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The room is pitch black.

>What do you do?

>>3829834
Scream to see if we have a mouth

>>3829834
>Dab on the darkness

>>3829836
but what if you don't have ears?

>>3829834
>Pick up your phone and turn on the flashlight

>>3829841
Now do it a third time, surely that'll work.

>>3829837
this

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>>3829836
>>3829837

>Scream to see if we have a mouth

You scream into the room, for some reason! It doesn't echo. It isn't particularly big as expected.

>Dab on the darkness

You dab into the darkness where no one can seen. You revel in the freedom of being able to do something like this without being seen.

>What do you do?

>>3829848
>Pick up your phone and turn on the flashlight
Enough bumbling around

>>3829848
>Use our powers so we manifest a glowing aura. Use it for light.

Alternatively, stumble around blindly with your hands out.

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>>3829849
>>3829852

>Pick up your phone and turn on the flashlight
>Use our powers so we manifest a glowing aura. Use it for light.
>Alternatively, stumble around blindly with your hands out.

You consider using your phone OR using your powers, but-.. you don't see a need for either!

Rather, you stumble around blindly for a moment before finding the light switch.

You turn the light on in your room. Everything is very neat, VERY normal. And there you are! The amazing main character of this quest, Rise.

>What do you do?

>>3829862
>marvel at evil plan

>>3829862
>Look around

>>3829862
>Consider our psychic abilities

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>>3829864
>>3829865
>>3829897

>marvel at evil plan

Evil plan? You’re just a totally normal girl who also happens to be an esper. That’s VERY hurtful just so you know.

>Look around
>Consider our psychic abilities

Your psychic abilities manifest themselves in just about what every other psychic manifests as - basic telekinesis, exorcisms, stuff like that. And even a little astral projection, which is a pretty difficult technique for common psychics. Your special ability is one of CONTROL KIND. A bit scary, of course, but it’s not like YOU’RE the one getting brainwashed.

You look around you room. Very nice, very normal! All teenage girls have stuff like this in their rooms. A laptop, with a vapidly colorful wallpaper and some word processing applications. Some posters. A bed. With a blanket. So lovely and cute.

All very cool, very normal stuff!

>What do you do?

>>3829908
>Look at our VERY COOL posters
>Check under the bed

>>3829908
>Go find a CUTE boy and mindrape him into being your love slave

>>3829908
>do your NORMAL night

>>3829908
>Look at our VERY COOL posters
>check out your VERY COOL laptop - are there any VERY COOL online games? Maybe you could play with your new classmates?

>>3829862
How dare you stand where she were ?>>3829908
>Look at posters and under nour bed

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>>3829914
>>3829918
>>3829927
>>3829915

>Go find a CUTE boy and mindrape him into being your love slave

Tcch. You don’t NEED cute boys.

>Check under the bed

You check under the bed. Hmm. There’s nothing. Most teenage girl’s beds have all sorts of junk and souvenirs lying under them from their busybody lives. Yours has.. nothing. You should attend to that at some point. That’s not very believable.

>Look at our VERY COOL posters

You look at your VERY COOL and VERY NORMAL posters! Above your laptop is a picture of your best friend, Morgan Koizumi, another esper at the school that you moved to. You’re very interested in getting closer to her. You love the way she walks and how she stares vacantly outside the window during class and the way she plays with the hair that she slicks up into horns and the slight timbre change at the ends of her sentences and her apparent psychic powers - you’re SURE that she’s the one you’ve been looking for. Very normal to have friends like this. And on the OTHER wall is a portrait of HIM.

>do your NORMAL night
>check out your VERY COOL laptop - are there any VERY COOL online games? Maybe you could play with your new classmates?

You look at your laptop. It’s evidently vacant. There’s some apps for school. You have Minecraft installed. You know for a fact that teenage girls play online games, too.

You consider your typical nights - very NORMAL, very AVERAGE. Perhaps you’d like to get yourself invested in some club. Like the one Morgan is in. You’d actually planned on talking to her about it later, but it seems like it ended up getting shut down.

God, what to DO?! You could call Morgan. Ask her what she’s doing. Ask her to hang out. Or maybe Morgan’s friend, Ryuko, is free. Or you could find that weird boy that tags along with those two in their club to ask about joining. Besides that, you’re not particularly interested in too many those idiot children in class that have such a vapid interest in you or your thoughts.

>What’s the plan for tonight?

>>3829908
Welcome back QM.
>Look at our VERY COOL posters.
>Jump onto your bed.

>>3829946
>We should call Morgan. And drag her out for a day in the city.

>>3829946
>explain HIM

>>3829946
This>>3829951

>>3829946
>Go shopping. A normal activity for a normal girl.

>>3829946
>Go out and get some of that konbini food.

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>>3829953
>>3829951
>>3829956

>explain HIM

Why does someone that your entire life is based upon require explanation?

>We should call Morgan. And drag her out for a day in the city.

That’s right! You could CALL her! You’re sure she’d love to hang out. She has, like, three actual friends and no jobs or clubs now or whatever, so you’re sure you could squeeze something in with her into your normal, teenage girl schedule. The city sounds nice. Shikano is kind of a dead end, anyways, so you could show her what the world is like beyond this dump.

You eagerly dial her number into your phone, awaiting a response. It rings for a worryingly long amount of time. Would she even pick up? Just as you begin to fall into despair, you hear her voice ringing melodically over the line. She’s yelling.

“HELLO?! WHO IS THIS? HOW DID YOU GET MY NUMBER?!” Morgan shouts into the phone. The background noise is deafening - the familiar sounds of ghost shrieks and psychic blasts ring out between her words.

You don’t bother acknowledging the shouts. “Hi, Morg- er, Victoria..! It’s Rise. Ryuyko gave me your number-.. sorry!” Your voice adopts its typically sickly sweet cadence. “I was wondering if maybe you’d like to come over - there’s some problems in the workbook tha-”

“SORRY! I’M BUSY RIGHT NOW!” She shrieks back into the phone as a loud shattering sound seems to overload your phone speaker. “I’M DOING AN EVIL JOB AN-”
You hear a male voice from the far end of the line screaming at her to hang up before another rumbling sound echoes through the receiver.
“YEAH! I KNOW, KAG- OKAY I’M HANGING UP NOW. DON’T CALL ME AGAIN, MORTAL.” Morgan hangs up.

You stare blankly at your phone, biting back tears before taking a deep breath and smiling. You’re normal! Sucks that that plan didn’t work out. You’re sure there’s plenty of other stuff to do. Morgan sounds like she’s in trouble, but does she even need your help?

>What do you do?

>Chillax to hentai

>>3829976
>Walk around in the city, maybe in a few hours Vic- Morgan would be finished.

>>3829976
>Call Ryuko, maybe they are not busy today?

>>3829976
>Investigate the other psychics in the city

>>3829976
>Do some NORMAL chores in your NORMAL house.

>>3829976
>What do you do?
If we can't call, maybe we can text! She did say she was doing a job right now, but she can answer her texts when she isn't so busy, right?

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>>3830023
>>3830026
>>3830018
>>3829991
>>3829983

>If we can't call, maybe we can text! She did say she was doing a job right now, but she can answer her texts when she isn't so busy, right?
>Walk around in the city, maybe in a few hours Vic- Morgan would be finished.

While you’d love to drive out to the city to walk around with Morgan, that’s still a good drive out and your PARENTS aren’t around to drive you. But you can, however, text her! You shoot Morgan a few texts asking her to come over to hang out - you could find a ride out to the city some time soon after you get a little closer, you’re sure.

>Call Ryuko, maybe they are not busy today?.

You call Ryuko, your backup. She picks up - but your attempted conversation with her is rather short as she lets you know that she’s helping Morgan out with a job. You hang up, biting your lip. Did EVERYONE get invited to help her out? Who was that guy yelling at her? Did she find a boyfriend willing to put up with her patheticness?

>Do some NORMAL chores in your NORMAL house.

You take a breath. Of course. Normal chores in your normal hous-

Wait. Something’s wrong. You glance around your room - what are you even doing? Your actions don’t entirely feel like.. yours. Are you even the one making these choices? This isn’t right.

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You are now the chuunibyou.

The building’s spirit lies in front of you, lurching about hazily and weak. It wasn’t a particularly difficult fight - upon entering, Kagyu fumbled with a flashlight and seemed to have angered the spirit by flashing it in the face, who began flinging about spiritual artifacts and breaking a good few in the process. It took a short two hours of ducking behind cover and taking pot shots while your “boss” screamed at you from behind a pillar. Looks like it was loaded up with energy - maybe it was feeding off the high spiritual energy present here?

Kagyu stands behind you, folding his arms. “Right, then. Well, just exorcise it, my naive CHARLOTTE, and your first job’s over. A bit sloppy on this one. Try to be cleaner on the next go around.” He tuts.
“Well, uh- I mean, the spirit WAS rather weak, but-.. maybe we could-”
“Enslave it? Free it?” Kagyu shakes his hands, tutting yet again. “FOOLISH. At best, leaving a spirit present in the material world will result in only prolonging the inevitable -.. unless it’s Shiro, who does my filing work for me. For 99.99% of cases, exorcising spirits is performing a FAVOR to them. Now PERFORM the RITE, Morgana. It’s within the blood contract!”

>What do you do?

>>3830122
channel palpatine
>do it

>>3830122
>Do it. Yell out, "My name is Victoria!" As our psychic powers turn into lightning.

>>3830122
>dew it

>>3830122
https://youtu.be/LS3BI-nl_w8?t=24

>>3830122
>yeet that spirit into the shadow realm

>>3830122
We were the one that brought it to this state. We should see it through.
>Do it!

>>3830122
Exorcise ghost, make sure to get ALL the spiritium this time!

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>>3830165
>>3830158
>>3830155
>>3830150
>>3830136
>>3830134
>>3830130

>https://youtu.be/LS3BI-nl_w8?t=24
>Do it. Yell out, "My name is Victoria!" As our psychic powers turn into lightning.

You decide to DEW IT, raising your hand and with a simple motion, the spirit begins to dissipate explosively. You try to make your psychic powers turn into lightning, too, but you’re not even sure how you’d do something as cool as that.

As you finish and the spirit disappears - you, sucking up all that good spiritum - Kagyu pats you on the shoulder. “Great! Let’s get going now before the place collapses inward into the Manifold.”
You blink. “Wh-wha-..” Turning around, you catch sight of the man throwing up a ladder, a large box slung over his shoulder. Several of the building’s bits of merchandise hang loosely from his pants. He begins to climb up the ladder as the building violently rumbles.
“That building ghost was keeping this place from collapsing into the spirit realm. Lots of spiritual artifacts in one place tend to do that without a good building, y’know.” He responds carelessly as he casually maneuvers his way up the bars. “If you see something you like, grab it before it’s gone forever. Lots of stuff with resale value here! You have about fifteen seconds before getting your essence dragged across the equivalent of pavement.”

Oh, SHIT. You look over the selection as you begin to panic-.. uhhh, uhhhhhhhh--.. a box. A cloak. A mask that looks a lot like Sunderland’s. Some loose books. Oh, fuck, the building’s shaking faster now.

>What do you grab before booking it out of there?

---

Also, last post of the day!

>>3830177
Use box to carry the other two items

>>3830177
>Books
We going to learn some shit.

>>3830177
mask

>>3830177
Pick something light
>Mask and Cloak
Thanks for running

>>3830177
>Mask

>>3830177
>Books

>>3830177
the box!!!

>>3830177
>Books.

>>3830177
>Books

>>3830177
>mask

>>3830177
>What do you grab before booking it out of there?
We can carry multiple things with our telekinesis?
Or
>>3830185
This
Or
>>3830195
This

>>3830177
>Mask and Cloak, in that order
I don't trust a box that's been taped up in a basement and I definitely don't trust a stack of books that survived two hours in an exorcist fight.

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>>3830772
>>3830853
>>3830662
>>3830202
>>3830195
>>3830193

>Mask and Cloak

Snatching the mask and cloak, you make a break for the ladder as the ground of the collapsed basement of Needful Lendings begins to give out from under you. As you clamber up the steps, forcibly shoving the grown man to go up the ladder faster, you glance behind you for just a brief moment. You catch a glimpse of a red void eating up the basement beneath you - it seems to go on endlessly. Kagyu snatches you up by the arm and pulls you right back up.

You’re back in the office. Low tone elevator music that the conman probably uses because its royalty free rings out from the lobby. Kagyu, standing beside you - panting, for some reason, despite having done nothing but shout at you for the last couple of hours - appears beaten up and scuffled. His typically weirdly luxurious trench coat is wrinkled and his moustache appears injured. The esper folds his arms, shaking his head at you.

“Ohohoho-.. To think someone would actually be FOOLISH enough to stare into the Manifold.” Kagyu tuts, chuckling. “Well, anyways - what is this? A mask? A cloak? Weird picks.” He picks at the black cloak hanging loosely from your arms with amusement. He lugs the box of trinkets he picked up from the basement back over his shoulder. “I’m bringing this stuff home and selling it. See you tomorrow for your SECOND JOB, Charlotte.”

The man naruto runs out of the building, dragging the box behind him. You’re pretty sure this office doesn’t close for another hour.

You enter the lobby, where Akira, your LOYAL MINION SERVANT, appears to have been waiting for the last two hours. She stared boredly at the television from her lobby chair, which is playing that weird mech anime from the 90s, Blitz Rapier Forces. She glances up at you - haggardly standing there with a cloak and mask tucked under your arms.

“Took you long enough. Can I go now?” She frowns.

It IS getting kind of late. You probably should let Akira off now and head home yourself with your loot, but-.. looks like while you were down, that dumb POPULAR ESPER GIRL Rise texted you, asking you to come over. It was a couple hours ago.

>What do you do?

>>3831109
>Let Akira go home
>Ask Sunderland/Shiro to appraise the mask and cloak
>Respond to Rise saying it's already getting late and you just survived gazing into the Manifold. Raincheck?

>>3831109
This >>3831111

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>>3831111
>>3831113

>Let Akira go home
>Ask Sunderland/Shiro to appraise the mask and cloak
>Respond to Rise saying it's already getting late and you just survived gazing into the Manifold. Raincheck?

“Fufufu-.. too TIRED, minion?” You sneer smugly, folding your arms. Akira looks unamused. “Fine, then. I’ll let-”
Before you’re even done, she’s out the door. You should consider putting a little more fear into her. Akira’s like, not even 1/10th as loyal to you as Shiro is.

Before absconding from the building, however, you approach Sunderland, who is boredly drumming her fingers against the counter top. “Fufufufu-.. Now, while accomplishing that contract job for your boss, I happened to pick up some trinkets from the ruins!” You slap the cloak and mask onto the table in front of her, expecting a gasp. Sunderland looks nonplussed. “I’d like for you to appraise these items and illuminate their immense spiritual power and worth!”

Sunderland looks down at the mask for a moment. She raises it up and examines it. “Yup, this is a mask.” She nods. She then pokes at the cloak. “And this is a cloak, yeah.”
“I-is that it?” You stare up at the clerk, disappointed.
“Well, I mean, maybe they have psychic powers. But from what I can tell, this is a mask. And this is a cloak. Looks kind of dusty.” She puts the mask on for emphasis. "Yeah. I'm not really getting anything here."

You shrink into a puddle of disappointment, like a slug.

>What do you do?

>>3831130
>Call Rise. If that ofer to come to her place is still up, then maybe you could try to appraise it together.

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>>3831130
>"Do... do you want the mask?"
Otherwise supporting >>3831135

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>>3831135
>>3831160

>"Do... do you want the mask?"
>Call Rise. If that ofer to come to her place is still up, then maybe you could try to appraise it together.

“Do.. do you want the mask?” You frown, staring up at Sunderland.
“Mmmmmm.. No. You can have it.” Sunderland finally responds, albeit with an evident tone of reluctance.

Standing outside the office with the cloak and mask tucked over your shoulder, you decide that maybe Rise could tell you what it was. You’re still not entirely sure what to think of her, but she might be knowledgeable in spirit stuff or whatever. After a short phone call - in which she casually accepted you stopping by tonight - you head out into the wintery darkness to her place.

The trip there is a short fifteen minute walk out. You try to keep the cloak from dragging against the icy sidewalk as you stumble forward. It’s VERY dark right now, and the street lights are often dimmed and dull. It makes avoiding icy patches kind of a minefield. You’re so focused on keeping your balance that you hardly notice the figure standing in front of you.

“Oh-! Uh, fufufufu. S-sorry.” You apologize quickly, nearly bumping into the silhouette. You back up sharply, keeping the cloak and mask tucked tight to your chest. “Didn’t.. see you there.”

The figure remains silent. It appears to be around your height, so rather short. It remains unblinking. You squint. It doesn’t really LOOK like a spirit..

>What do you do?

>>3831274
>IDENTIFY YOURSELF! LEST YOU TASTE THE INCOMPARABLE POWER OF VICTORIA MALEFECORUM!

>>3831274
>Make our clothes and hair flutter in a cool way with our powers
>>3831282
We've been training hard for this moment!

>>3831274
This >>3831282
Damn QM you wake up early.

>>3831274
>Ready our cool, demonic, evil backstory.

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>>3831282
>>3831293
>>3831310
>>3831374

>IDENTIFY YOURSELF! LEST YOU TASTE THE INCOMPARABLE POWER OF VICTORIA MALEFECORUM!
>Make our clothes and hair flutter in a cool way with our powers
>Ready our cool, demonic, evil backstory.

You tighten a fist. “IDENTIFY YOURSELF! LEST YOU TASTE THE INCOMPARABLE POWER OF VICTORIA MALEFECORUM!” You shout, your breath visible with what little light there is. You even use your psychic powers to make your clothing and hair flutter coolly, the cloak slung over your shoulders making the whole effect even cooler.

The thing under the street light doesn’t respond. As you prepare to spout the cool, demonic, evil backstory you made up for yourself, it suddenly lurches forward - both of its arms surging forward violently and quickly. You get a brief glimpse of the tendril arms in the light. They appear GROSS AS HELL - a variety of striated muscle fibers, organ-like tubes, and veins weaving together to form tentacles. It’s a far cry from the typically elegant ethereal forms of spirits. They’re both approaching you.

>Focus on taking out the tentacles. They’re getting SCARY CLOSE. [Roll a 1d666]
>Try to hit whoever the tentacles belong to. You’re sure you could get a nice shot on them from here. [Roll a 1d666.] [HARD]
>Abscond.
>Write-In.

Rolled 377 (1d666)

>>3831394
>Write-In: Fighting retreat aiming at the tentacles.

>>3831394
>Focus on taking out the tentacles. They’re getting SCARY CLOSE. [Roll a 1d666]

>>3831394
Have you seen that hairstyle before?

>>3831401
You forgot your roll

>>3831394
>Focus on taking out the tentacles. They’re getting SCARY CLOSE. [Roll a 1d666]
>Ready our Spirit Drain

Rolled 558 (1d666)

>>3831412
This time

Rolled 458 (1d666)

>>3831401
Oh crud

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>>3831397
>>3831401
>>3831413
>>3831420
>>3831412

>Focus on taking out the tentacles. They’re getting SCARY CLOSE.
>Write-In: Fighting retreat aiming at the tentacles.
>Rolled 558 (1d666)

You manage a solid hit on the tentacles, volleying some compacted psychic energy into one of the surging tendrils. It recoils and seems to let out what sounds eerily like a screech before contorting back, folding in on itself and twisting back into the figure to reform as arms.

The figure stands still for a long moment before violently shaking. It’s spine angles seems to twist in ways that generally a spine shouldn’t as it’s hair lolls about randomly. It’s arms seem to hang limply from its gnarled body as the silhouette gradually grows in size.

It’s difficult to make out the full breadth of the transformed figure, but it's nearly as tall as the light post next to it. Several jagged protrusions that look like teeth hang loosely from where its face should be. Its eye remains unblinking and hazily focused on you. Now there’s like, ten of those tentacles.

>Abscond.
>Stand ground and try to fight.
>Write-In.

>>3831461
>Abscond.
"Victoria is not running away, I am advancing backwards."

>>3831461
>>Stand ground and try to fight.
KILL MAIM BURN
CHANNEL THE POWER OF KHORN

>>3831461
>Abscond.

>>3831461
>>Abscond.

>>3831461
>Abscond.

> Now there’s like, ten of those tentacles.
"I'M NOT THAT KIND OF DEMON LORD!"

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>>3831481
>>3831528
>>3831631

>Abscond.

You ABSCOND from the situation as fast as possible. "F-fool! I'm just-.. I'm advancing backwards..!" You shout as you retreat. You decide Rise can wait. You sprint back home as quickly as possible.

You are now sitting in the dark of your room, your cloak wrapped around you several times over. You look around shiftily. You are VERY suspicious.

>Stay up all night. Make sure you don't end up getting snatched up by whatever the fuck that was. Although, it's probably gonna negatively affect your schoolwork tomorrow.
>Go to sleep. Pssh. It definitely didn't follow you home.

>>3831674
>Stay up all night. Make sure you don't end up getting snatched up by whatever the fuck that was. Although, it's probably gonna negatively affect your schoolwork tomorrow.
"I am Victoria, the most powerful demon lord of the world! I am Victoria, the most wanted target of the world... I am Victoria, I... can't... sleep..."

>>3831674
>>Go to sleep. Pssh. It definitely didn't follow you home.

>>3831674
>Attempt to stay up all night. Fail miserably.

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>>3831699
>>3831710

>Attempt to stay up all night. Fail miserably.
>Stay up all night. Make sure you don't end up getting snatched up by whatever the fuck that was. Although, it's probably gonna negatively affect your schoolwork tomorrow.

You do your best to stay up all night, laughing evilly to yourself as you nearly drift off. “.. I am Victoria, the most powerful demon lord of the world! I am Victoria, the most wanted target in the world.. I am Victoria, I can’t.. sleep..”

You end up wrestling with yourself for the entire night. You actually do end up falling asleep on occasion, but you manage to FORCE yourself awake throughout the night through sheer power of will and also because you keep seeing weird shadows moving around in your vision.

By the time you wake up from another brief 30 minute power nap, you look like a mess. Drool leaks from the corner of your mouth and your eyelids feel like they’re screaming. You’re still wearing the uniform that you wore to school yesterday. You got maybe-.. an hour or two of solid sleep throughout the night. At least you weren’t attacked by whatever the fuck tried to kill you yesterday.

The rest of the morning is a haze. You ended up actually waking up LATE for school despite having barely slept and had to rush through your morning routine - you didn’t even SHOWER, so you’re max gross, and hard to scarf down your dad’s eggs before running out to class. You nearly end up passing out during the run.

You just barely manage to make it school before class started - sweaty, sleepy, and weirdly oily. You collapse into your desk.

>Try to make it through the school day. Stay up for the sake of your grades. [Roll a 1d666.] [HARD.]
>ight imma head out
>Write-In.

>>3831800
>ight imma head out

>>3831800
>ight imma head out

>>3831800
>ight imma head out
Mumble a bit in our sleep, "Ghosts, zap em... monsters, run away... pineapple pizza, nooo..."
Truly the stuff of nightmares.

>>3831800
>>ight imma head out

>>3831800
>ight imma head out
>text your minions on the haps yesterday
> maybe meet a that weirdos and come up with a plan

>>3831813
seconded

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>>3831810
>>3831811
>>3831813
>>3831816

>ight imma head out

Shockingly, you immediately hit the hay.

The rest of the day is.. blurry. You remember getting yelled at by a couple of teachers. You might’ve had a quiz. Akira tried to talk to you during lunch and poked you awake - violently - but you ended up going right back to sleep. Katsu seemed moody as per the norm for the last two days. You don’t even get the chance to talk to your friends or bring up that weird monster you fought last night.

You end up slowly raising your head from your desk-.. some indeterminate amount of time later. The first thing that you catch sight of upon waking up is Rise’s face, who looks down at you, puzzled. She raises a brow as you examine your surroundings. The classroom is completely empty. The sun is setting outside, lighting up the sky in a pinkish light.

“Uh-.. have you been sleeping since school ended, Victoria..?” Rise blinks at you. “It’s been.. like, three hours since school ended. I was just stopping by because I forgot some books.. Don’t you have a job or something?”

Oh shit, that’s RIGHT. You were supposed to meet with Kagyu this evening for the contract job. It’s like, 6 PM..

>What do you do?

>>3831853
>Thank Rise, and run to work.
"Thank you for the time. Going to go do more evil business! "

>>3831853
>invite our NORMAL FRIEND Rise to hang out with us on the job
>do not invite Akira this time
>complain about monsters on the way to Kagyu

>>3831853
FFFF-

>Run in a way that does not (outwardly) indicate panic but EVIL DETERMINATION.

>>3831894
This

>>3831880
>This
Rise has wanted to hang out for a while. Maybe she'll be down to come with us and witness our TOTALLY DEMONIC MAGIC POWERS, since she didn't fully believe us before.

>>3831853
>Invite Rise to the job and tell her about the monster.

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>>3831869
>>3831880
>>3831894
>>3831898

>invite our NORMAL FRIEND Rise to hang out with us on the job
>do not invite Akira this time
>complain about monsters on the way to Kagyu
>Thank Rise, and run to work.
>Run in a way that does not (outwardly) indicate panic but EVIL DETERMINATION.

“Oh- uh- right..! Why, fufufu-.. I knew that, of course. Yep.” You nod, wiping your mouth clean of drool. Rise raises a brow. “Perhaps you’d like to-.. WITNESS MY GREAT PSYCHIC PROWESS AT WORK?! It’s rather dangerous, of course, but after I missed seeing you last night - I’m sure you’d like to get a taste of my immense psychic power.” You sneer, pulling a cool pose as you sling your backpack over your shoulder.
“Hmm..” Rise taps at her chin. “I might be a little busy, but.. I probably can for a little while, sure.”

The walk to work is short, but you get the chance to ask Rise about that weird monster on the way there. She seems unsure of the matter herself, but confirms that it almost definitely wasn’t a spirit. Spirits don’t retain that kind of physicality here in this plane of reality.

You knock hesitantly on Kagyu’s office door. It’d be more apt to call it one knock, because with one knock he instantly opens the door.

“Ohohoh-.. Took you long enough, little girl.” He shakes his head, frowning. “You were almost late! You’re lucky I foresaw you NOT being late, otherwise, I’d have to call the deal off and utilize Shiro for the ritual. And who’s THIS? She seems FAR too good for you.”
“It’s Rise. I’m Victoria’s classmate.” Rise responds with her typical sweetness. “I’m actually an esp-”
“An ESPER! And not as LOUD as you, either! Astounding.” Kagyu laughs heartily. “Now-.. do you want to involve HER in the job today? The job today is.. a bit dangerous.”

>What do you do?

>>3831948
> The more, the merrier.

>>3831948
>Do a chuuni pose, "Fufufu like anything I do is not dangerous enough already. Come on in Rise, and witness my mastery of my power!"
Just walk in tall and confident.

>>3831948
>yes, we'll defeat today's villain with the power of friendship

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>>3831970
>>3831966
>>3831961

>Do a chuuni pose, "Fufufu like anything I do is not dangerous enough already. Come on in Rise, and witness my mastery of my power!"
> The more, the merrier.
>yes, we'll defeat today's villain with the power of friendship

"Fufufu like anything I do is not dangerous enough already. Come on in Rise, and witness my mastery of my power!” You proclaim proudly, striking a VERY cool pose.
Kagyu shrugs. “Very well. LESS sloppy than last time, preferably.”

Upon entering, you find the lobby appears to have been cleared out to make space for a circular metal table. Some folded papers, books, and dice lie scattered across it with a number of chairs circling it.

“Now, tell me, foolish Morganette- have you ever played.. DND?!” He strikes a cool pose, flipping his trench coat around haphazardly and accidentally hitting Rise in the face, who winces.
“Uhh.. yeah. Dad plays it.” You think back to your dad. Sometimes he gets together with some friends to play, but it’s gotten rarer and rarer as he’s gotten older. “Why?”
“Well, that’s exactly the problem. One of my CLIENTS has brought in this cursed DND kit. I need YOU to play the game and exorcise the ghost within. I’d do it myself, but I’d rather not die.”
“Play? And what do you mean exorcise the ghost within? Isn’t it just, like, some paper..?” You frown. “You could probably just burn the paper..”
“It’s CURSED, Charlotte. It sucks players into that lame nerd fantasy world where the ghost can have its way with them.” He tuts, shaking his head. “ .. Your job is rather simple - progress through a dungeon in the game where the ghost lies in wait. Kill it. The game will end. And, uh-.. you know. Don’t die. I still need you for the third job.”

>What do you do?

>>3831948
>Yes!

>>3832065
>"Sure! No ghost has ever bested the great and powerful Victoria."
Man these ghosts are adapting very fast to the living world.

>>3832065
Would Katsu be willing to help?

Going on a fantasy romp could be a way to brighten him up a bit.

>>3832065
>"Very well, but do I have to get this done tonight, or can I work on this for a day or two? I wish to confer with my Dad regarding how to play it. Forewarned is forearmed, after all!"

>>3832065
>I might need my friends to help me.
This will be a good bonding experience for everyone involved.

>>3832065
Even more friends!>>3832084

>>3832065
>alright... as long as I don't have to DM
>roll a chuuni gremlin shaman or some other sort of shortstack spellcaster
>make our dad proud

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>>3832079
>>3832084
>>3832091
>>3832093
>>3832080

>"Very well, but do I have to get this done tonight, or can I work on this for a day or two? I wish to confer with my Dad regarding how to play it. Forewarned is forearmed, after all!"

"Very well, but do I have to get this done tonight, or can I work on this for a day or two? I wish to confer with my Dad regarding how to play it. Forewarned is forearmed, after all!” You ask, folding your arms.
“Look. You swing the sword or wave the wand. DND isn’t exactly difficult, Allie.” He shakes his head. “And why do it TOMORROW when I could get this job done TONIGHT? Come on.”

>Would Katsu be willing to help?
>I might need my friends to help me.

“I might need my friends to help me.” You waggle your eyebrows. “Fufufu- only one moment. I’ll call over my MANY MINI-”
Kagyu raises a brow. “Are you bringing ALL your friends..?”

Although Akira’s tied up with homework, Katsu slowly came over to your side when you illustrated what kind of adventure it’d be - he showed up about ten minutes later, looking thoroughly RUFFLED next to Rise. He shifts around awkwardly around her.

“U-uh-... i-is this really where we’re supposed to have future club meetings?” Katsu asks in a hushed tone, glancing around at the rather dingy, cramped walls. “.. A-and how did you get Rise to hang out with you..?”
“ALRIGHT! Now that I have plenty of kids’ lives to endanger-..” Kagyu swings the trench coat over the table, knocking several sheets of papers to the ground. “.. Let us begin.”

You sit at the table with Katsu next to you, Rise a little too close in her chair next to you. Kagyu unfolds the sheet in front of him. “Now- I’ll be DMing to channel the SPIRIT ENERGY into sending you into this fantastic little construction that the ghost has created. It’ll prevent me from slipping in with you. Uh..” He speedreads the folded paper in front of him. “Ohohoho-.. okay, uh.. something, some stupid fantasy world.. uh, kill the BBEG. That’s it. Okay, describe your character.”

>What kind of character are you playing? What do they look like?

>>3832191
>gremlin shaman

>>3832191
Victoria-tiefling warlock, tattered robes
Rise-human paladin
Katsu-kobold

>>3832191
>Giant albino evil warlock! All fear Lady Malefecorum!

>>3832191
A SORCERESS OF DARK AND MYSTERIOUS POWERS!

{spoiler]Half elf chaotic neutral sorceress, long black hair, dark purple form fitting robes with a leather belt and a big magic hat.[/spoiler]

>>3832191
That guy >>3832215

>>3832191
Hey, don't make Katsu into a kobold! His looks are just screaming that he should be a twink elf!

>>3832191
>Victoria > Tiefling Warlock or Sorcerer
>Rise > Human Bard
>Katsu > Something with proficiency in grappling or rope tying. Monk?

>>3832191
>Victoria: Tiefling Warlock
>Rise: Human Bard
>Katsu: Half-Elf Paladin (Because of Turn Undead and Smite)

>>3832191
I'll back these options for our mates >>3832253

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>>3832257
>>3832253
>>3832248
>>3832215
>>3832220

>Giant albino evil warlock! All fear Lady Malefecorum!
>Victoria: Tiefling Warlock
>Rise: Human Bard
>Katsu: Half-Elf Paladin (Because of Turn Undead and Smite)

After spending at least thirty minutes longer than Rise and only ten minutes longer than Katsu on your character, you present her to Kagyu. “BEHOLD! Lady Malefecorum. Born in-”
“You didn’t need to spend THIRTY MINUTES on your character, Elizabeth.” Kagyu clicks his tongue. “You’re in, you’re out. That’s it.”
“Mine is me, but she’s a bard!” Rise adds from the side in a small voice.
“Wonderful! Okay, ohohohoh-.. So.. looks like this manual is setting us, in, uh-.. something something..” Kagyu reads it aloud. You feel a pull on your soul - it’s small, but it’s gradually growing in intensity. You glance to Rise. If she can feel it too, she’s not expressing it.

“Anyways, there’s uh, this lich! Nyohoho-.. uh, and it’s the big villain I suppose.” The draw on your spirit grows stronger to the point that you begin to lose your sense of self. Taking a breath, you shut your eyes as you feel the world around you grow blurry. Kagyu’s voice grows distant and then silent.

You reopen your eyes. The first thing you notice is the sudden weight coming from your forehead. Poking at it gingerly, you feel-.. Horns..? Oh, SICK. You’re LADY VICTORIA ASMODEIA MALEFECORUM, a VERY big albino warlock that’s chaotic neutral because that’s the best alignment. You glance to your surroundings - you appear to be in a damp, warm area. Something’s dripping. It’s dark. The ground below feel hard on your feet. You also catch sight of a bucket-headed knight which must be Katsu and.. Rise, but she’s wearing a cone hat.

>What do you do?

>>3832381
>Find a nearby village they might know where the Lich is. "Greeting minions, it is time for adventure! "

>>3832381
>Finda village to ask about the Lich, BUT
>Let your personal troubadour Rise be the face of the party! Everyone can tell that you are the boss by your looks!

>>3832381
>demand Rise cast light or you'll steal her soul

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>>3832388
>>3832408

>Find a nearby village they might know where the Lich is. "Greeting minions, it is time for adventure! "
>Finda village to ask about the Lich, BUT
>Let your personal troubadour Rise be the face of the party! Everyone can tell that you are the boss by your looks!

Ordering your party forward, you march the group out of the damp, wet cave you happened to spawn in and into bright sunlight. You appear to be generally surrounded by plains. A small farmhouse and wheatfield lie in the distance, and beyond that, a mountain. Katsu seems seriously nervous about this whole situation - he’s clutching his sword close to his chest and seems to have the jitters. Rise seems overly nonplussed, walking forward with her eyes closed and a smile smattered across her features, enjoying the fantasy sun.

As you approach the farmhouse, you find an extremely poor rendering of what appears to be a farmer tending to his crops. You nudge Rise along.
“Hiya! We’re a party of adventurers looking to slay the lich. We’re new to this land, so you wouldn’t happen to know just where he is, would you..?” Rise seems to have adjusted to the fantasy perfectly. “I’m sure he must be causing a lot of trouble for you!”
“That he has.” The farmer responds stoically, crossing his stick arms. “Name’s Ned Perry Carlton. The farmer. And I MAY happen to know where the lich is-.. for a price, of course. I’m sure you know how it is. Trying to sell crops out here in an endless, empty field with no one else in it.”

He appears to be asking for something in return for the info.

>Have Rise seduce the farmer using the fact that she’s Rise. [Roll a 1d20.]
>Have Katsu seduce the farmer utilizing his half-elf paladin good-looks. [Roll a 1d20.]
>Seduce the farmer using your bigness. [Roll a 1d20.]
>Write-In.

>>3832530
>"FOOLISH MORTAL! Getting rid of the Lich is the payment of itself. Don't try my patience!"
>Flare your psychic powers

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>3832530
>Seduce the farmer using your bigness. [Roll a 1d20.]

and by seduce I mean threaten

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>3832530
>Seduce the farmer using your bigness. [Roll a 1d20.]

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>3832530
>Threaten the farmer using your bigness. [Roll a 1d20.]

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>3832530
>Have Rise seduce the farmer using the fact that she’s Rise. [Roll a 1d20.]

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>3832530
>>3832540

>>3832546
>>3832561
>this kills your self esteem

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>>3832550

>Threaten the farmer using your bigness. [Roll a 1d20.]
>Rolled 14 (1d20)

Rather than going down the slutty and Akira-esque path of seduction, you instead lift the farmer up by his shirt and lean in close. It feels AMAZING to have actual horns and sharp teeth and look like a real demon. God, you wish you could just look like this in real life.

“FOOLISH MORTAL! Getting rid of the Lich is the payment of itself. Don't try my patience!" You snarl into the farmer’s face, who noticeably shrinks at your threat. And you even have a cooler, deeper voice compared to your typical squeaking! You attempt to flare up your psychic powers, but-.. oh yeah. No psychic powers. You’re an actual demon now. You wrote down that your tiefling was a warlock, but mostly because warlock sounds cool. You don’t actually really know much about what they can do.

“F-fine! Alright. The lich is hidin’ out at that mountain over yonder! His dungeon lies at the base of it!” The farmer stutters.

>What do you do?

>>3832654
>Thank him for his cooperation
>Go out into the field to test our abilities

>>3832654
>"Thank you, menial serf-peasant. We will inform you when the lich is no more."

Head to the nearby town that's on the way to the mountain, there might be a sidequest or two to pick up.

>>3832654
>Check if we have money for potions, when we arrive to the next town.

>>3832654
>hustle on over to that mountain

>>3832654
>"Thank you, sir."
>Go test out our powers and maybe see about getting items.

>>3832654
Supporting >>3832672

>>3832654
>Try to remember if we took eldritch blast or not. This is important.

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>>3832672
>>3832674
>>3832688
>>3832703
>>3832708
>>3832717
>>3832818

>"Thank you, menial serf-peasant. We will inform you when the lich is no more."
>Thank him for his cooperation
>Go out into the field to test our abilities

"Thank you, menial serf-peasant. We will inform you when the lich is no more." You pat the farmer on the shoulder, who visibly winces under your AWESOME TIEFLING STRENGTH. God, you wish you were this fit in real life.

The walk out to the mountain looks to be an hour or two. Katsu and Rise trail along behind you as you wade through the tall grass of the plains, feeling like a real leader! Hmm.. you briefly consider just kind of staying here before Katsu pipes up.

“U-um-..” He begins. You glance behind you. He still looks nervous, rubbing at his shoulder and looking about shiftily. The helmet slides around on his head like its a loose fit. “D-do you really know what you’re doing, Victoria..? I-I-I mean, there’s- there’s a good chance we could just-.. die out here, right?.. A-at least with spirits, you know what you’re gonna get, but here..”
“Relax. Victoria’s got this.” Rise responds flippantly, shrugging as she continues to trot along behind you. She’s playing the flute as a backing track to your adventure and it sounds SICK. “She knows exactly what she’s doing.”

“Fufufu-.. How FOOLISH of you to doubt me, Katsu. Rise is correct!” You nod, placing your hands on your hips as your ego swells. “This world - especially now that I have a physical form closer to my DEMONIC IDENTITY - is no match for me.”
“But-.. do- do you even have psychic powers in that body..?” He stutters out, clutching his sword close.
“I mean-.. Well- I’m sure I have even BETTER powers..!” You shoot back sharply. “Look! I’ll show you.”

Finding a small clearing in the field track, you come across what looks like a small, green slime. It stares up at you dolly, y’know. Like a slime would. You begin to tap your mind for what you chose for your cantrips - uhhhhh.. You definitely got Eldritch Blast, you think. All you really remember is going for the ones with cool names and avoiding reading the description..

>Eldritch Blast ths slime into hell. [Roll a 1d20.]
>Write-In.

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>3832854
>Eldritch Blast this slime into hell. [Roll a 1d20.]

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>3832854
Eldrich Blast!
>we pummel the slime to death with a greatclub because we're actually a barbarian

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>3832854

Rolled 16 (1d20)

>>3832854
>Eldritch Smash!

Like a hulk smash except we shout Eldritch first

>>3832897
>"I Cast Fist"!

>>3832854
Cool warlock spell names huh. Well we definitely took the Infernal Patron for sure. That means we got Burning Hands and Command for sure. Chill Touch and Eldritch Blast for chosen spells sounds right. As for pact... Pact of the Chain for us to have a trusty Find Familiar on hand. We can even have an imp!

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>3832854
>Eldritch Blast this slime into hell. [Roll a 1d20.]

>>3832854
Hey QM calling it a night, see you tomorrow.

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>>3832874
>>3832875
>>3832876

>Rolled 8 (1d20)
>Eldritch Blast this slime into hell. [Roll a 1d20.]

You decide that casting magic probably isn't that difficult, right..? It's like psychic powers! You just gotta kinda feel it out.

You point at the slime and will ALL of your mental strength into doing a cool Eldritch Blast and impressing the Katsu and Rise. You keep pointing at the slime. About a minute passes.

Feeling your face flush red hot in embarrassment, you instead use your awesome TIEFLING STRENGTH and punch the slime in the head, squishing it down against the grass.

"S-see! No match for me..! .. Let's go." You turn away from your friends, keeping your head low. The mountain keep seems to be about an hour away - looking ahead, you don't see much in the way of villages, but do see a thin trail of smoke a little off course from the trail to the dungeon.

>What do you do?

>>3834624
>Learn to use your super cool warlock demon powers. This is literally your dream come true.

>>3834624
Pick up a tree trunk that we could use as a greatclub, just in case we need a weapon.

>>3834624
>Shout Eldritch Blast and see if that works.

>>3834693
This, if it doesn't work try
>"I cast eldritch blast"

>>3834671
Last resort this

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>>3834656
>>3834671
>>3834693
>>3834702

>Learn to use your super cool warlock demon powers. This is literally your dream come true.
>Shout Eldritch Blast and see if that works.

Shaking your head, you get a BRILLIANT new idea. You swing back around to the slime with a caved in head. Katsu glances back.

“U-uh-.. It’s okay if you can’t, Victoria.” He offers. “W-we sh-should probably exorcise this ghost quick, anyways..”
“N-no! Look, I can do it!” You proclaim defiantly, pointing a finger at the squished slime. “Watch..! ELDRITCH BLAST!”

Your shout is loud and clear. Despite striking the same pose from earlier, you feel something noticably change - this time, you feel an innate energy pretty close to your own psychic powers. An arcing beam of bright red energy surges and arcs from your hand, leaping into the slime. It explodes into a bunch of tiny ones. The act was a bit physically demanding, but you feel EXHILARATED upon seeing yourself do something so cool.

“Wow! Good job, Victoria!” Rise offers with a warm smile, clapping her hands.
“See?!” You flex proudly. “Fufufu-.. I KNEW I had demon powers!”
“U-uh.. g-great! C-cool.” Katsu mumbles, turning back around to continue his walk over to the mountain.

>What do you do?

>>3834752
>Make our way to the mountain

>>3834752
Check our equipment load.

>>3834752
>keep a slime as familiar

>>3834752
>Think about what other cool demon powers we have.

>>3834752
>Tell Katsu to test his swordsmanship skills on these slimes

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>>3834765
>>3834836
>>3834928

>Make our way to the mountain
>Check our equipment load.
>keep a slime as familiar

You pick up one of the split slimes and tuck him away into your robes. He’s cute, so he’s your familiar now.
On your way to the mountain, you check your equipment load - you yourself have.. nothing. You’re wearing a tattered robe with nothing underneath. That’s about it. You still feel pretty badass though. Katsu’s loaded up with intricately engraved and painted elven armor that seems a size too big as well a sword that seems close to his own height. Rise has some weird, gnome-ish looking outfit with overalls, a cone hat, and a flute. Not much in the way of potions. Your characters are all pretty superficial, but it’s not like this campaign was meant to last for long, right?

Doding the smoke off of the path, you decide to get to the mountain RIGHT away. Might as well put an end to the spirit before they start getting dangerous. The dungeon’s entrance looks to be a skull engraved into the side of the mountain, which is extremely cliche.

>What do you do?

>>3835687
>Try to burn down the mountain with the ghost still inside

>>3835687
>What do you do?
Enter the dungeon

>>3835687
>Make sure all of you know what they are able to do, tell Katsu to practice swinging his sword for a bit, do dome shadowboxing yourself.

>>3835687
>Critique the base. It is not evil enough.

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>>3835739
>>3835732
>>3835719
>>3835706

>Try to burn down the mountain with the ghost still inside

A brilliant idea, albeit you don’t think stone nor spirit is a particularly flammable substance.

>Make sure all of you know what they are able to do, tell Katsu to practice swinging his sword for a bit, do dome shadowboxing yourself.
>Critique the base. It is not evil enough.
>Try to burn down the mountain with the ghost still inside

Although you’re still not very well-versed in using many of your spells beside ELDRITCH BLAST, you’re still pretty big and strong now, so you practice shadowboxing as you begin to walk inside - Katsu swinging around his sword with the assuredness of a child and Rise trotting along happily beside you.
“Man, this place is LAME. It’s so CLICHE to use a skull as an entrance.” You loudly proclaim as you enter the darkness of the keep. “It’s not even evil now. It’s just goofy.”
Upon entering the room Rise begins to play a beautifully illuminating tune on her flute that lights up the craggy room before you. Four torch-sized glowing orbs hover in the air in front of her. The room is craggy and cold, mostly barren save for pests scuttling away from the light. A statue of a knight with a pair of keys around his neck facing a basilisk facing him lies in front of you. Across the room is a moldy wooden door with a poorly set iron lock barring it off.

“O-oh, uh-.. I th-think I know this puzzle!” Katsu exclaims, beginning to walk foward with a hint of excitement in his voice. “Y-yeah, I think we just need-..”

He continues muttering to himself. Up ahead, the moldy, rotting wooden door with a rusted lock looks like it’s about to fall apart.

>What do you do?

>>3835791
>What do you do?
Take keys, punch door

>>3835791
>Eldritch blast the basilisk.
Can't have that stone to flesh shit go down.

>>3835791
>A brilliant idea, albeit you don’t think stone nor spirit is a particularly flammable substance.

That's why you have the MAGIC flame!

also
>chuck basilisk at door

>>3835791
>Don't touch anything, trust Katsu to solve it. He needs that confidence boost

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>>3835798
>>3835806
>>3835818

>Take keys, punch door
>Eldritch blast the basilisk.
>chuck basilisk at door

You rip the keys from the knight’s neck. They come off with ease, considered they’re attached to string. You consider ELDRITCH BLASTING the basilisk statue too, but that’s probably a waste of energy. Instead, you use your AWESOME TIEFLING STRENGTH to pick the statue up and throw it right through the moldy door, absolutely decimating the splintering wood and sending up billows of dust and debris. God, you can’t wait until you work out and get this swole in real life.

“O-o-or yeah. W-we could do that too, I guess..” Katsu mutters under his breath quietly.
“Good job!” Rise claps. "Very clever."

Leading the charge forward, you enter the next chamber. It’s a quiet, understated, circular room and in the center - a skeleton! It stands pretty tall, almost close to your height, and is enshrouded in large, circular metal armor that seems WAY too big for it. It wields a sword that looks closer to a hunk of steel than a blade. Another moldy door sits behind it.

>What do you do?

>>3835849
>Is it moving? Yes, Eldritch blast it, if not chuck that skely into the door.

>>3835849
>Tell Katsu to cast Turn Undead! It's time for him to shine!
>If he can't, then cast Eldtitch Blast

>>3835849
>Pick up the basilisk again and throw it at the skeleton

>>3835862
I thought Katsu was a knight, not a cleric

>>3835871
I thought he's a Paladin
>>3832381

>>3835862
You are right he is a paladin with turn undead.

>>3835871
>>3835860
Dang, can you let our boy to enjoy his fantasy-self and regain his confidence?

>>3835849
I replace my vote to this instead >>3835862

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>>3835862
>>3835860

>Is it moving? Yes, Eldritch blast it, if not chuck that skely into the door.
>Tell Katsu to cast Turn Undead! It's time for him to shine!
>If he can't, then cast Eldtitch Blast

The skeleton lunges at you with its blade out, a look of DETERMINATION in his eyes. Katsu steps forward with his hand out and you watch as a burst of light seems to emanate from his hands - blasting the skeleton backwards. Somehow, despite its lack of facial features to emote, it appears stunned.

“ELDRITCH BLAST!” You shout loudly and boldly. The same arcing beam of energy that you used to destroy the slime twists forward straight through the skeleton. It explodes into a pile of dust, bones, and loose armor.
“Good job on that one, Katsu!” Rise happily proclaims, patting Katsu on the back. He shrinks from the girl’s touch.
“Hahahahaha- u-uh- .. y-yeah. Yep.” He stutters, rubbing the back of his bucket helmet. You feel a hint of JEALOUSY at seeing him so flustered from getting touched by Rise, but shrug it off.

“Right!” You march forward over to the next moldy, wooden door. You attempt to peer in through the cracks - the room in front of you is rather vast. You feel some DARK ENERGY emanating from the other side- could the VILE LICH be waiting here?!

>What do you do?

>>3835915
>regain

he never had confidence in the first place

>>3835932
>Barge in and proclaim the arrival of the great demon queen Victoria.

>>3835932
>Pick up a piece of armor and use it as a riot shield and enter the room. And have our monologue ready.

>>3835932
>Ask Katsu and Rise if they can buff our party
>Breach in, Special Forces style!

>>3835932
>move next to rise and stick close. Not because you're jealous or anything. Nope, that's just a better place from where you can protect your squishy minion! Yup, totally because of that.

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>>3835940
>>3835944
>>3835945
>>3835964

>Barge in and proclaim the arrival of the great demon queen Victoria.
>Pick up a piece of armor and use it as a riot shield and enter the room. And have our monologue ready.
>Ask Katsu and Rise if they can buff our party
>Breach in, Special Forces style!
>move next to rise and stick close. Not because you're jealous or anything. Nope, that's just a better place from where you can protect your squishy minion! Yup, totally because of that.

“Hey, Katsu. Rise. Can you buff me?” You glance back to the two. You make sure to stay a little closer to Rise. She’s probably the squishiest of the bunch, of course..
“Sorry, Victoria! I didn’t pick up much in the way of party buffs?” Rise offers a sheepish smile.
“U-uh-.. Yeah. Me neither.” Katsu nods, dry-mouthed. “I-I wasn’t s-sure if, like, you were, so I j-just didn’t really invest in too much..”
“Pssh. FINE! Very well.” You pick up the chestplate of the skeleton you’d just slain. “I don’t REQUIRE any pitiful buffs. I’m going to kill that ghost myself.”

You KICK the door open with the chest plate held forward acting like a riot shield - good thing, too, because an arrow volleyed from a nearby trap slips off the steel. You take stock of your surroundings. A vast, dark, circular room with a single throne sitting at the center of it. A figure cloaked in a ghostly red cloak slowly floats up from the center.

“The great DEMON QUEEN, VICTORIA ASMODEIA MALEFECORUM has ARRIVED!” You boldly shout, pointing at the ghost. “I’VE COME BECAUSE YOU DON’T BELONG IN THIS WORLD, MONSTER!”
“Nyohohoho- to think you could actually SURPASS my innumerable traps and monsters awaiting you-.. the confounding statue puzzle! The invincible skeleton! The slime!” The lich proclaims. “You must be adventurers of immense strength!”

>What do you do?

>>3835991
>"Fufufufu, of course we are the adventurers. We have travel far to best the great evil that plagues this land." Chuuni pose with the party.
Also I am really happy my armor idea actually worked.

>>3835991
>Katsu - Turn Undead
>Victoria - Eldritch Blast
>Rise - keep dooting

>>3835991
>"Indeed! Now feel the power of the ruler of demons!"

>Eldritch blast, followed by eldritch smash

>>3836016
>>3835991
Actually...
>Rise - look for Lich's Phylactery

>>3835991
>Katsu- Turn Undead
>Victoria- Eldritch Blast/Smash
>Rise- Look for the phylactery

>>3836036
>>3836033
>>3836016

>Roll a 1D20.

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>3836059

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>3836059

Rolled 9 (1d20)

>>3836059

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>3836059
watch this crit

lich one shot

gg 5ever

>>3835991
>"Rise! Play BOSS music!"

Rolled 14 (1d20)

>>3836059
Check out this natural 1!

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>>3836633
>>3836065

>Katsu- Turn Undead
>Victoria- Eldritch Blast/Smash
>Rise- Look for the phylactery
>"Rise! Play BOSS music!"

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLp_Hh6DKWc]

"RISE! Play BOSS music!" You command the girl. She shrugs before switching her peaceful doots to a more battle-driven symphony. You were kind of hoping for an anime song, but classics are good too you guess. “And find his phylactery!”

You and Katsu work in tandem. He unleashes a blast of blindingly pure light, causing the spirit to get knocked backwards violently and sending him into a stupor. You, raising your hand and shouting your move name like a total nerd, unleash a twisting arc of eldritch evil. The lich gets knocked back even further, slamming into the back wall of the circular stone room.

You glance to Rise. She’s just kind of looking around the room absentmindedly. Catching sight of you, she smiles sheepishly. “What’s a.. phylactery..?”


The “lich” spirit, meanwhile, is slowly beginning to rise, his cloak billowing menacingly. You have a feeling he could probably blow you apart pretty easily.

>Hunt down the phylactery yourself. Although the room seems pretty empty, you’re sure that it’s SOMEWHERE around here. [Roll a 1d20.]
>Encourage Rise with kind words.
>Punch the “lich.” It’s not even a real lich. It’s just a spirit wearing a cloak running a poorly made DND campaign.
>Write-In.

>>3837172
Against all better judgement and rules of squishy casters, if feel we must channel the fist wizard.
>Punch the “lich.” It’s not even a real lich. It’s just a spirit wearing a cloak running a poorly made DND campaign.

>>3837172
>Encourage Rise with kind words."It's a thing that lets them be immortal. Should look super important!"
>Punch the "lich"

>>3837172
>Punch the “lich.” It’s not even a real lich. It’s just a spirit wearing a cloak running a poorly made DND campaign.

>>3837172
>Encourage Rise with kind words.
“It varies between liches, but it’s either something he’s got on him or something he’s hidden in his sanctuary! Use your Bardic Lore ability for additional info!”

>>3837172
>"It's like one of Voldemorts horcruxes from Harry Potter!"

Hope that's normie enough for her

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>>3837206
>>3837207
>>3837208
>>3837221
>>3837229

>“It varies between liches, but it’s either something he’s got on him or something he’s hidden in his sanctuary! Use your Bardic Lore ability for additional info!”
>"It's like one of Voldemorts horcruxes from Harry Potter!"
>Encourage Rise with kind words."It's a thing that lets them be immortal. Should look super important!"
>Punch the "lich"

“It's a thing that lets them be immortal. Should look super important! It varies between liches, but it’s either something he’s got on him or something he’s hidden in his sanctuary! Use your Bardic Lore ability for more info!” You advise. “U-uh-.. Kind of like one of those Voldemort horcruxes from Harry Potter!”
Rise stares at you with a nervous smile. “E-eh-... Harry Potter..?”
Katsu, on the other hand, is furiously flipping over a number of stone tiles littered around the stone room. “I-I’m looking f-for it..! It- it’s prob- probably around here somewhere. J-just keep ‘em busy, Victoria..!”

The lich, meanwhile, looks EXTREMELY ANGRY. “Gyohoho-.. You think you can just WALTZ on in here and TAK-”
You interrupt the lich with a solid blow to the face using your awesome tiefling strength. The lich goes flying into the ground, the cloak billowing up around them. As they lie dazed on the ground, you catch sight of the lich’s apparent ghost legs cloaked in white knee socks. The lich noticeably blushes under the cloak.

“Y-you pervert!” The lich hisses, throwing the cloak over its legs.

>What do you do?

>>3837259
>rip cloak off the lich

>>3837259
>"I saw nothing! Rip off its cloak."

>>3837259
>Pull hood down to get a clear view of their face.

Ripping off a cloak is not how we'd wanna be treated, and although they're a BBEG we aren't heartless like Kagyu.

>>3837259
>"Why would a lich wear kneesocks?"

>>3837290
Kagyu is heartless?

>>3837283
seconded

>>3837292
He cares more about his business and barely gives a damn about anyone other than himself. Not being able to remember names, not showing empathy for spirits, not even bothering to see if they're good natured. Also showing no consideration regarding others who are in his hands, seeing as he is treating Victoria, Shiro/Sunderland, and others as tool to use rather than possible bonds.

Heartless might be too strong, given how far from being self-aware he is. Still rubs me that way though.

>>3837306
Pretty sure he's just autistic like every other character in this quest. Only in his case it's extra severe.

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>>3837283
>>3837271
>>3837296
>>3837292

“.. I saw nothing!” You shout nervously before immediately grabbing the spirit by the cloak and flinging the red garment off of it. Katsu covers his eyes.

Before you stands the spirit, which seems to retain its humanity rather well compared to certain others. It's also inexplicably wearing kneesocks - could those be its phylactery? The spirit grows redder and moves to cover itself up, but it lacks arms.

“Q-quickly, j-just- just exorcise it already..!” Katsu stutters out, his face very visibly beet red.

>What do you do?

>>3837342
>Wonder how Katsu can blush so hard, that we can see it despite the helmet.

>>3837342
>tackle the ghost and wrestle it to the ground!

>>3837342
>Strip off the kneesocks

Debate putting them on Katsu

>>3837342
>Blast the socks.

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>>3837375
>>3837359
>>3837354

>tackle the ghost and wrestle it to the ground!
>Strip off the kneesocks
>Blast the socks.

You tackle the spirit to the ground, using your GREAT TIEFLING STRENGTH to knock the spirit girl to the stone floor. You grab the polyester socks and rip them off - all the while, the spirit is screaming - with ease, before stamping on the socks repeatedly and then loading it up with a strong eldritch blast for good measure. The crinkled, burnt socks lie flat on the ground.

“Y-you-.. fo-foolish! You think you can just disrespect a lich in her great hall like that..?!” The spirit floats up, now noticeably more scared. “Fi-fine! Have it your way..!” Several weak, glowing firey orbs surround the ghostly lich.

>Take care of this yourself.
>Have Katsu slay her. Maybe he’ll feel heroic?
>Write-In.

>>3837444
>katsu is doing a good job finding the phylactery, of those socks weren't it, and he probably wouldn't hit a girl-ghost
>take care of this yourself
>what's rise doing?

>>3837444
>"WHAT KIND OF LICH WEARS KNEESOCKS? YOUR LEGS SHOULD BE BONE."

>>3837444
>Eldritch Smash!

>>3837444
>Have Katsu slay her. Maybe he’ll feel heroic?

>>3837444
>Eldritch Blast the orbs!
Buy time for your party members!

>>3837444
>Blast and keep her attention to give Katsu a chance at a sneak attack.

>>3837498
>>3837557
>>3837564
>>3837569
>>3837608

>take care of this yourself
>Eldritch Blast the orbs!
>Have Katsu slay her. Maybe he’ll feel heroic?
>Blast and keep her attention to give Katsu a chance at a sneak attack.

You decide to draw attention from the lich now that she's vulnerable to allow Katsu a chance to feel heroic.

>Roll a 1d20.

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>3837612

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>3837612
Time for the oops dice attack

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>3837612
"Fufufu, a contest of arcane prowess it is!"

>>3837612
"Tremble under the power and skill of the great demon lord Victoria!" Looks around a bit. "And adventurers."

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>>3837636
>>3837627
>>3837619

>Rolled 18 (1d20)
>"Tremble under the power and skill of the great demon lord Victoria!" Looks around a bit. "And adventurers."
>"Fufufu, a contest of arcane prowess it is!"

"Fufufu, a contest of arcane prowess it is!" You proclaim proudly, pointing your outstretched hand at the floating orbs. “ELDRITCH BLAST!”
A familiar arcing light dashes the flames, causing the lich to begin to splutter. “W-well- I- I never! You should know that as a VERY REAL lich, I-”
The lich is incapable of finishing her sentence. Katsu, having snuck up behind her, dealt a FATAL BLOW using the might of his holy blade that looks to be the size of a fridge. With a single slash, the lich seems to melt away just as a typical spirit would upon being exorcised, all the while complaining loudly about how you cheated.

“Good job, Katsu!” Rise calls out from the side lines, having spent most of the battle still looking for a phylactery.
“U-uh-.. Yeah. Y-yeah, thanks.” You can’t see his face, but you’d like to imagine he’s at least smiling.

Glancing around, you notice a familiar shade of red beginning to envelop the stone room around you and dissipating the white and grey. It seems the DND SIMULATION is beginning to come to an end. You’re REALLY gonna miss your tiefling self.

>What do you do?

>>3837670
>Pull everyone in a hug and lift them with your DEMONIC STRENGTH!
>"This was a BLAST!"

>>3837670
>What do you do?
Pose coolly with friends, prepare to absorb any spiritium from the DND ghost

>>3837670
>Look for Rise
>Check on slime companion
>Loot the room!

>>3837670
>absorb spiritium
>laugh victoriously
>FLEX!

>>3837670
>>3837681
Oh right
>Share spiritium with Rise. It's not nice to hog it all for yourself.

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>>3837681
>>3837682
>>3837697
>>3837691

>Pull everyone in a hug and lift them with your DEMONIC STRENGTH!
>"This was a BLAST!"
>laugh victoriously
>FLEX!
>Pose coolly with friends, prepare to absorb any spiritium from the DND ghost
>Share spiritium with Rise. It's not nice to hog it all for yourself

You pull everyone together with your DEMONIC STRENGTH, flexing to get ‘em close. You smile a wide, sharp-toothed grin while laughing victoriously. “This was a BLAST!” You shout loudly as the red begins to enclose around you. “Let’s do this again some time.”
“Ummm-.. Y-yeah. M-maybe, sure..!” Katsu agrees sheepishly, rubbing his chainmailed arm.
The ghost’s spiritium ebs out around the enclosing circular room, but rather than allowing it all into you, you offer step aside to allow Rise some of the floating red energy. She tilts her head at you with a warm smile as the room completely dissipates around you.

…

You awake suddenly in the same chair that you were sat in prior. Familiar hues of pink, red, grey, and black envelop the picture. Katsu and Rise sit next to you - Rise looks perfectly done up and fine, but Katsu seems to still be trying to shake himself off of the DND world. You poke your arm. It feels a little squishy. You’re definitely in the real world.

Looking across the table, Kagyu is asleep at the DM steering wheel, his head tucked into his elbows. Shiro at the counter waves at you. “He fell asleep a few hours ago.” She greets you in a hushed tone. “It’s 9 PM.”

You figure you should probably head home.

>What do you do?

>>3837782
>recall that the last time we went home alone late at night, a monster tried to eat us
>realize that we're a tiny, squishy human again
>ask your friends to walk you home

>>3837782
This >>3837824
but also consider that Katsu looks a bit out of it? Also ponder aloud if the group could gather up again for another game later.

>>3837782
>Do you or Rise feel any different? Any new powers?

>>3837782
>Check on Katsu
>Consider sleepover

>>3837782
>"I- uhh... umm. Would anyone like to escort me home?" Feel a bit of dread, at the possibility of being attacked again. Try not to show fear, fail really badly.

By the way, with all these new espers coming in our town, maybe there's a new shop that sells exorcising supplies for them? If that's so, then we could have our mask and cloak appraised there or buy our own personal bag of that special salt.

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>>3837824
>>3837835
>>3837840
>>3837849
>>3837854

>Do you or Rise feel any different? Any new powers?

“Do you feel any different, Katsu?” You glance to your friend. “Rise? Any new powers?”
“I’m g-g-good, just a little da-”
“New powers? What do you mean, new powers..?” Rise interrupts Katsu sharply.
“Y’know. When you exorcise a ghost, and CONSUME THEIR ESSENCE! You get new powers.” You shrug, beginning to sling your school bag over your shoulder.
Rise’s pupils dilate. “.. No. I don’t think many psychics can do that.” She responds in a low tone. “That’s.. interesting, though.”

>recall that the last time we went home alone late at night, a monster tried to eat us
>realize that we're a tiny, squishy human again
>ask your friends to walk you home
>"I- uhh... umm. Would anyone like to escort me home?" Feel a bit of dread, at the possibility of being attacked again. Try not to show fear, fail really badly.

“I- uhh- uhmm.. W-would anyone like to escort me home?” You ask in a small voice. “I-I mean.. y’know. Just in case. It’s nothing serious.”
“My h-house is a little out of the way, but I-I could do it.” Katsu offers. “I-is there a reason why, or..?”
“Ehhhhh.. I-I mean- uh..” You explain what happened last night. Katsu’s face grows noticeably more pale.
“I should probably go with her.” Rise pipes up in a louder tone than usual for her. “If it’s not a spirit, then there’s not much you can do, Katsu. Sorry.”
“U-uhm.. yeah. Y-you’re probably right.” Katsu nods hesitantly.

After departing from the store and bidding adieu to Katsu, you begin the walk home with Rise. She follows along close behind you and you make sure to glance behind you every now and then just to make sure she wasn’t snatched up on the walk. Rise remains uncharacteristically quiet - glancing about shiftily at her surroundings.

As your house begins to come into sight, you glance to the opposing sidewalk to notice the same figure from last night. You freeze up. It’s standing still under a street light and is not moving.

>What do you do?

>>3837904
>"R-Rise? RISE!"

Espers can't consume ghosts for power ups? Huh. I thought they could, why else would they come to a ghost infested town. The goodness of their hearts?

>>3837904
>Grab Rise and RUN!
>Try to find another way to get home

>>3837904
>Sneak away with Rise. While mumbling, "Another enemy."

>>3837904
>blast off with rise

>>3837904
>silently point the figure out to Rise
>try to sneak past it
>if it moves, RUN!

>>3837904
>"OH-ho? Trying to go another round with a DEMON QUEEN? Maybe I shouldn't have spared you!
>rise, HELP!

>>3837912
They can still get the spiritium for more omph or extra power to burn. Plus they get paid for the job typically. Or they can bring ghosts under their thrall like Akira/shiro.

It was implied with the skull ghost and with Rise's initial reaction to our claims of multiple powers that we are not a normal esper. (Of course we already knew we were destined for greatness.) It seems like most espers have some basic skills that all can use, like blasts and exorsism, or astral projection if they are strong enough. And every esper seems to have a "signiture power", like teleportation or compulsion. But gaining whole new signature power is rather unheard of.