The old keep upon the hill stands out like a broken bone. It serves as the seat of the Von Rabenfels household. Deep within it's bowls lies the family crypt. Here is the eternal resting place of you and your sons and daughters. Here, where your power is at it's strongest, you have lain dormant for many years. Hundreds of years ago you were given this fiefdom for your service. Your time as the iron patriarch has long passed, but your strong grip and guiding voice still linger to lead your blood to glory. It is once more time to guide your descendants from the afterlife. Choose one strength and two weaknesses of the Von Rabenfels Dynasty:>(Prosperity) How many Reichsgulden you still have in your coffers, as well as other assets you might own. Determines your wealth and stewardship.>(Blood) How numerous and strong your progeny is. Determines how many members of your family are left and of what stock they are.>(Connections) How well connected you are. Determines your prestige and influence among the nobility. Also choose one of the following traits:>(House of warriors) You came to your title through the battleaxe and your children have followed in your footsteps. Your house has a long military tradition. Old swords and armour fill your halls. Every male member has a war story to tell and even the daughters are often taught in fencing or strategy.>(Family of occultists) Many of your descendants have dabbled in the mysterious arts of magick. Though not outright banned in many places of the empire it is frowned upon everywhere, and certainty dangerous.>(Old traditions) Though ancestor worship has become old fashioned your family seems to be a conservative sort. Every night candles are lit and prayers are spoken in your name. Your influence is greater as a result.
>>6468902>(Blood) How numerous and strong your progeny is. Determines how many members of your family are left and of what stock they are.>(Family of occultists) Many of your descendants have dabbled in the mysterious arts of magick. Though not outright banned in many places of the empire it is frowned upon everywhere, and certainty dangerous.
>>6468902>(Prosperity) How many Reichsgulden you still have in your coffers, as well as other assets you might own. Determines your wealth and stewardship.>(Family of occultists) Many of your descendants have dabbled in the mysterious arts of magick. Though not outright banned in many places of the empire it is frowned upon everywhere, and certainty dangerous.
>>6468902>(Connections) How well connected you are. Determines your prestige and influence among the nobility.>(Old traditions) Though ancestor worship has become old fashioned your family seems to be a conservative sort. Every night candles are lit and prayers are spoken in your name. Your influence is greater as a result.
>>6468902Looks like we will probably go with either Blood or connections as a strength and Family of occultists as a trait if we don't get another vote for old traditions. If we don't get a tie breaker or changed votes in the next two hours i will throw a coin.
>>6469132Blood, and Family of occultists it is. I forgot to do it this time but next time i'll try to roll a dice for transperancy. >>6468902Much has happened since last you spoke to your descendants. Our pockets are empty, the old Coppermine at the foot of the Rabenfels has dried up and the taxes from the village have remained stagnant. Our liege lord prefers not to talk to us and the other families shun us.Perhaps our studies have taken a toll on our reputation. You recollect that it was your grandson who first started this tradition. Whether it's the elusive art of alchemy, the dubiously clerical knowledge of secret names of God that is used in charms and curses or the general folklore about the beings that are said to roam the woods and dreams of men. Your family is well versed in this knowledge, for better or for worse. The von rabenfels household faces challenging times, but not all is lost. The blood still flows freely. The children are healthy and the adults grow old in dignity. Even now you feel the beating hearts of your kin in this keep. There are of course the lord of the manor and his Wife. Lord Wilhelm and Lady Frida von Rabenfels. Last you saw Wilhelm he was a young man full of ambition. His father, your great-great grandson, often called upon your help. Now the young gentleman is old and grey, desperate to keep the family together. There is yet another presence you can recognize. Friedrich von Rabenfels, the son of Wilhelms older brother, though why he is here on Rabenfels and not with his father you cannot tell. He was still an infant when he was presented before you, but now his presence is that of a vital man. There are also two new souls here, though you may not know their names you recognize your blood. There is a young man and a still younger woman. You can feel a faint memory of cousin’s nephews and other distant kin, but they are far from the keep.What would you like to do?>Check up on Wilhelm>Check up on Friedrich>Check up on the young man>Check up on the girl>Inspect the keep and other members of the household>Return to your slumber (Regenerates some of your strength and skips time)>Other...(write in)
>>6469182>Check up on Wilhelm
>>6469182>Inspect the keep and other members of the household
>>6469182>>6469275>>6469183Your presence ascends through the walls of the keep into the study room of Wilhelm. There the old man sits labouring over a pile of documents, with him in the room is his wife, sitting on a stool and embroidering a hankerchief with the Von Rabenfels coat of arm.Feel free to choose what our coat of arms looks like:>A Raven spreading it’s wings>A Raven perched on a skull>Two Ravens Crossing Beaks>A Black cat with red claws and fangs>Other… (Write in)The old man sets his feather aside and turns around to face his wife. With a heavy sigh he says: “Frida I must admit that we are in a dire situation. The Taxes from Rabendorf are stagnating. I had to lay off a few of our servants and we still can’t afford appropriate weddings for Jakob and Martha. And not to speak of Friedrich’s wife, when she comes here we will have yet another mouth to feed. At this rate we will have to cook our own food, mend our own clothes and sell our family heirlooms!”The old lady stands up, walks over to Wilhelm and gently touches his shoulder. “Please don’t worry yourself my dear. We still need to find an appropriate spouse for Jakob anyway. And with Martha” she pauses “I still have some convincing to do. In any case, it was a bad harvest last season, I am sure next year will be better. Maybe you can also convince Jakob to sell some of his books?”Wilhelm shakes his head “That boy is more interested in his books then in the prospect of marriage. That’s the only thing he has in common with his sister. He is always in that laboratory he set up in his chambers. Making his blasted concoctions and doing god knows what.”What would you like to do? (Please note that your influence on the world of the living is fairly weak. You can only do minor things like snuff out candles, warm up or cool down a room, strengthen or weaken emotions and so on. Speaking with the living is very difficult if they are not in the crypt or directly calling upon you in prayer or veneration. Your influence is stronger on those of your blood and especially those you have interacted with before like Wilhelm or Friedrich.)>Do something in the study (Write in)>Try to talk to Wilhelm>Check up on Friedrich>Check up on the young man (Jakob)>Check up on the girl (Martha)>Inspect the keep and other members of the household>Return to your slumber (Regenerates some of your Potency and skips time)>Other...(write in)Current Potency: Strong
>>6469324>A Raven perched on a skull>Try to talk to Wilhelm
>>6469324>A Raven perched on a skull>Check up on the young man (Jakob)
>>6469324>Two Ravens Crossing Beaks>Check up on the young man (Jakob)
>>6469324Replying late, not because i am dead or abandoned the quest but because I have an ongoing blood feud with the custodians, possibly just because I accidentally used a VPN. I had to verify my e-mail now. If it happens again and I stop posting know that I have been struck down by lord Tranitor Janitor.>>6469326>>6469373>>6469433You leave the old couple alone in their consolation and instead check up on the young man you assume to be Jakob, your youngest male descendant. You spirit enters the chambers of a young aristocrat possibly in his late teenage years or early twenties. He’s crouched over a book filled with strange symbols. Behind him the banner of your household, depicting a raven perched atop a skull is gathering dust. It hasn’t been touched in a long time. A fuzzy imitation of a mustache marks the young man’s upper lip and he seems deeply concentrated in his work. You never much cared for the hidden arts in your own life. But as an ancestral spirit you have also subsumed much of the knowledge held by your deceased magick-interested descendants. The young man seems to be interested in alchemy and particularly the transformation of metals. You have heard that many alchemists strive to turn metal into gold. So far none have yet managed to do so. You do know though that the alchemical art also has easier and more immediately practical purposes like the creation of dyes, medicine or alcohol. Perhaps you could steer him into this direction, or if you believe in the intelligence of your youngest offspring, spur him on in his mad quest.>Try to turn the pages on the manuscript towards something more practical.>Try to focus on him to deepen his concentration>Check up on Friedrich>Check up on the girl (Martha)>Inspect the keep and other members of the household>Return to your slumber (Regenerates some of your Potency and skips time)>Other...(write in)
>>6470201>Try to turn the pages on the manuscript towards something more practical.Revive our family fortunes, while slowly pursuing your ultimate goal. The transformation of metals into gold is the work of generations, worked on incrementally through the ages. He ought create a manuscript that we and his descendants can follow, gradually iterating until something great comes about. We can guide future generations with whatever he discovers. If only he will listen. But first we need money.
>>6470201>Try to turn the pages on the manuscript towards something more practical.
>>6470201>>6470207Excellent suggestion! Creating a magnum opus would certaintly bring the Family some benefit. Perhaps you could discuss it with them when you find a reliable way to communicate.>>6470385The youth narrows his eyes in suprise as the pages of his tome flip by themselves. They land on a rather simple recipe for a pigment dye. The young man rubs his eyes and stands up. He paces back and forth in his chamber. After a while he loudly exclaims: "Eurka! Why not? Did not Eusklepios the elder say 'Redire est discere'? 'To return is to learn' i must go back to the foundations if i want to improve. Transformation is the essence of alchemy and the process of Assation is simplest visualization of transformation."He seems to talk to himself in an odd manner. You are short of frustration until he begins his work. Heating up diffrent mixtures, adding ingredients and all the while muttering to himself. Occasionally he will, before pouring a powder or liquid of some sort into a glass bottle exclaim loudly some sentence in a foreign language. You assume it to be spells. After a you see him put aside a small cup. Filled to the brim with a deep maroon powder. He gives a satisfied nod and then returns to his books.The sun begins to set and you feel that he won't sleep much tonight.>Check up on Friedrich >Check up on the girl (Martha)>Inspect the keep and other members of the household>Return to your slumber (Regenerates some of your strength and skips time)>Other...(write in)Current Potence: Middeling
>>6470576>Check up on Friedrich
>>6470576>>6470642>>6470765You leave the young man alone in his study as he further improves upon his recipe. It seems like he will dedicate most of his night to the creation of different kinds of dye. Your spirit disappears through the walls of the keep, and you find yourself in the chamber of Friedrich. So much has changed since last you saw him. He could barely walk back then. Emmerich, his father held him up in the family crypt, speaking the old words."Behold noble ancestor! The river of our blood is coursing! I present before you my son Friedrich."He was a good man that Emmerich, strong and confident. Full of life and filial piety. He would frequently give offerings and seek your council. The last time he did this was when he left the keep to join his liege in battle against the Evermen in the east."I beseech you noble ancestor! Many pray to God to save their souls, or they ask his servant in war for his blessing. But I only come to you, spirit of our family. I beg you, protect our house in my absence."You wonder where he is now. If he died, then how come you can't feel his presence? Why was he not buried in the crypt and alongside his forefathers?In any case, Friedrich, the man you see before you now, is the spitting image of his father. Apart from the clean-shaven face, he looks just like Emmerich, with an intense gaze and broad shoulders. However, as Friedrich puts on a nightshirt you suddenly notice that his left arm is missing. His arm simply ends in a stump where his elbow is supposed to be. He struggles through dressing with one arm with quiet determination. As he lays down on the bed you also notice that the toes on his feet are black as ash.>Attempt to speak to Friedrich>Inspect the keep and other members of the household>Return to your slumber (Regenerates some of your Potency and skips time)>Other...(write in)Current Potence: Middeling
>>6470830>Attempt to speak to FriedrichWe should at least know what happened and is happening, to prevent his loss to depression, and to know if our advise is needed to prevent an oncoming problem. Invaders suck.
>>6470830>>6470845You do remember the Evermen, or at least tales told about them. They are a quarrelsome people. A heathen and inhuman folk, they shift with the everchanging seasons, in both body and temper. In the summers they raid the lands of the civilized but in winter they become meek and avoid confrontation. In the spring and autumn, they usually trade and appear friendly. The empire has been in contact with them ever since it expanded eastwards. After years of failed attempts to vassalize or pacify them, the emperors have started to wage war on them. Trade with them is forbidden now. Campaigns are started in the autumn to destroy them, so that the frontier in the east may become safe. You attempt to speak with Friedrich.“Friedrich, my scion! Listen to me. Where is your Father? Where is Emmerich? What has happened to you that you are so grievously inquired?”The man’s eyes widen in Horror. He tries to press a pillow to his head to make the voice stop.“Who goes there? Who are you?”He yells into the emptiness of his room.“Father?”He shakes his head in frustration and springs up from his bed. He walks over to the desk at the window and pulls the cloth from a strange object standing on it. It’s a large bronze bowl, decorated with intricate carvings and strange symbols. It’s outside a gleaming bronze, but it’s inside dark as a the night. Friedrich eyes the object with contempt, before looking in the mirror. He looks at the stump on his left arm. With grinding teeth, he stares at his own reflection.>Keep attempting to speak with Friedrich>Check up on the girl (Martha)>Inspect the keep and other members of the household>Return to your slumber (Regenerates some of your Potency and skips time)>Other...(write in)Current Potence: Waning
>>6470878>Keep attempting to speak with Friedrich
>>6470878>Keep attempting to speak with FriedrichOne last attempt, then I think we should sleep. Next time we'll have to catch up with the other members of the family.
>>6470878>>6470882>>6470892There has to be some way to get through to him. You spoke to his father so why shouldn’t it be possible to speak with him?“Friedrich. I am your ancestor, the founder of this house, I am the first to carry the name Von Rabenfels. Listen to me, tell me what has happened to you. Where is your father? Did he fall in battle? Then how come he wasn’t buried with me? Have our noble traditions fallen so low since last I saw you?”Current Potence: DepletedThe man just keeps staring at his own image in the mirror. You are unsure if he can hear you through the shroud of the afterlife. You feel your own strength waning. So much time spent in the world of the living, it’s tearing at your spirit. You feel yourself getting heavier, getting pulled down. Down into the crypt, back into the silence of death. The sight of Friedrich covered in the shadows of his room is fading. Return to the eternal resting place of all Von Rabenfels’s where you sleep a dreamless slumber.You are suddenly jolted awake when you feel the presence of a living human in the crypt. Intruders? Enemies?The heavy stone of the grand tomb shifts. In walks a man with a candleholder in hand. The light illuminating his worrysome face, his bloodshot eyes, a heavy stubble adorning his scowl. It’s Friedrich and he looks like he hasn’t slept in days. He walks past the rows of stone sarcophagi, all adorned with the image of a raven perched on a skull. He reaches the very end of the crypt where he stands before a much larger sarcophagus. This special place of honour in the crypt is reserved for you, the founder of the house. This Coffin of Stone is decorated with the finest of carvings, an echo of the old Von Rabenfels splendor. The young man holds his one arm high and shouts.“Ancestors! Noble Ancestors! Do you hear me?”It seems as if this is your cue.
>>6470943Here in the crypt is your place of power. If they come here to call on you, you can directly speak to them and appear in any manner you might like. So how do you wish to usually present yourself before your progeny?>As you were in life. A strong bearded young man holding your Francisca, your trusty axe in hand. This is what you looked like when you were rewarded your fiefdom for your prowess on the battlefield.>As you were in death. An old but venerable man. Stern and unflinching, the many years written into your face. You clutch your cane. This is what you looked like on your deathbed. The iron patriarch of a noble house.>As we all are in the grave. A ghostly floating skull. In this way you don’t just represent yourself, but all dead Von Rabenfels’s. Your appearance carries the weight of generations. This is what we will all look like eventually.>You don’t wish to appear at all.>Other...(write in) How would you like to address Friedrich?>Sternly, reprimand him for not speaking to you sooner.>Angrily, curse him for his impudence.>Calmly, comfort and reassure him.>You don’t want to speak to him at all.>Other… (write in)Current Potence: Middling
>>6470945>As we all are in the grave. A ghostly floating skull. In this way you don’t just represent yourself, but all dead Von Rabenfels’s. Your appearance carries the weight of generations. This is what we will all look like eventually.>Calmly, comfort and reassure him.
>>6470945>>6471099>>6471168A skull rises from the foot of the sarcophagus. It’s empty eye sockets now shimmering with the light of dying stars. You speak with the voices of a dozen men and women. Friedrich takes a step back at this macabre display, but you reassure him.“Fear not my child. I am speaking to you from beyond the grave, for death is not the end of all things. You seek my council and here I am, to support you and to guide you in your times of need, now and always. Tell me, good scion of our house, what has happened to you? How may I help my kin?”The man sets his candleholder down on a nearby grave and rubs his tired eyes. “So you are real, the old man spoke the truth. Thank God and the four, I haven’t gone insane. Was it you who called my name three days ago?”“Yes, I saw you suffering in your chambers and wanted to help you. What happened to you? What happened to your Father?”The man’s face contorts in a pained expression as he looks in the distance.“He’s dead. When I was still young, he went east to fight against the Evermen in the new baronies. I was only told of his passing when I arrived there myself to join him. They said he fell in the battle of Blaubach, a great victory for the empire they called it!”Friedrich laughs bitterly“We are certainly winning over there, if you want to call it that. In the winter we set the torch to their villages and drive them out. Then settlers arrive to cultivate the lands, only to get raided and massacred in the next summer. We are slowly wearing the heathens down, but at what cost?”He adjusts the fur coat he is wearing over his left shoulder.(1/2)
>>6471219Your voices speak to him, the whisper of long-gone grandmothers and grandfathers.“Don’t give into despair young scion. You have served our house to the best of your abilities. But now listen to me well.”>Reassure him and him back to his chambers to rest for now. Then go back to sleep yourself and recover your strength.>Tell him to send down Wilhelm, you want to talk to the oldest member of your family and the lord of the castle.>Tell him to gather Wilhelm and Jakob in the crypt. You want to speak to all of your Male descendants now.>Other… (write in)Current Potence: Waning(2/2)
Whoops i fucked up, sorry.This is the full second post:>>6471219“I tried to find the body of my father of course, but to no avail. They probably sacrificed him in one of their barbaric rituals. Throwing his body in the bog to appease their demonic gods. I filled in his place in the ranks of Duke Schwarzfisch. I inherited this coat from my father. It is made from the fur of an Eastland Wolf. They have giant wolves there, you must know. Some are as big as a horse, and the petty kings of the Evermen ride them into battle. I wanted to avenge him, make those Treefuckers pay! But when I fought at Eiswald one of them smashed my arm with his club. The Medicus said that the entire bone was shattered to pieces. They wanted to fix it but the damage was to great. The wound got infected and eventually they had to cut of my arm at the elbow. My toes too, got taken by frostbite. They said I fought honourably and the duke sent me back. Now I am here on Rabenfels again, and I know not what to do with myself. All I got for my service was this coat, a few Reichskronen and this blasted bowl I have in my chambers. I knew an expert in manners of Magick and he told me that it was a bowl of scrying. If you sacrifice a human and pour the blood in the bowl it can show you any place, anywhere, be it in the present or past.”Friedrich gets down to one knee before you. His head hangs low and he seems as if holding back tears.“But please forgive my whining, noble ancestor. I have failed you, I have failed my family.”Your voices speak to him, the whisper of long-gone grandmothers and grandfathers.“Don’t give into despair young scion. You have served our house to the best of your abilities. But now listen to me well.”>Reassure him and him back to his chambers to rest for now. Then go back to sleep yourself and recover your strength.>Tell him to send down Wilhelm, you want to talk to the oldest member of your family and the lord of the castle.>Tell him to gather Wilhelm and Jakob in the crypt. You want to speak to all of your Male descendants now.>Other… (write in)Current Potence: Waning(2/2)
>>6471222>Tell him to gather all of the family, except the babes, from within the keep in our crypt in a month, a week if one of them urgently has to leave to attend to something. Manifesting like this, particularly outside our crypt is taxing, our potence wanes. We need to recover before we address everyone and hear their issues.
>>6471222>>6471251 +1
>>6471222>>6471251>>6471450“In one month, all male members of our house shall gather here in our crypt. I want all of you to voice your concerns and offer your suggestions. We have much to discuss and I need everyone to attend. Go now, relay my message to our kin, and rest as well, I need you at your full strength.”You don’t tell him that you need to rest yourself, you can’t appear weak when house Von Rabenfels needs you. Friedrich nods along as you speak. He stands up, bows to you and takes his leave. As soon as he’s gone you feel yourself fall back down again. To rest among the bones of your family.
>>6471550Time has no meaning in the world of the dead. You cannot tell how long it is until you become conscious again. But you do feel a presence in the crypt once more.Three men enter the chambers of the dead. Wilhelm, the head of the house leads the way. He walks with a cane decorated with the head of a raven, though he still looks vital enough to not need it yet. Behind him trail Friedrich and Jakob. Friedrich looks much better now, his face is once again cleanly shaven, and he wears the Wolf pelt mantle of his father and a sword at his hip. Behind him walks Jakob. In his hands he holds a big book and a small wooden box atop it. They come to a standstill before the grave of the founder. Wilhelm takes the wooden box from Jakob and opens it. Inside is something you immediately recognize. A knife you once held before in your hands, when you still had flesh, when you still had breath. It’s long, thin blade is of the finest steel, and the handle is carved from the antler of a stag you hunted yourself. Though it’s not as opulent as the keepsakes of other households, it has been passed down from father to son for more then two hundred years. Wilhelm takes the blade in his hands and cuts his ring finger with it. He lays his bleeding hand on your stone sarcophagus, where a furrow has been carved in the stone for the blood to flow down.“I pledge myself, my duty, my honour and my blood to my family. I will work tirelessly to uphold the magnificence of the name ‘Von Rabenfels’. The blood courses in me.”Friedrich takes the blade next. He struggles with it and Jakob tries to help, tries to take the blade from him. But Friedrich snaps at his cousin.“Don’t touch it, I can do it on my own!”He holds the blade in his one hand and flicks his thumb roughly over the edge. The wound it cuts is deep and bleeds well. He gives the blade back to Jakob and puts his hand on Wilhelms. He repeats the words of the old man loudly.Jakob takes the Knife and gingerly cuts the back of his hand, just enough to draw blood. He puts his hand on that of his cousin and his father as he recites the words.You have seen this happen before. It is an old ritual, that the family only uses in dire times. The last time it happened, about a hundred years ago, your family was in a feud with another noble household. They had insulted the Von Rabenfels name, calling them witches and warlocks who sacrifice children to heathen gods. The honour of the family could only be restored through a troublesome feud war.
>>6471551After this ritual, Wilhelm, Friedrich and Jakob begin to speak in unison.“We beseech you, noble ancestor! Hear our calls and show yourselves to us.” A nearby skull begins to rise in the air. Wilhelm’s breath stops for a moment, and Jakob hides his shivering hands behind his back. The old man is the first to step fourth.“Noble ancestor, please forgive our insolence. I haven’t seen you since I was a young man. This here is my son Jakob. And you have already met with Friedrich, my nephew. He told me that he had a strange nightmare. That he heard his name being spoken by a distant voice. He could barely make it out and thought it was just his imagination at first. We… we are sorry for not speaking to you sooner, the old ways are fading, but that’s no excuse for our insolence.”You answer with the voices of generations past.“Worry not, scion of house Rabenfels. I have called upon you all to hold council. I want to know everything that has happened, and everything that worries you.”Wilhelm nods and the meeting commences.Current Potence: StrongThe old blood stirs and a fraction of your power returns. Choose one of the following traits:>(Strengthened Potence) Your Maximum Potence increases. >(Voice of the Keep) You are now able to effortlessly talk to any member of your bloodline as long as they are in the keep.>(Ancestral Poltergeist) You are now better at manipulating the physical world.>(Remains of our forefathers) Normally your influence is restricted to the keep. But if member of your bloodline takes a bone from the crypt with them, you are able to follow them on their travels. >(Place of power) Whatever you do, nothing in the crypt depletes your potence. Additionally, you can read the minds of every human who enters your halls. Thank you all for reading and participating in my quest so far. It’s my first time as a QM so I hope you enjoy it. Please tell me any critique you might have. Writing the meeting will take a long time so I will probably continue tomorrow.
>>6471552>(Place of power) Whatever you do, nothing in the crypt depletes your potence. Additionally, you can read the minds of every human who enters your halls.Makes the most senseWe need to tell our alchemist boy to get to work, these old bones yearn for some money
>>6471552>(Place of power) Whatever you do, nothing in the crypt depletes your potence. Additionally, you can read the minds of every human who enters your halls. This shall do, this way we can wield our full capabilities within this sacred space. Not as expansive as the whole keep, but for important things it is no issue. Being able to provide council throughout the whole keep or with our family as they are on the move would be nice, but we have reinvigorated faith amongst our descendants in the old ways by our presence, and our bloodline runs strong, so we have no need to fear ourselves being forgotten anytime soon.>critiqueNothing so far. Slow start, but it makes sense in context given the premise.
>>6471552>(Place of power) Whatever you do, nothing in the crypt depletes your potence. Additionally, you can read the minds of every human who enters your halls.
>>6471552>>6471594>>6471801>>6471861In the first part of the meeting all kin of Rabenfels come forth to give their recollections. Wilhelm, as the senior member of the house, is first.“Venerable Ancestor! You have seen me before, my name is Wilhelm and I am the oldest living member of our household. When I was a young man, I was married to a woman from the house Nornenring. She was stricken with sickness and never bore me any children. After many years of Marriage, she sadly died of her illness. I married again, my faithful and good wife Frida, who bore me a son and a daughter. Jakob whom you see before you and Martha, whom you haven’t met. In the last few decades, I have administrated our Castle and our Village at the foot of the hill. I expanded our copper mine, which brought us great wealth. But about 5 years ago we stopped finding copper and had to close it. I have brought with me some ledgers so I can tell you more about our circumstances. I can atleast say that the villagers of Rabendorf are contend with our rule. I have managed to stay on good footing with them, and I am good friends with their current representative. Sadly, I must also report that we are unpopular with our fellow nobles. I have tried to invite them to hunts or dances, but they often decline and usually ignore our letters. It seems as if the prestige of our noble house has fallen. I also wanted to invite Kertzig, a relative of ours to this gathering. He is a monk in the Monastery of Graubach, he declined my invitation because he believes the veneration of ancestors to be an outdated superstition. In any case, I wanted to explain to you how dire our situation is, which is why I decided to celebrate the bloodbonding ritual. We hope we can all prove our dedication to our great house.”
>>6471960Friedrich steps up next.“Venerable Ancestor! As you know, my name is Friedrich and I have studied in the ways of warfare. I was taught swordsmanship and riding at a young age. I used to be a great shot with the longbow too.”He pauses for a moment but quickly pulls himself together again. “I learned the science of tactics and strategy; I know logistics and the art of poetry. I tried to win our house glory in the east, and a fiefdom of my own. But I could only bring back… well I already told you about that. I am also happy to report that last week my wife arrived on our keep. She is a Von Kattenburg, and an excellent woman. I am committed to working to the betterment of our house, and I am sure she is just the same.”Jakob is the last to step fourth. The boy seems very unsure of himself and his lips quiver.“W-well, ahm… hail to you o ancestor! My name is Jakob, as you already know, as I have been introduced by my father. Well, my mother knows the scriptures well, my sister knows every song sung in the Reich and claims to speak with the Feenvolk. My father is our bookkeeper and me? Well I consider myself an alchemist by trade. I have studied both the ancient texts of the west as well as the texts of the Shahranians of the south. I have often observed the processes of Transmutation myself.”
>>6471961Wilhelm looks on at his son and shakes his head.“Though I do all of these things I know that my father doesn’t approve. I know and I am sorry, I must.. well perhaps I could-““No, I want you to keep up with your studies in this field. I have already tried to support you in your endeavours. For now, focus on your dye-making, this will be a good way to help fill our family coffers, and afterwards I want you to continue with your alchemical work. I see potential in you and support what you do. You may one day do good for this family.”The youth is stunned at your interruption and takes a half step back. The old man furrows his brow in surprise as well.“Well, uhm. Thank you venerable ancestor.”Jakob gives you a slight but courteous bow and begins to speak again. “Then perhaps you will be satisfied when you hear about my correspondence with what I believe to be a veritable master in the Alchemical arts. Theodosius is his name. He’s written many a Treatise on Cohobation and Vitriolification, as well as on the Philosphy of Transmutation. He was impressed by my innovations in dyecraft and we have since been writing letters back and forth. He lives not that far from here. Apparently, his Father is a successful Draper in Auerstadt, the free Reichsstadt in our Dukedom. Because of this I wanted to invite him to our keep. We could help each other immensely with our studies. And it would be good to hear about what is happening in the big city, we could-“Wilhelm chimes in, putting a hand on the shoulder of his son.“No, no. You should be getting ready for marriage. Perhaps meeting your future wife? Venerable Ancestor, I assure you I have already found an excellent partner for Jakob, a lady of an excellent noble family. This marriage could help fix our reputation and perhaps secure a lasting Alliance with one of our neighbours. I don’t have any confirmation yet, but I will inform you with all the details in due time, venerable ancestor. His dyes are all fine and good, but we should sell them to finance this marriage.”
>>6471963“Father, I assure you, I will concern myself with that after I have met this Theodosius. I will try to conform to your wishes, as long as I get to keep practicing my art. In any case, we have come down here to seek council, haven’t we? So, let’s ask our noble ancestor.”>Allow Jakob to invite this commoner into our home.>Don’t allow it. He should get married as soon as possible.>Other…(write in)Before you can even think of a response Friedrich perks up.“Before we decide that I have another more important matter to discuss. I was talking to my wife recently and she made a good point to me. My father Emmerich was the older brother and was thus head of the household. As his heir that title should fall to me next.”The old man shakes his head“That can’t be, your father abdicated to me when he went out to fight in the east. Besides, you have never been interested in administrating castle Rabenfels, you don’t have any experience with it.”“It can’t be that different from organizing camps or supply lines. Please noble ancestor, tell us your opinion. I am sure you will understand my case.”Your descendants look at you expectedly >Wilhelm should remain as the head of the household. >Friedrich should become the new head of the household. >Emphasize to them that the title of head is largely unimportant. Big decisions should be made together as a family.>Other…(write in)Current Potence: StrongThanks for the replies. I should probably clarify that place of power doesn’t make you omnipotent, it just means you can do everything you could do before without spending potence. The mind reading is also limited to the crypt. I’m sorry if my wording made it sound otherwise.Going forward I believe that holding council should be a main driving element in this quest. These councils should only be held every few years or at most once a year though because: 1: Your family can’t and don’t want to come down here every week they have other things to do. 2: I want you to stay with this family over generations so you can see the long-term effects of your choices, watch characters have children, grow old, die etc. You still get to check up on them in between and be present when something important is happening in the keep. But you won’t be there on a daily basis.
>>6471964>For now focus on financing Jakob's marriage. Later when he has time he may invite this alchemist to collaborate on an alchemical treatise. Over the course of his life, we expect him to produce a magnum opus to pass down to future generations.>Friedrich should become the new head of the household. We last left Wilhelm with the house in good fortune. He said he has had success in the intervening years, with the copper mine, and administrating our villagers. Yet we are awoken to find our treasury destitute, and our reputation in ruins. There have been no new successful taxes, indicating our control of the village has remained modest. Even with the well handled investment in the copper mine, clearly he did not exercise proper fiscal stewardship or restraint. Why has our treasury been depleted in a mere five years? Where are the diversified investment incomes from the success of the copper mines, where are the savings? Our own relatives won't talk to us, nor our peers? We are laying off servants and have to raise funds for Jakob and Martha's weddings? Pathetic. Clearly Wilhelm's youthful ambition has led us here to ruin.Still, at least he managed to avoid a even steeper decline. He can at least advise Friedrich on how to handle basic administration, but Friedrich will have to come up with his own ideas to do anything but tread water. He did well to arrange these marriages with Jakob and Martha, if he speaks true about them saving our reputation. This is his saving grave, and perhaps his one strength given that his own marriage and that of Friedrich's seem healthy for the family and on a personal level.
>>6471964Oh yeah, and make sure to include >>6471985 our reasoning, criticism and praise of his one strength too.
>>6471964>For now focus on financing Jakob's marriage. Later when he has time he may invite this alchemist to collaborate on an alchemical treatise. >Emphasize to them that the title of head is largely unimportant. Big decisions should be made together as a family.
Rolled 1 (1d4)>>6472267>>6471985Locked in focusing on financing Jakobs marriage.Rolling a dice for making Friedrich the head of the household or for Emphasizing that the title of head is largely unimportant. Evens for Friedrich, odds for decisions as a family. In any case, thank you for the intresting write in.Will probably write later today
>>6471964>>6471985>>6472267>>6472337You first turn to Jakob“Jakob you should first focus on selling some of your dyes to finance this marriage. You should atleast meet your potential new spouse first. After this you may invite this Alchemist to come visit us. Think of your duties first, as a scion of house von Rabenfels you have obligations”Jakob nods but you can clearly sense both his hope and frustration.“Concerining the head of the household. I am disappointment in you Wilhelm. I left the house in your hands, yet you haven’t done much to improve our station. Investing in the copper mine was a good idea but you were foolish in not taking any precautions. Did you think that the ore would last forever? You did not plan for any alternatives, no further investments or saving up for the future. And now you can’t even get our own family members to visit us? Pathetic. I ought to make Friedrich the head of the household! But alas you have done some good for the family as well, planning these marriages and keeping the villagers happy. There is potential within Friedrich, so going forward I want you both to rule in equal measure. Wilhelm you will advise your nephew and teach him basic administration, and Friedrich you will ensure nothing remains stagnant. One day your uncle will be unfit to rule, and you will have to step up to fix his past mistakes. Until that day I want you two to work together, I will hear no more complains about this, and you will fight amongst yourselves no more. We need to stand together as a family if we want our family to thrive.”Wilhelm opens his mouth as if he wants to say something. But he quickly closes it and nods. You can hear him thinking about the past, wondering if he truly performed so badly, and what he could have done differently.
>>6472355Friedrich rubs his chin with a modicum of Satisfaction.“I suppose that if this is everything we ought to finish for now. It is good for us to stay in contact with our ancestors, and we have surely accomplished much in this meeting. I suggest that we are to repeat this council once every year, if time permits us.”“One more thing before we leave. Noble ancestor, I want to go over the books with you to give you a better picture of our Situation.”He grabs the heavy ledger from Jakob and starts listing off various numbers and titles. For the sake of our readers, I am condensing the information as much as i can.The current year is 31 in the Reign of Calderius. Ages of Members of the Family:Wilhelm: 54Frida: 41Friedrich: 28Jakob: 20Martha: 17Current Reichsgulden: 221Yearly expenses: -25Yearly Income:(Taxes): +22Your Liege lord is Hermann von AdlersfeldFellow Vassals in the Von Adlersfeld Dukedom:House Von EberswaldHouse Von BocksfeldHouse Von KattenburgThe Graubach Monastery Auerstadt the free ReichsstadtCurrent Reputation among your Noble peers: Unremarkable.After this long-winded rundown on all matters of the business of our family, your kin depart. Leaving you alone yet again among the corpses that the Castle Rabenfels was built upon.Is there anything you would like to do?>Check up on Martha>Check up on Friedrich’s wife>Inspect the keep and other members of the household>Return to your slumber (Regenerates some of your Potency and skips time)>Other...(write in)
>>6472356>Check up on MarthaI do want to check up on Frida. She has been good to bear Wilhelm fine children, but I wonder whether she has been help or hindrance in her counsel to Wilhelm. Last we left him he was full of ambition and reportedly his investments went well, so I wonder why he suddenly stopped doing well. Was it Frida's influence? Or did she prevent him from bringing our house into further decline than would have otherwise happened?Still, those of the blood come first. Lets see what Martha is up to, while we still have strength.
>>6472356>Check up on Martha
>>6472356>>6472360>>6472431You transcend upwards into the Keep. You find yourself in a quite cozy room. Here Frida sits together with a young girl you assume to be Martha. She is quite beautiful, the signature black hair of the Rabenfels family contrasts with her pale skin and bright brown eyes. Both women are working together on a large tapestry depicting a hunting scene. Frida fills it in while Martha works on the floral decorations at it’s edges. The younger woman sighs. “Oh mother, don’t you wonder what they are doing in that old tomb?”“Your father would often talk about the spirits of ancestors back then, but frankly I have never given it much thought. It’s probably not our place to concern ourselves with that my dear.”“What really is an ancestor spirit? Maybe they are like the spirits of the wood? Or perhaps it is really the soul of an old dwarf that used to live in this mountain?”“Don’t talk so much about these things Martha, it’s impolite and it will only reward you with weird looks from proper lords and ladies.”“Oh, says you! And they way you study the scripture is not ‘weird’? You rarely go to church and instead pray by yourself, and always in strange tounges.”Frida puts a finger to her lips, she seems desperate to change the subject.“Shushh now. Say why didn’t you invite Louisa to join us?”“I did! But she always keeps to herself. She’s been here for a week but she’s always writing letters or sulking about.”“Hmm how queer. I suppose she is just homesick the poor thing. Give her some time.”The two women continue to work in silence.Current Potence: Strong>Attempt to speak to them.>Check up on Friedrich’s wife>Inspect the keep and other members of the household>Return to your slumber (Regenerates some of your Potency and skips time)>Other...(write in)
>>6472445Interesting, so Frida is a rather unorthodox herself. No wonder Wilhelm found her an acceptable match. Hopefully she is merely praying to her own ancestor spirit, and not something darker. I don't want to imagine Wilhelm screwing that up as well. Wonder if Frida is merely embarrassed or secretive by good habit to avoid the church's notice. Or is she desperate to avoid being overheard by us?Now who's this Louisa?>Inspect the keep and other members of the householdAs Martha does not need guidance as of now, nor does she hold much power within the family, we can skip talking to her until we regain the ability to speak within the keep easily. Save the potence.
>>6472445>>6472449You drift through the rooms of castle Rabenfels. It was your son who started building this Keep, and it’s age is apparent. Much of the furniture is visibly used, and in some rooms you can find cobwebs in the corners and dust on the shelves. In the kitchen you find a corpulent man showing a child how he dices an union. Likely the cook and his son. Outside you can see some men wielding spears walk up and down the walls, looking boredly into the distance or eying the town below the mountain. In one room an old man wearing the garments of a valet polishes a suit of armour. In another room two house maidens, a younger and an older one are deeply involved in a heated chatter.“I’m just telling you Lotta, the lord is not the man he used to be anymore. He left more then just his arm in the east.”Says the older Woman, barely attempting to wipe off the dust from the top of a chest.“How can you say something so cruel? He’s strong and he’s brave and gallant and he fought with honour! He must feel so terrible now, just imagine if that had happened to you! How would you feel then?”Current Potence: Middling >Make a loud noise or throw something from the shelves, they should be working not talking. >Keep listening>Attempt to speak to them >Check up on Friedrich’s wife>Return to your slumber (Regenerates some of your Potency and skips time)>Other...(write in)It's good to see someone so intrested in the quest, thank you.
>>6472456>Look for LouisaDoes she question his manhood or does she just think he has been depressed since his return from the east? Regardless, this is just idle pratter, unless they have some more substantial rumours. We can mention the older maid's lazy ways and rumourmongering at the yearly meeting, if there's nothing more important to discuss. Not even worth the mention most likely, just maids being maids.Anyway, I just wanna check if this Louisa is someone of importance. A friend of Martha or Frida? Good to know if she is an important servant, like a lady's maid or another noble family's 5th daughter pawned off on us to feed under the guise of a gift. Maybe a spy? It was mentioned she writes a lot of letters.>interestNo problem QM. It's a simple premise, but it is interesting to be forced to act through others. Through influence, instead of just dominating the narrative ourselves with high rolls and so forth.
>>6472456>Look for Louisa
>>6472456>>6472501>>6472557You leave the maids to their squabbles. You try to find this ‘Louisa’ as you float through the Walls of the keep. Looking for another Noblewoman you don’t yet recognize. Indeed you do find such a Lady, in the chambers of Friedrich that is. Friedrich has his arm slung around her in deep embrace, his eyes closed in bliss. Yet her eyes are open. She stares out of the window, her cold blue eyes scanning the horizon. As a raven lands on a tower on the opposite side of the keep, she averts her gaze and breaks the embrace. “Let’s go to sleep now, dear. It has been a long day for both of us.” You can fully see her now, her long blonde hair bound in tight and conservative style. Her lips are a deep red and she has a small mole just below her eye that only accentuates her immaculate beauty. Friedrich brushes her chin.“Louisa, have I ever told you that you become more beautiful with each passing day?”She laughs.“Thank you my dear. You look quite dashing yourself today.”The two begin to change into more comfortable sleeping garments.Current Potence: Middling>Try to talk to Friedrich>Check up on Martha>Check up on Frida>Wander around the keep at night>Return to your slumber (Regenerates some of your Potency and skips time)>Other...(write in)
>>6472597Ah, Friedrich's wife, I see. Just from the body language, I feel he is more taken with her than she is by him. Or otherwise her thoughts lie elsewhere, with her family perhaps. Still, it is good that we seem to have an alliance with Von Kattenburg.The mention of letters, Louisa's looks outside, the raven arriving, all of it makes me a bit paranoid. I can't help but suspect spying or other supernatural forces, but it is probably nothing.>Return to your slumber (Regenerates some of your Potency and skips time)I'm tempted to wander around at night in hopes of catching some midnight chatter, or someone doing something inappropriate, but there isn't enough evidence of that to be worth the time. Plus, with our potence, we probably couldn't immediately follow up upon discovery anyway.Lets sleep and see what the year brings.
