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“I need to use the Archmage's domain. To pray for about an hour.”

Both of them groan.

“Going back to bed!” Gabby announces as she flops onto the plush mattress. Rowe crosses her arms and looks at you annoyed.

You sigh. “Wait right here. I'll be back in ten or eleven minutes.” Flinging open the door, you make your way down the hall of the sixth floor. Other than the sound of your own boots softly stomping upon the carpeted floor, the corridors are quiet. Everyone seems to be asleep or if any of your compatriots are awake they aren't leaving their . . . Oh.

You round the bend only to stop in your tracks as Ms. Helbot stands in the middle of the hall, facing you. Her hand clenches tightly round the mace in her hand.

You freeze. She looks at you dead-eyed and with a blank expression.

Your hand goes to your scabbard as you take a tentative step backwards.

“Ms. Helbot . . .” you speak her name slowly, a warning and a question wrapped together. She never struck you as particularly religious or at least not a follower of The Great Will. But if she's up right now, fully armed and armored . . .

She starts walking towards you.

“I don't want to have to hurt you,” you command her calmly. “But I will defend myself.”

She doesn't stop. You draw your saber. “Stop!” you yell.

Suddenly she blinks and shakes her face as if she snapped out of a fugue state. She look around where she is and drops her mace, letting it clatter to the floor. She touches her face before locking eyes with you and glaring – a crimson blush on her cheeks.

She stoops down and grabs her fallen mace and strides away in a sullen, silent huff back towards her room. She throws open the door and storms back inside.

. . .

You're struggling to figure out what just happened, but it honestly doesn't matter all that much. Sheathing your saber, you walk past The Sculptor's abode and towards the oft-used stairs to Essentia's dimension. You cast paranoid glances over your shoulder as you ascend, sure some other caster with a readied weapon will leap out, casting some death spell at you.

You knock on the varnished door and it opens instantly. Essentia is just as vaguely nude as usual.

“Yes, Alan?”

“I know I keep abusing your personal sanctum,” you cut straight to the point, “But something that might have been The Great Will told people to kill me and I need to confirm as quickly as possible that I can still channel his divine powers.”

The Archmage sighs and steps back, letting you enter. “It is your mortal lifespan to waste. ”

You nod your head in thanks as you step inside and find a nice patch of grass to sit down upon cross-legged.

The prayer is a bit strained and frantic, but no less true. You're still His servant and at the very least try to do the right and goodly thing in His name. You hope that your lust-driven rampage was not the tipping point for your violent excommunication.

>>384894
Does Helbot just...sleepwalk with weapons in hand and attack whoever she comes across.
Or was she put into a fugue state by the divine proclamation?

Because the former has been known to happen.

File: Archmage Domain.jpg (194 KB, 800x496)

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An hour passes and you stand up, legs wobbling while you fish the marble out of your pocket. You channel positive healing energy into your aches, pains and sore muscles. Well that confirms you still have your powers. So it's not a done deal that The Great Will has abandoned you. You stretch out as you spot Essentia opening one eye from where she meditates beside you.

“Well your hickeys are gone at least,” Essentia comments, causing you to give an embarrassed chuckle. Yeah, Gabby sure leaves her mark.

You thank your superior one last time before exiting and walking back down the hall to your room.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Alan, open up the door. We need to speak.” Dolah's voice travels down the hall, filled with urgency and severity.

You sneak forward and peer round the bend to see the paladin in her shining plate mail with her Lucerne hammer still slung across her back. Desden leans against the wall next to your door with his arms crossed over his chest, a perturbed expression on his face.

She slams her gauntlet-ed fist three more hard, heavy times into your door. “I know you're asleep and I'm sorry for waking you but –”

Gabby opens the door. Dolah recoils. The monk leans against the door frame.

“What are you doing here, Gabby?”

Gabby points to herself, face mock with shock. “Gabby? Oh, no. I'm Alan. Gabby and I switched bodies due to a witch's curse. She's currently fucking Kroll in the ass with my dick. I've just been spending the night showing Rowe that even in this form I can rock her world.”

Desden leans his head towards Dolah. “She's lying.”

“I figured, Desden. Seriously this time Gabby. Why are you in Alan's room? Where is he?”

“Well I'm here to give out free massages because I'm a nice, not-Evil person. Alan skedaddled because he knew you were coming to stick him like a fucking pig.”

“She's still lying.”

“I'm not here to – wait, what? Why would he think that?”

“I heard the message,” you speak, coming out to stand in the middle of the hallway. All three faces at the doorway turn to look at you. “Orders from on high to kill me.”

“Good.” Dolah states with a nod of her head as you approach. “That makes explaining this a lot easier. Desden, myself and every member of the Church we've spoken to on the way here has heard the same message. You need to leave Seaside. Tonight. Until I have a chance to rectify this.”

Desden gives a sardonic, hoarse laugh. “Rectify what? Not much ambiguity. You can't re-interpret words that clear and concise.”

“Leave and go fucking where?” Gabby asks incredulously, ignoring Desden's comment. “Nah. Fuck that shit. How about you lead all the faithful on a pilgrimage to Go-Fuck-yourself-ville.”

>I'm not running away Dolah
>Fine, I'll leave tonight
>I still have my powers
>Something else? (write-in)

>>384926
>I still have my powers
>Something else?
"Won't it seem like I'm running away, and therefore the messenger, who I still don't think was the Great Will by the way, was right? Wouldn't it make your job of making the Faithful see reason even harder?"

>>384926
>I still have my powers
So that means I'm still in the Great Will's good books. Just not this messenger's. I also find it funny that only the faithful heard this and yet I still heard the message. If I was supposed to be bad wouldn't I have not heard it?

Writing!

Somehow I feel like it won't matter what we say, and Desden will still have it out for us.

He's pretty much the walking stereotype of the power-obsessed policeman, and he's got it out for us because we didn't respect his authority.

File: Desden Grimwold.jpg (59 KB, 480x631)

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“I don't believe the messenger was The Great Will,” you begin.

Desden scoffs. “Obviously not. It was one of his angels.”

“But I still have my powers. I can heal. I can channel the divine. If The Great Will had abandoned me wouldn't he have stripped me of my powers?”

“Unless you stole them as you've managed to steal everything else.”

You shake your head. This asshole will never listen to . . . wait. You look back up.

“If only the faithful have heard this message then why did I hear it if The Great Will wants me dead?”

Gabby shrugs. “I didn't hear shit. Neither did Rowe.”

Desden opens his mouth, before closing it. He studies the ceiling, at a loss for words as he thinks.

Dolah nods her head. “I was thinking the same thing. If the message was directed only to the ears of those who worship and cherish The Great Will's teachings it invalidates its own command.”

“Not . . . necessarily,” Desden draws out the objection as his mind goes to work. “Alan could hold faith with The Great Will while still necessitating his death.”

Dolah rounds on Desden. “The Great Will would never require that.”

“There have been eight figures in the scriptures that possess a power resembling Alan's abilities in some fashion . Not a single one has been positive in any way. Shapeshifters, face stealers, body snatchers. They deceive and represent the antithesis of The Great Will's teachings. If Alan really is –”

“Quiet!” Dolah orders. She turns back to you. “Please, we need to leave.”

“If I run won't it make me look guilty,” you point out.

“It will make you look like a bitch, that's for sure,” Gabby interjects.

“I'd prefer not having you attacked in the streets," Dolah elucidates. "I can explain everything in due time. What I can't do is bring the dead back to life.”

Desden rolls his eyes. “If he doesn't want to heed your advice then let him. I don't understand your adamant need to protect him.”

Dolah looks back to Desden. “Protect him? Desden – tell me. What do you think happens if someone were to attack Alan? What would be the outcome?”

Gabby gives a delightfully sadistic chuckle as she cracks her knuckles.

>I'm staying
>You're right, I'll go
>Something else? (write-in)

>>385239
>You're right, I'll go
I'll trust you on this Dolah. Give her a few days to cool people's heads. Confrontations right after the announcement are bound be heated.

>>385239
>You're right, I'll go
>Something else?
"Yeah, Gabby, I know I can wipe the streets with them. Probably even all of them at once if I didn't care about collateral damage. But I don't want collateral damage, I don't want to hurt people if I don't have to, and I know for a fact that the pet shop owner who has the town's best dog treats is a member of the Faithful and Pascala would be very sad if anything happened to him."
I've got no idea if there is such a person or not, but getting Gabby to think about dog treats, and then to her puppies, might get her to back down without letting Desden know of any weaknesses he might use against us or Gabby.

Roll me 1d100 + 30

Rolled 45 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

>>385322

Rolled 23 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

>>385322

Rolled 58 + 30 (1d100 + 30)

>>385322

Writing!

File: 1333004382419.jpg (11 KB, 88x98)

11 KB JPG

>>385325
>>385327
>>385334
These are not encouraging rolls.

>>385393
88 is in okay territory

File: 1460115943299.jpg (161 KB, 1890x1417)

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One day we need to call Dresden out on his shit.

>>385633
He may be a bit on the zeal side but he did consider the logic of our words. He also isn't attacking us outright and is even letting us leave.

He isn't all bad IMO.

at the very least, if we're leaving Seaside, we can link up with Kyra and see what she's found out.

>>385383
also, maybe we should pull Dolah and Gabby aside and tell them to play nice/ask Dolah to apologize to gabby?

>>385677
I don't think it would be taken well right now.

>>385677
Not now.

>>385639
I know I just want to call him a penis.

File: Circle Interior.jpg (498 KB, 1914x859)

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You shrug and sigh. “You're right. I'll go. I trust you on this.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Gabby asks rhetorically.

You turn to her and put a hand on her hip as you lean in to her. “I know I could wipe the streets with –”

“WE” she interrupts, huffily.

You nod your head and laugh as Dolah gives Desden a sidelong glance.

“We could wipe the streets with anyone who tried to hurt me. But the pet shop owner who sells the dog treats is pretty devout and if he tried to stab me it would just make things awkward. Much better if I give everybody space, don't you think?”

“Fine. But I'm not coming with.” She moves past you out of the doorway. Rowe stands up from where she sat on the bed.

(I will of course. We'll pack up on supplies before we leave. It will be easy enough to live off the land. I just wish I got to sleep in my nice comfy bed before going back out.)

As the five of you make your way down the hallway Dolah decides to strike up a conversation.

“So . . . the three of you –”

“They were having sex, Dolah,” Desden answers bluntly.

“What happened to Kroll?!” Dolah asks Gabby in surprise.

She shrugs. “He's around.” She snorts and then spits. “Al, you mind healing me up a bit.”

As you fish the marble out of your pocket as Dolah continues talking.

“Well I thought the two of you made a good couple,” Dolah opines.

Desden looks up at Dolah with a cocked eyebrow while you lay your hand on Gabby's shoulder and channel healing energy into her.

“I mean, compared to either of them left alone to their own lascivious devices,” Dolah qualifies in her defense. Desden tuts.

“While I don't think it is inherently a sin, projecting onto others your own –”

“Desden!” Dolah growls at him. He shuts up as you make it down to the fifth floor.

File: Deliria.jpg (78 KB, 612x1000)

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You make it maybe halfway to the next staircase down when you spot her loitering in the middle of the hallway with a few other divine spellcasters.

Upon noticing you, they stop their murmuring and Deliria moves forward. Her hand hovers near where her war hammer is holstered.

“What are you doing?” she asks, judgment in her tone.

Dolah and Desden exchange glances before the paladin moves forward, keeping her hands down and away from her weapons. Desden takes a step back.

“We're just escorting Alan out of town,” Dolah explains calmly, keeping her tone pleasant.

“To be executed?” Deliria practically whispers. A calm quality to her voice, one you only hear if it precipitates true violence.

Desden's fingers twitch. Gabby clenches her fist as she mutters, thankfully inaudibly, some rather coarse words about the cleric.

Dolah's expression melts to a firm frown. She remains silent. It's an answer, however. One Deliria doesn't take kindly.

“You think yourself above the heavens?” she sneers.

“Above you,” Desden comments with derision. He looks out to all their faces, their mere expressions and body language seconding Deliria's feelings. “Above all of you.”

“Step aside,” Dolah echoes her subordinate's implied sentiment, much kinder in tone. “No one needs to die.”

“Except Harnost, apparently,” Deliria retorts. She looks at you, a rekindled rage in her eyes. “And him. Listen, I don't want vengeance –”

“Yes you do,” Desden interrupts her rapidly and darkly. It causes her to stop in the middle of the speech she probably had prepared.

She clams up. Things remain tensely quiet for a few seconds, before she sighs out.

“You're correct. I do.” Deliria gestures behind her, to the seven standing in solidarity with her. “They don't, however. They understand that this is just part of what we've been called to do. And I understand it is hard to accept someone you love had to die for the greater good. But righteousness must be fair.”

You're so focused on 'The Crusdaer' and her compatriots that it's almost too late by the time you notice the door that's been cracked open in the hallway back to your left.

Only on a double take of a glance do you notice the pale hand sticking out, the sleeve of a green robe hanging loosely by the wrist as the limb nervously shakes.

It clutches the wand tightly as you watch the wand's tip begin to glow bright red.

>Grab [two people] and duck
>Slam into the door
>Teleport away (15 feet)
>Call out someone's name to deal with it (who?)
>Cast web at the target
>Throw your knife
>Something else? (write-in)

>>385736
>>Slam into the door

>>385736
Is that wand aimed at us, or are we not able to tell?

Could it be Quissonce trying to help us?
Anyone remember which floor she and Ed live on?

>>385757
It's aimed at you.

They still live on the fourth floor.

Hand isn't green so it isn't Ed.

Quissonce wears blue robes not green.

>She only wears blue?

Yes, only blue because fuck you.

>>385736
>>Grab [two people] and duck
Gabby and Rowe

"Dolah get down!"

>>385736
>Something else
Teleport right next to the hand and use a ki-powered strike at the wrist to knock the wand out of the hand.

Alright I'll say offensive maneuver beat out defensive maneuver

>Slam into the door
>Teleport to the hand and use a ki-powered strike at the wrist


New Vote.

>>385892
>Teleport to the hand and use a ki-powered strike at the wrist

>>385892
>>Slam into the door
can we also shout out a warning to everyone to get down?

>>385901
ye

>>385892
>Teleport to the hand and use a ki-powered strike at the wrist

Rolled 1 (1d2)

1 Rowe

2 Gabby

Also roll me 1d100+ 47

Rolled 14 + 47 (1d100 + 47)

>>385922

Rolled 21 + 47 (1d100 + 47)

>>385922
Oh shit, is that who the wand's ray is going to hit?

>>385922
oh, shit, why did you roll that? What is it for?

>>385929
>>385927

Better hope that third roll is a lot better.


Hehehehehehe

Rolled 27 + 47 (1d100 + 47)

>>385922

>>385970>>385927
>>385925

ok, this is not good.

File: 1330015288243.jpg (8 KB, 197x187)

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Rolled 27 + 47 (1d100 + 47)

>>385925
>>385927
>>385970
Oh fuck.

Sub 30 on a do or die roll.

That's pretty standard.

>>385963
Would slamming the door have had a lower DC or worked better?

>>386010
Hmmmmm, no.

>>386026
but by charging the door and slamming it, rowe or gabby wouldn't get hit, would they, since we'd be in the direct line of fire.

>>386033
Yeah. Still wouldn't make hitting the guy's hand any more difficult

Writing!

File: Fiery Explosion.jpg (13 KB, 225x225)

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Shit. “GET DOWN!” you yell right before you teleport back to the door, behind it and out of harm's way.

You slam your fist downwards into the frail wrist, a pained shriek accompanying the crunch of broken bones. It opens and lets go of the wand, clattering to the floor as the big red glow of its blackened tip intensifies still, the spell already having been cast.

A fireball the size of a watermelon launches out of the tiny catalyst and surges forward. Desden tackles Dolah from behind and together they hit the deck. Rowe pushes Gabby out of the line of fire as the fireball careens towards her.

It explodes right next to her. Rowe is enveloped in the fiery explosion as you reflexively raise your own hands to protect your eyes from the raging heat that expands outwards, scorching the hallway. The force of the blast fling you backwards and prone.

. . .

The sound of a loud alarm assaults your ears as you blink your eyes back open. Did you black out?

Any pain is gone from your mind as you bolt upright. You scramble to your feet and look around.

Dolah kneels over a body, too blackened and charred to recognize. She mutters to herself, rolling a cross between her fingers. Desden stands nearby, grimace on his face.

. . .

That isn't . . .

That can't be . . .

You stumble over. You don't even see Gabby. Deliria leans against the wall farther down the hallway, her hair singed. Whatever allies she had have already run away.

“I didn't want –”

“SHUT UP!” Dolah roars at her before going back to muttering.

Desden looks at you as you approach. His features are downcast and sorrowful. “I . . . I'm sorry,” is all he manages to say.

>BRING HER BACK!
>We're going to the Church of Calloway
>He pays for this
>Where's Gabby?
>Unleash the Red Rider
>Something else? (write-in)

>>386210
"Rowe. Gabby. Where are they?"

>>386210
>Unleash the Red Rider

>>386210
>Something else
Cure Critical Wounds, Cure Medium Wounds, everything we have.

>>386210
>BRING HER BACK!
>Try to heal her
if it fails
>Unleash the Red Rider

>>386235
As much as I agree with the sentiment, let's make sure that Rowe and Gabby are still alive, before we go and hunt down every single one of them, starting with the one who used the wand, and ending with tearing down the High Heavens, creating a highway of the crucified along the way.

>>386210
>>386236
Including
>BRING HER BACK!
>Where's Gabby?

Roll me 1d100 + 11, best of 3.

Rolled 80 + 11 (1d100 + 11)

>>386256

>>386210
>BRING HER BACK!
>Where's Gabby?

Check if they are for sure dead first.

Okay so I'm pretty sure resurrection is a thing. Calloway might be able to do it but if he can't we find that fucking angel and assimilate EVERYTHING until we can.

>>386260
>Calloway

I think if Calloway could resurrect people he'd start with himself.

Rolled 88 + 11 (1d100 + 11)

>>386256

Rolled 53 + 11 (1d100 + 11)

>>386256

>>386260
>Calloway might be able to do it but if he can't
Dude, the man's dead. He's been dead for a while now.

>>386267
>>386266
>>386258
please let them be ok.

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>>386258
>>386266

>>386267
>>386263
Shit, mind musta blanked

>>386268
Inb4 DC 100

Is the Great Will testing us?

I feel like we're being tested here.
What with things tempting Alan to fully embrace vengeance and tear a red path across all of Creation.

>>386249
I just wan't Allan to snap a little, to show people how good they have it with the current, nice, god fearing Allan.

File: Spire of Fire.jpg (507 KB, 1920x1084)

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You walk over to that blackened, charred body. The smell of burnt hair, flesh . . . everything.

You know this smell all too well.

The sound of sobs too. Wait, who's . . . you look down at Dolah. She's crying. The metal cross she holds has bent in half. Her hands shake violently along with her heaving chest.

“Please please please,” she continues to mutter.

“Where's Gabby?” you find yourself asking.

As if in answer you hear the howling scream. You look behind yourself to see the door to the room the wand emerged from ripped off its hinges. You hear the sounds of a scuffle from inside followed by more screaming.

“We'd stop her but we're busy,” Desden comments dispassionately.

You fall to your knees at the . . . her . . . NO! You suddenly feel a resurgence of strength as you shove Dolah out of the way.

You pull your marble from your pocket and grasp it firmly. You place other your hand atop the still burning remains – NO!

“Alan, don't. Your hands are burning,” Dolah tells you from some far off land a thousand miles away.

You channel all of your divine strength into her. The marble vibrates, almost like it wishes to escape. You merely clench your hands and teeth tighter.

Steam escapes from between your fingers as they glow with a bright blue light. The corpse's – NO!

The body begins to fix itself. The least damaged parts start to soothe as scorch and burn marks disappear.

“She's already gone, Alan. Let go,” says someone somewhere to somebody.

The marble vibrates faster. You hold it down. The body begins to reknit flesh as burns begin to fade on the edges of the worst part of the damage.

You feel your reserves empty. But you're merely a conduit right? If The Great Will would like to chip in – NO, you're going to drag it out of him if you need to. He can want you dead all he'd like, but she doesn't deserve this.

You pull out something greater despite your flagging mystical power – whether from outside yourself or just pushing your limits you aren't sure.

All you know is the marble in your hand would be bouncing all over this hallway if you didn't keep squeezing it tighter and tighter until it is merely dust in your hand.

The face begins to buff out the burns and the black and the red veiny flesh. Even the hair starts to grow back, auburn curls that always smell of flowers. The face regains its beautiful, feminine quality. The ears go back to their sharp, elven shape.

It's her. She's . . . she's back. Hazel eyes and all.

Immaculate and pure. You pull back your hand and only now start to feel the pain. She's beautiful. And pale. Almost white. All the lively coloring of her flesh gone.

You wait with bated breath as your peripheral vision notices a frowning Dolah, kneeling beside you with an arm over your shoulder. That look on her face holds such . . . pity for you.

“Alan . . .” NO NO NO NO NO

>>386470
The problem is that showing them what happens when they push a good man too far, only exposes how he's not such a good man after all.

We've bound Alan and ourselves by rules, because we know we're not good men.
If we break them, who knows if we can put them back on.

She doesn't breathe. She doesn't gasp a breath for life once more.

She's . . . not alive.

Your marble hand unclenches and the dust trickles out from between your digits, useless. It's all useless.

. . .

Suddenly a bloody hand grabs you by the shoulder and yanks you backwards so hard you swear it's probably dislocated. Your gaze goes up from where you've landed on the floor to spot Gabby, her white robe stained a very dark red.

She takes your place and looks Rowe up and down, breathing heavily and wildly like a distraught beast.

Both of her bloodied hands go over where Rowe's heart would be. She begins to push into her chest.

“She's dead, Gabby,” Dolah explains, sympathetic.

“Two – maybe three minutes,” Gabby answers brusquely. “Still a fuckin' chance . . .”

You watch, in rapt attention. Chest compressions hard and powerful. Probably breaking every rib in the half-elf's body.

Seconds pass while you stare, unable to give up hope just yet.

“Come on . . ."

"come on . . ."

"come FUCKING on . . .” Gabby shouts, looking up away from Rowe's body while she goes about her work.

. . .

“HUUUH!” the gasp is raspy and deep as Rowe's chest raises off the floor and her legs kick.

Gabby lets go and leans back as the next breaths follow, Rowe coughing and spluttering. She rolls over onto her side and wipes her mouth of spit with her glove.

You lie there, too stunned to move as Dolah goes to Rowe. Both of whom seem as astonished as you are. Dolah lays her hands upon Rowe, a magical glow emanating from them, healing all the damages Gabby's resuscitation did to her body.

As Gabby, Rowe and Dolah get to their feet, Desden offers the monk a rag. Gabby takes it and wipes off her face and her hands. Rowe looks down at her own chest, sticky with lifeblood. She doesn't speak or ask anything. Just leans against the wall of the Circle's hall and tries to relax amid the ringing alarms.

Dolah finally makes it over to you and pulls you up off your feet. “I apologize for this, but I've used up all my magical healing.” She grabs your burnt hand and begins to dress it, pouring water on it first before applying an ointment. “Just like our first day here,” she muses, trying to brighten the very confused and astounded atmosphere.

>
>
>
> Something else? (write-in)

>>386495
un[\spoiler]Luckily it looks as thought that wont be needed. This time...

>>386501
"I'd like to say 'I need a minute', but I'd rather not give my assassins any more opportunities to kill me."

I think it may be better if we left Gabby and Rowe with the rest of the team and go solo for a bit. Being around us is likely to get them in harms way, and we don't want them getting killed. That was already a close call.

>>386501
"I thought I lost you..."

"Thank you Gabby, so much"

"I'm fucking buying every single one of you buffering caps"

Hugs, tears, etc.

>>386512
After this gabby and Rowe probably will both want to come with us. Since we can't do divine stuff anymore without our magical marble.

>>386501
>Something else
Take a deep, calming breath.
Grab Gabby and Rowe in a hug.

"Alright. I'm going to disappear and get going. Probably best you didn't leave any for me, Gabby. Better that way."

Pick up that Wand of Fireball.

I don't blame Dolah or Desden for what happened, but it may be in the interests of the other Faithful that they start talking them down right now, because now is not a good time to see why Alan has so many rules.

So, questions:
Is Deliria still here?
Did Gabby just fall back into Evil for killing an unarmed person (since they dropped the wand)?
Can a magic-user ever be said to be unarmed, since their current magic slots cannot be seen?

Finally, if Deliria is still here and we pass her in the hall as we leave, should we tell her that we aren't going to take further revenge out on her or the others, but we strongly recommend she and they stay out of our way?

So today was sort of a dedicated run. Probably making one more post tonight.

Two posts tomorrow.

And then probably another six on wednesday.

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You take a few moments to calm down. A few deep breaths. Dolah wraps your hand completely before moving on to your shoulder, making sure it isn't actually dislocated.

Rowe's got a 1000 yard stare going on. You approach and give her a tight hug. She responds almost timidly, wrapping her arms around your back hesitantly, patting you on the back.

“I thought I lost you,” you whisper into her ear.

(Yeah. Pretty sure I was gone too.)

You let go and look to Gabby. “Thank you. I'd hug you too, but . . .”

Gabby looks down at her robes still fresh and wet. She chuckles, although it's a far cry from her usual hearty and crude laughs – a pale imitation in an attempt to mask the discomfort. “I understand.”

“Good thing you didn't leave any for me, at least. Better that way.”

“Did leave you some, actually.”

You squint at her. “He's not dead?”

“He's dying,” Gabby informs you.

Dolah sighs. “Desden, go in and save that man's life after you tie him up.” She meets your glare with an apologetic shrug. “Paladin's code blah blah no better than your enemies if you blah blah moral high ground.”

The alarms finally stop sounding as you spot Essentia walking round the hallway, discomposed. She merely examines the damage to the corridor and the room, before sighing. Dolah takes her aside to explain the situation.

You lock eyes with Deliria, awkwardly standing further down the hall and a silent conversation of facial expressions is all the assurances of a truce from here on out that you need. She stalks away, back to her room.

Stooping down to pick up that wand of fireballs, seeing as that asshole won't need it anymore and you're solely lacking on magic power right now, you turn to Gabby and Rowe.

“I'd say we should take a minute to rest, but who knows who'll be attempting to assassinate me next. I think I should be going it alone from here on out.”

“Fuck that,” Gabby objects. “This is a shitty fuckin' deal but all the 'hallway of faggots' has proven is that we'd be fuckin' dead without each other.”

You smirk. “I thought you weren't coming with.”

“I'll punch you in your burn wound,” she banters back.

“It isn't the Great Will,” Rowe announces – nearly unconnected to the previous topic of conversation. Both of you look at her strangely. Rowe seems a bit shaky of the pronouncement herself, her expression like curdled milk as if she is upset with herself for saying that sentence.

Dolah, overhearing, requests to put her conversation with the Archmage on hold as she walks over to acquire context.

“What?” the half-orc asks, simply.

“The Great Will isn't giving the orders. He isn't responsible for the message. It's a rogue angel, angry and suffering from a lack of guidance, taking matters into its own hands.”

Silence lasts for a few seconds before Dolah feels the need to speak.

“You talked with Him on the other side, didn't you?”

“No,” Rowe clarifies, shaking her head. “Not Him. Some . . . thing else? She was pretty pissed at Him.”

“She?” Gabby asks. “Who the fuck is She?”

“I don't know,” Rowe admits as she shrugs uncomfortably. “Whoever She was She really seemed to consider my . . . death as inexcusable collateral damage. Very relieved I was able to go back.”

>Hmmmm, any idea who She is? (theorize)
>Dolah, you think you have a plan
>Come up with a plan (write-in)
>I think me running away is still our best bet
>Something else? (write-in)

>>387086
>>Hmmmm, any idea who She is? (theorize)
"Has the Great Will ever had a gender?"
"Maybe it was some angel who hasn't gone rogue?"
>Dolah, you think you have a plan?

>>387086
>Hmmmm, any idea who She is?
Some other Goddess in the High Heavens? Or an Angel still following the Great Will's orders?
>Dolah, you think you have a plan
Any way they can send out a celestial Burn Notice out on the rogue?

>>387086
>>Hmmmm, any idea who She is? (theorize)
More than one god? Maybe the Great Will is part of a Pantheon?
>>Dolah, you think you have a plan

>>387110
>More than one god? Maybe the Great Will is part of a Pantheon?
We know of the Relentless Surge, and there's two others I can't recall that Irontide's dark cleric worships and that the Mountain Riders worship.

>>387212
Maybe Rowe has some Artemis-like goddess looking out for her or something.

>>387220
I'm wondering why she seemed to be upset with herself for saying what she had found out.

>>387302
Rowe's not religious, definitely an atheist pre-Island.

Even after coming around to the idea that The Great Will probably exists didn't become a major fan.

>>388344
Ah, so Rowe just had an experience similar to the divine revelation we gave to Gabby.
Maybe they can bond about it later, that the Divine are dicks.

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>>388344
So maybe we can talk with Rowe about her feelings about the gods sometime.
It seems like both Rowe and Gabby would like to stay unaffiliated.

“Does The Great Will necessarily have a gender? Could He be a She?” you wonder aloud.

Dolah's eyes go wide before she casts a glance to the room Desden entered. She watches in silent terror as Desden slowly re-emerges.

His features are dark and murderous. “Dolah . . . is there heresy going on out there?”

“NO!” Dolah exclaims. “Nope. Just some concerned and questioning faithful. I'm setting them straight.” She forces a smile.

He nods his head once. “Good.” He slips back inside.

“Wait, why can't The Great Will be . . . ” Dolah gestures for Gabby to stop talking and Gabby actually decides to drop the line of questioning.

“She wasn't The Great Will,” Rowe speaks. “Unless The Great Will talks in third person which . . . granted I could see a god having that sort of ego but she was quite angry with him and it felt directed somewhere else.”

“Perhaps an angel of his still following his orders?” you offer.

Rowe grimaces. “She spoke of Him more like a . . . have you ever had an annoying co-worker that always got on your nerves?”

“Yes.”/“Yes.” Gabby and Dolah answer at the same time before glaring at each other momentarily.

“So maybe it was another god. We know of The Relentless Surge,” you point out. “And Ferrek worships some other god, right?”

“Yeah, the Looming Shadow,” Dolah informs you. “There's also the First Dragon and Gaea's Warden.”

“Don't forget Assimilation,” Desden points out, emerging from the door permanently this time. “Although in Rowe's case I assume it was Gaea's Warden.”

“Why?” she asks, curious.

“Your . . . moralities are in sync. At least I believe they are. Gaea's Warden seems quite selfless if a bit averse to specific rules. That's also most likely the reason . . . ” he shakes his head and lets the thought drift away rather than finish it. “Never mind. Baseless speculation.”

You look to Dolah. “So, think you might have a plan to deal with this rogue angel if that's what we're dealing with?”

Dolah crosses her arms and “hmmmms” as she thinks. She rolls her tongue around in her mouth until finally nodding. “We summon an angel. We ask it some questions. Gather information and see where the leads take us.”

>Alright let's do it
>You deal with that, I'm getting out of town
>Something else? (write-in)

>>389908
>>Alright let's do it
>>Something else?
How do we make sure that it doesn't call reinforcements, either angel or mortal? Let's call the rest of the team in for reinforcements.

>>389908
>>389954

I second the vote for doing it and calling in the rest of our team as backup.

>>389908
>You deal with that, I'm getting out of town
I think it's important that we remove the source of conflict so that there's no more collateral damage while we get a burn notice put out on this rogue angel.

>>389954
If we summon an angel with a binding circle, it really can't call out, what with that being one of the reasons for a binding circle.

>>389908
>>Alright let's do it
sure,why not? Do it in Essentia's pocket dimension.
>Something else? (write-in)
afterwards, we do a teleport out of there. If we can, try and teleport over to Zharkov's place and hang out. Bring the girls and Dukov with us.

>>390127
The Mountain Riders?
We should be helping the Acidspit with their enemies so we can finish securing a military alliance.

>>390205
eh, sure. Haven't seen them in a while.

>389908
>Alright let's do it

So my sister just decided we're going to San Francisco to play pokemon Go and my friends are kidnapping me to play pokemon Go so . . . "dedicated run" tomorrow

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“Alright, let's do it. Essentia, can –”

“No," she rejects your quest immediately. Welp.

“Alright then, we'll use Quissonce's Mirror world instead. We can only bring eight people so the five of us, Quisonce, Ed and Eve.”

“Let's do it on the sixth floor,” Dolah decides. “I'll go down to inform Ed and Quissonce. The rest of you inform Eve up top. We'll meet in the hallway.”

. . .

Rousing the gnome doesn't take long. And as the five of you wait for the arrival of your wizards you have a chance to talk about some things you wish to get off your chest.

Rowe and Gabby clear the air between themselves on a few issues first – mainly about the birthday thing and the argument they had a few weeks earlier.

You decide afterwards to ask Gabby a few questions.

“How are the puppies doing?”

“They're doing good. Growing big and strong. Hopefully your pet orc is treating them right.”

“So, uh, how did you and Kroll even . . . happen?”

She shrugs. “He approached. Was a loud-mouthed dickhead who wanted some. I figured why the fuck not. Plus,” she smirks. “I had a hunch it might make you jealous.”

You narrow your eyes and fix her with a look. She merely whistles nonchalantly in response. You decide dropping the subject is in everyone's best interests.

While you let your conversation die you overhear Eve and Rowe talking a few feet from you, while Desden broods farther away.

“So what was dying like?” Eve inquires curiously after being filled in on some of the previous events.

“Not fun. Painful. Talked to a God though.”

“Neat!” she exclaims.

You turn back to Gabby, a new question on your lips as a realization hits you. “I don't think I've ever learned your last name.”

The monk chortles. “Last name? You think my family was important enough for a last name? Nah. It's just Gabby.”

At this point Ed, Quissonce and Dolah make it to the sixth floor. Quissonce crosses past you all, excited and bright-eyed while Ed seems much more grumpy. She casts a spell at the mirror you're all congregating around.

“This will take a few hours,” she tells you all. “So please wait outside.” She jumps through the mirror along with Ed. Dolah turns round and awkwardly puts her hands on her hips.

Well, y'all have some time to kill.

>Ask some questions, talk about things (Who? What?)
>Let people take naps and skip to the angel summoning
>Something else? (write-in)

>>391829
>>Something else? (write-in)
requisition some wolfsbane, since we're going out for a bit.


>Ask some questions, talk about things (Who? What?)
Ask Dolah if she's apologized to Gabby about her alignment. Suggest that she do so, while also softening up Gabby by telling her to play nice and that Dolah never meant to hurt her.

Additionally, see what else Dolah and Desden have come up with on the Assimilator front.


>>391193
have fun, man.

>>391829
>Ask some questions, talk about things (Who? What?)
Shoot the shit with Desden. Learn more about him.

>>391829
>quest

request

>>391891
Seconding

Turns out I'm not going to San Francisco. Pokemon Go servers crashed and also we can't make the poke crawl. "Dedicated run" tomorrow still, but I can get a few more posts out tonight.

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>>392036

>>391829
>>Ask some questions, talk about things (Who? What?)
What is the alignment of the other team?

>>391829
>Ask some questions, talk about things
Dolah and Desden; since we know that there are other gods and goddesses besides the Great Will, do the Church writings contain anything on inter-divine relations?
Also, any records of angels going rogue, and not just in the 'Lucifer betrayal' sense, but in the 'over-zealous and fucking things up for everyone' sense.

Oh, and what they found on Assimilation, if there's anything more than the few examples that Desden mentioned.

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You're stuck waiting a few hours for Quissonce to prepare the summoning so you decide to extend an olive branch of sorts.

You approach Desden. He looks at you as you get close like you've insulted his mother.

“We've never properly been introduced.” You extend your hand. “Alan Rodain.”

He examines it cautiously, like there's a chance you might have poisoned it. Eventually he swallows his distate, grabs your hand and shakes. The disgust drips away entirely.

“Desden Grimwold.”

“You were a detective on the Mainland?”

“That's correct.”

“What made you decide to come here?”

“I had a vision,” he nods his head over to Dolah. She and Gabby are talking. Their conversation looks personal, but . . . cathartic. “Of her. The Great Will's chosen champion. It nearly got me arrested. My own personal investigations into what I saw garnered the notice of the Cerillian government. A man by the name of Renault came to me in my holding cell and offered me a chance to serve.”

“Huh. When did you arrive?”

“Oh, a few months ago now. It was my second week on the Island when the siege happened. I ended up facing down a demon alongside Ms. Ornatheon in the sewers. Afterwards I pledged my loyalty to her and have served ever since.”

“You seem to disagree with her on a lot of things for somebody 'serving'.”

He shrugs. “I speak the truth no matter how harsh or blunt. I was granted the ability to see clearly and root out lies. I play to my strengths.”

“Your strengths are a bit . . . presumptuous. I mean, you called me a 'demon-tainted abomination' and insinuated I was 'rot'.”

“I meant what I said and I believe those comments to still be true,” he offers you no sympathy or the compromise you were hoping for. You bite your lip and try to keep your sigh of defeat unnoticeable. “ . . . Although, I have come to realize those truths aren't your fault and I have stopped blaming you for them. You didn't choose this and truly – based upon the aggregate of your actions – there's not much that needs to be reformed.”

You squint at the man. “What?”

Desden drums his fingers on his hip in thought before signalling Dolah. She extricates herself from a hug with Gabby to join your conversation. She looks between the two of you, a slight scowl revealing sharp tusks. Have . . . those gotten bigger? You let the thought go as Desden gives a knowing nod towards you. Dolah gives an assenting nod in response.

Desden fishes into his pack wordlessly and draws out a blank piece of parchment. Dolah leans against the wall with a bored expression on her face while he proceeds to bring out a fresh quill as well.

He draws two intersecting lines, perpendicular to each other, each traveling from the middle of one edge of the paper to the middle of the other edge.

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“The moral fabric of our universe functions on two distinct principles. Both of these principles exist on a spectrum. The first principle is that of Good and Evil. Although those are layman's terms. It is a measure of one's altruism versus one's selfish desires. All of humanity requires a combination of the two – although tending to one's altruistic side certainly creates a much better society.” He gives you a pointed look.

“What?” you demand, defensive.

“Lying, taking the law into your own hands, allowing your lusts to drive you, consorting with demons or devils –”

“I get it, I'm not perfect,” you admit so he'll shut up.

“Far from it. The other guiding principle is that of Order and Chaos. One's tendency to follow rules, laws, guidelines, codes. Or one's tendency to operate purely on . . . instinct. ”

You scratch your head in confusion. “What does operating on 'instinct' even mean?”

Desden's eyes flash up and look to Rowe for a mere second before coming back down to the page. “Perhaps . . . switching sides in a war to save a loved one's –”

“Stop.” Dolah orders, unamused.

You ignore the comment. “So . . . that's it?” you ask. Seems pretty simple concepts to break all of the universe down into.

“That's it,” Desden echoes. “And as those are the underlying pillars of morality for all sapient beings it speaks – to myself at least – that the greater beings that exist – the Gods who created and are fueled by our worship – would apply and fall into manifestations of these concepts. Whether the Gods are borne of the principles or the principles of the Gods – I'm not sure. However, my initial hypothesis was that there must be four. One representing good, one evil, one order and one chaos. The Great Will, The Relentless Surge, The First Dragon and Gaea's Warden respectively. However, upon further investigations and the discovery of both The Looming Shadow and the . . . odd notion of Assimilation as some all-powerful entity, I realized my theory was wrong."

"But upon further reflection I believe my theory was merely too small. See, the principles do not exist separately from each other.”

He gestures to the two lines he has drawn. “They intersect. They are inextricably linked. And as they are so in humanoids, devils, demons, angels and the fae - so too are they for the Gods.”

He draws a box in the top left corner of the page. “The belief in altruism and order – The Great Will.”

He draws a box in the lower right corner of the page. “The belief in selfishness and chaos – The Relentless Surge.”

He draws a box in the top right corner of the page. “The belief in altruism and chaos – Gaea's Warden.”

He draws a box in the lower left corner of the page. “The belief in selfishness and order – The First Dragon.”

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“Now,” he gestures back at his paper. “This leaves me with four open spaces. I am not two Gods too many like in my original theory – I am two Gods too few. You see, as I interrogated – ”

“Questioned,” Dolah corrects.

“Yes. As I questioned Ferrek I discovered The Looming Shadow is not evil, but also not good – existing in the middle of the road of such a label. This entity is also dedicated to trickery and upsetting the established order. A being devoted truly to chaos.”

Grimwold draws a box in the middle right of his page. “The belief in chaos without respect to good or evil – The Looming Shadow.”

“Now, all we have left in terms of space would be middle top – pure good, middle bottom – pure evil, and middle left – pure order.”

He points to the bottom of his parchment. “I think we can clearly see Assimilation is an evil deity – taking only for itself. Selfishness incarnate.”

You blink and feel your head hurt. This is a bit too out there for you right now. “I don't understand, even if you're right I'm not a God and you know I'm not evil.”

“Well, you aren't. Yet plenty of these outsiders we've encountered believe you to be a threat and consider you to very well be Assimilation itself. Perhaps you will be someday.”

“ . . . What?” you ask, eyebrows raised.

Dolah rolls her eyes and then groans.

Desden taps the quill. “I know Paladin Dolah Ornatheon is the sole selected Champion of The Great Will. I see no other possible contender to be Assimilation's Champion other than yourself. Which means you're destined to serve an evil force devote purely to selfish desires.”

>I'm done listening to this
>That sounds crazy and dumb
> . . . What?!
>How can I prevent that?
>You're right! Assimilate
>Something else? (write-in)

>>392738
"I don't believe in destiny or fate. You may be right I'm some Champion of Assimilation, but I choose my own actions in life and make my own path. I don't know where it's going to lead but I seem to be doing alright for myself yeah? I can only take things one day at a time."

>>392738
"Also what about the very middle? Think there is a God of Balance or something?"

>>392738
>>Something else? (write-in)

There are nine boxes, and you left the middle one empty. Again, you know I'm not evil, but I don't see why Assimilation has to be. Because I can take the skills and abilities of others for myself? They're copies, those I learn from aren't changed unless I want them to be. By touching them, sharing the knowledge I gained from others. Skills you know I've used for others, and will continue to do so. Maybe I'm not understanding you correctly, but I think you see Assimilation as evil because it helps me learn faster than most other people, or even pick things up that can't even be taught, like how to go without sleep or see like an elf. But aren't the acts of learning and self-improvement neutral in themselves? It's only after we use those skills can we say how we used them were for good or for evil.

>>392036
>Pokemon Go servers crashed
T O P K E K
O
P
K
E
K

>>392767
BY THE LOOMING SHADOW!

>>392738
>Something else
"There's still the middle box, though. Logically, if Assimilation is opposed by both Good and Evil as well as by Order and Chaos, evidenced by its opposition from angels, devils, and demons, then wouldn't it be between all four sides."

>>392738
How can I represent pure selfishness if I serve anyone? I am too selfish to be the champion of selfishness, check fucking mate. But seriously some champion is something you're chosen for, not something you choose. Dolah isn't compelled by the great will just like I won't be compelled by assimilation.

Also keep in mind that not only do we assimilate things, we have the ability to grant a gift (random) to others.

>>392738
>>Something else? (write-in)
>“I think we can clearly see Assimilation is an evil deity – taking only for itself. Selfishness incarnate.”

Except through assimilation, we can gift others with these abilities as well.

>Which means you're destined to serve an evil force devote purely to selfish desires.”
We're going to have to agree to disagree there. We'll make our own fates.

“How can I represent pure selfishness if I serve anyone? I am too selfish to be the champion of selfishness!”

“Which makes you the perfect champion,” Desden replies without missing a beat.

You open your mouth to speak, but realize this line of argumentation is an undecipherable mess and a lost cause.

You go with a different tactic. “I'm not entirely convinced Assimilation is evil. All it really helps me do is learn things faster. Learning and self-improvement don't seem inherently evil or good.”

“You don't learn. You mimic. You strip the heart and soul from whatever effort it required to originally attain the skill. That's evil.”

“If I use what I copy to do the right thing it isn't. Especially since I can grant others some of my powers to help them. That seems altruistic to me. What about this middle box, right here.” You tap the center of the parchment.

Desden frowns. “That's nothing.”

“It's not nothing. It's a middle ground of both spectrums. Not evil, not good, not order, not chaos. What if Assimilation is just that – not about either principle. Would make sense why both angels and devils agree I should die.”

Desden makes a displeased noise. “If Assimilation is neutral how could it possibly spell out the end of the world.”

You shrug. “I don't know. But I do know that even if I'm wrong I don't believe that my destiny is to destroy the planet. I get to choose, right? We aren't compelled by these things.”

Desden and Dolah lock eyes for a brief moment.

“Hopefully,” Desden finishes as he folds the parchment and places it back in his pack.

>Ask about previous instances of angels going rogue
>Ask about the relationship between the Gods
>Ask about the alignments of Irontide's crew
>Skip to summoning the angel
>Something else? (write-in)

>>393812
>Ask about previous instances of angels going rogue
Though I think you should have made Desden far more critical of that steaming pile of bullshit spewed out by >>392830

>Ask about previous instances of angels going rogue

>393812

>>393812
>Ask about the relationship between the gods
I'm curious what Desden thinks about there being more than one god, and what a god of order or pure good would be like.

>>393812
>>Ask about previous instances of angels going rogue
>>Ask about the relationship between the Gods
>>Ask about the alignments of Irontide's crew

“Do you know anything about the relationship between the different gods?” you ask.

Desden shakes his head. “No. None of the others are mentioned by the names they are called here on this Island. There are . . . enemies. Satanic figures that are cast in a light as if they were of equivalent strength to The Great Will. I believe it would be fair to say He is at war with all the evil deities. Although since the principle of order is as integral to The Lord as altruism – and from Rowe's own meager interactions – it is safe to believe that there is an ideological divide between The Great Will and Gaea's Warden.”

“Are there any recorded instances of The Great Will's angels going against His wishes?”

“There are stories of angels misinterpreting a teaching or making mistakes that ultimately lead to His guidance on the matter. Although how many of these parables are the truth or merely tales to help us interpret the doctrines correctly ourselves is something we don't know. I don't see how an angel could directly contradict an order from The Lord and still consider itself one of His servants. However . . . perhaps this angel in question is unable to contact The Great Will. Maybe it is undergoing a test of faith?”

If this is all some test you'd really appreciate it if The Great Will had left you out of it.

“What do you think a god of pure Good or pure Order would be like?”

“One would be primarily focused on good without a care for rules and the other would be primarily focused on rules without a care for morality – strictly speaking.”

Dolah laughs. “Desden, you wouldn't be a half-bad Champion for the latter type of God.”

Desden looks to her with a scowl. “I'll have you know I am diligent about maintaining my ethics up to the codes laid out by the . . .” he stops mid-sentence and closes his mouth, an introspective look on his face – horrified realization screaming beneath his eyes.

Dolah chortles.

“So what are the alignments of Irontide's crew?” you ask in an attempt to drag Desden out of investigating his own mind for heresy most like.

Desden blinks a few times before responding. “Predipus – pure chaos. Azdor – somewhere in the midle. Irontide – pure evil. Ashe – order and good,” Dolah thinks she's sly at hiding that half-smile but you notice it all the same. “Ferrek, Dart and Kroll – chaos and evil.”

“Not surprising,” Dolah comments.

>Skip to Summoning the angel
>Something else? (write-in)

>>394690
>Skip to Summoning the angel

>>394690
>Something else
So what were the eight figures in the scriptures that appear to be associated with Assimilation?

>>394690
>>Something else? (write-in)
this >>391845

>>394710
All that stuff already happened except the wolfsbane stuff which nobody here is really a requisitioning person

>>394728
nevermind.

just go to summons, I guess

Alright roll me 1d100, best of 3.

Rolled 5 (1d100)

>>394749

Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>394735

>>394762
>>394765
I'm going to give the RNG a few minutes before rolling, because those are some pretty shit rolls.

Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>394749

Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>394749
I hope it's been long enough.

Some shit came up. Updating later tonight

Aw was going to say inb4 we summon the rogue angel by accident but that roll might have clinched it.

>>395250
Now is not the time to have someone trying to kill us, because between all of us we're out of healing spells, and we can't pull off a Raise Dead again.

So, now that we've lost our Divine Focus, what should we use?

Alig's Talisman?
Something else?

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You ask Desden to go over all the various figures in the scriptures that were reminiscent of your powers. You spend the next couple hours with him discussing passages and mentions of dark creatures. Through it all you find flaws with each one to truly call its abilities or role in the stories as what Assimilation is.

By the time you're done exhausting and crossing that lead off the list as a dead end – Ed reemerges from the mirror. He waves you all over and you hop into Quissonce's mirror world. It is an endless white void that could drive a man mad as usual, save for the enscribed summoning circle in the featureless ground you walk upon. She gives you all a nervous smile as you enter.

“Well I've done all the necessary precautions as carefully as I could,” Quissonce tells you. “I'm ready to summon the angel if the rest of you are ready to . . . I don't know.”

You all ready your weapons and prepare for a potential fight as Quissonce turns back to the summoning circle and chants. Her hands come alight with a white glow.

“Do you have any idea what you're calling?” Dolah questions, lucerne hammer clenched in her hand.

“Nope.” There is suddenly a great flash from the center of the Circle and before you appears the angel.

He looks much like a man, muscular and lean. The wings, the flaming greatsword wielded in both its hands and the glowing eyes are the only distinguishing physical features signaling he is more than human. Although he holds himself with an inhuman posture and the regal authority befit only for a king.

“Why have I been summoned to this plane?!” his booming voice demands, the words boring into your skull as his wings flap once imperiously, the ensuing gust of wind so powerful it almost threatens to push you back.

Dolah steps forward. “We have brought you here to ask for your help. Another of your kind acts opposite to the intentions of The Great Will.”

“You mortals claim to know our Father's intentions better than one of my kind? ARROGANCE!”

Dolah grimaces. “We have it on the good authority of another that The Great Will has not given this order –”

“THE GREAT WILL HAS NOT SPOKEN IN A MILLENNIA! YOU PRESUME TO KNOW HIS DESIRES?!”

She recoils.

“He wouldn't order the death of a member of the flock who committed no crime," she points out. "This angel is clearly violating the tenets of our Faith.”

“YOU SPEAK FALSELY!”

“No she doesn't,” Desden comments quietly, his expression disapproving. “And you know that.”

The angel turns on him. “You dare accuse –”

“Yes. I do.”

“I –”

“You're a liar. Stop lying.”

The angel glares silently. You all stand tensely in a silence violated only by a heavenly emanating thrum that pierces the pocket universe and the beating of the angel's wings.

“What do you want?”

What do you want?

>Tell the angel if he wants to kill me he can come do the deed himself
>Tell us where the angel is so we can pay him a visit
>Assimilate!
>Something else? (write-in)

>>395841
>Something else?
Send a burn notice out on this rogue angel.
Rescind the kill order on Alan and have it be announced to the Faithful in Seaside that the angel that had made the proclamation did not speak with the authority of the Great Will.

>>395842
>Something else?
Can this angel do the same mind message to Seaside?

>>395853
>>395860
Now that I think about it, wouldn't this cause a crisis of faith when two conflicting orders are given by authority figures, celestial beings that both say they are speaking with divine authority?

Lol Angel just shuts the fuck up when Desden points out that he's a lying douchebag. Desden may be an asshole, but he's OUR asshole (atm).

Getting that kill order rescinded sounds good and arranging a nice chat after trapping the rogue angel in a birdcage sounds even better. If we can convince the angel to assist us, more power to us. Just no assimilating plz, TRAP option is obvious.

>>395842
>>Something else? (write-in)
ask who the rogue angel is.
his reasons for wanting us dead
why this angel is lying.
where can we find the rogue angel.

>>395842
Can we stealth assimilate? I think it'd be cool as fuck to get angel powers.

>>396230
Assimilation is pretty stealthy, but the problem is that the power we assimilate could be pretty obvious or have an obvious effect when we take it.

Like Etriarch's eyes; kind of subtle when it actually happened, but pretty obvious once you looked at Alan's eyes.

So if we assimilate angel properties, we might suddenly start radiating holy energy or something. Or have some other obvious physical change, like when we assimilated Hill Giant strength and muscles visibly grew under our skin.

>>395842

What ARE the tenants of the faith anyway? Specifically, which ones might deal with our ability to Assimilate?

For starters we should see what this angel will do to help us. Message Seaside and tell them not to kill us, that the previous message was sent by a rogue angel (which we know there are tales of in the scriptures, so I don't think it would cause a large crisis of faith), help us find and deal with the angel that wants us dead (hopefully peacefully), anything else it can offer really.

But, if the angel we have lies again, and we're in the clear to do so from the tenants, warn him that we will Assimilate from him in order to solve the issue ourselves if need be. Follow through the second Desden calls him out again.

>>395842
>Assimilate!
Might as well improve upon our elven eyes by getting a copy of the angel's eyes, also tell the angel if he wants to kill me he can come do the deed himself

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“Can you have this angel declared unreliable in the eyes of the faithful and your own kind.”

He shakes his head somberly. “Hadraniel ranks above me. Above us all. His word would be believed before mine own. He is also the only one with access to the minds of all true believers.”

“Why does Hadraniel want me dead?”

“You are Assimilation. You will usurp The Great Will and all his powers unless you are stopped.”

“But you don't believe that, do you?” Desden asks.

“ . . . This declaration was too heavy-handed. Driven by . . . ulterior desires.”

>Assimilate? (Y/N)

AND

>Ask something else? (what?)
>Tell Hadraniel to come here if he wants his pound of flesh
>Tell me where Hadraniel is so I can pay him a visit
>That will be all, thank you

AND

>Something else? (write-in)

>>398238
No assimilation, that would just prove Hadraniel right.

>Ask something else? (what?)
The Great Will knows of the ulterior desires, do it not? What is he to do?

>Tell me where Hadraniel is so I can pay him a visit

>>398238
>No assimilation. For now.
>Ask something else?
What is this ulterior motive?
Do the servants of the other gods in the High Heavens share Hadraniel's belief?
Since you are of the Heavens, who/what are the beings of pure order and neutrality? Who serves the Looming Shadow?

>>398324
>he Great Will knows of the ulterior desires, do it not? What is he to do?
He already said that the Great Will hasn't talked with anyone for a thousand years. Why are you asking something that makes us look like we weren't paying attention?

>>398238
>Assimilate? (Y)
>Tell Hadraniel to come here if he wants his pound of flesh

>>398238
>Assimilate (Y)
and
>Go to Hadraniel directly.

>>398238
>Assimilate? (N)
>Tell me where Hadraniel is so I can pay him a visit

>>398704
>>398987
What exactly would you assimilate, and how would you explain to the angel that we're no threat even though we just did what Hadraniel said we would, and keep Desden from breaking the binding circle when we proved his earlier fears right?

>>398238
>N
>>Tell me where Hadraniel is so I can pay him a visit

Let's assimilate Hadraniel, not this guy.

>>399338
The easiest way to fight an angel is to know how an angel fights.

>>398238
>Assimilate? (N)
>Tell Hadraniel to come here if he wants his pound of flesh

>>399349
What? That doesn't even make sense. Wtf are we even going to assimilate if u try to? Wings? You're a stupid motherfucker if u can't recognize that assimilating an angel will get u killed by all the believers + Angels.

>>399349
What? That doesn't even make sense. Wtf are we even going to assimilate if u try to? Wings? You're a stupid motherfucker if u can't recognize that assimilating an angel will get u killed by all the believers + Angels.

Assimilate (N)

“What ulterior motives?”

“Hadraniel believes your death will bring The Great Will back to us. It is a . . . mollifying idea, even if it is a blind hope.”

“Do servants of Other Gods share Hadraniel's belief?”

“I do not know.”'

“Who is the god of pure order? And the god of pure neutrality?”

“The god of order is The Final Arbiter – who guides the deceased to their proper resting place. The god of neutrality is The Eternal Seeker – who pursues knowledge and information purely for its own sake.”

“Who serves the Looming Shadow?”

“Idiots.”

Desden laughs.

“Where is Hadraniel so I can pay him a visit?”

The angel's face sours. “Heaven.”

Dolah shrugs. “Well, we can't exactly reach him –”

“No, we can get there,” Quissonce comments nonchalantly. “Ms. Helbot can shift planes. I know Hadraniel's name, so I can scry him. We can go to Heaven and kick his ass.”

“I take issue with so many elements of what you just said,” Desden sighs out as he shakes his head.

>Ask the angel something else? (what?)
>Let's do that now!
>Let's rest for a bit before going to Heaven
>That's a bad plan, we need an alternative
>Something else? (write-in)

>>400979
>Ask the angel something else?
So what IS Assimilation, and the method that it uses to acquire traits and skills? If it's not one of the gods, that is.

How much support does Hadraniel have for his idea? Will all of the angels follow him even if they disagree? And how can Alan's death bring the Great Will back if the Great Will hasn't been talking to his angels for a millenia?

>That's a bad plan, we need an alternative
A bad idea to fight an enemy on home ground where he can call upon reinforcements, and we're low on spells.
We need a plan, we need to be prepared.

>>400979
>Hadraniel believes your death will bring The Great Will back to us.
wait, does this mean they lost contact some how?

>That's a bad plan, we need an alternative

>>401274
>does this mean they lost contact some how?
Wrenloft, what the fuck?
Haven't you been paying any attention at all?

>>395841
>“THE GREAT WILL HAS NOT SPOKEN IN A MILLENNIA!

>>400979
>>Ask the angel something else? (what?)
How can we get Hadraniel to come down to this place so we can 'talk' face to face.

>>401321
>Wrenloft, what the fuck?
>Haven't you been paying any attention at all?
I don't know what I'm missing. I look back but I can't see where I'm losing it.

>>401387
The angel flat-out says that they have not been able to speak with the Great Will for the past 1000 years.
It's right here
>>395841
>“THE GREAT WILL HAS NOT SPOKEN IN A MILLENNIA! YOU PRESUME TO KNOW HIS DESIRES?!”

>>400979
>>Ask the angel something else? (what?)

We still don't know the names of the deities of pure good or pure evil, right? All the others seem to be figured out, so let's find out about those two while we have a chance.

>>400979
Years of theological disputes settled by a few questions in a summoning circle.

>>400979
>Who are the other gods?
I want to confirm that Assimilation is or isn't some god and whether or not it's evil.