Focus: Laressa

The servants that attended you during dinner are quickly herded into the middle of the room and the doors locked while you and Laressa depart to the large (yet somehow still cozy) sitting room to the side, her on your arm. You arrive to find all seven elves already lounging about chatting, suddenly fading to silence as servants open the doors and the two of you stride into the room. The servants bow and close the doors and a warded field appears around the chamber, preventing both physical and magical interaction with the outside and encasing the room in complete silence.

It is broken by Laressa. Stepping forward from your side, she clears her throat, “Everyone, thank you for coming... though I suspect you desired this a bit more than I.” With that she gives a lopsided grin and gestures to you, “This is Lord Valerian, my... close associate.”

Turning to you, she points to each of them in turn, “These are my friends, Yorial Aloint, Koria, Stella, Fane Uldal, Tace, and Ithrin. You of course have already been introduced to Master Koris.” As she speaks each name they either nod or speak a greeting, each of them carefully sizing you up. Likewise, you look them over... dressed well, the two elven ladies wearing evening dresses (though hardly even a pale shade of Laressa’s, of course) and the gentleelves wearing various muted outfits or, in the case of the elf known as Ithren, a long russet wizard’s robe with silver embroidery. You also amusedly note Fane’s hair to be slightly damp.

Introductions handled, you and Laressa join the others around the large central hearth after pouring yourselves a snifter of the fine array of after-dinner drinks. Belatedly you both realize the elves have apparently removed all the chairs from the room save the ones they occupy and a two-person loveseat. Cute. The conversation begins with you of course, Stella speaking up even as Laressa slides in next to you and gives a shy (and slightly nervous) smile, “So, I hear you helped Lessa get started here. How did the two of you meet? Last I heard humans don’t just walk up to an elf and say ‘Hey you want to take over the world?’”

>Special rules for today, you can switch between areas/focuses and the thread will run longer than usual.

>Previous thread was sadly canceled because of 4chan fucking up last night. Hope there are people around for this one today, despite not usually running on tuesdays. Starting a little early because of that.

>Small smile. "And so I did not. Laressa was the one who picked that. My offer was somewhat more open."

>Overall rules for social interaction here: Remain self-assured, confident, and secure in the knowledge of our own power and position- and let them see that we are. As with the rest of the meal, the ultimate purpose of this conversation is to provide us with amusement, which means that we should spend some time enjoying some verbal circling as they try to find out more about us and we try to make an overall positive impression while still telling them very little. That means we should remain mostly enigmatic without being completely evasive; share information, but make them tease it out of you. Make sure that we end up keeping them collectively talking at least as much as we are, and occasionally hand off questions to Laressa to answer- particularly anything which might touch on our nature or anything which might embarrass her, like the fact that we met her while she was drunk and getting in bar fights.

>Do not indicate overtly that our intentions towards Laressa are romantic, but don't deny it, either. It would be more interesting to keep that unconfirmed in the eyes of her friends, so that we can watch her interactions with them. Likewise, don't clearly state or deny anything regarding what we intend to do about aiding her in any way.

>And see how much we can find out about exactly what Laressa has told them about us. I was hoping that we'd watch her meal setup including any conversations with them and thus know, but as long as we don't it makes a decent topic to try and talk out of them while they're talking their own questions out of us. It would also be good to subtly turn the conversation to their history with Laressa; any past stories or sharing of opinions on her would be quite interesting to find out.

>Here's hoping it's a fun chat.

“Well, you hear correctly... my offer was quite a bit broader than that, she was the one who decided on the details. Your assumptions are a bit inaccurate though.” You take a sip from your snifter and lean back into the soft cushions and smile, “I never said that I was human, after all.”

“I was wondering about that, ‘Lord Valerian’.” Master Koris interjects, “For such a human form you seem to have a remarkably elven name. Taking the name of the First Emperor... bold, and remarkably well versed in elven history.” His gaze slides to Laressa and he raises an eyebrow, “Might he be someone we know?”

Laressa shakes her head in response, “No. There are simply certain circumstances. That is not his true name, but...” she trails off, as if searching for the proper phrasing, and you come to her rescue, “Let us just say that it is my true name now. The past is just that, the past. From what I can see all here tend to look toward the future instead, anyway.” Master Koris shrugs and smiles, “Fair enough, I know when to let a sleeping wolf lie... from experience.” At this he holds up his left hand and you can see a snout-shaped tracery of scars reaching from the bottom to the middle of it.

This gets a chuckle from the circle of elves, excepting one. Fane Uldal, if you remember correctly. Sure enough, the dark-haired and frowning elf speaks as the laughter trails off, “So then, what’s your interest in Laressa ‘Lord’ Valerian? And don’t think I didn’t notice how you dodged the last question.” Stella, sitting next to him, hisses a comment in elven but he spares her only a glance before returning his gaze to you. “Well?”

You cock your head to one side and swirl your brandy a bit, “Mmm. An excellent drink, Laressa. The meal was superb as well, exactly what I’ve come to expect from you my dear.” You turn toward the slightly damp elf and give your best sardonic grin, “Well, Fane was it? We first met during a relaxing afternoon here in Melport. I believe she had just finished disposing of a rather troublesome half-orc and I found lounging around town. She seemed interesting, so I invited her for a drink at a rather out of the way place I knew of and, though she was a bit reluctant at first, she eventually joined me and we talked. Ah, a most pleasant conversation.” Laressa glances over to you and spares you a smile, a break from the chilly countenance she was projecting toward Fane, and you return it before shifting your attention back to the dark haired elf who is now staring daggers at you.

A blonde haired elf, Tace you think, laughs nervously into the silence that follows, “Well, that’s fairly surprising. I think there might be more to that stor--” but is cut off by Fane, “I also asked what your /interest/ was, /lord/ Valerian. Perhaps while you are at it you could tell us your house as well...” He gives a nasty grin, “Para-Shet perhaps?” Was that... yes, you think that was an insult you saw lead to duels several times while you were in the elven city.

At this all the elves in the room rapidly lose their relaxed poses, sitting up or, in the cases of Laressa, Fane, Stella, and Koris, standing. “Fane! This is my abode, not Dar’an!” Lashes Laressa in elven, venom dripping from every word, “You /will/ speak your apologetics or you /will/ be made to do so.” As she says this she shifts between the two of you, and you see Master Koris slowly edging over to your side as well. Stella stands next to Fane with her hands positioned directly over several blades you can see concealed under her clothes, and you note Fane has extracted a pair of long blades and parrying gauntlets from a box he had secreted under his chair.

“Perhaps, Laressa. But I believe that that decision is his to make, don’t you think?” He gives you a patronizing smile and your elf unleashes a particularly nasty invective at him. Reaching through one of the slits down the side of her dress, she frees the sole weapon she retained for the evening, her mind-control dagger, from its sheath on the upper-inner part of her left thigh.

My, this has certainly become... interesting.

Well a certain elf seems to be having a bit of a hissy fit. Would it be possible to respond something along the lines of "Ah, you don't know? I was certain you overheard our dinner conversation...I suppose an oppourtunity missed." But besides teasing I think we should actually just give an answer that is true simply because it would still seem highly suspicious to them. Tell them that she is of interest to us and certainly one of the more interesting people that we have come along in a long time.

...Also he seems jealous...we should confirm this somehow...

Sorry, didn't wait for you to finish posting apparently...anyways new suggestion!

Well some threads ago we wanted to test their ability and this seems like the perfect time to do so. After all, what better way to do so then directly? We could challenge this Fane to a duel out of sheer amusement and fight him till first blood. Using it as an oppourtunity to gauge his abilities in particular. How would we stop it? Well we could always just outlast him....right?

On that note is Stella taking aggressive stance towards Fane or towards us? Also, what about the other elves mentioned? Are they simply generally on edge.

Part 1: http://archive.easymodo.net/tg/thread/14304400/
Part 2: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14309655/
Part 3: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14330103/
Part 4: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14365301/
Part 5: http://archive.easymodo.net/tg/thread/14397582/
Part 6: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14420843/
Part 7: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14452357/
Part 8: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14474488/
Part 9: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14498610/
Part 10: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14536106/
Part 11: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14605848/
Part 12: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14638251/
Part 13: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/14683694/

Fuck yeah, Omnipotence Quest.

Love to play, too bad I can't stay. Good luck, Vedibere!

>>14728524
Towards Fane. She looks like she wants to restrain him but he sort of has a sword in his hand.

The other elves seem to be on edge and waiting for something else to happen before joining in, but body language indicates that they don't approve of Fane's antics and are generally just hoping this would all go away.

Ah, I see...well we can't really avoid this can we? If not dealt with now I feel like this will simply stew an- Wait that could be interesting...what if we humiliate him instead and let him rage at us and see how that develops? For example, calmly walking towards him and if moves to strike use restraining magic to hold him place. Keeping him fully concious and teasingly stroke his chin and lecture him of his poor manner. Perhaps in elven? Just a suggestion. Of course, we must remember to free him later.

Do we actually remember how to fight with a blade?

>>14728635
I like this idea. Just don't kill him, that would be rude.

I think /tg/ hates your quest, Vedibere. I'm have a lot of trouble submitting replies.

Do we actually remember how to use a blade?

>>14728693
It's been... well, quite a long time. That said, you could snatch the skills of the best swordsmen to ever exist if you wanted.

You don't even really need that, though. You can slow time or move/comprehend things so fast that he will basically be standing still, make it so the blade goes through you harmlessly, or any number of other things. It's not "Can I defeat him?" so much as "Do I want to defeat him and if so, which of the infinite manners available to me will I choose to do so?"

>>14728738
Yes, /tg/ was fucking up yesterday too. I'm going to try to keep going today though, because it doesn't look like it's getting any better.

>>14728453

I'd say we stay totally calm, as is fitting to a being as powerful as us, smile kindly, and insult the fuck out of that guy.

>>14728774
Why not pluck the skills of a few of the better swordsmen from this world's past? A few legendary sword styles to keep them guessing as to where we learned such skill.

>>14728883
>>14728774

Aye, totally humiliate him through swordplay, like that idea. It could also be used to show just how good we at well.. basically anything.

If possible, use a very very old elven swordplay.

>>14728925
>>14728883
If we go through with it, grab two sets of sword skills:
Ancient elven swordmaster skills, and another completely different swordmaster from 100 planes over.
This way, if he just happens to know counters for the ancient elven style, we can throw him off with the foreign one.
Of course, we won't lose, but what's the fun in time-stopping constantly?

>>14728973

Would be agreeing with this. Vedibere, you still with us?

punch him in the face so hard it breaks both his legs.

So... what you're telling me is that a elf we've never met before is suddenly insulting us to such a degree that most people dual over it? He's obviously not serious. He's testing us.

I say first off look at Laressa and say "I'm curious, why did you draw your dagger. Do you plan to defend me? Or simply bring him into line?"

Also don't attack the elf, just don't let anything he does hurt us. This is amusing.

>>14729035
Still here, writing an appropriate scene.

Question, how completely do you want to dominate him, and how brutal do you want to be in doing it?

>>14728973

Thirding, draw knowledge and skill from an *famed* ancient elven swordmaster and play with him, just enough so that everyone understands that we are way out of his league

>>14729105
Also, does it change your answer if he has stealthily enhanced his blade to be faster and easier to wield?

>>14729105
I say brutal, but non-lethal and heal him afterwards

>>14729170

Well, not really. unless its a super-enchant that would give him a fair chance against us.

>>14729170
He probably likes that sword, fuck with it a bit like lengthening it or shortening it a few inches, to mess with his balance.
Or something like that, weave it in however other people think.

>>14729105
Just badly enough that he'll know we could have really kicked his ass.

>>14729170
No, not really.

>>14729105
Like I said earlier, don't kill him. One way we can show our skill is by disabling him in a completely humiliating way without injuring him. If we do injure him, let's make it a vanity mark like a scar, something that will heal but be a permanent reminder.

>>14729170
Doesn't change anything.

>>14729105
Let not be brutal with him until he gets absolutely pissed off
how about trying to humiliate him by making it look like all his skills are merely child play to us?
Trip him, put him in arm lock effortless and disarm him
all the while we look like we are doing nothing challenging at all

>>14729170
Let not be brutal with him until he gets absolutely pissed off
how about trying to humiliate him by making it look like all his skills are merely child play to us?
Trip him, put him in arm lock effortless and disarm him
all the while we look like we are doing nothing challenging at all

>>14729258

yeah

adding things like

"Heh. How cute"


After this we might just as well bail out (if anyone agrees)
Then hover around to see what they are going to do after we leave.
Will Laressa mind-control him? What will others say?

>>14729089
Anyone worried about this?

>>14729369
We should start off with that, perhaps including a raised eyebrow and "Really? As entertaining and amusing as this is, I don't think you've thought your clever plan through."
Play it off as we know he's testing us, but that he shouldn't try that unless he knows what we're capable of, that his overconfidence in his own ability to stand up to us is going to get him bitch-slapped.

When he inevitably continues to insult us, and possibly attempts to attack us, that's when we crush him.

Anyone still here

>>14729369
Not really. Yes, he's testing us, but demonstrating our ability to slap him into the ground with trivial ease is one valid answer to that test.

That said, I would like to use the comments in >>14729089 before engaging and humiliating him, just to see what Laressa says. Remember, we are at all times relaxed and supremely confident in demeanor.

>>14729310
>After this we might just as well bail out (if anyone agrees)
I think it would make more of the impression we'd like to make if we treat this as no more important than an idle comment made by someone else and continue on with the evening. Thus far we have not been exceptionally deft in conversation, giving away a fair bit of information even if we kept the details mostly fuzzy, and I'd like to talk somewhat more and get a better sense of how these elves think of us and act towards us when one of their number isn't trying to kill us.

>>14729417
I like this.

As for the future of the evening, anyone think we should mention to Laressa something about the other pawns in our plan? I mean I would enjoy perhaps mentioning before we poof away "Oh by the way, it's a very real possibility you'll be dead within the year. Later!"

Guys, I have a better idea. So far he's only used words against us. I think this is a test to see if we're violent or intelligent.

Let's conjure up a nasty tasting bug and teleport it into his mouth. Or paralyze his tongue for a while.

There's no need at all for us to get physical.

>>14729438
Not so blunt. That would take the fun out of it.
Something a little more subtle. Imply that, there is a danger to her, that we know of, but due to certain restrictions, we cannot divulge details or assist her against them.

>>14729444
Need? Of course there's no need.
The question we need to ask ourselves, is what would be more fun?

>>14729438
We've already made clear to her that her path has a very distinct possibility of bad end.
>What you do upon that path is what shall decide your end, be it dead in a ditch or...
We wouldn't have said that just after slapping her with a "we own you, bitch" mark unless we were serious about the fact that she might well die and we wouldn't cry for her.

As for other pawns... frankly, in my opinion most of our manipulations aren't really worth that much. We haven't spent enough time focusing on the heroes to really build them a quest arc; what they need is a whole series of challenges and plot hooks set up to draw them along, and we just don't have the focus or interest for that, at least in what we've done so far. The other villain types we almost inevitably leave to their own devices, which is of course just what villains are best at, but Laressa is the most interesting of those.

I say we defeat him in a humiliating way only using hand to hand/unarmed skill vs his sword.

>>14729510
Could be amusing. Slip past his sword with blinding speed, a quick grab and throw sends him sailing into the farthest of the room's walls at blinding speed, use our power to make sure that he lives through it without serious injury and that the walls are undamaged. Continue conversation as though nothing untoward happened.

>>14729510
>>14729530
No, wait, he enchanted his sword, right? And he's really fond of it?
Why not catch it between our thumb, index, and middle fingers, then snap the blade?

You quickly reach up and place your hand lightly on Laressa’s forearm, tugging her down to the loveseat again. She shoots you a half mystified and half horrified glance, no doubt fearing some terrible display of power, but you simply smile. “A duel, is it? How positively droll. Still, I suppose it’s said that among even the best company there is one /sillith/ to be found.” You drop the worst insult you can remember from your brief time in Dar’an as you stand, but it appears to have the correct effect. Fane briefly narrows his eyes, his lips pressed tight, before relaxing and smiling. “Yes, I suppose so. Now we will see who that is.” He offers the second sword and gauntlet to you, and you take them before striding away to a cleared spot in the room.

Laressa and Koris both move next to you as you do so, however. Laressa is the first to speak, “Valerian, please, I would ask that you... not kill or hurt him.” she whispers, “I apologize for this and will take care of it if you wish, but he is a friend and has saved my life before several times even if he is... misguided in his affections.” You smile as you strap the platemail gauntlet in place on your left arm, “He challenged me, so I set the terms, correct?” She nods, and you continue, “Then I think in light of your request... first blood will be sufficient.” She sighs and gives a relieved smile, “Thank you.”

Koris interjects, however, “I hope my protege’s confidence is well placed in you, friend. Fane is a master swordsman, a product of her own machinations.” He shoots her a tight-lipped glare and she glances away before he continues, “He was one of the ways she kept the swarms of suitors away in Dar’an, though I don’t know how much she’s told you about that. By letting him think he might have a chance of some sort he’s killed dozens to keep his ‘claim’ to her. Don’t think he will stop at first blood.”

>>14729583
I vote for this; provided we provoke him into attacking us. No reason for us to attack unless we are attacked, right?

It would be rude to be goaded into a fight when we should have more than enough charm to disarm the situation.
The fucker is testing us.
Vedibere also said tonight was about a battle of WORDS.

If you want to humiliate the guy via swordplay I say we simulate the encounter infront of his eyes in an instant, show him what will happen with each move he planned to take. With each new plan that runs through his mind another dozen ways we can counter him. Basically up untill he realises any possible attack or ploy would only result in his humiliation.

All this should happen in an instant and would make the point to him without lowering ourselves in the eyes of the others present.


I still think we should try just talking our way through this though.

I think we've already failed some kind of test by falling for such an obvious trick, but whatever.

I like the "catch his blade and break it" bit.

Of course, I have no idea how to draw first blood without cutting him. This is already ridiculous. Just prick him enough to get a drop and call it done. Then get back to talking like civilized people.

A baleful smile plays upon your lips as you take your place opposite Fane, and you glance to Koris, “I don’t think it will be a problem.” You turn to face him, but before you can speak you hear a ripping sound to your right, turning to see Laressa cutting a strip from one of her gloves. “Here,” she says, moving close and tying the band of cloth around the pommel of your blade, “f- for luck. Not that you will need it.” She shoots a derisive smile toward a now purple-faced Fane and backs away, as does Koris. Both of them move next to a worried-looking Stella, joining the others in a rough semicircle fifteen feet away. Yorial stands with one arm around Koria and the other holding his glass while she says something to him. Tace and Ithrin are likewise chatting and sipping their drinks, though when you look over Tace extends his pinky finger (an elven sign of encouragement) and smiles.

After a few seconds Fane seems to recover. He opens his mouth and, when no sound comes out, closes it and clears his throat before trying again, “So state your terms then, cur. Let’s see how cowardly you are, though if you hand over that favour I might let you go without completely humiliating you.”

You bark out a crisp laugh, “How adorable, the child thinks himself skilled. Very well, the fight shall go to first blood. Do try not to disappoint me.” With that you both raise your blades and he returns your smile, “I’m going to enjoy this.”

“I doubt that.” you reply, dipping your mind into the endless sea of souls this universe has as an afterlife, searching and, finally, plucking out the skills of the greatest elven swordmaster you can find. Ironically, you find they come from your apparent namesake; the First Emperor Valerian. Good, you decide, but you’ve seen far better. Reaching out farther, beyond this reality, you draw upon a few best swordsmen and duelists that all of creation has to offer and meld them into the elvish sword style. Done.

>>14729600
I know there were more posts than that, dammit. I saw them. Have they vanished into alternate history limbo?

You meet Fane in the middle of the impromptu arena, your blade flashing out to clash with his once, twice, three times before you step back. He immediately follows, closing the distance and pressing his attack. Koris spoke truly; he is quite good, and you note that he easily flourishes his blade in response to your strikes in way that... hmmm. You look more closely at the sword in his hand and note with surprise that it has some /extremely/ subtle enchantments layered into it to enhance the speed and ease with which the user can wield it. While you heartily approve of winning at any cost, getting caught is simply bad form.

You slide to the left and exchange a flurry of blows with Fane and then twist, sliding your blade along his and reaching up to clasp with your gauntlet, leaving a hole in your defense. Fane, however, doesn’t see it and twists away leaping back almost three feet and giving a self assured grin, “Nice try, but I’m afraid you just aren’t good enough to beat me.” You frown without reply, sliding forward to engage him once more, but he persists, “What? No more snide comments ‘lord’ Valerien? Or are you as small of mind as you are of skill?”

“I’m afraid I need to teach you something, boy,” you say, reaching him once more and lashing out. Steel rings upon steel as you begin to fully utilize the modified ancient elven style you forged earlier, and even with his blade’s enhancements it’s all he can do to keep up with your lightning-fast feints and strikes. You shear through his elegant grey doublet but do not draw blood, instead stepping in and under his return strike and copying the strike as he whirls to face you. “First, you should learn that bravado before a fight only makes you look the imbecile afterward.” Two thrusts through (what are to you) gaping holes in his defense complete the maneuver, leaving the elven rune for “fool” marked on the front of his jacket and drawing gasps from the watching elves.

>>14729615
Little bit late for that, we should just put him in his place and commit an eye to him afterward. If experience has taught me anything it's that wounding someone's pride always comes back to bite you in the ass.

>>14729693
There's failing a test, and then there's recognizing the test, and saying "I see your test, it is clumsy and without subtlety, and it offends me, so I shall crush you for it".

>>14729693
>Of course, I have no idea how to draw first blood without cutting him. This is already ridiculous. Just prick him enough to get a drop and call it done. Then get back to talking like civilized people.
This. Any other attempt he makes to harm us just passes straight through us. His blade passes harmlessly through us like through light itself.

“Second, you should learn when a lady has no interest in you at all.” At this he roars in anger and pirouettes, lashing his blade out in a rapid and, honestly, quite excellent display of swordsmanship and skill. Sadly for him, it is no match for yours. You effortlessly riposte, following up with a lunge through his shattered defense, severing the straps of his parrying gauntlet and forcing him back away from it with a rain of lightning fast blows. He bellows in rage and hate, his sword lancing up to meet yours, skill and desperation, longing and bitterness, all of these combining with his skill and blade to create beauty that rips through the air... but it is nothing. Less than nothing, mere child’s play to you.

“Third,” you raise your voice over his howl with a bitter sneer, “you should learn when you are in the presence of your betters, and act accordingly.” You loose the last of your restraints, swinging your blade in a beautiful rhythmic tracery of otherwordly skill. Fane stumbles backward, tripping over rug and board, but you are relentless, steel screaming against steel as you leer over him. Your blade kisses his flesh, separating locks of hair from his head but drawing no blood. It traces down his form, shredding his fine clothing and making a mockery of his prowess. It slams its flat against his muscles and bone, leaving welts and bruises even as it draws pained cries.

“And now your final lesson, boy.” You leap, evading a desperate low sweep of his sword and twisting in the air, your blade a steel rain even as you fall toward him. You touch down, dodge, sway, and strike, your blade /scything/ the air in a manic hiss. His blood flashing in the firelight, two deep scores marking his cheeks, and your plated fist impacting his sternum; dropping the elf to the floor gasping.

You turn to the silent and astonished audience of elves, their eyes wide and mouths slack... except for Laressa. Your elf wears a playful smirk, her sharp blue eyes glittering as she begins clapping. This shakes the others out of their reverie and they join in, so you flourish your blade and bow before freeing the purple strip of cloth and striding to its owner, holding it in your palm. “It seems your charm worked, I was quite lucky to have won.”

“Indeed,” she replies, laughter playing in her voice, “perhaps I should start selling them, as potent as they are.”

Behind you there is a scraping sound, followed by a soft sob. You turn to look only to see Fane picking himself up and stumbling toward the door, clutching his chest and dragging his blade along the floor. He doesn’t make it, however, his bruised and battered legs giving out halfway there and forcing him to slump his arm over a chair to keep from collapsing. The mage Ithrin quickly looks to Laressa and, at her nod, moves to aid the defeated elf.

“Shall we continue where we were before being... interrupted?” your host asks, and you smile while dipping your head. You offer her your arm and accompany the now excitedly chattering group of elves back to the circle of chairs. It has been many an age since you last took up a blade in a true fight. Invigorating.

After settling into your former positions you see Yorial lean forward with a hungry grin, waving to catch your attention, “So, where did you learn to fight like /that/? And could you teach us?”

Name the home city of one of the swordsman we took skill from. Should gain a nice "where the fuck is that" look. And "no."

Make a joke about learning everything from a well known (in this setting for the company present) shlocky adventure story

or

Tell them that reaching the uppermost limits of skill with swords comes from the mind and the soul or some crap like that, alluding to the fact our ability has to do with power and not mundane earthly practice.

Or we picked it up a little here and there.

>Oh god he is testing us not actually wanting to swordfight!
I do hope that has been put to rest at this point, but just to place emphasis on it: You were in the courts of Dar'an for less than a week and saw nearly two dozen nobles killed in duels to the death, and scores to first blood.

Motherfuckers like to cut a bitch.

>>14729792
Heh, I like that. It's even the literal truth, in a way. "My skills are a product of many places, of course. The Mistvale, Sharpur, Abedujien's dueling grounds, the Yesh-Muurdren Wars, and the fighting pits of the Lord of All-Embracing Darkness honed it best, I suspect. There is even some influence from your own people's style... though if that is an example of the best you are producing these days, the form has degraded rather sharply." Shake head regretfully and take note of their expressions while inwardly laughing.

"As for instruction... I have not taken on a student in a very long time. It would take an exceptional individual to inspire me to do so again." This implies both 'no' and hints that they could try to convince us to teach them in the future. It also hints something to Laressa, if she chooses to parse it that way. Should be amusing to watch their reactions.

In any case, after fielding a few basic questions, try to steer the conversation towards more relaxed chat as outlined way back in >>14728391. Those are still viable guidelines for our actions.

>>14729908
>Motherfuckers like to cut a bitch.
Fair enough. I hold no regrets about actions taken, especially after his pussy-like display. Pic related.

>"But I want to be the chosen one! /cry"

Obviously we're not going to train one of them. Training is long and boring.

Give some old city from an annihilated reality as to the source.

Try to steer the conversation towards the domestic. I want to hear embarrassing stories of Laressa as a child.

Also, if we found THAT fight invigorating, then maybe we should try dueling Laressa's orc that we made for her? He'd put up one hell of a fight, and might even fight us to a draw, considering we gave him all the fighting knowledge.

ALL of it.

>>14730007
This minus the Orc fighting, I think one duel per social gathering is enough.

>>14730007
He's a real fighting Jonah

>Betrayal at House on the Hill reference

>>14730007
>Obviously we're not going to train one of them. Training is long and boring.
But hinting that we might be willing to train one of them could produce all kinds of interesting social dynamics. Also, it's probably been a long time since we bothered to teach anyone anything, and teaching people things can actually be fun. If they do something sufficiently impressive to earn it I suspect that it could be fun to spend a day or three dispensing key tips. Definitely not now, though.

>I want to hear embarrassing stories of Laressa as a child.
Seconded.

What's the name of the city/nation that created the giant wasteland that most the the others are coming from? Say that.
>>14730186
Second all of this.

>>14730186
Shoot for baby pictures if possible.

You smile amiably, but shake your head, “I learned the skills you saw from many places, Sharpur and the Abedujien dueling grounds among others. As to teaching them? It has been a long time indeed since I took on any sort of pupil, and I’m afraid they would need to be exceptional indeed for me to consider it.”

Yorial nods, “Oh well, can’t blame an elf for trying. Still, marvelous show. You would be the terror of Dar’an.” You accept the complement graciously before steering the subject back toward your desires, “So, when did you learn your various skills? I take it the Shades recruit from a young age?”

The elves, save Laressa and Koris, are taken aback but quickly recover, “Ah, well, varying ages really...” Koria chimes in, “It’s more skill based than age. Most people recruited already have some ability or they wouldn’t be taken in.” Koris chimes in, “It’s not practical to feed and house a child for a hundred years before they can start their duties.”

The others nod, but Stella leans forward and leers at Koria, “Still, you got a lot better once you started ‘personal training’ with Yorial.” The blonde girl hesitates for a second, glancing to you, but then seems to reach a decision and returns with a wicked grin, “Yeah, and you’re just as bad as always. Still no-one to horizontally spar with on a regular basis, even Laressa has a skilled master to teach her now. Speaking of which, you owe me thirty gold Paths.”

The back and forth continues with others starting to join in on the ribbing and Laressa turns to you, apparently embarrassed, “I’m sorry, they all do this sometimes.” You shake your head, “Don’t worry about it. So what about you, what skills did you learn before becoming an assassin elite?” Laressa just gives a wan smile and shakes her head, though, “I’m afraid it wouldn’t be interesting.”

You look over at Koris who is now standing next to the two of you, having strolled over while the others engage in friendly bickering, “What say you, Koris? You’re her master, surely you know some embarrassing stories?” His eyebrows knit together, however, and he frowns, “I don’t really think that yo--” but Laressa cuts him off. “Don’t worry about it, Master.”

You return your gaze to her and find her to have relaxed back into the seat and begun sipping on your discarded snifter. “I was raised in the royal court, my mother was Envoy then,” she says tonelessly, “Both she and my ‘father’ made sure that I had the best training possible and that I learned the lessons /perfectly/.”

At the last word she enunciates each syllable precisely, raising the class and twirling it between her fingers as she continues without emotion, “Arts, history, mathematics, swordplay, stealth, spying, killing, stealing, magic, everything. The royal tutors filled in the socially acceptable skills while my mother called in favors with various... “tutors” from her organization to teach me the shadow work. And of course, illegitimate or not, I was expected to mingle with the nobility and get to know each of them. ‘For my future.’ Failure in even the slightest way was... frowned upon.”

Raucous laughter interrupts from across the hearth, some joke from the four over there. As you turn back Laressa shrugs as she downs the rest of the glass, “It is not the fondest of my memories.”

Well it's not the "lol then i pooped my pants" i was hoping for, but you take what you can get.

>>14731011
Really, happy loving well-adjusted normal families don't tend to produce too many assassins or BBEGs. It should have been obvious that her childhood could have been rough in hindsight.

>>14731052
True. Well what now? Perhaps we should ask her about her parting from the elven city?

>>14730941
"Mmm. Ill memories... we all have plenty of those. But I've found that it is best to avoid dwelling on regrets and wishing things had been otherwise. Trying to undo the past can cause all sorts of problems." Smile slightly as if in jest. "I've mostly sworn off the discipline. Paradox is a terrible thing to deal with."

"In any case, if childhood holds no fondness in your memories- what does?"

>>14731070
Well whatever we do let try shifting the conversations to a family-like feel, less serious and everyone making funny remarks and jokes when telling their stories.

Let try telling one of "our" stories, which of course will be partly a lie.

>>14731120
>Let try telling one of "our" stories, which of course will be partly a lie.
We don't need to lie when we have so many lifetimes of the truth to choose from.

>>14731097
>But I've found that it is best to avoid dwelling on regrets and wishing things had been otherwise

Precisely. I, for instance, found the new thread just too late to suggest challenging the elf to a duel to first blood, then turning into a golem. Oh well.

Seconding this post.

>>14731120
>Let try telling one of "our" stories, which of course will be partly a lie.
"So we magically animated the corpses of the adventurer's family to dance a fully choreographed musical before transporting him to a domain of eternal torment. Ah, to be able to get entertainment from such mundane things, getting so involved in battling enemies, simpler times."

Do we have anything even mildly appropriate in our past to talk about? We were a BBEG.

>>14731207
So's Laressa, so it's all good!
Though admittedly, a much less... Well, /Evil/ BBEG.

>>14731097
I also like this one, sounds mysterious enough
i hope our amount of suggestion are enough for vedi.

>>14731217
We're not particularly evil, really. We're just so incredibly jaded and alienated from the standard mortal perspective that by any normal standard we're utterly sociopathic and selfish. We're fickle and unable to think of anyone or anything except in terms of how they can add some fleeting spice to our own existence.

All right, so by the standard D&D morality, that makes us incredibly evil, but still. We don't actually like evil as such any more than good, it's just a lot tougher to remain amused through good wholesome family values.

I think it would be more accurate to say Laressa is a less *gruesome* BBEG.

>>14731252
I think under the majority of morality systems, "would kill more people than all the IRL wars combined for shits and giggles" counts as evil.

>>14731207
I actually like and approve using a story like this.
let just say that is was not of our plans, just a partner of ours doing the dirty work and he told us how it went

Although it will still sound incredibly evil and cruel

>>14731207
>>14731346
I think we should avoid the incredibly vile things like tormenting a soul for amusement.

Surely we have other interesting stories to tell. How about some tale about how we usurped a demon lord, found the position boring, and threw the whole domain into perfect, efficient order.

(Assuming demons are D&D-style and are chaotic evil).

We could also share a story from our time as a mortal, though we won't say anything about that itself.

What was our inspiration to become the ultimate BBEG?

>>14731439
Let's not mention anything about our first, oh, three thousand years of existence. That's much too personal. We've doubtless imitated a mortal a few hundred times since and collected a few interesting tales from that, if we feel compelled to spin one- though personally, I'd recommend letting others do most of the talking, and keeping our own stories to tantalizing hints. It's good to be the mystery man.

>>14731498
I just feel like a jerk for getting a shitty life story out of Laressa.

Then again we're an ancient omnipotent evil. I should think like one.

>>14731551
If the truth is that her life was utter shit being completely controlled by her mother for hundreds of years until she was used as a pawn in a failed coup and then forced to flee, whereupon she spent a few more centuries living as a struggling low-class assassin and getting drunk all the time because if she ever did anything high-profile her father would pick up on the fact that she's alive and come to kill her, until we finally showed up and suddenly gave her the ability to take control of her own life and defy even the full combined power of both her parents... I'd like to know about it. Backstories are important.

Sure, maybe it's not the greatest to talk about. But I consider the fact that Laressa was willing to talk about it to us without hesitation when Master Koris thought it shouldn't be brought up interesting in and of itself.

“I see.” you say solemnly. “Well, for what it’s worth; undoing the past has its own set of problems as well. I don’t advocate it.” Laressa chuckles darkly, reaching over to refill her both her glass and pour one for you. Turning back to hand it to you, she speaks, “Oh? And what pasts would you undo? I don’t know the limits of your... abilities, but I doubt anything I could conceive of would be a challenge.”

You take the glass from her hand and finally notice that Koris has slipped away to join the other elves talking across the fire, leaving you alone with Laressa. Mmm. You take a sip of the charred brandy and lean back into the soft cushions, losing yourself in memories, “Ah, perhaps. But long, long ago... my greatest friend, and closest ally was searching for some information I had been looking to find for decades. He was a golem, a sentient one... the only one I ever made, in fact. I had long ago released him from service but he was a... a true friend. He had heard about a rumor of an archive that contained the manuscript and sent me a message, but I was busy at the time. He went himself, of course. And it was a trap.”

You take a long drink, sloshing the liquid around as you remember, “I got his message a week later after the magical vortex I had created calmed, and I immediately knew it was the handiwork of... certain foes of mine at the time. I gathered as much force as I could as fast as possible, but...” you take another drink, “Too late, of course. He had been hacked apart, yet still... even then... he had left a message for me in his own stonework. Engraved with his dying breaths, as it were. You see, they had thought him dead but my creations, well, they are made of sterner stuff than that. He listened as they foolishly discussed their next destination and plans, recording them on his own body in arcane script.”

You are started out of your reverie by the clink of a decanter’s neck against your glass, Laressa refiling both hers and yours. You aren’t entirely sure when they were emptied. “What happened to them? I can’t believe you just let them be.”

You give a grim smile and shake your head, “No. I didn’t. My creations might die slowly... but they far moreso. I had to locate their closest friends first though, of course.” The two of you sit silently for a while, and eventually you note that the room is otherwise empty. Has been for a while, it seems. Well, no matter. You turn back to your elf and gaze at her, sitting alongside you in silence. Pondering.

“What of you? Surely not everything was terrible in your early life?” She looks up at that, her azure eyes gazing into yours, and gives a small smile before looking away. “I suppose not. There was one thing I enjoyed. I had a singing coach who didn’t... judge, or punish. Her name was Miss Ophelia, at least to me. Singing is a high art in Dar’an, you see, and all noble ladies are expected to be at least proficient. I was quite good, but I don’t think it was because I had any real talent. I think it was more because...” she pauses to drink and refill her glass again, “because that was the... the only time I really wanted to do something. The only thing I really enjoyed. That I didn’t get whipped for if I missed a note or improvised a bit.”

You lift your glass and Laressa slides closer, draining the last of the bottle into it before tossing it to the floor. “What happened?”

She shakes her head, leaning back into your arm. “Life. Plans. My mother fell out with the king and became Grandmistress. I was kicked out of the court and taken on as an apprentice to Master Koris, he had just lost his wife and daughter and my mother thought it would be a good match. She was busy running the entire organization and my father... well, he never really cared, but now he cared even less.

The training was hard, but without them constantly... constantly... /looming/ and Master Koris all but adopting me... being trained as a government assassin was probably the best time in my life. At least until... uh... yeah, until I met you. And got a real life.” She lifts to take a drink from her glass, but finds it empty. Frowning, she tosses it after the decanter and it shatters on the floor. Easier than moving. “Still, I... I... miss singing... sometimes....”

You look down at the empty glass in your right hand, blinking slowly. Frowning, you unmake it rather than place it on the desk beside you. You lean your head back and close your eyes while stretching out your legs, mmmm... good food, bloodletting, conversation, and good drink. Warm and comfortable.

=========================

You awake the next morning nestled in the loveseat, head and back resting against one arm and your legs pulled up into it. Laressa is still asleep, nestled on top of you and into the crook of your arm and warm against you. Her breaths come steadily and softly, and her face looks calmer than you’ve ever seen it before. Someone appears to have placed a blanket over the two of you and pinned a note to it. Shifting slightly (to a vague mumbled protest of the sleeping elf) you scan the room. It shimmers with a protective barrier and the logs in the central hearth have burned away to ash, no servants appear to have entered.

You check the note: ‘Fane is fine, ego is shattered. Executed the servants like you said, they wouldn’t say a word so I know there was something juicy. Tell me later or I’ll let slip your night with your new boyfriend to everyone else.. -S’

>>14732004
>Tell me later or I’ll let slip your night with your new boyfriend to everyone else.. -S’
curse her so that every time she tries to do that something embarrassing happens to her interrupting and shutting her up.

>>14732004
>>14732065
some sort of random non-lethal embarrassment

>>14732065
As amusing as that would be, I think it might be more amusing to spy on them when Laressa tries to explain what happened.

Well. Her life was pretty shit, apparently. No wonder she is crushing on us and is fine with a high possibility of BAD END.

>>14732065
>>14732103
Ah, don't be mean. Stella seems like the only good friend Laressa actually has and if Laressa wants to tell her stuff then it's no big deal.

We can let Laressa have a few more minutes, as we don't actually need to get up to have a look around and see whats going on in the place right now. Check our self for spells and tracking devices, only natural for a group of spies and assassins to try.

>>/tg/ is really fucking slow

>>14732065
How petty and pointless.

Just the same, set a quick alert on Laressa's mark so that we'll know if she shows it to anyone else. Because if she does I'd really like to see their reaction; it's not every girl who gets casually tattooed by their boyfriend, and honestly a mark like that is a lot more "demon's thrall" than "archmage's lover" in its style.

Aside from that, I think that it's exit time. Let's slowly fade away in a manner that won't wake Laressa, then spend a day or so observing her actions and those of her posse- I'd like to see their commentary between themselves and to Laressa about us, although honestly we've probably missed a lot of their best internal discussion already. After that, we really need to shift our focus to Tissa and the twins if we want their quest to go anywhere, and before too long the situation in Mardana-Fel will come to a head- at which point we'll want to be closely watching and deciding how we'd like to influence the outcome, if at all.

We need to get back on the heroes. They don't have a cure!

I believe it was discussed earlier, but create a puzzlebox that creates a dose of cure-all whenever solved, but becomes progressively more difficult to solve over time. Possibly make the panacea lose it's effect after a short time period, to prevent one person/organization from solving it as many times as they can and stockpiling it.

Create another challenge temple for them, guarded by monks of a forgotten (or invented) order, that challenge the party to ritual combat for the box because it must only be taken by "the worthy".

>>14732114
>Put spying device on shifty guy
>Shifty guy does... Something
>Disappears
>Crystal ball explodes into billions of shards, each showing scenes of random places
>yfw

Just a possible scenario, based on the reaction of Laressa's poison detection ring when we offered her a drink of the good stuff.

>>14732004
...So, the highly trained elven spy/assassin just leaves a note sitting there with that out in the open, with a 50/50 chance of it reaching Laressa instead of us. Totally not pre-planned for us to see it, nope...

>>14732182
Monks don't really fit the story we told Tissa about the wizards making the cure all. I say make it a wizards workshop hidden in a demiplane protected by golems.

>>14732136

Seconding, and of course we leave her a note ourselves before leaving.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening." Or something to that effect.

Well guys, I'm hitting the sack. Vote on Focus for Friday and discuss away at any PLOT that has been deposited in this or the past few threads. Am I doing a good job? Shitty? Moving stories? Cardboard characters? You decide!

Will try to answer any questions left here at the start of next thread.

1. Laressa
2. Heroes
3. Mardana-Fel
4. Other

>>14732247
It's not like the note contains any sensitive information, the room is sealed, and all the servants are mindwiped in an ancient fortress with only one entry/exit point and an elite cadre of elven assassins on duty. Nobody else is going to see it, and the information in the note is hardly something that either Laressa or Stella would care about keeping secret from us. We've already demonstrated that we are aiding Laressa, know they are elven assassins from Dar'an, and are in general friendly towards them.

Why wouldn't she just pin the note there?

>>14732256
Focus ought to be on the heroes. This is turning into Waifu Quest: The Romancening a little bit, we need to turn our attention to some of our other players.

>>14732250
Not a bad idea. Or just split the difference, and find some wizard-monks that existed somewhere, ad transplant them here.

>>14732182
how about a cursed ring that can cure anyone the wearer touches at the cost of the souls of those killed by the wearer. the curse is that the ring can't be removed and the wearer doesn't know that the ring steals souls. it has an aura of "good" and the symbol of the paladin's goddess.

>>14732247
wut? Why would we steal the note? 50/50 chance? They are words on paper, I would say it's a 100/100 chance. We were just invited over for dinner and told them we've been helping laressa since the start I think that means stella wouldn't mind letting us see this unimportant information update.

>>14732256
Vote for 2.


>>14732293
We would have had this done monday, or even earlier today, if 4chan wasn't insisting on making things difficult.

>>14732308
Why?

You're making the pally do something unsavory unawares, I guess, but it really serves no purpose. All she'll know is that she can't take it off. Plus, as a paladin, her murders consist almost exclusively f bad people and self defense. I'm not sure there's an issue there.

>>14732331
no reason I just wanted an excuse to use that ring pic, personally I prefer the puzzle box idea

>>14732256
I was kind of disappointed that we didn't get more information on the interpersonal dynamics of Laressa and her assassin friends, particularly as relates to us, here. It seems like aside from the one openly jealous guy they accepted us as her boyfriend without even blinking- but is that a show that they put on for our sake? Or for Laressa's? What do they actually think, do they approve or disapprove, and are they actually working for Laressa or are they with her because they're still mostly working for her mother and just false-facing the friendship? Given what a control freak her mom is I can't imagine that she'd send Laressa only genuine friends; she'd pick those who are loyal but have maintained good relations with her daughter as much as possible. And given that these are spies and assassins from a political-heavy realm, I'm inclined to take little of what they say at face value.

Yet we learned precious little of them throughout this thread, which was basically all focused on them (and Laressa herself). I'd have at least wanted to throw recording spells on them before they left so that we could hear what they said about us after departing, but we were snapped into sleeping pretty quick and didn't get that chance. Even so, right now is pretty much the best opportunity to learn about this- but spending a whole thread on it seems a waste when we just had one and learned little. It's frustrating.


I would like to focus on the heroes next thread, insofar as creating a quest for them and having them go through it, but I do NOT want to miss the Mardana-Fel plotline finally taking off. The timing of exactly when that will happen is not clear, so I'm going to say go with the heroes but snap perspective to Palal if he's about to grab the Orb.

>>14732256
Gotta go with the heroes as well, we need to give them something to work with.

>>14732256

Heroes, these guys need to be built up big time. And the situation is quickly becoming urgent.

Also, good call o focusing on a group per session. More stuff actually happening.

>>14732256
the heroes, with possibly some puzzle box related dungeon in a demi-plane that's entrance is at the top of one of the mage-lords spires

>>14732428
Appear to them as a wizened old man, let them know you had heard of their quest and intend to help. That in your long time as a slave you noticed a secret passage at the top of the mages tower, and while you don't know what lies beyond you are certain that it's an artifact of immense power to be hidden so thoroughly.. Then they run another gauntlet, or face some manner of challenges, and get the box with a little riddle as to it's use.

"Each time you need me had best be dire/
There comes a time I'll be no more/
And if from these puzzles you retire/
You may wind up on death's door"

Or something. I don't know. Something less foreboding.

>>14732256
You are doing an awesome job with the quest vedi, even with 4chan crashing a few times and making /tg/ slow as shit.

We did not do much stuff today but it was pretty satisfying.

I also vote for going to the heroes before they lose all hope, that miracle puzzle idea seems pretty good and it would be awesome to find a way so they receive it

>>14732280
The point is not about whether the note contains sensitive information or not, the point is that she could just have easily have asked her about that in person later. The fact that she didn't implies she wanted us to see it, though whether that is to make us feel included, subtly tell us that the other's don't know we stayed there overnight so we shouldn't tell them if we don't want Laressa to be teased about it, tell us that our anti-spying measures can still be bypassed, or whatever, the point remains.

>>14732313
A 50/50 chance Laressa would wake up first, see it, read it, and then probably hide it, not that we would take it. Letting your date know that your friend will be extorting details out of you later isn't exactly smooth.

Plan for the heroes.

Have someone approach them having heard of their quest with information that they're willing to sell, rather expensively. The information is question is a (fabricated) set of minutes from a meeting of the governing archmages about twenty years ago; one of the points discussed was a request by a certain archmage to have the ban on production of his panacea lifted, which was denied. Make sure that it's an actual archmage who we know is dead.

There's our hook; they'll obviously look into this archmage guy, because it's not like they have anything better to do. At that point, we can make his old estate the subject of some small adventures- put in numerous subtle secret spells, traps, compartments, etc. that looters might have feasibly missed. Make references to all kinds of wild research in scattered notes, and have an item or two of remarkable but bizarre utility in there (now accepting suggestions). One of the more difficult things to get should be a ring- which serves as an access key.

By putting it on when in the proper location, the user transports themselves to a private and well-shielded demiplane, which would be why all the divinations were failing. They're alone, of course; only one person can wear the ring. The moment they take it off, they're returned to wherever they were.

The demiplane's automatic defenses immediately activate, obviously, but Tissa is practically invincible and the other three are all two vulnerable- so make it something indirect and nonlethal, like a gas trap or an all-engulfing wave of capture gel or whatever. After whoever went in is caught, they can be encountered by the residents of the demiplane.

>>14732643
Now, I'd want it to be the archmage's (previously unknown) children, hidden away here to hopefully survive the chaos- but creating people to fulfill the role might be beyond our not-so-omnipotent powers. It's a bitch to DM when you can't make new NPCs or even twist old ones to your desires particularly well. Hell, even being able to snatch a few kids off the street and give them vague false memories would be fine, but if we can't do that without brain damage it'd be kind of pointless. If we can't manage that, we'll probably have to go with ourselves acting out a role- perhaps the archmage's lover, likewise ensconced here and unable to leave. Surviving only because we're able to drink the panacea to keep ourselves alive, and (perhaps) gradually going mad due to side effects (add to spice), or just the fact that it doesn't actually cure hunger, just the physical damage that it does to our body, and that we've been trapped completely alone in a world which doesn't conform to the standard physical laws for months on end.

Either way, the panacea is there- but taking it away will kill the demiplane's residents, and they can't leave, at least not without what will probably be months of work from an archmage trying to replicate or modify the access key or otherwise open a gate to the demiplane. Morality troubles, ho. I'm sure we'll be able to come up with someone else good from that position.

>>14732657
Yes! Test the paladin's sense of duty against her morals!

>>14732256
>Vote on Focus for Friday and discuss away at any PLOT that has been deposited in this or the past few threads.
I want to focus on the heroes, but I also want to see the aftermath of the Laressa bit. The dinner plot isn't really over until we've seen what she does afterward- her reaction to waking up with us gone, her talking about it with her friends, and possibly her initial experimentation with and reaction to our gift. I feel like we need wrapup before moving on to the heroes- even if it's just an in-game morning. The heroes' plot is going to take substantially more in-game time and moving on to it now would leave Laressa rather annoyingly hanging.

So please write up a decent amount about what happens in the wake of this thread, even if we don't input any actions on the topic. All we need to do there is observe anyway, but not letting us see it would suck.

>>14732643
>all two vulnerable
Oh, god, I made a too/two error? The shame is staggering.

I need sleep now.

>>14732657
Very much in favour of this. If we could tie in the "madness" with a few prophetic ramblings that lead them (if taken seriously) to a few quest hooks we want them to follow, all the better.

>>14732620
You are getting way too paranoid. We don't need to worry about whether or not these elves are secretly spying for Laressa's mother. Laressa is competent and backed up by the deadliest orc in existence, and us as well. We're not going to let a controlling bitch ruin our fun.

>>14732876
We certainly don't need to worry. I would rather like to know if they're reporting to her mother, though, if only because it would be an interesting point of Laressa's psychology to find out if she knows and is ignoring it, knows and doesn't care, or doesn't know.

Also, I'd be interested in reading whatever reports they make to Laressa's mom and then watching her mom receive them, because it would undoubtedly be hilarious to watch her mom's blood vessels burst as she discovers that her darling daughter has indeed fallen head over heels for us. Though presumably she found that out when her last messenger to Laressa returned.

Personally, I suspect that Stella is an agent of Laressa's mother, but that could be my knee-jerk suspicion talking. If she is, though, and Laressa tells her about our mark... then I DEFINITELY want to watch Laressa's mom when she hears about it. Because that's the sort of thing that would be a firm and impossible to ignore declaration that Laressa has been moved to someone else's control, and I bet she'd completely blow a fuse.

>>14733039
Ah, I see.

I'm all for trolling the hell out of her mom.

>>14732876
Huh? I think you linked to the wrong post there.

>>14732256
>Am I doing a good job? Shitty? Moving stories? Cardboard characters? You decide!

I loved it. This might have been the best episode so far.
I liked the insight into our own character as well, the thing with sentient golem. That was touching.

i think we agree that leaving stella alone is good at this point. it makes things a bit more interesting when Laressa is unaware we are watching her.

WE STILL HAVEN'T MADE UP A CURE ALL?

WHY?

>>14736497
BECAUSE WE ARE QUITE APPARENTLY SMITTEN WITH THE ELF, AND HAVE BEEN UNDULY PREOCCUPIED BY OUR PURSUIT OF HER.

Please, don't ever become intimate with Laressa!

PLEASE!

Fuck

I don't want this to turn into another waifu quest.


>>14736497
Yeah, I don't know either.

We still have a week before we give Stella another lead.
IMO, this whole idea is ridiculous. I mean, the fact that we are trying to crash the Pally with Laressa.
Has anyone ever thought that Stella is not going to go in guns blazing? I think it is more likely that she will go for diplomatic approach when trying to get the cure.
On the other hand, I don't see Laressa denying them that cure. She has absolutely no motive to deny them it, and especially she will have no desire to make enemies of high level adventures when she can simply make a deal.

>>14737928
>Has anyone ever thought that Stella is not going to go in guns blazing? I think it is more likely that she will go for diplomatic approach when trying to get the cure.
... I think you mean Tissa.

Oh god, this thread is still alive? I guess I'll answer questions then. All answers will be completely truthful unless noted otherwise. I reserve the right to decline answering something.

>>14738748
Guess it's not alive after all.

Anyway, next thread Friday 18:00 like normal.

>>14738996
>Guess it's not alive after all.
It's just very slow and plagued by /tg/'s technical problems. These things happen.


>>14737928
>Please, don't ever become intimate with Laressa!
>I don't want this to turn into another waifu quest.
I don't think anyone is inclined to turn this into waifu quest. Even if we slept with Laressa, I'm pretty sure that we'd callously drop her as soon as she ceased to be interesting. Sexing her up would only be another way for her to entertain us- both by the act itself and perhaps more importantly by how it would shape her actions and personality afterward. Personally, I find Laressa's pursuit of us romantically one of the more interesting aspects of her personality, although it does begin to seem logical when you realize that we're apparently the only one with power who ever gave her anything without being abusive about it or expecting anything in return- and what we gave her was freedom and power, which she had always wanted.