Like many other magi, you secretly await the full moon with childlike anticipation – not because of the regular occurrence of the moon not being shadowed, but because of what it means, and who it brings to the Keep. Or, more importantly, the unknown treats this someone carries with him. But when you finally reach Alethin’s usual spot, taking great care to not be followed on your way, you find it locked up and deserted.
Do you
1. Call it a night and leave? (Go to 2.)
2. Look around for clues? (Go to 3.)
2
Spoiler
You decide that maybe Alethin couldn’t find any sufficiently exciting wares to offer this month. With a shrug of disappointment, you turn back and head for the Keep to at least spend the rest of your day doing something more useful.
[End.]
[End.]
Spoiler
This can’t be it. Alethin has never missed an opportunity for some more or less legal profit since he first started his business. You stick around and investigate. Eventually, you discover Adela in the bushes nearby, as well as the note around her neck:
"...Love Potions. Got caught.
...bet he thinks this is funny.
...knew they were illegal."
Do you
1. Hand the note in to the authorities? (Go to 4.)
2. Secretly ask around? (Go to 5.)
"...Love Potions. Got caught.
...bet he thinks this is funny.
...knew they were illegal."
Do you
1. Hand the note in to the authorities? (Go to 4.)
2. Secretly ask around? (Go to 5.)
Spoiler
You head back to the Keep and hand your findings about the note and the evidence that Alethin was dealing in illegal love potions in to Thane. His immediate reaction is to question you about where you found it, and to have you arrested as well for enabling a Black Market and being involved with Alethin enough to know where to expect his shop. Perhaps you should have thought this through a little more. (Go to 21.)
Spoiler
As sneaky as you were on your way here, you know you’re hardly the only customer Alethin has at the Keep. You decide to look around a bit more and chat with the other magi you can see here and there. Most of them have also seen the note around Adela’s neck. It seems Alethin has really gotten himself in over his head this time.
Do you
1. Break into prison? (Go to 6.)
2. Smuggle supplies to Alethin? (Go to 7.)
3. Organise a riot? (Go to 8.)
Do you
1. Break into prison? (Go to 6.)
2. Smuggle supplies to Alethin? (Go to 7.)
3. Organise a riot? (Go to 8.)
Spoiler
You decide that the best place to gather more information is the prison itself. You wait for the cover of night, then sneak in by climbing the wall. You find yourself in a large, but walled-off courtyard. After some looking around, you spot two doors. One leads east, to the wing where the guards gather to play when they’re not on patrol or duty, the other leads west to where the prisoners are kept.
Do you
1. Go east? (Go to 13.)
2. Go west? (Go to 14.)
Do you
1. Go east? (Go to 13.)
2. Go west? (Go to 14.)
Spoiler
What Alethin probably needs most right now is a good, dependable set of supplies he can use to remedy his unfortunate situation. But what do you give someone to help him break out of prison?
Do you
1. Try to find and follow Adela? (Go to 9.)
2. Try to find tools he can use to pick the locks? (Go to 10.)
3. Try to find evidence for a court trial to get him released? (Go to 12.)
Do you
1. Try to find and follow Adela? (Go to 9.)
2. Try to find tools he can use to pick the locks? (Go to 10.)
3. Try to find evidence for a court trial to get him released? (Go to 12.)
Spoiler
You decide that the best way to solve this matter is to band together with the other frequent customers of Alethin’s Black Market. With over thirty people in your little army, you start a riot against the prison guards, who are less than thrilled to have to fight you off and quickly backed up by some of the older magi of the Keep. All in all the fighting lasts three days across various sections of the Keep – including the kitchen, much to the poor cook’s dismay – and by the end most of your group find themselves arrested for disturbing the peace. Including you – but at least you’re closer to Alethin now. (Go to 21.)
Spoiler
Alethin’s snake, Adela, can probably help you! She’s said to be very intelligent, after all, and you’re sure he keeps her around for more than just her intimidating, shady look. You head off towards the keep and try to investigate when you’re interrupted by shouting coming from the open door of the Trading Post. It sounds like the drunken rambling of a man who swears he saw a black snake head for the Artificer’s shop. (Go to 11.)
Spoiler
You spend a few hours in the Keep’s library, studying lock designs in any books on architecture or metalworking you can find, but in the end none of what you can find in your chambers looks like it would last more than five seconds against the heavy doors you’ve seen in the prison. You need better equipment! (Go to 11.)
Spoiler
You make your way to the Artificer’s Shop to put your plan into action when something catches your eye. The black scale in front of one of the shelves looks familiar, and when you look up you see a black snake sitting on the shelf. Adela! Or… is it? The scale is hers, that much you know, but the snake on the shelf looks different somehow. The shopkeeper clears it up for you: It is an automaton, designed to turn into a set of keys when exposed to a very specific amount of moonlight. A glance outside tells you that it is still nearly full and needs to wane more for the invention to work.
Do you
1. Continue your search for Adela? (Go to 30.)
2. Head for the prison to bring Alethin the automaton? (Go to 6.)
Do you
1. Continue your search for Adela? (Go to 30.)
2. Head for the prison to bring Alethin the automaton? (Go to 6.)
Spoiler
The best way to help Alethin now is to build a case for him and get him released. You head for the Keep’s library to brush up on your knowledge about trials and – since you’re here - love potions, but you quickly find that you need more specific facts to help this particular case.
Do you
1. Investigate the potions? (Go to 23.)
2. Talk to Alethin? (Go to 24.)
Do you
1. Investigate the potions? (Go to 23.)
2. Talk to Alethin? (Go to 24.)
Spoiler
You head east towards the guards, hoping to steal a key from them that will come in handy for the escape. You slip inside to hide somewhere, but quickly find yourself face to face with four of the guards. They get over their surprise at seeing you very quickly and take action instead and not fifteen minutes later you find yourself wishing for that key even more intensely as you hear a cell door close behind you. You have been arrested. (Go to 21.)
Spoiler
You head west and into the prison. Dimly lit corridors are lined by cells, some occupied, some empty. Since you’re already here, you might as well throw subtlety to the wind and organise a breakout instead of wasting more time.
Do you
1. [ if you have the automaton ] Give Alethin what he needs and leave quietly? (Go to 22.)
2. Choose the Herbalist way? (Go to 17.)
3. Choose the Dark Brotherhood way? (Go to 15.)
4. Choose the Society of the Trident way? (Go to 16.)
Do you
1. [ if you have the automaton ] Give Alethin what he needs and leave quietly? (Go to 22.)
2. Choose the Herbalist way? (Go to 17.)
3. Choose the Dark Brotherhood way? (Go to 15.)
4. Choose the Society of the Trident way? (Go to 16.)
Spoiler
Thinking like a member of the Dark Brotherhood, you use the barely lit corridors to your advantage. A dark serendin can blend perfectly with the shadows, and so does yours as you let it rush down the corridor to pickpocket the keys from a patrolling guard. The nimble creature is already on its way back before the torch even flickers faintly from its quick movement. You pat it affectionately as a reward – mostly for letting go of the shiny key again – before unlocking Alethin’s cell and motioning for him to follow you outside once the guard turns the corner at the far end of the corridor. (Go to 18.)
Spoiler
Conjuring two spheres of water is not exactly a basic spell for water magi, but it is far from the most complicated one out there, and it barely takes you much effort to keep them steady on either side of the cell door just around the lock. You release your glesvaerid hatchling from the pouch at your belt which you keep it to transport it – it is still small enough to fit – and guide it to teleport between the spheres, turning the latch in the process. You bring the water back around and let the hatchling slide back into its temporary home at your belt, before pulling Alethin along towards the courtyard. (Go to 18.)
Spoiler
As a Herbalist, you are no stranger to many interesting creatures, some of which seem to have a hard time letting go of you – such as the handful of tarax that seem to have made your sleeves their home if they remember them long enough to find them. One of them will have to deal with some relocating as you pluck it from the fabric and guide it to the keyhole instead, letting it slip inside with ease. Due to its playful nature, it turns the mechanism all on his own, and it doesn’t take more than some praise and a drop of water on your finger to lure it back out. Once the door is open, Alethin is ready to follow you outside. (Go to 18.)
Spoiler
You make it outside without anyone noticing Alethin’s absence. Before you can celebrate, however, you realise that you have only made it to the courtyard you entered through in the beginning. Actual freedom is still just out of reach and you have yet to actually leave the prison.
Do you
1. Engage the guards in a fight to battle your way outside? (Go to 19.)
2. Sneak out? (Go to 20.)
Do you
1. Engage the guards in a fight to battle your way outside? (Go to 19.)
2. Sneak out? (Go to 20.)
Spoiler
With a loud battle cry you charge at the guards to dispatch them and leave through the gate – but you miscalculated your odds. Two magi, one of which without any equipment, against an entire group of guards dictates a very clear outcome, and though Alethin manages to slip away during the battle, your own adventure ends here.
[End.]
[End.]
Spoiler
You stay low and close to the wall that is blocking most of the sunlight, sneaking along it with Alethin close behind you until you reach the corner. With a well-aimed throw of a pebble you distract the two guards near it long enough for you to open it and slip outside, closely followed by your companion. By the time the guards return to the door, you’re already safe outside. Congratulations, you freed Alethin!
[End.]
[End.]
Spoiler
You find yourself in a prison cell, with several rather sturdy steel bars separating you from freedom. No matter how much you rattle and shake them, they remain firmly in place, keeping you exactly where you are. Through a high, barred window you can see the sun rise and – much later – set again. Eventually, a guard brings you a plate of food, but while you’re eating you notice something: The bars no longer line up. Whether by accident or on purpose, the guard has left the door to your cell just slightly open and you seize the opportunity to leave. (Go to 14.)
Spoiler
You find Alethin’s cell and quickly slide the still dormant automaton through the bars. Its purpose is explained in a few quick words, and then you’re already on your way again. A few days later, you hear news of how Alethin miraculously escaped his cell. Sounds like your plan worked!
[End.]
[End.]
Spoiler
You decide to investigate the love potions. They are what got Alethin into this mess in the first place, after all, and if you’re going to defend him you need to know about them. After unsuccessfully interrogating some other merchants around the keep you find yourself wondering if anyone has even heard of them yet – and then you remember Talyn. If anyone is causing trouble at the Keep, he is the one who most likely knows something about it. (Go to 25.)
Spoiler
What better way to find out what happened than ask Alethin himself? It takes you a day, but eventually you find the window of his cell on the outside of the prison. At first, he doesn’t react to your calls, but eventually he perks up and quickly tells you to ask Talyn. Of course – who else? (Go to 25.)
Spoiler
Much to your surprise, Talyn doesn’t try to make a game out of it and is very quick to tell you about a batch of breeding potions from Kaiden Featherstone and how he was asked to get rid of them by dumping them somewhere. At least Alethin didn’t come up with them on his own, you suppose, but you’re still not sure what to do now.
Do you
1. Accuse Talyn? (Go to 26.)
2. Investigate the Stream? (Go to 27.)
Do you
1. Accuse Talyn? (Go to 26.)
2. Investigate the Stream? (Go to 27.)
Spoiler
You take your findings to Thane. Given Talyn’s tendency to get into trouble and his testimony against Featherstone, the case against Alethin is dropped and he is let go – at least for now. Your suspicion that Featherstone left the potions with Talyn on purpose, knowing they would find their way to Alethin, seems far-fetched for now, but Thane promises to look into it. Perhaps Alethin's tendency to sell older and rare creatures hindered Featherstone's reputation as the man who worked out how to breed them? Either way, Alethin must have impacted his studies or fundraising in some way to warrant such drastic actions - if your hunch is correct, that is. For now, Alethin should be more trusting of his sources the next time if he’s going to insist on running an illegal Market right under Thane’s nose. But still, you achieved your goal and Alethin is free. Well done!
[End.]
[End.]
Spoiler
You head towards the Stream and you can instantly tell that something is very off. You can barely see three steps ahead of you with all the fog around, and after some stumbling you find the source of it. An ammit, though not a kind you’ve ever seen before. The mist is curling around it like it’s trying to play with it and the creature looks terrifying in its half-visibility. You wisely decide your studies are best conducted elsewhere and head back to the Keep.
Do you
1. Try to breed one of those ammits yourself? (Go to 28.)
2. Report your findings to the court? (Go to 29.)
Do you
1. Try to breed one of those ammits yourself? (Go to 28.)
2. Report your findings to the court? (Go to 29.)
Spoiler
You share your findings with another group of loyal customers and between them you quickly manage to breed one of the new ammits yourselves. You raise it in record time and not two days later you’re heading for the prison to use your new companion’s enhanced abilities to cover your escape. Surrounded by thick mist you manage to locate Alethin’s cell and break him out. Looks like his potions came in handy after all!
[End.]
[End.]
Spoiler
You write down the evidence you have gathered and present it to the court and during the trial you actually manage to convince them that he was, in fact, framed by someone. The knowing smile he flashes you when he passes you on his way back to his shop tells you there is still more to the story than you have found, but at least you have accomplished what you set out to do and freed him. Here’s to a new adventure next full moon!
[End.]
[End.]
Spoiler
You conclude the snake must have left again and head back outside to find its trail again. It takes you the better part of a day, but eventually you find another scale and some flattened grass that suggests Adela was heading for the gardens.
Do you
1. Keep following her? (Go to 31.)
2. Turn back and try a different approach? (Go to 32.)
Do you
1. Keep following her? (Go to 31.)
2. Turn back and try a different approach? (Go to 32.)
Spoiler
You continue to follow her, and after almost another hour of tracking, you’re rewarded with the sight of her curled around something. It looks like a rolled up piece of paper. When you reach for it she uncurls a little, almost like she is offering it to you, and upon inspection you realise that it is the contract with which Alethin bought the shipment of love potions, along with a written reassurance that they are perfectly fine. The handwriting does not match Alethin’s note, and the name seems to end in -stone. (Go to 29.)
Spoiler
You decide that following a snake won’t get you anywhere. Besides, it is getting late and you need your sleep. Perhaps you can think of a new strategy tomorrow. (Go to 1.)
(WELL, I hope this was a little different, at least, and entertained you for a bit. It was certainly fun to write. Seeing as it's 4:46 am right now, however, I'm off to bed. Talk about last minute.
Let me know what you think!
)
Congratulations 
