You can hear the sound of combat in the room behind you. You crawl up the steps to peer in and see the hero now fighting your master, the demon Ozerus. The fight is clearly in your masters favor already, and this isn’t even his final form if you recall correctly. You crawl further, the hero made a grave mistake in not finishing you while he had the chance, you master will see you and heal you to full strength soon, and then the hero will be finished.

Sure enough, your master soon sees you and reaches a horrible appendage out in your direction. You feel the last drops of life being drained from your body as the few wounds on Ozerus’ body begin to mend.

The hero looks towards you, for the first time you think you see a glint of fear in his eyes. Outrage burns in yours. You have been betrayed. But the pact you made with the demon? How could he. . . The implications are to great to be pondered in the few seconds you have left. . . You can see the flow of energy arc across the room from your body to his with arcane trained eyes as you desperately try to figure a way out.

. . .

The hellstone

Powerful artifacts expended of their energy are the perfect reciprocals for souls and new enchantments. The vacuum left behind practically pulls magical energy inside, and the hellstone was a very, very great artifact.
With the last of your strength you push the stream of energy, a minor feat, ever so slightly to the left, so that it passes directly through the hellstone.

Ozerus roars, realizing what you have done, as both of your souls begin funneling into the hellstone. The last thing you see before your essence leaves your body entirely is the hero leaping back at the demon to strike while it is distracted.

. . .

So that is why you can’t move or sense anything but magic auras. You are disembodied and trapped within the hellstone. Strange that you cannot feel the presence of the demon within you, he should have been trapped within as well. You have no idea how much time has passed, typically when these things happen the mind goes to sleep until something happens to wake it. To your arcane trained mind the most likely thing would be the approach of new auras. . .

It is strange to feel this knowledge flowing into your mind while being compleletly unable to remember anything more than the last few minutes of your life. . . you appear to be suffering some kind of amnesia, not uncommon given what you did to yourself. Still, there will be time for soul-searching later, for now something approaches. Four humanoids wearing an assortment of magical equipment, adventurers. You aren’t yet sure what you are capable of in this position, but you feel the need to do something. You realize they are in the same room as you now. . . You wish you had eyes and ears. You do the best you can and examine their auras.

A weak cleric and a weak mage are the easiest to spot. The cleric is a human female very obviously, the mage an elf with a weak celestial bloodline of some kind.

The other two aren’t casters, which makes them much harder to read. The only thing you can be sure of is that one is a changeling.

What do you want to try to do?

>>22548250

well.. what CAN we do? What can an imprisoned soul do but hope that somebody releases it from its prison?

>>22548343

You try to recall any knowledge you may have about what trapped souls are capable of. You were apparently a very powerful wizard of some kind, you certainly studied these things.

You cant call forth anything clear. Just emotions, like wariness and an urge to be cautious. You have dealt with them before, you are sure of that. And you wouldn't feel this vague fear if they were powerless. . . Perhaps you can exert some kind of magical or mental influence? Trick them into releasing you? Perhaps you are capable of possession?

Another annoying thing is that you have no idea what they are capable of. . . Perhaps given time they will bind you into a ring or necklace or something and make a nice magic item out of you. Maybe they wont even notice you. If you try to influence or attack them will they be able to fight back?

You wont know until you try you suppose, you only hope you don't try the wrong thing in ignorance.

You could also just wait and observe them, though if they leave you here you are basically screwed.

You really are missing having eyes and ears.

>>22548446

Try to possess the changeling

Should we roll something?

>>22548446
Whichever one seems like it has the weakest will, one of the non-casters probably, we should try to move into them. Maybe possess them if we feel capable of it, but for the time being, let's just move in and try to see with their senses and hide in the back of their mind. Be a passenger, with the option of possession if we decide it's important. The changeling would be the idea target, since we could then shape its body into our own if we do possess it, but at the moment, the weak will is the most important. Move in and hide and watch.

>>22548519

You try to possess the changeling.

Roll 1d100

After checking back in 4m the roll with the most deviation from 50 will be the chosen roll.

High is good.

Rolled 55

>>22548534
I'm voting for moving in and using its senses but not truly possessing it yet.

>>22548531

(Subnote: Possession as used in the above statement of action means moving into their body, not necessarily controlling them, this would require an effort after normal possession)

Rolled 16

>>22548534

File: 1358023743430.png-(29 KB, 156x160, win.png)

Rolled 59

>>22548534

>that rolling mechanic

oh god, this is going to be hilarious.

Really seems more suited for a "lolsofandom" quest though.

Rolled 3

>>22548534

Rolled 18

>>22548602
BEAUTIFUL.

Fuuuck TG dice

Hoping to rectify this

Rolled 78

lol

Rolled 90

We really need to roll strategically from now on.

As in, if we have a roll of like 70+, stop rolling.

Rolled 72

>>22548602
Good job.

Rolled 13

>>22548652
We didn't have a roll of 70+.

>>22548534
Well then, Hitch a ride in the changeling.

Rolled 72

>>22548598
Yes, this will be hilarious:
>>22548602

Rolled 51

Well, better go for the 98+

Rolled 93

>>22548744
I don't get how this works at all.

>>22548602

You attempt to possess the changeling.

This shouldn't be too hard, you are a being of pure thought after all, it is only natural for you to move into a brain.

You attempt to lock onto the mind of the changeling and start "moving" into it. You do your best to be subtle.

You suddenly can see through the changeling's eyes, and are baring witness to the hellstone hovering off its pestle and vibrating erratically. Multicolored mist bearing images of faces flow from it towards the changeling's perspe. . .

Wait no you can see the changeling across from you. . . Who did you target?

"Step back! Chell! Turn it or something!!!" You hear a female voice shout.

You see a blinding flash emit from a human female a few feet from you. It doesn't hurt you, thank god you aren't technically a ghost, but it does seem to have an effect on the man you are trying to enter who is backpedaling furiously.

"Get it off! Zurrue!"

The mage casts something and you feel the mans mind become hot to you, you quickly retreat back to the hellstone, but something is different. It no longer feels like a room you are trapped in so much as a wall to hide behind. You think the adventurers can still see you.

Rolled 19

>>22548763

The most extreme roll is the one that's chosen.

So the closest to 1 or 100.

Rolled 90

>>22548777
Quick, Attempt to influence the mage and then FORCE your way in her brain.

>>22548813
no more rolls pls kthx

Rolled 15

>>22548813
What if we attempt to possess the dog?

>>22548785

I guess the best course of action would be to not roll too much.

>>22548777

well now that they are aware of us, we should try to make it seem that our intentions are not hostile.

Cry for help. Or at least do a crystal's equivalent of that. Perhaps our voice can be heard at least in priest's mind?

>>22548813
Let's not roll anymore. Let's just do this.

>>22548857
>dog
???

>>22548878
There is a dog, right? There is always a dog!

>>22548813

On the plus side you did gather that the changeling is female and from her equipment probably the party rogue. And the man you tried to possess on accident was human and wearing full plate.

You do your best to communicate, but without any senses you cannot tell if it has an effect, if you want to do anything you will need a body, or more skill as a revenant.

You attempt to throw yourself into the mage.

Roll, same rules. First 4m matter.

Rolled 92

>>22548911

No Whammy

Rolled 54

>>22548911
Fine, lets roll for the mage.

>>22548932

No more rolls pls

>>22548932
Stop now.

>>22548932

EVERYONE STOP ROLLING

". . .mon or something." The man, who Zurrue's mind knows to be Richard, finishes.

The changeling, Steff, motions to Zurrue then to the stone, arcane circles appearing around her eyes as she does so. You can tell the circles are a result of her pigmentation control rather than real magic.

You feel Zurrue nod, "I'll see what I can do"

You recognize a identify spell forming in his brain.

You think you are safe for now. You could lay low and see what the adventurers do, or you can find out what else you are capable of.

You think back to the last few minutes of you previous life. It leaves a lot of questions unanswered.

"Just a rock" Zurrue says, "The demon or whatever isn't in it."

"Then where is it?" Chell, the cleric, asks.

>>22549161

Sit tight. Attract no attention. We can exercise when the party lays down to rest and attribute it to sleepwalking. Let them think they destroyed it or something.

It looks like we're safely in Zurrue's mind without him noticing. Let's lay low and gather some more information about our predicament.

Rolled 74

>>22549161
Huh... Can we explore the mind of our host and try to learn what basic skills does he/she/it have? Spells, crafting arts and such?

>>22549161
Explore the mind. Try to absorb some memories, some personality. Enough to emulate the host if we decide to go full-possession. Also try to see if the host has any memories that could shed some light on our own life.

>>22549260
Later on, give them a few sessions to forget about this incident, then strike. The PCs will never see it coming!

>>22549292
If exploring the mind can be done without giving us away, I would say we should do it. Just basic stuff: who is this guy, what he can do, which kind of training other than magic, etc.

We are not trying to posses him... yet

>>22549292
Pretty much. Or try to communicate, if we think they might be receptive. Still, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

>>22549331
Her. The mage is a woman.

You decide to lay low for a bit. In the meantime you can dig around in your host's mind and see what info you can gather, the names of his companions came easily to you so more shouldn't be too hard. When the party lays to rest you will start taking action again.

Zurrue is a elf with a distant angelic ancestor, an aasimar. He is a novice magician who learned all his magic from books and experimentation. He became an adventurer out of the expectation that he should become a hero due to his bloodline, and a desire to make connections with other wizards and such on the way from which he could gain tutelage.

His party is Richard, a charismatic-knight-whannabe (or at least this is how Zurrue regards him). Chell, a optimistic and sincere person to whom you are fairly sure Zurrue feels an attraction. And Inva, a mute changeling who communicates through charades augmented by changeling abilities, how fascinating.

They have apparently decided to investigate this place due to rumors that a very powerful sorcerer once used it to cast some big ritual or whatnot. No reports of monsters or cultists or anything, but Richard still seemed convinced there could be artifacts laying around.

It seems they have found a variety of tomes on advanced demonology and arcana which has made Zurrue very happy. Aside from that though there seems to be little of value here.

Richard has lifted the hellstone into his satchel, despite the cautious protests of Chell, and together the party surveys the room. They speak for some time about the scars left on the stone floor and walls. Chell and Zurrue examine the faded remains of a summoning circle drawn around the pestle the hellstone was on.

"I think that rock was used to summon something here, a demon." Chell says.

"The thing that attacked me?" Richard asks.

"Maybe, I don't know."

Richard and Inva seem disappointed in the lack of loot. . . But that isn't right. . . Wasn't there a small treasury under your throne?"

>>22549344

Zurrue: Male aasimar wizard
Richard: Male human fighter
Chell: Female human cleric
Inva: Female changeling rogue

>>22549447
Whisper in the mages mind about the throne. any treasure he has could be usefull when we takeover.

>>22549161
Fuck this bullshit. We were betrayed by the affairs of outsiders, sidelined, trapped in a shit form. Obviously we were wrong before.

We should capitalize on this and make ourselves a new body, a work of artifice and great capacity, to allow us to ensure that we will not be some powerful creature's health potion again.

To ensure that this world isn't in such an idiotic conflict again.

We may as well tell these people we're a protective spirit and that they have our gratitude for freeing us, and that we will find ways to reward them if they assist us in creating a more fitting vessel from which we may interact with the world without riding on their consciousness like a parrot on someone's shoulder.

>>22549447

Cont. . . Feild too long

The party decides to rest in the throne room outside the summoning room before trekking outside again. They each undo bedrolls and take out small portions of ration, eating while chatting, before going to bed.

>>22549447
A very long time must have passed. Still, let's see if we can plant the suggestion of checking under the throne. Let's be careful as hell about it.

Also, once everyone's asleep, let's see if the changeling's mind is easier to enter while she's sleeping. Having a shapeshifting body would be MUCH better.

>>22549500
Let's see if it's easier to enter the changeling's mind when its guard is dropped by sleep.

>>22549494

I kind of like the idea of an artificer-made body.

>>22549508
But the caster knows magic. His body can use magic, shouldn't we stay in a body that could potentially use our archmage potential?

File: 1358027026934.gif-(912 KB, 392x400, liches gonna lich.gif)

>>22549508
You could appear to the mage in dream, apearing like a decayed lich king saying intentionally vague stuff like "beneath the seat of power" with a deep, booming voice. They'll eat that shit up.

>>22549537
Short-term, sure.

Long-term, any body we stay in seems to have the ability to fight us off or repel us. Time to make a new one, I think.

We should make a deal with these people instead of fucking around and possibly being thrown out of them, though.

>>22549537
Is magic a biologically-based thing in this setting or is it based on the mind and soul? This is something we should know, since we were once a great sorcerer. If it's based on mind and soul, we stand to lose nothing by getting better body. If it's based on the body itself, then yes, we should stick with the wizard.

>>22549537
This,

Plus, it would be more easy to whisper on her dreams about the academic value of the tomes and wizard's books, maybe if she read all of them we could learn a thing or two about our chances

>>22549562
>Long-term, any body we stay in seems to have the ability to fight us off or repel us.
I have seen exactly zero evidence of that. Where are you getting that idea from?

>>22549563
I agree. Personally I think the changeling might the most use to us but then I like shapeshifters.

>>22549572
The mage casting a spell to oust us, which didn't work because of atechnicality, and the fact that we can fail a roll to 'possess' something.

>>22549590
We have no idea whether that would have worked or not, and all we've seen is that we can fail to possess a person, not that they can throw us off. You're speaking out of assumptions. You may well be right, but there's no evidence one way or the other yet on that front.

>>22549590
>>22549586
>>22549572
>>22549569
>>22549563
>>22549562

Guys, guys, we're inside the head of someone with a heap of arcane tones in his bag.

We can CONSULT THESE TOMES to gain some answers.

We should find out if it is possible to remove us from a mind or body, if our magic potential is dependent on our will or the body we inhabit, and if we can maybe build something better.

>>22549632
Could we nudge the mage towards these particular tomes through dreams? Subtle, and doesn't reveal our existence.

>>22549683
I have a better idea. The guy became an adventurer to find a senior mage to act as a tutor, yes?

We are that tutor--at least, that's what we'll make him think. Surely once we start poring over his knowledge we will remember some of our greatness.

When he asks what/who we are, we just explain that we were kept captive and forced to help him, or some other shitty sob story He'll be on us like a fat kid on chocolate.

>>22549736
That seems unnecessarily risky, especially with how little we actually know about these people. Let's make a gamble like that when the cards are stacked slightly more in our favor.

You try to influence the dreams of the sleeping party, an attempt to get them to discover your loothoard. You aren't really confident in your ability to manipulate dreams, so you kinda just think about the throne room really hard while in the mage's mind. Looking at the effect it has you are pleased to see that his mind has taken the information and worked it into the narrative of his dreams, which now involve something about a skeletal figure on the throne speaking in riddles of a treasure beneath as the throne slightly slides.

You try to recall what your casting abilities are without a body. You don't beleive it should be much more difficult for you to cast now that you think about it, but your energy is practically non-existent, you will need to borrow life-force from others to be able to cast without killing yourself. Magic training does help one bolster their magic reserves, but high willpower or even emotion can deepen the well significantly. You decide to keep that in mind.

You also attempt to slide into the rogue's mind, and find it to be very easy now that you have done it a few times and haven't just woken up after who knows how long, an unless the mind is specifically guarded against it you doubt you will have trouble with sliding across minds anymore. You make yourself at home.

When the part awakes the first thing Zurrue says it to ask the changeling if she investigated the throne for a trapdoor or anything. Inva rolls her eyes and walks over to the throne, quickly finding a lever that, with Richard's help, is pulled to slide the throne open.

Inva is the first in, checking for traps and whatnot. Not that it matters, no one in the party has anywhere near the equipment or spells necessary to get through here alive.

Hm. . . Where did that thought come from. Whelp you know what it means. If you don't intervene there is a high probability at least some of the party will die.

>>22549787
Okay, this is how we get the party to trust us slightly more. Start dropping information on trap placement directly into the changeling's mind.

>>22549787
Think hardly of Dread. That should give them a heads up. Maybe do so while on the changelings head? those who can't speak are often heard the loudest.

>>22549787
Okay. Say the following into the mage's mind:

"Mage! You have freed me from a prison created by my enemies (and in the end that fucking demon WAS our enemy - he betrayed us and used us and fucked us over for +5HP). I am a powerful spirit, once a great wizard, and I will offer you assistance in exchange for the same, freely given in fair exchange for the gain of both. I will guide you and yours through this place, ans I gave you some treasure now as a show of good faith, if you will allow me access to works that will restore to me some memory of the world - and I assure you, this will be far safer than reading these tomes alone or tackling this place unaided."

"I seek only to settle my scores in this world, and rest assured that those who betrayed me are enemies of all that aim to breathe free and control their own destinies; in this I can give you much knowledge and gain for assistance now. It was I that revealed the treasure to you, and I shall show you the likely lay of the rooms around you as a show of goodwill, for I believe this place quite dangerous for you and yours. What say you to my offer?"

>>22549851

Not bad. If they refuse we can follow them around and keep them from fucking dying until they feel suitably ingratiated to accept our help or something.

>>22549828
Yeah, let's get them to trust us. We may or may not backstab them by stealing a body, but if we can get the mage to build us a construct body after proving ourself trustworthy, that would be even better.

>>22549851
Nice speech. Seconding.

How do you wish to communicate? You may attempt to hijack Inva to use her mouth, or you may attempt to cast a spell of telepathy using Inva's lifeforce (you will not know without practice how to measure lifeforced used to power of spell), You may also use the parties lifeforce to cast the spells necissary to disable the traps, though this would require much more energy. You can bolster the parties energy by manipulating them into more emotional states.

You could also try to just borrow enough lifeforce from each party member to form a more tangible ghost form, but this would leave you vulnerable to attack by the cleric or mage.

Rolled 17

>>22549941
>You can bolster the parties energy by manipulating them into more emotional states.

>>22549941
Let's hijack someone's mouth, then ask if they're willing to let us form a ghost form. That seems like the most expedient solution, and the one that demonstrates the most faith. After we make the request, let's immediately return her mouth to her control.

Hell, since she's a changeling, can we open a second mouth on her and speak from that instead?

Rolled 61

>>22549941
Ghost form.

>>22549941
Speak telepathically into the Mage's mind with borrowed life force.

No vulnerability, no huge risk, no large drain of their resources.

>>22549941
I don't think communication with an uptight Aasimar bitch is a safe choice, especially after our less-than-stellar introduction. They might still think we are a demon. But that might just be me.

Anyway, we could probably jump into Inva's mind and instill a sense of dread upon her. That would maybe kickstart some sort of mass paranoia. We reap the excess emotion and disable the worst traps.

>>22549979

Wait, guys, Inva's mouth is mute. We cant do that.

Though we could like write it on her back or something, it would be less intrusive and still get the point across? or just hijack someone else's mouth.

Mage's mind, borrowed lifeforce.

>>22550016
>paranoia
Yeah, that'll get us what we want instead of putting them all into a state of self-interest.

We should try diplomacy now.

>>22550046
>>22550004
I'm with these guys.

You quickly do your best to instill a feeling of dread in Inva, who halts her progression through the hall suddenly. That should buy you some time before these idiots fry themselves.

"What's wrong?" Richard asks.

Inva glares back at him and stares carefully around the hall.

You channel some of her energy into forming a telepathic link with the mage. She drops to a crouch suddenly from the lightheaded sensation, which has a exponential effect on her dread. You can see her skin take on a color the same as the hall's stone, probably a survival instinct?

"Mage! You have freed me from a prison created by my enemies. I am a powerful spirit, once a great wizard, and I will offer you assistance in exchange for the same, freely given in fair exchange for the gain of both. I will guide you and yours through this place, and I shall give you some treasure now as a show of good faith. I assure you, this will be far safer than tackling this place unaided."

"I seek only to settle my scores in this world, and rest assured that those who betrayed me are enemies of all that aim to breathe free and control their own destinies; in this I can give you much knowledge and gain for assistance now. It was I that revealed the treasure to you, and I shall show you the likely lay of the rooms around you as a show of goodwill, for I believe this place quite dangerous for you and yours. What say you to my offer?"

Zurrue freezes, then repeats everything you said word for word to the rest of the party. You aren't sure if that is what you wanted to happen, but you guess it at least shows you he isn't an idiot.

A green checkmark appears between Inva's shoulder blades.

"Tell it yes!" Richard orders.

Chell seems uncertain, but says nothing.

"Ok spirit, I accept."

cont...

>>22550179
And that's how you diplomacy.

We show them the way, especially to areas we want to know more of or can grab something useful from to create a body for ourselves, and we'll be walking and talking soon enough - and they can benefit plenty.

Time to read some damn books, though. And maybe ask them what the fuck is up with the outside world.

"To disarm the traps that litter this place I will require lifeenergy from you. If I do not do this you will be killed by the traps." You tell Zurrue, who again repeats what you say to the rest of the party.

"It sounds like a trap" Chell says.

"If it can steal our energy and wanted to kill us it would just kill us, I say let it." Richard argues.

"Demons work in pacts right? Maybe it needs our permission to drain us."

"I'm not a demon," You begin, "Also pacts are bullshit".

A orange bar appears on Inva's forehead, it depletes to about half followed immediately by her sinking to the crouch again and moving her mouth as though speaking.

"He allready took some of her energy to speak to me. . . Right?" Zurrue guesses

Inva nods.

"See, it could kill us whenever it wanted." Richard states.

"You say that as though we should be comforted."

"Come on."

"Fine."

On the plus side all this drama, uncertainty, and argument has upped the energy total a bit.

You disable to traps without incident, though the party is quite weakened.

You also realize that you feel much less together now. Even acting as a channel for the energy of others seems to be rough on you.
You don't think it would be safe for you to slide around for a while, leaving you stuck in Inva till you feel better.

The party progresses forward towards what you remember to be the treasury. You set your mind to planning what to discuss with them and what long-term objectives to begin working towards once they get there and their trust in you is firmly established.

>>22550347
Point out the traps on the way, and that they are disabled.

Ask them about their goals and attempt to discern their motives and character (sense alignment, or just try to determine it).

Ask what has become of the world since your time, what it's like, etc.

>>22550347
First and foremost we want a body. Hopefully they can provide one. A nice construct body would be ideal, but if they're okay with it, the body of a criminal or something should also be fine.

>>22550347
Long term goal?

As Anonymous proposed before: Get ourselves a powerful artificial body.

>>22550347

Perhaps one of the casters could conjure up a vessel for us to control fully?

Also, make an effort to remember more of your lair.

And more on our background. Some general global events, like name of local monarch, so we can gauge how long have we been gone.

If we've been an evil wizard, it would benefit us more if long time has passed... and what happened to the demon we summoned? He might be a very inconvenient witness.

>>22550386
>A nice construct body
This. It doesn't even need to be superhumanly strong or tough. Just something. We can work on improving it on our own once we have it.

>>22550386
>>22550390
>>22550423
Good for long-term, but first things first.

>>22550403
>demon as inconvienent witness

Are you kidding? WE'RE the inconvenient witness, we know that his bargains are worthless and etcetera. If anything, we're semi-living proof of how much demons suck, and everyone that followed us and him was a fucking dupe.

>>22550423
>>22550390

For now i would even be fine with posessing an animal. A cat or something. I doubt they can create artificial bodies, they seem to weak for that.

We offer them to stay and adventure with them until we find more of our memories, and we can offer to teach the wizard what we know about magic.

>>22550511
We're in a big lair full of artifacts and powerful shit. We can just try >>22550249
>We show them the way, especially to areas we want to know more of or can grab something useful from to create a body for ourselves, and we'll be walking and talking soon enough - and they can benefit plenty.

"I have been sealed some time. . . I would like your aid in figuring out how long." You begin

"About that, you mentioned you were a powerful wizard little else. If I'm going to work with you I would like to know exactly who you are and how you became like this." Chell demands after Zurrue finishes relating your words.

Hm, it seems there are still some things to get out of the way before you can speak openly with them. How honest should you be with them. . . Though to be honest babysitting these low teir adventurers is begining to vex you, perhaps this is a time to remind them that you have already shown them enough good will. Establish some dominance.

Or maybe befriending is the best way to go. . . You wonder what the old you would have done, probably the dominus route. You aren't sure if this is an example to follow or rebel against.

>>22550506

perhaps so, but it could ruin our relation with the adventuring party if the demon goes about calling us "master".

Yes, yes, I know demon is hardly reliable source of information, but so is a disembodied wizard, and it would certainly plant at least a seed of doubt.

>>22550548
"Okay. I want good will between us. I was the sorcerer of this keep. I summoned a demon. It was the wrong choice, I was betrayed, and I have sat sealed for a long time as a result of that. I have no desire to do any of you harm, nor have dealings with demons ever again. I'll help you and, if possible, I would appreciate being helped in return."

>>22550584
Meh. Anyone got anything better?

>>22550584

I suggest we put some amnesia into that story. Perhaps more than is actually the case.

But that might compromise our helpfulness in the delving. Or be compromised by it. hmm...

"I don't remember much. I know that this place used to be my dwelling. I think I dabbled in daemonology, and that has cost me my body. It's also why I can tell you from first hand experience: never trust a demon, no matter how carefully you've summoned it."

>>22550584
Too open. Remember we have a paladin and a cleric of probably 'good' gods.

>>22550630
Something like this?

>>22550642
>>22550630
>>22550586
>>22550584
Hang on, writing something that may not suck.

dont dominate, befriend

>>22550566
We were calling the demon master. I think it is unlikely to recognize us again in our current form, anyways.

>>22550548
I would like to befriend them. Our final moments quite evidently showed that our old path doesn't usually lead to a good end.

Tell them honestly that our memories are still fractured. We were a wizard who summoned a demon to... do something we don't remember anymore. The demon killed us by stealing our life energy, but we managed to banish it and seal what was left of us inside of a stone.

If they tell us that we were obviously evil to summon a demon, answer that we learned our lesson about demonic pacts the moment it betrayed us.

>>22550548
"Who I am - who I was, is lost to the anals of history and hidden even to me. I remember wielding the elemental storm as my weapon, reality being my plaything. A blade through my stomach, and a demon devouring me. A name, Maria... I can't remember. I only remember the void, an eternity still in deep slumber."

>>22550586
>>22550548
"I was a fool. A fool, and none of you could ever hope to eclipse my folly, but wisdom is not bought cheaply. I will tell you this much - do not crave for power beyond your ken, for the otherworldly might to shape and carve creation comes with more price than value and now I am a bodiless thing, blind, deaf, mute, unable to breathe the sweet air of the flowering fields or feel the rain on a long-gone face. That is what I was."

"I made a stand that was ill-considered on the promise of another, a betrayer that sought mastery and control - and all good things know what tyranny is, but not all born to this world can resist its guile, its promises, the false claims of legitimacy and reward and honesty. There are none so tempered as those who have had the bitterness of betrayal thrust onto them. That was my mistake."

"But when I lay ruined and undone by the efforts of another, the bargain made with he that would call me master required yet more than the sacrifice of all my energies - so he reached for my throat and the last of my life's blood, for more of his savage gluttony, for more of his endless dominance. And I turned from him and his falseness, and with the help of a former foe cast him into utmost oblivion at the price of unknown years of encasement in that rock you carry."

"But I was not the only one to suffer in beguilement, not the only servant of a malevolent and manipulative tyrant - and so now I have my former brethren to find, and plenty of ill-considered handiwork to see to - traps to unspring, snares to lay bare, and comrades to see to. That is the only acceptable course to one that has seen what I have seen. So think of that what you will, but I see no other way."

"I may tell you more at some other time, but you have asked enough now. Make your decision."

>>22550669
>>22550584
Something like these. We're aware that our old path was wrong. We learned that lesson too late, but we learned it. Let's try to be straight with them, tell them we don't remember much, but we were bad, and we have no intention of being bad anymore.

>>22550691
>anals of history

The butts of times past, you say?

I think you meant ANNALS.

>>22550691
sounds good to me.

>>22550700
nah

>>22549494

Yeah I like this, fuck the demon and his kind. He should have know better than betraying us. We get ourselves a new body and make sure to no one does the stupid shit we did before.

>>22550700
This could work.

>>22550691
Amnesia and dodging the issue won't work, though. Especially if it's five years later and our bullshit wasn't exactly a 'bygone age' ago.

>>22550732
Watch as we become the Gatekeeper. Warden of the walls between worlds.

>>22550700
I support this

>>22550700

Well written speech, but too verbose and too decisive for someone who hasn't even regained even fraction of his memories. Possibly too overwhelming for the adventurers, too.

>>22550759
We DO have amnesia, however. Most of our past life is hidden, and we only recollect vividly our last moment.

Just be straight with them. Tell them what we remember - which is NOT much - and that we don't want to be bad, don't want to summon demons, and have learned our lesson at great personal cost far too late.

>>22550789
Doesn't emotion bolster our casting energy?
>>22550795
I don't think we should let on that we have amnesia while claiming to know the layout of the area. Would you want an amnesiac guide?

>>22550700

It might be enough of a gesture to convince the aasimar or cleric or whatever.

>>22550808

I thought that we can influence emotion of the party through our ghostly shenanigans, and it costs us energy

"Honestly I do not entirely know who I am, not even my name. I know that I was once a powerful sorcerer who used this keep as a home, and that I lost my body in an attempt to seal a demon I had foolishly summoned."

"Your a warlock!" Chell accuses.

"Was. I learned the hard way that demons are not to be trusted. I don't really know why I did the things I did but I do now they ended tragically for me, and I have no desire to repeat those mistakes."

You can feel Chell believe you, but her exterior remains locked in a posture of mistrust.

"Any details? If you have names in your tale it may be able to help us put a timestamp on you." Richard comments.

"There was a hero, who. . . Helped me stop the demon," You find yourself refusing to mention being defeated by him. "But the only name I remember is the demon's. . . And, 'Maria'."

Richard shrugs. "Maria is a first name obviously, could be anyone. The demon's name is meaningless and is probably best left unsaid. I know of no demon that has rampaged the land in some time, and the circle in there couldn't have been older than. . . What inva, a decade or two?"

Inva makes a "around there" motion with her hand while shrugging.

"The hero could be identified, but not without a name. . . Sorry."

A couple decades? At least you aren't ancient.

You make it to the chamber at the end of this long hall at last and Inva opens the door.

cont. . .

(had to move to my laptop and I may be a little slower till I can get back to the desk)

>>22550853
We can do lots of stuff with energy gathered from other people, who apparently have more energy to be taken when they are emotional

>>22550853
Ghostly shenanigans are more likely to cost energy. Emotional responses bolster overall available energy.

>>22550859

>you find yourself refusing to mention being defeated by him
A nice touch.

I wonder if he's still alive, too.

Lets not drain the aasimar of his lifeforce to much. We need to find a way to communicate with him without draining him. Teaching him some basic stuff could work.

>>22550927
We've established a telepathic link, it may not cost much for upkeep.

>>22550910
If we really were only sealed for some decades i think its likely he's still around. He must have been very powerful to be able to defeat a wizard as a fighter huehuehue.

But, seeing as the demon should have been with us in the hellstone thingy, i find it more likely that someone recently drew that summoning circle to free the demon. The old one could have faded long ago...

So, how are we going to power our body? We might design it around a core of living wood or plant matter, and occasionally water it, but harvest all the energy it might otherwise use to grow.

>>22550927
We are currently inside of the changeling, i think we are mostly using her energies.

>>22550956
I think it's much more likely that the demon slew the hero and is still loose.

>>22550963
We don't even know if a construct body is an option yet. Let's focus on the tasks at hand. Anyway, let's wait for OP to continue.

>>22550988
Well, if not there is still the option of posessing an animal, at least as a stopgap.

>>22550859
OP, is a construct body possible?

>>22550988
We do know that them sticking us inside something to create magical artifacts are possible, actually. A construct body isn't too far from that.

>>22550967

Hmm, I rarer be the voice of experience inside the mage she is the one who can get us out of this with some of our help. I maybe expensive but we maybe able to make a clone body with magic.

>>22550977
Or that the demon was slain by the hero before he could be absorbed by the stone (or maybe he was able to stop the process).

So we're lying through our teeth with this whole redemption and regret shit, right?

>>22550956
If so, then why didn't we sense it? It is possible, however, that the summoning spell weakened the protection around the hellstone enough for us to seep through.

>>22551075
Why? All previous /tg/ hardons for being a BBEG or an unregretful cunt have resulted in boring bullshit.

>>22551075
Nope. After all, there at the end, we tried to fight the demon. There at the very, very end. It was too late then, but damn it, it's not too late now.

>>22550859

The room brings back memories. It was more your home than the actual keep, which you only really used to impress guests and hold rituals that required fortification. This was where you spent all your time though. Books line the walls, each title brings back a sourcless emotion that you guess you must have felt when reading them the first time. Zurrue moves to them with some excitement but is disappointed when he finds them to be mostly tales and legends rather than arcane tomes.

"Armor!" Rechard excaims, moving towards a suit on a mannequin. Silver plates somehow held together by black cloth, certainly magic. Serpentine dragons engraved all over.

"looks like ceremonial armor" Chell observes.

You expect it to bring back memories, certainly something like that must have been important to you, but nothing comes.

"Hmm, too small for me though, Inva?" Richard asks.

Inva pumps her fist.

"You must have been a small dude" Richard says with some bitterness as he walks away to look around the room. You don't remember being particularly small. . .

"Like a dozen wands here Zurrue." Chell says.

"Jewelry, lots of it." Richard exclaims after opening a drawer.

"Don't put any on till I identify it." Zurrue comments while examining the wands.

. . .

You really don't think evil sorcerers are supposed to be alive to watch this happens. You feel like you are breaking some sacred order of things. And you are also feeling slightly indignant.

Bound to Inva's perspective, you see as soon as she does when she lifts a cloth to reveal the skeleton of a small dragonlike creature in a cage.

You feel a wave of sadness for some reason,

"Portals." Chell says glancing into the next room. "Does the ghost know where they go?"

"lets find out" Zurrue says while motioning Inva into the next room.

>>22551115
Is there anything we can animate and inhabit, like some other suit of armor or some clothes? Or the bones of the fucking pet dragon. Something.

>>22551115
If we know, tell them. If not, tell them that we don't. Ask Inva to please take a closer look at the tiny dragon skeleton - we're using her eyes right now.

>>22551115
"A sad way to die. I think this used to be my pet."

>>22551115
Awwww... Our dragon. Poor guy. Do we remember his name?

Anyway, did anything else of the room bring memories, and do we actually know where the path goes?

>>22551115
Isn't there a journal in the room somewhere, in which we could learn about our personal life ?

>>22551115

Maybe that jewelry belonged to Maria. I wonder how dear was she to us?

You feel annoyed when Inva turns away from the skeleton, not being able to control your own perspective is nauseating.

With one look at the portals you can tell they wont take you anywhere, someone who knew what they were doing intentionally deactivated them, you relate this to Zurrue.

"Please re-examine the skeleton", you request. Inva complies.

"Also you weren't a wizard." Richard says from another adjacent room. "A sorcerer or magi or whatever sure, I wont argue, but definantly not a wizard."

"Why do you say that?" You ask, unsure that there is even a difference between those words.

He appears from the room holding a silver gown.

"Someone was using your bottom drawer to keep an extra pair in." He says with a chuckle.

"Are we sure the ghost wasn't female?" Chell asks.

"Oh, uh, were you?" Richard asks.

"The cloths aren't mine." You say.

Richard gives the air a suspicious look, but drops it.

"Vates was the dragon's name, my familiar. I didn't keep him in a cage." You state suddenly.

"Then why did he starve in one?" Chell asks, receiving a glare from Inva and blushing upon realizing her insensitivity.

You don't know.

You were hoping to find a new body in here. . . Maybe something that also once held a piece of your soul would help, even if it is just a pile of bones now.

Roll to reanimate and possess Vates. Same rules. 5m or till everyone is obviously avoiding rolling.

>>22551331
I don't know. I think he deserves better than to be our puppet. A proper burial, perhaps.

Rolled 51, 38 = 89

Lets hope the reanimation works

Rolled 33

>>22551331
>>22551373
I think helping us revive is dignified enough.

>>22551373
You know, I actually agree with this. Let's give the little guy a burial. He deserves that, at the very least, if he was so close to us that we never even caged him.

Rolled 88

>>22551331
Sure lets roll.

I want to be a baby dracolich.

>>22551402
Nobody else roll now.

Rolled 20, 96 = 116

>>22551331
So apparently someone else lived her for a while...

Rolled 55

>>22551331
I want this.

REANIMATE

>>22551417
>>22551415
Clear your fucking email fields, we just rolled an 88 so it'll take a 12 or lower to fuck it up.

>>22551401
We'll do that, but we need one last favor from our friend. The circumstances are plenty unusual.

>>22551415
Maria? But she wouldn't imprison Vates.

Why didn't they clear out before leaving? Why are there no corpses? Why this place is unlooted?

>>22551434
>We'll do that, but we need one last favor from our friend. The circumstances are plenty unusual.
Okay. But we have to say something sentimental like, "Sorry, old friend. I need one more favor before you can be laid to rest."

>>22551331
>>22551331
I would like to know beforehand whether we'd actually have senses then. I suppose being undead they'd be magically generated, but being inside a skeleton would still not provide us with ears and eyes, strictly speaking.

>>22551373
>>22551401
Agreed.

>>22551456
Maybe she would put him in a cage. Not everyone can care well for a dragon, and we don't remember the kind of person she was.

>>22551402

"Isn't that a little disrespectful to a beloved pet." Chell asks.

"We were soul linked, he was part of my sapience and we both considered his to be one of our two bodies." You say, still telepathically but with your perspective rooted in the animate skeletal body. It feels familiar, you would use this body often when stealth was in order, just as he would move into yours so that you could fight together without endagering bother bodies when all out combat was the only option. Come to think of it you were together when you died. . . You wonder what happened to his identity? Is it part of you now? or did it go back to this body to be later murdered. . .

"Inva?" Richard asks, moving over to her body which has collapsed onto the ground.

"She is alive" You say before he does anything rash, while you may have a body now it is tiny and brittle.

He glares at you, then sighs. "Be careful. Chell?"

"She isn't injured, just tired."

"Right. . . Can you see, hear, and fly in that thing?"

"Yes."

In experimentation you fly up to the chandelier and perch there, feeling much safer.

"do you have your own lifeforce now?" He asks.

"No."

"Great."

>>22551471
If it proves a crappy decision, we won't try it again.

>>22551569
Thank them for the help so far and then offer them more help in return. Be completely sincere.

>>22551569
"It is better than nothing. Hopefully i will figure something out to solve this whole lifeforce problem..."

Right lets continue to help them loot this place. Look for anything you can use in your current body and claim it as your own but let them have the rest. See if you can find any hidden stashes that might have journals or clues on to what happened after you lost your body.

>>22551569
We should change around our life-force draws to pull from the other three, or all four equally if that'll return Inva to consciousness.

Then we should figure out the likeliest place to go next to restore our life-force problem. An artifact, or a beast or magical plant, so probably the armory, laboratory, garden...something.

>>22551627
rollan for this, let's get inva back on her feet if we can

>>22551624
we should look for a journal next

>>22551627
A body of living plant, of wood and green, would be ideal, I think. Or a body that was already empty.

Rolled 70

>>22551644
derp

>>22551646
Preferably a combination of things, but we can start with a magical plant or some elemental force or a gem of arcane power or something.

>>22551627
This.

>>22551644
This.

>>22551569

"Thank you for getting me this far," You begin, "I'm sorry I accidentally knocked out your companion. If you need anything from me just ask."

You fly into the bedroom that Richard just emerged from to look around.

"It has allready been looted." You say after glancing about.

"But what about this armor? All these wands?"

"The wands are all probably basic utility spells that whoever looted the place didn't bother taking, the armor. . . I'm not sure."

"They didn't search very well, anyone really trying to loot the place would have ripped the walls apart knowing it belonged to someone like you, or if they just wandered in here they probably would be the kind of person to just rip it apart out of principle." Richard retorts.

"Maybe, I don't know. But I definantly had more stuff in here."

"So someone halfass-looted your place, killed your familiar, and broke all your portals, then left." Richard replies skeptically.

"I believe that to be the case."

"Well. . . What now then? Leave?"

You think about it. You would really like to get the portals working, but that is serious magic that would take way more energy than these adventurers have to offer. There is also some crown on your project table that you were probably enchanting for whatever reason. . . You cant remember what it would do but if you could get enough energy it would probably be powerful. Once again, the adventurers themselves are insufficient. You also really would like to put together who would do this and why. . . Or you could just leave and come back later.

>>22551765

(If you have a journal it is missing, along with a few other things you would have expected yourself to keep like a grimoire, top-tier enchanted items and artifacts, and so on.)

>>22551765
"I need to solve my life force problem. Half of the things here are worthless until I do. I'm not asking you to help, but if you're willing, I wouldn't refuse it."

>>22551765
Just asking, but how big is the dragon skeleton body? And I assume we can talk normally now?

Anyway, we need to find something to get us lifeforce or something to use ourselves, we can't keep using adventurers as a crutch. Maybe ask them if there are any wizard libraries or similar around here to do research in, and places where people hopefully won't freak too much if they see a small skeletal dragon.

>>22551845

(house cat size)

>>22551765
"Let's take this crown with us. I worked on some rather powerfull enchantments for it.... It isn't finished, and i don't think i can finish it at the moment without draining your lifeforce completely, but who knows. It will certainly come in usefull once i figure out how to work around this problem."

>>22551845
Big stack of arcane tomes in the mage's bag, man. Come on.

>>22551765
"Whoever looted the place had both means of access and the location of this place. Somebody I knew, maybe. They came through the gates? They didn't bother with the main entrance, by the throne. They were no looters, they left the jewelry and mythological tomes. They knew what they were after."

Collect some of the utility wands, they might prove useful.

Rolled 71

Have one of them take the crown. We can always enchant it later.

See if you can't remember any secret alcoves. Otherwise I think its time to move on. If possible you should seal the place up after you leave so you can return later.

((Rolling for remembering hidden panels, entrances \ etc))

"Take the crown, it isn't magic yet but it is just waiting to become an artifact." You tell Richard.

"How does that work?"

"I cant remember."

>>22551889

It suddenly occurs to you that there is one more chamber you haven't explored, accessed by casting a planar travel to the plane of elemental fire spell while standing in the southeast corner of your bedroom while facing north. Your not sure if you used to be paranoid or if this is evidence of a sense of humor, but regardless you aren't casting anything even close to that power for some time.

"Zurrue, you have tomes of mine in your bag?"

". . . Yes." He says with a tinge of protectiveness.

"May I see them? I just want to look over them and see if anything occurs to me."

"Sure."

He lays them out before you.

Roll for science. Same rules.

Rolled 31

>>22551991

Rolled 37

>>22551991

Rolled 24

Rollan for Journal Updatan.

Rolled 11

>>22551991

Science?

We a Wizard, we do magic

Rolled 89

lets get some occurance

Rolled 70

>>22552061
>>22552077
Looks like a tie needs breaking.

>>22552061
>>22552077
Okay. What counts?

Rolled 36

>>22552094
THIS IS WHAT COUNTS

Rolled 100

>>22552223
or not...

>>22552094
[11 is technically closer
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 = 11 places
89,90,91,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,99,100 = 12 places]

You shake your head after spending some time looking over the tomes. In this time Inva has risen.

"Well then I guess it is time to head out" Richard says, "You're coming with us?"

"Do you want me to?" You ask.

"Well we haven't really gotten any quests yet to be honest. We were just starting out after all. Way I see it this is basically a quest right? Help you get your memories back and so on. And it isn't like it's pro bono or anything. You are obviously way out of our league, but right now you seem like you could use some help. So we help you out till you are powerful enough that you don't need us anymore and next time we need a big damn hero we can call on you. How's that?"

"A very economical way of putting how I was expecting things to transpire anyway." You reply.

"Great. So lets get you to Angpor, the nearest city. From there we can really get started. Does Angpor bring anything back?"

"No."

He shrugs. "Let's go."

You embark.

>>22552243
but hundred is closer! >>22552234

>>22552268
He was most assuredly already finishing up his post when the hundred was posted.

>>22552268

only rolls made within 5min of the post that requested the roll count

File: 1358038504095.png-(16 KB, 127x158, Jan. 11 11.23.png)

>>22552297
Oh right. A nat 100 wasted then...

I think that that is enough for today, next thread will pick up with the new location.

Im not confident in my ability to keep to a schedule so twitter is RevenantWriter
If you want to know when the next thread will be ill update that whenever I know.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Revenant%20quest

Thread archived, please thumb.

Thank you very much for participating, hope everyone had fun.