Fantasy Terrorchild: Awakening

[turtwigwins]

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[Damian0358]

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[asphodelus]

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[Breadman]

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[K0mori]

1. Face the Circle - Now is not the time to run. The explanation Embryx just gave was not only bold, but probably accurate, you realize in hindsight. Now would be a good time to back her up. "...We aren't leaving," you finally declare. You look to Embryx to assure her that you understand the gravity of the situation as you agree to stay - a decision which could very well backfire and kill one or both of you. "The circle will know how Diala's death fits into the Eldest's design."

Raffe sighs and rubs the side of his head, dumbfounded again by the sudden death of the Headmistress who had presided over the city's witches for years. Then, he seems to notice something about you and gestures toward your feet. "...Is that your blood? Or hers?"

You glance down at your shoes and notice a small puddle of blood forming. In the midst of all the adrenaline of the moment, you hardly noticed the pain of the multiple wounds Diala's magic dealt you. "Oh, I'm bleeding," you say.

"What are you waiting for?" Embryx snaps at the gallery. "Go get some of the caretakers and get Agranne patched up."

Firae, an elf, barks back: "We don't take orders from you, 'sister.'"

To your surprise, Embryx simply lifts her morning star at the crowd, which shrinks back at her aggression. "Do it," she demands again, and a few in the back peel away to go trotting down the hall, even tripping over Wolgar's corpse a bit as they scramble to find you the help you need. Embryx then takes a knee near you and leans in so that she can speak to you quietly. Even with Raffe in the room and watching, he doesn't dare to get close enough to understand what's being said.

"Agranne... the only way they spare us is if they truly believe that whatever forces that put you in this room and compelled you to kill Diala are powerful enough to destroy their entire circle if they challenge it. You have to make them fall in line."

"...What if they compel us to speak the truth?" you ask, suddenly realizing how easy it would be for a collection of witches to dissect your story and discover that the Eldest's "will" was actually a spur-of-the-moment decision fueled by a personal grudge and a mind-altering hex you fell under while rummaging through the study library.

Embryx shakes her head. "You have to make them believe you believe it - every insane thing you said a few minutes ago," she replies emphatically. You realize what she means; if the circle is too afraid of you to test your boundaries, you can dictate the rules of the coming interrogation and twist it to the "proper" outcome. But what would that outcome actually be? If you don't leave Mardenaal, instead force it to acknowledge you as Syrith's chosen... Wouldn't that just make you the new circle elder?

That's when it hits you: that's what this is truly about. The pact sisters are going to want to prove that you aren't what you appear to be, that one of them is a more worthy successor to Diala than the one who actually killed her. Your best chance of survival, then, is to strike fear into those who can be cowed and strike down the ones who can't. And all the while, you'll need to convince them that this is what you, and Syrith, intended from the start.

The caretakers arrive at the top of the stairs and are shocked at the condition of the former Headmistress and her chamber. They approach you, fearfully, and guide you over to Diala's bed, where you receive stitches and bandages for your wounds. It isn't long before Raffe returns and informs you that the first few of the pact sisters have arrived and are preparing the study for use. You and Embryx decide to stay put until the circle is gathered, discussing the script for how you'll address them.

A1. Embryx First - Maybe there will be a way to talk your way through this entirely. To see if there's a trap waiting for you, Embryx will enter the study first and while you linger in the entrance to see how she's received.

A2. No Fear, No Secrets - You want them to think you have plenty of confidence in yourself, so you'll enter first and keep your mouth shut as much as you can. They'll soon realize that they'll have to pry any information - save for what you intend to give them at the outset - out of you by force, but you'll make them believe that they lack the strength to do it.

B3. Thundercrack - You decide that the best way to handle this is to go in loudly and overwhelm them with your intensity. The weaker witches will stand down, leaving only the ones you'll need to kill. Then, it's just a matter of spilling blood until they all beg for your mercy.

B4. Kill First, Answer Questions Later - You can't shake the feeling that this will turn out poorly no matter what, so you suggest getting ahead of it by going in violently. This would catch the strongest sisters off-guard, and leave the weakest ones terrified.

 

[hardcore.munchkin]

B3

 

[joshuadim]

A2

 

[Breadman]

B3

 

[asphodelus]

B3

 

[Infab]

A2

 

[dikdik]

A2

 

[Damian0358]

A2

 

[turtwigwins]

B3

 

[bat_hacker]

B3

 

[K0mori]

B3. Thundercrack - You decide that the best way to handle this is to go in loudly and overwhelm them with your intensity. The weaker witches will stand down, leaving only the ones you'll need to kill. Then, it's just a matter of spilling blood until they all beg for your mercy.

"I'm going to compel the whole lot of them to be silent and still from the moment I walk in the room," you declare, grimly. "It's the only way I see this working - if we move too slowly, they'll corner us and get what they want."

Embryx nods, bitterly. "That'll catch them off-guard, but then what?"

"I'll flag the ones who try to resist," you say. "Then, we kill them... just like Diala. I'll start snapping necks and wringing hearts if I have to," you explain. The words have hardly escaped your lips before you feel a twinge of disgust with yourself. It's been a long time since you've felt this way; just this morning, you considered how these sorts of evil acts bring you pleasure these days, but perhaps it's because it's been so long since you felt the kind of helplessness you just experienced at the hands of whatever curse that book placed on you, that you had stopped feeling empathy for your victims.

You grunt and shake your head in frustration. You have to put it behind yourself again, not just for your own survival, but for Embryx as well.

Embryx pats you on the shoulder as you stand up from the bed. "I trust you. We're not going to die today," she assures you quietly as you head for the stairs.

---
​

Down on the second floor, the space outside the dining room and study is packed with witches and caretakers alike, confused and alarmed at the news of Diala's demise. With the Pandemonium Door in your hands, it isn't hard to make an entrance. You glide down the stairs telekinetically and across the floor without taking a step, watching as the crowd parts in hushed obedience. Embryx follows up beside you, tightly gripping her wand and morning star in her right hand and glaring at anyone with a detectible measure of confidence so that they shrink back, giving you both a wide berth as you approach the study doors.

You set yourself down as Embryx joins you, each of you pushing one of the heavy oak doors wide to reveal the seven pact sisters of the city, all seated aside from one - your presumed rival: Mionna, a tabaxi who resides within the castle walls. Her stark white fur and regal appearance commands a stark contrast to your unkempt, dark and brooding appearance. "Sister," she begins, tilting her head back in order to look down her nose at you before her words catch in her throat at your silencing compulsion.

With a glance to either side of the room, you command them all to remain where they are and keep their thoughts to themselves as the old oak doors swing shut behind you, slamming shut under the weight of their momentum with an unnerving clunk.

"...Syrith is watching, sisters," you warn, silently straining as your pneuma presses against seven. Although the witches can't call upon their magic while being compelled, like you can, they can still resist physically - a signal of their lack of obedience. "The Eldest's design called for Diala's death. If you wish to question Her, then make yourself known. Otherwise, you will recognize me as your elder."

As your eyes linger on the eyes of each of the frozen pact sisters, you release them from the obligation of silence. One by one, they respond to your demand:

"...I recognize you, Elder Sister Agranne," says a human from the north end of town.

The sentiment is repeated by two others in quick succession. Then, it's Mionna's turn, and the moment you release her she explodes in anger. "Have you all lost your minds!? The hexblood is insane; the Eldest doesn't sic sisters on other sisters - what is the point of a coven if not for loyalty to each other!?" she blasts. "Agranne, make no mistake, the moment you release us from this compulsion, we're going to kill you."

You give a nod to Embryx, who steps forward with her morning star and mercilessly slams it into the side of Mionna's head, breaking her jaw and neck in the process and killing her instantly. The others watch in stunned silence as the woman hadn't even flinched at the arrival of her death, as your compulsion denied her that most natural reaction.

"I am the will of the Eldest!" you scream at them all, summoning up every bit of malice you can amidst your growing disgust with everything surrounding you. You breathe and steady yourself, and then, without further hesitation, release the others from compulsion. Your expectation had been for several of them to fight you, but instead, they scream and scramble away from the center of the room, pressing themselves against the walls. It seems your plan has worked.

"Sit," you invite them. "...Let's talk."

---​

Over the course of a tense conversation over Mionna's dead body, the rest of the circle begins to understand the severity of the situation they now find themselves in. Due to Diala's unchecked ambition, the coven is teetering on war with itself across all of Turadal. Despite being named the half-elf's protégé, you reveal that you had never been loyal to Diala's plans, and had only done her bidding in order to gain the knowledge and skills needed to undo her. You had been kept against your will as a mere puppet - a notion which didn't fit with the mission of the coven itself, which the circle readily acknowledges.

"Kulka will be expecting the Pandemonium Door," Threnyn, a drow, cautions.

You nod. "I'll give it to her," you lie, "...provided she understands the responsibility she has to the coven, and not just herself."

Pyrra, the first of the pact sisters to recognize you, then speaks up: "So, will you go to Thandan to confront her, or will you wait for her to come here?"

1. Confront - Getting out of Mardenaal seems like a great idea, now that you know you won't be pursued as a rogue. You can leave the pact sisters with the task of cleaning up the mess your coup against Diala has caused while you and Embryx meet Kulka and find a way to reintegrate yourselves peacefully with the coven. From what you've heard, Kulka was better-liked than Diala, and would perhaps be more amenable to your intent to avoid becoming someone else's puppet again.

2. Wait - The speed at which you successfully took control of the Mardenaal circle has left you breathless, even if you can't admit it to the pact sisters - you need them to believe that this is what you always intended. That means you have no intent of leaving the city, even if it means continuing to wear this cloak of heretical violence to rule through fear. Perhaps, before Kulka can make the long and difficult trek out, you'll have gained enough skills and allies that you'll convince her it isn't worth challenging you over.

3. Invite - Instead of leaving the city to bring the Door to Kulka, you consider inviting the goblin to pay a visit to Mardenaal instead. This might be a difficult proposition, as the land in between Mardenaal and Thandan is a violent and turbulent place. Many elder sisters will need to explain to Kulka why they switched sides, which will doubtlessly lead to further confrontations and deaths. Some may refuse to recognize your initiative to reconcile the coven's allegiances, and might recognize yet another successor to Diala's plans. This, at least, would buy you plenty of time with the Door.

 

[Breadman]

3

 

[asphodelus]

1

 

[Infab]

1

 

[hardcore.munchkin]

3

 

[dikdik]

2

 

[joshuadim]

1

 

[bat_hacker]

1

 

[turtwigwins]

2

 

[K0mori]

1. Confront - Getting out of Mardenaal seems like a great idea, now that you know you won't be pursued as a rogue. You can leave the pact sisters with the task of cleaning up the mess your coup against Diala has caused while you and Embryx meet Kulka and find a way to reintegrate yourselves peacefully with the coven. From what you've heard, Kulka was better-liked than Diala, and would perhaps be more amenable to your intent to avoid becoming someone else's puppet again.

"I'll go to Thandan," you reply to Pyrra. "The sooner I make my intentions clear to Kulka, the better off everyone will be."

The pact witches seem relieved to hear it. After the shockingly violent way you've taken control of this place, they probably need some time to process it.

Embryx, meanwhile, looks up from Mionna's body. "What about her?" she says, grimly. "Three people are dead. ...And unlike most of us, people are actually going to notice that Diala and Mionna are gone. I don't imagine we want the city guard poking around inside the sanitarium anytime soon," she says with a heavy sigh.

"What about them?" you reply, irritably. "We have the bodies removed and hidden away somewhere, and then we play dumb about their whereabouts."

"...It's just a shame I mangled them both," Embryx says a moment later. "It would have been awfully convenient to get Jannava in here to raise them, you know, just long enough for them to walk or ride out of town in front of witnesses."

You ignore the suggestion at first, but Erran, another human, decides to speak up: "an experienced necromancer can stitch flesh into new forms; I'm sure she could stitch our sisters back together," she suggests reluctantly.

Embryx gives a cynical laugh. "Ha! ...Maybe Mionna, but Diala? No way."

You shake the image of Diala's crushed skull out of your head and turn to Erran. "We can take the three bodies to the orphanage and smuggle the two from upstairs directly into the catacombs," you state. "As for Mionna, I'll send a crow and let Jannava know about the situation. Maybe she can get her walking and talking again..."

---
​

The next few hours pass by in a blur. The witches of the sanitarium and the pact sisters work in tandem to clean up the terrible mess you've made - both literally and figuratively. Some of the caretakers, the ones from outside the coven, are aware of the situation, but they've wound up bribed or threatened into silence. Others are credulous fools and they've been sold a story about a bandit entering through an upstairs window. Cleaning efforts continue into the night as every effort is made to contain the story and prevent word from getting out.

By nightfall, you've regained your appetite, and you meet with Embryx in the dark and empty dining room for a quiet meal alone. They say that you'll inherit Diala's room, soon, but even if it were clean, you won't want to eat or sleep there for some time. Your planned journey out of town tomorrow sounds more appealing by the minute.

"After we're done here, we need to get that book," Embryx suddenly says. "We need to take it with us and find someone who can tell us what happened. Someone far enough away that they won't let the circle know that you lost your mind when you killed Diala."

You stab at a small potato on your plate and chew on its mushy innards. You really don't want to be close to it again, nor do you want to see anyone else suffer what you went through - especially Embryx. You remember how simply seeing the book was enough to captivate you, and how you felt a loss of control from the moment you touched it. The drow sees the discomfort in your eyes, but gives you time to think nonetheless. "...Do we really need to know?" you finally ask.

Embryx's reaction is less understanding than you would have hoped. In fact, she seems outraged. "Really, Agranne? I was expecting you to say we didn't need the book to find an answer, but I would have hoped you'd at least want an answer," she says, sawing into a dry porkchop as she speaks. "...What if something else sets you off down the line?"

"Down the line, I'm going to be working to bring my sister back. I won't need to deal with power-hungry freaks like Diala keeping me captive or sending me after weaker people," you say. "I'll probably just find a cabin out in the woods."

Embryx rolls her eyes and replies quickly: "You're never going to get there if something gets into your head again and convinces you you're some kind of messiah. Do you think getting Rigatte back mattered at all to that power-hungry freak I saw in Diala's chamber?" she argues.

You flush, embarrassed and angry as you realize Embryx is talking about you. "It's been a long day, can you please not make me feel like a monster about what happened?"

"I'm not trying to make you feel like a monster," she huffs. "I'm just saying, that wasn't the real you. But if you don't learn how it got into your head, it might happen again, and you could end up losing yourself. And I don't want to lose you, either," she says.

1. Take the Book - "Okay," you concede, feeling guilty for everything you've put Embryx through today, from your ill-advised death-walking scheme, to your sudden emotional breakdown, followed by your unexplained possession and the major consequences it incurred. You realize that if your megalomania hadn't been checked in time, you might have turned on your friend, as well. "...We'll take the book with us and see if we can find someone in Thandan who can tell us what it is."

2. Leave the Book - "Point taken," you admit. "...But I still don't want to take the actual book. I think a description of what I saw should be enough for someone to give us some answers."

 

[Infab]

1