Hikki Sorceress Quest

>>431417
>B. Peace, which embodies the ideals of harmony and lack of conflict.

>A. Literature, the magic of words, changing reality by writing notes in the margins of the book called the real world.

>>431417
>>A. Literature, the magic of words, changing reality by writing notes in the margins of the book called the real world.

>>431417
>A. Literature, the magic of words, changing reality by writing notes in the margins of the book called the real world.

>>431417
>Literature

You loved reading the tome of Literature, and have learned a number of spells from the book as well. At present you can summon a magical pen that helps you cast your other magic, dispatch a letter to anyone you know within up to 600 miles instantaneously (not that you really know anyone...), keep an automatic diary of the day's events, write a simple command that the first person to read must complete, and finally, to summon a literal shield of words to protect yourself.

You also received a "formal education" from your dad, in a particular school of magic.

Which school was it?

>A. Light, it controls man’s most positive emotions, such as love, peace, and pleasure. Light also regulates knowledge and detection.
>B. Creation, these spells are about change, healing, and creating things.
>C. Water, this confers dominion over liquids and the purity of things. It also represents the power of ice and low temperatures.
>D. Illusion, gives spellcasters control over Deception and Illusion. Spells can alter reality and the way it is perceived.

>>431617
>B. Creation, these spells are about change, healing, and creating things.

>>431617
Illusion. We gon be spies

>>431617
>B. Creation

>>431617
>Creation

Your dad taught you the basics of Creation magic. It's a tricky school, and it's really tiring, since almost all the spells have to be maintained with your mana, but you have a prodigious pool to work with so perhaps you're better suited to it than most. Well, at this point, you can cast the following spells:

Create anything that a skilled craftsman could make, without any magical or supernatural qualities. What you make only persists as long as you feed it mana, though.

Restore a non-organic object to its original form from parts or pieces that remain. This one is permanent, but it doesn't work if too much of the original is absent, and it can't be used on items with supernatural properties.

Create a source of Cold, Fire, or Electricity. Convenient, but pretty dangerous, since you don't really have any control over the stuff you're making once it's out.

Regeneration is a tricky one, basically you can heal wounds very quickly with it, and it can even be used to re-attach lost limbs, but it takes a lot of mana.

"Inorganic modification" is a spell that lets you change one thing into another thing of equal or lesser significance. You can use this on magical items, but it gets more expensive for better stuff.

You can use Creation magic to make a defensive barrier, but it's weaker than the one you can use with Literature magic and costs about as much so...

You haven't had a chance to use this, but you do know how to magically heal people instantaneously. It doesn't regrow lost limbs or bring back the dead, but it can save you from dying in the first place.

You can use one of your energy sources to put a barrier around yourself, that basically makes you immune to getting hurt by physical stuff.

You can straight-up copy something if it's in your reach, and it can even be a little magical! The spell is more or less permanent but does require a small trickle of mana each day to maintain - it's only a tiny fraction of your energy though.

Lastly, you can, like, take control of someone else's body. It's not mind control, though, just physical, and so you wouldn't be able to use their magic, for instance. It's pretty expensive to cast initially, but the upkeep is fairly low. It does need to be recast every month, though.

So, that's all your magical abilities, but you don't know how much help they'll actually be out there. You hover timidly in front of the iron door that leads out of the tower and think one last time, "Is there anything else I want before I go?"

>A. Look for something (write-in what you're trying to look for and roll 1d100)
>B. No, it's time to go!

>>431766
How do we gain mana? And does anything happen besides not being able to cast if we run out?

Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>431766
>A. Look for something (Our holy necklace)

>>431790
I knew it.
;_;

>>431787
The primary way is that you regain mana every day naturally - for Mysha it's quite quick and you regain about a third of your total pool every day. I'm not sure if I want to release the hard numbers at this point in time, but compared to most mages Mysha has quite a bit more mana.

Another way to regain mana is to consume certain foods/drinks/potions that restore it.

There's also certain magical techniques that can be used to replenish mana from the environment or other people, but both of those are taboo.

>>431811
Take any money or valuables and then leave. What do the surroundings look like, if we can see from the tower?

Rolled 26 (1d100)

>>431766
>A. Look for something (write-in what you're trying to look for and roll 1d100)
Pack some spare clothes. Look for some good hiking shoes. See if you've got a map of some kind laying around.

And make sure you've got loads of spare undergarments. You can never have too many of those on a trip.

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>431766
Seconding >>431854

Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>431862
Whoops, wrong die.

Some binoculars or a telescope would be good to find as well.

>>431787
I forgot to address the second half of this question, but running out of mana altogether is somewhat dangerous because it means you're fueling all your activity with your personal stamina (which is very low). Running out isn't that big of a deal if you're not in an already dangerous situation, but if you are you might knock yourself out, especially if you're still trying to cast spells.

In addition, running out of mana may force you to cancel all of the spells you're spending upkeep on, such as any items you've created or altered, or any enchantments that are active, including all defensive spells.

Normally it shouldn't be a problem, though, as spells on daily upkeep (most Creation spells for instance) are drawing mana from your daily replenishment.

>>431854
Writing.

>>431766
>>431854
>Pack some spare clothes. Look for some good hiking shoes. See if you've got a map of some kind laying around.
>And make sure you've got loads of spare undergarments.

>Rolled 26

You search around for some spare clothes, and of course find yourself going through your wardrobe. It's got a number of cute dresses and a couple of tunics and things, but as expected there's nothing here suited for hiking or rough travel. You still throw a few more dresses and some underwear into your pack, which is now quite full.

You try searching around for a map, but you don't recall ever seeing one, and your dad seemed rather insistent on preventing you from learning about the outside world to begin with... Well, it can't be helped, you decide, and head back down to the entrance. You reach for the handle on the thick iron door, and find yourself sweating.

A thousand negative thoughts are racing through your head, about what you'll find on the other side, and what might find you. You have an urge to collapse and just cry until your dad comes to help you, but you understand it won't do any good. Doesn't stop you from getting a bit watery-eyed, though.

Steeling yourself, you finally turn the handle and step through the door - into pitch darkness. You turn around and face the entrance to the tower, and you can see it, all comfortably lit and everything, but absolutely none of that light is entering into the room you're in now. You can faintly hear the sound of dripping water, but aside from that there is no ambient noise of any kind in this purely dark chamber.

How do you proceed?

>A. Stumble onward through the darkness! (1d100)
>B. Magic? (declare what you want to do, keeping in mind your spells, and roll 1d100)

>>431973
Grab a torch from inside the tower and move into the darkness.

>>431973
>>431977
You realize technology is the greatest ally of the slothful, and grab a torch from inside the tower. You proudly waltz through the doorway with torch in hand, but as soon as you pass through the threshold the light from the torch vanishes. You check, and you can still feel the heat.

How mysterious...

[Options remain the same]

Rolled 28 (1d100)

>>431973
>A. Stumble onward through the darkness! (1d100)

Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>431973
Use creation magic to recreate the torch making it slightly magical, and feed the flame a trickle of mana to sustain it further.

Rolled 46 (1d100)

>>431994
>A. Stumble onward through the darkness! (1d100)
I'd suggest prodding the ground ahead of us with a walking stick, but that's probably being overly cautious. Maybe.

>>431973

>>432004
You try to enhance the torch's flame with magic, and as far as you can tell it's working, but still there is no light. With seemingly no alternative, you opt to

>Stumble onward through the darkness!

>Rolled 28

You carefully, or at least, as carefully as you can manage, walk down the chamber. It seems to be a stone hallway, based on the sound your footsteps are making.

You walk for quite a while, and at some point you look back towards the way you came and notice that you can't see the light of the tower doorway anymore. On the other hand, you can now hear the water much more clearly. As you ponder whether to change your course you idly step back a bit, feel the floor depress slightly, and hear an audible *click*. Before you can even prepare yourself, you hear the small *whish* noises from the hall in front of you, and they appear to be approaching...

Roll 1d100 and pick one of the following:

>A. Dodge!
>B. Magic barrier!

>>432095
Kinda annoying how there was a fake option.

>>432141
It wasn't fake, it's just that that application of it didn't accomplish what it intended.

Rolled 31 (1d100)

>>432095
>>B. Magic barrier!
are we rolling for higher or lower?

>>432095
>B. Magic barrier!
Specifically, Word Barrier.

>>432141
The option did exactly what you told it to do. It's your fault for thinking that you could overpower the magic light absorption effect made by an archmage with an apprentice's spell.

>>432301
>>432302
Higher is better. Writing.

>>432095
>Magic Barrier!
>Roll 31
You start conjuring the Shield of Words, but you're not quick enough. A sharp, burning pain strikes you in your left leg. You cry out and wince, but are thankful that the shield is up, because you can feel three more impacts to either side of you.

You can't see anything in this blackness, but, aside from the incredible pain shooting through your leg, you can definitely feel something stuck in your body. An... arrow? You've never been hurt like this before, and only the adrenaline and fear of further danger is keeping you from breaking down and crying pathetically.

You know healing magic, and you desperately want to use it, but you're not sure if it would be good to do so with the arrow still lodged in your thigh. What do you do?

>A. Try to... pull the arrow out... and then heal it with Heal. (1d100)
>B. Try to... pull the arrow out... and then heal it with Regeneration. (1d100)
>C. Heal it now! (1d100)
>D. Regeneration now! (1d100)
>E. Other?

>>432411
>A. Try to... pull the arrow out... and then heal it with Heal. (1d100)

A heads up with regards to rolling: you should attach a 1d100 roll to all your votes, because the way I'm doing rolls is taking a 1d100 for each action, so even if you vote for a different option your roll might get used as part a different action.

Rolled 10 (1d100)

>>432434
Thanks for mentioning it.

Rolled 20 (1d100)

I'll give it five more minutes.

Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>432411
Jesus Christ on a pogo stick, these rolls...

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>432411
>Try to... pull the arrow out... and then heal it with Heal

>>432411
>>A. Try to... pull the arrow out... and then heal it with Heal. (1d100)
Walking around with the arrow still embedded won't do us any good

>>432556
Come on, anon, roll over 20!

>>432426
>Try to... pull the arrow out... and then heal it with Heal.

You decide that using Heal with it still inside would be a bad idea, but that doesn't really make you feel any better about the prospect of removing it. You psych yourself up and place your hand on it to remove it, but the pain explodes out from your thigh as soon as you do and you let out a pitiful yelp.

Nevertheless, you know it must be done.

You do the best you can to brace yourself, and try to pull the arrow through!

>Roll 10

"UGHYAAAAAA!!" you shriek, as the arrow slides through to the other side of your thigh. You can actually hear the blood spraying out from your leg onto the floor, and it sounds like A LOT.

Panicking, you rush to cast Heal.

>Roll 18

---------------------------------------------------------------
You wake up in a sweat some time later. Apparently the combination of pain and blood loss made you pass out. You immediately check your thigh, and note that it doesn't feel painful and appears to be missing the hole it had earlier. Shuddering, you find yourself incredibly grateful for your magical talent right, and push yourself up off the floor.

Or rather, you try to push yourself up off the floor, but immediately collapse into a pool of your own blood. Barely any strength in your limbs... You recall that (at least at the level you can cast it) while Heal does prevent the body from expiring, it's not a substitute for actual rest, and the mana it's infused in your body isn't the same thing as blood.

You try again to lift yourself off the floor, this time mindful of your weakness, and actually succeed. You're assaulted by dizziness and fatigue, but you are standing again, and after flexing your leg a bit, you feel confident you'll be able to walk, though at a much reduced pace.

What seems like, and very well may be, several hours later, you finally reach an end to the sheer darkness. You can just make out the faintest bit of hazy light ahead, leaking out from behind a door and up a staircase. Eager for escape, you rush towards it, open the door and are finally able to see properly again.

You see a small, peculiar courtyard directly in front of you, surrounded on all sides by a decidedly somber arcade. The courtyard has no ceiling, but does not appear open to the outside. Instead, there is a miniature night's sky full of tiny planets and stars.

To your right, you see a a stone hall, probably quite similar to the pitch black one you just exited, which appears to be lit by windows. You guess, based on the color of that light, that it's probably evening right now.

To your left, there is a set of very large, finely polished wooden double doors.

What do you do?

>A. Investigate the courtyard
>B. Head to the window hall on the right
>C. Go through the big wooden doors on the left
>D. Other (Write in)

Rolled 75 (1d100)

>>432616
>C. Go through the big wooden doors on the left
>D. Other (Write in)
Keep up a shield of words, just in case there's more traps that our dad put in place to keep others out and us trapped inside.

Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>432616
>B. Head to the window hall on the right

>>432616
>>D. Other (Write in)
Rest wherever it seems safe. We're in no real shape for this and we barely set foot out the door.

>>432639
You feel that you would need to eat or drink something in order to actually heal properly in resting. You think it's probably been near to two days since your last meal at this point, and your stomach grumbles in agreement.

Alright, if there's no tiebreaker in ten minutes I'll roll to break it.

>>432630
Support
whatcouldpossiblygowrong.jpg

>>432616
>C. Go through the big wooden doors on the left + keep up a shield of words

The large set of wooden doors seem much more inviting than another eerie hallway, but you've learned your lesson, and decide to preemptively put up a Shield of Words.

You take a moment and accumulate the mana, and then conjure the spell. This time, you can see the tiny reams of letters and symbols floating translucently around your person. Provided it's not actively dispelled and you're not knocked unconscious (ugh), this thing will take quite the beating for your sake, but it also takes a fair bit of mana in upkeep. Still, right now your priority is safety.

Thinking that, you crack open the big double doors and are greeted with the sight of what looks to be a drawing room. It's a monstrously-sized room - it's probably a hundred feet to the opposite wall from the door, and the ceiling is at least fifty or sixty feet up. There are some very comfortable looking (and again, oversized) couches and a large, unlit marble fireplace set against the far wall. Along the left wall you can see a bit of the evening light peeking through the gaps between the currently closed heavy drapes. On the right towards the far wall, you can see another set of double doors that resemble the ones you crossed through just now. Also on the right side of the room is a staircase that leads up into a loft area, though it's too high up to see much.

As soon as you step in, you notice that whole room is absolutely covered in dust, and there's a strong, musky scent about the place. It's certainly unpleasant, but it also reminds you of your father. You move over to the drapes on the left wall and pull them open, and finally get a glance at the outside world.

(cont)

File: Through the Window.jpg (72KB, 915x637px) Image search: [Google]

72KB, 915x637px

>>432825
From this window you can see down over a steep cliff into a heavily forested valley. Far in the distance, along the horizon, are snow-capped mountains that appear to enclose that whole side - the west side, you can now say with certainty, based on the position of the sun. As you had expected, it is indeed evening outside, though the sun is rapidly setting.

It's great to know that there is an outside world, but you are somewhat disappointed that there is no sign of a town or even settlers in the vale to the west. Well, not that you can exactly say for certain what's under the forest canopy, but you get a strong impression that there is no one living down there. Then again, this is only the view from the western side of your father's estate, and given its proximity to your tower, the entrance to the grounds is almost certainly on the east side.

You turn away from the window and look back into the drawing room. Now that it's decently illuminated, you can see that there is a near-completely stocked liquor cabinet along the eastern wall. There's also a large glass jar on a table near the fireplace, with some glossy, spherical items inside - candy, perhaps? Your stomach rumbles again, and you are reminded of how desperately hungry and thirsty you are. But there's always the chance that this stuff isn't what you think it is, which prompts you to instinctively shudder and clutch at your left thigh.

What do you do?

>A. Eat the candy! Drink the liquor! Try not to cry!
>B. Investigate the second floor of the drawing room
>C. Try the other set of doors on the east side of the room
>D. Other (write-in)

File: basic map.png (16KB, 1116x837px) Image search: [Google]

16KB, 1116x837px

For clarity's sake, I drew this simple map of what is known so far, it's not scale or anything and I won't be expanding on it, but it might be a convenient reference for you all.

>>432829
>C. Try the other set of doors on the east side of the room
Hopefully the kitchen is through there, and we can find some preserved food.

>>432896
Going with this unless there's other votes by the end of this OW match.

Rolled 79 (1d100)

>>432896
Sure why not

>>432829
>C. Try the other set of doors on the east side of the room
Need to find food

Also, I've been meaning to ask, why did our father keep us locked up, was he just over protective, or is there something special about us beyond our magic aptitude?

>>432829
>C. Try the other set of doors on the east side of the room

You decide to wait until you've looked around a bit more before eating and drinking unidentified substances. Assuming that you logic of "tower is far from entrance" is actually true, it's also headed in the right direction.

You step past the dusty drawing room furniture and pull open the double doors. A windowed hallway, similar to the one you saw before by the courtyard, though this one is significantly darker and shorter. Well, it's getting to be around night now, anyway.

The hall is all white polished marble, (at least, you think, it's not like you've actually ever seen it before), and along the south side of the hall there are several large wooden doors. It occurs to you that that's a recurring trend here, and you take a moment to inspect the doors more closely. You're a young woman, so most doors are going to be bigger than you in the first place, but these are all about twelve feet tall and maybe half that in width. Your dad is a big guy, but not this big.

You've already got your Shield of Words up, so you throw caution to the wind and crack open the doors on your way down. Clearly bedrooms, and all quite well furnished. Also clearly out of use, and covered in dust, which you've come to expect.

As curious as it is, you find something far more interesting near the end of the hall. You open up one of the south side doors, expecting another empty bedroom, but instead find what appears to be a storage closet. Inside are the typical janitorial supplies one would expect, a mop, bucket, linens and such - but sitting on the far shelf is a small, intricately carved wooden box.

The box is only about a foot long, and fairly shallow, maybe a few inches deep. Even underneath the dust you can clearly detect that it's made of sweetly scented, wonderfully polished wood.

For some reason, you feel like taking the box is a good idea, but you are still apprehensive about everything in this place.

Well aside from the box, you spot and immediate grab a keyring from a hook on the near wall.

But really, the question comes back to the box...

>A. Open the box and take whatever is inside
>B. Take the box
>C. Leave the box
>D. Other (Write-in)

>>433010
Mysha has never really wondered about it, and her father never said. She has spent her whole life in the tower, and didn't find it troubling until recently.

Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>433021
>B. Take the box

Rolled 35 (1d100)

>>433021
>A. Open the box and take whatever is inside
Mystery box

Hey folks, my GM ended up deciding to run a session tonight (and tomorrow) so I'm postponing this until tomorrow.

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>433021
>>B. Take the box

>>433021
>B. Take the box

The box is clearly something valuable, or useful, or well.. In any case you want it, and so you take it. You're surprised at how much it weighs, and wonder what could be inside, but decide to leave that until later.

You open the door at the end of the hall, and enter into some kind of foyer. Here, on the northern wall, there are absolutely massive windows peering out over a thick forest. Apparently you had spent more time than you realized fiddling with the rooms in the previous hallway, because it is now very much nighttime. Luckily, there's ample moonlight pouring in, so you can still see quite easily.

The foyer is a large chamber that connects to a hallway opposite the one you've just exited, but its primary features are the double curved staircases leading up to the second floor on the south side. In the center of the room is a strange looking statue of a humanoid figure with feathery wings raising a sword triumphantly. It's strange mostly because of the expression on the figure's face, which is contorted into a malevolent sneer.

On the south wall you can see an ornate, metallic set of double doors, and there are two further hallways on the east and west sides of the room.

You start wondering at what you should do, but suddenly feel an incredibly sense of urgency and danger. With your wits dulled by hunger, thirst, fatigue, and more besides, you dash for the big shiny doors on the south side and attempt to throw them open. They are locked. Panicking, you fumble through your pockets for the keyring you looted.

You can hear a very soft chittering, or perhaps clanking - it's a hard, sharp sound that seems to be dulled - slowly approaching. A feeling of dread begins to well up inside you as you realize the moonlight to your back is being dimmed by something.

Finally, you sort the right key into the door and dash through, slamming the door shut behind you and locking it. You brace the door for a moment, preparing for an assault by whatever that [i[thing[/i] was, but none comes.

>>433674


Sighing in relief, you slump against the metal doors and take a look at the new room. It's incredibly dark here, as the only light coming in is from a window that lies somewhere out of your view, but you get the impression that this place is, or was, a ballroom. A lacquered wooden floor and sets of tables and chairs sit, empty ahead. To your immediate left and right are what look to be serving rooms, where food would be catered.

You pull yourself up, meekly rather disgracefully, and find yourself staggering into the serving room on your left. What you see makes you immediately burst into tears.

Tears of happiness, that is. Pitchers of water and loaves of bread sit invitingly on the tables in front of you. Caution, at this point, is at the back of your mind, and you immediately go to gorge yourself.

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

Never before did you think that bread could taste so delicious. You've finally had your fill, and are sitting at one of the unused ballroom tables. As it turns out, the light in the room was coming in from an open-air balcony. Right now the door to the outside is shut.

Apart from yourself and the very basic refreshments left in the serving rooms, there's basically nothing of interest in here. At the same time, you already feel scared at just the thought of going back to face whatever that thing was that creeped up on you in the foyer. Thinking on it, you decide to...

>A. Rest. This place seems fairly safe, at least, even though it won't be comfortable at all...
>B. Check out the balcony. Maybe you could just get out from there?
>C. Brave the foyer and look for the entrance/exit.
>D. Other (write-in)

>>433675
>A. Rest. This place seems fairly safe, at least, even though it won't be comfortable at all...
Considering the bloodloss we had, have been starving for almost two days and that we just gorged ourself, I think resting is really our only option

>>433675
>>A. Rest. This place seems fairly safe, at least, even though it won't be comfortable at all...

>>433675
We should check out tbe box before we rest.

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>433675
>>A. Rest. This place seems fairly safe, at least, even though it won't be comfortable at all...

>>433675
>C. Brave the foyer and look for the entrance/exit.

Whatever is there is an non-hostile or a retarded enemy. In the case of the latter, where the subject lacked stealth and the ability to kill us, we can just defeat it. I mean seriously, all it did was make some noise. In the case of the former, in which the subject could have killed us but did not. We can then attempt to communicate with it, perhaps gaining an ally, if nothing else. That is, if it possess a high enough intelligence quotient. Otherwise, it can be our pet. Or slave. Whichever the anons prefer.

Rolled 1 (1d100)

>>433675

>other

How about we go back and rest in one of those bedrooms we checked out before the foyer? Also we should check out the box once we get there

>>438281
That means going to face whatever had been stalking us while we're still tired and before our magic is refilled.
That's a stupid idea.

>>433675
>>433768
>>433828
>>434028
>A. Rest.

You are exhausted, and now that you're not on the brink of starvation/dehydration, you feel like you can rest. The ballroom is a terribly uncomfortable place to sleep, but then you brought along a very high quality blanket and pillow, as well as the lavender-scented sleep mask you received as a birthday gift last year. With all these tools in hand, sleeping ends up being a lot easier than you expected it to.

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

You awake feeling very refreshed, and pull back your sleep mask to note that it is presently day time. It's hard to say with any real certainty, but you feel like it's probably around noon based on the color and intensity of light coming in through the glass windows and doors of the balcony.

You stretch out and yawn, but quickly get a cramp in your left thigh and spend the next few minutes rolling around in pain trying to rest it. Seems that you haven't fully recovered from your injury yet.

Eventually you repack your bag, this time with a far more efficient layout, and take some time to eat breakfast. There's still a number of loaves left over, and you decide to wrap some of them in a tablecloth and store that away in your pack too.

Now that it's bright out, the whole place seems far less ominous, and your sense of danger has fallen considerably. You feel much less uneasy about returning to the foyer now, as well. Thinking on it more rationally with some rest behind you, you remember that there were essentially two paths you could travel from the foyer - into the hallways branching off it on the "1st floor" or up the stairs to the "2nd".

Then again, the balcony is still right here, and presents the most obvious means of getting outside.

>A. Back into the foyer, checking out this floor
>B. Back into the foyer, up the stairs
>C. Balcony, ho!
>D. Other (write-in)

>>439191
>D. Other
Check the Balcony, but don't attempt to climb down.
We can get a view of the outside of the manse as well as a better look into the forest and beyond.

>>439295
Second. Scout it, basically.

>>439191
>>C. Balcony, ho!

Rolled 33 (1d100)

>>439191
>D. Check mysterious box. it may have something useful

File: 1456424764709.jpg (373KB, 2079x2953px) Image search: [Google]

373KB, 2079x2953px

>hikki sorceress

JUST BE HONEST, OP, WE ALL KNOW WHO IT IS

>>439191
You decide to investigate the balcony, given its proximity, without committing to using it as an escape route. The balcony is closed off from the ballroom by a large set of glass doors with white wooden frames, but there's no locking mechanism and you easily push it open.

The balcony faces out so that the western wall of a more eastern section of the estate is visible, and down below a sheer cliff descends into a thickly forested ravine. To the south you can see the forest continuing off into the distance, until it meets the edge of a large lake, which is itself surrounded by mountains. It is abundantly clear to you now that this place was designed with defensiveness in mind.

You'd estimate that the drop from this balcony is at least 100 feet to the forest canopy, and there's no real footholds in sight. Still, with magic it's something you... might be able to overcome?

>A. Try to overcome! Time to get down! (1d100 and state your plan and/or spells used)
>B. Eh, try the foyer after all. 1st floor
>C. Eh, try the foyer after all. 2nd floor
>D. Other (write-in)

>>439558
>>B. Eh, try the foyer after all. 1st floor

>>439689
This I feel is why you shouldn't roll with your options. Pick your option, THEN roll.

>>439689
90+ is an open roll, therefore roll another 1d100

>>439690
Mm, well I suppose that's reasonable. In the future the rule will work like that

Rolled 15 (1d100)

>>439558
>C. Eh, try the foyer after all. 2nd floor

>>439689
For fuck's sake, you shit, we haven't finished exploring the place and you're making us leave?

>>439558
>>C. Eh, try the foyer after all. 2nd floor

>>439558
>C. Eh, try the foyer after all. 2nd floor
OP said our sense of danger has fallem considerably. So we'll go to the 2nd floor for the sake of exploration.

OP, is there a basement? Die lie to us, we all know bad things go to the basement. We need to go to the basement. Im not waiting for nightfall again.

>>439558
>C. Eh, try the foyer after all. 2nd floor

You back off the balcony and head back inside. For now at least, you're not chancing that drop, but it's good to know one way out.

The light makes you feel more confident about returning to the manse proper, and you decide to try the upper floors in the foyer. You unlock the large metal doors that lead out of the ballroom and push them open, revealing the foyer.

It looks the same as last night, and there's no sign of any other presence in the room. You head up one of the curved staircases to the second floor and find that it wraps around the room in a u-shape. There's several large wooden doors along the wall, but you decide to head into a hallway that heads east, as that's the direction you believe the exit lies in.

You end up walking around for about an hour before deciding to take a break. The hallway that split off to the east eventually turned south, and that hall was long enough that you still haven't reached its end.

The halls on the second floor are much less ostentatious than the first floor halls were - they're certainly quite fine, being covered in heavy wood and lined with a soft carpet, but they're much smaller in scale. The ceiling here reaches only about fifteen feet up and the hall itself is only about ten feet wide. Overall, the second floor has more of a... refined feel, compared to the regal, even monumental level of the first.

>>441506
Windows dot the eastern wall from the north/south hallway you've been traveling, and out them you can finally see the actual grounds of the estate, meaning your intuition about the entrance was spot on. As you take out some bread and a pitcher from the side of your pack, you survey the grounds.

A finely cut lawn of green grass is criss-crossed here and there by paved footpaths, and you can make out the edge of what looks to be a flower garden on the south side. More or less directly east from your current location, a large iron gate leads out of the estate grounds. Beyond the low stone wall that surrounds the grounds, you can see a footpath which branches to the north and east, the eastern branch heading into a well-groomed forest and the northern branch trailing below your line of sight, presumably into the vale you saw earlier.

Compared to your other vantage points, you're much closer to the ground - only about thirty or forty feet apart at present - so your view of what lies to the east is almost totally obscured by the forest. As far as you can tell, though, there are no mountains in that direction, so it likely leads out of this strange vale.

You finish up your meal and repack your food supplies, and then decide on your next course of action. From here, you could quite easily make your way from the windows on this second floor to the grounds below, but there could also be useful things still left in the estate. There's also still your original plan of finding the front door and just walking out; based on the layout of the second floor you're almost positive it will be accessible via the east-facing hallway on the first floor of the foyer...

Please pick one to vote, and then make a reply to your preference with a 1d100 roll.

>A. Time to leave. Out the window it is!
>B. Head for the front entrance.
>C. Stick around and explore some more.
>D. Other (write-in)

>>441509
>>C. Stick around and explore some more.
See if we can stock up on anything else. OP are you telling us to roll after a choice has been voted on or to just roll right after our vote?

>>441509
>>C. Stick around and explore some more.

>>441516
Hopefully it's to roll after a choice has been decided on, so people can't change votes or pick something else.

>>441516
>OP are you telling us to roll after a choice has been voted on or to just roll right after our vote?
The former.

>>441509
>C. Stick around and explore some more.
And the lawn still looks manicured?
What's keeping the grounds maintained?

Alright,
>C.
it is.

Please roll 1d100.

Rolled 10 (1d100)

>>441592

Rolled 43 (1d100)

>>441592

>>441509
>C. Stick around and explore some more.

Now that you know how to get out and your food situation isn't completely desperate, you feel it would be a good idea to look around a bit more before leaving. You decide to start with the doors that line the hall you're in, and turn to the door opposite the window looking over the grounds.

At first glance it's simply another of the oversized wooden doors that you've seen countless times along this hall and others, but as you reach out to turn the knob and open it, you get a strange sensation, like a tingling all over your back. You shudder at the uncomfortable feeling and withdraw your hand. "Mmm, what's with you, Door-san?" you casually mumble, looking it over. The door is made of a finely polished dark wood, the same as the floors and walls on this level, and is cut such that two plates of wood stick out slightly from the surface of the door itself. Well, that's quite a common design here, at least, and it doesn't strike you as particularly special.

Staring closely at the wood for a few moments, you finally notice very tiny engravings, all characters of some sort, that line up with its natural recesses in a way that makes them extremely difficult to see without deliberately looking. You can't read the characters but you recognize some as runes, a kind of magical script that is often used in enchantment.

"Hoho, so it was like that!" you declare triumphantly to no one in particular. In a case like this, a skill known as 「Magic Appraisal」 can be used to determine what the enchantment is actually for. You are actually quite proficient in this skill, and (perhaps overly) proud of that fact.

With runic enchantments, magic is limited to a fairly narrow set of qualities, and can generally only "redefine" rather than "add" properties. The properties themselves correspond to specific "words of power" which are usually made up of one or two runic characters. Runic magic is a low-level magic that relies more on craftsmanship and knowledge than magical ability, and doesn't require much maintenance from the enchanter once in place. Some enchantments are even set up so they draw magic from the environment so they become self-perpetuating. Regardless, runic enchantments are something trivial for a genuine sorceress of your level.

Though, in this case when you were dealing with someone as outrageous as Father, that kind of limitation was unlikely to apply...

Thinking that, you carefully access your 「Magic Appraisal」 skill and analyze the door.

>>441624
>Roll 43 + 160 「Magic Appraisal」

(cont)

>>441725
As expected you are able to decipher the purpose of the enchantment even without knowing all the characters, simply by appraising the magic itself. The door is enchanted with high-powered magic for "Paralysis" and "Alarm". Well, you're not familiar with these spells, but the names are fairly obvious. Touching the handle would have undoubtedly been dangerous, and you take a moment to wipe sweat from your brow.

A door protected in this fashion is likely meant to guard something of significant value, and knowing Father, that means it's probably something magical, and likely dangerous. He is that kind of frivolous man, after all.

You wonder at how to proceed, when it occurs to you that you have found one other item which evoked an unnatural response - the box you looted from the storage closet. Perhaps now is the time to open it? Then again, you could try to dispel the enchantment on the door - true, it is high level, but even so it is a runic enchantment.

>A. Open the box!
>B. Dispel the door!
>C. Go elsewhere! (please specify)
>D. Other (write-in)

>>441729
>A. Open the box!

>>441729
>A. Open the box!
if there is nothing of use we should be able to dispel it

>>441729
>>A. Open the box!

>>441735
>>441739
Alright, it's A.

Please roll 1d100 for me.

Rolled 71 (1d100)

>>441770

Rolled 27 (1d100)

>>441770
This thread has had some serious bad luck but with this 90 I'll turn it all around! Or something like that.

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>441770

>>441729
>A. Open the box!

That box from earlier may have some kind of solution to this problem, or well, at least now you're curious as to what's inside. You slip it out from the side pouch on your pack and inspect it closely.

Certainly the box is well made, and still smells sweetly of lavender. It's deceivingly heavy, but is quite comfortable to hold, since it is so smoothly polished and has a rounded band of spongy wood along its lower half. You look for an enchantment on the box, but find none. After all, you've already picked it up, so by now such a thing should have activated...

There is no clasp or locking mechanism on the box, but there is some resistance when you try to open it, so there's probably a latch on the interior. You palm it in one hand and open the lid with the other, and are greeted with an unusual sight. Inside, resting on some velvety material, is uniformly black piece of lustrous metal. One side of the object is blocky, with bits of metal raised seemingly at random in odd cubical shapes. The other side is clearly a blade, though given the size of this item, at most eight inches in length, of which the blade is less than half that, it can hardly be called a weapon.

Again you feel the same odd fascination you felt when you first took the box, though it is now intensified and clearly directed at the "blade". Thinking this to be a magical effect, you immediately activate your 「Magic Appraisal」 skill.

>Roll 96+160 「Magic Appraisal」

"Are? Aree~?" You let out such a response.

You have great confidence in your ability with 「Magic Appraisal」, and even Father has praised you in the past, but it has failed completely here. Well, no, that is not entirely true, as you can say that this item is most certainly magical. However, your examination of the magic in this item is absolutely a failure. Normally you would be able to read the ebb and flow of mana coursing through an enchanted object or spell and, even with a poor analysis, understand the kind of magical energy suffusing it - for instance to know that a fireball is patterned with "Fire" mana - that kind of obvious thing.

In this case, however, you absolutely cannot recognize this kind of mana pattern. It simply doesn't resemble anything you've ever seen, nor does your intuition as a sorceress give you any clues.

This is something that most would consider to be frankly impossible, and you, as someone who thinks highly of their ability and knowledge, is hurt by this. "Uu~u... Such a mysterious thing as you, is it mockery?" Saying this, while lowering your head and pouting, you accidentally brush up against the edge of the object.

The moment you make contact with it, the blocky portion along its lower half begins to move, and along the bottom of the cubical formations there is a band of bright green light. Clearly this thing has been activated.

>A. Throw it away!
>B. Grip it fully!
>C. Other (write-in)

>>441849
>B. Grip it fully!

>>441849
>>B. Grip it fully!
So it's a dagger?

>>441849
>>B. Grip it fully!
What could possibly go wrong?

>>441849
>B. Grip it fully!

Thinking it more dangerous to let go, you grip the object tightly. This immediately speeds up its changes, and you wince in anticipation of being stabbed by the sharp cubical formations. The pain never comes, however, and instead it feels more like a massage. You feel confused, but have little time to ponder it, as the object seems to finish its changes and the cubical formations simply sink into the "handle". Now it might reasonably be called a dagger, as the blade has extended a full two inches and the blocky lower portion has molded into an ergonomic grip that matches your hand perfectly. The most notable change, however, is the appearance of a silver disc, perhaps 1 in. in diameter, embedded in the top of the handle. The disc is set into a bowl-like depression and appears to be floating in the center of the bowl. A thin band of a crystalline substance rings the bow in alignment with the disc.

As you look over the "dagger," the disc begins spinning rapidly and the crystalline band lights up. Above the disc, you see a projection of blueish light, filled with unrecognizable characters. A moment later, you hear an unusual voice, as if caught in an echoing chamber, begin speaking some foreign language. "Aism almustakhdam w kalimat alssrr almudkhalat. Qabul miftah Sulayman."

It continues to speak the same set of three or four phrases at you in rapid succession, though you honestly can't make heads or tails of it.

You try to communicate this, "Ah, even if you say that over and over again, I cannot understand..."

The voice falls silent and you can hear the disc spinning rapidly, producing a whirring noise. The blue light changes to the green you saw earlier as the "dagger" reconfigured itself. Thinking this might a peril, you try to calm it down, "Ah, no, please, I didn't meant to insult you!" You think on your education and try a phrase in the only foreign tongue you know even a little bit of, Latin, "Ego v-veni enndo pace!"

You suddenly regret your lack of dedication to cultural studies, but before you have a chance to reflect on your misbehavior the voice speaks again.

"Translation protocol: complete." It was clearly speaking in your language now, but it still sounded very strange, and used unfamiliar words. "User, please input account name and set password."

"Account name? Password?" you think to yourself, pondering its intent. Well, for starters, you'll give it your name. "I am Mysha, Mysha Dragovich."

"Username: "Mysha, Mysha Dragovich" accepted. Please input password."

"Eh~? No no, my name is just Mysha Dragovich!"

"Password: "Eh~? No no, my name is just Mysha Dragovich!" accepted. Accept the Key of Solomon." Saying this, the projection coming from the disc of this "dagger" changed to display a question prompt.

There was only one option under "Accept the Key of Solomon?": "Accept".

>A. Accept!
>B. Other (write-in)

>A. Accept!
The Dagger seems like a nice person
btw can we get some sort of reference on this dagger?

>>441986
>A. Accept!
The first thing we need to do is get to the User Profile page and reset the Username and Password.

File: folding-knife7.jpg (50KB, 450x295px) Image search: [Google]

50KB, 450x295px

>>442011
You mean a picture?

It should look a bit like this, I suppose, though it's less rigid, and curved at an angle where the disc portion is.

>>441986
>>A. Accept!

>>441986
>A. Accept

Without much alternative, you decide to accept this "Key of Solomon", and press on the floating prompt. As soon as you do, you feel an overwhelming presence enter your body.

Energy, or power, or mana, or, well... something amazing courses through you! You feel incredible, as all your fatigue and pain instantly vanishes, and you are able to completely relax yourself to the incoming feeling. You fall forward in ecstasy and begin drooling shamelessly. "Fufufu~, what a thing you are Dagger-san," you snicker in an unsightly manner. Truly you are in an undignified state.

After a few minutes of this unseemly bliss, you finally begin to recover yourself. The flow into you seems to have halted, but you still feel amazing compared to before.

"User: "Mysha, Mysha Dragovich" has accepted the Key of Solomon. Core Link: Active, operating at 26% efficiency. Administrative privileges granted." Dagger-san, (or is it Solomon-san?) rattled off more complicated nonsense.

For now, you are still too enraptured to make anything of it, but you instinctively understand that you and the Key of Solomon are bonded together somehow. "That's probably the source of this amazing feeling and energy," you think, stating the obvious in your own head.

"This assumption is correct, "Mysha, Mysha Dragovich"," responds the voice. To your thoughts.

"Eh, Dagger-san, could it be that you are a psychic?" you ask back. These kinds of people do exist after all, though you don't know much about them.

"Uncertain. It is not understood what is the meaning of "psychic". The Key of Solomon is an artifact of Solomon."

(cont)

>>442132
"Eeeh~? So who is this Solomon, then?"

"Solomon is not a person. Solomon refers to the country known formally as the Potentate of Transcendent Light."

"Did such a conspicuous-sounding place exist?" You think on it, but cannot remember ever hearing of such a country. Not that you would really know...

"Affirmative. Solomon has existed for over two thousand years."

"Is that so..? Well, in any case, what is this business about 'accepting the Key of Solomon'?"

"Error. File restricted to administrative account. ESI does not have administrative privileges."

"E-S-I?" you ask, sounding out the letters individually.

"Affirmative. Enlightenment Support Interface, or ESI. A program designed to assist Users in the application of experimental technology."

"Ah, then that means you, right?"

"Affirmative."

"Nice to meet you then, Esi-chan, I'll be in your care!" you say with a smile. Esi does not respond.

Hmm, with introductions over, you think on what to do next. In the first place you opened the box because you thought it might help you access this enchanted room, but you were caught up in something unexpected, after all. Esi couldn't answer your question about the "Key of Solomon", but you recall her saying that you were "granted administrative privileges" so perhaps you could, somehow? Looking at your surroundings, you also notice that it's fully evening now, which means night will be coming again soon, and possibly that dreadful thing from earlier too...

What do you do? Pick one, and once a vote has reached majority, roll 1d100.

You may also ask Esi a few questions, so you may include those with your vote.

>A. Try to open the door with Esi's help
>B. Investigate these "administrative privileges"
>C. Pack your things up, you're not interested in being here when it gets dark after all
>D. Other (write-in)

>>442135
>C. Pack your things up, you're not interested in being here when it gets dark after all
We still have food and water. Let's get our questions answered once we're safely behind a locked door.

File: Pause.jpg (116KB, 869x543px) Image search: [Google]

116KB, 869x543px

>>442135
>>A. Try to open the door with Esi's help
MC reminds me of a certain spider but I'm not sure if that's intentional. It's very pleasant though.

>>442144
Seconded

>>442144
>>442157
Alright, majority is C.

Please roll 1d100 and if you have any questions for Esi, go ahead and ask them.

Rolled 34 (1d100)

>>442221
>Esi, can you change forms, also what do you mean by "Core Link: Active, operating at 26% efficiency"?

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>442221
>Esi, I want to change my username and password
>Esi, what functions do you have?
>Esi, what is a Core Link?
>Esi, how do I increase your operating efficiency?

Rolled 69 (1d100)

>>442221
Ask Esi if he comes with a manual.

>>442135
>C. Pack your things up, you're not interested in being here when it gets dark after all

As you see dusk approaching, you remember what happened last night and feel squeamish just thinking about it. Your first priority is getting to a safe place. You already know about the ballroom, but it's quite a walk back, and you're not sure how safe it really is. For now, at least, you'll try another one of these doors, and hope it won't have a nasty enchantment on it.

You prepare to explain what you're going to do to Esi, but she speaks before you can. "There is no need to inform me of your plans. The Core Link ensures that I am in tune with your thoughts. Even at a low efficiency, I can fill in the gaps with my predictive engine."

"E-eh, is that so?" you say, feeling slightly creeped out by the mental intrusion.

First packing your things, including Esi's box (because of the lavender), you move three doors more to the south, and inspect the one in front of you. It's visually identical to the enchanted one, except that you cannot see any runes etched into its surface. Still, you hover your hand in front of the knob before opening it, to see if there's any reaction.

You breathe a sigh of relief when nothing happens, and open the door. You're surprised at how easily you manage to open it, since these doors are quite monstrous.

"It is attribute strengthening from the Core Link."

"Uwaah~," you unintentionally let out that impolite noise when Esi again responds to your thoughts. You quickly apologize, "Ah, sorry." Esi does not respond. You'll have to sort this thing out later, but not wanting any more one-sided interruptions you proceed to focus on your surroundings.

The room is a (comparatively) small bedroom, similar to the ones you saw near the drawing room yesterday. This room is, however, quite untidy. There are (men's) clothes strewn about and books piled haphazardly on top of the desk on the far wall. Also unlike the previous bedrooms, this room features a window, though its curtains are currently drawn.

Strange that this is the only room you've been to that seems unkempt, setting aside the dust, that is. Whoever was staying here seemed like they left in hurry...

(1/3 cont)

>>442419


You decide to let more light into the room, and proceed to draw the curtains on the far wall behind the desk, accidentally toppling some books in the process.

Out the window you can see the balcony from the ballroom, and in the distance, a solitary tower. Your former home. You feel nostalgic for just a moment before shaking it off and finishing your inspection of the bedroom. The books on the desk are all historical and academic texts, from the looks of it. A number of them are written in Latin, though, so you can't say for sure. Also on the desk are some scattered papers, which all appear to be the start of some kind of essay, though honestly it just reads like vapid scholarly nonsense to you.

You pull open one of the desk drawers and find a bottle of amber liquid, corked with a crystal stopper and half empty. Alcohol, no doubt. In the same drawer you retrieve an unsealed letter. Hmm, well you'll leave peeking on that kind of thing for later, at least, you decide, and pocket the letter.

Aside from the desk there is a large, comfortable-looking bed, though its pillows and blankets are in disarray. There's a shelf and wardrobe in the room as well, though they're both empty. "Well, this will probably do," you think, and close the door to the hallway. There's no lock, and you're not sure if it's the safest place to be, so assuage some of your fears you decide to push the empty wardrobe up against the door. Again, it is surprisingly easy to move it, considering that you are a petite girl after all.

"It is attr-" Esi starts.

"Attribute strengthening, I know~," you say playfully, though the hint of irritation in your voice is noticeable. Again Esi does not respond.

Finally in a fairly secure position, you decide to confront Esi with some questions.

"So, Esi-chan, I was wondering what that "Core Link" and "efficiency" thing you were talking about was?"

"Core Link is the connection between the Key of Solomon and the User. It affects a wide range of User abilities and device functions. The Core Link's operating efficiency is based on mental compatibility between the User and the Key. One of the primary functions of the ESI is to maintain and strengthen the Core Link."

"So, uh, that's cool, but what does it actually do~?" you deliver such a haphazard question.

Esi doesn't appear even slightly fazed, and responds, "The Core Link is the source of power for the Key, and enhances its User in many ways, such as the 「Attribute Strengthening」 mentioned earlier."

(2/3 cont)

>>442421
"What a convenient thing..." you muse idly. "Oh, by the way Esi, I was hoping to change that "Username" and "Password" thing if possible."

"Certainly it is possible. You must access the administrative panel, and from there it may be adjusted under "Account Settings"."

You try doing as she says, but run into an immediate wall. "Um, Esi-chan, how do I get this "administrative panel" thing?"

"Device functions may be accessed by mental command. Simply think "access administrative panel" and it shall be displayed in the holoprojection."

"Ah, the blue thingy~," you say, realizing what Esi is referring to. You try doing as she says and are glad to see that it works exactly as described. Truly this Key of Solomon is a convenient thing.

Hovering in the "holoprojection" as Esi called it is a list of several words. The first among this is the "Account Settings" mentioned earlier. Also listed are "EM Settings", "Advanced Settings", "System Information", and "Factory Default". Well for now you'll aim to correct your name.

You move to press the "Account Settings" word as you did with the "Accept" prompt earlier, but before you press it the word flashes and a new list appears.

"Geh!" you exclaim, as the list of words is much, much longer here, and includes several confusing choices such as "Transaction History", "Account Logs" and several "(X) Calibration" options.

Well the name and password information is at the top, so you easily navigate to those. You quickly adjust your Username to Mysha and your password to ***** (censored, for the heart of a maiden is fragile), the name of your first (of many) unrequited loves. Being a hikki tower girl was depressing sometimes...

That done, you decide to rest for a bit, and lay your head back onto the bed to get some sleep.

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

A suspiciously uneventful night has passed once again, and you awake to refreshing sunlight in the bed of the unknown man. You're hungry, and immediately go to eat breakfast from your pack. Having done so, you stretch out and realize how amazing you feel compared to yesterday morning. "Mmm, this Key of Solomon sure is convenient..." you say, relaxing on the desk chair. Again, Esi does not respond.

Well then, where to start today?

>A. Time to get through that enchanted door
>B. Fiddle with the Administrative Panel (write what you want to try to access specifically)
>C. Time to leave!

>>442423
Oh, I forgot to mention it, but of course you can do
>D. Other (Write-in)

Also, you may continue to ask questions of Esi.

>>442423
>A. Time to get through that enchanted door
>D. Other
>Esi, do you have any functions to help me bypass a warded door?

>B. Fiddle with the Administrative Panel
>I remember seeing a EM and Advance settings maybe i'll fiddle with those?

> D.Other
>Esi can you give me a more detailed explanation on how to increase core link efficiently

>>442423
>A. Time to get through that enchanted door
lets do this

>>442423
>A. Time to get through that enchanted door
Now that you're rested and feeling pretty confident with yourself, you feel like it's time to take a crack at the enchanted door from yesterday. You pack up your stuff and move the wardrobe out of the way, and then head back down the hall. As far as you can tell, nothing has come through the hall since you've been here, though there was also no evidence of the thing that stalked you in the foyer, so it's unclear whether or not it was actually safe...

In any case you quickly find yourself standing in front of the door enchanted with "Alarm" and "Paralysis" magic. You start thinking on how to unravel the enchantment when it occurs to you that Esi might be able to help.

"Esi-chan~, question!"

"Please state your question."

"Is there anything you can do to help disenchant something?"

"Negative. Higher level functions of the Key of Solomon are inaccessible with present Core Link efficiency levels. However, through the basic function of the Core Link you should have received a major enhancement to 「Magic Appraisal」 which will significantly aid any attempts at disenchantment."

You decide to trust Esi, and give the door another once-over with 「Magic Appraisal」. The difference is simply like night and day. Before, even with your prodigious skill, the kind of identification you were doing was superficial - noting general the general type, flow, and area of mana concentration in what you observed. It was a bit like orienteering with a hand-drawn map and the sun and stars as you guide. Now, your sight is on the level of having detailed charts mapping the area down to each individual hill, while maintaining your course with a sophisticated compass.

Specifically, you could see the exact path of individual parts of the "magical formula" that sustained the enchantment. Regardless of casting methodology, there is a unified theory of magic that states that spells are ultimately the byproduct of delivering mana along pathways that change its form, and thus, the surrounding reality. Well, you aren't totally up to speed on the details of the theory, but what you see with 「Magic Appraisal」 because of the Core Link is what you imagine the actual "magical formula" would look like.

>>442817

This is an incredibly convenient power for something like disenchantment and dispelling, because fundamentally those disciplines work by tracing the "magic formula" of the casting backwards. When you can directly see the individual paths of mana flowing through gates and concentrating at nodes...well it's really like a cheat. It would be as if you were playing the shell game in slow motion without hiding the shell.

Incidentally, because you can read the magical formula so absolutely, you are also able to discover the meaning of the individual runic characters simply by tracing the mana flow from them. Thinking that quite bothersome and fairly worthless, though, you opt to finish up as quickly as possible.

While disenchanting the door, you note a large increase in all the magical aptitudes needed for the process, including the major skills 「Magic Accumulation」 and 「Magic Projection」, which you immediately credit to the Core Link, and specifically the attribute strengthening.

Only about three minutes pass from your initial use of 「Magic Appraisal」 and you find yourself done disenchanting the door. Even for runic enchantments, which are naturally one of the weakest magics, this is an unbelievable pace.

You open the wooden door and reveal a large, cluttered library. Since the enchantment was discovered, you suspected something like this, given Father's affinity for books, but it was nevertheless quite a sight. This was a genuine library which housed hundreds, if not thousands of tomes on rows of shelves. No doubt much of this was related to magic and magical theory. For a sorcerer, a place like this is like a hoard of splendid treasures.

Even saying that, though, your ability to appreciate it is quite limited. You don't have any idea where to start, as far as finding useful books goes, and even though there are no doubt many useful tomes in here, that kind of thing doesn't really inspire you. Your passion for magic was more...romantic? Young girls don't have much interest in libraries to begin with.

Still, to come here after so much effort and leave empty-handed seems a waste - or even a disgrace to this temple of knowledge.

What do you want to do?

>A. Try to find a useful book (specify what you're looking for)
>B. Look around for something other than books
>C. Eh, maybe come back later after all?
>D. Other (write-in)

>>442818
>Have a quick look around and see whether anything catches our eye, book or otherwise.

I assume that the library isn't large enough to get lost in.

>>442818
>>A. Try to find a useful book (specify what you're looking for)
Maybe we can find something about Solomon and Esi-chan. Or some tomes to learn some crazy magic to compensate for our shit rolls. We can keep an eye out for anything that isn't a book while we look around.

>>442818
>Try to find a useful book (specify what you're looking for)
Look for a Tome of Summoning. We are going to have to go on a trip once we search our location, and be able to summon aid would be of immense value, both for protection and faster travel.

>>442818
>A. Try to find a useful book
Find books for Light, Creation, Water, and Illusion. So that we can increase our abilities in all areas.

Also a history book to find something on the Potentate of Transcendent Light.

And finally a geography book or maps so we can find where we are and where to go.

>>442877
>>442919
>>442934
Alright, can you all give me a 1d100 roll please.

Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>442971

Rolled 43 (1d100)

>>442971

Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>442971

Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>442971

>>442971
What is the roll even for?

>>443830
The rolls are for individual searches, so... well stay strong everyone.


Will be gone until tomorrow as some family is unexpectedly flying in.

May decide to make another thread because this one is going to fall off soon enough from auto saging, not sure.

>>444079
>fall off soon enough from auto saging, not sure.
By looking at the others, you probably have about another 3 to 4 days at least.
Threads from last Thursday are still only on page 8 right now.

>>444106
Ah, okay, good to know.