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[Yellow Pixel]

1

Me too.

[Glass]

1

[BlackPaladin99]

1

[Maximum Spin]

2 sounds way more fun.

[Enemy post]

The House of Sun.

The House of Sun's message of mercy has always appealed to you more than the Flame's message of condemnation. (Increased Empathy.) The House of Sun teaches that Abraxas loves the meek and the merciful, and that eternal life awaits those who dedicate this life to helping others. (Increased Optimism.) But the sheer amount of suffering in the world that must be alleviated sometimes gets you down. (Increased Solemnity.)

Your doors are thin, so you can hear the inquisitors when you press your ear to the cold wood.

"All right, Sam, we're probably going to have to hurt this mage," says the red-bearded House of Flame inquisitor to the other one. "You going to help this time, or are you going to sit back and wring your hands again?"

"I don't 'wring my hands,' Jacob," Sam says. ("Blessed Sam," you suppose he must be called, since he's an inquisitor.) "I just don't like unnecessary violence. I can't stand it when you beat people who are already down."

Blessed Jacob scoffs. "You know it's to keep them from casting spells."

"I've seen you beat unconscious mages—were you worried they'd cast something in their sleep?"

"Are you going to help in this fight or not?"

"Yes, yes, of course."

"Ho there, blessed folk!" cries an old man in an orange vest who dodders into the view of your peephole. "Looking for Scribe Foo? He left town for Bonton, I'm afraid! Not sure when he'll be back. Maybe never!"

Blessed Jacob frowns in irritation. "How sure are you, old man?"

"Ah, well, that's what he said when I asked, anyway. I suppose, technically speaking, he could be anywhere!"

You're quite certain you've never seen this old man before in your life.

Blessed Jacob takes a threatening step toward the old man. "If you're lying…"

"Why would I be?" the old man says, throwing his hands in the air helplessly.

Blessed Sam observes this exchange with his lips pursed in consideration.

1.I come out and reveal myself.
2.Use divination to find out why this old man is lying for me.
3.Wait quietly and continue to watch.

Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)

Scribe Foo

Appearance

A bookish, spectacled man wearing a shimmering cloak and tight black clothing fit for a thief or an assassin

Magic
  Negation:7
  Automation:6
  Glamor:1
  Divination:1
  Vivomancy:8

Skills
Ancient History: 3 (Decent)
Fighting: 1 (Bad)
Subtlety: 5 (Good)
Charisma: 2 (Decent)

Personality
Optimism:54%/Caution:46%   
Humor:56%/Solemnity:44%   
Empathy:37%/Calculation:63%   

Relationships
Romances (Interested romantically, but not sexually, in men and women)
Tal

Tal: 56 (Good)
Cos: 46 (Bad)
Sam: 50 (Fine)
Church: 40 (Bad)
Undiscovered relationships: 3

Kingdom
Adoration: 50%/Vilification: 50%

Inventory
Gold: 610 gold
Sword
Alchemy Set
Torc of Life and Death
Clutch of Dragon Eggs
History Book, True Life of Abraxas
Golem Manual

Students
None

Pets
None

The Dead
The Academy Inquisitor

Plot Points

Chapter 1

You and Tal stumbled on an ancient magic academy.
You discovered a book of vivomancy, and an inquisitor chased you.
You found an ancient dueling ground.
You killed the inquisitor with negation magic.
You explored the academy library.
A divination revealed a potential ally in the form of a golem, so you took a manual on the operation of golems from the library.
You animated a serving tray to retrieve an alchemy set, but in the process, you released some dangerous chemicals.
You found a laboratory with a trapped specter.
You destroyed the specter.
You obtained a clutch of dragon eggs from the crow's nest of an ancient airship.
It became clear that the spilled chemicals were going to consume the whole academy.

Chapter 2


You flew up the coast of the Negative Sea back to Akriton.
You created two horses and freed them in the woods.
You made your parents think your finds in the academy were purely of historical interest.
You read in True Life of Abraxas that those who follow orders regularly are more likely to be glamored.
You learned the location of the Magisterian capital from True Life of Abraxas.
You met a hat seller but bought nothing from her.
You allowed a thief to steal from Fruitseller Fran.
You agreed to hunt a dodecapede with Tal.
You kissed Tal.
You restarted the automated mine that was the dodecapede's lair.
You restarted Akriton's giant fans after the death cloud passed.
Cos and you agreed that you would secretly work for Akriton.
Though you thought you kept a low profile, you heard inquisitors are coming to town anyway.

Chapter 3

Two inquisitors came to your door: the more aggressive Blessed Jacob, and the kinder Blessed Sam.
An old man intervened, claiming you weren't home.

[Knightwing64]

3

Our skill with that brand of magic is so low it would probably get us caught immediately.

[Maximum Spin]

3

[Glass]

3, we were subtle enough to steal a whole clutch of dragon eggs and that’s before we dressed up as a goddamned ninja. Let’s do this.

[Enemy post]

We wait.

You hold still and continue to watch the exchange through your peephole.

"Jacob, we're not in any hurry," Sam says. "Let's spend a day confirming this man's story, shall we? We can deliver some guest sermons tomorrow, ask more questions. Maybe we'll learn something that will help in a fight."

Jacob pounds on your door suddenly, startling you. He tries to look through the peephole, though you move aside before he can see you. "Could probably knock this door down, search the place anyway."

Sam crosses his arms. "And then when Scribe Foo comes home and finds the door knocked down, he'll run off, and then we will need to head to a whole different town. Let's just take this slow, all right?"

Jacob lets out air through his nose slowly. Then he points a thick finger at the old man. "If you did lead us astray, so help me, I will find you and have you tried for false witness against the Church."

"Well, be that as it may, enjoy your stay in Akriton!" the old man says with forced good humor.

The inquisitors leave in one direction, and the old man leaves in the other. You back away from the peephole.

Just as you're wondering what to do with yourself, there's a light knock on your door.

Looking through the peephole, you see it's Mayor Cos.

You let him in and shut the door behind him.

"Oooh, what have I done?" he groans, sitting down on one of your meat-sandwich-shaped chairs and cradling his head in his hands. "That was so stupid of me! I never try to fool people with my shapeshifting! I just try to make myself a little more, you know, likable! I just panicked when I saw those inquisitors at your door, I suppose."

So, Cos is a shapeshifter, and he was pretending to be the old man you saw just now. You suppose the orange vest should have been a tip-off, but you just never expected the mayor to be a shapeshifter. It's the sort of secret that could rapidly make him no longer mayor. Or worse—in addition to hunting down wizards, inquisitors are also empowered by the crown to detain shapeshifters indefinitely.

"It was a reasonably good performance," you say.

Cos looks heartened for a moment.

"Somewhat marred by the orange vest," you admit.

Cos sinks his head into his hands again.

Mayor Cos straightens. "At least you're still here," he says. "And maybe if we stall enough, they'll just go away."

"Why are you putting your career on the line for me?" you say.

Cos spreads his hands. "Because you can do the impossible for this town. Believe me, if you weren't my secret town wizard, you'd be on those inquisitors' wagon by now."

"Hey, give me a little credit," you say. But the idea of playing cat and mouse with those inquisitors does not put you at ease. They didn't seem friendly when they knocked on your door.

Cos takes his leave, and you spend the rest of the evening going through your books to learn more about inquisitors. In all your readings, the mages and shapeshifters that the inquisitors deliver to the Cathedral are never heard from again. But nobody seems completely certain whether the captives die or are held indefinitely or what.

You keep half expecting a pounding at the door, but you have no more visitors that night.

The next day is a Sermon Day, the day of the week when most people in Akriton attend a sermon in the morning for either the House of Flame or the House of Sun. You recall Blessed Sam mentioning that the inquisitors would perform guest sermons—perhaps attending would be a chance to learn more about their mindsets, so you can get on their good sides later. All you would need is a vivomancy that could disguise your appearance. Of course, being a magician among religious people may have its dangers, even if you are in disguise.

Will you go to either sermon?

1.Attend Sam's sermon of mercy in the House of Sun.
2.Attend Jacob's sermon of condemnation in the House of Flame.
3.Skip town and hide out in nearby Triton.
4.I can't be bothered. I'll stay home and study magic.

I'm genuinely impressed you all made it through that scene without getting arrested. It's very difficult to avoid getting caught there, and I'm not actually sure I've seen what happens if you're still free at this point.

Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)

Scribe Foo

Appearance

A bookish, spectacled man wearing a shimmering cloak and tight black clothing fit for a thief or an assassin

Magic
  Negation:7
  Automation:6
  Glamor:1
  Divination:1
  Vivomancy:8

Skills
Ancient History: 3 (Decent)
Fighting: 1 (Bad)
Subtlety: 5 (Good)
Charisma: 2 (Decent)

Personality
Optimism:54%/Caution:46%   
Humor:56%/Solemnity:44%   
Empathy:37%/Calculation:63%   

Relationships
Romances (Interested romantically, but not sexually, in men and women)
Tal

Tal: 56 (Good)
Cos: 46 (Bad)
Sam: 50 (Fine)
Church: 40 (Bad)
Undiscovered relationships: 2

Kingdom
Adoration: 50%/Vilification: 50%

Inventory
Gold: 610 gold
Sword
Alchemy Set
Torc of Life and Death
Clutch of Dragon Eggs
History Book, True Life of Abraxas
Golem Manual

Students
None

Pets
None

The Dead
The Academy Inquisitor

Plot Points

Chapter 1

You and Tal stumbled on an ancient magic academy.
You discovered a book of vivomancy, and an inquisitor chased you.
You found an ancient dueling ground.
You killed the inquisitor with negation magic.
You explored the academy library.
A divination revealed a potential ally in the form of a golem, so you took a manual on the operation of golems from the library.
You animated a serving tray to retrieve an alchemy set, but in the process, you released some dangerous chemicals.
You found a laboratory with a trapped specter.
You destroyed the specter.
You obtained a clutch of dragon eggs from the crow's nest of an ancient airship.
It became clear that the spilled chemicals were going to consume the whole academy.

Chapter 2


You flew up the coast of the Negative Sea back to Akriton.
You created two horses and freed them in the woods.
You made your parents think your finds in the academy were purely of historical interest.
You read in True Life of Abraxas that those who follow orders regularly are more likely to be glamored.
You learned the location of the Magisterian capital from True Life of Abraxas.
You met a hat seller but bought nothing from her.
You allowed a thief to steal from Fruitseller Fran.
You agreed to hunt a dodecapede with Tal.
You kissed Tal.
You restarted the automated mine that was the dodecapede's lair.
You restarted Akriton's giant fans after the death cloud passed.
Cos and you agreed that you would secretly work for Akriton.
Though you thought you kept a low profile, you heard inquisitors are coming to town anyway.

Chapter 3

Two inquisitors came to your door: the more aggressive Blessed Jacob, and the kinder Blessed Sam.
An old man intervened, claiming you weren't home.
You waited until the inquisitors left.
The old man revealed himself to be Mayor Cos, who is a shapeshifter.

[Knightwing64]

3

PLEASE BE LOGICAL ABOUT THIS

Think about what we know. Church’s actively hunt mages and we just saw them threaten as of that instant, someone they believed to be completely innocent.

[Glass]

On the one hand, 3 sounds good, it feels like the least risky action.
On the other hand, it’s explicitly called out that vivomancy is what we need for the disguise - and we are very good at vivomancy, as well as subtlety.

Also, I notice Sam has a relationship value. I suggest 1.

[King Zultan]

3

[brewer bob]

1

[Yellow Pixel]

1

[Enemy post]

We attend Sam's sermon.

You decide to attend Sam's sermon in the House of Sun. You use vivomancy to change the shape of your face just enough to be unrecognizable. (Increased Optimism.)

Though you have recently been in a structure twice as old, the thousand-year-old stone church has a weather-beaten look that can only be achieved from many years outside. Stained-glass windows depict tales of saints performing miracles. None depict Abraxas, for the Church teaches that Abraxas will never be seen again until the end of days. A stained-glass window depicting a sun sits above the open double doors where Blessed Sam and the usual House of Sun preacher greet entering worshippers.

Your fellow House of Sun congregants are from all walks of life, but you do notice certain trends. You think the Sun worshippers tend to be younger. There are a few more women than men. More poor than rich, though you suppose that describes the town as well.

The interior contains simple pews with an aisle down the center that leads to a pulpit with its own tiny spiral staircase. The church's only copy of the Book of Abraxas rests open on the pulpit. The somewhat feeble colored light coming through the stained-glass windows is supplemented with lit candelabra along the walls. A children's choir circling the church sings a message of peace and love; the boy in front swings a censer of sweet-smelling incense, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

You can see your parents, who are avid attendees of the House of Sun, sitting near the front row. Your mother is wearing an old-fashioned black dress with white frills, while your father wears a slightly shabby tunic covered with a velvet cloak he only wears to church, clasped with a sun-shaped bronze brooch. You similarly wear a fancy church-only cloak because your parents gave you your sense of proper church attire, though you have begun to realize, looking around at the other worshippers' fine dresses and tunics, that your family's sartorial choices are just a little bit off.

"Hello everyone," Blessed Sam says from the pulpit, while the usual preacher sits nearby. "I am here from the capital with a message: you are loved. Abraxas loves you, the hierophant loves you, the saints love you, and best of all, you love each other."

Blessed Sam's sermon is about the importance of love, which is great for you, since you had assumed the inquisitors would deliver sermons about the importance of executing wizards.

In the middle of the sermon, you feel your facial features shifting of their own accord. Your vivomancy disguise has worn off.

You didn't know that this particular spell could wear off. (Gained Vivomancy.) Luckily, the rest of the congregation is facing ahead, so you don't think they noticed. Perhaps, you hope, Blessed Sam won't notice either.

But Blessed Sam locks eyes with you from the pulpit for a moment. With that reaction, you can tell: he knows you looked like someone else a moment ago, and he knows you're the wizard they're looking for.

Blessed Sam clears his throat. "But what of the people we think are undeserving of our love? The thieves, the killers, the…witches? Well, I say to you: once you enter into combat with any of them, you have played into the hands of evil. Evil wants that eternal warfare between us. I say, answer with strength, but answer also with love. Find out what drives your enemy. Reach out and answer with love instead of hate. If evil taints your enemy's heart, your answer of love can bring repentance and salvation. But if you answer with violence, even the sharpest sword can only harden a heart."

Blessed Sam gives you a significant look, as if demanding a reaction to his call for love and peace.

1.I nod.
2.I give him a dubious look.
3.I roll my eyes.

Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)

Scribe Foo

Appearance

A bookish, spectacled man wearing a shimmering cloak and tight black clothing fit for a thief or an assassin

Magic
  Negation:7
  Automation:6
  Glamor:1
  Divination:1
  Vivomancy:9

Skills
Ancient History: 3 (Decent)
Fighting: 1 (Bad)
Subtlety: 5 (Good)
Charisma: 2 (Decent)

Personality
Optimism:58%/Caution:42%   
Humor:56%/Solemnity:44%   
Empathy:37%/Calculation:63%   

Relationships
Romances (Interested romantically, but not sexually, in men and women)
Tal

Tal: 56 (Good)
Cos: 46 (Bad)
Sam: 50 (Fine)
Church: 40 (Bad)
Undiscovered relationships: 2

Kingdom
Adoration: 50%/Vilification: 50%

Inventory
Gold: 610 gold
Sword
Alchemy Set
Torc of Life and Death
Clutch of Dragon Eggs
History Book, True Life of Abraxas
Golem Manual

Students
None

Pets
None

The Dead
The Academy Inquisitor

Plot Points

Chapter 1

You and Tal stumbled on an ancient magic academy.
You discovered a book of vivomancy, and an inquisitor chased you.
You found an ancient dueling ground.
You killed the inquisitor with negation magic.
You explored the academy library.
A divination revealed a potential ally in the form of a golem, so you took a manual on the operation of golems from the library.
You animated a serving tray to retrieve an alchemy set, but in the process, you released some dangerous chemicals.
You found a laboratory with a trapped specter.
You destroyed the specter.
You obtained a clutch of dragon eggs from the crow's nest of an ancient airship.
It became clear that the spilled chemicals were going to consume the whole academy.

Chapter 2


You flew up the coast of the Negative Sea back to Akriton.
You created two horses and freed them in the woods.
You made your parents think your finds in the academy were purely of historical interest.
You read in True Life of Abraxas that those who follow orders regularly are more likely to be glamored.
You learned the location of the Magisterian capital from True Life of Abraxas.
You met a hat seller but bought nothing from her.
You allowed a thief to steal from Fruitseller Fran.
You agreed to hunt a dodecapede with Tal.
You kissed Tal.
You restarted the automated mine that was the dodecapede's lair.
You restarted Akriton's giant fans after the death cloud passed.
Cos and you agreed that you would secretly work for Akriton.
Though you thought you kept a low profile, you heard inquisitors are coming to town anyway.

Chapter 3

Two inquisitors came to your door: the more aggressive Blessed Jacob, and the kinder Blessed Sam.
An old man intervened, claiming you weren't home.
You waited until the inquisitors left.
The old man revealed himself to be Mayor Cos, who is a shapeshifter.
You went to a House of Sun service, led by Blessed Sam.
In the middle, your vivomancy disguise wore off, but Blessed Sam did not take any action to pursue you.