[x] I cast magic missle at the darkness

[x] Head towards the possible settlement.

[X] (I)nventory

What do we have?

[x] (I)nventory

[x] (I)nventory
[x] Head towards the possible settlement.

>>123039

You don't have a fraction of your powerful magical artifacts on you- you expected the Dragon to hit you with a Disjunction spell, (he did,) and you wanted as little reliance on items as possible.

But you do have some things. First is a fully-charged wand of Fireball, carefully concealed in your robes. On your left hand is a ring of Evasion, allowing you to dodge powerful blasts with ease, and a ring of counter-spelling on your right, which nicely thwarted Loffo's first attempt at dispelling your protection spells.

And on your hands, of course, are the Gauntlets of Ho 'Slappin. Or Herculean Strength, if you're a stick in the mud.

You don't have any of your spellbooks, however, which is going to make life difficult. There's a handful of spells you can prepare from memory, and on the inside of your upper left arm is tattooed the entirety of a custom-modified Secret Chest spell. It doesn't require a material focus to use, but the tradeoff is you have to cast a retrieval spell. If you're on a normal plane, it should work fine, but you'll need time to rest and prepare it.

You learned how to eschew most physical focuses for your spells a while ago, with the few you need attached to your wrist, kind of like a charm bracelet.

[] Examine? (write-in)
(Still taking votes for direction)

>>123043

(I probably won't update till tomorrow morning, but one or two more votes will cinch it.)

[x] Wizard or not, you're only still human, you need to eat and drink like every other mammal. Water can be distilled from the surrounding moisture (and while it tastes like utter shit, you can still survive on it), but food is another matter entirely.
- [x] The local flora is unfamiliar and you don't know how to track animals, but you're willing to bet that most of the fauna are as reliant on water as you, and you're also confident not all of them can distill water from the air. Look for a river, travel upstream in search of settlements, fireball something edible if opportunity arises.

>DD CYOA
YES
[x] (I)nventory
[x] Take your sweet time at the crash site, putting together all that could be useful and putting it in your bad of holding (tm)

[x] Head towards the possible settlement.
We just slayed a dragon. That makes us the most badass motherfucker in all of Gensokyo.

[X] Salvage the airship for usable items.
[X] Head towards the possible settlement.

>>123047

Mind saying that to Yuka, Flandre, Yukari, ect?

Plus by doing so we may have made someone or something very, very, mad.

>>123049
I don't think you get it.

Dragons in Gensokyo are, canonically, gods. A single one blocks out the sky in every direction, none have been seen since the creation of the border, and the only person on record as having slayed one was Death herself.

MC confirmed for badass motherfucker.

[X] Salvage the airship for usable items.
[X] Head towards the possible settlement.
-[x] Butcher dragon for valuable materials

>>123050
In b4 moriya comes to add us to their pantheon since slaying a dragon-god makes us one (is that how it works? I don't know!)

[x] Oh gods were there any contingencies on the dragon that activated after it died, I did dispel all the damn contingencies right
[x]Salvage airship, if food stop to prep spells and eat, if no food go upstream.
[x]Most dragon parts will keep for a day, right? We can come back and butcher it after.

Meiling's not gonna be happy about this.

>>123050
takingadumponcanon.jpg

>>123054
http://touhou.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon
http://touhou.wikia.com/wiki/Perfect_Memento:_Dragon

>>123050

It wasn't actually a Gensokyo dragon, but it was still a mature adult red dragon from the MC's own dimension.

Which he slew mostly alone (albeit with a borrowed airship.)

Make of that what you will.

Update soon.

[X] Salvage the airship for useful items.
[X] Head towards the settlement.


After a moment’s contemplation, you decide heading towards civilization is the obvious choice. You’re not quite sure why you even considered the bamboo forest, aside from a primal urge to get to cover fast. You feel a little uneasy here, for no reason you can name.

Which reminds you that going tromping off into the wilderness on a completely unknown plane is an easy way to get mulched. You learned your lesson from your encounter with the ultrahippies on the Positive Energy Plane a few years ago. That was a near thing.

You turn to the thoroughly destroyed airship, parts of which are still burning. It wouldn’t make for shelter worth a damn- what with being on fire, and all- but it wasn’t as completely obliterated as you had first thought. It was a big ship, after all. On the other hand, anything you find in there is going to be of Gnomish make, meaning it’ll either function flawlessly or asplode in a most spectacular fashion.

Eh, what the hell. You clamber into the wreckage and start poking about. No bodies are in evidence, to your relief- the crew heeded your abandon ship order in time, apparently. In what was left of the forward armory, you find a hefty repeating crossbow, complete with one of those curious optical sights the gnomes favor.

“Useful enough,” you mutter, but upon turning the weapon over you discover a huge padded foregrip and a tiny bullseye lantern bolted to the underside, near the front.

You keep the ugly thing, though you can’t imagine yourself leaving any witnesses if you actually used it. Fucking gnomes, never know when to stop. You slip it into a pocket of your robe that’s enchanted to work as a small bag of holding.

As you leave, you nearly trip over a small wooden box. Upon inspection, it yields four small vials of alchemical substance- naturally, they’re unlabeled. Slipping it into your pocket, you notice the stairs to the upper deck are totally trashed, so you exit the ship and fly back to the wheelhouse. The spell finally expires just as you come in for landing, dumping you unceremoniously on your ass.

It’s been a fantastic day, hasn’t it?

The battle-torn decking yields only one item- a small dagger jammed into the splintered railing near the pilot station. You recall that Brightspark, (erstwile gnomish guard captain,) had jammed it into the railing before leaping off with his para-whatsit. You hadn’t thought of the oddity of it at the time (you’d been offering critical commentary on Loffo’s lineage at the time, at the top of your lungs,) and even now you don’t much care. It’s okay for mundane tasks, you figure. Into your pocket it goes.

Now you turn to the matter of food- you’re freaking starving. In frustration, you survey the landscape, as if you’re ready to run down the first furry creature you see with your little dagger and devour it. But there’s nothing around save the meadow, the wreck, and-

-and the dead dragon, of course.

Oh yes, that’d work nicely.

Moving quickly, you carve into the giant haunch of the dragon with your small dagger, your magical gauntlets giving you enough strength to make quick work if it. Pulling a big hunk of raw dragon meat from the beast, you toss it into the long grass a distance away, and produce your wand. One fireball later, and lunch is served.

Midway through your feast, you get the feeling you’re being watched, and look up abruptly. Mostly concealed in the tall grass, a small girl in a blue dress is staring at you with eyes the size of dinner plates.

You suddenly realize that you’re sitting in the middle of a ring of fire, near a catastrophic wreak and a slain dragon, feasting upon a charred and bloody chunk of your enemies body with your bare hands.

“Uh... hi?”

The girl emits a truly impressive scream, and bolts like blue lightning. You get a momentary glimpse of some sort of crystalline wings as she flees- if she can fly, she’s momentarily forgotten how.

“Shit,” you say, hastily wrapping the rest of the meat in a handkerchief and stowing it in your pocket (you never let a good dragon steak go to waste.) The girl- a fae of some sort, you think- is making a beeline towards where you surmise a town might be. She could lead you right there- and regale everybody with the tale of the psychotic dragon-eater. Fortunately her short legs don’t give her much ground speed, even in your wounded condition you might catch her.

[ ] Tail the fairy cautiously to the town
[ ] Attempt to intercept her

[x] Attempt to intercept her

[x] Attempt to intercept her

[x] Attempt to intercept her
Can't let her spread tales of our dragon-slaying. We aren't in any sort of shape for taking on the big names.

[x] Tail the fairy cautiously to the town

Let's not be hasty, now. Don't want to do something we might regret...

[x] Attempt to intercept her
We've got food, we're armed, all we need now is to find something that can talk and probably isn't a threat so we can find out where the hell we are and where the nearest magical place is to acquire dimensional maps/compass/sextants -and dimension-jumping magic and if they're safe for humans to visit. Or failing that if there's any threats or so.

Hopefully they speak common.

>>123078
I doubt it. 'Common' reffers to a language in another dimension, so it probably isn't even like anything we have.
Wait, isn't 'Comprehend languages' a level 1 spell with little in the way of material components?
[x] Tail the fairy cautiously to the town
Don't hasty. Not without haste, at least.

[X] Attempt to intercept her


You decide that a posse of pissed villagers (or god forbid, pissed fey,) looking for the Dragon-Eating ManDemon is the last thing you need in your current condition, and you lurch to your feet to give chase. Your left leg is weak, and soon your pursuit has gained the aspect of a goofy-looking gallop.

“Hey.... hold... up....” you manage to wheeze at the terrified fairy between gasps. Your wounds are starting to tell, and she simply redoubles her efforts.

Fortunately for you, as she turns to see how close you are, her blind panic leads her straight into a tree. You can hear the tonk clear across the meadow, and wince involuntarily. Slowing to a trot, you stop a safe distance away as she climbs to her feet and begins staggering around in circles.

“Uuuuaaaahhh....”

It’s mildly amusing, but you keep your wand handy. She’s clearly a fairy queen, from her size, and you’ve learned that fey of any sort are not to be taken lightly. You wave gently at her.

“Uh, hey?”

She jumps, wheels to face you (a bit unsteadily,) and shouts something aggressive-sounding in a tongue you don’t recognize.

“Fucking typical,” you mutter, and switch to Sylvan. “Relax, kid, I’m not gonna mulch ya.”

Fortunately, that works. She thrusts one wavering finger at you and shouts “Stay back, demon-man! I’m Cirno and I’ll murderize your ass! I- I- I’ll vaporate you-“

“-hold on just a second-“

“-annihilize-”

“-just-“

“-explodicate-”

“-shut-“

“-gonna slew your ass-“

“-UP!” you finally finish. “Those aren’t even words, idiot!” Funny thing about life-or-death battles, they tend to make you cranky.

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say, because the little ice fairy’s fear blows away like mist before a gale. Her chest puffs up, she braces her feet in a wide stance, and thrusts a finger at you-
“I WILL INVENTERATE WORDS WHENEVER I DEEM IT NECCETARIOUS!” she bellows, “BECAUSE I’M CIRNO AND I’M THE STRONGEST!” Her blue eyes glint with fervor and wounded pride.

A wave of unreasoning anger washes through your mind. You’re running out of time; this fairy was the first person to investigate, but won’t be the last, and you really need to be out of here. The subsiding adrenaline rush from your battle isn’t exactly conducive to your mood, either.

[ ] Appease
[ ] Agress

[Appease] Well, no reason to antagonise the locals just yet!

Maybe if we could just get her to calm down and shut up...

[x] Appease

[x]Appease
-[x] Surely the strongest wouldn't mind helping someone weaker, right?

[X] Appease
-[X] With lunch. There's more where that came from, after all.

[x] Agress
One fireball should do it, than we can abscond before the real players get here.

[X] Agress

Be a man!

[x] Aggress
-[x] With words

While it's not good to underestimate Fae, we really don't have to waste more resources on this buffoon than we have to. Shouting big words at this fairy might make us feel better too.

[x] Agress

Even tie at 4 votes each. My god. It's like Christmas in September.

Update a little later this afternoon.

[x] Agress

[X] AGGROPEASE


Your fists and eyes clench shut, and you crush down on your rage with some of that willpower and concentration you apply to your craft. If you can warp the fabric of space-time with nothing more then your brainmeats, this should be-

“Ha! You’re scared!”

-easy.

“Cirno.” The word scrapes out between your grinding teeth.

“Cirno,” you try again, and this time it comes out a little smoother. “If you’re really the strongest, then perhaps you’d help out a poor wizard who’s lost and alone?”

She considers this and her umbrage seems to wane a bit as she considers the prospects. “Well I am the smartest in Gensokyo,” she muses, crossing her arms and favoring you with a wary gaze.

You take the opening before she can motormouth over you. “Then could you please tell me where I am?”

“A field!”

The sound of the bones in your fist creaking is plainly audible. “I mean, what’s this land called? I come from...” you wave vaguely. The closet Sylvan word would be “overhill,” but somehow you think this particular fairy queen has never been underhill. Considering that the seelie court is marked by its subtlety, it’s not a hard conclusion to reach.

“Ah!” Cirno says, delighted to be educating. “You’re in the land of Gensokyo!”

So that’s the name of the continent or whatnot, not the closest city. “And how big is Gensokyo?” you ask. “How much of it have you seen?”

“Hah!” Cirno says, preening a bit, “I’ve seen all of it! The great mountain, the bamboo forest, all the way to the border shrine and back! I’m the strongest and nothing stands in my way-[/i]”

“And there’s nothing you haven’t seen?” you ask. “You always stopped because there was nowhere else to go?”

“That’s right!” she declares empathetically, her arms still crossed.

“Could you take me all the way to the border....” you pause to find an analogy even a fairy can’t cock up. “... before an icicle melts in the spring?” A “day” can be a year on some planes, if they have a sunset at all, but energy tends to be pretty constant.

“Easy!” she says brightly. “I’m the fastest in Genso...“ she stops, because you seem to be hissing without realizing it.

“-UCK,” you finish, narrowly remembering not to facepalm with gauntlets of strength on. A distance measured in miles means you’re in a pocket dimension, which is 1. harder to get into and out of, and 2. often created to pen up nasty things, or as some minor deity’s playground.

Well, you’ll jump off that bridge when you come to it.

“Cirno, is there a town nearby?”

“The village-“

“Great, can you take me there?”

She almost nods, but the motion is aborted and she takes a step back. “Bu- you came from the outside,” she says warily. “And- and you have a hat like Marisa’s! And Marisa is a thief! Perhaps I should defeat you and save Gensokyo fro-“

“Cirno,” you whisper, your voice softly scraping through the air like a knife along a whetstone. “If you bring me to the village, I’ll tell everybody how the strongest in Gen-so-kits helped me, and I’ll be indebted to you. But if you don’t...” you raise your wand-hand and turn to show the embellishments etched into the side- “... I’ll ram this wand of fireballs up your ass and turn you into a meat Popsicle.”

For a moment, even the birds are quiet.

“So can we be friends?”

Cirno nods slightly.

“Shall we go, then?”

Cirno slowly starts leading you on, and you pocket your wand. You consider what she said about your hat being “like Marisa’s.” If she’s dealt with wizards before and learned to be wary of them, then she’s smarter then a few people you’ve met.

[Late update is late; busy day. Next part, with voting options being written now.]

Marisa uh?
Looking forward to their meeting

>>123219

DUELING HATS

Wow, harsh. But he is on the ball, at least.

The village proves to be a bustling settlement, with citizens crowding the streets and the sidewalks. Leading you by one hand, Cirno leads you through the crowd, but to where, she won’t say. You get more then a few curious glances, but nothing approaching outright interest- apparently battered people in extravagant hats aren’t exactly rare around here.

You don’t want to muse on what that might mean just now.

“Ah! Sensei, Sensei~” Cirno starts shouting and waving, tugging you along towards a tall woman with white hair, a blue dress and a truly odd hat who’s just exiting a shop. You’ve got just enough time to wonder what the hell “sensei” means before you reach the woman, and Cirno launches into an excited monologue in that curious language. After hearing some more of it, you conclude it sounds a lot like blink dogs yipping.

After a minute or so of this, the woman gives you an appraising look with cool blue eyes, and firmly pulls both you and your fairy escort into the shop, not stopping until you’re in a quiet corner behind some racks of dresses. Then she looks at you again and speaks what seems like a query.

“Ah, shit,” you say miserably. You’re starting to regret never having a tongues spell made permanent on yourself- the cost is starting to seem worthwhile, now. “Don’t suppose you speak Sylvan?” you ask in Sylvan, and receive a quizzical look in reply. “Elvish?” She shakes her head. Figures, not even an elf would wear a hat that stupid. “How about draconi-“

“Ah!” she replies (in draconic, of course.) “You must be well read indeed!”

“You could say that,” you say, amused. You introduce yourself.

“My name is Keine Kamishirasawa,” she says. “I run a school here, and I’m the protector of this village. Cirno is one of my students.” She pauses, and asks Cirno something. “She says you just arrived, and you didn’t come through the border. Is that right?”

You nod.

“On your own power, then?”

“You could say that.”

“Oh,” she says, surprised. “You’re quite powerful, then... you’re going to attract attention quickly.”

“I was kind of hoping to avoid that,” you say, gesturing at your battered body to make your point.

Keine nods, thinking. “Let’s see... how discreet was your arrival?”

You rub your head awkwardly. “It was, ah, excessively dynamic, you might say...”

“Oh dear,” Keine says, wringing her dress in her hands. “We’re going to have to move fast. Dress you less conspicuously, then get you to my place. You absolutely must lose that hat for the time being- it’s quite prominent.”

“Uh, yeah, whatever you say,” you mutter skeptically, your gaze finally succumbing to the magnetic pull of that absurd miniature pagoda perched atop her head. She catches your look, but not the tone in your voice.

“Oh, you like my hat?” she says brightly, smiling sweetly. It sounds like she’s waited a long while for someone to comment on her hat.

[ ] “It’s nice.”
[ ] “It looks cute on you.”
[ ] “Is that a shrine for fairies?”
[ ] (Write-in.)

[x] “It looks cute on you.”
Does she know we killed a dragon? I imagine if she knew, she wouldn't be acting as friendly.

[X] “It’s nice.”

[x] It really is quite ornate!
C'mon! We're a wizard! Let us loquate!

[x] It really is quite ornate!

[x] It really is quite ornate!
She's telling us to get rid of our hat?

[x] It really is quite ornate!

I forsee~ a procession of increasingly ridiculous headgear, making us question the sanity of every creature in this dimension...

But we started on the wrong end of the scale. THIS should be the hat that makes us snap~!

[x] It is ...fascinating.

With gravitas!

[X] It reminds me of the time I had a duel to the death with a dragon. I sort of hope I get a do-over at some point or another cause to be honest crashing half an airship on him didn't seem nearly as satisfying as I'd hoped.

>>123283

One word- Suwako.

>>123286

You get the idea!

[x] It reminds me of the time I had a duel to the death with a dragon. I sort of hope I get a do-over at some point or another cause to be honest crashing half an airship on him didn't seem nearly as satisfying as I'd hoped.

Oh man, just when I decided to reinstall DDO because I was bored and wanted some tabletop-flavoured gaming, and suddenly this. I'll be sure to keep a close watch on this story.

[x] It really is quite ornate!

[x] “It’s nice.”

[X] Complement loquaciously.

“It’s, uh, really quite ornate,” you reply cautiously. “The architectural motif is... I can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Keine seems delighted. “Thank you!” she says, smiling happily as she reaches up to adjust her hat. “Yours is nice too- the symbols.”

Now you smile, despite yourself. You’re quite fond of that handsome headgear, and it’s nice to be noticed.

Your exchange is interrupted by a long, gusty sigh coming from waist-level. Looking down, you see Cirno, arms crossed and visage annoyed, probably because she’s been hedged out of the conversation via the language shift.

Keine bends over and yaps something to Cirno in their own language, and the little fairy goes scrambling off after momentary hesitation. You wonder how Keine is able to command such respect from the girl who nearly attacked you half an hour ago, dragonslayer-be-damned.

“I told her to wait for us at my place,” Keine said, taking you by the forearm and leading you towards the door. “Three’s a crowd.”

The street is still crowded, but people seem to give Keine more room, some of them nodding amiably when they see her. She leads you up the street at a brisk pace, pointing out a store on the opposite side; your apparent destination.

Looking around, you catch a glimpse of a statue in a large square further down the way. When the crowd thins out a little bit, you see it’s an impressive sculpture of a dragon; with what looks like some food offerings laid nearby.

“How fucking splendid,” you mutter darkly, and decide not to dwell on it for now. “Eh, Keine?” you ask in draconic. “Not that I mind, but why are you so quick to trust me?”

“Easy,” she says, without looking back at you. “If you weren’t a decent guy, you would’ve tried to throttle Cirno about twenty minutes ago.”

It’s nice to get some credit for that.

“Besides,” she continues, “humans usually cause less trouble then youkai.”

“Yo-whatsit?”

“I’ll explain all that later,” Keine says, pushing open the screen door of the shop and leading you inside. She turns to face you, just inside the door.

“Now you nee- shit!” she exclaims, spotting something through the door behind you. She hastily drags you behind the closest shelf.

“What the hell-”

“The two nosiest meddlers in all of Gensokyo!” she exclaims with alarm. “They spotted you; they’re coming!”

After seeing the offerings by that statue in the town square, you really don’t want to be answering any questions about your latest masterpiece sculpture, “United We Fall.” You have but seconds to act.
[ ] DISGUISE
[ ] DISTRACTION

[x] DISGUISE
-[x] Polymorph self into... something!
PANIC

>>123334

You've got almost no spells left, but you do have cantrips.

[x]Ghost sounds across the street

Lead them the other way.

Prestidigitation?

[x]Ghost sounds across the street

Let's try it.

[x] DISGUISE
- Disguise self is level one, and logically, level one is the most likely thing we could possibly have after a dragon fight, other than cantrips.

Pick a Humanoid, any humanoid! Between 4'5" and 6'5"...

[x] DISTRACTION
Do we have any magic missiles?

[x] DISGUISE

[x] Distraction!

[x]DISTRACTION!
-Pick one of the two!
-Polymorph - Sheep!

[x] DISGUISE

Disguise Self so you look like Keine.
Hilarity ensues.

>>123341
Is that so~
Well, let's go with another solution: after googling "cantrips" and "wizards" I came up with

[x] Use a cantrip to create the roar of a lion coming from the dragon statue
-[x] Use the confusion to GTFO and hide.
'Ghost sound' eh?

[x]>>123377
Whatever

[X]DIS GUYS!

It's far more than likely he has almost all his lower level spells left. High level casters have a *lot* of spells - 40+ before any item boosts. His level is also likely 17-20+, as the Dragon is CR25+.

Dragons cast as Sorcerers, so it needs to be a Wyrm +1CL or Great Wyrm. It's mentioned as being Gigantic, so I'd say it's a Wyrm with an extra CL.
It needs to be this powerful because it cast Game Disjunction, which is a ninth level spell. Of course CR is an iffy concept, Epic PC's win forever at everything even more than a 17th level caster, but it's accurate enough for this.

It's fully beatable by a single wizard, provided he plays it smart, as it is essentially a fight against your equal... provided your equal also gets to be a frickin Dragon the size of a battleship.

Oh, for people who aren't familiar with DnD, the MC is fully capable of surviving a pissed off Yuuka. Seriously.

He could also put Mokou down - not kill her, but it's effectively the same thing. Not Kaguya though, because Eirin.

Imagine if Batman decided to become a Wizard.
That's basically what he can do.
With preparation, he can beat almost anything.

I really want to see him apprentice Marisa...

He would be capable of surviving Yuuka... if he had his spellbook. Without a spellbook a wizard is much less impressive.

Not sure where he is going to just happen to find a bunch of vancian arcane spells lying around to scribe to a new spellbook. Voile? He would only be able to perform up to Patchy-level in that case, presumably, unless Patchy has books with spells that are too high-level for her to cast.
Even then, Patchy might be a Wu Jen and not a Wizard. She has the elements thing down, more or less, although Wu Jen don't have sun or moon. Not sure how that would work out where trading spells is concerned.

>>123432
That may be the case, but check out this post:
>>123341
He's the writefag, and he said he doesn't have many spells left so... I'd rather not use the, now.
Just my opinion.

>>123432
You should know that GM's word is law.

He said cantrips only.

>>123441
He said almost no spells, not no spells at all.

>>123442
...

Touché
Still, I'd rather save it for later, but it's anon's choice.

[x] DISGUISE
-[x] Magic ID

Sup. anon! On a brief hunting trip, next update sunday afternoon. (Posting/w my phone.)

>>123432

I was waiting for someone D&D savvy to say it. You're entirely correct. And I'll say now- the MC isn't going to have his wings clipped for much longer.

Sup. anon! On a brief hunting trip, next update sunday afternoon. (Posting/w my phone.)

>>123432

I was waiting for someone D&D savvy to say it. You're entirely correct. And I'll say now- the MC isn't going to have his wings clipped for much longer.

>>123446
>And I'll say now- the MC isn't going to have his wings clipped for much longer.

Unless we punch Keine in the face and run naked into the street?

>>123448

And she eats the history of you ever having been able to write...

Naked assault aside, I think Keine would hit it off famously with Archmage, they're both very well educated and intelligent people with overlapping interests.

For Archmage, finding out about her powers would be fantastically interesting - though of course Gensokyo is going to really screw with his conceptions of magic.

>>123439

I missed that, which makes it better that I didn't post my original over-detailed analysis.

>>123435

True dat. Likely it'll be in his special Secret Chest along with duplicates.

I can't wait for him to meat Patchouli, Marisa or the other witches.
EVERYTHING YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW ABOUT MAGIC IS A LIE

>>123451

Well, not a lie, per se, but rather highly inaccurate.

After all, you can do it the way you've always done it, but have you ever considered these alternatives no-one has ever thought of?

>>123451
Sorta funny that for both sides the other may as well be breaking the laws of physics.

>>123456
Either that, or, possibly, "Oh, so that's how men do magic? Interesting~"

>>123449
As a matter of fact, by most D&D standards, her powers are something quite beyond what a mage can accomplish.
... Provided you're not counting 3rd/3.5 Epic stuff, because that shit was crazy broken (and retarded). Actually, CoDs and wizards were both stupidly broken in 3rd/3.5.
... It's times like this that I wish 4th didn't cause me physical pain.
... And that 2nd wasn't a clusterfuck of absurd charts.
... And that 1st had anything resembling play balance.

... Why do I like D&D again?

Same reason as everyone else; nostalgia.

>>123461

Eh, I didn't find them broken so much as the non-casters. The designers stuck to a wierd "magic can break physics, nonmagic cannot, this is balanced" viewpoint.

It's not like cutting mountains in half or wrestling concepts is a break from myth and legends. Which is why I like the Frank and K Tome houserules, but that's another kettle of fish.

Part of DnD is just how crazy it's high levels are, they're actually pretty unique. Take those away and you get 4e or E6 (and casters still rule E6)

(votes were very close. EVERYBODY WINS.)

[X] DISGUISE
[X] DISTRACTION

Turning to peek past the shelf, you spot two hats approaching from outside, their owners concealed by the crowd. You understand in an instant Keine’s desire to change your wardrobe- apparently, having a goofy hat signifies power in this ‘burg.

In one motion, you swipe Keine’s mouse temple off her head, and firmly jam your own gorgeous wizard hat firmly onto her crown. She squeaks in complete surprise, and you execute a graceful diving roll behind some shelves further inside the shop just as the bells on the door jingle.

“I saw him in here!” a youthful female voice exclaims. “Gray robes and that hat! You couldn’t have missed hi-”

The awkward silence is palpable. Stealthily rising from a crouch, you peer out between some worn pots on the top shelf to survey the scene. A blonde girl in a voluminous dress, with a hat much like yours, is staring at Keine and her new accessory in complete surprise. Behind her, a dark-haired girl with a little red hat and a short skirt is holding a strange device in her hands, as if unsure where to point it.

Keine blinks, opens her mouth, and then closes it again.

“Marisa?” queries a gruff voice. Momentarily an older man you presume to be the shop owner arrives on scene. “Risa!” he says, delighted. “You didn’t tell me you were coming into town today. Much less with company- how are you, Aya?”

“D-dad!” Marisa exclaims, thrusting an accusing finger at a still-speechless Keine. “She came in with somebody else, didn’t she? I know she did!”

The owner turns to look at Keine, taking notice of her for the first time. “Keine!” he says, surprised. “Decided to get a hat like my Marisa’s, didn’t you? Good! Though I don’t remember stocking that one...”

That seems to break her shock. “And what’s wrong with my usual one!?” she demands, hands on her hips.

“Nuh-nothing,” the storekeep says, recovering with the smooth skill of an experienced salesman. “But variety is the spice of life, you know.”

You quickly strip off your robe and stuff the entire thing back into its own pocket, the one with the extra-dimensional space, until it’s easily concealable. Like any wizard who gets outside once in a while, you wear a shirt and pants under your robes.

“Bull,” the dark-haired girl grumbles. “There was somebody else wearing that ridiculous hat- I got a perfect look through the window.”

“Ridiculous!?” Marisa wheels on her companion, hands on hips. “And just what’s wrong with it?”

“Uh, all the stars and moons,” Aya says carefully. “Way too gaudy.”

Marisa, mollified, turns back to Keine and her father.

Gaudy. Ooh, you’re going to fix her little red wagon, all right.

“Uh, well, I’d best be going,” Keine says nervously, digging around in her dress and producing a coin purse. The storekeep turns to her, eager to conduct some capitalism, Aya starts shifting her eyes to scan the rest of the store. She’s still suspicious, and it’s only a matter of time before she starts a through search.

Rifling your mental armory for options yields little options. You still have plenty of first and second level spells prepared, but you had made your selections with dragon-slaying in mind, so most of those are personal buffing magic and several castings of True Strike.

“I don’t want a disguise spell, I said,” you recriminate yourself under your breath.. “That’d be one less attack spell, I said.”

Well, you didn’t get this far as a mage without being creative.

Aya is just staring to sidle away from the others when you cast a cantrip, Mage Hand. With its very limited telekinesis, you start carefully lifting the bottom of Marisa’s dress, from behind.

She notices.

“I just don’t believe you’re finally giving up on that haAAAAAYAH!” she screeches with alarm, rounding on a shocked Aya with fury. Her hand seizes the nearest object of mayhem; a stuffed toy emu. “YOU- YOU- PICTURES OF MY UNDERWEAR, ZE?”

“No! No!” Aya protests, in shock, as Marisa advances on her, stuffed emu raised high.

“Oh yes!” Marisa bellows. “Just because I wear a long dress, right? Because it’s the people’s right to know! The emu begins oscillating up and down energetically as Marisa begins her assault.

Keine shoves a handful of coins into the storekeepers hand, who is watching the catfight with amazement. “HERE YOU GO THANK YOU VERY MUCH,” she says, dashing into a side aisle way. The ruckus is blocking the aisle towards the door.

You decide it’s time to leave. With robe safely stowed, you stick your hands in your pockets and casually stroll towards the back door. You whistle a few bars of a catchy tune, notes that are lost against the background cacophony of Marisa’s outraged dignity:

“-nosy pretentious arrogant tengu!-”

Just as you round the end of the last aisle between you and freedom, you crash headlong into another shopper entering the intersection without looking where she was going. You promptly fall on your ass, but she does not.

Looking up, you find yourself at the feet of a woman in a blue dress with white apron and a maid headdress. She’s pretty, but her expression is severe. A shopping basket dangles from her arm.

“And you are...?” she queries coldly, examining you like you’re a worm.

You rise to your feet slowly, considering your options. Flare? Useless. Daze? Not on this one. But Ghost Sound...?

Brushing off your pants, you stare the woman square in the eye, and whisper your spell.

“I AM ZUUL!” a disembodied voice bellows with tremendous volume from the air around you, completely out-of-sync with your soft whisper.

The shopping basket slips from her limp arm. The commotion near the front of the store suddenly stops.

“WATCH ME SOAR!” you declare, and cast a spell you’d prepared in anticipation of ship-to-dragon boarding actions- Jump. You spring towards the ceiling, clearing the astonished maid by a good three feet, and land near the back door, which you dash out of.

Keine is waiting for you at the end of the back alley. “Come on!” she says, latching onto your arm with surprising strength- and then you’re airborne. “Don’t be afraid,” she says, as the rooftops of the town dwindle underneath you. “I won’t drop you. I’m sorry, but I’d draw too much attention in the streets wearing this.” Looking up, you can see she’s still got your hat on.

You contemplate your current situation. “I was supposed to be up to my ass in gold-leaf accolades and fawning princesses by now,” you grumble.

“Sorry, what?”

“Nothing.”

After a brief flight, Keine begins to descend, and you land by a handsome white clapboard building you presume to be the schoolhouse. Keine yanks your hat off her head, handing it to you with an expectant look.

“Sorry,” you say, not sounding very sorry as you unpack your robe and retrieve the hat from the pocket of holding. “Didn’t have a lot of time to think.”

“You think?” she asks skeptically as she plucks her hat from your hand, settling it back on her head with satisfaction.

Keine leads you past the schoolhouse to the small bungalow behind it, where she lives. You’re limping rather badly, now- the magic leap and subsequent sprint exacerbated your prior injuries. The schoolteacher leads you inside and lays you on her own bed.

“Finally,” she says, sighing. “Few if any would dare barge into my house.”

Right then, you hear the front door crash open, and Cirno barges in to the bedroom. “Where were you two? I waited for~ever!” she says, rather put out. “You weren’t trying to ditch me, were you?”

“I feel safer already,” you comment dourly.

Keine favors Cirno with the Serious Teacher look you remember from the Academy until she pipes down and quits the room. Then she turns to you.

“I imagine we’ve both got a lot of questions, but perhaps that should wait until you’ve been healed?” Reaching forward, she touches your forehead- and your wounds vanish.

“Hey, how did-”

“Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? How did you come to Gensokyo?”

How far should I trust her? you wonder.

[ ] Lie your sorry ass off.
[ ] Full disclosure.
[ ] Write-in.

>Finally,” she says, sighing. “Few if any would dare barge into my house.”
>Right then, you hear the front door crash open, and Cirno barges in to the bedroom.
>“I feel safer already,” you comment dourly.
Hahahaha, very good scene.
[x] Full disclosure.
I don't think she'll mind if we confess that we killed a dragon. Another one that is. Besides, he was evil right? Red and everything?

[x] Full (if biased) disclosure.
It was definitely an evil dragon. Burning down villages and eating virgins and we totally didn't just hunt it down because it welched on some big, BlG debts, the stupid git.

This woman seems to be a protector of people, and probably therefore of Good alignment, and so telling her we accidentally got here by killing a dangerous evil being should be allright. She's been helpful so far, at least.

[x] Lie your sorry ass off.

Lies are the perfect start to any interaction. Just start talking, and let your stream of conciousness BS your way into getting off the hook.

[x] Full disclosure.

[x] Full disclosure.

Explain that it was an evil dragon

[x] Full disclosure.

>>123531
Forgot to also specify that we should make it very clear that the dragon was evil.

[X] Lie your sorry ass off.
[X] Full disclosure.

And tell her your name is Chance Sparks. The best way to lie is to tell the truth in such an outrageous, deadpan manner that they won't even believe you. And seriously, you rode in on an interdimensional portal followed by CRASHING A GODDAMN AIRSHIP on a MOTHERFUCKING DRAGON. Then you STABBED IT.

Seriously, who's going to believe you? Besides Cirno? And who listens to her anyways?

[x] Full disclosure.

[x] Full disclosure.
-[x]with some minor spin.

I'm sure that dragon was up to no good in addition to backing out on its debts.

[X] Full disclosure.
[X] Mention that the dragon ate hats

[x] Full disclosure.

Sense motive is WIS-based, right? I'm pretty sure Keine has good WIS, what with the whole "wise hakutaku" thing, and I doubt mr wizard mc has that many ranks in bluff anyway.

>>123536
I was under the impression that ALL dragons were lying sacks of shit who tried to get out of their debts.

>>123538
He'd have Bluff if he'd be a Sorcerer... but, as we all know, those aren't real magicians.

[x] Full disclosure.
-[x]with some minor spin.

So after bumping into Sakuya and casting those spells, that means Aya and Marisa did see us after all? Sakuya will certainly remember our face at least.
And after we answer Keine's questions, we need to rest and prepare a relevant set of spells before we can start gathering parties and venturing forth.

[x] Full disclosure
This guy honestly expects to be up to his ass with hot woman lusting after him, for slaying that dragon. Doing anything but telling the truth would be way out of character.

>>123547
Actually he knows that dragons are worshipped in Gensokyo.

>Looking around, you catch a glimpse of a statue in a large square further down the way. When the crowd thins out a little bit, you see it’s an impressive sculpture of a dragon; with what looks like some food offerings laid nearby.
“How fucking splendid,” you mutter darkly,

>>123553
Good point. Better call it an Archfiend in that case.

"...Huh. It does seem to physically resemble your benevolent peaceful dragons in some minor aspects. Strange that such a despicable evil creature from my world might be so kind in yours."

>>123555
Eh, I think we'll be good as long as we make it clear that there are both good and evil dragons, and this one was evil as fuck.

[x] Full disclosure

Another vote for a carefully worded version of the truth that somehow manages to get (nearly) everything right. Don't forget to mention the 'consumate skill' with which you piloted that airship!

it's coo, the Gensokyo version of the dragon is a chinese dragon that looks like a giant snake with a dragon head, which is nothing like a d&d red.

he could explain in his world there's various kinds of dragons, some good, some bad, and some that don't care.

>>123564
That would make more sense.

[X]Full Disclosure (with proper embellishments.)


You decide to lay it all out. Keine seems to have a good head on her shoulders, however strongly the hat might imply otherwise.

“Right, so...”

Despite your erudite accomplishments, you find it impossible to succinctly convey a battle that tore a hole in the fabric of space-time itself.

“Righto,” you try again. “Uh, dragons. You know dragons?”

“Dragons?” Keine asks, mystified.

“Yeah, like that statue in the square. All snakey...” you illustrate by snaking your hand through the air “...looks like one from my dimension, albeit a rare one, but still. Dragon.”

“Uh, yeah,” Keine says, her eyebrows cocked sardonically. “I ‘know’ dragons. A Dragon helped form the border of this ream many thousands of years ago.”

“Oh, a draconic deity? That explains it, much better,” you say, pleased to be on more familiar ground for a change. “That’d explain why we’re talking in Draconic. Many spellbooks are written in it, where I come from.”

“Ancient histories are usually recorded in it, here,” Keine agrees.

“Well, on my plane, we’ve got mortal dragons-”

“Created in their deities own image!?” Keine asks, surprised and fascinated. She leans forward. “Like humans? Are they intelligent? How big-”

“Not quite like humans,” you reply, patting the air in a ‘slow down’ motion. “A hell of a lot more powerful, very intelligent, and there’s a dozen different sub-species... but they’re all very big- and powerful.”

“What do they look like, if they’re not serpentine?”

“Well...” you pause as Keine hands you chalk and a small slate, and you attempt a crude sketch. When you resort to adding little sunburst lines to convey its terrible majesty, you give it up as a bad job. “Much more muscular, anyhow- vaguely like a strong dog in the shoulders and body, with a long lizard-like neck and wings. But the important thing is, while some of them are good, others are miserable, evil bastards.”

“What makes them so evil?” Keine queries.

“Eating people, torching villages, never returning library books- anyways, the particular one I want to tell you about was attempting some truly heinous shit.” He’d also taken a wagonload of your cash and never divulged the draconic lore he’d promised, but you decide that’s not entirely germane to the point. It’d just added that personal touch to the entire ‘marauding dragon’ affair.

You describe the engagement in detail- the initial attack on the city; the clashing armies outside the gates, and finally, coming to grips with Loffo in the air from the deck of a Gnomish warship.

“-and when the ship was blown in half, the crew was jumping for it, and I was still coming after him, that’s when he decided to run like a bitch,” you continue. “He tried to plane-shift, and I tried to stop him, but... I can’t be sure what happened, but one or both of us errored, and all the magic we’d unleashed in the area didn’t help any. It misfired, and shifted our entire local space-time to here.”

“You mean this ‘Loffo’ is still out there?” Keine asks.

“Well, after we shifted, I crashed the ship right on top of his miserable scaly ass and wasted him, so yes, I’m pretty sure he’s still there.”

“You piloted half an airship?”

“With consummate skill,” you lie smoothly.

“Really...”

“He really did!” Cirno interjects from the next room, with her customary volume. She barges into the room again, unable to contain herself. “It was huge and scary and there’s this giant ship on top of it and just look!” She thrusts a small square of what looks like paper at Keine.

“What’s this?” Keine asks, taking it.

“A photograph! Aya was handing them out all over town!”

Keine looks at the ‘photograph’ and her eyes go as wide as dinner plates. You sit up, and peek at the thing- a perfect still-life image, “Airship with Dragon,” with a small Marisa in the foreground giving it scale.

“And when I got there he was sitting in a ring of fire eating it aaanMMPH!” Cirno exclaims as your hand clamps over her mouth quite firmly. As she kicks and squirms, you give Keine a innocent little smile.

She stares at you for a long moment.

“But.... but you’re a human!”

“No shit, really? What are you, a wombat?”

“For your information,” she says, flushing, bunching up handfuls of her dress at her sides, “I’m a.... I’m... it’s not important, anyway! I have to explain what you’ve gotten into here.”

Hmm, isn’t that interesting.


[ ] Press Keine for more information about herself.
[ ] Ask for a briefing on Gensokyo and the wacky and wild shrine maidens therein.
[ ] Request time to rest until tomorrow.

[X] Press Keine for more information about herself.

"So, let me get this straight. You're a were-wombat?"

[X] Roll a nature check

[x] Press Keine for more information about herself.

[x] Press Keine for more information about herself
-[x] Ask what's so strange about eating a dragon

[x] Press Keine for more information about herself
-[x] Ask what's so strange about eating a dragon

Emphasize your incredible masculinity.

[x] Ask for a briefing on Gensokyo and the wacky and wild shrine maidens therein.
[x] Press Keine for more information about herself

We need to get a feel for exactly what this pocket plane of Gensokyo is, such as what kind of foul creatures and other fell deities dwell within, and the extent of their domain and powers. We still don't realize that this place is still part of a much larger and significantly more modernized Earth-like world where things like that "strange device" held by the red hat girl are commonplace (and potentially here as well with certain gnome-like kappa running around), and any bit of information to enhance our knowledge of the current situation will help greatly.

Keine's personal info is not as important, but it could help to know a bit more about our current benefactor.

[x] Ask for a briefing on Gensokyo and the wacky and wild shrine maidens therein.

[x] Press Keine for more information about herself
-[x] Ask what's so strange about eating a dragon

Play it cool, now. Don't start something with the Hakutaku. Which is a funny word.

Hakutaku. Heh.

[X] Ask for a briefing on Gensokyo and the wacky and wild shrine maidens therein.

Best just to let her explain what's got her so riled up. The more we know about the area and its inhabitants, the better we can prepare our spells tomorrow.

[x] Press Keine for more information about herself.

Here's to hoping that the language barrier adds fun the explanations. Which reminds me... The MC spoke to Sakuya and listened in on the conversation in front of the shop. Also he read "Airship with Dragon". Is everyone using Draconic in Gensokyo? Or did someone sneak a tongues spell on him when he wasn't looking.

[x] Press Keine for more information about herself.
I don't think this guy would even know what a Hakutaku is, but it will be fun to watch Keine get all embarrassed.

>>123633

>Which reminds me... The MC spoke to Sakuya and listened in on the conversation in front of the shop.

Good catch; I would have addressed it by now, but there was no way to shoehorn it into the conversations. It's directly linked to how Cirno was comprehending the last conversation, though, so next update (tonight, actually.)

The picture wasn't actually labeled, that's the narrator being a smartass.

Hint: HATS

[x] Press Keine for more information about herself
-[x] Ask what's so strange about eating a dragon

Hey hey, what's wrong with 4e?

>>123654
same mechanics for everybody no matter whether it makes sense.

>>123654
I'm a 2ed fag myself. It must be because of how much I still enjoy BG2 and other IE games, but THAC0 still amuses me greatly.
I just can't get used to 4ed mechanics even after all this time.

3rd ed and it's 20's die was horrible. I can't even begin to count the matter of untrained successes I had... but it's still the best edition. Ever.

[x] Press Keine for more information about herself
[x] Ask for a briefing on Gensokyo and the wacky and wild shrine maidens therein.

After a WACKY start, this story is starting to mellow out a little. That's a good thing.

[X] Press Keine for more information about herself.


Learning about the world you’ve landed in is imperative to survival, but Keine’s embarrassment sings to your ruthless streak; that killer instinct which has taken you so far. You press the attack.

“Like who’s home I’ve gotten into,” you say. “Who’s tender mercies I’ve placed myself at.”

Her flush deepens. “I’m not a monster!”

“Obviously,” you say smoothly, “so why not tell me? You can’t pull that healing thing on me and not expect me to be curious.” You’ve still got a hold of Cirno, who’s squirming and struggling mightily to no avail.

“I’m normal almost all the time,” she says in a low voice, “so it’s not relevant in the least.”

You consider that. “Let me get this straight, you’re a were-wombat?”

“NO!” she yells, her face now absolutely beet-red with embarrassment and anger. “I’m a were-hakutaku, okay?

The word isn’t exactly one you recognize from Draconic, but it’s similar to several. “You’re a were-hat? You turn into a hat?”

“NO-”

“Or the hat turns into, like, your spirit guide-“

“Forget the fucking hat!”

“Were-poet? You grow a silly beard and a notepad when you drink too much tea?”

“What, no!”

“A were-rock, then?”

“Goddamnit, it’s not a Draconic word!”

“Well what’s a hakutaku, then?”

“A magical beast!” Keine nearly shouts. “They advise kings and leaders in times of crisis. A wisdom spirit, okay?”

You stare at her, puzzled. “That’s all? Why the hell would that-”

“-when she changes she grows horns and a green tail and her eyes change color!” Cirno exclaims, having squirmed enough to get your palm off her mouth. “And she gets all crazy and dan-”

“CIRNO!” Keine squeals, utterly mortified. She charges across the room, and Cirno redoubles her efforts to escape, but you hold her firmly under one arm.

“Cirno, you little-” Keine snarls, plucking her from under your arm with surprising strength. The fairy squeals and squeezes her eyes shut, obviously expecting cranial trauma. Keine draws her head back in preparation for a headbutt- and pauses.

“Wait...” Keine says suddenly. “You’re speaking Draconic?”

”No!” Cirno protests in Draconic.

“Dammit, Cirno!” Keine vigorously shakes the little fairy, and from under her dress falls a ‘hat’ identical to the one on Keine’s head.

Keine sets Cirno down, puts some money in her hand, and says something in a stern voice in that weird language of theirs. The chastened fairy sulks out of the room.

“My spare hat,” Keine explains, setting it aside. “Both of them are enchanted to translate between a few languages. Inferior to actual understanding, though. Very useful for research; before I mastered the languages myself.”

“... hey, I did understand those clowns in the shop,” you realize. You hadn’t noticed it then; things had been moving rather fast.

“After you swiped my hat? Yes.” Her face is slowly regaining its normal hue. “Cirno was eavesdropping with it, naturally. Nosy little runt,” she says, with a trace of affection. “Sent her for some medicine, should keep her out of our hair.”

You let a few moments pass in silence. “So what’s so awful about being a were-hakutaku?

Keine sighs. “In Gensokyo there’s humans and there’s youkai- supernatural creatures, that is. There’s good youkai, bad youkai, and ones that are neither- much like your dragons. Many youkai consider me little different from a human; since my other side only truly manifests once a month.”

“But your powers?”

“Unremarkable, compared to some of the powerful humans in Gensokyo. And when you turn into a magical beast during the full moon; and have enough power to defend the village from harm... well, they appreciate me, but townsfolk can’t really relate to me, you know?”

For some reason you can’t define, her words make you uneasy. You try to gloss over it. “I suspect headbutting your students has more to do with it then your magic side. You look perfectly fine to me.”

Keine smiles sadly, not meeting your eyes. “Small comfort coming from a dragon-eater.”

“What’s so weird about eating a dragon?” you huff.

“You said they’re sentient!”

“And entirely delicious! When you’ve just won a bitter duel to the death, you work up an appetite, you know.”

Keine looks up at you this time, smirking. “I suppose. But now, you really have to shut up and listen, because you’re not the average new guy, and if you don’t understand what you just landed in, you’ll make some terrible blunders.”

You recognize the Serious Teacher vibe, and decline to protest. Keine sits on the end of the bed and gives you a brief, but comprehensive, lecture on “Gensokyo.” You had suspected that it’d be ‘sealed evil in a pocket dimension’ (it often is) but the sheer concentration of powerful figures is a rude shock. The nature of the parent plane is fascinating, but of little use to you- you’d hoped it’d be familiar territory, but no such luck.

“So how do I fit into all of this?” you ask, after she finishes her instruction.
“You’re clearly powerful, so just by being here you upset the power balance. Many of these youkai have known each other for hundreds of years, even a thousand. You’re a wildcard. Some will try to exploit that, or exploit you. Others, well-”

“They’ll fuck with me for shits and giggles, because I’m something new. If half the shit you’ve told me about from the recent past is any indication.”

“Basically, yes. So it’s in your best interests to avoid being found until you can get yourself home, as soon as possible.”

“I suppose so,” you say, perturbed. “But, if you don’t mind, I’m going to rest now. It’s more important then you might think.”

“Sure,” she says. “I’ll check on Cirno; she’s probably lost again.”

You nod, and when she leaves the room, you immediately collapse onto Keine’s bed. You didn’t quite realize how exhausted you were, and belatedly you realize half the crazy shit you pulled during your first few hours in Gensokyo was due to the post-battle adrenaline shock. You almost blasted Cirno, for gods sake.

You close your eyes, and slip into darkness. And in that oblivion, you dream...


[ ] ... about your past.
[ ] ... about your future.

[x] ... about your future.
Better look to beautiful days ahead of us.

[x]...about your future.

[x] ... about your future.

Time to reveal the one-of-many-possible-prophetic dream or perhaps a happy dream when we were little.

[x] ... about your future.

And the wonderful uses a ring of evasion will have in a danmaku battle!

[x] ... about your future.

[x] ... about your future.

[x] ... about your past.

[X] ... about your past.

Our future is gonna happen to us sooner or later, so there's no need to dream about it now.

[x] ... about your past.

Exposition time.

[x] ... about your past.

[X] About a harem
which is the same as
[x]...about your future.

[x]... about your future.

MC dreaming about his future reward when he gets home. Giggling in his sleep. "'meheh... princess... 'nd your sister too?"

[X] You dream about your future.


Through the shadowed, smooth-worn paths of your dreams, you wander, emerging in familiar territory- the hot rush of power out of your heart and down your arms; the explosions of flame, the brilliant radiance of prismatic spells. The dreams of past battles, vanquished trials, all run together into one long litany of violence; a kaleidoscopic treadmill of images that rushes by faster then your mind can run. And when the images finally threaten to blur into one impossible diorama, you’re hurled off the treadmill and into wakefulness.

But not tonight. Halfway through the show you realize your watching battles you were never in; the blasts of spells unknown to you, the taunts of new enemies.

The fog of the dreamstate floats away, tendrils eddying ‘round your consciousness, and fully lucid, you find a dying girl in your arms. Blue eyes peer up from beneath white locks; eyes filled with pleading and fear. She clings to you with fading strength- and then she’s gone.

“You see what happens?” chides a feminine voice. “When people don’t let me have my way?”

You press the dead girl’s head against your shoulder, cradling her sadly- and your fingers find the hilt of the sword sheathed at her waist.

“Any last words for the amateur?” The voice is filled with cool amusement.

“How about Tenser’s Fighting Transformation, bitch.”

The whisper of honed steel leaping from a wooden sheath, the pounding of the battle-rage in your ears-

-and you’re awake, sitting bolt upright, trembling with adrenaline in the dark.

You sit there for several minutes, drawing deep breaths to calm yourself.

Then you think.

A few nights out of every month- more frequently in the past few years, in fact- the kaleidoscope treadmill of past violence finds you, and when you’re thrown off and into consciousness, you feel worn and tired. That’s normal. But this..."You’re no seer, and have absolutely no potential for it, but it’s not unknown for dreams of future portents to visit more powerful mages. After so much time spent manipulating the fabric of existence, their subconscious finds it almost as easy to walk the paths of memories to come as memories already stored.

But for that to happen, there must be a path- one of dozens. Forces are in motion so ponderous that there’s few possible outcomes when they eventually clash; so the threads of probability have become deep grooves laid ahead. Grooves deep enough that some memories yet to come are almost as strong as those in the past. They can still be changed, but only with colossal effort.

You find this strange- you’re not a player in this world, just a transient. Tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, you should be able to effect your transit home, or at least closer to home. You’ve got no investment in this world, no care for its inhabitants. What would keep you here?

For now, you try to put it out of mind. You’ll meet this challenge as you have those of the past- through preparation and indomitable will. Accomplished as you are, however, it’s your first experience with such portents, and you’re a bit shaken.

Rising from Keine’s bed, you walk to the window push open the shutters a crack. The gray effusive light of pre-dawn greets your eyes- you retired sometime in the late afternoon, so you guess you’ve gotten a full eight hours of slumber, perhaps more. The sudden surge of adrenaline from the dream is fading, but you feel satisfied and clear-headed, the way you might after a good long run.

“Now.... let’s make some juju,” you say softy to the dawn.

Returning to the bed-pad, you sit upon it cross-legged, and close your eyes. Without your spellbooks, things are going to be difficult, but not impossible. There are a few spells you’ve always been skilled with and relied on greatly, and others you made a special effort to master. There are five spells you can prepare from memory.

Fly. Teleport. Greater Invisibility. Fireball. Telekinesis.

You whisper the words of the spells over and over, undergoing the long process of casting them; holding back only the final key components, the trigger-phrases that unleash their power when and where you want to. Though your choices are few, you’ve learned a few secrets and tricks for changing how standard spells function, and you use those now to pre-cast several enhanced variant of each spell, until you’ve got a surprisingly robust arsenal.

Finally, you pull off your robe and shirt, and read the tattooed words to your custom retrieval spell off your inner upper arm. Your sharp eyes have no problem with the predawn light.

“Ah~!”

You turn to see an embarrassed Keine standing at the doorway, looking studiously at the wall. “I’m sorry, I came to check on you and didn’t realize...”

You shrug. “C’mon, I’ve still got my pants on.” Standing, you don your shirt, and pick up your robe. For now, your hat goes in your pocket.

“Well, since we’re both up already, you want some breakfast?”

You nod. “That sounds good.”

You follow Keine to the kitchen, spotting Cirno sacked out on an extra bed pad in the living room, bottles of what you assume to be medicine sitting on the table. You wonder as to the necessity, considering that Keine already healed you earlier.

“Shoo,” Keine says, as you follow her over the threshold. “I can take care of this. Go sit down.”

You take her advice, sitting cross-legged at the odd, short table. You wonder briefly what Keine has against chairs. As she putters about in the kitchen, you suddenly remember there’s one more spell you could prepare, a mere first-rank one from your Academy days. While the other students were still laboring to memorize that fucking read magic spell (which you’d mastered in half the time,) you were busy learning a spell you considered much more amusing. It was nothing spectacular, but you sure got a kick out of creative applications of it.

Well, why not? While Keine whips up breakfast, you prepare that spell multiple times, using up the last of your low-level capacity.

“Here we go~!” Keine emerges from the kitchen carrying two trays, laden with what look like omelets and hash browns. “So, how did you sleep?” she asks innocently, setting down the trays on the table.

You hesitate a moment. You don’t want this woman thinking you’re any weirder then she already must, and you don’t want anybody knowing of your potential weaknesses, period. On the other hand, Keine’s stuck her neck out for you since the moment she met you.

[ ] “Just fine. Nice bed.”
[ ] “Well enough- a few unpleasant dreams. Nothing unusual.”
[ ] “Not very well, to be honest. I had some disturbing dreams.”

What spell was it that so amused you in your Academy days, that you prepared before breakfast?

[ ] Grease
[ ] Ventriloquism
[ ] Silent Image

(Grease covers an object or space with grease nigh instantly, Silent Image is a minor illusion spell with no sound, Ventriloquism is exactly what it sounds like.)

>>123739
>nothing from the Polymorph line of spells
>no save-or-dies
>no Mind Blank

YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG MR WIZZARD

[x] Silent Image

I guess she really is too soft.

[X] “Well enough- a few unpleasant dreams. Nothing unusual.”
[x] Silent Image

Normally I'd go with Grease but everyone important flies in Gensokyo so it wouldn't really help much.

[x] “Not very well, to be honest. I had some disturbing dreams.”
[x] Silent Image

[x] “Well enough- a few unpleasant dreams. Nothing unusual.”
[x] Silent Image

>>123743
There are more than one use for Grease. If you know what I mean.

[X] “Well enough- a few unpleasant dreams. Nothing unusual.”
[X] Grease

Might as well see what the MC had in mind.

[x] “Just fine. Nice bed.”
[x] Silent Image
Fairy level spells fuck year.
Maybe we should avoid interaction with Youmu? I certainly don't wish to see her die in his arms.

>>123750
There's also Momiji, and a couple of the PC98 girls.

>>123750
Either that or be on guard as to prevent it... Yet no hint as to who the other woman is other than she's hell bent on having her way.

[x]>>123746

[X] “Well enough- a few unpleasant dreams. Nothing unusual.”
[X] Grease

>>123751
But Momiji has red eyes, so shes out.

[x] “Not very well, to be honest. I had some disturbing dreams.”
[x] Silent Image
>Image with no sound
Is that so~? Then how about a combination with Ghost sound?

sure, Silent Image is nice, but on the other hand, a Touhou drenched by Grease is likely to be the closest thing this story will have to bukkakke.

>>123764
wat

[x] “Not very well, to be honest. I had some disturbing dreams.”
[x] Silent Image

[x] “Not very well, to be honest. I had some disturbing dreams.”
[x] Grease

[x] “Not very well, to be honest. I had some disturbing dreams.”
[x] Grease

No. 043: 国符「三種の神器　剣」
Land Sign "Three Sacred Treasures - Sword"
(This spell card is referring to Wikipedia:Kusanagi Kusanagi (草薙剣), one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan.)
Owner: Keine Kamishirasawa
Stage 3 — Easy
Comment: 三種の神器の一つ。神話時代のアイテムがあるだけで凄いが、
草刈鎌と大差ない使われ方。
Translation: One of the three divine artifacts. It's amazing because it's a divine relic,
but actually it was used like a simple lawn mower.

Could be Keine if she's pulling some ancient artifact shit.

[x] “Well enough- a few unpleasant dreams. Nothing unusual.”
[x] Ventrilo

+DOTA

>>123740
You forgot
>not banning Evocation

[X] “Well enough- a few unpleasant dreams. Nothing unusual.”
[x] Silent Image

[x] “Well enough- a few unpleasant dreams. Nothing unusual.”
[x] Ventrilo

Creative applications of Ventriloquism are FAR more amusing than Silent image. Depending on just how creative you get. Especially if we are a good mimic.

[X] “Well enough- a few unpleasant dreams. Nothing unusual.”

[X] Silent Image

>>123789
Well, evocation has a few decent spells, like wind wall and force wall/forcecage. You could kind of make an argument for it.
Still, fireball?

>>123802
I dunno. Evocation is a good spell for a 'Glass cannon' Wiz. You know, one that is going to hide over half a dozen bodies all the time and just wants to deal damage.
A solo wiz should focus more on... well. on anything else.

>>123740
>no save-or-dies

I came quite close to omitting Fly for Disintegrate, actually, since Telekinesis can cover that somewhat (so wonderfully versatile.)

>>123802
>fireball?

It becomes rather more versatile with metamagic feats. SPLATBOOKS AHOY

“Well enough,” you reply casually, seizing a tray and sliding it into position. “A few unpleasant dreams, nothing unusual.”

“A few unpleasant dreams.... nothing unusual,” she repeats pensively, handing you a fork.

“Mmmhmm,” you say, digging into the omelet. Looks like tomatoes, cheese and mushrooms; quite good.

“So you always toss about and talk in your sleep like that?”

You’re surprised, and she notices. “I wasn’t aware I did. I have unpleasant dreams every now and then,” you reply, honestly enough.

“Mmmhmm,” she hums, regarding you with an inscrutable expression. You’re wondering if she knows you weren’t completely honest with her when you realize you just admitted to sleeping alone most nights. You focus on your plate and mentally kick yourself a few times.

“How’s breakfast?” Keine asks, at length.

“Best I’ve had in a while,” you reply with gusto. “Er, why did you have Cirno pick up medicine, anyhow? What’s it for?”

“For you,” she replies, collecting the empty breakfast plates off the low table. You rise, stretching, unused to kneeling. “It’s a general agent to accelerate natural healing.”

“You think I’m going to get into another dust-up?” you ask.

“No, your injuries from last night should be... well, right about now, in fact...”

As she speaks, you notice some of your aches and pains from yesterday making themselves known again.

“But you-”

“-Healed them? Not quite. I just consumed the history of your injuries.”

You regard Keine blankly for a moment.

“You... nommed upon the ‘history’ of my wounds...” you say, though the Draconic onomatopoeia for chewing is more like crunch crunch. You don’t care to ponder why. “You reversed my body to an earlier state?”

“Kind of,” Keine replies.” I can’t actually erase history, but I can conceal it, to a degree- obscure it, if you will. In my other form, I can create history. When the full moon draws nigh, my concealment powers grow stronger; to the point I can temporarily negate the tangible realities of recent history, not just their existence. As the moon waxes, the duration gets longer.”

You nod sagely, as if you’ve understood it all perfectly. “Okay, yeah. But back up a little. In your were-hakutaku form, you say you can create history.”

“Yes. Things aren’t history just by virtue of having happened. I make them history.”

You stare at her. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

‘Wha?”

“Its bullshit!” you exclaim, agitated. “Yeah, things are or are not remembered years later based on subjective accounts of history, but you’re talking tangible realities, here!” You turn to look at Cirno, still fast asleep on her pad in the center of the room, and swiftly cast your hat trick from Academy days- Silent Image. You choose to make a good likeliness of a Gibbering Mouther, hovering right over Cirno, looking down on her.

“Hey!” you shout in Sylvan. “Cirno! WAKE UP!”

The little fairy grumbles, rolls over, and opens her bleary eyes. The resulting scream and mad scramble for the corner is satisfactory.

“See?” you say, turning back to Keine. “There is now the history of a prank by me- the entire causality chain spawned from such- and the resulting reality of Cirno scared shitless. And you didn’t create jack.” You wave your hand, and the illusion vanishes.

Keine stares at you for a moment, then at Cirno in the corner; apparently trying to decide between explanations and admonishment. “You don’t understand,” she says at length. sighing. “Things work a little differently, here- it has to do with faith. I’ll have to explain it to you.”

“Faith? Now that sounds interesting,” you reply. “But before we have another lecture on Gensokyian metaphysics, I’d really like to get my spellbooks back.”

Keine has returned to the kitchen and is noisily depositing the breakfast dishes. “How do you mean?” she says, looking at you over her shoulder.

“I need them,” you say. “I don’t know how magic works here, but I most desperately need them. I’ve got an emergency stash in a magical chest; and I’ve prepared the summoning spell this morning, but given the various oddities of divinely-crafted pocket dimensions, it’d be best to cast the spell right where I entered it. The barriers should be weaker there, increasing my chances of success.”

“You mean the place currently marked by a gigantic shipwreck and monster corpse!?” Keine asks, shocked. “Does that strike you as particularly intelligent, given what we went through yesterday to keep you from being identified?”

Girl’s got a point, you think. On the other hand, you’re rested and reloaded, even if you’re far from your full potential at the moment- and casting the retrieval spell near the battleground offers the best chances for a quick and easy retrieval. Or you could cast it right here in Keine’s home, a much more secure location- but that risks more time to get your hands on your stuff, and it might draw even more attention to your protector.

[ ] Cast it here at home.
[ ] Damn the touhous, full speed ahead! (To the crash-site.)
[ ] While we’re at it... (Write-in, anything else to do?)

--------------------------------------------------------------------

We can't stop here. We're in Plot country!

[x] Damn the touhous, full speed ahead! (To the crash-site.)

You know what I don't like? All of our spellbooks smeared across the laws of physics we're trying to violate six ways to Sunday.

Let's do this safely for the books, which are much more important than our measly flesh.

>>123826
[x]Full speed ahead, but make sure we're not wearing a fancy hat or anything that would stand out too much.

[x] Damn the touhous, full speed ahead! (To the crash-site.)
Anyone poking around the site is subject-able to spellcard rules. It's not like they will kill us or anything.

[x] Damn the touhous, full speed ahead! (To the crash-site.)

We're going to get found out sooner or later; it would be better to have spells to back up any reputation we might have earned.

>“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
>"It's bullshit!"

Man, this wizard is kind of a prick.

[x] Damn the touhous, full speed ahead! (To the crash-site.)

>>123841

I'd say less a prick than someone who has learned a breed of magic that absolutely loves to screw you via semantics. Ever try to cast Wish?

[x] Get as close as the crash site as possible and cast it there.
-[x] Stealth as priority over distance

>>123846
That's no excuse to talk like that to a lady.

>>123846
Wish is absolutely fine so long as you follow the pre-defined boundaries set by the spell description. Wishing for stuff not on the list is just handing the DM a licence to screw with you. By the time you get lvl 9 spells you should be able to do just about everything without resorting to such desperate measures.

>>123824
>fireball?
>It becomes rather more versatile with metamagic feats
a damage spell is a damage spell. For a wizard, reliance on pure spell damage is a mark of either incompetence or desperation. incapacitation, with or without save, is a wizard's true strength. that and Polymorph abuse.

[X] Damn the touhous, full speed ahead! (To the crash-site.)

Shit balls there's a REASON you prepared Fly, Greater Invisibility and Teleport- because the ability to avoid unfavorable encounters is the most powerful ability of all. At least you're not a stupid wizard.

>>123864

[X] Oh, and also, hum the Mission: Impossible theme tune. Everyone knows that enhances sneakiness.

[x]Greater Invisibility on self
[x]Greater Teleport in
[x]Cast the summon spell
[x]Greater Teleport out

You will spend a grand total of two rounds - 12 seconds - on site, and you'll be invisible while you're doing it. This is how wizards get shit done.

>Splatbooks

what's our level, anyway? And what feats do we have?

[x]Greater Invisibility on self
[x]Greater Teleport in
[x]Cast the summon spell
[x]Greater Teleport out

[X] >>123869

>>123832 changing to

[x]Greater Invisibility on self
[x]Greater Teleport in
[x]Cast the summon spell
[x]Greater Teleport out

>>123863
Orb of Fire does Fireball better anyways.

But that's a mix of fireball, again, being bad, and conjuration being lolawesome. It doesn't help much that the Orb of X spells help make blasting so much more viable as a tactic and at the same time are an example of WotC not knowing what the hell they're doing.

[x]Greater Invisibility on self
[x]Greater Teleport in
[x]Cast the summon spell
[x]Greater Teleport out

It's blowing a good portion of our daily resources (I think, I dunno the exact number of spell slots we have) but we're blowing it on something critically important to our existence as a badass wizard.

[X]Future

Obvious choice is obvious. Protagonist McMagus is about to completely redefine the nature of how he thinks magic works. And as the practice of his magic is about understanding and exploiting the laws of the universe for great profit, just imagine the spells you could create with access to a friendly Keine... or Yukari.

If he wasn't Epic already...

>>123675

And that's just the beginning once he has his spellbook back.

After all, in DnD the third greatest defense (and also the third weakest - True Seeing is entirely unfair) is a Miss Chance.

Greater Mirror Image - regenerating illusionary doubles.
Greater Blink - if hit, 50% chance it just goes through you because you're blinking between dimensions.

Those are just the most famous ones... and can be acquired in magic item format.

Immunity to True Seeing is another matter, though beings like Yukari (Is Yukari), Keine (History-sense?), Sakuya (Time-hax is a robust explanation for many things), Eirin (Is Eirin) and a few others could be reasonably expected to be unaffected by many Illusions.

Though Blink, Contingent Spells and similar should be fine.

Magic Missile is probably cheating though.

[X] Damn the touhous, full speed ahead! (To the crash-site.)
[X] While we’re at it, we need to disguise our hat so as not to be too obvious.

But we must wear our hat. It's unthinkable otherwise. How would people know were were a wizzard if we didn't have our hat?

[x]Greater Invisibility on self
[x]Greater Teleport in
[x]Cast the summon spell
[x]Greater Teleport out

[X] >>123869

[X] Damn the touhous, full speed ahead! (To the crash-site.)

[X] Damn the touhous, full speed ahead! (To the crash-site.)

>>123877
slowpoke.jpg

[X] Roll out like a wizard, yo.

“Well?” Keine asks, watching your brief deliberation.

“Screw the peanut gallery,” you decide. “I’m going in.”

Keine sighs as she steps back into the main room from the kitchen. “Are you always this impulsive?”

“Situationally dependent.”

“Mmhmm,” she says dubiously. “Speaking of impulses, brace for fairy.”

“Oh he-ARGH” you utter, as Cirno bowls you over with a perfectly executed flying tackle. You find yourself flat on your back, looking up at Cirno’s stormy visage, furrowed brows and sharp blue eyes promising woe unending.

“That was mean! she exclaims. Breathing is a bit difficult, since she’s kneeling on your chest.

“Yeah, I’m sorry about the whole illusion thing,” you say earnestly.

Cirno’s frown deepens. “You are not.”

“.... yeah, she’s right about that,” you admit, looking at Keine. Her expression makes it clear that removing Cirno from your chest is entirely up to you. Cirno doesn’t seem inclined to budge, so you tuck your hands under your head for the time being.

”Anyways,” Keine continues, “going back to that crash site now is demonstratively foolish! Didn’t you listen to anything I said?”

“Trust me, Keine, I can handle it!” you protest, slipping your hand into your pocket of holding and fumbling around for one of your magical gauntlets of strength.

“No you can’t!” she insists, stomping her foot. “I know you’re very powerful where you come from, but in Gensokyo, we call that the status quo!” You manage to fumble one hand into a gauntlet, still looking at Keine and studiously ignoring Cirno’s death glare. “Sanae found out the hard way when she got here, and she’s the descendant of a god!” Keine continues. You withdraw your hand, seize Cirno by the front of her dress, and carefully set her to one side. She sticks her tongue out at you. “I’m sorry,” Keine says as you rise to your feet, “but I’m not going to fly you there!”

You favor Keine with a knowing smirk. “Listen, toots, I’m a wizard- and wizards go wherever they damn well please.”

You cast Teleport.

It’s always a rush, Teleport, the violent wrenching sensation, the warping of apparent reality that happens almost too fast to see. You re-materialize in the small stand of trees near where you caught up with Cirno yesterday, a short distance from the site of your dynamic entry.

You scan the area, and your eyes follow an impressive debris and blood trail to their eventual apex. Even from this distance, you can make out some figures inspecting the scene, so you hunch down and cast Greater Invisibility. It would have been more prudent to cast that before you teleported, but you know a good exit line when you hear one.

You stroll through the meadow and up to the remains of the city clocktower, most of which came with you and the dragon when the Planeshift spells misfired. Your brief dogfight with Loffo took you both some thirty yards away from your arrival point, so the ruin of the clocktower marks the best spot to cast.

Peering around the corner of the erstwhile pride of Glimmerspire’s City Hall, you see a girl with (green hair!?) conversing with a hat you recognize as Marisa’s.

“Good thing I teleported,” you mutter. That girl wields a mean broom. Entering the shattered building for concealment, you prepare to cast your spell. You note the magically-powered time-piece is still working- it’s 7:32 PM back home.

Comfortably situated, you get to work. The original Secret Chest spell functions nigh-instantly, but yours takes a good five minutes to cast. It’s worth it, though, since your custom creation stashes the goods for a year, not three months, on any plane you wish, and most importantly, there’s no pricey materiel focus that can be lost, stolen, or destroyed.

At last, you are finished, and you tighten your concentration, trying to feel out the energies of the spell. At length, you estimate it succeeded, but the stubborn nature of this thrice-damned pocket dimension will delay the chest’s arrival by an hour, perhaps two. You surmise that it would have taken all day, had you summoned from anywhere else.

“Toybox en-route,” you say softly, pleased. Just as you make to rise, a deep sibilant thoomfills the air-

CRASH!

-and the wall on your left disappears in a cloud of splintery shrapnel. If you squealed like a bitch, nobody heard it over the sound of the impact.

Embedded in the wall behind you is an iron ballista arrowhead. Rising cautiously, you peer through the new hole towards the airship. The green-haired girl is having a right fit, hurling what can only be recriminations up at Marisa, who’s standing near the midships ballista squawking apologetically.

If she’s that dangerous by accident, then it’s a very good thing you teleported in.

Homeward bound, now. You take a minute to let your heart work its way down out of your throat, and cast Teleport, focusing on Keine’s bedroom, since it’s the room you’re most familiar with.

-wrenching, warping-

You arrive without incident in a deserted room. Stretching, pleased, you’re about to walk into the main room when you hear a strange voice speaking the native tongue.

You pause, cast about the dark bedroom, and side-step to the low table where Keine deposited her spare hat the other day. Wincing at the necessity, you pick up the ridiculous thing.

“That’d be a first,” you hear Keine say.

“There’s a first time for everything,” somebody returns in cool, smooth syllables. You recognize the inflections from the shop yesterday- the white-haired maid.

You cast Greater Invisibility on yourself again, and slip into the main room. Keine is standing at the door with Cirno, a very cool expression on her face. The white-haired woman with the piercing gaze is situated on the threshold.

“So, just a social call, or do you have a request...?”

“Just wondering if you know anything about the new arrival,” the maid answers.

“It’s obviously draconic, but unlike any dragon in any recorded history I have access too. I’m as much in the dark as you are.”

She’s a sharp bluffer, you think.

The maid smiles slightly with faint amusement. “Not the corpse. The one who brought it here.”

“If the creature’s magical, it probably brought itself.”

”And had into suicides?” The maid’s smile is gone now. “A newcomer with great ability is in Gensokyo, and I would cuddle your surrendering in finding them.”

You choke down a guffaw just in time. Keine wasn’t lying when she said the translation enchantment on her headwear had limits.

“It’s still some distances till the full moon,” Keine replies. You notice Cirno is gripping Keine’s dress nervously. “I can’t pinpoint people just yet.”

The maid smiles again, ever so slightly, letting her gaze slide leisurely over Keine and down to Cirno. The fairy gives no ground, but her hand gripping Keine’s dress tightens slightly.

“Well, I’ll wait warmly, and maybe most likely you tells me...” the maid says softly. It’s almost a query, but not quite.

Wait...You didn’t learn six or seven languages without some aptitude for tongues. Mind racing, you consider- translations usually get harder the more nuance the original meaning, the more reliant on connotations the phrase is that have no direct equivalent in the other language. “Cuddle” could mean, “love, adore,” but with physical contact or closeness implied... “surrendering” went where “aid” should have, so... co-operation, but with implied passiveness? Yielding?

You can’t be sure, but you think this white-haired woman with the chilly demeanor is very subtly threatening Keine.

[ ] Grab the maid by the headdress. Decloak discreetly and confront her.
[ ] Lurk moar.
[ ] AGGRESS About as smart as it sounds.

[x] Lurk moar.

> “Listen, toots, I’m a wizard- and wizards go wherever they damn well please.”

fuckyeah.jpg

[X] Lurk moar.

We try to take on Sakuya right now, and she will use her time stopping powers to dissect us before we can finish one spell.

To be perfectly clear, the confrontation option is non-violent; you're just revealing yourself. I.e. "Looking for me?"

>>123960

Well, in that case...

[x] Grab the maid by the headdress. Decloak discreetly and confront her.

[X] Lurk moar.

[x] Lurk moar.

It's better to avoid any confrontation inside Keine's house.

[X] Lurk Moar

Yeah, lets not reveal ourselves in front of the one person who can kill us before we can blink. That would be a bad idea...

[x] Lurk moar.
Giving ourselves to the mercy of a girl who can cast Persistent Time Stop as a free action? copulation that feces

By the way, which level is our character?

[x] Lurk more.
Is our box going to pop near us? I'm not very savvy on D&D so i don't know.

[X] Lurk moar.

And be discrete about it, I wouldn't be surprised if Sakuya had some sort of bullshit spidey sense or something. That always seems to happen with invisibility in fiction.

In any case, this seems to be a BitchSakuya so we should avoid confronting her.

>>123973
Well, in her defense as I recall our last encounter with her was...Eventful.
She might be looking to get some payback for Zuul blowing her eardrums out.

Anyway; [X] Lurk Moar

[x] Lurk moar.

Part of me wants to sneak out and knock on the front door to feign ignorance of the conversation we just overheard. See if she's two-faced. But then that'd reveal our connection with Keine.

>>123968

You're a mage of the 17th level- the dragon battle was your first time using a 9th level spell. Depending on how many touhous you own well you do, leveling up is a possibility.

[x]Lurk Moar

Let's play it safe. We didn't grow as powerful as we are while being as squishy as we are through being confrontational and direct.

I hate to leave our host to fend for herself against this ice bitch, but...
[x]Lurk Moar

>>123978
She's put an act for us. Blowing it up is NOT a good way to compensate.
We can owe her or something-and leave asap to avoid getting her into more trouble.

[x] Lurk Moar
Priority one is of course to read your spellbook and rest the fuck up. No cowboy before that.

Say, did we save some spell slots for the day, or are they all taken up with the emergency spells? If so we could get some shit done today.

on a tangential note, the best way to kill Sakuya (should the need arise) is Forcecage, the windowless cell version. Cast it and wait for her to suffocate. Once it's cast she has no way to escape short of a ridiculously high Escape Artist check, and stopping time will just make her suffocate faster.

On the other hand, hot dickings are always more preferable to all.

[x] Lurk moar.

>>123998
Isn't there a chance a disjunction would destroy her Stop watch?

Disjunction probably would to be honest...though right now we don't have A) disjunction prepared and B)would need to cast it before she slit our throat.

If I had to build Sakuya in D&D, I'd be trying to harang her into some kind of Ranger/Scout/Swiftblade. She'd possibly need to be gestalted with factotum or something for the spells.

Don't mind her. Just casting instant timestop and spring attacking three times a round with knives.

Can't you use Time Magic on her?

>>124000
A magic item that grants Time Stop at will? Artifact. Not only is destroying Artifacts difficult and failure-prone, it is also very unhealthy for the wizard. I believe one of the possible consequences for success is to lose all your spells permanently.

>>124000
83% chance to fail and we can only cast it once per day.
What more: if we, somehow, succeed, we have to pass a Will DC25 roll or lose all our spellcasting powers. Forever.

For a wizard with prep time, Sakuya is a pushover. Yukari, Yuyuko, Reimu and Flandre would make more interesting targets.

Yukari? Dimensional Anchor.
Yuyuko? Death Ward.

I'm more worried about Sakuya getting us when we're _not_ prepared given she's a time ninja and all. Reimu would put up a good fight. Flandre maybe - though given her attitude, it probably wouldn't be too difficult to outsmart her. As a wizard, we've dealt with destructive forces of nature and won before right?

>>124010

Even assuming it counts as an Artifact, any level 17 wizard worth his salt has at LEAST a +15 bonus to WILL saves, if not much more, depending on equipment and feat progression, and also an Antimagic field can effectively hedge Sakuya out.

>>124034
fifty-fifty chance to lose all our spells? no thx.

AMF would drop all buffs and prevent spellcasting. making us extra squishy against knives.

From D&D Wiki: (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Mage's_Disjunction)
>Note: Destroying artifacts is a dangerous business, and it is 95% likely to attract the attention of some powerful being who has an interest in or connection with the device.
I dunno why you wish to make an enemy of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, really. You have 50% chance to lose all your powers and 100% chance to get impaled by an angry vampire(s)
And no, don't even start with sunburst. You'd need a dozen of those to kill those two-and that's only if they decided to just stand in one spot doing nothing while you cast.

>>124042
Plus, Flandre kinda has an SoD attack that doesn't let you make an S. She's like a long-range Shiki. Bad idea.

[ ] Lurk Moar

You evaluate your options swiftly, and none of them are very good. Fireball is right out, with the close quarters involved, and Keine and Cirno are between you and the maid, ruling out Telekenisis. And from the way Keine is acting, this woman is not to be taken lightly.

“Why do you need me, anyway?” Keine queries the maid. “Somebody that powerful will make himself known eventually.”

“Unless somebody told him to do otherwise,” the maid says.

“And why would anyone do that?”

“Perhaps they have something to gain...” returns the maid, “.... or perhaps they’re an altruist.”

Bitch. The word ricochets ‘round your skull, building momentum with each iteration. Fucking bitch. Standing there threatening your only friend in this psychotic estrogen-swamped insane asylum, smirking like she’s hot shit-

-there. There’s your opening- right through the flimsy construction of this odd domicile, pick up that table over there and smash it sideways through that paper wall and right into that smug face. You flex your hands while you visualize the words to Telekinesis, the entire spell, not just the trigger, bright looping script flaming fiercely in your mind.

The maid turns and leaves.

You realize you didn’t register a singe syllable of the woman's parting words.

Keine slides the door most of the way shut, watching the maid’s retreat for a bit before closing it all the way. She finally sighs with relief, and ruffles Cirno’s hair. “Good job, kiddo,” she says, and Cirno smiles up at her teacher. “Good thing Mr. Wizard skipped out. Let’s just hope he isn’t taking danmaku up the aAAHHH!” she and Cirno exclaim in unison as you dismiss your invisibility spell right in front of them.

Heh. That never gets old.

“I don’t swing that way,” you state primly.

“Wha- uh- gah- god. dammit,” Keine manages to squeak out. “You can turn invisible!?”

“Who can’t?”

“Most people, actually... did you see our visitor?”

“I was right here while she was shooting her mouth off,” you mutter. “I had half a mind to-”

“-bad idea,” Keine interjects, and Cirno nods empathetically. “That was Sakuya Izayoi, housekeeper and head maid of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.”

“The Scarlet Devil Mansion?” you repeat incredulously.

“Yes. The manse of the vampire Scarlet sisters.”

“Oh hell, that explains it,” you say wearily. “Vampires, about as subtle as a herd of Tarrasques. ‘Scarlet Devil Mansion,’ indeed. If I had a copper for every dipshit calling himself ‘Grimface Darkmoil’ loafing around his Pointy Castle of Badness, I’d be using Immovable Rods for footstools.”

“Don’t take them lightly!” Keine says sternly. “That Sakuya, she can stop time. And she’s very serious about serving her mistresses; if you try any of that wiseass stuff on her she’d probably stuff your underwear up your nostrils before you finished the sentence.”

“Yeah, I noticed she’s a bit short with people. Bumped into her yesterday.”

“WHAT!?”

“When I was trying to get out the back door of that secondhand shop, I ran smack into her.”

“What did you do!?”

“Introduced myself as Zuul at around a hundred and forty decibels, and jumped about four feet clear over her head.”

Keine facepalms so hard her hat rocks.

“Should have seen the look on her face-”

“Please stop talking,” Keine says dejectedly.

You stop talking, but Cirno, unable to follow the conversation in Draconic, registers only the lull.

“That was awesome!” she exclaims eagerly, waving her arms for emphasis. “You- just- like- fwoosh! Out of nowhere! Could you teach me that? Teacher never shows us stuff like that, she just headbutts us.”

“I can’t imagine why,” you reply in the local language, immensely amused. You hate to admit it, but the little fairy’s enthusiasm is infectious.

Sometimes.

“Anyways,” you say. “I’ve cast my summoning spell, and my toybox will arrive in about an hour, maybe two. We’ve got a little time to kill. Let’s do something.”

“Like what?” Keine asks.

What, indeed?

[ ] Write-in.

------------------------------

Have fun with this one. Some suggestions include going shopping (in town,) going shopping (Rinnosuke’s shop,) going shopping (barging into random people’s homes and looting them bare,) checking out Keine’s history books, checking out Keine’s art collection, checking out Keine’s ass, teaching Cirno how to cast cantrips, cast hexes, cast a fly reel, etc.

Re: Magic discussion- nobody's mentioned this yet?

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/timestop.htm

>>123996

Some low-level slots, three eight-level slots and a ninth-level slot you deliberately left open.

[x] You helped me, so now I help you. What can I do
Keeping debts isn't exactly wise.

Changed my mind (although fishing would be fun).
[x] You helped me, so now I help you. What can I do?

Although not just out of a sense of obligation, but also out of appreciation.

[ ]going shopping (barging into random people’s homes and looting them bare,)

Isn't this and RPG? THis is what we must do!
But seriously, I think we should

[x]Teach Cirno Magic

Because really, she'd so totally make a great apprentice.

>>124065
I'm hoping to make Marisa our apprentice first. Cirno wouldn't have a particularly strong intelligence modifier, so she might just fall flat on her face with just about anything we try to teach her. But with Marisa and all of her raw and barely controllable arcane potential, she could achieve wonders with the tutelage of an experienced and learned arch-mage such as ourselves.

[x] You helped me, so now I help you. What can I do?

Actually, I'm interested in seeing what Keine has in her history book and art collections, because you never know what might turn out to be helpful knowledge. But we do owe Keine our thanks, and I can't think of any awesome write-in to go here.

[X] You helped me, so now I help you. What can I do?

Plus we may get a reward for doing so, because Keine such a nice person.

> checking out Keine’s ass

A little early to be flipping flags, don't you think? Plus I don't want a D40 headbutt with no saves.

>>124067

Well we're just looking, right? Isn't subtlety a hallmark of wizards?

Then again, what with the ZUUL and fireball-dragon-barbecue, perhaps we broke the mold.

[X] You helped me, so now I help you. What can I do?
-[x] If nothing comes up do some discussion about a topic she might be interested in.

[X] You helped me, so now I help you. What can I do?

>>124074
"Who are you going to tell me about next, somebody who can turn invisible or teleport or something?"

>>124055
Not by the same artist, but what could be a potential sequel to the image here...

>>124078
and yeah, I know it's not Meiling in the pic, but still...

>>124067
Meh, it's not like we'll marry her. Checking a girl's ass is almost a duty nowadays.

>>124066
For all we know, Marisa could be higher level than us already. After all, XP is pretty much independent of age.
Also, thanks to the OP's pic, I can't help but imagine our protagonist as being a neckbeard. Combining that with his checking out Keine in the last post made me shudder a bit.

>>124081
>neckbeard
40kid in Gensokyo gogogogogogo.

Revoting, in light of >>124067.

[x] You helped me, so now I help you. What can I d--
-[x] ...Wait, stop time?
-[x] Does everybody here have some kind of ludicrous bullshit power or something?
[x] At some point, check out Keine's ass.

Cirno is more suited to being a Sorcerer than Wizard, what with being a race with CHA bonuses and all. I doubt she has the 11+ Int to learn even lvl 1 wizard spells, but she might be able to cast it instinctively.

>>124089

It's fine. She'll learn or die trying. Multiple times.

[x] You helped me, so now I help you. What can I d--
-[x] ...Wait, stop time?
-[x] Does everybody here have some kind of ludicrous bullshit power or something?
This story makes me laugh quite often, thank you for being awesome, writefag.

[x] You helped me, so now I help you. What can I d--
-[x] ...Wait, stop time?
-[x] Does everybody here have some kind of ludicrous bullshit power or something?
[x] Discreetly check Keine's ass

>bullshit power
>werecow
>Discreetly check Keine's ass

DOHOHOHOHO

[x]Check out Keine's ass and then pinch them
[x]Help Keine out
[x]Get bored and offer to teach Cirno some magic if she does the work for us

[x]Check out Keine's ass
[x]Help Keine out
[x]Get bored and offer to teach Cirno some magic if she does the work for us

I really need to stop clicking on a post to reply, if I'm linking to a post with my vote it looks like I'm trying to change that posters vote.
Or something.

[x] You helped me, so now I help you. What can I d--
-[x] ...Wait, stop time?
-[x] Does everybody here have some kind of ludicrous bullshit power or something

[x] You helped me, so now I help you. What can I d--
-[x] ...Wait, stop time?
-[x] Does everybody here have some kind of ludicrous bullshit power or something?
-[x] Let me guess, this girl *indicates Cirno* can breathe toxins or something.

>>124113
Even if she can't, that's not a good enough reason not to try. For SCIENCE!

Since when stopping time is a ludicrous power for a wizard? For a level 5 maybe.

>>124128
Seriously. This guy is, what, Level 17? By level 17 [3.5] Wizards are so broken that it isn't even funny.

>>124128
Well, Sakuya's timestop is pretty impressive even by DnD standards, since she can use it so many times per day. Also, if I recall correctly, using normal Time Stop you aren't allowed to target things with attacks, so Sakuya wouldn't be able to do her normal "stop time, throw a shitton of knives, start time again" trick with DnD timestop.
But the MC doesn't know any of those details, so he wouldn't know to complain.

>>124004

Factotum... wha? No. The Factotum is a trap, seriously. Everything it claims to do is *actually* done by a Rogue/Chameleon.

For Timestop gimmicks, the 2nd version of the Swiftblade is okay - the first was Monk-tier broken, the third is just sub-mediocre.

Of course, you shouldn't ignore spells like Celerity and powers like Synchronicity or Temporal Acceleration.

>>124030

>Yukari: D-Anchor

It might impede her gap hax, but she can just raise the temperature in your brain by a degree or two. Or punt you across the Border of Life and Death. And so on and so forth - even if you stick to strict canon, she isn't going to be unduly obstructed by it.

>Yuyuko: D-Ward

Probably, but she's also some kind of super-ghost with a hardcore cohort and a capital-L Legion of the dead.

>>124138
>Factotum... wha? No. The Factotum is a trap, seriously.
Seriously, what? No it's not a trap. The CW Samurai* is a trap, the Monk** is a trap, the Soulblade*** is a trap, the Truenamer is a completely irredeemable trap. The Factotum, however, isn't a trap, it's a solid JoaT class. Are you that guy over on /tg/ that tries to claim the Factotum is worthless every now and then (once)? Because that thread was funny to read, not that I (seriously) care for Edition War #647486458.

*Barring intimidate shenanigans, but Zhentarim Fighter can do better, IIRC.
**Two level dip, or the classic Monk 2/Ardent or PsyWar 18 Tashalatora.
***Soulbow. Also I forgot the exacts but there's a Wis SAD build that combines Cleric, Soulbow, Factotum, Soulblade, and Chameleon for some funny stuff.

>>124092

I'm happy that my first thread is amusing folks!

Also, NEW THREAD: >>124226

>>124140

...are you that guy who tries to defend the Factotum?

>>124243
Nope. I just read edition wars for fun. Tbh, while I think the class is a solid JoaT, I'd never play it. I like ToB and proper gishes too much. Also non-spellcasters in general, despite lol caster edition.

im sory i love you dragon ball