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[BlackPaladin99]

2

[Yellow Pixel]

1

[Enemy post]

We'll go to the capital.

"Splendid!" Blessed Sam says. "You'd better start packing! Meet us by the north gate!" He runs off.

You wonder what you've agreed to. Sam seems fairly convinced that there is somehow a future in the Church for you where you can cast spells without repercussion. You suspect it's more complicated than that.



The inquisitors hire an additional wagon to carry all your things, but you ride in their wagon, along with their guards and equipment. It's a rather tight squeeze.

The guards are personable but not very interesting to talk to. They talk about the nice weather and ask about each other's families.

The guards play a card game, but you decide to remain alert instead of joining in. Their terrible play convinces you it was the right decision.

As the card game progresses, you overhear Blessed Jacob and Blessed Sam conversing in the front of the wagon.

"Do you remember, south of Akriton, we ran into Saint Keela?" Sam says to Jacob.

"She seemed to be doing well," Jacob says guardedly.

"Didn't she look a bit to you like Wizard Sarah?" Sam says. "The one we picked up in Triton a year ago?"

"What are you suggesting?" Blessed Jacob says.

"Nothing, I suppose," Sam says. "You didn't see a resemblance?"

"I saw a resemblance," Blessed Jacob admits. "Are you suggesting they're the same person?"

"I was not making that suggestion."

"Because you had better not be telling me that you think the saints are all just disguised wizards or something."

"No, no, not at all!" Sam says nervously. "There's a lot more to it than that!"

"Good," Jacob says. "Now, tell that to 'Scribe Foo' back there."

Blessed Sam turns around to speak to you in the back of the wagon. "I'm sorry if that conversation was confusing to listen to. The saints are very special people, and not because of their power. They are known as some of the most humble and good people in history. They are nothing like the mages of old, bending the world to their will. They're more like shepherds, tending to the Church's flock."

1."I don't really see the difference you're getting at."
2."Okay, good to know."
3."Well, I'm interested in becoming a saint. I think I'm humble and good."

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:62%/Caution:38%   
Humor:54%/Solemnity:46%   
Empathy:45%/Calculation:55%   

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

Tal: 56 (Good)
Cos: 46 (Bad)
Sam: 75 (Great)
Church: 40 (Bad)
Undiscovered relationships: 2

Kingdom
Adoration: 52%/Vilification: 48%

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
Blessed Sam

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.
Blessed Sam asked you to heal his pet dragon, Thomas.
You agreed and healed Sam's dragon.
You offered to teach Sam vivomancy, and he agreed.

Chapter 4

You rode to the capital in a wagon with Sam and Jacob.

[King Zultan]

2

[Glass]

2

[brewer bob]

2

[Enemy post]

Good to know.

You accept Sam's small lecture affably and with little comment. Sam, looking slightly disappointed that you didn't want to talk more about it, turns back around.

"See, not even Scribe Foo wants to hear you talk," Blessed Jacob says.

"Now, that's just mean," Sam says, but it's sort of true. (Decreased Sam Relationship.)

After a long pause, Blessed Sam says, "All I'm saying—"

"Shut up," Blessed Jacob says.

"—is that I think Abraxas may sometimes need unusual materials—"

"Shut up," Blessed Jacob says.

"—to craft his best work."

"You done?"

"Yes."

The card game finishes. While you're tempted to play to show them how it's done, you decide that wouldn't achieve anything.

That evening, when the wagon makes camp, Sam sits apart from everyone else with his dragon Thomas, by his own little fire that Thomas started. He is reading your vivomancy book, its original cover still hidden by his leather book jacket. The others take little notice of this, though the guards make fun of him a little for always having his nose in a book.

You try to go off and do something similar with a book of your own—a history book, not even magical—but immediately get pestered by the guards and Jacob about how reading a book of magic is not allowed. Jacob still doesn't trust you even when you flip through the pages for him. You suppose it makes sense that they trust Sam but not you.

What will you do instead of read when you break for camp each night?

1.Exercise.
2.Chat with the guards.
3.Create subtle distractions so Sam can practice magic.
4.Flirt with Sam.

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:62%/Caution:38%   
Humor:54%/Solemnity:46%   
Empathy:45%/Calculation:55%   

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

Tal: 56 (Good)
Cos: 46 (Bad)
Sam: 70 (Great)
Church: 40 (Bad)
Undiscovered relationships: 2

Kingdom
Adoration: 52%/Vilification: 48%

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
Blessed Sam

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.
Blessed Sam asked you to heal his pet dragon, Thomas.
You agreed and healed Sam's dragon.
You offered to teach Sam vivomancy, and he agreed.

Chapter 4

You rode to the capital in a wagon with Sam and Jacob.

[Glass]

2
It'd probably be good to practice our charisma, and maybe learn some stuff about where we're going.

[brewer bob]

2

[Yellow Pixel]

2

[Enemy post]

We talk to the guards.

You try joining the guards in conversation each night. The conversation is mostly about the goings-on of their families, mixed with a little of the story they tell themselves about how the world is in decline and it's up to them to stop the rising tide of sin. You practice seeming interested and find that the more you listen, the more interesting it is. (Gained Charisma.) (Increased Empathy.)

The rest of the journey passes in a similar manner, with Blessed Sam covertly studying magic at night, Blessed Jacob arguing with Sam about dogma during the day, and the guards continuing to be mostly uninteresting.

After a week's journey north, crossing the River Mnemos and making your way through the Crown Mountains via Cat's Pass, you see the ancient spires of Edra, capital of the kingdom of Eirinia.

You have always thought Akriton itself old, but it is another thing entirely to see tall stone monuments that have weathered two thousand years. The towers you can see from a distance reflect a variety of changing architectural tastes over the centuries, from minarets wrapped with spiral staircases to bulbous onion domes. These old structures are often patched with several shades of newer clay and plaster.

Three towers of the Cathedral stand taller than the rest: one containing an ever-burning flame that symbolizes the House of Flame; another containing a mirrored orb that symbolizes the House of Sun; and a third bell tower that rises above either of these, adorned with a golden Eye of Abraxas. Even the weathered gray domes of the queen's palace stand somewhat shorter than any of these.

"Home sweet home," Sam says wistfully, looking up at the mirrored orb of the House of Sun. He grins over at Blessed Jacob. "Another successful mission."

"Could've been more successful," Blessed Jacob grumbles.

A steady river of people and wagons moves in and out of the city's south gate, under the watch of guards in plate mail stationed atop a huge iron portcullis.

The inquisitors' wagon continues through the gate and enters the capital. This apparently marks the end of the guards' mission, and Blessed Jacob dispenses their pay from a small chest that had been sitting up front with the inquisitors. The guards all disperse from the wagon.

"We give them a little time to spend their earnings right away, before heading back to the Cathedral," Sam explains. "From the way you're looking all around, I take it you've never been to the capital. If you'd like to explore for a little bit before the guards are supposed to return, I think we can oblige." He casts a questioning look at Jacob, who shrugs in resignation.

Would you like to do any shopping in the capital before heading to the Cathedral? Since the laws against magic are more strictly enforced here, you are unlikely to find anything magical—not that Sam and Jacob would let you buy that stuff anyway—but their selection of other items should be good.

(You have 610 gold.)

1.Yes, I wish to purchase weapons and armor.
2.Yes, I wish to purchase some classier attire.
3.Yes, I wish to go shopping for books.
4.Yes, I wish to go shopping for exotic pets.
5.Yes, I wish to go to Ek's So Pious Very Churchly Supplies.
6.No, I don't want to waste any time. Let's go to the Cathedral.

I'd have cut the shops into their individual parts like I did before, but some of them have more complex interactions inside and I didn't want to trigger any plot consequences making a choice you didn't vote for.

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: 4 (Good)

Personality
Optimism:62%/Caution:38%   
Humor:54%/Solemnity:46%   
Empathy:50%/Calculation:50%   

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

Tal: 56 (Good)
Cos: 46 (Bad)
Sam: 70 (Great)
Church: 40 (Bad)
Undiscovered relationships: 2

Kingdom
Adoration: 52%/Vilification: 48%

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
Blessed Sam

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.
Blessed Sam asked you to heal his pet dragon, Thomas.
You agreed and healed Sam's dragon.
You offered to teach Sam vivomancy, and he agreed.

Chapter 4

You rode to the capital in a wagon with Sam and Jacob.

[brewer bob]

3

Books, but other stuff is fine too.

another containing a mirrored orb that symbolizes the House of Sun

So, something like a giant disco ball atop the tower?

[Yellow Pixel]

4

another containing a mirrored orb that symbolizes the House of Sun

So, something like a giant disco ball atop the tower?

Probably.

[Knightwing64]

3

[Glass]

3

Books! Books! Books!