Looks like you've had long enough to process things but if it wasn't clear you're dead. Whatever life it was you were living before this, it doesn't matter because it's over. I'm no Grim Reaper, and there isn't a pit of torment or a hall of infinite good feelings, just another spin of the wheel. Maybe you're familiar with something like this from the imaginations of people in your old life, but to be clear your next life is going to begin and honestly it could be like anything. Some worlds have magic, some might be just like the one you left and others might not even have multicellular organisms and normally I can't tell you which you'll end up in, but the last few went uh, badly for the reincarnated so I'm going to be more hands on this time. In any case, you won't remember me or your old life. That's not to say you're starting off as a blank slate, you'll retain this level of consciousness even if you turn out an amoeba. Why? Because it's boring otherwise.Anyway, I might as well let you choose.>Pre-industrial Fantasy>A Modern World(Thought I'd try my hand at running something again because I had that itch and I'll never learn to do well if I don't try)
>>6029949>Pre-industrial Fantasy
>>6029949>A Modern World
>>6029952>>6029967>>6029978>>6029979Entirely forgetting the encounter you find yourself in a mental fog, a sort of whiplash from having your spirit if you want to call it that transported instantly from one thing or place to another. As you recover, you begin to take in your surroundings and the new state of your existence.Pick one from each>Just a human>Some sort of humanoid with strange features>Wait, am I a monster?>Write in?>Born into fortunate circumstances>Born into average circumstances>Born into poor circumstances
>>6030010>Some sort of humanoid with strange features>Born into poor circumstances
>>6030010>Some sort of humanoid with strange features>Born into poor circumstancesEveryone loves a good come-up.
>>6030012>>6030026>>6030031>>6030039You definitely had a familiar structure though you couldn't say why, but even with your still adjusting and perhaps still developing senses you find some things you are very much not finding familiar. For one, your skin becomes some form of fine scales right where your shoulders become arms, and in examining yourself with your little fingers you find some structure already budding. There may still be more to come, but something else is much more concerning.The one holding you, cradled close, you suspect is not in good health. Further, there doesn't seem to be anyone else around to care for either of you.With time you became more aware of your circumstances and began to learn to speak and understand others. As a result you are keenly aware that you are without even what most have in the form of family, community and land to grow crops, as well as the likelihood that your mother who has managed to support you through this much has only been falling further in health and strength. Though you don't know why, you know your circumstances are the result of exile from whatever community your parents once belonged to. When your mother finally did leave your side, you were old enough to claw your own way to survival, with just a bag of gathered foodstuff and clothes made of rough fibers on your back to your name.How shall you survive?>Seek employment in the nearby village>Sneak inside and steal >Continue to live in the wildRoll 1d100 with your choice for level of success/failure.
Rolled 7 (1d100)>>6030054>Seek employment in the nearby villageWe're a friendly neighborhood lizardman!
>>6030071Oh wow, yeOWCH. If this option is selected, looks like it doesn't go so well.
Rolled 76 (1d100)>>6030054>Continue to live in the wildWe /innawoods/
Rolled 29 (1d100)>>6030054>Sneak inside and steal
>>6030071>>6030073>>6030075>>6030077(Lucky, the tie breaker favored the high result)They never helped or accepted you and your mother, you don't need their help now and you likely wouldn't get it anyway. Something about sour grapes crosses your mind but since you've decided your course you set about building up the flimsy shelter you had been sharing with your mother and then securing the rest of your livelihood from the bounty of nature. You learned well over the years and don't make many mistakes when it comes to identifying useful plants and other materials to promote your survival and ultimately end up growing strong and hearty despite being alone. This sort of life has given you a mental and emotional strength that you might never have achieved otherwise, and while you still don't have a penny to your name you may have a more varied skillset and better nutrition than the average subsistence farmer.All that said, it's not unusual for people to form negative opinions of those that live differently and away from them, and even among the more tolerant there is no staying isolated from society forever.The "civilized" folk have come knocking at your door and this time there is no turning them down.>Since you live on land that technically belongs to a Lord, you must answer when called to arms, or else..>Your unknown doings have earned mistrust and fear from the nearby villagers who demand you either live where you can be watched or leave this land>A stranger has come who seems to know you despite you being sure you've never seen them before. >Write in?
>>6030096>Since you live on land that technically belongs to a Lord, you must answer when called to arms, or else..Another poor scaly boy gets drafted
>>6030096>Since you live on land that technically belongs to a Lord, you must answer when called to arms, or else..
>>6030096>A stranger has come who seems to know you despite you being sure you've never seen them before.
>>6030098>>6030099>>6030104You answered because it would only make things worse if you hadn't, but you weren't clueless wars and what it likely meant to be forced to fight. If you resisted you would have to leave everything you had built by yourself behind to run and avoid being killed, and if you complied you still would have to leave your home and hope to survive long enough to return. >Comply>RunRoll 1d100 with your choice for either your luck in the war or your success in escaping.
Rolled 99 (1d100)>>6030113>Comply
>>6030113Off to get some rest, will be back in the morning
>>6030113>>6030131The decision will be made in two hours
>>6030113>ComplyNot going to roll since the 99 is insane
>>6030113>Comply
Rolled 67 (1d100)Flee
>>6030115>>6030441>>6030463>>6030490>>6030527It's better to have a fighting chance in the war than be hunted down like some kind of pest, so you give yourself up to their demand and are taken to an area they've organized a few hours travel away from the village you lived near. Everyone there is a stranger of course since you never lived among the villagers, but your best guess from the way they look at you is that they don't really mind you as much now that you're in the same boat.The training that follows is in truth quick and simple, with a focus on remaining calm and basic form for effective use of the simple polearms that were supplied, mostly spears and some hooked things, but there were a handful of axe headed ones too, but it was still expected not everyone would have something purpose made, so everyone had to get used to using simple clubs and farming implements as well. Maybe there was something out there looking out for you or maybe it was just chance, but you got in the lord's good graces by pointing out a very irritating and poisonous plant that would have stung his horse if you hadn't. Maybe that is why he pulled you off the front line to directly assist him and his relative, a nephew or something. You'd still have to fight if it came down to it, but at least you might be somewhere in the last hundred to die if you were at his side, and maybe you'd be able to learn something valuable while you were at it. As unbelievable as it sounds, the first opportunity came right away when you were ordered to make yourself familiar with the other more crucial elements of the future war camp.>Let's talk to the mages first>Let's talk to the supply train first>Let's talk to that old man who seems to be sitting in relative comfort with those books>Let's go meet the cooks>Someone else?
>>6030535>Let's talk to that old man who seems to be sitting in relative comfort with those booksLiterate lizard???
>>6030535>Let's talk to the supply train firstWe’re a woodsman maybe we can devise strategies against raiders and hit and run tactics
>>6030535>Let's talk to the supply train first
>>6030537>>6030552>>6030569>>6030593Matters of supply might be where you'd be most useful, even if it would be the least new thing for you to get involved in. That said, supplying an army might be quite different than just fending for yourself, you wouldn't really know. Your first impression is that there isn't really anything uniform about them, they might have been picked at random for the task. Some are bigger and look stronger than the others, there are both men and women and one looks to be of a more learned background than the rest. "Morning there. We've got about a week to get all our things in order for marching north and from the sound of it you're some wildman so maybe you'll save us some. Food is always a concern so the more we can stock up the better, but other than that I hope we can find something to help the poor souls that're not making it back."The learned looking man is the one that addresses you, with a casual air, but it seems he doesn't beat around the bush in telling you how you could make yourself useful.How should you respond?>Inquire about what he means by helping those that won't make it back>Think about what you know of edible plants in the region>Something else?
>>6030599>Think about what you know of edible plants in the region
>>6030602>>6030612>>6030617>>6030624You know quite a few having lived here and depended on them for years, but with few exceptions you don't know what others would call them. Most things that would provide decent nutrition require a long period of processing, some impractically long for the army to rely on but on the opposite side of the spectrum are the plants whose fruit go from firm and purple to almost mushy and brilliant red while ripening. They are much more appetizing once cooked but will spoil within the hour if such is done. Even uncooked they will rot in just a week after picking. That might make them the best choice for eating before the army gets on the move. You could probably describe them well enough for them to be identified and gathered, but there are similar plants that are extremely toxic so you should probably accompany one of the gathering groups until they can tell them apart.Regarding the other subject, there is a plant whose sap you used to prevent infections that you could help them find too if you wanted.>I should tell them everything>I should withhold some information>I'll pretend not to know anything.
>>6030639>I should tell them everythingWe might make ourself slightly less valuable by doing this, but this way we can save more lives.
>>6030639>I should tell them everything
>>6030644>>6030655>>6030661>>6030665You don't know these people, but you still don't want preventable deaths, so you tell them everything. Thankfully they have some experience with gathering since they bother to ask about mimicking or just similar looking plants, so they should be trusted not to do anything too reckless if you don't accompany them on the gathering. While telling about the antiseptic plant, the subject of merciful deaths for those that cannot be saved comes up as one of the other areas this man is concerned with. You don't know any single thing that would fit the role, but you might have an idea of where to start in mixing them if you were to dedicate yourself to the task.With that done, you've done much of what you can for now for the supply train and become acquainted to some degree now.>Talk more (You write in about what)>See the old man now>See the mages>See the cooks
>>6030672>Ask him what he knows about the war, who we're fighting and why. What nation we are etc... We're a wildman so we're wholly disconnected from the situation basically. >See the mages
>>6030672>See the mages
>>6030676+1
>>6030676>>6030680>>6030690"We're against the Julithans, from Julioth and I assume we are going for Fort Laudder since we are headed north. No idea why. Even being a wild fellow I'm surprised you don't know your country, this is Carthagos, more specifically the western part but that probably doesn't mean anything to you."That's all that comes to mind for now, so you go to the mages next. Even living as you have, you know that a war cannot be fought without mages and they're the reason why the chance of survival is so low. The mages here are easy to identify currently because they are practicing. You don't know much about magic but you suspect like anything else they would start to lose their skill if they didn't practice. When you approach, they don't ignore you, but they apparently are waiting for you to say something first. You also notice that they seem to be under close watch by knights or at least what you guess are knights due to being better armed than the farmers and other common folk that were gathered from the village. >Introduce yourself (Choose a name when you do)>Ask them if there is anything you can do to help them>Ask about the knights>Something else?
>>6030703Introduce yourself (Hamilcar)>Ask them if there is anything you can do to help them
>>6030719>>6030703Oops.>Introduce yourself (Choose a name when you do)Hamil.>Ask about the knights
>>6030703>Introduce yourself (Choose a name when you do)I will propose the name Zalos.
>>6030714>>6030723>>6030729"Greetings, I am Hamilcar. I was told to become acquainted with the camp, to better serve that lord" It didn't feel right to call him 'my lord' or 'our lord', he didn't mean anything to you, not yet at least."Ulsa""Bathos""Saury""Yddra"They answered in turn, looking like animals that had just found itself too close to something unknown. Was such an awkward air because of something to do with them, or was it yourself? It wasn't clear and they didn't seem eager to clear it up unprompted."Why do they watch you?"You gesture subtly to indicate the knights."You don't know? It's not a kind of power they want wandering free. Too valuable, too dangerous" Bathos states frankly. >Ask if there is anything you can do to help them>Ask for further clarification about the danger they present>Go see someone else (Who?)
>>6030755>Ask for further clarification about the danger they present
>>6030755>Ask if there is anything you can do to help them
>>6030755>Ask if there is anything you can do to help them>Ask for further clarification about the danger they present
>>6030761>>6030765>>6030766You ask them if there is any way you can be of use to them presently, but they shake their heads. "We're as ready as we will ever be, so just tell Lord Terras that if he asks."You follow up with asking just how they are dangerous."Magic is very powerful and difficult to learn how to manipulate in the first place. So anyone with a spark of potential is considered more a weapon than a person. You know why only the largest towns have walls?"You don't, but suspect that it tells you everything you need to understand the answer.>Go see someone else (Who?)>Further questions (write in)
>>6030783>Go see someone else (Who?)The old man with the books.
>>6030783>I see you as a person if that means anything. Come to me if ever just want to talk or need anything. I've been unfairly maligned my whole life as well for these scales.>Go see the old man.
>>6030788+1
>>6030787>>6030788>>6030794They smile at hearing that, but there is a sadness in their eyes as if they don't believe you, or maybe they just think you don't know better."We are all unusual sorts so we at least have that in common. Stay alive Hamilcar."As you make your way to the old man next, the mages get back to their practice. The old man doesn't seem to notice you at first but pops his head up from something he was reading to address you once you move closer. You get introductions out of the way and learn his name is Vikar, a historian and advisor for the army based on said scholarly knowledge. You're not sure what allowed him the luxury of study, but he may be a nobleman."I've known Lord Terras and many like him in my time. Can you read? I can start teaching you that much if you can't. Your life will be better for it, I assure you."Despite his age and profession, you can tell that Vikar is not a fragile man. If he is no stranger to hardship then maybe he is someone you could find common ground with."But unless you have questions I have my own studies to attend to."As he speaks again, you catch the scent of something cooking and notice the cooks have begun preparing something for the evening. Things will likely continue like they have for the rest of the week until the march and gathering with the other forces raised. Note all that apply and write specifics where appropriate.>Questions for the old man>Other business>Go through the motions until the future battle.
>>6030823>Questions for the old man>>The lord asked me to help familiarize myself with the more crucial elements of the future war camp. Any advice for that?>>I've never been in real combat before. Any advice for how to survive on the battlefield?>Go through the motions until the future battle.>>Learn to read in the meantime>>Hang out with the mage when we both have time
>>6030838+1
>>6030838>>6030857>>6030859"I think you're accomplishing that well enough already. If you think of an army as a beast, we are the organs. The mind that thinks, the storage for memories, the hands, mouth stomach and intestine which gather, process and distribute that which makes and sustains the everyday activity and finally there are the claws or teeth and the hide. You can find time for the cooking team at your leisure, but aside from the mages that will be doing the killing you ought to become at least a little familiar with the foot soldiers whose job is to hold against the enemy's attacks so that you can feel be confident they will do their job when plans fall apart. Some sort of bond is needed to hold every piece of an army together, even if it makes the losses that much harder."Vikar sighs heavily and there is a glistening in his eyes for a moment."Now regarding survival, that is unfortunately not something the individual has much choice in. But if you're being kept in the camp as an advisor or assistant as I suspect then you are as safe as you can be. The biggest dangers on the battlefield are being in the group that takes the brunt of the enemy mage's attacks and underestimating the enemy force. When the stage is set, I can give more specific advice..Though if there is one thing I would tell you to do if you were to end up in the position where it was between you and the enemy mages, it would be to avoid letting them get their focus on you, because if they do you will likely not survive."You make a mental note to not lose your head in the coming fight, figurative or literally.After your talk with Vikar, you are put to work as something of a servant to the lord, providing refreshment and fetching things while he speaks to others about matters of command. You find time between your duties to become acquainted with the cooks and still sleep in the same area as the rest of the peasants during the nights so you have some time to become acquainted with them too, but you might be able to squeeze in some more time for it down the line. During and as part of your duties you study reading and writing, starting with the alphabet and simple pronunciation rules. By the end of the week you've already surpassed the commoner's level of literacy, which is to say enough to get by in the simple subsistence life in a village or town. When you do have any other free time, you decide to spend it among the mages, getting to know them more on a personal basis and what their duties are which it turns out aren't much at this stage. For the most part, they only need to break away from a routine of practice and rest to help when it is urgent, because they have to be at full capacity during the battle. Simply put, mages try to avoid being located until they've eliminated the enemy's mages, then they smash the rest of the enemy.After a week, the peasants are still not excellent at fighting but they've received as much training as can be affordedPart 1
>>6030900and with the expected casualty rate even you have to admit that any more might be wasted. Plenty of food and medicine was gathered thanks to your knowledge and some hands on guidance also.The march isn't easy, but isn't as brutal as it could have been. The pace was steady and maintained strictly, and the weather conditions were favorable for the length of it. Everything could said to be going smoothly up to the point when the different groups joined up on the road and crossed into the enemy border. From there the army had to think about obscuring itself by traveling through forests and off of roads until the enemy fort came into sight. From there, the goal was to figure out the strategy before the enemy noticed the army.You were in attendance as before, but this time you could tell that some input was expected from you, even if it was as little as to agree with someone else's idea.Part 2>Encircle the fort as best able, hopefully stretching the enemy's attention past what their mages can handle, then the Siege Mages would either focus on one side or attack from two sides and keep the enemy strained.>A focused front from the start with maybe just the mages sneaking around to avoid retaliation and cover the advance from multiple angles.>Another idea?Siege Mages= Bathos and Yddra
>>6030902>A focused front from the start with maybe just the mages sneaking around to avoid retaliation and cover the advance from multiple angles.First option sounds like a good way to send peasants into a meat-grinder, and who says we’re not the first ones to break because of low morale when the mages attack.
>>6030902>A focused front from the start with maybe just the mages sneaking around to avoid retaliation and cover the advance from multiple angles.
>>6030902>>6030925>>6030960>>6030962You don't voice your reasoning, but add your agreement to focusing on one front from the start, which despite your small influence tips the discussion in favor of it. Ultimately it's decided between the commanders that it's best to keep it simple and attack from the side already in front of the army rather than try to creep around and attack any other side, which would risk the whole thing going up in flames if spotted for no real extra benefit. The remaining issue is how to approach. The Julithans aren't stupid, they've cleared the foilage for quite a distance around the fort to allow spotting and maintaining sight on any approaching attack while also forcing enemy mages to either attack from further where they can't see as well or come into the open. The more time spent crossing the distance, the more time they will have to spot the approach and respond, but if the army charges ahead at a full sprint from the start then they will surely be exhausted by the time they're actually in range to do anything. There aren't enough supplies to cover the the entire approach from the the enemy's view using smoke bombs so part of the army will be in open view assuming even the best conditions, but a magical obstruction would likely put our mages at greater risk of some sort of counter strike. Once again, you have the chance to put in your input.>Use the smoke to cover one side of the advance without risking the mages>Use the mages to create some kind of obstruction for the whole army at risk of being attacked immediately>A different plan?>Say nothing
>>6031002>Use the smoke bombs to cover the mages from a counter-strike while they create a magical obstruction.Still probably risker than just the smoke bombs to cover part of the army for the mages, but in theory if the enemy mages don’t have a good sight line of where the magic is coming from the counter-strike would be less accurate right.
>>6031023+1. Interesting idea.
>>6031023+1
>>6031023>>6031035>>6031038"It would be a large investment of resources but we can't afford to go into this half-hearted anyway..Very well, I support using the mages and the smoke together."Perhaps you'll grow to like Lord Terras if he is this reasonable. But while you think it's smart, you are aware that you've no experience in a battle before, let alone an assault like this. That uncertainty causes doubt and nervousness to well in a corner of your mind. It's too late to take back now though.Preparations are made over the next couple hours during which the army still seems not to have been spotted. The bombs, large spheres almost as big as a man, are carried out to various positions and then launched by unknown means, but you suspect the mages as they were sent out near the start to their positions. When they strike the ground, they send great clouds of black smoke up, along with a shower of dirt nearby. You can see the footmen marching forward, perhaps not yet fully obscured but soon will be. By the sound of things you suspect the smoke won't get any clearer for at least 4 hours, plenty of time to get close enough. Close enough for what exactly though?Some arrows are shot blindly towards the advancing line, roughly timed based on the brief time the line might have been seen by the enemy. None seem to hit but you're still far behind at the camp at this time.The mages have whipped up some kind of cloud where the smoke doesn't cover while themselves being hidden behind the smoke screen, but with both sides blinded they will have to get close to the fighting. All you can do now is watch, but maybe there is value in doing so.>Watch>Look away and try to alleviate your worries.
>>6031064>Watch
>>6031066>>6031080>>6031093>>6031094You watch the battle unfold, and try to at least learn something from this in case it goes foul. The footmen, the lucky ones anyway are able to hold out against the onslaught the greets them once they breach the smoke using the limited number of shields as cover from the arrows and stones. Those unfortunate enough not to have a shield but smart enough to seek one hang close to the ones who do. Those that neither have a shield nor the sense to seek one fall quickly. But while the mass of bodies holds their attention, the mages begin their job of causing destruction. Chunks burst off the walls from magical blows, and some of the defenders are flung to their presumed deaths as well. But soon after the enemy mages begin their retaliation, launching blasts at the mages they can locate and otherwise leaving craters where men once stood. From the look on the faces of the others observing from the camp, this is expected.Now is when the siege mages should be rushing to perform their role, but it must be difficult under these conditions as nothing new seems to be happening.Roll 1d100 to see how quickly the siege mages can perform their job.
Rolled 76 (1d100)>>6031117
Rolled 7 (1d100)>>6031117
Rolled 19 (1d100)>>6031117
>>6031120>>6031123>>6031146It's not long after you began to worry that you felt something change in the air and knew that whatever the siege mages were doing was coming, and the raw power in it gave you and overwhelming feeling, but whether it was a positive one or negative one you hadn't decided yet.The light that seemed to envelope the fort was blinding, even from here, but it was gone as quickly as it came and where there was once a wall there was now only collapsing structures. Whatever it was, it tore through the fort completely, from one side to the other. The battle raged on still for a couple hours until the surviving enemy mages were located and destroyed so thoroughly that they could not be told apart from the debris. For the first time, you wondered why wars even happened when something like a Siege Mages existed. (I shall return to continue things in the morning)
>>6030788Great move, anon. +1.
>>6031182Oh shidd, I didn't see all these new posts.>>6031162This is coming to be a very enjoyable quest. Thank you for hosting it for us, OP!
>>6031162The fort no longer posed a threat to the invasion, so the army left it behind after searching what remained for anything useful like food or extra weapons. Just under a third of the army was killed or wounded, and about 40% of those were killed immediately or could not be saved. From the way the commanders talk about it, this was considered a great success for succeeding with most of the force intact despite being one of the smaller armies raised for the war. While your insight is a great boon and you had a hand in this success, all the credit will go to those above you in station and only those in this army will know otherwise. After leaving the fort behind there were two small skirmishes you suspect were only meant to slow the army's advance. While they've succeeded in escaping without being annihilated they've only delayed the army slightly so far. The commanders debate whether they are worth going after and potentially becoming distracted from more important targets.In the meantime, you've continued improving your literacy and started picking up tidbits of history from being around Vikar. The mages you can tell are much more relaxed now that the fort is behind us, though the Siege Mages are as agitated as ever. They are an ace against a static defense but are almost useless against an enemy that won't sit still because of their specialty. Because of the existence of such magic and people that can wield it, dedicated fortresses are usually only built in small numbers and near the border to serve as an obstacle that requires them to be overcome. They will still be useful in attacking cities of which there are many ahead, but between feeling like a liability until then and being the more experienced with war of the mages, Bathos and Yddra are unlikely to cheer up anytime soon. There are less familiar plants now so your time living in the woods has become less helpful, but the things that remain always true about the wilderness still keep your knowledge relevant. Further, while supplies are in a good state still, the army will eventually have to stop for more to come from the home country and the further you travel the longer it will take to reach, as well as the easier it will be for the enemy to cut off that lifeline. If the army rushes ahead they may be able to force Julioth to concede and give Carthagos whatever it was that this war started over. You still don't know what your country is after and neither does anyone else here you've gathered.Part 1
>>6031614The debate about rushing ahead or moving conservatively now has been going for days now and the commanders have gotten nowhere in deciding, but they haven't turned to you to break the stalemate yet. Despite your talents, they think this is too critical for someone young and inexperienced like you to influence. You hadn't thought about it much, but you are still young. You're uncertain of the number of years but your body is still growing and changing. The scales on your arms have shed and changed shape many times in your life but finally seem to have settled down and become something like the scales on a snake. The budding structures on your head sprouted a long time ago but remained as small stalks of horn before, but recently have begun growing at a rapid pace and branching. You were always light on your feet and strong compared to others, but now it seems like every labor is twice as hard for the ordinary humans than it is for you. Overall your body feels strange and the mages note that there is a lot of magical energy around you. There is no denying you have a lot on your mind.>Insist before the commanders about your position on the strategy (Write your thoughts)>Seek to better understand your changes and what exactly you are>Find something else to do to occupy yourself until the next battle>>6031185I'm glad it's proving enjoyable
>>6031616>Seek to better understand your changes and what exactly you are
>>6031616>Find something else to do to occupy yourself until the next battle (find someone to teach you how to fight) Let's learn to leverage the lizard strength
>>6031623>>6031628>>6031660You've seen things change as they grow, sometimes to a great extent like caterpillars to butterflies. But this isn't like that you think, these changes seem more random. You think back to your mother and the features you shared with her. Her arms were also covered in scales but hers you could consider more fishlike in structure and arrangement and her horns were more like that of a ram. But you had only known her for a small part of her life, perhaps she also had a more similar experience in her youth. Since the mages seem to notice something, you go to ask them first. But they are less helpful than you'd hoped. Ulsa can at least say that she has seen others like you before and that it's probably a normal thing, but the most any of the others can tell you is that the magic around you is different from the sort they wield, which may mean it's from somewhere with a different sort of nature from this one. Vikar despite being unaware of this magical energy seems to recognize you as belonging to a subset of people he only refers to vaguely, saying that referring to them more specifically might call their attention which doesn't always end well. But it seems you're more closely related to the sort creatures superstitious people advise strange and on the surface nonsense methods to avoid than you are to humans. Nevertheless it seems you are trusted, or maybe it is because you've clearly been outcast that you are trusted. You consider expanding your search by asking the commanders but if you're so physically adept then maybe you ought to learn more about fighting as soon as possible to make the most of it.>Continue to seek more information on your kind>Seek more training on how to fight.
>>6031677>Seek more training on how to fight
>>6031677Oh shoot dude, are we some kind of dragon-kin? I'm sure we'll find out eventually as we continue to grow. In the meantime we should>Seek more training on how to fight.
>>6031677>Seek more training on how to fight.
>>6031685>>6031688>>6031700By asking around you managed to find someone who seemed like they knew more about fighting than someone who was drafted into the war from their simple subsistence life less than three months ago and who had the time and will to assist you, though you only got a short lesson before it was time to get your sleep. In the following days you continue the lessons when you can and talk with your new instructor during. He notes something that you had become quite aware of, that the more complex form your horns had taken, somewhat like antlers, would prevent wearing a helmet and thus make it that much harder for you to avoid getting killed in a fight. But you continued anyway, finding that it wouldn't be a problem if you focused on making yourself a difficult target. In any case, you were too valuable and unsuited to being part of the meat wall that protected the mages and likely more suited with your physical abilities to being more like a dualist, or at least that's what your instructor seemed to think.Thinking back on what you'd learn so far about wars, since mages were such a key element of the army's offensive ability and it was expected that they would be hiding themselves to avoid getting eliminated as quickly as possible, skirting around the battle and hunting them with small groups might prove very effective. But when you mentioned it, the issue seemed to be that training and equipping a mage hunting squad wasn't an investment many considered worth it though historically it had been done very effectively before.>See about pursuing and promoting the mage hunting squad idea anyway (Explain the points of your argument to determine difficulty)>Put it aside from now and focus on your duties as Lord Terras' advisor and line to the camp. >Something else?
>>6031741>>See about pursuing and promoting the mage hunting squad idea anyway (Explain the points of your argument to determine difficulty)Alright, so it seems we are growing in speed and strength, and have already began to outclass the other commoners. Aside from our work as an advisor, if we truly are needed on the battlefield we are better suited to special operations, like being on a mage hunting squad. We do exude some kind of strange magical energy, perhaps if we are tested for magical aptitude we could see if we could harness this power. However, establishing ourselves as any kind of mage might relegate us to endless practice like they are, which I don't think we want. But seeing as we've already proven our usefulness in other fields, we might not be treated that way.With all this in mind, I believe we should join the mage hunting squadron. We have these things going for us:- Exceptional speed and strength- Uncommon magical traits- Fighting aptitude as a duelistWe are more suited for fighting one target at a time. With our mage allies, they can distract and attack from a safe range while we rush in and finish the enemy magic-users. Those are my ideas, anyways.
>>6031752I like this. +1.
>>6031752+1 This sells us as a mage-killing squad lead pretty well, but I also think we need to sell how a mage-killing squad would be worth investment as well. -Magic-Users have enormous destructive capacity, killing them eliminates that. -Magic-Users are limited, killing them even if our army loses is still a great blow to the enemy just through the logistics of losing them.-In the past these squads have been effective-In the long run the investment is worth it. Mages mow through regular men at an insane rate, and speaking just economically the loss of workers and farmers and people of value will be more costly than equipping a mage hunting squad over time. -It protects our mages as well from counter-attack when they themselves are a limited asset
>>6031762>>6031752+1
>>6031752>>6031757>>6031762>>6031776You decide it is worth it to strongly promote the idea despite your low station and have some good points in mind so you request some time during the next meeting of the commanders to lay out your thoughts on the matter.After steeling yourself for speaking later that evening, you begin.Roll 1d100, DC 50
Rolled 15 (1d100)>>6031793Oh boy, here we go.
Rolled 61 (1d100)>>6031793LET'S GOOOO
>>6031799WHOOOO
>>6031795>>6031799>>6031793While they seemed ready to dismiss your idea on the basis that you're not aware of the logistics involved but your passion and the positives of doing it anyway win most of the commanders over. There is however a condition to their acceptance, that being that you will have to go back to Carthagos to find suitable candidates and form this mage hunter group. Since there is no backing out now, you make a note to work on your still somewhat stunted social skills and learn matters of etiquette since you will likely be working with at least low ranking nobles in undertaking this mission.>Any last things to do before you depart?I'll be taking a break for at least a few hours to think on how this should go.
>>6031808>Wish the mages and the old man and whatever others who helped good luck and thank you for helping us this far. >Ask for a small advance in money for the group for both travel and to entice promising candidates. As well as the lords seal/a letter with his stamp to confirm that we’re under his orders. >See if any men would like to help us in our task/join the mage hunting group within the camp and can get permission to leave. Travelling alone isn’t advisable in the best of times, especially not war time. If they aren’t talented enough for combat they can serve as an assistant or recruiter later.
>>6031846+1
>>6031808>>6031846Support
>>6031846Great idea, anon. +1
>>6031846>>6031872>>6031875>>6031932You say your well wishes and thanks to those who have helped you after securing the letter Lord Terras intended to give you already and a document detailing the funds and the intended use under his orders to be allocated to the task. You did manage to ask for a little bit extra in traveling funds too but it wasn't much.You also requested you be able to ask for any suitable volunteers from the army and were granted the the right to take a few. But when you presented the offer, only a handful were bold enough to take the offer, with the rest for the most part turning it down due to a lack of initiative. Most of those that did take the offer were about as young as you, but the one who was instructing you on fighting was also among them. His name was Tartan and as you found out later, he was teaching young nobles how to fight before getting drafted himself. The story was that he had rejected the life of working the field and ended up helping some noble develop a fighting style to earn his bread and when it was finished he started teaching others to make his livelihood until some school offered him the position. Such things were still uncommon, but until recently it was pretty much unheard of to do anything but work the land if you were born into it, or so the consensus seemed to be among the group as you were journeying back with them.The way was safe, with the only danger being wild animals since the enemy was still trying to catch the army you had left and the ones coming behind it rather than try to sneak around it. Once back across the border you traveled a long road east as you had been directed and delivered the letter to the guards at the gate of the town who in turn brought it to some noble friend of Terras'. At the end of it all this noble sent some letters of his own and invited you into his home while events unfolded. Some days later after you had arrived and about three weeks since you had left the army to travel back, a line of young and eager looking humans who ranged according to your best guess between knights and some low ranking nobles trying to make their start. You weren't very familiar with finances but the noble who took you in seemed to be and informed you that there should be just enough money to feed and house them for a couple months while leaving enough for suitable but not extravagant weapons and armor.But the actual training during that time would be up to you.>How shall you train them?
>>6031974>First divide the aspiring mage hunters into two groups according to skill; Hunters, and Fletchers. Those with no baseline skill in combat won't likely be ready in within a couple months time for the war, and will be relegated to more of a support role and basic training until they're ready to become Hunters later on. >Fletchers will mainly be doing endurance training such as running to build a up a base for combat. Before they can swing a sword they need to not get tired from swinging it first. After the endurance training they will run basic swordsmanship drills under Tartan, and Archery drills under us- we want them versatile. They'll have to learn how to distinguish plants and how to make medicines and poisons as well from us. Part of their duties will be to be poison the Hunters arrows and other weapons to ensure that all attacks on the mages are lethal and serve as impromptu medics and foragers. >Hunters will be assumed to have a certain baseline combat skills and primarily hone their skills through sparring under Tartan's watch for now. The bulk of their training will be to learn how to move stealthily and swiftly from us- who has experience with it from being a woodsman. As well as ambushing and getting used to forest terrain and tracking- woodsman skills. Mages are too deadly to take on head-on and so the main strategy of the hunters will be to overwhelm them with a quick ambush, and then run as soon as possible before a counterattack. The mages who aren't killed outright in the ambush will hopefully die from their wounds or poison after.
>>6032007You're not experience at this but you have what you'd think is basic sense. The candidates are questioned and evaluated to find how fit they are for combat duty already, and most seem to be in good physical condition at least, but apparently with only rioting peasants or wild animals to test themselves against up until now their forms are sloppy. The worst off in this regard you decide to stick in a support role until they become sharper warriors, while those above what you consider a workable baseline with advice from Tartan are to get more training for the particular skills for quickly, quietly and independently eliminating mages with a focus towards woodland environment since it is what you are used to and what a bulk of the world you've seen is composed of. The first group which are getting generalist training and being kept in a support role for the near future you've dubbed 'Fletchers' will be tasked with making and applying the poisons the second group, 'Hunters' will use to ensure the mages do not survive the encounter even if immediately fatal wounds are not caused during the attack..While you had originally thought of using them during a battle already in progress, the more you think about it the more the possibility of operating ahead independently of the army seems viable. But such decisions are for commanders to make and this work has only just begun.Over the first month you become much more familiar with your Hunters and Fletchers, and feel a strengthening relationship with Tartan who has effectively become your second in running this whole thing. By the second month, the focus has shifted onto refinement of sneaking and coordination in the ambush to be as overwhelming as possible. Your candidates are starting to show talent for different specialties now. >Let's start with choosing some names and notable characteristics for the squad.
>>6032058>Tamlin- 9th son of minor noble house. Creepy guy who tends to stare at others intensely without saying a word. Plays with knives in his spare time. Stealthiest member of the squad.
>>6032058>Albie, one of the few volunteers from the army. Really looks up to Tartan. He is a decent swordsman but better with the bow
>>6032095>>6032122With the remaining funds, there are only a couple weeks left before this training period will have to end and deployment back into the war will come. But things have gone reasonably well, in a straight fight without any mages to worry about everyone who is already a Hunter should be able to handle themselves even slightly outnumbered against opponents around the level of the peasants drafted into the army. A straight fight of course isn't intended but even if the ambush were to fail they won't fall over themselves. While you have high hopes for them all, there are some odd characters like Tamlin who has had to be reprimanded for making the others and some of the servants here uncomfortable. Others are without issue, like Albie whose loyalty you feel is certain and isn't lacking in ability either. With the time to redeploy fast approaching, you must decide what to bring. Returning may take too long without horses, but they will need to be cared for and could become a liability. One Just a few and a carriage might be better but the lack of off the road mobility might become a problem and entering the scene of a battle to begin the hunt could also be hindered if not everyone has a horse to get there on. There is also the question on whether to bring spare weapons incase some break or not to save room for other supplies. There are a lot of logistical matters to consider, and maybe you should distribute some of these tasks among the squad. But who would be suitable?>Any final tasks before returning to Julioth? >Any feedback for me?
>>6032135>Have a modest party with the group to raise morale and genuinely celebrate >Buy horses- mobility is important
>>6032498+1
>>6032498>>6032815There isn't really any money to spare on anything too nice, but the lord you were staying with is willing to offer some of his nice things to the mix and a celebration is more about feeling anyway, or at least it's convenient to think so under these circumstances. Despite how modest it all is still, it seems everyone is into the occasion and in good spirits when you later depart.Because you ultimately decided to buy enough horses for the whole squad, there was less left over for other supplies. But you have confidence that everything will work out.With the horses, the speed by which you cross back into enemy territory is more than double what it was coming, and it's not yet the winter so there are still places where grazing is possible along the way. The army has advanced cautiously in your absence these two months while the other armies that came behind have started to cover the flanking territories. providing a broad front that the Julithans must respond to. While Lord Terras' force has apparently been doing well, there have still losses that have begun to wear it down, and the other armies are having more trouble with their own supply especially now that the seasons are changing. With the slowed pace, you catch up to Lord Terras before long and are brought up to speed on the current status of the invasion which largely confirms the snippets of information you picked up on the way. Julioth won't allow the next battle to occur at one of their cities and none are close enough without rushing anyway, so your squad can prove their value in the next battle, which may be the decisive one for the war. You wonder if a good performance will embolden Carthagos towards another war after this one, but you should probably make more productive use of your time until the battle than musing over the future.>Let's focus on resting from the journey, you did have to keep up a moderately high pace to return so quickly after all.>Let's suggest using the squad to scout ahead, it could be a trial for proving the squad could work well in a more independent form from the bulk of the army.>A final gathering effort for food and medicine may prove crucial if the war doesn't end before winter really gets underway. >Other ideas?The pace may be slowed for the week but here is to hoping it remains fun.
>>6032837>A final gathering effort for food and medicine may prove crucial if the war doesn't end before winter really gets underway.
>>6032841>>6033203After expressing your concern, you were able to take a large part of the army to comb through the surrounding area for food and medicine over the next couple days.While in unfamiliar territory with new plants and animals around, you still had methods you had learned in your woodsman life to sort out what was edible and what was not, skills that you had passed down to some of the mage hunting squad who were also assisting in the effort. As a result, you were able to gather more useful materials without risk than you otherwise would have.The most notable find in all this was when the gathering party stumbled upon the tracks of a large creature, much larger than the deer where you came from and from the look of it a predator. It might be a worthwhile addition to the food stocks if it can be safely taken down, but it could injure or kill its hunters easily you estimate. There was one other thing which got some of the gatherers with you mumbling about some word you didn't understand. This large patch of mushrooms was quite orderly, and seemed to clearly form some kind of complex shape, but whatever it was you couldn't think of anything to do with it at this time.Because of the effort, the army would under ideal circumstances have enough food to keep operating in the enemy country for about half the winter before having to retreat to avoid starvation. But counting on ideal circumstances was foolish.>Hunt the large predator, the meat will give us some more leniency with the food situation.>Leave the predator alone and resume the march.>Other ideas?
>>6033612>Hunt the large predator, the meat will give us some more leniency with the food situation.I smell a plot hook
>>6033631>Hunt the large predator, the meat will give us some more leniency with the food situation.We could deploy our squad for a little practice run. Yes, human magic-users and wild creatures are different, but I'm sure valuable experience can be gained from this.
>>6033612>Hunt the large predator, the meat will give us some more leniency with the food situation.
>>6033631>>6034452>>6034464As long as everyone is alert it should end up fine. Once the plant gathering parties return, you call on your squad and a handful of others to head back out for the hunt. The Fletcher members will mostly be there to pull anyone injured out of the way of further danger since they may not be the best fighters and poison would spoil the meat. With your and your squad's tracking ability, getting back on the creature's trail and staying on it isn't difficult, but the more you follow the more you suspect it is a predator in a different league from most. Ahead is something of a shelter dug out of somewhat convenient surroundings with a large stone as a roof over the entrance to a deeper cave which seems to have been dug out further by a powerful creature. The tighter space might work more against the hunters than the beast within, so the first step is to draw it out. That proves to be quite easy, as it rushes out a short time later, having possibly smelled intruders in its territory, but the sight seems to have damaged the confidence of many in the group who back away and look uncertain in the face of what could certainly be called a bear but which is much larger than any you had seen back home.The beast, somewhere in the range of 3 meters tall and considerably bulky on top of that shows no hesitation after getting a look at the group. Usually predators especially will be cautious as an injury that hinders their ability to hunt would lead to starvation, but this thing seems to feel no threat from the group and may only be acting out of a raw territorial aggression. One of the mage hunters lands a quick blow on the creature which appears to land solidly, but left less severe a wound than desired and left little room for anyone else to capitalize during its retaliation. None of the party has been harmed yet, but there will be no retreating and it is looking like a much higher challenge than you anticipated.>Roll 1d100 for how well this goes.
Rolled 70 (1d100)>>6034717
Rolled 52 (1d100)>>6034717
Rolled 47 (1d100)>>6034717
>>6034723>>6034977>>6035031By all measures it went about as well as it could have. Despite still having been sent off to war with minimal training the peasants are able to coordinate under your directions well enough that they avoid taking any serious hits while poking enough openings to keep the bear contained. The Hunters from your squad are able to wound the creature more and more gradually and the Fletchers pull anyone pushed off balance by the beast's violent and powerful movements while their weapons are stuck into it. Aside from bruises and soreness, everyone makes it through unharmed.With no major injuries, the whole group can assist in carrying the beast to camp for processing and on top of the food and fur supplied by the hunt there is also a surge in morale from the success in taking down such a creature and giving many who had never achieved any notable feats before something to brag about. Even in the dangerous conditions of war dominated by mages, this newfound confidence may mean the difference between laying down and dying and clawing their way to see another day. Even your squad are feeling extra confidence from having a chance to actually test themselves in a real battle and coming out with a clean success. Mages may be a different matter, but none of them likely had the same brute strength in a melee that they had just came through.The next battle is just over the horizon though, and while mighty the bear was only an animal. It comes just a few days after the hunt in a fairly open plain, the enemy army sounds the alert and scurries out of sight to enter their formations where the mages won't be able to take shots at them, though it also prevents their mages from launching any attack towards your own side's scrambling forces. This terrain could not be called favorable for either side, as the openness will make the mages on either side deadlier while also being more exposed. A retreat to more favorable conditions may still be possible but it would also let the enemy become less vulnerable. In any case, it's time for your squad to really show it's worth.How shall the squad move?>Encourage falling back into the trees to allow your squad to operate best in their element>Spread out to prevent concentration of fire >Attempt a long circling flank to allow the squad to close the distance hopefully unseen at the cost of taking longer to join the fight>Another idea?
>>6035493>Send Tamlin to scout for the mages with orders to come back if he feels it's too dangerous
>>6035762>>6035763For now you hold the squad back, except for Tamlin who you send alone to locate the mages. Based on your apparent decision, the commanders of the rest of the army decide not to rush the rest of the army towards a bloodbath and focus on holding this position that should be in cover from the enemy's view. You warned Tamlin to return if he felt it was becoming too dangerous but you aren't sure until he eventually does if he has the sense to determine such a thing on his first real assignment. In the meantime between his depature and return, the enemy army has not remained idle and chose to stretch itself into a stealthily approaching pincer by taking long paths around that wouldn't put them in the open. The only reason you know is that Tamlin spotted them and returned before they arrived. Thankfully he also seems to believe he located one of the mages in the backline before he had to race back. Considering the enemy movements to be too important not to share, you pass the information on in time for the army's formation to be redirected and not be caught off guard. Still, they are too close to avoid now and a close range brawl won't suit mages on either side either for risk of friendly fire. But if they're approaching in this manner then they may be holding the mages back from action entirely. Not wanting to have your options closed off, you send the squad back further into the forest so they won't be caught up in the chaotic brawl and can be used more tactically.>Send them rushing around into the backline to hunt the mages>Have them attack the enemy's footmen from behind and keep them from being able to focus on pushing our own. >Another idea?Sorry, been busy today but I might be able to be more active tomorrow.
>>6036694>Send them rushing around into the backline to hunt the magesLet's hit them with a pincher attack of our own
>>6036843You believe it will bring the best outcome, so you order them to make for the enemy mages while all their protection is here trying to wear down the army and cause some attrition. But you won't know if they are successful until it is done and you will have to survive in the meantime yourself.Fighting personally without the danger of mages is something you feel confident enough in, and for the first time in the war you spill blood directly with your own hands. They are amateurs who barely know how to use their weapons because they weren't expected to survive their first battle, much the same as those on your side who they are fighting were at the start, but the ones here did survive not only their first battle but some after as well. The edge may not be so great that they can make short and easy work of their foe, but they are holding admirably and are far from breaking under the strain. The lords and knights while not having the destructive power of the mages are above the common man in ability and carve paths of carnage. Perhaps the hope is that they will run out of stamina before they run out of bodies opposing them, or will just be cleaned up by the mages afterwards.Neither of course are going to happen. The enemy underestimated the army and was ignorant of the mage hunting squad being formed. The result could not have been more disasterous for Julioth's military history would find. None of the mage hunters were killed, though some were injured by grazing blasts from their quarry and the losses in the brawl were insubstantial on the greater stage of the war, though not so much on your conscious.In the following weeks after the battle and before news of the surrender had made it through to the entire military, the army raided through the land with minimal resistance. With the end of the war, you were unsure if you would be forced to continue in some capacity in service to Lord Terras and leading the mage hunting squad but at least for now you were dismissed with the rest of the common folk back to your home and personal business. Just what it had all been for, and what was actually gained wasn't something anyone seemed to know or want to say. You had earned the trust and respect of those from the village nearby so the tensions that existed before being forced into the war had disappeared but...What will you do with yourself now?>Travel in search of some kind of answers to a multitude of questions>Become more involved with the village>Return to your isolation and try to avoid getting pulled back into any of this mess from the last year or so.>Something else? Apologies to anyone eagerly waiting, I was needed elsewhere for much of today but I should be floating around for the rest of tonight.
>>6037586>Become more involved with the villageWe should travel soon but that'd mean not using any of the goodwill we built up. Let's just chill in the village for a bit and see if we like it.
>>6037586>Become more involved with the village
>>6037609The village is not a place rife with much else than farmers and practical trades like the smithing of tools and cookware, but all the same they are willing to trade goods with you now and express deference to your wisdom on the wilds, that which neighbors them on all sides and which they have barely cleared away a part of for them to live safely. The farms grew slowly to their currently great size, and livestock were less common until they had secured the perimeter with simple wooden fences to at least slow any wild predators that would intrude. During your time with the military you became more familiar with how even if forts are not always a worthwhile investment, some form of wall to keep out the wildlife always were. Some ability to build with common materials like wood thus extended beyond the area of specialized trades and those that did specialize in it were valuable. The thought of moving into the confines of the village or at least closer crosses your mind, but it would mean living further away from the resources you had come to rely on and any traps you've built. Not to mention the loss of privacy and having to build another home. If you were to choose to do so eventually, it was best not to jump into it right now. One other thing of note is the abundance of children of a great range of ages within. Some are as old now as those that were drafted and others are still so small that they don't come all the way up to your hip. This may be normal for all similar villages in the country.But just what you should do now still remains a question in your head. >Let's see what we may be able to offer of value that could get us some of that metal cookware that seems nice, and maybe some other things>Let's look around the perimeter and get more familiar with how the animals of the forest are reacting to the village and its barriers>Look into something else?
>>6037758>Let's look around the perimeter and get more familiar with how the animals of the forest are reacting to the village and its barriers
>>6037758>>Let's see what we may be able to offer of value that could get us some of that metal cookware that seems nice, and maybe some other things
>>6037761>>6037823I shall continue in the morning and will break the tie if needed.
>>6037761>>6037823For the most part the villagers wanted things to bring more flavor to their food but being caught up in caring for their own agricultural work they didn't have the time or knowledge to collect even things relatively close. Some of the plants they didn't know where edible also managed to become a hit in the village after you offered some as a host to guests. You kept to what could be considered balanced trades but due to your relationships with the villagers getting closer, you developed some form of credit. Really it was more that they cared about your wellbeing the same way they care about each others now. If not before, then you could certainly be called a member of the community now.As for your own gains, you acquired cookware and some tools that made your own planting and harvesting easier. Though you were capable of patching your own clothes, some offers to take care of it for you did buy you time for other things.On the other matter of how the wildlife was taking to the villagers and their obstacles to intrusion, you quickly noticed a pattern in that most already knew to avoid the village leaving only new migrants, the bold, and the desperate to try making it past the barriers to snatch some kind of meal. The animals that were caught intruding were attacked and more often than not killed. The bodies never went to waste though, being wasteful with food was unthinkable. Though there were those things which consumed what nothing else could or found worth it, those which were so small that the barriers to others were no obstacle and which the people often didn't pay any mind as long as they didn't become too abundant. They were the prey of the animals allowed to take up residence for pest control. After about two months, some fidgety person who introduced themselves as 'Imperial Messenger Mikiv' arrived at your door to tell you that you had been called to the Emperor's court and must leave to answer by tomorrow.>Pack some things and have a final sleep in your home before the trip>Leave now.Apologies for not making it this morning
>>6038367>Pack some things and have a final sleep in your home before the trip
>>6038393You gather food and water for the trip and some other things but don't really know what to expect. Why would the Emperor want you and so suddenly? Were you that useful, or was it something else? You won't get answers thinking about what little you know so you calm your mind and focus on getting enough sleep for the journey.Mikiv accompanies you on the trip, which is a good thing since you don't actually know where you're supposed to be heading. You're still not sure if Mikiv is a male or female, and it might be rude to ask. But they certainly are restless, they remind you of a deer or maybe some kind of bird the way they look like they could spook and bolt away the moment they catch a sign they don't like. But Mikiv remains by your side anyway and the trip itself isn't very eventful despite being long.The emperor, someone whose family has been ruling for more than 20 generations, is draped in several layers of cloth and furs which give him an appearance of being immense though you suspect at some discomfort. His name goes unspoken as you learn it is improper for anyone not close to him in status to speak it. As such, he is only called emperor, his imperial majesty or grand head of Carthagos. But then there is how he addresses you."Kin of the Others and child at the breast of Carthagos both, that you have gone unnoticed for this long is a grave loss. You do not have your kind's powers but for mine and the good of this nation you will claim them and bring us favor with them. Is any of my directive unclear?"From the look of those around you, a plain refusal will be punished, likely with death. But it is desired you know what is actually being asked of you so that you can do it well. >Seek clarification about X>Ask about resources to achieve the emperor's will
>>6038458>Ask about resources to achieve the emperor's will
>>6038458>>Ask about resources to achieve the emperor's will
>>6039200>>6039328If he has any sense he can't expect you will be able to do what he wants all on your own so you ask about what will be made available to you to accomplish this task. To your relief he answers that all that is written on these Others in the empire is yours to study as well as ritual materials, living expenses and travel expenses. As a potentially powerful servant to the Emperor, you will now be borrowing some of his authority and status while acting on his behalf, but it also means you will be closely monitored and in a sense kept on a leash if you show any sign of disobedience. It still isn't clear where the lines are drawn and may prove difficult to navigate until you get the hang of it, but you suspect your situation is not much different from the mages now.But you are welcome to live in accommodations that are slightly more luxurious than the lower level house staff for as long as you are not sitting on your hands. More specifically, you will have claim to one of the guest rooms to have to yourself, can request assistance to some degree by the staff and may dine after those of higher status have begun to eat. You will be taught matters of etiquette to avoid offending others or causing embarrassment but it's nothing unreasonable. But where to begin?>Seek sources that can tell you what the Others are>Seek sources that can tell you more about their particular sort of magic>Seek sources that can teach you more about the type of magic that is considered more normal >Write to people (who?) to learn what has happened with them since the war ended before you look any deeper into this matter of Others>Something else?
>>6039381>Seek sources that can tell you what the Others are
>>6039610You decide to focus on finding out what the Others are, and although the books within the Emperor's estate and the capital are many, you are ultimately forced to leave for other cities. Ultimately you spend months traversing Carthagos and learn from both written and oral sources to acquire as complete picture as possible. The answer you find may have given you more questions than it answered.The Others are the inhabitants of another, parallel world to this one who are known to be tricksters and terrorize largely helpless folks in their plots and games. They come in many sorts that are distinct from each other and range from helpful if properly respected to extremely hostile but most love to make deals and most you should never make a deal with. Some can be repelled or slain by substances from this world and others can be restricted by rituals but without specific knowledge one can only hope they aren't targeted. Their deals are supernaturally binding and in cases where one is able to violate the agreement the backlash from the violation can be catastrophic. Perhaps more personally interesting is that they are kin, a fact that has caused much distrust and fear as you traveled away from where you were more known. The reason for your mother's exile as you now feel certain it was are still unclear to you, but the power of their deal making magics could be reclaimed by you if you could figure out enough about them. While different matters, all things to do with the Others are related so you have gotten enough of an idea to feel certain that obtaining these magics is what the Emperor is after, but are you doing it just to survive, out of a growing loyalty to this country, or because you could avenge the slight against you and your family by turning these powers against the Others?>Seek out sites connected to the Others and try feeling out your way to understanding them and their magics>Dig deeper into sources on their deals and magics >Look into the magic of this world in hopes it will help you understand the magic of that world>Something else?Apologies for my absence, I'll probably just have to be here when I can.
>>6042193>Seek out sites connected to the Others and try feeling out your way to understanding them and their magics
