One Through Ten

Don't forget to wake up Nine.

>do some paperwork. also scream out the window and HOPEFULLY nine will get to...whatever nine does.

One shouts at Nine, telling her to wake up. However, she is very far away and so the effort is pretty wasted.

>You should probably tried to get at least the gist of what he was saying. Sure you're no chemistery buff but you never know when a new polyer might come in handy (... probably not)

>So uh, which one is the lasiest sibling ?

As for Five, One knows that he'll probably have a full written report on his findings by noon. Each of One's siblings has a special ability; One can teleport, Five has a flawless understanding of mathematics and science, especially in chemistry, Nine occasionally divines prophecies from the stars (hence why she's passed out in a field right now), and Eight is supernaturally good at martial arts.

And six is phenomenally lazy.

Ok, One admits that maybe that's a little mean; Six's ability is that she is physically incapable of being harmed while unconscious, and any injuries she obtains while awake heal within 5 minutes of falling asleep, no matter how grievous. As a result, one can see why she'd have a predilection for snoozing as much as she can, but that doesn't mean that it's not annoying as hell.

>So, ... overly long wil with the important bit buried in an not obvious place, slow engineered lawyer with short attention spann.... one could almost suspect someone, possibly the late king, to have enginneered the whole system to volunteily put the kingdom in a stasis.. Almost

>Did thy ever tried sending their own lawyers to analse the will alongside the Lawyer, the condition don't stop from doing that, do they ?

> What are each of the kingdoms like?

Oof, well. Without delving too much into history, The Will was set up so only one person was allowed to execute it- One and her siblings are about as close as anyone other than The Lawyer will ever get to analyzing that document. And yeah, that was to pretty much put the kingdom into stasis, because if one of the Lords should be given too much power over one another...



Infinum would likely tailspin into war. As it stands, there's a careful balance of alliances and hatreds among The Lords, some of which are strong, others are very tenuous. The King knew that he was walking on eggshells, and so set up his Will so that Infinum could know as many years of peace as possible before an heir is named and shit inevitably hits the fan.

As for a basic summary of The Lords, this is what One thinks of them:

Elder Wythe- Creepy as hell overseer of the Doldrum Islands to the northwest. Is an unknown sort of spirit. Very old, doesn't really understand modern politics, has probably eaten enough children to create half a dozen fairy tales warning kids not to go into the woods at night.

Lady Paloma- Worldweary squirrel from the Lorena Forests to the northwest. Her people- the talking animals- were only legally declared 'people' early in the last King's career, having formerly been popular test subjects for magical and scientific experiments. They are still very upset about that.

Captain Wisp- Cheery, if slightly shy leader of the fleet of airship cities floating over the northeast Monda Plains. While they are very friendly, they don't appreciate others disturbing their ordered way of life and prefer to be left alone.

Chief Penuri- As in "Chief Executive Officer", Penuri is a...dragon? Used to be a dragon? Whose business became so wealthy that he actually bought the entire land from it's former Lord. Not very humble about it.

Oracle Moira-Quiet and somewhat snooty Lady of the western Mist Swamps. Blessed with powers of predestination and an air of constant annoyance.

Head Scientist Anna-Sweet elderly lady with questionable experimental ethics. Leads a very scientifically advanced society, attracts a lot of immigration in the form of magicless individuals by offering them a chance to still do rad shit even if they don't have a lick of magic.

Hosts Donny & Penny-Husband-wife duo consisting of an immortal party imp and a smokin' hot human lady. Their land's calender is a good 70% wild holidays, and the one time One went to their capital, she was nearly deafened by the constant party music. She's not sure how anyone gets any sleep there.

King Killabillun-Yes, he does insist everyone calls him king, no, the other lords and ladies aren't happy about it. Is an enchanted suit of armor that violently conquered the Anguish Wastes. No one particularly cared that he did so because they're called 'Wastes' for a reason. Very easy to anger, but still has a vague code of honor.

Mr.Bartholomew-A high class cat-man, runs a very luxurious and fashionable area, and is in friendly competition with Donny and Penny for best musical performances. Can't stand individuals with poor manners, fashion, table etiquette, etc.

High Mage Vera- Great Niece to Anna, equally fond of experimentation but in the opposite field of study- Vera is one of the most powerful mages to ever live, but thinks that being pushy is the same thing as being friendly and is also rather easily slighted. Doesn't get along with Anna.

And then, of course, there's the central island where One and her siblings live, normally ruled by the monarch, but currently unattended, which is ok because it's really only the castle and a couple of self-sustaining villages anyway. However, things like taxes, censuses, government-run programs, education, etc, still need to be run, and The Lawyer is a little busy right now, someone else still needs to be managing the paperwork for that. Someone very good at their job.

>Wouldn't it make your task easier if you just shut down the paperwork factory where all the paperwork is being produced?

WE WILL NEVER STOP THE PAPERWORK FACTORY

That someone is One. And her paperwork factory will never stop.

>Go check on the Lawyer in case anything new has popped up.

I like this setting, it's silly yet sorta believable at the same time!

>Teleport to Nine, wake her up, then teleport back.

>So why are Three, Four, Seven, and Ten dead?

> Inform us of the "Missing numbers"

> Inform us of the "Missing numbers"

>So why are Three, Four, Seven, and Ten dead?

As One mentioned before, she once had 9 other siblings whom all helped in the execution of The Will, but over the years, several of them have died for various reasons. One and her siblings don't age, and don't really need to eat, but can definitely be injured. Four died doing a sick cart trick off the castle walls, and Three's scarf got caught in one of the wheels, dragging him off as well. It was, admittedly, a super sick trick, but not, admittedly, worth dying over. Seven was always the least helpful of The Servants, and almost always refused to talk over the hivemind. One supposes he could TECHNICALLY still be alive, as they never found a body, but he is disconnected from the hivemind, and the only way he should have been able to do that is through death. Ten thought it would be a good idea to hide in a cake for The Servants' 50th collective birthday, but didn't realize that you're supposed to hide inside the cake after it's been baked.

>Teleport to Nine, wake her up, then teleport back.

"Wake up."


Nine does not wake up.



Oh, well, that'd be why. She's still in the middle of receiving a prophecy from the stars. Must be an important one, to last this long into the morning. One sets her hat back on her face, where it belongs.

>Go check on the Lawyer in case anything new has popped up.

I like this setting, it's silly yet sorta believable at the same time!

Yes, One decides that it might be a good idea to check up on The Lawyer and Two before starting up the paperwork facto-




One hears a scream, over the hivemind and in the air. That can't be good. She bips away, leaving you be.

Who will you follow now?

((A note: You guys can follow/give suggestions to any Servant that's alive, conscious, and not actively avoiding you. You can even view what's going on with multiple Servants at once, which may come in handy later.))[/color]

Let's peek in on what Nine is... experiencing.

let's just go in order. 2.

>2 saw something scary and panicked. Against the expectations it is something actually scary this time and not a dead beetle or something like that.

> Lets be 7!

>AAAAAH TOO MANY CHOICES
>im sorry i have to see what's up with 2

Votes for Two: 3


"I-I just came in and he was, he was..."
"Shh, shh, Two, it's not your fault, it's ok, I'm sure he didn't suffer..."



"...Too much."


"Oh my god, we are boned."
"I uh... don't see any sign of violence or a struggle... but all that blood coming from uh. His, uh. Face. Seems to be indicative of poisoning?"
"So, he was murdered, then."
"W-well, there's really no evidence of THAT, either, uhm, from what I can see..."



"What?! Fuck off, Five! You saying he did this to himself?"
"Wh-no! No, no! I-"
"Well that sure SOUNDS like what you said!"

"Please. Please stop. We can't afford this right now. The Lawyer wouldn't want to see us like this."


"...Sorry, bro."
"....Uh-mm."


"All we know right now... all we can know right now is that none of us could have forseen this..."

Votes for Nine: 2

"GUYS HOLY SHIT, YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT I JUST FORESAW."


"Oh."


"Nevermind, looks like you guessed it."

>Wait, you guys have the hivemind, but can you still talk like...normal? Like...you don't have mouths...or ears....or any features. How do you hear? Or speak? Or eat? ...How do ou BREATHE!?

>Be Nine. Be very embarrassed.

>If you let anyone know about this then things will get complicated and you will most likely be decommissioned. You can't let that happen, not before you know who is behind this!

#9 banging in had me laughing out loud! (tbh at first I didn't notice the text - cyan on white is hard to see - and it works better that way)

> Oh no, oh no, oh no, everyone is BONED now. There's no backup lawyer is there?

> Save the papers!

> Also what's he glowing gem on the table?

(Hi guys! I'm hoping to have the next update up later today- but I just wanted to say thank you guys for your kind words, enthusiasm, and interest! It really means a lot to me, this being my first forum adventure. I hope to give you guys some entertainment for a while! :D )

This is a really good first take on an adventure! You got very interesting characters as well neat lore and setting, you should be proud!

> 2: Did you see anything suspicious while preparing breakfast?

alright, one thing is clear: nobody can ever know about this. from now on, as far as people are concerned, the lawyer is a hermit and too busy to see anyone. we have to take over all of his duties amongst ourselves. the potential cost is too great. get a couple of you on discrete body disposal, or alternatively puppet taxidermy. and unless we have reason to believe the murderer is going to strike again, there's no reason to panic or waste energy trying to figure out who did it. it was probably an assassination, so they would have no interest in us.

>Wait, you guys have the hivemind, but can you still talk like...normal? Like...you don't have mouths...or ears....or any features. How do you hear? Or speak? Or eat? ...How do ou BREATHE!?

>Be Nine. Be very embarrassed.

"Ok, so. We can't waste any time on frivolities, such as pondering how our anatomy functions."
"Uh...what?"

> Oh no, oh no, oh no, everyone is BONED now. There's no backup lawyer is there?

"There's no one else who can handle this, right? It's just us?"
"No, The Will was clear on that part- it can only be carried out by The Lawyer, with assistance from us."
"...But that means that we're allowed to work on it too, right? It's just now that we're assisting with... everything. Cuz he's dead."
"I...guess it could be interpreted that way, yes."
"Well let's HOPE it can be interpreted that way, or else the whole kingdom is screwed."
"...On second thought, it can ABSOLUTELY be interpreted that way."

>If you let anyone know about this then things will get complicated and you will most likely be decommissioned. You can't let that happen, not before you know who is behind this!

alright, one thing is clear: nobody can ever know about this. from now on, as far as people are concerned, the lawyer is a hermit and too busy to see anyone. we have to take over all of his duties amongst ourselves. the potential cost is too great. get a couple of you on discrete body disposal, or alternatively puppet taxidermy. and unless we have reason to believe the murderer is going to strike again, there's no reason to panic or waste energy trying to figure out who did it. it was probably an assassination, so they would have no interest in us.

"We...shouldn't tell anyone about this, should we?"
"Hell no. Heeeellll noooo."
"...I have to agree. While there might be certain benefits to honesty, our lives are on the line right now, too."
"Ughhh. I'd much rather kick in everyone's doors to find out who did it, but that'd cause more problems, wouldn't it."
"I don't really care either way, I just want to...find some sort of solution."
"...I don't know what to do..."

"...Regardless, we're going to have to do SOMETHING about his body, soon. It isn't respectful to leave it there."

> Save the papers!

> 2: Did you see anything suspicious while preparing breakfast?

"Two, when making breakfast this morning, did anything seem...weird to you? An odd feeling in the air? A strange smell? Someone dumping poison all over The Lawyer's breakfast while you watched?"
"No, nothing like that! It was just a normal morning!"

Meanwhile, One's instinctual love of paperwork drives her to rescue them from the puddle of blood.

"Oh gracious..."



"You guys might want to hear this."



"My dear children.

I feel very ill. At first, I thought it a cold, but it has become clear that something is very wrong. I believe I have been poisoned. My body moves slowly; there's no telling how long this toxin has been destroying me without any of us noticing. And indeed, it would take me far too long to seek any sort of help, and so I will spend my last few hours writing this.

First; whoever did this either has no regard for the future of the empire and the chaos this will throw it into, or is very confident in their abilities to manipulate the situation. Be wary.

Second; be brave. Be honest. Be confident. My duties are up to you all, now. I do not envy your task; The Lords will not be happy about this, but you must be strong and assert yourself against them; the consequences for not doing so will surely be worse..

Third; I have left The Will with Stumpus. I have been corresponding with Stumpus for some time, having them send me small portions of it to work on, and destroying them after I finished executing them, for added security. I do not know if the assassin knew about this.

Fourth; I am so sorry to leave you all in this situation. Please, look after each other and know that I love you all dea-"

After that, there is only speckles of blood and splashes of ink.

Five and Eight zip over.



"It WAS murder. I knew it."
"And no wonder Two didn't notice anything off- he could have been poisoned WEEKS ago!"
"Can you do. Science things. To the blood."
"CAN I? Oh man, someone find me a cup, I'm going to analyze the SHIT out of this blood."
"Can I punch the poison once you get it out of the blood."
"I will make the poison punchable, just for you."

> Also what's he glowing gem on the table?

One hands the note off to the pair; they'll make better use of it than she will. Her eye does drift however, toward the Signal Stone on the table. It's entirely ceremonial- The Lawyer is (...was) meant to touch it, thereby activating it on the completion of The Will, thus summoning the attentions of all the The Lords, as it meant that the new ruler of the land was going to be announced. The Lords could then contact the castle with the Answer Stones set up around the back of this very room. What with how slow The Lawyer was, it would be pretty impossible for him to accidentally activate the Signal Stone...





Unless, you know, he happened to flop onto it while he died. Because that is just the perfect addition to this situation.

...

One is somehow not surprised in the slightest.

okay. time to finish the will, and whatever you don't know, improvise. hide the body somewhere ASAP

> SCREAM
> You know....mentally.

>Ok look, do what the lawyer said to do! Move the body, clean the blood, and strike a confident pose. Tell them that the lawyer died...but they should be happy about it! That means that now you can finish the will faster, much faster! Won't that be great? The people of the land will be happy!
> You know...in the sense that they can fall in to madness much faster. Look it's not your problem. It's their problem.

> Locate the will, how long do we have until the people of the kingdom come?

... Maybe someone should prepare some defenses in case of attack.

>Okay, time to prepare to improvise, "week end at bernie's" style. Big time.

> Clearly the lawyer is ill (not dead of course), but ill and very tired from his hard work,"So sorry bout that, lords and ladies.

> No he cant see you now, he will adress the results wen he'll wake up. Oh well you have to understand he's sooo tired from his relentless work it could take days before he's well rested.

>I say this is such a momentous accasion that a great ceremony should be prepared for the reveal of the results. ... In fact the will says so itself ! It's... uh... page 174, paragraph 15, yes, totaly. Of course preparing such a ceremony may take weeks, maybe monthes.

Wait, wait... who's Stumpus? Can we contact Stumpus? Maybe contacting Stumpus would be a good idea.

Or a very, very bad idea, depending on who they are.

>Prepare to explain to the gathered lords and ladies that pressing the signal stone was a complete accident & mistake, no new news carry on as you were bye bye!