>>44195427
>2

>>44195427
>3. Wait for the battle to shift in one side’s favour before swooping in to crush their victory.

>>44195427
>>2. Pick a side arbitrarily and play around with this world’s politics for some fun.

>>44195427
>2. Pick a side arbitrarily and play around with this world’s politics for some fun.
Welcome back, Aspirational.

>>44195427
>3
Punish the fools for interrupting our sleep, before taking their flesh for food as compensation.

>>44195427
>1. Take flight and rake the battlefield with flame and magic.
Welp, I guess I won't be sleeping tonight.

>>44195427
>1

>>44195427
>3. Wait for the battle to shift in one side’s favour before swooping in to crush their victory.
These niggas better check themselves.

>>44195427
>1

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Went with 2 to keep things moving.

>2.

Deciding for entertainment over a large meal you size each side up, wondering which would provide the better snack. Neither, really – a few hundred humans each way would make little difference to your appetite. Besides, if you were really hungry you could just eat the other humans at the end of the battle.

Satisfied that it doesn’t matter what you do here, you leap from the mountainside towards the battle below. The ground craters upon impact as your bulk collides with the earth. The company of humans had hardly had time to see your shadow over them before they were crushed beneath you. The battlefield fell silent at your arrival, as though you were an uninvited guest. How foolish – this was a battle and you were invited to all battles.

Taking a deep breath through your nostrils, you then open your maw and coat the soldiers with the blue banners with white-hot dragon fire. All that remains of them is a pile of slag and ash atop blackened and charred dirt. Rearing up, you bear your chest to the mages at the other end of the field and roar. The world itself seems to tremble at your might.

“Wardragon!” screams a soldier and then the battlefield is full of fear and scuttling soldiers. Where there was once bloodshed there is now mindless fear as these mere humans must face the fury of reality.

As a booming laugh echoes from your chest something else tickles it, like a gust of hot air. A tiny amount of spellfire, no more than the size of your claw, fizzles out on the black scales of your chest. You eye the mages from afar, watching as they and only they try to stop you. You…

>1. Change sides. If the mages are willing to stand up to you, perhaps they will be more entertaining.
>2. Destroy the army while they futilely launch spells at you.
>3. Eat the mages first.

>>44195427
>3. Wait for the battle to shift in one side’s favour before swooping in to crush their victory.

Their despair will make the meal more flavoursome...

>>44195850
3
Aw shit son! Didn't even know you were back!

>>44195850
>>1. Change sides. If the mages are willing to stand up to you, perhaps they will be more entertaining.
The mages are from the side we chose?

>>44195850
>4. Leave the battlefield, follow one of the supply lines back to its kingdom of origin, find the biggest castle and eat its inhabitants.

Failing that,
>3. Eat the mages first.

>>44195850
>3
Let's get some of that magic juice in our system, since just the meat won't be sufficient

>>44195850
>>3. Eat the mages first.

>>44195850
3

Welcome back aspie

>>44195850
>1. Change sides. If the mages are willing to stand up to you, perhaps they will be more entertaining.

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>3.

Mages always make for a nice aperitif, particularly when swallowed whole. The crackling of their magic inside you as they futilely attack you reminds you of when you eat those delicious red chilies that they bring from afar.

A series of magical lances of light ripple across your chest, as though a child were beating on your chest. Wasting no more time imagining your meal, you leap across the battlefield. The magical protections around the tower fail upon impact and soon it is raining robed mages. You snap a couple out of the air as they fall, narrowly missing some wood.

You let the mages slip down your throat, enjoying the mild heat they produce in your mouth. Personally you were a fan of far hotter foods than this. Perhaps you could find a mage tower and see if they had anybody of interest?

Your thoughts are interrupted by yet more spells as the mages continue firing futilely at you, even as they rise from the rubble of their protective tower. Honestly, this is just embarrassing for them. You snap them up one-by-one, neatly avoiding getting any of the wooden beams of the tower in your mouth – you always hated the way they got stuck in your teeth.

It’s perhaps a half-hour later that you finish snacking on the last of the soldiers of blue. The other army had long since fled, likely carrying stories of your return and fanciful ideas of vanquishing you. Humans rarely changed. At the very least, it leaves you free to go where you wish. The blue banner was of the Kingdom of Ahm, if you weren’t mistaken and the green of Shropham. Curious that they were clashing so close to the Marnn mountains where you rested.

>1. You’re still hungry. Follow Ahm’s supply lines and feast on the humans at the encampment or castle.
>2. The politics of humans never ceases to amuse you. Visit Shropham in human form to see what is going on there.
>3. Get some more sleep, you’re still a year or two short.
>4. Custom

>>44196175
>3. Get some more sleep, you’re still a year or two short.
No fucks given.

>>44196175
2

>>44196175
2

>>44196175
>2. The politics of humans never ceases to amuse you. Visit Shropham in human form to see what is going on there.
>We finally get to be the dragon

I think im going to cry

>>44196175
>1. You’re still hungry. Follow Ahm’s supply lines and feast on the humans at the encampment or castle.

>>44196175
>3

>>44196175
>4. Go visit Sylvian the Silver Dragon. She sure will be glad to see an old friend and share latest news.

>>44196175
2
Are we going back to Harrowmont for the reboot?

>>44196175
>1. You’re still hungry. Follow Ahm’s supply lines and feast on the humans at the encampment or castle.
Could you link the map again? Old or new.

>>44196175
>3
Need that beauty sleep, we put some fear into the humans, now things will be more interesting when we wake up.
It's a shame but I'll be going to sleep now, have fun you lads and make it so I will to when catching up.

>>44195850
>1. Change sides. If the mages are willing to stand up to you, perhaps they will be more entertaining.

>>44196258
I know right?

I was waiting for that forever

>>44196175
How long will you bo runnin for mate? 4 more hours?

>>44196175
>2. The politics of humans never ceases to amuse you. Visit Shropham in human form to see what is going on there.

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>That's a 2. Writing.

>>44196297
>Be Lairos, one of the dragons who helped destroyed draconic civilisation
>Go visit Sylvian, your sworn foe from the rebellion
As amusing as it would be, I don't think getting into a fight with one of the handful of beings capable of actually hurting you would be smart. Especially because the battle would destroy a city or two and make me have to redesign the map.

>>44196309
Here's the old province map (with currently inaccurate faction data as this takes place around 1880PC), as it actually has places on it. You're probably hanging out around Taour right now.

>>44196341
Probably 5 more hours or so. I'll probably run for 7 hours or so, in case people want to bug me about other things but don't want to stay up too late.

>>44196299
Yes. I'm happy to discuss the AEQ stuff later.

>>44196391
WOOOOO WELCOME BACK ASPIRATIONAL!

>>44196391
>Especially because the battle would destroy a city or two and make me have to redesign the map.

On that note, how are you going to treat metagaming in upcoming restart? In research and character interaction, I mean.

>>44196543
Hah! Good thin I never got past thread 20 in the archives so I don't know enough to be able to do that!
That was a lie, I'm a bit sad I don't have discoveries and such to look fkrward to reappearin and finding differences.
>>44196391
>redesign the map
So this one-shot is canon gonna be canon?
>tfw players vote for fun and make the eventual quest's MC's life way harder
FUN!

>>44196543

On that note, can we keep Architectanons base designs?

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>new WIP province map, btw

>>44196543
Some things I can't avoid metagaming (e.g. a lot of the stuff in the big lore dump I did when I first quit) but plenty of things will change to keep things fresh for the players.

>2.

It wasn’t hard to get to Shropham, just a few lazy hours of flight. You wondered if humans would ever manage flight at a speed that would ever make your talents in the air useful once more, like the days of yore when you fought your kin. Ah, how you missed those days.

Shropham was as humanly amazing as it had ever been, with the square-mile floating platform of stone still standing a hundred metres above the city. For all your dismissiveness of humans, they produced structures that only the Aefir, the now magically-dead elves, had managed. Dropping into the city from the sky, you shift to your human form for the first time in more than a century. There was a gathering of ants in the central mage tower, so you go there. A knight looks about to accost you as you walk through the guarded gates but thinks better of it once he sees you. Smart man. He’d go far.

“I keep telling you, Smith, the armour is not yet ready for combat,” comes the weary voice of a mage on one of the raised platforms in the courtyard. A mass of mages and knights stand around the raised platforms, listening intently to the debate of the mages atop them.

“Ahm is already gearing up to mass-produce this magical plate as we speak. Are we not the greatest magical city on the continent? Should we not be first?” says a relatively young mage, insofar that his robes aren’t covered in the honours that these mages love to hand out.

>continued

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>>44196732
“Until we can guarantee a large enough supply of iron then we can’t undergo testing. Grand Magister Hand has the upper hand, forgive the pun, simply because his king is smart enough to maintain good relations with the Darlesians,” replies another mage.

“Damn Hand. Even I am a match for him,” Smith says.

“I doubt that, and even if you were you don’t have Gnome. She’s the key to Ahm’s supremacy in the magitech research.”

Gnome. You knew that name. You still bore scars from that earth elemental’s power, from when you had ventured deep below the Sithran mountains to wage war with the dwarves. Time heals all wounds, bar those of the fury of the world itself it would seem. Your mind drifts back to memories of times past…

>1. Let your mind wander back to your siege of the dwarven city of Torphenstammen.
>2. Pull your head back into the game. These humans were inventing some strange magical devices, perhaps you should take a look?
>3. This is boring. Perhaps you should head north and annoy your old ‘friend’, Sylvian the silver dragon, by destroying some of her soldiers.
>4. Custom

>>44196732
>Smith

God damn it this should get old but it is still just as funny to me.

>>44196749
>>2. Pull your head back into the game. These humans were inventing some strange magical devices, perhaps you should take a look?
Gnome ;_;

>>44196749
>Reminisce
>tfw Gnome

>>44196749
>3. This is boring. Perhaps you should head north and annoy your old ‘friend’, Sylvian the silver dragon, by destroying some of her soldiers.

do it for old times sake. What would she do without the wardragon pissing her off every other week?

>>44196749
>2. Pull your head back into the game. These humans were inventing some strange magical devices, perhaps you should take a look?

>>44196749
>3

>>44196749
>2. Pull your head back into the game. These humans were inventing some strange magical devices, perhaps you should take a look?

>>44196749
2
>>44196725
Man I hope so. Is he even around anymore I wonder

>>44196749
>2. Pull your head back into the game. These humans were inventing some strange magical devices, perhaps you should take a look?
>4 Ask which side is warring with each other in this era. For all the time you've spent asleep, you've far behind on keeping track on who's fighting whom at any time of the day.

Hey aspie it's nice to have you back running a quest.

I have to go to bed now so I will catch the rest of the thread in the morning.

I hope you get back into the quests mate

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>>44196892
>4 Ask which side is warring with each other in this era. For all the time you've spent asleep, you've far behind on keeping track on who's fighting whom at any time of the day.
Right now Shropham is warring with Darlesia, to their south (and who currently control Taour and Vitria) because they want control of the mines of the Marnn mountains. Ahm is fighting Shropham as part of their alliance with Darlesia. This is pre-magitech (as it's still being invented).

>2.

The mages are skilled at hiding things, no doubt due to their general suspicion that everyone and everything is out to get them, but you still manage to find the source of magical energy that is no doubt part of this ‘magitech research’. An enormous moving mass of metal the size of a young dragon fills the cavernous room beneath the mage tower. Iridescent energies are pulled in from a hole in the ceiling by an enormous antenna and the machine whirs about in response, melting ingots and producing weapons. Magical weapons.

These mages were mass-producing enchanted weapons. The feat amazed you, causing you to drop your guard.

“Hey, you’re supposed to be here,” shouts a guard as your invisibility spell drops by accident.

You swat him aside, his armour and chest crumpling as you backhand him into the wall. Turning back to the factory before you, you grin broadly. Humans never ceased to amaze you with their ingenuity in war. You greatly looked forward to the blood they would shed and hoped they would be more able to challenge you with so much magic at their disposal. For now, you…

>1. See if you can’t help things along. They were doing testing, so perhaps you could help them in their war efforts.
>2. Cause a ruckus while you’re here. Surely the great mages of Shropham will be of some entertainment to you.
>3. Head topside and decide what fun to have next now that you’re wide awake.
>4. Custom

>>44197103
>2
lmao fuck human progress

>>44197103
>“Hey, you’re supposed to be here,” shouts a guard as your invisibility spell drops by accident.
That, uh, should be 'you're not supposed to be here', derp.

>>44197103
>>1. See if you can’t help things along. They were doing testing, so perhaps you could help them in their war efforts.
>>44197134
Lairos is supposed to be wherever he wants to be.

>>44197103
1
Jump them about a century's of work that should be fun later

>>44197103
>1. See if you can’t help things along. They were doing testing, so perhaps you could help them in their war efforts.
>4. Test out their shiny new "toys"

>>44197103
>>2. Cause a ruckus while you’re here. Surely the great mages of Shropham will be of some entertainment to you.

>>44197103
>3. Head topside and decide what fun to have next now that you’re wide awake.

>>44197103
>1. See if you can’t help things along. They were doing testing, so perhaps you could help them in their war efforts.
Hah, let's see how Talon deals with this.

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>1.

For all their secretiveness, the mages were rather open to your assistance. Or perhaps they were mostly open to not being obliterated by you if they said no. Either way, you spent a few months working on their magitech – it’s hardly your area of expertise but even a fledgling dragon knew more about magical theory than the most practised human mages. That and the ability to simply create whatever resources you needed for testing meant that the time necessary to wait on supplies was no longer a hindrance.

It wouldn’t be long before Shropham would put their new magical arms and armour to the test. You had other things to worry about, as staying in one place too long attracted unnecessary attention. This time it was merely vampires, but were it your old foe then your time spent aiding Shropham would be wasted.

‘I have something of interest to offer you in exchange for information, PB’, read the note along with a meeting location that had been given to you by a thralled servant. You’d unfortunately had to take the precaution of killing her and incinerating the body – you’d have preferred her as a snack but you never liked the idea of putting a vampire’s pawn in your stomach. Vampire blood had never been to your taste. Still, if this vampire had something of interest for you then it couldn’t hurt to meet him. What was he going to do to you if you refused, bleed on you?

>1. Meet the vampire.
>2. Ignore the vampire and leave Shropham to take a nap
>3. Ignore the vampire and go stir up some trouble
>4. Custom

>>44197505
>>1. Meet the vampire
For killing purposes

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>>44197285
It won't necessarily be Talon dealing with it, as the new quest will have a new char select (and even the Talon in that will be a little different in terms of abilities). New choices will basically be Knight (with imbued sorcery rather than astral power and a magical weapon), Spellblade (with a powerful monster familiar) and Mage (who practices a forbidden branch of magic).

>>44197505
>1. Meet the vampire.

>>44197505
>3. Ignore the vampire and go stir up some trouble

>>44197505
>3. Ignore the vampire and go stir up some trouble

>>44197505
>1. Meet the vampire.

the little Vampy thinks it has something that can interest us? we can always play with it should it prove boring...

>>44197505
1

I have a terrible feeling Shropham is going to be independent this go around and a lot tougher.

Can't wait.

>>44197505
>4. Meet with vampire. Steal his wife if he has one.

>>44197565
I'm honestly voting mage this time. Saw enough of astral power to get my jollies now I feel going full Mal would give me my jollies.

>>44197565
Spellblade (with a powerful monster familiar)
>Familiar
I wants cute interaction with familiar pet. hope it's a doge familiar.

>>44197565
>Spellblade (with a powerful monster familiar)
Sign me the fuck up

>>44197834
>Not instead going for something stupid like trying to bind a QT devil as familiar.

>>44197890
I'd vote for it.

>>44197505
>1. Meet the vampire

>>44197565
>who practices a forbidden branch of magic
Devilry? Necromancy? Artificial souls?

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>1.

The meeting place was outside of the city so you decided to arrive in style, making it clear to the vampire exactly who and what you were. You weren’t one for games that didn’t involve copious amounts of bloodshed.

The ground thunders as you land, your claws ripping out the stones in the road as they find purchase. A dozen vampires linger in the darkness, potentially believing themselves to be hidden from your sight. When they don’t approach you, you let loose a small burst of flame to light up the area.

“I had heard you were large, but this is quite impressive,” says a cultured voice. You focus your eyes through to darkness to make him out. Before you can make out the colour of his suit, another vampire raises his staff and seems to dispel the shadow all around the clearing.

“Much better. Holding meetings in pitch blackness is rather dull,” the leading vampire says, his blond hair and white suit clear in the strange light that the mage vampire has created.

Most of the vampires are merely nightwalkers, monstrously strong vampires who fear the sunlight, but the three directly in front of you are something else. Daywalkers, vampires with odd abilities and an even odder history, and no fear of the sun. Besides the one in the suit, a wrinkled old man carries a staff next to him and the other is a massive black-armoured knight.

They’re no threat to you so it’s really down to your mood as to how you approach this.

>1. Be egotistical. You’re the goddamn wardragon and you’ll have some respect from these ants.
>2. Be impatient. You don’t have time for theatrics if there’s no blood to be split.
>3. Be silent. Let the vampires do the talking while you weigh up what’s occurring here.
>4. Custom

>>44197976
Mind magic perhaps? I assume that is considered forbidden... Having the power to make a king go mad, or an army cower in fear...

>>44197976
If none of these then why not learn them all? Be the Kushan you always wanted to be.

>>44197906
I'm kind of just laughing really hard at the pure political mess up this would cause.

>>44198068
>3. Be silent. Let the vampires do the talking while you weigh up what’s occurring here.

If he proves to be full of hot air and useless then go full rage. Otherwise might as well hear what he has to say and chill.

>>44198068
>1. Be egotistical. You’re the goddamn wardragon and you’ll have some respect from these ants.

>>44198068

>1. Be egotistical. You’re the goddamn wardragon and you’ll have some respect from these ants.

>>44198068
>2. Be impatient. You don’t have time for theatrics if there’s no blood to be split

>>44198068
>2. Be impatient. You don’t have time for theatrics if there’s no blood to be split.
Wardragon needs things to do! Wardragon missed out on 200 battles!

>>44198068
>3. Be silent. Let the vampires do the talking while you weigh up what’s occurring here.

>>44198084
>What do you mean I can't keep a devil familiar in the Tower?
>Well fuck you then! I'll make my own country with blackjack, hookers, and all the devil familiars I want!

And thus a would be emperor was born.

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>>44197976
Each character choice has a further choice to specialise.

The knight gets to choose between a special weapon (that can potentially be upgraded) and gets a versatile set of abilities plus a positive reputation.

The spellblade has no rep but gets to choose between one of three monster familiars. He's probably the most versatile.

The mage gets to choose between three branches of magic to basically sell his soul to and forsake all other forms of magic - devilry, necromancy and super magic (I'm avoiding constructs, mind magic and time magic because they're a PITA setting-wise). There's more details to them but I'm not sure I should break it down without going into more details on the other characters (given that voters that don't see this will only have partial knowledge at char select).

>>44198084
Well, the mage can get in a ton of shit due to his forbidden magic so that is a thing, but not for the spellblade (at the start of the quest).

>>44198068
Aspirational you're my all time favorite QM and I'm psyched you'll be returning, glad I'll be a part of this quest from the beginning i picked up AEQ around thread 20

>>44198068
>1. Be egotistical. You’re the goddamn wardragon and you’ll have some respect from these ants.

>>44198196
"super magic?"

and what are the three potential monster familiars?

>>44198196
>The spellblade has no rep but gets to choose between one of three monster familiars. He's probably the most versatile.
can we familiar a demon?

>>44198283
demons arent monsters brah

>>44198068
4. Tell vampire leader what if it turns out you wasted your time meeting him you are going to throw him to the other side of the Barrier of Mary.

>>44198196
>the mage can get in a ton of shit due to his forbidden magic

And all would be right with the world. It isn't an Aspiring Emperor Quest without pissing someone off.

>>44198355
>It isn't an Aspiring Emperor Quest without pissing everyone* off.

>>44198283
We know it is possible to do so. Just that it would lead to a shitstorm. They aren't monsters though and I doubt a starting PC would have the skills to bind one anyway.

>>44198378
Taren Hand summoned Gnome in his preteens. Anything is possible

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>>44198283
Not normally, as they don't have a soul. You'd need some special magic to do so.

>1.

The suited vampire steps forward and places a hand across his chest, saying, “Greetings, oh Great Wardragon, I am-“

“Perin Blackwater,” you rumble, interrupting him. You shift your gaze from him to each of the other daywalkers in turn. “Along with Darian and Volante. I don’t care what your scheme is with them, but you had best have something of interest to dare to call me out.”

Blackwater is unfazed by your interruption, merely giving you a smile and a small bow. “I am most humbled to be known by name by one more talented in bloodshed than I could dream to be. Before I offer you the trade, I must first know if you have what I am after.”

You short, a small lick of flame coming from your nostrils – despite being small to you the flame nearly touches Blackwater and his suit is slightly charred as a result. “Why are you wasting my time? Tell me your offer and name your price, then we’ll bargain, vampire.”

Hiding a grimace, the daywalker presses on. “Do you know where Tylarne is?”

“Your offer, worm.”

You can sense the other vampires getting restless, with only Blackwater and the armoured Volante maintaining their calm. Though for all you know the vampiric knight is going mage with rage behind that helmet of his.

>continued

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>>44198516
“I can cure your infertility,” Blackwater finally grinds out.

Your world spins at the words. Not just at the fact that this mere bloodsucker knows of the plight of feldragons such as yourself but also that he believes he has a cure.

“Impossible,” you say, the words emanating from deep within your chest and resounding across the clearing.

“Just as feldragons damage themselves with magic, so can they be healed,” Blackwater says. “I have a concoction that should be more than suitable. It is untested, sadly, but I am certain it will be of use to you. All I need to know is where Tylarne, the Font of Eternity is.”

It’s quite the ask to know where your old friend is – you know his location but to divulge it would be the greatest of betrayals. But even a chance to further your race after all these centuries…

>1. Accept the offer, tell Blackwater where Tylarne is.
>2. Refuse the offer, you won’t betray your friend. Plus, you can still likely steal the concoction from Blackwater.
>3. Custom

>>44198541
2

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>>44198230
I might post a sneak peek at the character select at the end of this one-shot. I'm sure old AEQ players can probably guess one of the familiar possibilities, however.

>>44198541
>2. Refuse the offer, you won’t betray your friend. Plus, you can still likely steal the concoction from Blackwater.

>>44198541
>4. accept the offer...then warn Tylarne.

>>44198541
>2. Refuse the offer, you won’t betray your friend. Plus, you can still likely steal the concoction from Blackwater.
"Tempting, but you know how I value my kin."

>>44198541
>2. Refuse the offer, you won’t betray your friend. Plus, you can still likely steal the concoction from Blackwater.

>>44198541
>3. Lie. No need for betrayal if you can keep him busy and take the concoction later.

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>>44198644
HYPE

>>44198680
this

>>44197565
How much money do I have to throw at you so we can be a dragon?

>>44198730
I don't think I'd dig that

can someone remind me of the deets about spellblades?

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>2.

“I refuse,” you say.

“This isn’t an opportunity that knocks twice, dragon,” Blackwater says coldly, his demeanour rapidly changing.

“Then perhaps I should knock for it. Be glad you still have your life, vampire,” you say, then roar off into the sky.

Following the vampire was bound to be a useless endeavour – daywalkers as infamous as those three do not live long if they do not learn to cover their tracks, and you firmly need them alive if you’re to steal that concoction.

For now, it is time to sleep.

Decades pass before your sleep is disturbed again, long enough to recover the energy you’d expended over the last century. Once again a battle rages outside, but this one is a true battle of the ages. Tens of thousands of soldiers clash below you as griffins and flying knights clad in magical steel provide support from the air. The air is full of so much magic that it is as though you were in the midst of a mystical Place of Power.

On one side are masses of mages carrying the banner of Ahm, but without the crown at the top. On the other side is the banner of the Royal Seraphi Kingdom, the divided realm that the angels once favoured.

Truly you’d be foolish to miss this chance.

>1. Attack both sides equally, relishing in the disaster.
>2. Side with the Ahmnian mages.
>3. Side with the RSK knights
>4. Custom

>>44199013
>1. Attack both sides equally, relishing in the disaster.

Murder. Murder. Murder. Siding one one side is really boring compared to just wiping both out.

>>44199013
>>1. Attack both sides equally, relishing in the disaster.

>>44199013
>>1. Attack both sides equally, relishing in the disaster.
Time for Falwick to stare into the eye of the storm and try not to blink

>>44199013
>3. Side with the RSK knights

>>44199013
>1. Attack both sides equally, relishing in the disaster.
>Fire a giant fireball nuke from the sky

>>44199013
>>1. Attack both sides equally, relishing in the disaster.

Late for this

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>1.

You let out a burst of booming laughter as you take to the air, looking forward to a battle you haven’t seen for far too long. So many humans, so much magic, so much death and destruction to be wrought.

You make a pass, hurling magical death from above and strafing the flyers with fire. Flying knights literally turn to molten slag in mid-air, crashing down into soldiers like miniature comets. Flaming pyres of feathers and fur stream down alongside them as the griffins and other spiritual beasts the mages are using are destroyed. Still the battle continues below, your magic terrifying the soldiers but not breaking up such a large melee.

When you land, things change rapidly. Hundreds of knights are crushed beneath you on the impact, followed by even more as your magic rips the very earth asunder. Spikes of earth, chasms and molten magma burst into existence at your will and turn the centre of the battlefield into a picture of the end times. Your booming laughter projects across the battlefield and men scatter in all directions.

Then the sky rains fire, and it’s not your fault this time. Massive balls of fire soar towards you, massive amounts of iridescent magical energy rippling of them as their forms overload. This was new.

[DC66 Magical Protection]

Roll a d100, I’ll take the best of the first 3. Not critfails or critsuccesses for now.

Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>44199378

Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>44199378

Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>44199378

Rolled 32 (1d100)

>>44199378

>>44199406
>>44199408
>>44199411
jeez no love for the dragons

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>>44199406
>>44199408
>>44199411

>>44199406
>>44199408
>>44199411

Neat.

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>>44199416
>>44199411
>>44199408
>>44199406
bloody hell these dice.
>>44199378
Aspirational Mind rolling a gander?

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>>44199451
>Aspirational Mind rolling a gander?
Rolling a male goose? What?

>Target not met

You thrust one of your claws into the air, balancing on your remaining three as you project a massive multilayer barrier of magical energy. The raw power of those fireballs might be impressive for a human, but compared to the might of the Great Wardragon-

Your thoughts are cut short by the impact of a massive ball of flaming steel on your snout. Your barrier was still shattering, the raw energy dissipating in the air at such a rate that the ground below it is bursting into flame in reaction. You can feel the scales on your head cracking at the impact and pain lances along your snout. Then two of the other comets hit you, the steel molten from the heat of the magical fire. For all your fire resistance as a might black feldragon, having super-heated steel splash across your body was an experience you will not soon forget.

Roaring in pain and fury as you crash to the ground, you instinctively let out a surge of magical energy to blow everything off your skin. Along with the still molten metal go several of your black scales, each one centuries old. Your vision goes red with rage, your mind struggling to recall the last time you lost a scale, let alone to a mere human.

>continued

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>>44199628
In the distance you see a young woman atop a hill, magic crackling around her as she casts yet another spell. If you didn’t know better you’d say she was a dragon or angel, but you recognise the feel of human sorcery. Perhaps this is the sheer power that terrified even the ancient dragons of old when they spoke of Kushan.

“Strike while the beast is weakened,” shouts an artificially enhanced voice from behind you. “We shall avenge the fallen of centuries at the hands of this beast.”

A dozen massive knights charge at you, each wielding maces with heads the size of a man’s torso. You don’t sense sorcery about these men and sneer inwardly.

>1. Ignore the knights and focus on the mage girl.
>2. Blow away the knights quickly then resume your battle.
>3. Focus on the knights. They might make a nice mid-battle snack.
>4. Custom

>>44199655
>1. Ignore the knights and focus on the mage girl.
>kidnap mage girl.

>>44199655
>3. Focus on the knights. They might make a nice mid-battle snack.

>>44199655
>1. Ignore the knights and focus on the mage girl.

>>44199655
3

>>44199655
>1. Ignore the knights and focus on the mage girl.

>>44199655
>1. Ignore the knights and focus on the mage girl.

>>44196749
>Smith
HAH! I remember this guy

>>44199918
Watch him turn out utterly irrelevant here. Instead we get grand magister John doe.

>>44199655
>1. Ignore the knights and focus on the mage girl.
>kidnap mage girl.

KIDNAP THE PRINCESS

>>44199655
Time to derail everything by accidentally murdering Alyce.

>>44199918
>>44200020
care to fill us in?

>>44200134
OP isn't good with names. So the last quest the leader of one of the enemy factions wasn't even named and had no real personality or presence. Something the players poked fun of him for. So eventually after he died it was decided that he was Grand Magister Smith a proud mage who was very grumpy that his illustrious family had such a pedestrian name.

>>44200134
;_; all these new people.

It's a pretty amusing joke where Aspirational didn't want to think up a name for one of the villains since he mostly was a non-sentient monster at the time. So he said his name will be Bob Smith or something like that. Then afterwards he named him magister smith.

>>44200226
Yeah. Smith really was more of a physical threat then a psychological threat.Which I thought was pretty amusing considering blackwater was almost the opposite.

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>1.

Why waste your precious time on mere knights when you can go after some truly worthy prey? Surging upwards, you take flight high into the air in preparation for an aerial charge. A flurry of magical lances as big as your talons riddle the air behind you as you fly, your saving grace being that the mage girl had clearly expected you to charge her directly.

As you turn and prepare to charge her you see her readying another spell as she faces you. Your face twists with a terrifying draconic grin as you ready your own magic. To face a truly powerful mage head-to-head is a glory that you have not been able to partake in for centuries, if ever. The cracks in your scales glow a malignant red as your draw on your reserves, readying a spell you last used when you slew the great Dragon King himself.

Hundreds of balls of darkness blink into existence in the air before the mage girl suddenly, her spell activating. With magic pumping through your body and wings you can hardly stop your descent no matter what spell she uses. Instead you speed up further, your body straining under the pressure you’re placing it under.

First contact with the balls of darkness is your trigger, a massive lance formed of pure magic appearing in your hands. As the magical balls seem to stick to your scales you loose the lance from your flight, using additional magic to propel it towards its target on top of your phenomenal speeds. Only your draconic senses, honed from centuries of conflict, let you see each instant of its flight. The balls of darkness all immediately slam into it, the mass of them closing in on the lance immediately.

Then the world appears to explode before your eyes.

[DC66 Endurance]

[DC87 Push the offensive]

Roll 2d100 each. First d100 of each roll will go towards the first DC, second towards the second DC.

Rolled 37, 100 = 137 (2d100)

>>44200263

Rolled 44, 8 = 52 (2d100)

>>44200263
Go for da gurl!

Rolled 79, 72 = 151 (2d100)

>>44200263
>>44200263

Rolled 5, 82 = 87 (2d100)

>>44200263

>>44200277
Dat 100. Shame no crits

>>44200277
>>44200285
>>44200288

The wardragon cometh. It is time for pain.

>>44197791
But if we go mage how will we teach Finn?
Also, Mal is awesome, we should keep him

>>44200230
hey im far from new, you'll have to excuse me, last thread was in July and even while it was happening i had trouble keeping track of all the named characters

So the most important question.

Do we kill the girl or do we keep her for entertainment?

>>44200500
I'm pretty interested in seeing how Mal saw the world. Talon never was one for the deeper parts of magic. So while we learned quite a bit about astral we where pretty in the dark about evocation/transmutation.

That and we tend to get someone who is the opposite of us at the start of the game and if it is who was mentioned last time things could get hilarious.

>>44200530
I just like to bully anons anon. To me everyone is new even the QM as long as it lets me bully harder.

>>44200546
keep her for entertainment obviously. She's still good for fucking even if we're "infertile" and can't make babies.
hope we can make another half-dragon like Lynn

Hey neat this is a thing again.

Aspirational I'm working on the new Harrowmont right now. I'll send you an email sometime tonight

>>44200699
is it in 2D or 3D?

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>Endurance: Target met; 37, 44, 79

The balls of darkness leech the very magic from everything they touch, you realise too late. Your lance of magic is pure magical energy – not even a summoned physical form to bind it to this world. As the balls leech the magic from it they destabilise it. In the numbers necessary to harm a dragon such as yourself, the lance lasts barely a fraction of an instant. When its power is unleashed suddenly the result is explosive, and far too close to you.

The explosion overwhelms even your massive bulk, throwing your flight path off as you grind into the ground and dig up hundreds of metres of ground. The remains of the Ahmnian encampment are all around you and as you rise tents, wood and ash fall from your body. You are the Great Wardragon and you will not be denied.

>continued

>>44200649
Lynn won't exist anymore because you refused the potion that made her possible in the first place

>>44200722
(oh God please be 3d)

>>44200743
but we can still steal it some time later and make Lynn anyways.

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>>44200739
>Push the offensive: Target met; 100, 8, 72

The mage girl lay on her back, twisting to look at you. You can see blood streaming down her face from a wound she’s taken, her face twisted in a mixture of pain and terror. Just the way you like it. In front of her and facing you down is an elf, wearing obviously magical armour and carrying a bardiche. It’s an impressive gesture but a futile one.

You roar and charge forwards, your claws churning up the dirt you just disturbed in your crash. The elf closes the distance herself, seeming to teleport across the distance. Her bardiche finds purchase in your foreleg, and a surge of magic through it nearly blows it clean off. Nearly collapsing to the ground you unleash a surge of red-hot fire, which the elf avoids by neatly leaping atop your bad. She’s on the other side of you in a heartbeat, her bardiche brimming with magic again as she readies another blow.

Too slow, you think as one of your claws slams into the elf. You can feel her magical defences fail and her bones shatter as you slam her into the dirt. As soft as it is after you’ve churned it up the impact puts the elf clean out of the fight.

Then you’re on top of the mage, your maw right by her face. She glares up at you, still readying magic. You…

>1. Take her. A mage of this power should not be wasted and you still need to hunt down Blackwater’s concoction.
>2. Leave her. You can’t make easy use of her yet and to see her potential in this world would be amazing.
>3. Kill her. That’s what predators do, after all.
>4. Custom

>>44200699
Cool. Take your time. I won't be running AEQR until Thursday now, as I spent all of yesterday making a map instead of preparing other things.

>>44200771
>>2. Leave her. You can’t make easy use of her yet and to see her potential in this world would be amazing.

>>44200771
>1. Take her. A mage of this power should not be wasted and you still need to hunt down Blackwater’s concoction.

>>44200699
Oh hey, You're here too.

>>44200771
>1. Take her. A mage of this power should not be wasted and you still need to hunt down Blackwater’s concoction.

>>44200771
>1. Take her. A mage of this power should not be wasted and you still need to hunt down Blackwater’s concoction.
Tremble before the might of the D.

>>44200771
>>1. Take her. A mage of this power should not be wasted and you still need to hunt down Blackwater’s concoction.


We can always let her go after the wardragon gets bored. Hell might as well drop her home personally.

>>44200771
>1. Take her. A mage of this power should not be wasted and you still need to hunt down Blackwater’s concoction.

Snort hot breathe on her too

>>44200828
The gangs almost here

He was exhiled aeons ago but now it's time for hin to return

Yes HIM!

>>44200722
Good lord, 2D. 3D would make me jump off a bridge.

>>44200771
Works for me.

>>44200771
>>44200850
adding
>4. Custom
gingerly caress a her cheek.

>>44200828

>>44200897
But he betrayed us

>>44200924
Nope. Tunnelbro go home. No one wants you here.

>>44200988
Is TunnelBro actually one person? Also legitimately surprised that anyone remembers me, most of what I did wasn't nearly as visible as ArchitectAnon's work.

>>44200988
>>44201073
We are all Tunnelbros here

>>44201073
you were memorable for your battleplans and strats. At least that's what I remember.

>>44201073
If I remember right you are the guy that tosses out a lot of plans with me.

Kind of hard to forget you.

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>1.

You quickly snap a cage of iron and magic around the woman, and her magic snaps out and nearly destroys it in one go. Another wave of your claw reinforces the cage and then you are soaring into the air, the cage and mage in your grasp. The Seraphi soldiers stream over the Ahmnians, their resolve broken by your focused attacked on their greatest mage but you see another Ahmnian force not far away. You wonder what exactly is the cause of this conflict?

You put it out of your mind as you find a cave. The mage girl remains relatively docile, which is good for you as you suspect she’s more than able of breaking free. The speed with which she summons power is dangerous even to you – killing her may not have been easy. In your grasp she no doubt waits for a more opportune moment, or perhaps she’s merely curious like most human mages.

It takes a couple of hours to find somewhere that you can fit in the Sithran mountains, an old dwarven mine, dug out into the surface of the rock so they could more easily excavate their riches down the side of the mountain. Once inside you place the cage down and observe your captive.

She’s sleeping now, no doubt from exhaustion. As interesting as she is, however, she’ll be far more interesting once you can do something with her that might last. To do that, you’ll need to find Blackwater. There’s not much you can do to truly secure the mage, particularly as she can most likely cast sendings even at this distance from civilisation. Beyond crippling her, all you can do is restrict teleportation and hope that her curiosity keeps her here if you go searching. You…

>1. Go hunt for Blackwater now, as the longer you wait the more likely you’ll lose the mage girl. He must have been in Shropham for a reason.
>2. Wait for the mage girl to awaken, so that you might talk to her.
>3. Have some fun with the mage girl now, hoping that it doesn’t kill her curiosity in you or whatever kept her from escaping in flight.
>4. Custom

This shall be the world where Alyce and the wardragon became bros that fist bump each other once in a while.

>>44201126
>>44201111
To be fair, most of what I did was as an anon, I think I posted under this name in one or two other threads. Mainly, I did a lot of battle plans (but far from all of them) as well as being responsable for a lot of the magical research options. Also did a bunch of stuff with the spreadsheets both in expanding them resulting in a lot of headaches for our QM, and finding various ways to make them easier for him to deal with, causing less headaches.

>>44201160
>>1. Go hunt for Blackwater now, as the longer you wait the more likely you’ll lose the mage girl. He must have been in Shropham for a reason.


You know we could leave a message or something for her. Tell her we want to talk to her about her magic or something.

>>44201160
>>1. Go hunt for Blackwater now, as the longer you wait the more likely you’ll lose the mage girl. He must have been in Shropham for a reason.

>>44201160
>2. Wait for the mage girl to awaken, so that you might talk to her.

>>44201160
1
What an odd world we're creating

>>44201237
statistics and stat-tracking is a bitch ain't it? It's like Dwarf Fortress but you have to track every single roll and action by hand.

>>44201160
>2. Wait for the mage girl to awaken, so that you might talk to her.
No, we can't give into Blackwater's demand. Going back now like this is...humiliating.

>>44201192
Is that Alyce though?

>>44201160
>2. Wait for the mage girl to awaken, so that you might talk to her.

>>44201160
>2. Wait for the mage girl to awaken, so that you might talk to her.
Lets put on an impression that makes the girl curious about us when she wakes up. Play up the our tragedy of being infertile when the time comes.

>>44201387
Likely. Elf protector that is comparable to Gnome but not in the upper dragon tier. Magic potential high enough to fight. Unless she was massively altered.

>>44201362
Pretty sure the idea is less giving in and more kicking down his door and stealing his shit.

>>44201441
He might not even have it mixed yet.

If the wardragon does talk I'm thinking he should play up his desire to learn more about the current world and offer to talk about some of the magic knowledge The wardragon has in his head.

Need to keep her interested enough for kicking down blackwaters door.

>>44201488
Can always force him if he doesn't. Hard to beat this potion or your life.

>>44201560
It may take days. He might not have the ingredients. It might be across the world or being held by another dragon. He might not have it anymore.

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>2.

While waiting for the girl to awaken you set up some creature comforts for her and all the magical protections you need, plus the extras to keep her here. You also take a closer look at her – long brown hair, relatively youthful look and robes that mark her as a member of the Tower of Stars in Ahm and a grand magister sigil. Many of the mages who had posed a true challenge to you had hailed from the same mage tower, and a grand magister all the same. You inwardly hoped that she was as young as she looked, and not an old crone who stopped her aging early. You like a youthful personality in your women.

You realise she’s finally stirred when you hear the cage melt, the iron sizzling atop the earth around her. Even without her staff she was more than able of overwhelming the magic you used to restrain her. She gives you a calculating look, clearly waiting for you to speak.

“Name?” you ask her, your head right before her and making it very clear that there is a difference in power here.

“It’s considered polite to introduce yourself first, before asking another’s name,” she answers primly.

You grin at that, your face warping in a manner you doubt she’s ever seen a dragon do up close. If she’s even seen a dragon up close at all. How do you respond?

>Write-in, because why not. I’ll throw some prompts up if people prefer.

>>44201560
You're assuming we can trust him not to betray us.

He's not worth the risk.

There's just no good way to be sure we'll get the potion if we go to him. For all we know, it could be a poison so that we can't retaliate for betraying him.

>>44201591
Details details. We're a dragon it'll work out. Though to be honest I'm mostly worried about losing his trail over time.

>>44201617
>I am the Great Wardragon Tymonathisulrak. And your display of power has...intrigued me. Name?

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>>44201641
>Though to be honest I'm mostly worried about losing his trail over time.
The good news is that, to be meta, this is 1931PC and Taour is being razed to the ground by Darlesia because the mages in Taour rebelled. Given that the vampires manage to seize control of the city-state as part of its reconstruction Blackwater won't be far from there, or from Shropham given they were his benefactors initially (and are more powerful now than in the original AEQ).

>>44201617
>You stand before the Great Lairos, the one and only. And I must say, I am impressed with you, even if I could still kill you in a flash.
>I think we have some similarities. Like incredible and awesome power, though you still have much to learn.
>How about...a little...partnership?

>>44201617
Surely i haven't slept so long that my actions today wasn't introduction enough. Name?

>>44201617
>Tell her our name and old rank, from back when we worked for Larios.

>>44201617
>"Am I so unknown that you have never heard my name before? And here I was expecting better of such a skilled mage."

>>44201617
Introduce yourself, ask for her name, then ask how she likes her dinner, because we're going out to a nice place and she better be hungry.

>>44201617
>The answer to that question relies on who is asking, to some Death to others... also Death, maybe War, perhaps the Monster whom stirs the ground with his breathe. To a very few... Hope and to fewer yet, Ally, now whom do I address?

>>44201729
>>44201681
i had forgotten how "smooth and subtle" players in this quest are

>>44201617
>Does the name Lairos ring a bell? Although I do admit, your skills with magic has piqued my interest.
no no no.. no need to get all defensive, I'm currently lamenting my infertility.

>>44201617
She's rude, just eat her and move on.

>>44201796
We are the smoothest.

>>44201796
To be fair, we are currently playing an insane dragon.

>>44201617
>My name? I don't have one. I used to have a name, but that name's been buried so far deep because of the dragon wars. I'm just a survivor. name me what you wish.

>>44201796
We're a 'I have 0 fucks to give you' dragon who probably is about as capable of seducing a woman properly as a half-decayed rainbow trout.

>>44201802
>I'm currently lamenting my infertility

Oh dear god. I can only imagine. Though given her personality I would think it would be best to try to be kind of nice early on just for the unexpectedness.

>>44201617
>"respect your betters, girl. I won't ask again"

>>44201820
>Eyy, girl I couldn't help but see your balls of fire on the field and I wanted to just bring you to a nice private place to get to know you a lil better
>*unzips scales*
>Dont worry, I'm infertile
>*eyeridge wiggle*

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VOTE
>1. Accommodating. Like >>44201681 and >>44201786
>2. Egotistical. A combination of >>44201729 and >>44201793
>3. Aggressive. Like >>44201767 and >>44201862

>>44201796
Lairos is a blunt, bloodthirsty dragon.

>>44201843
Literally everybody in this world knows who you are, she's just being sassy.

>>44201847
Don't you know? Zero fucks plus insane is the perfect recipe for a smooth operator.

>>44201879
>1.
Can we sass her back?

>>44201879
>2

>>44201879
>1

But not the 'Ask how she likes her dinner' part. She can cook that shit herself. Just don't be a dick.

>>44201879
>1. Accommodating.

Do it just to screw with her.

>>44201879
>3
Though I would prefer to simply eat her and move on to dragon things.

>>44201893
1 is not sassy

>>44201879
>Lairos is a blunt, bloodthirsty dragon.
Which is exatcly why i think the super "subtle" sweet talking is weird.

>>44201879
>3

>>44201906
Now I see the wardragon as just being a tad bipolar is all.

Though I also think it would be hilarious to talk about the short attention span of humans if they already forgot his name this fast.

>>44201945
Changeing my vote to 1 but just saying our name and nothing else

>>44201922
I can kind of see him being mildly subtle in cases where he needs to be. He's the wardragon not an idiot. Weather or not he is good at subtle is a different story.

Though if he does introduce himself he should make sure to say it's only polite for her to tell him her name now.

>>44201973
then delete it and re-post.

>>44201879
>2 into 1

>>44201879
>2

>>44201879
>2

>>44202000
Fair point, i don't agree but i see where you are coming from.

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>1.

You decide to play along, if only because you don’t really have the patience to play these games. “I am the Great Wardragon Lairos.”

“Really? I never realised,” she says, then grimaces. “I am Alyce Forstadt, of the Tower of Stars in Ahm. I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you but I was raised not to lie to people’s faces.”

“Shall I turn my back?” you ask, the cavern rumbling slightly as you speak from deeper within your chest. “It is not often I meet a powerful… female mage such as yourself. I thought it to be a waste to merely kill you, as delicious as you’d likely taste.”

“I see,” she says, clearly lying. “What exactly am I here for, then? My understanding of your kind is that you don’t really do the ‘bring the princess back to their lair’ thing for biological reasons.”

“You are hardly a princess,” you say heatedly, before regaining your composure. “I merely wish to trade – I will give you the information you so badly desire in exchange for… a favour.”

It’s impressive how quickly her attitude changes once you bring ancient magical knowledge into the equation. Her standoffish behaviour and simple curiosity turns to outright lust for power. Yes, you could see how this one got where she is – power and drive are all one needs to be great. And those that are great are all the more magnificent when you snuff them out at their brightest.

Still, she does moderate herself enough to at least ask you the obvious, “What sort of favour?”

>1. Be upfront, say that you are interested in a child (once you get Blackwater’s concoction).
>2. Be upfront, say that you are interested in her and information more generally (that is, you don’t want to get Blackwater’s concoction).
>3. Don’t answer.
>4. Custom

>>44202152
>1. Be upfront, say that you are interested in a child (once you get Blackwater’s concoction).

>>44202152
>>1. Be upfront, say that you are interested in a child (once you get Blackwater’s concoction).

"Hey baby I want you to have my baby"

>>44202152
>1. Be upfront, say that you are interested in a child (once you get Blackwater’s concoction).

>>44202152
It would probably be smarter to tell her we need her to help murder blackwater as well. If there is one thing we need to do it's murder blackwater. Because I"m still asspained.

>>44202152
>1. Be upfront, say that you are interested in a child (once you get Blackwater’s concoction).
>>44202301
>Blackwater
>Dying
kek

>>44202366
Everything is going according to blackwaters plans.

>>44202301
Come now, chronologically speaking he hasn't screwed us over yet.

>>44202484
It's blackwater even in other timelines he'll find a way.

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>1.

“I want a child,” you say bluntly.

“Something I’ve been told by a good source is impossible,” Alyce says, frowning deeply.

“Perhaps, perhaps not. Do we have a deal?”

“For what? To help you have a child with somebody?” she asks, not understanding.

“With you.”

You can almost see the panic in her eyes as she processes the meaning of the words. If there weren’t wards to keep her from teleporting away she’d be lost by now. As it is, you take the time to explain your predicament to her. And casually mention a few tidbits of magical knowledge to keep her interested.

“Blackwater is in Shropham or Taour, according to the last intelligence I recall,” she explains. “If you retrieve this… concoction soon enough, then we’ll have a deal. I expect the magical knowledge to be great, however. Do remember that I still need to carry the child.”

Your glare meets hers, then you smile that terrifying draconic grin of yours. If this concoction was everything you dreamed it to be, then the future of your race was in safe hands. Alyce’s hands.

>That’s the one-shot

Considerably different than I intended. I shouldn’t have dragged out the Alyce scene so long, or have cut to the battle sooner. Either way, this was just a simple one-shot to ease myself back into writing so I never intended on running a really long time. This also does have some impacts on AEQR when I run it (namely the fact that Lairos now has two children and Shropham is more powerful).

Anyway, Aspiring Emperor Quest Re. will start on Thursday, 16th December at 5:30pm EST for those interested. I’ll do a post shortly explaining a bit more about it for those interested in why I’m not resuming AEQ as well as doing a sneak peek of the character choice and changes.

>>44202517
Thanks for Running! It was so much fun and so nice to see you again!
Lairos x Alyce smut when?
please?

>>44202517
Next up. Kushan quest. See how spectacularly we screw up the world there.

>>44202517
How much money do you want so the next Mc is a dragon?

>>44202517
Just for the giggle. How badly did Alyces Elven waifu respond to this?

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Before I say anything else, for those that might not know anything about me or AEQ, feel free to join my quest on Thursday. No prior knowledge needed.

So, AEQ. My creative drive got run into the ground running it for much of the year, unfortunately. I’ve been so busy with work that it and quests haven’t been a focus at all (and I probably would have put the quest on hiatus in August/September due to how much work I was doing anyway). Initially I was going to a new quest because resuming AEQ would have required a lot of work, some retcons and modification I would have needed to have spent a lot of time doing over my break. Instead I’m rebooting it in hopes I won’t mess things up so badly instead of trying to salvage the mature quest, so sorry to the few/many of you that would much prefer me resume AEQ.

Anyway, AEQR (the R stands for Re, which in turns stands for any re- word you like: redux, redone, redeveloped, redestroyed etc). Fresh start with a renewed focus on conquest, policy management etc. I’m hoping that an accelerated start with new character abilities, different combat and commanding will be interesting. I’ll also try to make the ‘being an emperor’ side of things less about dealing with minutiae (the numbers threads of old) and more about influencing the empire and policies. Also, diplomacy will be less about reading emotions and more about ‘what do we want to do’. I’m hoping it’s a lot of fun all around, like AEQ felt like until thread 40 or so.

I’m happy to take on any feedback, even if it is negative or disagrees with my approach.

I’ll do the character select sneak peek next.

>>44202554
My drive for writing smut is terrible, so highly unlikely.

>>44202671
Furiously. Particularly as Alyce can't exactly raise the child herself given the political situation.

>>44202731
First off: For the love of god, drop the Roman Numerals in the thread names. We use Arabic for a reason. Also, sad to see that AEQ isn't being directly continued, as Talon was a joy to play and had a steller supporting caste. Finn and his harem was great, Sarah and Lynn were a joy and the entire Elf side adventure was simply brilliant. Also, Malak was hilarious as always.

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>Knight
So, first is the Knight. This is Talon York and largely the same guy as in AEQ. The big difference is he doesn't have astral power. That element appeared to create a lot of confusion so I figured to simplify things, but if people would much prefer old Talon as the option I can also do that.

>Knight blurb
Skilled in heavy armour and even heavier weaponry, you confront your foes head-on with brute force and magical might. Besides some talent with the bow you lack finesse but have a storied history as a general, which in turn means opinions of you have already been formed.

He gets to choose between a magic sword/shield combo, an dwarven runic greatsword or a warden-enchanted bardiche. On top of varying up his fighting style, the greatsword and bardiche are upgradeable and start with magic-counter and life leech abilities respectively.

>Spellblade blurb
Your talent lies in riddling your foes with magical bolts before ending them with your blade. Young and relatively inexperienced, you bound a mighty magical beast as a familiar and will soar to greatness alongside him. Your lack of history leaves most nations with a neutral disposition towards you.

He gets to choose between either having a griffin partner (who might sometimes not help you if he feels you'll improve more without his help), a draconic blessing (extra draconic magic but no dragon until later in the quest, except telepathic conversations) and a bound wraith (minimal communication but he's incredibly dangerous in combat and cannot disobey you).

>Mage blurb
Your powerful sorcery led you astray in your youth and you specialised in the forbidden magicks. Your chosen path will grant you might in combat and respect as an emperor beyond what mere mortals achieve. Should your forbidden magicks become public knowledge you may find yourself with few friends.

You choose between infernal magicks, super-powered magic bordering on astral power and necromancy.

>>44202671
>>44202731

This seems like an interesting thread and qeust in general.

eventhough pre-knowledge of everything isn't needed.

Small things such as alyces elven waifu?
Who is that.

Or who is the other child of this grand Dragon who apparently killed the great dragon king. What is this krogan ,can't reproduce properly problem. Seeing i saw something being written as Half dragon child, instead of pure blood dragon child.

Do i need to read the AEQ to know whats going on. From personal relationships, to charachter development and consequences on the political/cultural landscape.

>>44202864
>a draconic blessing (extra draconic magic but no dragon until later in the quest, except telepathic conversations)
por que?

>>44202855
>>44202868
why not both?

>>44202903
You mean run both simultaneously? Seems odd.

>>44202864
well fuck does want dragon familiar

>>44202930
You need to reread, we most definitely do not get a dragon. Basically, he's restarting and nailing shut all the ways we busted the power curve.
I'll find a way anyway.

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>>44202868
This one-shot was probably a bit confusing if you don't know AEQ. For the most part, a lot of this stuff will come up as necessary in AEQR (or other people can answer it now, if they like).

>>44202855
>First off: For the love of god, drop the Roman Numerals in the thread names.
Yeah, I was definitely going to do that.

>the entire Elf side adventure was simply brilliant
Really? Because my recollection is that whole arc was pretty poorly received. I know people enjoyed the Gnome bit at the end but the rest of the arc seemed to go down poorly.

Otherwise, Sarah and Lynn will return (though I will be playing with Sarah a bit in hopes that she's useful beyond just managing things). Mal will likely return. Finn will return at some point, though his development depends on the sort of character people play the PC as.

>>44202898
Basically, it's more like you're the dragon's familiar than the other way around at first. She gives you extra power in exchange for the hope that you might become strong enough to truly be her master.

>>44202959
>Basically, he's restarting and nailing shut all the ways we busted the power curve.
It's more accurate to say that I'm nailing shut the ways you busted the power curve that you did last time, mostly because metagaming would mean everybody would just do that anyway. If you can think of exciting new things I miss, I'm happy to still use them.

>>44202864
>That element appeared to create a lot of confusion
Largely because you didn't explain how it actually worked for about 50 threads.

>>44202959
it said we do not get a dragon till later

>>44202868
>Small things such as alyces elven waifu?

Mercenie a one of the last of a old breed of one of the strongest breeds of magic using races ever.

>Or who is the other child of this grand Dragon who apparently killed the great dragon king

A cute dragon waifu.

>>44202868
>Do i need to read the AEQ to know whats going on. From personal relationships, to charachter development and consequences on the political/cultural landscape.
Aspie did say you don't really need to, so I guess he will be filling in the details. Though I would recommend you to have a look through AEQ to get a feel for the setting and characters. And how it eventually crashed and burned.
>>44202898
I think he means the PC gets a dragon as a contracted patron who will aid him as he sees fit.

>>44202930
>>44202864

Ehmm,
Spellblade blurb. Seems a bit unclear .
Is it possible to bind new familiars, in what way are they bound to us.

Can we bind Demons, Can we bind Demon waifus.

Can we bind wraiths who are concious are really smart.


I'm not seeing it like capturing their soul and forcing them to fight for us. More like equal souls,bounding to one and another for both sides have something to gain.

Just a hint for the next time you explain it, i probably am not the only person that is a bit interested but confused at the same time.

>>44202988
wait the dragon is female nice

>>44202864
I kind of wonder about the mage bit. It's hard to see necromancy equaling super-powered magic that borderlines astral power.

Also is the champions pre-decided? Or are we going though that voting storm again?

>>44202988
>It's more accurate to say that I'm nailing shut the ways you busted the power curve that you did last time
you mean us applying modern technology strats and tech development to "out-muscle" our competition? Also the sex-diplomacy.

>>44203014
>Can we bind Demons, Can we bind Demon waifus.

That requires special magic. That feels to me more like a mage thing then a spellblade thing.

>>44202988
>Really? Because my recollection is that whole arc was pretty poorly received. I know people enjoyed the Gnome bit at the end but the rest of the arc seemed to go down poorly.
I liked it a lot. The elf Queen in particular was great.
>It's more accurate to say that I'm nailing shut the ways you busted the power curve that you did last time
No Arcane Archers? I'm sad. Can't we get to keep at least one or two of the military innovations?

Will there still be source shenanigans, or is that aspect being pulled?

>>44203061
Honestly I'm pretty sure what really broke it was Taira+The duel alliance with Alyce and the silver dragon waifu. With Talon being so helpful to the archangel that's a kill the wardragon level firepower without the army.

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>>44203044
>I kind of wonder about the mage bit. It's hard to see necromancy equaling super-powered magic that borderlines astral power.
Super-magic is limited to yourself. Necromancy lets you make a massive undead army. Hmm, I might need to reword the blurb for it too - it's more accurate to say that you get 'super-channelling' at the expense of all other forms of magic.

>>44203090
>>44203061
No, you keep Arcane Archers. I'm just going to have you start with them, infact.

>>44203095
Pulled. That just caused me a headache. The mage PC still might get a crack at it because it's more down his alley.

>>44203102
Yeah, this is closer to it. Combined with the fact I let you get all three pure elementals at the start, you had a massive number of super-powered heroes - more than I could deal with without completely snapping the lore in two.

>>44203090
>I liked it a lot. The elf Queen in particular was great.
Well, at least somebody enjoyed it. I wasn't sure anybody would even remember Alenier, to be honest.

>>44203014
The blurb states that you 'bound' a familiar, because you start with one. Future ones will require additional work, particularly as you already have one.

>>44203102
The Taira+dual alliance with Alyce and Sylvian was a result of our sex-diplomacy.

>>44203090
>Really? Because my recollection is that whole arc was pretty poorly received

It was a tad simplistic I think I could say. Things tended for some reason to get wonky when the elves where involved.

>>44202988
>If you can think of exciting new things I miss, I'm happy to still use them.
I have a few.

>>44203014
>>44203015
The quest haven't even started and people are trying to waifu again

>>44203148
>Yeah, this is closer to it. Combined with the fact I let you get all three pure elementals at the start, you had a massive number of super-powered heroes - more than I could deal with without completely snapping the lore in two.
Then you just let us get the fourth one for no real reason. I was sure one of our enemies was going to bind her.

>>44203162
Men will be men. Regardless of place/time/death

>>44203148
>it's more accurate to say that you get 'super-channelling' at the expense of all other forms of magic.

Hmm. So whats the basics behind infernalism then? It seems kind of a risky magic to go into but we never really saw a lot of it.

>>44203162
At least we aren't going to be waifuing political figures or people of immense power.

>>44203148
>Well, at least somebody enjoyed it. I wasn't sure anybody would even remember Alenier, to be honest.
It was great. Alenier was a really fun character, and I really liked how we dove into human/nonhuman conflict, and I really hope that continues to be a major theme. The Mage/Royal one was much less interesting.

>>44203211
I kind of want to build some new guy and make him a perma-virgin. Too busy running this empire to bother with this. Why not a game of chess instead?

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Oh, and before I forget - any feedback on the detailed province map at >>44196732

I'm still at a stage where I can modify things if they're unclear. Also, if anybody has any suggestions for how to represent castles etc that would be good - I'm finding the simplistic icons don't work as well.

>>44203184
Yeah, the power curve problem wasn't really the player's fault.

>>44203210
Mostly summoning and empowerment (e.g. creating the infernal Gifts for yourself and others). The mage choices are hilariously overpowered but at the cost of diplomatic relations - I cannabalised them from an old setting I had that basically involved five superpowered mages against the world (unique, no?).

>>44203239
I'll keep that in mind while working on AEQR. Thanks.

>>44203148
Would it be possible to create curses like vamprism with necromacy?

>>44203211
Don't count on that.

>>44203267
> (e.g. creating the infernal Gifts for yourself and others)

That's really interesting. Though just to be sure it's mostly just the superpowered channeling that cuts us out of the other forms of magic right? Or does all the specializations limit the mage to that and only that sphere?

>Yeah, the power curve problem

Could've dropped a second fae march and broke the seals on the temple at the exact same time. I'm sure that would have been a challenge.

>>44203267
>I'll keep that in mind while working on AEQR. Thanks.
Well, the royals didn't really have anything unique going for them besides that one overpowered general, whereas the mages had 4 or 5 people stronger than him around fighting each other. So they just looked ridiculous and obviously doomed. Whereas the elves, dwarves and dragons where few in number but had tremendous potential.

>>44203293
Kind of hoping now that you brought that up that we'll get a chance to save the vampires again. Those bastards where some of my favorite units.

>>44203387
> one overpowered general

That guy could kick Talons ass and fought off the wardragon. Alyce tried that here and it didn't end well.

Though I think the big thing with the royals where they had that entire blessed by the angels thing that was obviously hidden and likely to screw us.

Are we going to have to rebuild the canal? Or is there going to be a better alternative?

>>44203338
Personally, I would have given Falwick and Co a few templars of noble descent. And have the church give them recovered Angel Lord Weapons, which they can use due to old angel meddling.

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>>44203338
>Or does all the specializations limit the mage to that and only that sphere?
Each of them does and they also have serious side-effects. The magicks are not only forbidden, but the way they're used/learnt is incredibly dangerous (after all, how else do you learn powerful magick that hasn't been research in a thousand years?). For example, from the infernal blurb:

>The main side-effect of this magic is the gradual loss of your soul, although it’s unlikely it will either be completely disconnected – this will cause a general loss of empathy and increased callousness.

Hmm, I probably should add a note on the danger of these magicks to the character blurb too. Kind of stupid I didn't at first.

>Could've dropped a second fae march
Hmm, that could have been a big test. Didn't think of that.

>broke the seals on the temple at the exact same time
This would have ended the world. The setting at the time of AEQ simply doesn't have the power to fight the Old Gods.

>>44203387
>the royals didn't really have anything unique going for them besides that one overpowered general
That will change a bit. I'm completely overhauling the RSK for consistency.

>>44203388
Don't worry, you'll get a vampire early in the quest. You just might not expect the person it is.

>>44203417
Err, Falwick 'survived' the wardragon. He sure as hell didn't beat him. Lairos is basically truly threatened by only a few characters: Tylarne, Sylvian, the archangels, the Lords and the mage who was backing Malataine.

>>44203443
Now that I understand canals are a cool thing, they'll be a little more common. But yes, if you want the massive Imperial Canal you'll need to build it again.

>>44203044
Missed this.

>Also is the champions pre-decided? Or are we going though that voting storm again?
I've locked the Champions down to Gnome, Undine, Taira and Esraveel. They're also mutually exclusive (at least until you really earn them). If anybody has a character other than Esraveel, suggest them.

>Felix may never roll nothing but 20s again.
Im going to miss that betraying crazy bastard

>>44203504
>This would have ended the world.

That's the joy of it. Just think of the explosions.

>Each of them does and they also have serious side-effects.

I can already tell I'll love this option. Just because I like the powerful magic with a great cost type games. Kind of makes me want to see what happens if you stick a infernal gift into a daywalker.

>Err, Falwick 'survived' the wardragon

Better then most people I say.

>>44203504
I would love Ersa or Taira. Taira was one of my favorite confrontations and I feel Esra could have been more interesting with more screen time. The elementals felt a little flat for me though. Undine and Sylph more than the other two.

>>44203527
I'm going to assume He'll roll a 20 at becoming a vampire and show up at some point or another. The dice gods chosen demands blood.

>>44203504
>That will change a bit. I'm completely overhauling the RSK for consistency.
Good. The hard cap on the knights power wasn't really needed anyway. Having the rare knight who can face down a battlemagister on pure talent just gives you more flexibility.

>>44203588
>I can already tell I'll love this option. Just because I like the powerful magic with a great cost type games. Kind of makes me want to see what happens if you stick a infernal gift into a daywalker.
But diplomacy was half the fun of the game. Routlocking us out of most of it as a result of a single vote just doesn't sound fun.

>>44203504
>No sarreg

My despair. Though I am Liking the idea of Taira+the mage. The cosmic irony of a fox that is meant to keep the balance and a mage using forbidden magic working together is quite amazing.

>>44203632
>But diplomacy was half the fun of the game.

Personally I kind of like it because it would make diplomacy a challenge. I've seen how Talon feels like and how Talon plays like. So to me it would feel kind of nice to have to struggle and think fast for diplomacy but still be able to win out.

I've already seen about 60 threads of diplomancer and had a good idea how it would all end. So it would be a nice change of pace.

>>44203267
About the map. Seems nice enough, but the spaces between the mountain ranges is bugging me. You could have them eroded but show signs of the mountains having some remnants of a connecting string of mountains linking the Mountains in RSK, Taour, and Shophram because of Magic shenanigans but at least show that the world topography is as rough as the combination of world phenomena and the magic that carved it. Most of what I see are plains and forests and the bare unassailable lone mountains.

It could benefit from adding some canyons, ravines, and other sorts of wild biomes because of the extent of how much magic is used to shape the land.

>>44203504
I loved the Interactions between Taira, Mal, Vadoric, and Ren. Dealing with those coy foxes is amusing for me to see. Those fluffy tails though...

>>44203670
I think it is because Talon just had so much Charisma that while the choices could be hard in general I was fairly sure he could bullrush his way though and then get though it with raw bullshit and talking skill.

So it would kind of feel nice to have to really think ahead for diplomacy and avoid detection and the likes and really work at it to win at that front. While also in another more Esoteric front having tons of power that Talon never really got into.

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>>44203605
>Good. The hard cap on the knights power wasn't really needed anyway.
Yeah, I don't know what the hell I was thinking by having all these knightly orders that weren't that powerful. I've really buffed up the martial side of things (though they still use magic, just not in a mage-like way).

For instance, those 'sorcery-less' knights that charged Lairos this thread? Those were Paladins, spiritual-technique using knights that dedicate themselves to their arms and armour. And yeah, I realise the irony of introducing these guys after once rejecting the idea of a spiritual-technique using order of knights.

>>44203632
Yeah, I'm of mixed opinions about the mage PC. The knight PC is basically AEQ Redux, without true astral power. The spellblade gives more versatility and a slightly more innocent characer (potentially). The mage... I wanted something that would be less open-ended than typical AEQ mages so went with this. In the end, the main thing is that the mage would be against the world rather than trying to unite it.

>>44203709
>but at least show that the world topography is as rough as the combination of world phenomena and the magic that carved it.
You mean that the mountains don't look as if they've been blown out? Yeah, that was kind of hard to do with just photoshop filters. I don't really do art, so all I was doing is blasting photoshop filters and the like to produce something okay looking with more detail than the old hex map.

I am hoping to be able to introduce some more interesting biomes when I do the whole of Gauron/continental map. This is only a small slice of the world, after all. Kind of like look at Belgium versus the entirety of Europe.

>Those fluffy tails though...
They will return. I will once again convince everybody that fluffy tails are the best thing ever.

>>44203638
Taira would probably be at least somewhat corrupted due to your influence but it would be interesting. Heck, Gnome and the Mage would be interesting, too.

Requesting a mage bro to do all our building

>>44203709
>I loved the Interactions between Taira, Mal, Vadoric, and Ren

I honestly think one of the bigger issues last time was really how many people we all had around. We tended to whiplash around characters a tad too much instead of focusing on two or three on the downtime for one thread then two or three on the next thread. Started to space the characterization out.

>>44202517
Hold on, isn't Thursday the 17th?

>>44203837
yes. why do you ask?

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>>44203808
Character bloat will be addressed. That means some people will lose characters they like, and people that were able to read a lot into things will lose out, but character bloat is the one thing I've both felt and been routinely criticised about.

>>44203837
Yes, it is. I should have known that. Thanks for correcting me.

>>44203873
So it's on Thursday then? Also, is there a place I can read all the lore? This whole world is new to me.