up for a Ganelon side quest, if pnly to find out what he looks like under that fucking helmet of his.

>>40361570
We'd probably have to get him wasted on black mountain whiskey to get that helmet off of him.

>>40361603
which raises another question, how does Ganelon handle himself around the ladies? I expect him to be the typical white knight.We already have Roland the clueless and Reinhardt the ladies man. I assume Nerillian is only into other elves.

>>40361648
oh and Siegfried the too busy fighting demons to give a rat's ass about love.

>>40361681
It doesn't hurt to have a woman constantly in his head. And a looker at that.

>>40361681
And he's still about to be the target army sized groups of groupies out for dat Champion D. Hell, he's probably going to be turning down more girls than Roland.

>>40361726
no doubt, perhaps he'll finally get laid in one of the coming threads then.

>>40361648
Wow, I just realized that Reinhardt is going to be the only guy actively trying to get laid in our honor guard.

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>>40361570
No one cared who he was until he put on the helm
>>40361648
>I assume Nerillian is only into other elves.
Heh.

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>>40361888
If he takes it off, will he die?

>>40361923
It would be extremely painful.

>>40361888
wait is Nerillian into men? that would be interesting, now that I think about it we haven't come across any homosexual characters, it would be funny to see how Sieg would handle that

>>40362196
>Nerillian notices Seig turning down legions of fangirls
>Asks if he prefers men
>"Oh, wow, this is awkward, but uh, I'm already in relationship, with, um, Galadriel!"
><Say what now?>

>>40362614
"Ganelon must never know..."

>>40362614
What would be even funnier is if one of the people on the honor guard is extremely homophobic, like Ganelon.

>>40362614
>Meanwhile, deep within the demon realms, Andreas feels the sudden urge to kill something.

gahh, internet conked out on me.

>>40360761
Well, THAT ended better than expected. Color me surprised. Thought for sure everyone was purposely getting Aleria caught to convert her.

>>40360788
Thanks Sparks, was great fun!

>>40363006
Nah I wasn't. It was way too much of a plot hook for it to end in lolCaptured.

>>40362196
>wait is Nerillian into men?
No, but that would be funny. There's a different reason why I laughed at that last comment though.

>>40363064
Wait was Nerillian married already? I thought somebody was.

>>40363006
>Implying the Red Watchtower guard would keep her alive.
Even then that would have been unacceptable levels of meta gaming.

>>40363104
That dwarf we broke out of the farm was, right? We should stop by and visit him when we're in his hometown.