NOVEL NEXT Recap 1
Retinue:
Erich Bismark (Otto of Westfall): Our Hero. Intends to be the savior that Azeroth needs, but he’s not brilliant. Currently he’s gotten a solid grounding in the light aspect of the priest class and he’s decided that’s enough to start being an adventurer. Physically he is a huge mountain of a man with short brown hair and eyes; as Otto of Westfall, his most common alias, he has a wiry medium frame and long hair.
Mental shifts: None unless you count all the voices in his head telling him how to be good at things, or the extra set of memories from a native farmer.
Drusilla la Salle: The first entry into the harem. A warlock and veteran of the events of Warcraft 1-2, though not a distinguished one on either count. She accepted her new position in life quite easily, as being enslaved for the greater good fit into her worldview neatly. Has an imp minion by the name of Noktog.
Mental shifts: standard binding, sexual contact with men other than Erich puts her into a clinical emotionally numb state, being called a slave by Erich triggers a massive orgasm
Darcell Torp: (Former?) Defias brotherhood grunt. Could generously be called a combat rogue, but her training is so incomplete that she could easily retrain into a fury warrior. Has unflinching trust in Erich, totally buying into him as the rightful ruler of the world who will solve all problems if given enough power.
Mental shifts: Unable to orgasm without thinking of Erich (in any form), feels emotionally numb if considering putting someone’s needs or orders above Erich’s, gains profound emotional satisfaction from training or practicing a skill,
Annetta: Sweet, wholesome priestess of Northshire Abbey. From a rural background, has a fairly traditional worldview, at least on the surface. Prone to elaborate fantasies, which have gotten more raunchy and extreme as time passes. Puts Erich on a romantic pedestal as an ideal lover, her fantasies increasingly place her in a subordinate role to him.
Mental shifts: incapable of orgasm unless thinking of Erich, feels shame if she rejects anything Erich desires sexually or romantically, Takes compliments from Erich extremely well, feels Euphoria when serving someone in a way that benefits Erich.
Auffrey Ellerian: Westfall Noble in Exile. Modestly talented fire mage, highly trained but with minimal real world experience. Sees Erich primarily as a bumbling friend with big dreams and talent. Critical of his ability to make and execute plans, but believes that he brings enough to the table to be worth working with since she doesn’t have much else to go on.
Mental Shifts: feels shame at the idea of seeking vengeance instead of something more positive. Feels more confident when acting in accordance with Erich’s stated goals
Big Tony: Tall, muscular, and not very smart. Tony is a big slab of muscles working for the Defias Brotherhood, currently serving as an enforcer for the gang leader Garrick Padfoot. Holds Erich’s alter ego Otto Bismark in reverence as a mysterious magic man who appeared out of nowhere to save his ass.
Mental shifts: none, what’s the point if I’m not going to sleep with them?
Lividia: pretty typical black dragon whelp who very recently reached technical adulthood among dragons by taking a humanoid form. Capable of magnificent acts of mental gymnastics to preserve her ego, which her necklace is twisting in its own favor.
Mental Shifts: feels shame at the thought of harming a human unprovoked, senses that obedience to the “right person” will be euphoric
Keryn Sylvius: midrange SI:7 operative investigating the gnoll problem in Elwynn. Quite competent and a bit arrogant, has never encountered Erich but has promised to train Darcell if she proves herself worth the trouble.
Abercrombie the Embalmer: A powerful independent necromancer. Formerly a kindly alchemist, after a powerful dark ritual he gained an overwhelming need to bring pain and death to the living.
Mental Shifts: has been convinced to accept Erich as an apprentice and servant, developing a minor addiction to the orb of entrancement.
Tessa Spaulding: a soldier from the Stormwind army who was serving as a guard to Northshire Abbey. Doesn’t know what to think of Erich yet, but he appears to have saved her life.
Mental shifts: feels deep shame at the thought of disrespecting any of her saviors.
Missions
Eight Legged Menaces
Assist Watcher Dodds in reducing the surplus spider population by killing 20 venom web Spiders.
Reward: 1 dose of paralytic poison, skill upload: sword and torch fighting
Blackrock and Roll
Save Bashor Ashwhisper, a blackrock shadowcaster found stationed in stonewatch keep in the redridge mountains. Ensure that he survives the raid on Stonewatch Keep intended to kill Tharil’zun. If you do not participate in the raid on Stonewatch Keep you will be penalized. If you directly convince your squad to knowingly avoid killing him, you will receive a bonus. The raid will happen on 5/6 without your intervention.
Reward: Bashor Captured + 1 credit
Bonus: luxury goods: tempest jewelry may now change forms between a neck and wrist mounted shape.
The Hermit
Replace Abercrombie, the Hermit of Duskwood. He must not encounter anyone he knows for a full week, and no outsiders may notice his absence or have any suspicions that he isn’t himself. Bonus if you take on his role yourself, making at least one public appearance as him and acting as he would.
Rewards: a spool of ghost hair thread worth 2 gp, reality will shift so that currently unappealing female undead take on the general appearance of their closest equivalents from monster girl encyclopedia mixed with their appearance in life, though their abilities and personalities will remain unchanged. In addition, all female undead will regain the ability to have and enjoy sex.
Bonus: a single use dark magic scroll that will reanimate a corpse into an undead waifu, instantly captured and bound to your will. More powerful corpses will make more powerful and intelligent undead.
For the Crusade
Cause the death of Kirsta Deepshadow, an alliance agent near Hearthglen. Receive a bonus if you accomplish the goal without actively using any resources allocated to you by the company (you will know if something counts)
Rewards: instant capture of one tier 3 or lower Scarlet Crusader + Body Defense + 1 credit
Bonus: Human-passing members of your retinue will be assumed by the Scarlet Crusade to be low ranking members in good standing unless you dispel that belief.
An Intervention
Convince Bartleby, the Stormwind drunk, to give up alcohol and do something productive with his life. You will be penalized if you are not the one to convince him.
Reward: Insignia of the Alliance, 1 credit
I Can Explain
Discredit Keryn Sylvius, a rogue currently in Goldshire, getting her removed from active service in SI:7. The dismissal must be legitimate; she needs to actually do (or fail to do) something worthy of being removed from her current position, or you will be penalized.
Reward 1 credit + 1 tantric ritual rod
The Weathered Grave
Put to rest the soul of Morgan Ladimore in Duskwood. This must be done without relying upon company assets. Receive a bonus if you never directly interact with his current form in the process.
Rewards: 10 credits, Archeus, instant capture of Watcher Ladimore
Bonus: all members of Darkshire’s Night Watch will instantly trust all members of your retinue and will consent to any reasonable request without question or suspicion
Target: Hogger, Scourge of Elwynn
Reward: Wild Talent
Target: Morbent Fel, Necromancer of Raven Hill Cemetary
Reward Shroud of shadows
Notable items:
4 Credits
17 bottles of Dalaran Noir: made with magically grown grapes and processed by magical constructs, this wine is some of the best you could get for this price.
Orb of Entrancement- Keyed to Abercrombie, the embalmer. Slowly subverts the mind through sufficient exposure.
Lesser Waters of Lethe (18 hours) Erases recent memories, usually in increments of one hour.
Arcane Orb- channels magical energy into the wielder. Can be tapped once a day for about 20% of Erich’s max energy.
Secrets of the Void- a treatise on shadow magic by the famous bishop Natalie Seline. Intended for priests but contains insights that any user of dark magic would find useful.
The Cult of the Damned- the central book of scripture of the cult of human necromancers that support the scourge.
Wrath of the Soulflayer- a translated account of a dark hour in troll history, when the Gurubashi empire submitted itself to a dark god of blood known as Hakkar. Restricted as it contains reconstructions of some of the foul rituals involved.
1 heavily injured Northshire guard, male
7 heavily injured Northshire militia, 6 male 1 female
Abilities:
Level 6 holy priest- focused on healing and protection, though the ability to throw blasts of holy energy is also included. Erich has relatively little finesse, and so far has a tendency to burn his mana all in one go with highly inefficient but effective blasts.