FallenSaint
Really Really Experienced
Seconded, but adding on to the Minor Action: Kiss Essa and then start to tell her that she means a lot to Freya, but Freya gets nervous and says she'll tell her the rest later after the job is done.
Adventures in Syrada (updated 23rd August 2016)
- Thread starter moonblack
- Start date
Seconded, but adding on to the Minor Action: Kiss Essa and then start to tell her that she means a lot to Freya, but Freya gets nervous and says she'll tell her the rest later after the job is done.
FallenSaint
Really Really Experienced
Yayz! I love being supported!
moonblack
CHYOA Guru
"Of course I’ll do it." Freya declared as she resumed fondling Essa’s breasts. "For something this simple you don’t even need to ask."
"Great! The item… mmm… is a necklace – a ruby on a golden chain. It bel- oh! – belongs to Lady Constance Vandever. You know her?"
"I’ve never met her, but I’ve heard the name. She’s a rich noble from an old family, right?" Freya recounted what she could remember about the Vandever family.
"Correct. I’ll give you the directions for her home. Just remember what I said and don’t stay too long!" Essa said firmly as she looked up at her friend.
"No need to worry. Why would I want to do it with some lady I don’t even know when I could do it with my precious…." Freya stopped, unsure what she wanted to say. She started sucking on Essa’s tit in an attempt to avoid finishing the sentence.
"My precious what? What were you going to say?" Apparently Essa wasn’t going to let her off that easily.
"My precious… best friend Essa." Freya said the first thing that came to her mind. "Where is this necklace, anyway? I didn’t see any such thing here." She asked, trying to change the subject.
"I keep it safe. I’ll bring it – after you get off of me…"
"Just a moment." Freya leaned down and kissed Essa on the lips. It was a short kiss, but not brief enough to pass it off as chaste. "Okay, now you can go get the necklace." The redhead got off her naked friend and sat back down on the chair she had been sitting on earlier.
"Mmm, maybe I asked for the wrong favor…" Essa wondered aloud as she got off the bed. She left the room, leaving Freya alone for about a minute, and then came back with the necklace. "Here it is." She presented the item to her friend.
"It’s pretty."
"Yes, it is. Now here’s what Constance looks like and how to reach her home…"
Five minutes later Freya and Essa said goodbye to each other and the redhead left her friend’s home, heading towards her new destination. She intended to get this over with as quickly as possible…
Encounter Roll… 92. No encounter.
The trip was uneventful. Apart from the few guards she passed no one paid her any attention and before long she had reached the mansion. Though she couldn’t see much of it just yet as the place was surrounded by a stone wall, a few heads taller than Freya.
The main gate was partially open and a maid was escorting out a man. His clothes made him seem like a messenger, though Freya could not tell if he had delivered a message or was being sent out to deliver one. Either way it made things easier for her.
"Excuse me." Freya called as she approached the gate.
"Yes? May I help you?" Asked the maid as she looked at the redhead. The maid was a busty woman with brown hair and appeared to be only a couple of years older than Freya. Her uniform seemed designed to emphasize her curves.
"I have an item that I believe belongs to Lady Constance Vandever." She showed the ruby necklace to the maid.
"I see." The maid seemed more interested in Freya than in the necklace. "Please follow me." Without waiting for an answer she turned around and started walking away.
That’s it? She’s not even going to ask me any questions? The redhead was a bit surprised but didn’t really mind and followed the maid. The older woman was walking fast and not giving the visitor any time to look around the mansion.
Freya was brought to a small room, likely a library since there was several bookshelves with various books on them. Inside the room were two women. One of them was a black-haired woman sitting in a chair, an open book on the table in front of her. She was wearing a dark purple dress with cleavage that left about a third of her large breasts exposed. So that is Lady Constance. The other was a maid wearing a uniform similar to the one of the maid that had led her here. The main difference was that the skirt was barely long enough to cover the maid’s butt. The lady’s right hand was under the skirt and was clearly fondling the maid’s ass.
??? Roll: Failed
"Pardon the intrusion, my Lady, but you have a visitor. Something about a lost necklace."
"Thank you, Anna. I’ll take care of this. The two of you may go." Constance said as she looked at Freya. The redhead got the feeling the lady was undressing her with her eyes.
As soon as both maids had left Freya took out the necklace and presented it to its owner.
"Ah, yes. Essa is such a thoughtful girl! And she sent me such a cute girl, too! I’ll be sure to thank her later." Lady Constance smiled as she barely looked at the necklace, instead openly and unashamedly ogling her guest.
What is she, a perverted old man in a woman’s body? Freya wondered, feeling a bit annoyed, and left the necklace on the table.
"What is your name, my sweet?"
"My name is Freya and I really need to be going, so if you’ll excuse-" Freya was cut off by shouting coming from outside.
"What is going on out there?" Constance’s smile turned into a frown and she got up. Before she could do anything more the door to the small library was kicked open. The one responsible was a man wearing leather armor, with strange red marks all over his face and his armor.
"Found her!" The man shouted triumphantly and grinned as he looked at the lady. He was holding a longsword in his right hand and it was obvious that he was not there to talk. Before he could do anything, however, Constance pointed at the man and a gust of wind blew him out of the room.
"This way! Quickly!" The lady grabbed Freya’s hand and started dragging her along as she fled through another door. The older woman proved to be much stronger than she appeared and obviously had no trouble running in a dress. The redhead could do nothing but follow along as the two of them ran down the corridor towards the wall… and right through it.
On the other side of the 'wall' was a small empty room. As Freya wondered what they were supposed to do there a staircase leading down suddenly appeared. How did she do that? There must be a lever or something that opens the way down but I didn’t notice her do anything. Freya did not have much time to think about it as she was led down the stairs, along a short narrow corridor, and into another small room with a stone chest inside. Constance touched it and it opened, seemingly on its own. Inside were a number of different masks.
"Pick one and put it on." The older woman ordered as she took a mask and put it on. Immediately her appearance changed and suddenly she looked like a silver-haired elven woman.
"Alright…" Freya picked a random mask and put it on. Then she looked down at her dress and saw a white dress that was clearly more expensive than anything she had ever worn before. Or would be, if it was real and not just an illusion.
"Our appearance changes at random every few minutes. Now come on." Lady Constance grabbed Freya’s hand and dragged her along another narrow corridor, down another stone stair case, then along another corridor, down a third stair case, and into a cave, its walls glowing with pale blue light. They could go three different ways but the lady clearly had a destination in mind as she started walking without pausing for even a second.
How did returning a lost necklace turn into… this? Wondered Freya, confused, as she was dragged along by the older woman. Who was that guy with the weird marks on him? He seemed like he was there to kill – or at least attack – lady Vandever. And he obviously wasn’t alone, since he shouted that he found her. I wonder if he and his friends will chase us, or if we lost them? Then her thoughts turned to where they were. I think I heard something about caves under the city and some sort of underground arena that has been established there. Is this where we’re going? Such a place is likely to have a lot of people so it should be easy to hide in the crowd…
Freya’s mind returned to the present as she saw figures ahead of them. For a moment she thought it might be more attackers, but then noticed that the figures were three frost-covered skeletons. The one in the center was holding a scimitar and a shield while the other two were holding spears and shields. For a moment Freya thought she saw another figure behind the skeletons, but when she looked closer she saw nothing.
"I thought all had been dealt with. I guess the guards missed a few." Commented Constance as she saw the skeletons and a dark blue light surrounded her. Freya recognized the spell as Mana Shield. "Well, no matter. They don’t seem like a threat but that’s hardly a reason to ignore them. Would you like to deal with them? It should be easy, especially if you know any fire spells, and a little combat practice won’t hurt." Constance looked at Freya expectantly.
Vote:
A. Attack the skeletons – specify (with what weapon, spell or item - Freya has her entire inventory)
B. Let Constance deal with them
C. Suggest a different course of action
X. Minor Action
---
This turned out a lot longer than I expected, but there wasn’t much for Freya to do before meeting the skeletons and I didn’t want to rush things too much.
"Great! The item… mmm… is a necklace – a ruby on a golden chain. It bel- oh! – belongs to Lady Constance Vandever. You know her?"
"I’ve never met her, but I’ve heard the name. She’s a rich noble from an old family, right?" Freya recounted what she could remember about the Vandever family.
"Correct. I’ll give you the directions for her home. Just remember what I said and don’t stay too long!" Essa said firmly as she looked up at her friend.
"No need to worry. Why would I want to do it with some lady I don’t even know when I could do it with my precious…." Freya stopped, unsure what she wanted to say. She started sucking on Essa’s tit in an attempt to avoid finishing the sentence.
"My precious what? What were you going to say?" Apparently Essa wasn’t going to let her off that easily.
"My precious… best friend Essa." Freya said the first thing that came to her mind. "Where is this necklace, anyway? I didn’t see any such thing here." She asked, trying to change the subject.
"I keep it safe. I’ll bring it – after you get off of me…"
"Just a moment." Freya leaned down and kissed Essa on the lips. It was a short kiss, but not brief enough to pass it off as chaste. "Okay, now you can go get the necklace." The redhead got off her naked friend and sat back down on the chair she had been sitting on earlier.
"Mmm, maybe I asked for the wrong favor…" Essa wondered aloud as she got off the bed. She left the room, leaving Freya alone for about a minute, and then came back with the necklace. "Here it is." She presented the item to her friend.
"It’s pretty."
"Yes, it is. Now here’s what Constance looks like and how to reach her home…"
Five minutes later Freya and Essa said goodbye to each other and the redhead left her friend’s home, heading towards her new destination. She intended to get this over with as quickly as possible…
Encounter Roll… 92. No encounter.
The trip was uneventful. Apart from the few guards she passed no one paid her any attention and before long she had reached the mansion. Though she couldn’t see much of it just yet as the place was surrounded by a stone wall, a few heads taller than Freya.
The main gate was partially open and a maid was escorting out a man. His clothes made him seem like a messenger, though Freya could not tell if he had delivered a message or was being sent out to deliver one. Either way it made things easier for her.
"Excuse me." Freya called as she approached the gate.
"Yes? May I help you?" Asked the maid as she looked at the redhead. The maid was a busty woman with brown hair and appeared to be only a couple of years older than Freya. Her uniform seemed designed to emphasize her curves.
"I have an item that I believe belongs to Lady Constance Vandever." She showed the ruby necklace to the maid.
"I see." The maid seemed more interested in Freya than in the necklace. "Please follow me." Without waiting for an answer she turned around and started walking away.
That’s it? She’s not even going to ask me any questions? The redhead was a bit surprised but didn’t really mind and followed the maid. The older woman was walking fast and not giving the visitor any time to look around the mansion.
Freya was brought to a small room, likely a library since there was several bookshelves with various books on them. Inside the room were two women. One of them was a black-haired woman sitting in a chair, an open book on the table in front of her. She was wearing a dark purple dress with cleavage that left about a third of her large breasts exposed. So that is Lady Constance. The other was a maid wearing a uniform similar to the one of the maid that had led her here. The main difference was that the skirt was barely long enough to cover the maid’s butt. The lady’s right hand was under the skirt and was clearly fondling the maid’s ass.
??? Roll: Failed
"Pardon the intrusion, my Lady, but you have a visitor. Something about a lost necklace."
"Thank you, Anna. I’ll take care of this. The two of you may go." Constance said as she looked at Freya. The redhead got the feeling the lady was undressing her with her eyes.
As soon as both maids had left Freya took out the necklace and presented it to its owner.
"Ah, yes. Essa is such a thoughtful girl! And she sent me such a cute girl, too! I’ll be sure to thank her later." Lady Constance smiled as she barely looked at the necklace, instead openly and unashamedly ogling her guest.
What is she, a perverted old man in a woman’s body? Freya wondered, feeling a bit annoyed, and left the necklace on the table.
"What is your name, my sweet?"
"My name is Freya and I really need to be going, so if you’ll excuse-" Freya was cut off by shouting coming from outside.
"What is going on out there?" Constance’s smile turned into a frown and she got up. Before she could do anything more the door to the small library was kicked open. The one responsible was a man wearing leather armor, with strange red marks all over his face and his armor.
"Found her!" The man shouted triumphantly and grinned as he looked at the lady. He was holding a longsword in his right hand and it was obvious that he was not there to talk. Before he could do anything, however, Constance pointed at the man and a gust of wind blew him out of the room.
"This way! Quickly!" The lady grabbed Freya’s hand and started dragging her along as she fled through another door. The older woman proved to be much stronger than she appeared and obviously had no trouble running in a dress. The redhead could do nothing but follow along as the two of them ran down the corridor towards the wall… and right through it.
On the other side of the 'wall' was a small empty room. As Freya wondered what they were supposed to do there a staircase leading down suddenly appeared. How did she do that? There must be a lever or something that opens the way down but I didn’t notice her do anything. Freya did not have much time to think about it as she was led down the stairs, along a short narrow corridor, and into another small room with a stone chest inside. Constance touched it and it opened, seemingly on its own. Inside were a number of different masks.
"Pick one and put it on." The older woman ordered as she took a mask and put it on. Immediately her appearance changed and suddenly she looked like a silver-haired elven woman.
"Alright…" Freya picked a random mask and put it on. Then she looked down at her dress and saw a white dress that was clearly more expensive than anything she had ever worn before. Or would be, if it was real and not just an illusion.
"Our appearance changes at random every few minutes. Now come on." Lady Constance grabbed Freya’s hand and dragged her along another narrow corridor, down another stone stair case, then along another corridor, down a third stair case, and into a cave, its walls glowing with pale blue light. They could go three different ways but the lady clearly had a destination in mind as she started walking without pausing for even a second.
How did returning a lost necklace turn into… this? Wondered Freya, confused, as she was dragged along by the older woman. Who was that guy with the weird marks on him? He seemed like he was there to kill – or at least attack – lady Vandever. And he obviously wasn’t alone, since he shouted that he found her. I wonder if he and his friends will chase us, or if we lost them? Then her thoughts turned to where they were. I think I heard something about caves under the city and some sort of underground arena that has been established there. Is this where we’re going? Such a place is likely to have a lot of people so it should be easy to hide in the crowd…
Freya’s mind returned to the present as she saw figures ahead of them. For a moment she thought it might be more attackers, but then noticed that the figures were three frost-covered skeletons. The one in the center was holding a scimitar and a shield while the other two were holding spears and shields. For a moment Freya thought she saw another figure behind the skeletons, but when she looked closer she saw nothing.
"I thought all had been dealt with. I guess the guards missed a few." Commented Constance as she saw the skeletons and a dark blue light surrounded her. Freya recognized the spell as Mana Shield. "Well, no matter. They don’t seem like a threat but that’s hardly a reason to ignore them. Would you like to deal with them? It should be easy, especially if you know any fire spells, and a little combat practice won’t hurt." Constance looked at Freya expectantly.
Vote:
A. Attack the skeletons – specify (with what weapon, spell or item - Freya has her entire inventory)
B. Let Constance deal with them
C. Suggest a different course of action
X. Minor Action
---
This turned out a lot longer than I expected, but there wasn’t much for Freya to do before meeting the skeletons and I didn’t want to rush things too much.
FallenSaint
Really Really Experienced
Agreed. We don't want to waste our scrolls yet and we still have range on them. Suggest hitting them hard with Arcane Bolt and keeping distance. Once they are down, suggest grabbing the scimitar....
moonblack
CHYOA Guru
After hearing Constance’s comment Freya considered using one of her scrolls of fireball but decided against it. Who knows what else is down here? I might need them later. Instead she pointed a finger at the skeleton with the scimitar and focused. A bolt of purple energy shot at the undead warrior. To her surprise her target lifted up its shield and blocked the attack. A large crack appeared on the surface of the frost-covered shield. Just then she again thought she saw someone behind the undead trio.
"Well, that was unexpected. Usually skeletons need to be ordered to do even basic things like blocking and there’s no one commanding these three." Noted Constance.
"Are you sure about that? I could swear I saw someone behind them…" Freya mentioned as she tried to aim her next spell so that it would not get blocked.
"Really? Let me see…" Constance narrowed her eyes at the skeletons and the space right behind them. "I see. That changes things." She added a second later, now sounding a lot more serious.
"Something wrong?" Freya asked as she wondered if she should just use another Bolt to break the skeleton’s shield.
"Some sort of ghost." The lady answered matter-of-factly and held her right hand up in the air. A ball of fire appeared above her palm, small at first but quickly growing to twice its initial size. With a quick gesture Constance threw the fireball at the middle skeleton. Again the attack was blocked by the shield, but there was nothing to block the fiery explosion that followed.
As the skeletons were enveloped by the flames there was a loud shriek, sounding like a woman screaming in pain. It lasted only a moment before silence returned. The skeletons fell down, now little more than piles of charred bones, all the frost gone from them and their weapons and shields.
"What… was that?" Freya asked, glad that the horrible shriek had not lasted longer.
"Some sort of ghost commanding the skeletons. Doesn’t really matter – it’s gone now. We better go, before anything else comes."
"Let’s see if they have anything of value." Freya suggested as she approached the charred remains of the undead.
"Don’t waste your time. Skeletons are not known for carrying valuables, plus there’s no telling who – or what – heard that shriek. We really should be going." Constance pointed out.
Luck Roll: 95
"It’ll take only a few moments." Freya promised as she started checking the remains. To her disappointment the scimitar was now in several rusty pieces – apparently time, combined with the frost and the fire, had been too much for the old weapon. The spears were in an even worse condition. Two of the shields were also broken. The third shield was the only thing still intact. It was a small round shield, covered in mud and other things Freya did not want to think about. Apart from a few dents it was still intact.
"Not what I had in mind, but this will have to do." Freya decided as she picked up the small shield and attached it to her left hand. She was a bit surprised by how light it was
"If you’re seriously going to keep that old thing at least get it fixed."
"No need to worry, I know just the right person to fix it." Best not to tell her anything more, just in case.
Obtained Unidentified Small Round Shield.
"Alright, since you’re done let us go." Constance resumed her fast walk and Freya began following her again, hoping that there will be no more trouble…
Encounter Roll: 30
For the next few minutes the two walked in silence. Eventually they reached a spot where the cave tunnel was splitting in three. The middle and the right one were empty, as far as they could see. But along the left one a group of five skeletons were walking slowly, going someplace unknown but away from the two human women.
"We need to go this way." Constance whispered as she pointed at the right path. "The skeletons won’t even notice us if we don’t alert them to our presence. While if you attack them you will have the element of surprise there’s no telling how many other undead are nearby. It’s not worth the risk." Freya did not miss the fact that Constance had said 'you', not 'us'. Apparently she had no intention of helping fight the skeletons. For a moment Freya hesitated…
Vote:
A. Follow Constance and take the right path.
B. Check out the middle path.
C. Follow the skeletons from a distance but do not attack them.
D. Attack the group of skeletons and hope that Freya can defeat them on her own – and that there are no other undead nearby. Specify how – with what weapon(s), spell(s) and/or item(s)
E. Do something else.
X. Minor Action.
"Well, that was unexpected. Usually skeletons need to be ordered to do even basic things like blocking and there’s no one commanding these three." Noted Constance.
"Are you sure about that? I could swear I saw someone behind them…" Freya mentioned as she tried to aim her next spell so that it would not get blocked.
"Really? Let me see…" Constance narrowed her eyes at the skeletons and the space right behind them. "I see. That changes things." She added a second later, now sounding a lot more serious.
"Something wrong?" Freya asked as she wondered if she should just use another Bolt to break the skeleton’s shield.
"Some sort of ghost." The lady answered matter-of-factly and held her right hand up in the air. A ball of fire appeared above her palm, small at first but quickly growing to twice its initial size. With a quick gesture Constance threw the fireball at the middle skeleton. Again the attack was blocked by the shield, but there was nothing to block the fiery explosion that followed.
As the skeletons were enveloped by the flames there was a loud shriek, sounding like a woman screaming in pain. It lasted only a moment before silence returned. The skeletons fell down, now little more than piles of charred bones, all the frost gone from them and their weapons and shields.
"What… was that?" Freya asked, glad that the horrible shriek had not lasted longer.
"Some sort of ghost commanding the skeletons. Doesn’t really matter – it’s gone now. We better go, before anything else comes."
"Let’s see if they have anything of value." Freya suggested as she approached the charred remains of the undead.
"Don’t waste your time. Skeletons are not known for carrying valuables, plus there’s no telling who – or what – heard that shriek. We really should be going." Constance pointed out.
Luck Roll: 95
"It’ll take only a few moments." Freya promised as she started checking the remains. To her disappointment the scimitar was now in several rusty pieces – apparently time, combined with the frost and the fire, had been too much for the old weapon. The spears were in an even worse condition. Two of the shields were also broken. The third shield was the only thing still intact. It was a small round shield, covered in mud and other things Freya did not want to think about. Apart from a few dents it was still intact.
"Not what I had in mind, but this will have to do." Freya decided as she picked up the small shield and attached it to her left hand. She was a bit surprised by how light it was
"If you’re seriously going to keep that old thing at least get it fixed."
"No need to worry, I know just the right person to fix it." Best not to tell her anything more, just in case.
Obtained Unidentified Small Round Shield.
"Alright, since you’re done let us go." Constance resumed her fast walk and Freya began following her again, hoping that there will be no more trouble…
Encounter Roll: 30
For the next few minutes the two walked in silence. Eventually they reached a spot where the cave tunnel was splitting in three. The middle and the right one were empty, as far as they could see. But along the left one a group of five skeletons were walking slowly, going someplace unknown but away from the two human women.
"We need to go this way." Constance whispered as she pointed at the right path. "The skeletons won’t even notice us if we don’t alert them to our presence. While if you attack them you will have the element of surprise there’s no telling how many other undead are nearby. It’s not worth the risk." Freya did not miss the fact that Constance had said 'you', not 'us'. Apparently she had no intention of helping fight the skeletons. For a moment Freya hesitated…
Vote:
A. Follow Constance and take the right path.
B. Check out the middle path.
C. Follow the skeletons from a distance but do not attack them.
D. Attack the group of skeletons and hope that Freya can defeat them on her own – and that there are no other undead nearby. Specify how – with what weapon(s), spell(s) and/or item(s)
E. Do something else.
X. Minor Action.
FallenSaint
Really Really Experienced
Agreed. We could have wasted a scroll trying to take out a group of skeletons when holding back and letting Constance see what was hidden helped out. Lets follow along for now, keep Constance helping with any run and guns, and try to make a break for it when we have a clear way out. For now, at least we have some added armor.
moonblack
CHYOA Guru
"Lead the way." Freya whispered back without hesitation. There was no reason for her to explore an empty passage on her own (and possibly get lost as a result), and there was even less reason to pick a fight with the undead.
The rest of the trip was uneventful, thankfully. After a while the caves started to seem all the same and Freya lost sense of time. When she was starting to get tired from walking they finally reached their destination.
The tunnel they had been following ended at a cavern that was at least partially man-made. Four more similar tunnels led to the same location. The last one was three times as wide as the other five and was the only one guarded. There were two hooded figures wearing crimson cloaks – one person on each side of the large tunnel – that were just standing there, doing nothing. They both took a quick look at the new arrivals, and then lost interest. Constance walked past them without so much as looking at the hooded people, and Freya followed her, wondering where they were.
The corridor led them to what appeared to a very large building made out of grey stone. Ahead of them was a corridor so wide it looked more like a street. To the left and right were similar corridors, but those were slightly curved as far as she could see, indicating that the place was circular – or at least oval – in shape. Dozens of other people were there, all of them wearing masks similar to the ones Freya and Constance had on their faces. As she watched five different people changed appearance. Some of the strangers were standing in place and talking to other people but most were walking, headed towards destinations unknown.
"Let’s go some place less crowded." Constance said and started walking again without waiting for an answer. Freya decided it was best to play along, at least until she had a better idea of where she was.
Constance led them to a small square room with a table and four chairs around it. On the walls were a few paintings, all of them depicting glorious battles. At the other end of the room was a small balcony overlooking a circular fighting arena a floor below them. Currently two swordsmen were fighting there, and judging by the shouts coming from the floor below they were doing a poor job. Constance stood there and watched, with Freya on her left.
"This seems as good a place as any. Allow me to explain – as much as I can, anyway."
Freya just nodded, without saying anything.
"First of all, did you recognize the markings on that man?"
"There was something familiar about them, but no, I can’t say that I did."
"Most people would not. There’s a goddess called Singra. When you want to kill someone you can ask for her blessing. If you receive it you become completely immune to harm caused by mere mortals. In return you have somewhere between 8 and 24 hours to kill your target. And if you fail – you die. When you receive Singra’s blessing markings appear on your body – the same markings you saw on that man. These markings cannot be hidden in any way - they always appear on top of your clothes or armor, and illusions don’t affect them. So the moment I saw that man I knew it would be best to hide and wait until he dies due to failing to kill me on time. And so here we are. Have you heard about the Arena?"
"I’ve heard rumors about an underground arena where people can test their skills, but that’s all I know." Freya admitted.
"Well, this is the Arena. There are five floors and we are currently on the fourth."
"It will be easy to hide among so many people, is that it?"
"That’s part of it, yes, but it’s not the main reason we’re here." Constance admitted. "Remember the hooded guards outside?"
"Yes, it was kinda hard to miss the crimson cloaks. I feel like I know something about them but I can’t remember what."
"The two are priests of Nardim, God of Combat. They are the ones in charge of the Arena. As you may know Nardim does not like one-sided fights. And it is quite one-sided when one combatant is immune to the attacks of his opponents – which is exactly what Singra’s blessing grants. The same blessing that cannot be hidden."
"So what happens if the attacker tries to enter the Arena?"
"He will not be allowed to enter, no matter what."
"So he will have to fight his way in?"
"It’s not that simple. He will have to attack the priests, which is a great way to piss off Nardim. The blessing grants immunity to the attacks of mere mortals like you and me, but an angry god is a whole different story."
"So either he stays outside until his time runs out and he dies, or he tries to enter and gets destroyed by an angry god." Freya concluded.
"Exactly!" Constance confirmed. "And before you say it – yes, I’m aware that he can send people to find me and either kill me or bring me out of here. But there are thousands of people here – yes, the place is really that big – and even if I am found… well, the person that finds me won’t be immune to my attacks so I can just kill him." The noblewoman shrugged as she said the last part.
"Okay… that explains why you’re here, but why am I here?"
"Well…" Constance moved closer to the younger girl. "I’ll have to stay here for hours. I’ll get bored. A pretty girl keeping me company will make the wait much more bearable. Plus your presence will confuse any attackers. After all, it was by chance that you were there when the attack took place. I’m sure the people trying to kill me have no idea who you are or what you are capable of, and since I went to the trouble of bringing you along they will assume that you are dangerous. So they will be more careful, and thus a lot slower."
"So I’m just a glorified distraction." Freya concluded.
"Pretty much, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing." Constance admitted. "Since we’ll be staying here for a while allow me to tell you a bit more about the arena. Like I said there are five floors. In the center is the largest fighting arena – it’s really more like a coliseum – reserved for special events, usually involving group battles. It is the only place that can be watched from all five floors. There are a number of other, smaller, arenas on each floor – like the one below us." With one hand Constance pointed at the circle down below, where the two men were still fighting. Her other hand went to the middle of Freya’s back. "To fight at any of the arenas you must first win a fight against another would-be arena fighter. For that battle you must both bet some coins, and the winner takes all while the loser can try again against a different opponent. After winning such a test fight you are granted the honor to fight at the arena and can battle other people that have been granted the same honor. Each time you must bet something, be it money, sex, or a mix of both. Your opponent is also required to bet something. You will be told what was bet by the other fighter – or fighters, as the case may be – so you can fight only people that offer what you want."
Constance paused and moved even closer, one of her large beasts pressing against Freya’s back while her left hand started slowly moving down Freya’s back.
"One other thing." The noblewoman spoke in a hushed tone as her body pressed against the redhead’s. "It seems your knowledge about some things is rather… lacking. No offense. If you want, after this mess is over I can teach you as an apology for dragging you along. It will take me about a week to teach you the basics. Of course, we don’t have to wait until we’re back in town. We can start right now…" As she said that Constance’s hand reached Freya’s ass and started groping it.
Vote:
A. Inquire about fighting at the arena
B. Ask about something (specify; multiple questions can be asked, but if there are too many I might not be able to fit them all in the next post)
C. Attempt to leave and explore on her own
D. Accept Constance’s offer about learning from her (specify whether to start the lessons now or after they are back in town)
E. Do something else (specify)
X. Minor Action.
Important: Constance’s offer can be accepted at any time so Freya does not need to answer right now. If she accepts she will spend a week with Constance and learn Lore I. She would also learn Arcana I but since she already has that skill she will instead get part way to learning Arcana II.
---
That turned a bit long due to all the explanations.
The rest of the trip was uneventful, thankfully. After a while the caves started to seem all the same and Freya lost sense of time. When she was starting to get tired from walking they finally reached their destination.
The tunnel they had been following ended at a cavern that was at least partially man-made. Four more similar tunnels led to the same location. The last one was three times as wide as the other five and was the only one guarded. There were two hooded figures wearing crimson cloaks – one person on each side of the large tunnel – that were just standing there, doing nothing. They both took a quick look at the new arrivals, and then lost interest. Constance walked past them without so much as looking at the hooded people, and Freya followed her, wondering where they were.
The corridor led them to what appeared to a very large building made out of grey stone. Ahead of them was a corridor so wide it looked more like a street. To the left and right were similar corridors, but those were slightly curved as far as she could see, indicating that the place was circular – or at least oval – in shape. Dozens of other people were there, all of them wearing masks similar to the ones Freya and Constance had on their faces. As she watched five different people changed appearance. Some of the strangers were standing in place and talking to other people but most were walking, headed towards destinations unknown.
"Let’s go some place less crowded." Constance said and started walking again without waiting for an answer. Freya decided it was best to play along, at least until she had a better idea of where she was.
Constance led them to a small square room with a table and four chairs around it. On the walls were a few paintings, all of them depicting glorious battles. At the other end of the room was a small balcony overlooking a circular fighting arena a floor below them. Currently two swordsmen were fighting there, and judging by the shouts coming from the floor below they were doing a poor job. Constance stood there and watched, with Freya on her left.
"This seems as good a place as any. Allow me to explain – as much as I can, anyway."
Freya just nodded, without saying anything.
"First of all, did you recognize the markings on that man?"
"There was something familiar about them, but no, I can’t say that I did."
"Most people would not. There’s a goddess called Singra. When you want to kill someone you can ask for her blessing. If you receive it you become completely immune to harm caused by mere mortals. In return you have somewhere between 8 and 24 hours to kill your target. And if you fail – you die. When you receive Singra’s blessing markings appear on your body – the same markings you saw on that man. These markings cannot be hidden in any way - they always appear on top of your clothes or armor, and illusions don’t affect them. So the moment I saw that man I knew it would be best to hide and wait until he dies due to failing to kill me on time. And so here we are. Have you heard about the Arena?"
"I’ve heard rumors about an underground arena where people can test their skills, but that’s all I know." Freya admitted.
"Well, this is the Arena. There are five floors and we are currently on the fourth."
"It will be easy to hide among so many people, is that it?"
"That’s part of it, yes, but it’s not the main reason we’re here." Constance admitted. "Remember the hooded guards outside?"
"Yes, it was kinda hard to miss the crimson cloaks. I feel like I know something about them but I can’t remember what."
"The two are priests of Nardim, God of Combat. They are the ones in charge of the Arena. As you may know Nardim does not like one-sided fights. And it is quite one-sided when one combatant is immune to the attacks of his opponents – which is exactly what Singra’s blessing grants. The same blessing that cannot be hidden."
"So what happens if the attacker tries to enter the Arena?"
"He will not be allowed to enter, no matter what."
"So he will have to fight his way in?"
"It’s not that simple. He will have to attack the priests, which is a great way to piss off Nardim. The blessing grants immunity to the attacks of mere mortals like you and me, but an angry god is a whole different story."
"So either he stays outside until his time runs out and he dies, or he tries to enter and gets destroyed by an angry god." Freya concluded.
"Exactly!" Constance confirmed. "And before you say it – yes, I’m aware that he can send people to find me and either kill me or bring me out of here. But there are thousands of people here – yes, the place is really that big – and even if I am found… well, the person that finds me won’t be immune to my attacks so I can just kill him." The noblewoman shrugged as she said the last part.
"Okay… that explains why you’re here, but why am I here?"
"Well…" Constance moved closer to the younger girl. "I’ll have to stay here for hours. I’ll get bored. A pretty girl keeping me company will make the wait much more bearable. Plus your presence will confuse any attackers. After all, it was by chance that you were there when the attack took place. I’m sure the people trying to kill me have no idea who you are or what you are capable of, and since I went to the trouble of bringing you along they will assume that you are dangerous. So they will be more careful, and thus a lot slower."
"So I’m just a glorified distraction." Freya concluded.
"Pretty much, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing." Constance admitted. "Since we’ll be staying here for a while allow me to tell you a bit more about the arena. Like I said there are five floors. In the center is the largest fighting arena – it’s really more like a coliseum – reserved for special events, usually involving group battles. It is the only place that can be watched from all five floors. There are a number of other, smaller, arenas on each floor – like the one below us." With one hand Constance pointed at the circle down below, where the two men were still fighting. Her other hand went to the middle of Freya’s back. "To fight at any of the arenas you must first win a fight against another would-be arena fighter. For that battle you must both bet some coins, and the winner takes all while the loser can try again against a different opponent. After winning such a test fight you are granted the honor to fight at the arena and can battle other people that have been granted the same honor. Each time you must bet something, be it money, sex, or a mix of both. Your opponent is also required to bet something. You will be told what was bet by the other fighter – or fighters, as the case may be – so you can fight only people that offer what you want."
Constance paused and moved even closer, one of her large beasts pressing against Freya’s back while her left hand started slowly moving down Freya’s back.
"One other thing." The noblewoman spoke in a hushed tone as her body pressed against the redhead’s. "It seems your knowledge about some things is rather… lacking. No offense. If you want, after this mess is over I can teach you as an apology for dragging you along. It will take me about a week to teach you the basics. Of course, we don’t have to wait until we’re back in town. We can start right now…" As she said that Constance’s hand reached Freya’s ass and started groping it.
Vote:
A. Inquire about fighting at the arena
B. Ask about something (specify; multiple questions can be asked, but if there are too many I might not be able to fit them all in the next post)
C. Attempt to leave and explore on her own
D. Accept Constance’s offer about learning from her (specify whether to start the lessons now or after they are back in town)
E. Do something else (specify)
X. Minor Action.
Important: Constance’s offer can be accepted at any time so Freya does not need to answer right now. If she accepts she will spend a week with Constance and learn Lore I. She would also learn Arcana I but since she already has that skill she will instead get part way to learning Arcana II.
---
That turned a bit long due to all the explanations.
Duskford
CHYOA Guru
Wow, an arena! That was a bit unexpected. Well, I got curious about Constance, but I'm not sure about spending a week with her yet, so here's my vote:
B. Ask about something. (Ask more about the things Freya would learn from her)
Minor action: Get aroused at Constance's groping and touch her as well.
B. Ask about something. (Ask more about the things Freya would learn from her)
Minor action: Get aroused at Constance's groping and touch her as well.
FallenSaint
Really Really Experienced
(Sorry, my dad is in the hospital and not doing good so I have not been online much.)
I'm voting a mixture of Duskford and Hvasts posts.
B. Ask about something. (Ask more about the things Freya would learn from her)
Minor Action: Freays should get a little insulted about Constance making advances, at least for now.
With Freya getting dragged into this, it might be better to learn a little more. If she can do so without giving up her body then great, if not, maybe she can use her diplomatic skills to point out that she is only involved because of Constance anyway....
I'm voting a mixture of Duskford and Hvasts posts.
B. Ask about something. (Ask more about the things Freya would learn from her)
Minor Action: Freays should get a little insulted about Constance making advances, at least for now.
With Freya getting dragged into this, it might be better to learn a little more. If she can do so without giving up her body then great, if not, maybe she can use her diplomatic skills to point out that she is only involved because of Constance anyway....
moonblack
CHYOA Guru
That's alright, family is more important, especially in such cases. I hope your father will be fine.
---
Immediately Freya moved to the left and at the same time used her right hand to push away Constance’s. She briefly glared at the older woman and got an innocent look in return. She decided to ignore the incident for now.
"Could you be a bit more specific? What, exactly, can you teach me?" She asked, wanting to know more about what she would get if she accepted the offer.
"Well, I like collecting knowledge, especially about old and long-forgotten things. So I could teach you about all manner of magical and non-magical things. Just the basics, for now, but I could teach you a lot more later, if you are interested."
"I already know the basics of Arcana, and I know a person who can teach me more." Mom will surely be happy to hear I want to continue learning, though being alone with her could be a bit awkward after what happened… or it could be a lot of fun. Either way that will have to wait. "As for knowledge about non-magical things… sounds good in theory, but I am not sure how much use it will be in practice. Anything else you can teach me?"
"People often underestimate the value of knowledge about non-magical things, only to regret it later. But it’s your choice. As for other things… Well, I do know quite a bit about spellcasting so I guess I could teach you some spells or help you improve some of your skills…" Constance paused as she moved closer to Freya. "Of course, I can teach you… other… things. Things that a young girl can learn only from an experienced woman…." Again her hand went to the redhead’s ass and again Freya pushed it away.
"Just so we’re clear: I’m not going to have sex with you in exchange for the lessons! I’m not some cheap whore or one of your maids!" Freya stated firmly.
"Of course not. Like I said the lessons are an apology for dragging you along. The sex is just a bonus." Constance smiled at her again.
So she intends to have sex with me and it seems like she doesn’t really care what I want. At least she’s honest about what her real intentions are. "Alright then, I’ll think about it. But for now I think I’ll go take a look around."
"I’m coming with you!" Constance immediately declared and grabbed Freya’s arm. "This is your first visit here and I haven’t told you all the rules of this place. I don’t want you to get in trouble, for example by accidentally insulting one of the Champions. And before you ask: I promise not to grope your ass without your permission." Constance smiled at the younger girl as she moved closer again, this time without groping her.
Intelligence and Wisdom check: Pass
"I have a better idea: How about you promise not to grope me at all? Not just my butt, but all of me."
"Aww, but that’s no fun!" Constance pouted in disappointment.
"Whatever. Just keep your hands to yourself." It looked like getting away from the noblewoman would be very difficult, if not impossible, but having a companion would not be so bad – at least as long as said companion could keep her hands to herself.
Vote:
A. Ask Constance for a tour of the place (or at least part of it, since it is very large)
B. Walk around at random and let Constance provide any important information
C. Decide not to leave just yet and instead watch the battle below.
D. Ask one or more questions (this option can be combined with any of the above three, or can be chosen on its own)
X. Minor Action
FallenSaint
Really Really Experienced
Agreed, C with questions to "Why her" for sex.
moonblack
CHYOA Guru
"Why don’t we watch the battle before we leave? I’m a little curious." Freya suggested as she moved back to the balcony and looked down at the two men fighting below.
"Sure, why not." Constance agreed as her hand reached for the redhead’s butt again, only to get pushed away once more.
"I told you to keep your hands to yourself!" Freya glared at the other woman.
"I thought that applied only to while I’m showing you around."
"No, it applies to all times." The redhead turned to face the older woman. "Why are you so interested in me anyway?"
"No special reason. I just like cute girls like you."
"That’s all? Really?" Freya asked, finding the other woman’s answer hard to believe.
"Yes, really. I don’t need a special reason to want to… play… with a pretty girl. I know some people find it hard to believe, but that is the truth."
I don’t know if she’s telling the truth, but it’s clear I won’t get anything more out of her. At least not now. "Are all nobles like you?"
"Sadly no. Syrada would be a lot more fun if there were more nobles like me."
"I don’t think 'fun' is the right word…" Freya mumbled to herself as she turned her attention back to the fight below.
On the small arena below were two men. Currently one looked like a knight in full plate armor while the other looked like a bald old man in his eighties. The previous time Freya had looked one had looked like an elf with blonde hair while the other had been dark-skinned. Clearly the magic of the masks works just fine during combat. I’ll need some time to get used to my opponent changing appearance at random. Both men were wielding longswords. One of them had a small wooden round shield. After a quick examination of the arena’s floor the redhead spotted the remains of the other man’s wooden shield.
"Come on!", "Hurry up!", "What are you waiting for?" and more such shouts could be heard from below. Apparently what few spectators were there were not pleased with the performance of the two fighters. Suddenly the guy without a shield rushed forward and started madly swinging his sword at his opponent. The other guy was forced to move back in order to avoid the random but savage attacks. This went on for over a minute and Freya started getting bored.
"I hope not all fights are like this one…" She sighed.
"Fortunately not. Most fighters are a lot better. I’m surprised these two managed to pass the test at all. They must have tried during a day when there were even worse candidates. But with that sort of skill – or rather lack of skill – they won’t get anywhere." Constance informed her as she watched the two men.
Another wild swing by the shield-less man and another dodge by his opponent. This time, however, the second guy stepped on the remains of the broken shield. The feeling of something under his foot caused him to look down for a moment and that was just the opening the attacker needed. With a quick movement he thrust his sword right through the other guy’s chest. A horrible scream of pain followed until the blade was pulled out.
"Battle over! Winner: Gral!" Announced a loud make voice from some place Freya could not see. "Finally!", "About time!" and more followed, showing what the spectators thought about the battle.
"Boring. We should go watch a real battle." Constance commented as she looked at the two men below. "One thing I should probably mention: You can’t die or suffer permanent injury while fighting at the arena. So no getting your skull crushed or your arm cut off. But you still get to 'enjoy' the pain from the blow. I’ve heard comments that sometimes it hurts so much it makes death seem like the more tempting option. No idea if it is true – I prefer to watch and bet while others fight."
"I see. That’s good to know." Freya looked at the noblewoman. "So if I decide to fight at the arena do I have to reveal my name?"
"No, you get to choose a name to use when fighting here. Of course you can use your real name, there’s no rule against it, but pretty much everyone uses a pseudonym." Constance explained. "So, wanna go watch a real battle? Or should I just show you around?"
Vote:
A. Ask Constance for a tour of the place (or at least part of it, since it is very large)
B. Walk around at random and let Constance provide any important information
C. Allow Constance to find a new battle for them to watch
D. Inquire about becoming one of the arena fighters
E. Ask one or more questions (this option can be combined with any of the above, or can be chosen on its own)
X. Minor Action
"Sure, why not." Constance agreed as her hand reached for the redhead’s butt again, only to get pushed away once more.
"I told you to keep your hands to yourself!" Freya glared at the other woman.
"I thought that applied only to while I’m showing you around."
"No, it applies to all times." The redhead turned to face the older woman. "Why are you so interested in me anyway?"
"No special reason. I just like cute girls like you."
"That’s all? Really?" Freya asked, finding the other woman’s answer hard to believe.
"Yes, really. I don’t need a special reason to want to… play… with a pretty girl. I know some people find it hard to believe, but that is the truth."
I don’t know if she’s telling the truth, but it’s clear I won’t get anything more out of her. At least not now. "Are all nobles like you?"
"Sadly no. Syrada would be a lot more fun if there were more nobles like me."
"I don’t think 'fun' is the right word…" Freya mumbled to herself as she turned her attention back to the fight below.
On the small arena below were two men. Currently one looked like a knight in full plate armor while the other looked like a bald old man in his eighties. The previous time Freya had looked one had looked like an elf with blonde hair while the other had been dark-skinned. Clearly the magic of the masks works just fine during combat. I’ll need some time to get used to my opponent changing appearance at random. Both men were wielding longswords. One of them had a small wooden round shield. After a quick examination of the arena’s floor the redhead spotted the remains of the other man’s wooden shield.
"Come on!", "Hurry up!", "What are you waiting for?" and more such shouts could be heard from below. Apparently what few spectators were there were not pleased with the performance of the two fighters. Suddenly the guy without a shield rushed forward and started madly swinging his sword at his opponent. The other guy was forced to move back in order to avoid the random but savage attacks. This went on for over a minute and Freya started getting bored.
"I hope not all fights are like this one…" She sighed.
"Fortunately not. Most fighters are a lot better. I’m surprised these two managed to pass the test at all. They must have tried during a day when there were even worse candidates. But with that sort of skill – or rather lack of skill – they won’t get anywhere." Constance informed her as she watched the two men.
Another wild swing by the shield-less man and another dodge by his opponent. This time, however, the second guy stepped on the remains of the broken shield. The feeling of something under his foot caused him to look down for a moment and that was just the opening the attacker needed. With a quick movement he thrust his sword right through the other guy’s chest. A horrible scream of pain followed until the blade was pulled out.
"Battle over! Winner: Gral!" Announced a loud make voice from some place Freya could not see. "Finally!", "About time!" and more followed, showing what the spectators thought about the battle.
"Boring. We should go watch a real battle." Constance commented as she looked at the two men below. "One thing I should probably mention: You can’t die or suffer permanent injury while fighting at the arena. So no getting your skull crushed or your arm cut off. But you still get to 'enjoy' the pain from the blow. I’ve heard comments that sometimes it hurts so much it makes death seem like the more tempting option. No idea if it is true – I prefer to watch and bet while others fight."
"I see. That’s good to know." Freya looked at the noblewoman. "So if I decide to fight at the arena do I have to reveal my name?"
"No, you get to choose a name to use when fighting here. Of course you can use your real name, there’s no rule against it, but pretty much everyone uses a pseudonym." Constance explained. "So, wanna go watch a real battle? Or should I just show you around?"
Vote:
A. Ask Constance for a tour of the place (or at least part of it, since it is very large)
B. Walk around at random and let Constance provide any important information
C. Allow Constance to find a new battle for them to watch
D. Inquire about becoming one of the arena fighters
E. Ask one or more questions (this option can be combined with any of the above, or can be chosen on its own)
X. Minor Action