Posts from Black Ice Auto-translated

I'm taking over the responsibility of restoring magic to allies, using my own resources. And I still have autopilot enabled; it should be working normally next week.

I didn't respond immediately; I couldn't find the right words. "Thank you for the information, Aniruddha, and for welcoming us; we've traveled a long way. I have some information about what happened within the order, and I'll include it in a report that I'll send later today. May the souls of our brothers, and... sisters, rest in peace," I tried my best to suppress the tremor in my voice. "They are now at the Emperor's right hand, waging an endless war against demons and protecting all of us from their influence." I took Dedvas and admired the iridescent glow of its blade. "Everything is in the Emperor's will." I recited a short prayer and turned back to Aniruddha. "I need a few hours to gather myself, after which I will join the council."

In Helligate, the royal dynasty fought for the crown and endangered its subjects; in Vaironia, a mad and cruel man rules; illiterate barbarians from the Khaganate live meaningless lives in senseless wars due to their ignorance; the Dungeon knows no bounds in its greed; in Corania, people live in poverty while their masters enjoy life in golden cities. Enough is enough. This must end.

Ah, but not a word about the barbarians! And that's a mistake; sooner or later, you'll have to face them too, Emperor! And will you be ready for that, you and your army, exhausted by world wars? I don't think so... Well, good luck!

Lugus was glad to return to the order, but the recent events troubled him; the tension was growing, and a terrible war was looming. He wasn't sure which he dreaded more: fighting against the Emperor and his army, or meeting Vaironis again. He thought that the best outcome would be a war between the two, so that both threats would be eliminated in their struggle against each other, or at least weakened. In addition, he was worried about the new Magister, whom Lugus simply couldn't trust. He found it strange that someone his own age had suddenly taken the place of the head of the order, even though he stood out from the rest. Lugus already knew about the new assignments, and he wanted to go to his homeland, not so much for the mission, but because he wanted to find his family. However, he didn't even know where to start, or if he would be able to find them, since there were many cities and it would take time to visit them. Besides, he was interested in learning about the assignment of the chief scout, especially since Master Waimond shared similar views regarding the new Magister. Lugus even suspected that the assignment might be related to this. Without making a final decision, the forest dweller decided to go to Lancaster, as he also wanted to continue his training, which he hadn't been able to complete under the previous First Warden.

Mind Reading (1). Reveals any information from the target's mind.
Teleportation (2). The spellcaster moves to any location within their line of sight.
Mind Control (2). Forces the target to obey their commands.

Theoharu had to return to the order once again. Yes, things had changed a bit here. The mage was glad that the chief scout had not managed to take the position of grandmaster; the man who had promised to act with more radical methods was quite acceptable to him.
"-Let him act, if that's what he wants. I'm tired of all these peace missions. I almost died because of them. We should have attacked that psychopath immediately, instead of sending him legendary swords as gifts. Let the empire, Heligard, and Wyrdwind now fight each other. And then, I hope, Katharian will come to power."
The mage glanced at the Ice Book. "-Go with our 'savior' to Heligard? No, I don't feel like going to that wretched kingdom. The Valkyrie's Stronghold? Yes, I've heard about the massacre that took place there. Katharian lost his best assassins, which is a pity. Reconnaissance doesn't interest me... Ultimatum? It smells like big trouble, judging by everything, as a rule, such 'conditions' end in a big brawl. Okay, I'll decide later."

Lugus found the chief scout in his usual spot, and to his surprise, he found him in a rather unusual state. Waimond Lancaster was drinking vodka alone, seemingly mourning his fallen comrades, whom he had known since joining the order. When Lugus entered the room, he probably wasn't sure if he had chosen the right time to appear, but the scout gestured that he didn't mind. Upon learning that his brother in the order had come to inquire about a new assignment, he immediately got down to business. It should be noted that this time, he did so without his usual sarcasm.
- My best scouts have spent the last two months in Catharia, investigating a delicate matter. Based on the information they provided, I have every reason to believe that the queen of this country is no longer human. At least, not anymore. And you're probably wondering, if this is a reconnaissance mission, why didn't I send my people who were already working on it? The answer is simple: the young, arrogant upstart recalled them and demanded that I take on another, "more important" task. Do you think you can handle such an assignment? - The scout pointed to a bottle of alcoholic beverage. - It's a very popular drink in my homeland. A good thing.
___________________________________

The mentality of an experienced hunter made its mark; shooting the opponent in the wing was a very good idea, and she instantly lost the ability to fly. Meanwhile, David managed to subdue the priestess with a rope without any problems. "Elisea" tried to keep her distance and, if possible, attacked the guards with magical spells. With David's skillful leadership, Sirkhan's support, and Torvar's invaluable ranged attacks against such an opponent, they managed to defeat the woman. She fell to the ground, unable to get up. Although "Elisea" was not a vampire, she was undoubtedly the cause of the disappearances of people in the surrounding area. Mission accomplished.
Torvar, Sirkhan, and David gain +5 experience.
They still had to decide what to do with the woman. According to her, if she died, everyone who obeyed her would die as well, and there seemed to be at least several dozen of these people. However, there was no way to check if she was lying.
[Here, you decide; I decided to write about the subsequent events immediately, so that everything happens more quickly].
A few days later, they received two letters. One from the order, the other from Dalingr. The first spoke of the latest events in the world and of major changes in the order, and that every member of the order was being summoned for the upcoming war. The new master demanded mandatory attendance; refusal was considered a violation of one's duties and treason. In the second letter, Dalingr informed them that news had reached him about the successful resolution of the problem related to the disappearance of the peasants, and he congratulated them on this. He also informed them that the reward for completing his assignment had increased. Now, in the event of a successful completion of the assignment, they could expect a reward of 20,000 coins each.

Mike Skaitorn



Bio:

One could say that Mike's life was like a marble staircase leading upwards, at quite an acute angle. Growing up in Helligate, in a large village near the forest, he distinguished himself from childhood with his dexterity, agility, and keen observation skills. At 14, he left home and joined a group of forest rangers as an assistant. The unit combined the functions of hunters with legal authorization from the king and a forest guard. Mike helped track game and poachers; once, when capturing a boar went wrong, he also demonstrated decent close combat skills, managing to dodge the enraged beast and strike it with a dagger in its vulnerable spot.

Upon reaching adulthood, he enlisted in the royal army, where he was accepted into a reconnaissance squad. Nothing particularly eventful happened; service both in intelligence and counterintelligence proved successful for the young man, aided not only by his natural attention to detail but also by his good mind and quick memory. Mike even managed to serve on the border with Catharia and capture several spies. Time passed, and finally, the guy reached what seemed to be the peak of his career. He was accepted into the Order of the Golden Finger, receiving the sacred task of serving the king until his last breath. Mike became the youngest member of the order in its entire history, although he wasn't burdened with overly important tasks; he justified the title of "king's eye" as well as he could, managing to uncover several conspiracy attempts and remove some dangerous individuals from court.

But the marble staircase of his life turned into a rope bridge that almost broke. A fateful celebration of Illumination shattered Mike's whole world. The order disintegrated, half of his friends and acquaintances defected to another faith, and half were killed or disappeared without a trace. The king was dead. Mike had nowhere to go except the forests, which he knew like the back of his hand. While on the run, he didn't know what to do; Mike even contemplated suicide. But eventually, he decided to go where his skills could be useful and serve a good cause, to a place where he might find a purpose in life again – the Order of Watchers.

Mike was easily accepted into the ranks of the servants. Under the leadership of Waimond Lancaster, he performed not too complex or important assignments for the Order. However, the latest assignment took quite a bit of time and effort. What seemed like an ordinary hunt for monsters terrorizing one of the large villages in Helligate turned into a confrontation with a very powerful witch. The group, which included Mike, nearly perished, but everything worked out successfully in the end. Unfortunately, after this hunt, he fell somewhat out of touch with the general life of the Order, so upon returning only now to the castle, Mike immediately went to Waimond to inquire about the latest events and any new assignments.

Character:

Mike is a man who tries not to stand out from the crowd. He is equally pleasant to everyone, and it cannot be said that this is hypocrisy. Mike is a humanist; he enjoys people, but he skillfully maintains the necessary distance, without getting particularly close to anyone. However, if he does get closer, he becomes a good and loyal friend, but unfortunately, after the events of Illumination, he lost all his friends and has yet to find new ones. After being rejected by a popular girl from his village when he was 13, he hides a foolish, unhealed wound in his heart, considering love and other things nonsense and unnecessary pursuits. Attentive, caring, intelligent, literate, quite charismatic, able to smile sincerely and kindly, not religious, and doesn't burden himself too much with rules of morality imposed by society; he has his own code of principles and an understanding of honor and duty, which he follows.

After Illumination, he feels strong dislike for Ataraxians, Catharians, and Lunars, but hides this within the Order. He doesn't hate wizards, but he also doesn't show them any particular sympathy. Perhaps because most of his assignments involved tracking monsters and people who did truly evil deeds. Hearing about the unification of Helligate under Friedrich's leadership, he sometimes thinks about returning and serving under the new king, but tries to dismiss these thoughts, convincing himself that his place is now with the Order.

Skills:

Scout

I (5) The scouting skill is acquired, thanks to which searching for any information even on a vast territory is done much faster. It becomes possible to track living creatures by their tracks.
II (4) +4 to dexterity, +15 to health
III (4) The "invisibility" skill is acquired. The higher the dexterity, the lower the chance of being detected. Used outside of combat.
IV (4) +4 to speed, +15 to health.

Forester

I (5) The herbalist skill is acquired, allowing him to collect ingredients and brew potions from them.

One-Handed Weapon

I (3) The ability to parry an enemy's attack is acquired. The higher the dexterity, the higher the chance.

Equipment:

- One-handed dagger.
- Cloak made of strong leather.
- Light chainmail that doesn't restrict movement.
- Bag with a basic set of useful plants just in case.
- A certain amount of gold. Not too much; specifically, it will be up to the GM.

Am I right in understanding that the Game Master will assign my characteristics?

Am I correct in understanding that the game master will distribute the stats for me?

Yes, but since I update the first page once in a blue moon, it might not happen immediately.

Unfortunately, due to this hunt, he was somewhat out of touch with the general life of the Haven, so, returning to the castle only now, Mike curiously went straight to Waimond to find out about the latest events and whether there were any new assignments.

Consider that you have encountered an Archmage.

"To His Sacred Majesty, God-Emperor of Ataraxia.

Reporting.
While carrying out the assigned task, I took on the escort of an unknown wizard from the Academy to the Order's headquarters. The route led through the port city of Icegard, and reconnaissance revealed that the Order's positions there had weakened, and the population was suffering from organized crime. A certain Theodore leads the mercenary gang.
Things at the Academy are not going well: the mentor is almost not interested in its affairs, and the handful of wardens assigned to the island are committing outrages and showing unprofessionalism.
After picking up the aforementioned wizard, who turned out to be a young woman of unclear origin, I returned to Icegard and found it in the midst of riots and executions. Theodore, as it turned out, was in charge of everything – a member of the Order of Wardens.
Following Your will, I headed to Helligate and noted an unprecedented surge in banditry along the way. I witnessed a battle between Imperial troops and Royal troops.
I can conclude that the Academy of Magic is a suitable target for bringing Your Divine Light, but the surrounding territories are not favorable to representatives of the Empire.

Your faithful servant, F."

I sealed the letter with wax and left my imprint. The Emperor, of course, knows everything, but periodic reports must be sent. Usually, Hedwiga took care of this...
Having finished all my rituals, I headed to the emissary.

Approaching the chief scout, Mike discovered a remarkable scene: Waimond was offering a drink to one of the representatives of the free people, whom Mike had encountered several times in the Castle. His first thought was to ask for permission to join them, but he quickly dismissed the idea. Therefore, Mike simply bowed his head in greeting and addressed Waimond:
- Sir Lancaster, I apologize if I am interrupting, but may I ask if you are the one to contact regarding the matter concerning the Haven of Valkyries? Or is someone else conducting the briefing?

After a brief discussion with Jonas about the necessity of going to Helligate right now, and Jonas's assurances that "we'll just stop by the Haven and be ready to go right away," Joseph agreed. They traveled to the Haven in silence.

Not wanting to attract suspicious glances, upon arrival, Joseph went to rest. After a hearty meal and a rest, and not wanting to waste any more time, Joseph immediately went to see the first watchman.

In the discussion about the winged creature's fate, Thorvar held a harsh view: retribution. When he fully understood the situation, he was simply stunned and had no intention of making concessions to the cruel mage or listening to his deceitful speeches, in which the enemy tried to save his not-so-valuable hide.
When they received a letter from the Order, Thorvar treated it with skepticism.
“All my life, I dreamed of being in a real war. Well, not all my life, exactly... When I was little, I dreamed of catching a golden tuna, but that's not important. Anyway, I wanted to fight, but I wanted to fight for my own people, for the barbarians. Why should I break my back for the Order? I joined it to help fight against these vile mages,” the northerner slammed his fist on the table. “And there was no other persuasion! I don't know what's going on there, but that's the problem! What if they fight against my homeland? Or want to fight against it? I won't fight on the side of my enemy,” he said firmly. “I can only help a friend in the fight against a common enemy. But what is happening now no longer looks like such help.”
“And this Dalingr is a good guy... I think we can help him...”

Upon approaching the chief scout, Mike discovered a remarkable scene: Waimond was offering a drink to one of the representatives of the free people, whom Mike had encountered several times in the castle. His first thought was, strangely enough, to ask for permission to join them, but he quickly dismissed the idea. Therefore, Mike simply bowed his head in greeting and addressed Waimond:
- Sir Lancaster, I apologize if I am interrupting, but may I inquire whether you are the one to contact regarding matters related to the Haven of Valkyries? Or is someone else conducting the briefing?

- Our magnificent leader has appointed the first warden to oversee the order's activities in Helligate, so you should address your questions to him.

I'm taking
Commander III (7) – the unit gains immunity to mind control effects. +2 to Will, 20 to Health.
This will help us safely transport "Elisea" without fearing her mind control.

p.s. 2 action points remain.


It was all over. The winged "Elisea" lay on the ground, cursing.
"If it were up to me, I would burn this scum at the stake right now," David gritted his teeth. "But I can't allow anything to happen to Agatha," he nodded towards the priestess. "So my only hope is for Master Atelstan. Who, if not him, knows how to break the spell?"

David felt uneasy. On the one hand, the mission was accomplished, and the people in the village could breathe a sigh of relief. On the other hand, he was worried about Agatha. Deciding that inaction would only make things worse, he turned to his companions:
"So, we're taking these two with us to the Order. Atelstan is a smart guy; he'll figure it out. Don't worry about the magic. I think I've figured out how to counter mind control. I won't let that happen to me again," the warrior cast a triumphant glance at "Elisea." "We won't feed the snake; she'll survive a couple of days. Any objections?"

In the second letter, Dalingr reported that he had heard news about the successful resolution of the problem related to the disappearance of the peasants, and he congratulated them on this.

It was evening, and people were just returning from work. David went to the center of the village and, unexpectedly for everyone, began to sing:
"The sunlit lands are open to us,
The lights of victory shine over the land!"
(Those who know the song will understand the subtle jab :p)

Attracted by the singing, people lingered in the street. When he finished, David announced:
"Comrades! I must admit, I didn't intend to perform." But I can't help but share some good news with you. Today, the Order of Watchers neutralized a dangerous sorceress. There is nothing to fear anymore; people in the area will no longer disappear. We will take all illegal sorcerers with us to the Order, and peace and order will return to this land. Happy holidays, comrades. Hooray!

Added 3 minutes ago

-- And this Dalingr is a good guy... I think we can help him...

— What do you think we can buy for 60,000 gold coins?

Mike simply nodded, thanked Waimond, smiled at Lugus, and headed to the first gatekeeper. Upon arriving, after a polite greeting, he inquired about the details of the task related to the Haven of Valkyries.