You are Osyki, journeyman Totemist and first line of defense for your village against the rabid Behemoths wandering the land. Your master, the previous Totemist, fell in a battle against a terrible Behemoth, leaving the duty of defending your settlement to you. After training with your apprentices for a day, you've delved deep into the core of your spirit to deal with the strange Elemental Earth effects you seem to be exhibiting. Now, you stand before the Lord of Earth, and you have a few questions for him...

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[[Previous Threads: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=totem

The Cast Thus Far / Binder's Log: http://pastebin.com/2ZCnw8xc

Quest Twitter: @TotemistQuest]]

I think asking what this entity is would be fairly prudent, but as far as other questions go I'm not so sure.

>>25796006
How to defeat the Iron Tyrant, maybe?

Woo. I caught up on this quest over the weekend. You have my full attention!

Should we ask him how to safely use, manage, and increase our earth based powers?

Rolled 1, 39 = 40

>>25795963
How do I protect the ones I love? I stand alone?

>>25796032
Something like
>"What is the best way of stopping the Iron Tyrant and protecting my village and the lands surrounding it that I am capable of?"

Also

>What would be the most efficient way to train the powers that I receive from my Earthen elemental pact?

the third thing should be something for him, like

>Is there anything you would have me do?

> Suggestions from the previous thread:

>What are the motivations and goals of the Iron Tyrant?
>What are the effects of my using the power of the elemental earth? (should include health effects and others)
>How is it possible and/or even wise to go about controlling the other elements the same way as we do with the element of Earth?
>How are you?
>How would be the most efficient way to train the powers that I receive from my Earthen elemental pact?
>What has caused the Iron Tyrant to act as he does?
>What is the best way of stopping the Iron Tyrant and protecting my village and the lands surrounding it that I am capable of?

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>>25796091
>how are you?

>>25796091
>What is the best way of stopping the Iron Tyrant and protecting my village and the lands surrounding it that I am capable of?
>How is it possible and/or even wise to go about controlling the other elements the same way as we do with the element of Earth?
>What are the effects of my using the power of the elemental earth? (should include health effects and others)

>>25795979
Something like

"What are the plans, goals, weaknesses, strengths, and motivations of the Iron Tyrant?"

"How can I grow my power over Earth and what dangers await from increasing my connection from doing so?"

And one other.

What is the core meaning and philosophies to Earth? To you and other lesser spirits what is Earth?

Get some good quality answers from a Greatest Elemental about the Element it's made up of should give us a huge leg up in understanding Earth itself. We should also ask what we've been doing to ourself.

>>25796165
These.

Guys, he only answers questions related directly to the Earth or how the earth is related to the question, find more about our own affinity or how to deepen it as well as knowledge about elementals and spirits of Earth.

>>25796165
>>25796091
I think we can postpone asking
>How is it possible and/or even wise to go about controlling the other elements the same way as we do with the element of Earth?
because this would be a long-term plan. It would be more reasonable to expand the exeptional powers we already have the potential for than to gain more powers right now.
Additionally, understanding the earthen elemental pact should already yield some hints as to how we could gain more pacts as well as warn us if having different elements in the same soul and body would even be viable/healthy.
We can search for ways to gain more pacts later if we want. There is little lost by not asking it now because we wouldn't immediately act on the information in any case.

I vote for >How would be the most efficient way to train the powers that I receive from my Earthen elemental pact?
This seems to be the best short to mid-term route powerwise.

>>25796233
>What is the core meaning and philosophies to Earth? To you and other lesser spirits what is Earth?
We can get such general information from one of our countless books I assume.

>>25796319
I'd like to know so that we can get a headstart on it.

Become some sort of living elemental nexus

>>25796319
I don't really think postponing would be a good idea. There is no guarantee we'll ever have this opportunity again.

>>25796233
It's not really practical knowledge though. Interesting, sure, but we probably wouldn't really be able to use it, and most of it could probably be found in a book.

You step up to the promontory that the young girl had occupied, bowing once before looking the Lord in the eye. The gravity of his gaze is magnetic, and you can feel iron bands of pure will locking you in place. There's no turning back now.

You clear your throat, then clearly enunciate: "What is the best way of stopping the Iron Tyrant and protecting my village and the lands surrounding it that I am capable of?"

The Lord rumbles for a moment, sending streamers of dust cascading downward from the ceiling. You can see the chains lining the room slide and shift as he considers his answer to you carefully. Your eyes begin to water, but you dare not blink.

"The Iron Tyrant is a corrupt spirit, forged of chaos and quenched in the blood of a thousand thousand innocents. To stop it, you must utterly destroy it. Bury the Demon Pits, extinguish the Fellfire, and tear down its corrupt body, plate by plate. Should you accomplish these tasks, in the order I have given them to you, you will be capable. Whether you will be -successful- lies entirely on your wits. You must act, and act soon. The mountains hold little danger for its ilk now."

You take a moment to catch your breath, becoming aware that you had been holding it while the Lord spoke into your mind. You lick your lips, then speak again. "What are the effects of my using the power of the elemental earth?"

The Lord rumbles once more, chains sliding and clanking throughout the room. You can feel the runes of burning green beneath your skin, now tempered by the cooling silver mandalas weaving their way through the designs.

"The earth crushes, and maintains. It protects and destroys on a whim. Your link to the earth, then, is similar in nature. Your ability to protect, and to destroy, are empowered through it. Your link with the ores and stones is strong through the Scriptures burned into your flesh. And yet, you wield this power without focus, without RESTRAINT."

(Cont.)

Rolled 8

>>25796408
"who could teach me help me learn?"

Though the Lord does not shout the word, as he says it you can feel your bones rattle beneath your skin. The iron bands grow tighter around your limbs, and you can feel the breath grow tight in your chest. It is suddenly very apparent that you could die here, and no one would ever find your body.

"Your wanton abuse of this power is overwhelming you. Without RESTRAINT, without focus, your will erode away, chip by chip, until all that remains of your spirit is a brittle, rocky shell. You must limit the frequency with which you call upon the earth, or it will poison you. Fatally."

[[ Gonna pause here and let folks vote on your final question in light of this info. ]]

>>25796449
Okay. Important question.

"What are the methods I can use to learn Restraint?"

Because I don't want to die.

>>25796479
I think he just means what he said, we need to use it less. Learn to resist the temptation of using it.

>>25796358
a) This is not the only avenue of research. The other question would already yield some hints to help our search. There are many powerful and knowledgable beings.

>>25796348
Osyki is a careful and well prepared person. I doubt he would just want to stuff himself full of different and partly opposing powerful magics.

This is not something we will do soon if I have any say in at least.. We already have so many things on our plate including a couple of ways of drastically increasing our personal prowess that we don't need any more elements right now.

>>25796449
I think is should be obvious now that improving our use of earth is more urgent.

>"How can I gain the strenght to withstand its use? How can I train focus and restraint?"
>"How would be the most efficient way to train safe use of these powers?"
Something like

>>25796449
>"What would be the most efficient way to safely train these powers?"

>>25796521
So does that mean not using Cordia?

>>25796449
>Your wanton abuse of this power is overwhelming you.
>You must limit the frequency with which you call upon the earth, or it will poison you. Fatally.
Guys, I don't think he means we need to learn some kind of power or anything.

>>25796559
Maybe, possibly. We might need to find a way to unbind the elemental earth sphere from Cordia.

>>25796575
Yeah I'm pretty sure it's more just "you weren't meant to wield this kind of power shithead, and now this is what you get."

>>25796449
Ask how to forge a pact with other elements.

If we have another element, we don't need to rely on Earth, we can just play musical elements to stop them from poisoning us.

>>25796479
That's a waste of a question. You learn restraint by learning when you don't need to exercise overwhelming force.

>>25796449
"In light of that, what is the best thing to do with Cordia?"

>>25796598
That would more likely mean we're poisoned by all the elements. I think we probably just need to meditate more often to purge ourselves of corruption.

>>25796575
Yep, but restraint is for dweebs. I want to be strong enough that using it doesn't erode us (or be capable of repairing ourself fast enough it doesn't matter)

>>25796449
>How is it possible and/or even wise to go about controlling the other elements the same way as we do with the element of Earth?

He just told us that using one element too much will kill us. Let's get another element so that we can spread the burden around.

>>25796598
That's ridiculous.

Plus he only answers Earth related questions.

Asking about other elements is the one thing we can't do.

>>25796634
Man we're already really strong.

To be honest the best course of action would probably to purge the elemental corruption, might be more dangerous than its worth.

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>>25796408
Sounds to me like the Iron Tyrant has some association with strip mining. I hear "Demon Pits" and I think of the enormous open-pit mines you see in areas where that's gotten out of control. "Fellfire" sounds reminiscent of the eternal flames that happen when natural gas veins or coal mines get set on fire, like in Centralia or Darvaza. Maybe it's the result of a civilization with a more advanced technology base than ours that tried to rush its way through an industrial revolution without considering the affect on the local spirit realm.

>>25796598
How to make pacts with things that are not earth is not an earth related question. Reacting to one kind of spiritual corruption adding other kinds of corruption seems like a good way to destroy the immune system of our soul.

>>25796637
See
>>25796642

He's the embodiment of Earth, and you want him to talk about Fire, Air, and Water?

Ridiculous.

>>25796632
True, but it means we can spread the poison between them so as to avoid being overwhelmed entirely.

Who knows, maybe they will balance each other out. Water corruption removes fire corruption, earth corruption removes water corruption etc etc. This is purely speculation, but it is worth researching, yes?

>>25796585
I don't think we're going to be able to pull that off, they're very fused, and I doubt that she'll be happy about going back to being a Bone Warden even if we can do it.

>>25796598
That'll probably just end with us getting poisoned by everything. Which isn't good. Also, his area of knowledge is Earth, not Fire/Air/Water. Why would he know about making pacts with them?

>>25796575
He said without Restraint and Focus it would erode us, so we have to use it less, but Focus and Control of it will make it less bad. And we all know that we're going to use this more in the future, it's very useful for what we do and our enemies are very big and nasty. So we need to learn how to use this power without it killing us, and learning Focus/Restraint may do that.

>>25796670
Man, that shit looks cool as hell.

>>25796637
>spread the burden around.
We would spread the burden around. There is just one thing the burden is on: us. It would just add more things that increase the strain.

>>25796683
He wouldn't know though.

>>25796690
No, I'm saying there is no need to capitalizes Focus or Restraint. They aren't powers, they're basic human capabilities that everyone has. We, the player base, need to show more focus and more restraint when using our earth elemental bind.

>>25796629
I think this might be a good question, I mean she's our tie to the Earth, and it's possible that she may inadvertently be facilitating our corruption.

Which sucks, since having an Earth spirit seems very useful when dealing with an insane spirit of the same element.

>>25796543
I'll second this.

>>25796667
>Man we're already really strong.
1) We are not. Not compared anything we could compare ourself to. The one other totemist we know of was far more powerful. All serious threats are far more powerful. Our girlfriend is more powerful. The nation we want to trade with is more powerful.

The main reason for seeming very powerful has so far been the very corruption you want to remove. It had been this that let use view our girlfriend's seal, impress the mountain king and fight the crystal worm. Without it we would have a fraction of the strenght.

>>25796745
I think Iron might be some sort of whacky combo of Earth and Fire, to be honest.

>>25796585
That is a wierd assumtion to make. The elemental earth doesn not have dangerous effext on Cordia, the opposite of it. At most we would have to go through with making her a protection spirit independant from us so that her earth-power doesn't affect us any more.

>>25796766
>Not compared anything we could compare ourself to.
Do you not remember the shock and awe after we utterly crushed that crystal worm? The soldiers of that other nation were beyond impressed. As was Elder Haynes (Is that his name?)

Plus, the trade nation being more powerful than us isn't really our fault. A nation is always going to be more powerful than a village. Just the way it is.

I get the feeling our Mentor is a bad point of comparison. That he might have been one of the best to ever live. We're getting to his level though, slowly but surely.

>>25796798
Unbind it so we can still use her without accumulating elemental corruption, not unbind it for her protection.

>>25796723
So far it has never been a concious decision to use elemental earth. It had always been nat 100s where Osyki is kind of possessed by earth.

>>25796830
We make a conscious decision to use elemental earth everytime we bind Cordia.

We should learn more about our enemy rather then squabble about our Earth powers. He already gave us the answer to that restraint and focus. my vote is for

>What has caused the Iron Tyrant to act as he does?

>>25796766
I'm pretty sure our spirit sight could have perceived Elana's seal without the earth corruption, but I agree with the rest of your observations. However, I draw a different conclusion from it: We need to diversify our power, not become even more reliant on this single source. We need to remember that we're Osyki the Prepared, not Osyki the Earthcaller. Let's become Shamanic Batman. We expand our range of binding-free totems to get more effects and abilities out of them. We figure out ways to rapidly and easily swap out our bindings on the fly, so we can combine our powers in new and intriguing ways. We use old-fashioned ingenuity and scheming to deal with problems without ever actually using magic. There are plenty of ways for us to have sufficient strength without depending entirely on Elemental Earth.

>>25796804
>Do you not remember the shock and awe after we utterly crushed that crystal worm? The soldiers of that other nation were beyond impressed.
You seem not to have read my post at all. Nor the fight in question. It had been the very earth-corruption of our soul you want to remove that let us crush the crystal worm. Without it would have been a very difficult battle.

>trade nation being more powerful than us isn't really our fault.
Sure. But do you want to say the same about all Avatars, the Iron Tyrant and pretty much any of the spirits we will have to protect our village from? "It's not my fault the random spirit defeated me! I was already plenty powerful, its not my fault others are even more powerful!"

>>25796849
I might be wrong but I doubt Cordia is the main issue here. I think the whole glowing green runes deal is more important and assume that even without Cordia we would have some sort of connection to earth.

>>25796916
The Lord Restrained described them as "Scriptures". Who wrote them? Learning more of the history of the spirit realm could be useful and point ways to better use the power we have.

>>25796916
didn't we plan on making cordia a key part of our Village defense system anyway? we wouldn't be able to use her when we are fighting ou toughest battles anyway.

>>25796897
If you're saying "We only won that battle because of our spirit binds!" then yeah, of course. Without our binds we wouldn't be that special. Same is true of any totemist, I imagine.

I'm saying no one man can be more powerful than a nation. No village can be more powerful than a nation. Even if we became ten times more powerful than our mentor, we'd still eventually be overrun by a nation's army. Us vs 10,000 mooks will always result in a mook victory.

>>25796934
Unless our toughest battles were at or near the village.

>>25796934
Exactly. We can't get too dependent on any one tool. Osyki should have as many solutions to a problem as possible, because we never know when any given resource will be tied up with another task.

Oh, here's a thought for a question, given that we don't have an explanation for it: "What is the reason for the powerful aura of Earth that I saw on the mountain peak this night?"

>>25796975
And then she'd be fighting along side us as the village guardian not bound to us.

[[ Gonna need a consensus on a question soon, folks. ]]

>>25797042
This
>>25796543

>>25796970
You aren't thinking big enough

..this is..still alive?

..cool! Much reading and rejoicing will be done, before I'll join right back up!

Thanks for being still here <3

>>25797057
Then propose an alternative you find "big enough".

>>25796934
As I mentioned above we want to make her the Guardian of our village. This would probably sever our connection to her removing any need of separating her from earth or restraining our use of her.

The only issue that remains are the glowing runes. Which we can only partly control.

>>25796931
Not a strictly earth related question. We can look in our library later.

>>25796970
That is hardly the same because no one proposed we throw away our spirits and fight without from now on.

The nation was admittedly the weakest of the examples I gave. I will condense my argument so it is better understood:

You said we are already plenty strong and should remove the earth aspect entirely instead of learning to use it.

I countered by saying that:
a) We are not powerful enough to deal with all challenges before us.
b) We would be far less powerful without the earthern pact, meaning we would be even less capable of surviving our challenges.

Concluding that we should keep as many power as we can get and make it safe instead of throwing it away.

>>25797066
Yeah, it started up again a month or so ago. I guess you just weren't on the board when it was running by some coincidence. Diarca's been doing these on Wednesday afternoons and evenings, for future reference.

>>25796984
We are far from using only one tool and even if we were the solution to one tool being too much superior to all other isn't ot throw it away. It is to improve the other tools enough that using them is reasonable.

>>25797082
>Concluding that we should keep as many power as we can get and make it safe instead of throwing it away.

So how about something like "How can I best employ this power alongside my other abilities so as not to become reliant on it?"

>>25797082
Oh, I wasn't the guy you were originally responding to. I said this
>>25796575
Plus the guy you were responding to wasn't saying to get rid of the Earth element, he was saying get rid of the elemental corruption. We can keep the earth element. The elemental corruption is just a build up of Earth, I think. Cordia our Earth Elemental we have bound is where we get all our Earth powers.

>>25797051
My vote goes to this as well. One should not throw away the legendary artifact one found lying on the street just to eschew learning how to use it.

>>25797130
I think that's a better way of phrasing it.

>>25797103
Oh, agreed. I was more making a cautionary comment that we can't stake all our chances on this one power. What you're saying is more or less what I was trying to get at, that we need everything we have to be of great power, not just this one trump card.

>>25797130
That would further worsen the problem we have just been made aware of. We don't want to learn new ways to use it, we want to survive using it at all.

>>25797132
>only remove the corruption.
The suggestion had been even less thought out than I had assumed then. We can already remove the corruption and have done so several times. Temporarily removing the symptoms is not the solution to illness.

The question is obvious.

"How do I learn to read The Scriptures?"

That should tell us all we need to know.

>>25797130
But that's something we can work out on our own. It's a waste of a question. He's already told us that we need to limit our use of it, I don't really see what more he can say.

Asking how to efficiently train ourselves to resist the elemental corruption, on the other hand, opens up some opportunities.

>>25797165
Our other powers already steadily grow. We are in risk of losing our one trump card though, which is quite an urgent problem.

>>25797189
If by The Scriptures you mean the green runes: We already have some intuitive understanding of them which, I assume, will increase with time and use.

>>25797173
>Temporarily removing the symptoms is not the solution to illness.
The only reason we gain corruption is because we overuse our Cordia bind.
Therefore, the Cordia bind is the cause of the Earth elemental sickness.
Two options present themselves.
>If we regularly remove the sickness, we can continue using the Cordia bind without worrying.
>If we carefully manage our use of the Cordia bind, we won't get sick.

>>25797042
Ok, what are the current alternatives to >>25796543 and what makes them more urgent and important?

>>25796543
Just go with this one

>>25797233
I'd rather limit our use of Cordia than keep removing the sickness. The "Remove Corruption" option has so far only popped up in our level up menu. Every time we cleanse ourselves we neglect our growth in other ways.

As an aside, is the increased corruption resistance we've acquired a general trait, or is it only for earth corruption? Reduced corruption in general would just be widely useful ,especially if we're going to spend more time in the presence of powerful malevolent spirits.

You stare up at the Lord, his words echoing in your mind. Fatally, he had said. You had always imagined yourself dying of old age, funnily enough, or in some massive confrontation like your master before you. You're glad that, at least, you caught the signs of it early. You doubt it would have been a pleasant way to go. In light of that...

""What would be the most efficient way to safely train these powers?" you ask, feeling your words resonate in the heavy air of the chamber.

There is no clanking, no sliding of chains this time. The Lord leans toward you, his face deathly serious.

"You have already cultivated a resistance to the corruption in your journey here. Further meditation and training may lead you to a state of balance, assuming that you do not push yourself too far, too quickly."

He raises himself to his former, titanic height.

"Meditation in a place of great spiritual power, and great connection to the earth, may ease the burden of your soul."

The chains around you vanish as suddenly as the came, and you find yourself able to blink once more. You draw in a shaky breath, sinking to one knee.

"I am willing to offer you a boon, Totemist," the Lord tells you. "The Iron Tyrant is one of many corrupted spirits in my domain. Rid your plane of his presence, and I will reward you."

>>25797440
Right on.

Show him proper respects and we will be on our way

>>25797440
"I thank you for both your counsel and your offer, oh Lord Restrained. I will take your words to heart."

>>25797440
"I know I must fight him, if I do not then sooner or later he will assault my home and all those I have sword to protect, however the reward you offer for the task is appreciated.

But I confess I am troubled. I wonder if I am strong enough to fight him."

You bow once more. ""I thank you for both your counsel and your offer, oh Lord Restrained. I will take your words to heart. I know I must fight him, if I do not then sooner or later he will assault my home and all those I have sword to protect, however the reward you offer for the task is appreciated."

You look at the silver and green lacing your arms like illuminated veins and sigh.

"But I confess I am troubled. I wonder if I am strong enough to fight him."

A cool hand lands on your shoulder. You turn to see Cordia smiling sympathetically at you.

"Osyki, your job description is throwing yourself into challenges that force you to wonder if you are strong enough," she gently reminds you. "I have faith in you. You'll find a way. Now, come. It's time to wake up."

Behind you, the Lord is silent. For a moment, you see a flash of platinum hair rounding the corner as you exit into the hallway beyond the Lord's sanctum. You can almost hear the mysterious chuckle before the world around you fades to black.

---

You awaken, slumped over at your desk. The first rays of dawn dance on your cheek through the cracked window. Quinn still snores away in your bed.

>>25797494
That sounds good.

>>25797725
Go through our morning routine, blessing the house and all that. Then we need to go talk to the king of the mountains and see if he has anything to offer us in our fight against the Iron Tyrant. Also, I bet if there is any area strongly associated with elemental earth, it will be in the King of the Mountain's palace.

>>25797725
Alright. Time to get serious. Not that Osyki hasn't been up until now, but you get the point. Let's break out the books and get studying. Specifically, how can we easily travel to the spirit realm at our desire, rather than rely on a spirit to pull us through? We'll need it to handle a lot of the problems we'll be dealing with soon, so we should find out now.

Well, actually we should get cleaned up and have some breakfast, first. No point in getting so wrapped up in magic you forget to take care of yourself, Osyki.

>>25797725
Stand up, stretch, ask Amal what he found after looking through the book for stuff about the Runes and the Illness, sure we learned a lot of that tonight anyways, but he might fill in some details for us.

You slowly clamber to your feet, wincing at the stiffness in your limbs. After cracking your neck and rotating your arms a few times to work off the excess, you glance down at the book Amal has inhabited.

---

"Elemental Poisoning

Much like a poisoned well, a serious case of Elemental Poisoning is difficult to detect until it's too late to do anything about it. Symptoms vary from element to element, but generally strange markings on the skin, surges of unexplained strength and the slow deterioration of sight and muscle control are common side effects of every variety. Sources of poisoning can result from extended exposure to uncapped Demesnes, excessive time spent in an unstable pocket of the Spirit World, or elemental anomalies allowed to grow unchecked. Elemental Poisoning, to date, is incurable. The symptoms can only be mitigated, though with careful vigilance it will rarely be fatal if treated promptly."

~ Ayren Overake, "Spiritual Maladies and Illness"

---

Putting the book down, you move to prepare a simple breakfast. As the meat boils in the pot, you wash yourself and change your clothes. The smell of simmering Raptor awaken Quinn, and he rolls over.

"Mornin'," he grumbles,slowly sitting up. "You look like hell. Everything 'kay?"

>>25798062
"Not really, these green lines will kill me if I'm not careful." Then show him the passage.

>>25798062
"Not as such, but it wasn't okay beforehand, I just didn't know how messed up it was.

Made a nice little internal meditation dreamscape thingy, learned some stuff, hung out with Cordia, and then learned that I'm poisoning myself with Earth Elemental stuff, nothing I can't mitigate though if I tone down using it, still unpleasant.

Also, we have to stop the Iron Tyrant who was forged of chaos and quenched in the blood of a thousand thousand innocents, so that'll be difficult, and if he isn't stopped he will come over the mountains and kill us all.

Also, I have lines in my face matching the wood of the desk."

>>25798062
Turn slowly, face Quinn without an inch of humour in our face.

"I'm dying."

Then give him a grin and throw him the book. Hell, it's only poison, we might as well be cheery about it.

>>25798062
"I went vision questing instead of getting some proper sleep. Looks like we've got another major threat approaching. A corrupted iron spirit is tearing up the land on the other side of the Ikren Peaks, and is heading this way. Good news? The Lord Restrained told me how to defeat it. Bad news? It's going to be really hard.

"Oh, and it turns out I have an incurable corruption of my spiritual energies. But it's relatively easy to treat if I take care, so I'm not that worried about it right now."

You turn to Quinn, your face as somber as you can muster with a criss-cross of table lines on your face. You take a deep breath in, sigh, and exhale.

"I'm dying," you say.

You wait for the panic to reach a crescendo in Quinn's eyes before cracking a smile. The grin quickly dissolves in raucous laughter, and you throw him the book.

"No, but I'll be fine. Seriously. I went vision questing instead of getting some proper sleep. Made a nice little internal meditation dreamscape thingy, learned some stuff, hung out with Cordia, and then learned that I'm poisoning myself with Earth Elemental stuff, nothing I can't mitigate though if I tone down using it, still unpleasant. Also, we have to stop the Iron Tyrant who was forged of chaos and quenched in the blood of a thousand thousand innocents, so that'll be difficult, and if he isn't stopped he will come over the mountains and kill us all."

He stares blankly at your, looking up from the book.

"Can't you ever just dream about girls like a normal person? I swear."

You spoon out some breakfast for the two of you. As you eat, there's a knock at the door.

"Osssyy!" comes a voice from the far side. Aurora.

>>25798289
"I dream about girls, Cordia is a girl.

Hey Aurora, the door is unlocked, come on in, we're just having breakfast."

As we call our Sister in move to near the entrance to the door so when she busts in to see us and rushes forward we'll be behind her and can grab from behind and give her a hug. Teach her about ambush tactics, and hugs.

>>25798062
Spent some time meditating, fell asleep, observed my soul from the inside, communed with the earth, and found out I'm dying of elemental poisoning. The usual. How'd you sleep?

>>25798289
"There were girls in the trippy dreamscape, if that counts. Cordia and some weird kid with a vanishing act."

>>25798347
This

"I dreamed about girls!" You retort, petulant. "Cordia is a girl."

Quinn rolls his eyes. "That doesn't count and you know it."

"Come on in, Aurora!" you call, making your way toward the door. "Door's unlocked!"

Pressing yourself against the far side of the frame, you smile as Aurora bursts excitedly into the room, Terra in tow. You swoop in from behind, scooping each child up in one arm and growling ferociously.

"First rule of combat, girls!" you shout, wheeling them around as the giggle. "Never let your guard down! An ambush could be around ANY corner."

You set them down as their giggles subside. Terra looks markedly better than she did yesterday, the orb of solid flame on a pendant around her neck.

"Good morning to you, too." Terra says with a smile, brushing an errant lock of hair from her face. "Are we training more today?"

>>25798579
"I think you should be taking a break after yesterday. Don't push yourself too hard. No training or binding today, but feel free to catch up on your reading."

>>25798579
"I'm afraid I have business to take care of in the mountains. Super secret totemist business. If I get back early enough and I'm not too tired we might be able to squeeze some lessons in though.

>>25798579
"Well you are looking a lot better. We should probably take it easy, some training is alright, but nothing too intensive.

Sadly I won't be around as much as I should be, I still have errands to take care of in the Swamp and in the Mountains that I need to get out of the way, and pretty soon I'm going to have to deal with stuff on the other side of the Mountains so I'll be preparing for that."

>>25798579
"No binding or summoning. Today we start you with the hardest part of being a totemist. Dealing with free spirits."

We take her out to the field of wildflowers with Quinn and Aurora. Aurora can play in the flowers and quinn can watch them. Maybe even pick some of the medicinal ones for the village. Terra will be calling up the spirit of the flowers and asking if there is anything it wants or needs in exchange for healthy blooming. IIRC it's on the way to the mountain trails so we wouldn't be far away in case of emergency, and Quinn can relax, study the books, and practice binding while we're in the mountains.

>>25798797
I like this idea. Binding the salamander was an act of will and dominance. Let's expose her to diplomatic dealing with spirits. Explain that we are going to be doing that today as part of our duties dealing with the mountain spirits, to emphasize its importance to the craft. We'll spend an hour or two overseeing her to make sure she gets the concept and isn't going to have any problems, then leave her with Quinn while we trek up the mountain.

>>25798838
Quinn should be able to help. He took easily enough to dealing with Boand. And the flowers should be safe enough.

>>25798894
Yeah, but we can't just dump her on our co-temist. We need to show that we're interested and involved in her education. So we have to spend some time teaching her ourselves.

>>25799030
True. I guess two hours isnt too long.

You consider this for a moment. Terra was fairly badly burned yesterday, but the Burn slave you administered and the Matron's care seems to have sped her to a complete recovery.

"Well you are looking a lot better. We should probably take it easy, some training is alright, but nothing too intensive. No binding or summoning. Today we start you with the hardest part of being a Totemist. Dealing with free spirits."

Terra quirks an eyebrow. As you clean the dishes from breakfast, Quinn gathers your supplies and your Foci.

"C'mon, Rora." you say, scooping up your sister and sitting her shoulder. "Come spend a day with me."

She nods, wrapping an arm around your head. "M'kay!"

The four of you head off toward the mountains. Aurora and Terra chat amicably about the goings on at the House, while Quinn whispers to his Cloud Swallow.

[[ Back in ~30 minutes, off to grab some lunch. ]]

You arrive in the fields just outside of town. Wildflowers bloom in dizzying arrays and fields. You turn to Quinn, pulling him aside.

"Just let 'Rora play around, but I have a job for you. I want you and Terra to treat with the spirits of the flowers. Have her negotiate with them, find out what they need. I want her to be on good terms with them by the end of the day."

Quinn nods. "And you? What are you going to be off doing while I'm babysitting?"

You glance up toward the mountains.

> What will you tell Quinn? How long do you plan on being gone?

>>25800441
"Discussing the Iron Tyrant with the (Mountain Spirit's name. Fuck, forgot)."

>>25800441
"I'll be visiting the Stone Emperor to talk with him about the Iron Tyrant. Maybe I'll go to the peak and see if I can get a look at the wastelands, if I have time. I'll try not to be too long, back by sunset at latest. Don't worry, I'm not headed over the mountains yet. Soon, though..."

>>25800441
"Meeting with the Stone Emperor and discussing the how, where and when of the plan to ruin the Iron Tyrant's day.

No, it does not occur to me how crazy that sounds."

>>25800441
"Relax, I'll only be gone a few hours. I have business to discuss with the Stone Emperor regarding the Iron Tyrant and what to do about it. My trippy dreamscape earth spirit told me that dealing with that guy should be sooner, rather than later.

We also need to take a day off soon to go meditate in the Stone Emperors throneroom or the crystal mountain.

"I'll be visiting the Stone Emperor to talk with him about the Iron Tyrant. Maybe I'll go to the peak and see if I can get a look at the wastelands, if I have time. I'll try not to be too long, back by sunset at latest. Don't worry, I'm not headed over the mountains yet. Soon, though..."

Quinn nods. "Alright. I'll keep an eye on the little ones. Do me a favor; Cirr says that there are some Shepards up in the peaks who might be amenable to a stint as a Totemist's partner. If you find out anything about that, let me know."

You raise an eyebrow. "Cirr?"

Quinn gestures to his Cloud Swallow. You nod in comprehension, giving the girls a wave.

"Be back in a few!"

They wave as you head out.

> Assign: Focus Binds
> Choose: Route up the mountain
> [ ]Goat Path
> [ ]Rock Turtle Cliffs
> [ ]Cloudwalker Jumps (Cloudwalker's Stride Required)

>>25801148
I'd say Cloudwalker Jumps.

>>25801148
Oh right. Is everything still unbound? Do we need to bind everything back again?

>>25801148
>> [ ]Cloudwalker Jumps (Cloudwalker's Stride Required)

>>25801223
Take the Goat path instead, I've been wanting one of the Cave Mouth things for a while now and this seems like an excellent time, plus we could also run into a little drake or the like.


Can't remember the exact names right now.

>>25801293
I like this idea.

Also, is everything unbound?

>>25801148
Obviously take Cloudwalker's Stride and use the jumping route. Honestly, why do we ever take those things off?

Velociraptor Greaves, to assist with that. The rest of it is fairly up in the air. Vestus Quies, just because. Nocturne's Embrace never hurts.

Not sure what to do with the Ykree. We haven't done many tests on the thing. Maybe try binding it to our gauntlets, see what happens?

>>25801305
[[ Everything is Unbound. ]]

>>25801329
Oh, and Cordia can go in our armour, as long as the result isn't too heavy.

>>25801148
I'm up for some bindings we don't often use. Rock Turtle to the armor, Cordia to the boots. Crystal Worm to the gloves. Ykree, Raptor and Stalker focuses remain standard.

>>25801148
[X]Cloudwalker Jumps (Cloudwalker's Stride Required)

It's the fastest route, and good fun.

Bindings. Cloudwalker's Stride, Obsidian Touch, Velociraptor Greaves, Nocturne's Embrace, Snakebite Aqua, either Vestus Quies or Twin Din.

>>25801293
I vote this idea
Also we need to bind everything up again.
Suggestions incoming

>>25801528
Raptor pants
Stalker cloak
Crystal scale shirt
Ykree bow
Earth boots
Turle chainmail

Lets climb that hill the old fashioned and sneaky way! Better safe than sorry

How about for the bindings we go with less used ones?

Heaven's Chain for turtle.
Gnome Guard for Cordia.
Velociraptor Greaves.
Nocturne's Embrace.
Vestus Sonitus for Wurm.
Ykree for Bow.

>>25801329
>>25801366
This, except put Cordia in the mirror instead.

>>25801293
I'll second this idea.
Binds should be as follows
>Cloudwalker Stride
>Velociraptor Greaves
>Nocturne's Embrace
>Snakebite Aqua
>Vestus Quies
Leave Cordia unbound for now.

>>25801589
>>25801596
>>25801638
So Vestus Quies, Snakebite Aqua, Nocturnes Embrace, and Velociraptor greaves at least seem agreed upon.

>>25801589
>Raptor pants
>Stalker cloak
>Crystal scale shirt
>Earth boots

This combination should let us ride a wave of earth extra fast while still being silent and invisible

>>25801662
Nah, I want Sonitus instead, good armor and we'd already have Nocturnes embrace for stealth, things on the mountain are more likely to rely on smell than hearing by my reckoning.

>>25801638
I can agree with this one.

You array your Foci before you, poring over them for a few minutes before you bind them.

> Bindings Complete:
>Cloudwalker Stride
>Velociraptor Greaves
>Nocturne's Embrace
>Snakebite Aqua
>Vestus Sonitus
>Gnome Guard

You stand at the base of the cliffs, looking up. Cloudwalker would allow you take the more direct approach, but the goat path is a stealthier candidate for rising the cliffs. Still, anything that could hear you on the mountains would have a difficult time keeping up with you. You decide to take it easy on the Goat Path on the way down. For now, time is of the essence.

>1d100 for mountain climbing.

Rolled 11

>>25801986
Rolling

Rolled 95

>>25801986

Rolled 24

>>25801986
Oh dear.

Hahahahaah

>>25802028
Phew thanks man

>>25802028

You explode off of the ground in a torrent of light and sound, bounding from cliff to cliff in a cavalcade of actinic white light. With each rebound you shoot a little higher up the cliffs of the Ikrins. Your eyes are peeled for Skyscythes or Cave Devourers, but you seem to have chosen an excellent time for your migrations. If any hafts of drakes are in the area, they're not near enough to spot you, and the booming leaps you make probably cause any devourers in the area to close up shop.

You note a few places of interest as you climb.

> An abandoned mine-shaft, not far from the Rock Turtle nest. The entrance was buried under rubble, but as you pass you see that something has forcefully shunted it aside.

> The spring you went to with Elana on the mountainside seems a strange, brackish color.

> Another cloud of sooty energy hovers by one of the peaks.

> Investigate one of these, or head to the Emperor straight away?

>>25802849
>Another cloud of sooty energy hovers by one of the peaks.

>>25802849
Visit the spring, I'm curious as can be.

>>25802849
> Another cloud of sooty energy hovers by one of the peaks.

>>25802849
>Another cloud of sooty energy hovers by one of the peaks.
Seems more sensible. We can do the other on the way down...

>>25802849
Spring first. looks like the Iron Tyrants followers have started invading.

>>25802849
Well, all of those seem like things I'd associate with the Iron Tyrant. Let's give the spring a quick survey with our spirit sight, then continue on up to the Emperor. We can ask him about the cloud on the peak, and the mine we can check on our way back down if we have the time.

>>25802967
>>25802893
Neither the spring or the mineshaft are time sensitive, the cloud of energy may be gone by the time our meeting ends.

>>25802849
Cloud of energy, caves and springs are static, smoke kind of isn't.

>>25802985
Well, the mineshaft might be time-sensitive if whatever opened it is still there, but I see your point. Yeah, let's check the soot cloud. I wonder what relation it had to the earth aura we saw on the mountain last night. Was that the Stone Emperor's energy, and it flared to a brighter visibility as it was replaced by the Iron Tyrant's? The cloud probably means that the Iron Tyrant owns that mountain now, or something like that.

Eyeing the cloud suspiciously, you boost your way up to it. Landing on a rocky outcropping a few dozen meters below it, you switch on your spirit sight.

The cloud is definitely laced with Earth energy, if the tell-tale arcs of green lightning brewing within it are anything to go on. The energy is strange, though. Erratic. It leaps in unpredictable arcs, igniting burst of Fire energy that produce something darker, something that you've never encountered. A sickly looking ameboid black energy that shudders out in odd directions.

> Examine the cloud further / closer up. (1d100)
> Leave it. You have a meeting to attend.

Rolled 54

>>25803366
Earth that produces fire that leaves behind gooey black energy? Sounds like it's a Coal Elemental cloud or something like that. Let's take a closer look, then head for the Emperor.

Rolled 14

>>25803366
Okay, that might just be related to the Felfire or something. Let's see what we can about this but try and keep our Element Corruption under control while doing it.

Rolled 28

>>25803366
> Examine the cloud further / closer up. (1d100)

Rolled 99

>>25803366
> Examine the cloud further / closer up. (1d100)

>>25803473
So close.

>>25803417

>54

You leap up, sticking your spear into the rock some ten feet below the cloud to arrest your motion. You can see that the cloud leaves behind a sort of fatty, oily residue on the rocks it touches. It doesn't seem to be dissolving them, but it doesn't look particularly healthy, either.

It smells faintly of cooked meat and burnt grass.

>>25803797
>Fatty, oily residue
...Butter?

>>25803797
Did we remember to bring Amal and Tryd with us?

>>25804122

In fact, you did. They're rarely off of your person.

>>25804122
Not a bad idea to consult them

>>25803797
Lets inspect the substance, then try and determine if anything is causing the cloud or if it appears to just be a spiritual phenomena.

>>25804202
>>25804212

You summon your spiritual advisers to the Material world, gesturing to the cloud.

"What do you think caused this?" you ask, wrinkling your nose. "It's been hovering around here for a few days."

Amal hovers up to take samples, but Tryd just sits on your shoulder. The flames glowing within him look like they're running a little low.

"Tryd?" you ask, prodding the soot sprite. "What's the matter?"

"I don't know quite how to tell you this, kid," he says looking up at the cloud.

"Oh. Oh, dear." you hear Amal mutter.

"That cloud's remains. Human remains, or spirit. Something's been cremated alive down there."

He turns on your shoulder, looking you dead in the eye.

"Someone's trying to send a message."

>>25804402
Uh oh.

How can we dissipate it?

>>25804402
Oh god. Guess the war has already kicked off then.

>>25804448


You grimace, staring at the oily aura.

"Can we dissipate it?" you ask Tryd.

He shrugs. "With a burst of wind, sure. It'll fade away on its own after a few hours. The cloud's not a problem. Whatever caused it, well... that's a different story."

You peer out, past the peak, toward the far side of the mountain. Though you stand far from the edge of the range, and many peaks obscure your vision, you can't help but think that the horizon is painted with a reddish tinge.

> Investigate Further
> Investigate another Point of Interest
> Head to the Emperor's

>>25804639
> Head to the Emperor's
No time to delay!

>>25804639
>head to the Emperor's

That is very troubling news.

>>25804639
Consult the emperor first. The Lord Restrained said we had to do shit in a certain order. Check with the Emperor to determine the location of the pit first, then we fight fire, then we kill the tyrant.

You stare at the cloud a while longer before leaping away. As the rock cliffs whiz by on either side of you, you ponder the smog cloud. A cremated, sentient being. A life spent to send a message. This Tyrant certainly isn't screwing around.

You land at the cave mouth of the Emperor's Palace. Striding inside, past the glowing fungus and chittering arachnoid servants, you focus your mind to the task at hand. The silvery designs lacing your Earth runes seem to provide a cooling balm to the pulsing heat that flows in this place. You reach the Emperor's Throne room in short order, and you see that the cracks you put in the luminescent crystal pillars the last time you came have been healed since.

The Emperor rumbles up from the ground before you, a titanic mole of rock and precious stones. The multitude of his ruby eyes regard you for a moment before he gives you a nod.

"Totemist," he says, his tone cautious. "I was not expecting you. What is it that you want?"

You brush the rubble of his entrance off of your cloak as you consider your reply.

>>25804954
"I wish to help you defeat the Iron Tyrant. In whatever capacity I can. If he gets past the mountains my village will be doomed."

>>25804954
"I've come to offer my assistance in dealing with the Iron Tyrant, should you desire it. Rumour has it that he has razed the forest on the other side of the mountain, and I suspect that the cloud of cremated remains outside is also his work."

Should we mention the Lord Restrained?

>>25804954
"Well two things, the first is merely a mortal affair, wishing your permission to mine in your mountains for trade. A small thing in comparison to the next.

I had a discussion with the Lord Restrained recently. He told me of the Iron Tyrant and some of its weaknesses and origin. We have little time to defeat the Iron Tyrant before it comes over your mountains destroying my village and the life in these parts."

>>25804954
"To aid you. You've seen the Iron Tyrant's latest 'demonstration'? He grows too bold. I have spoken with the Lord Restrained, and he has told me the means by which the Tyrant can be slain. What do you know of the Demon Pits? Their burial is the first step on the path to the Iron Tyrant's end."

>>25804954
"To strike a deal. I would like to offer you my aid in the fight against the Iron Tyrant. In exchange, I would like permission to begin mining an area of the mountains which make up your domain.

The Lord Restrained has also put his backing behind me, if it makes you more confident that this is a worthwhile bargain.

What say you, Stone Emperor, ruler of these mountains?"

You look up into the glittering rubies staring down at you, and offer the Emperor a bow.

"I seek to make a bargain with you," you tell the titanic mole. "To aid you. You've seen the Iron Tyrant's latest 'demonstration'? He grows too bold. Rumour has it that he has razed the forest on the other side of the mountain, and I suspect that the cloud of cremated remains outside is also his work. I would like to offer you my aid in the fight against the Iron Tyrant. In exchange, I would like permission to begin mining an area of the mountains which make up your domain."

The Emperor laughs, a rumbling, grating sound that shakes the walls of the cavern.

"I see. And why the sudden gusto, the willingness to champion my cause?"

You sigh. " I have spoken with the Lord Restrained, and he has told me the means by which the Tyrant can be slain. We have little time before it comes over your mountains destroying my village and the life in these parts."

The Emperor's eyes narrow, the rubies embedded in his thick obsidian hide ground down to facets.

"You have spoken with the Lord Restrained, have you? The Lord Restrained, indeed. I do not wish to deal in myths and legends with you, Totemist. I will not question your purpose further, but if you do not wish to divulge it to me, telling me such would suffice. I don't require a fairy tale to pad my ego."

He slumps forward, twitching his nose at you.

"I could be amenable to a pact, certainly. My terms are thus: You will travel beyond my mountains, down to the Blasted Plains that the Tyrant calls home, and you will destroy it utterly. You will become the Knight of the Ikren, defending my domain from any threats that might usurp my rule. In exchange, I will grant you the rights to take ore from my domain, and you may consider me an ally in any endeavours you take up in the future, for whatever use you may find to my perpetually crippled majesty."

A seal of earth, the size of your fist, shimmers into being before the Emperor.

>Accept?

>>25805636
"Why would you use the term 'fairy tale'? Fairies are quite truthful, in my experience, if somewhat easily distracted. Are you some kind of spirit racist?"

>>25805636
"We have come to an accord."

Does... Does he want us to fistbump that seal?

>>25805636
>Try not to look excited
>Look really excited.

>>25805636
"Are there terms and conditions of being a Knight of the Ikren that you have not told me? Can you accept that my duties as Totemist of my Village come beyond all other duties I accept?

And I did speak with the Lord Restrained, or at least a dream of him, it is your choice to believe me or not. But tell me this, if not for him how would I know that the Iron Tyrant was forged from chaos and quenched in innocent blood, how would I know that to destroy it I must bury the Demon Pits, extinguish the Fellfire, and tear its corrupt body down plate by plate. I do not lie to you Emperor."

>>25805759

This.

>>25805636
"My apologies, Emperor. I forget at my own peril that Earth is far less taken with metaphor than humanity. Let me be more blunt, then. I went vision questing to better learn to contain the elemental energies I have become suffused with. In the process I sought answers as to the Iron Tyrant's nature, and the information I gathered showed clearly that an alliance against him is in all of our interests. Not just the mountains but the forest, swamp and lands beyond are at risk from his hunger.

"I would agree to your pact, with the proviso that you clarify the wording. What are the exact terms of this oath to defend your territory? You must concede that the potential for vagueness and loopholes in spirit oaths leaves much room for unintended consequences. Your current state is testament to that. I would not want either of us to find that we have committed to obligations that we can't fulfill. I can see much unpleasantness between us if we start thinking we're trying to cheat each other."

>>25805985
You are a smarter man than I.

I hope you participate in Binder quest

"I would agree to your pact, with the proviso that you clarify the wording," you say, hand hovering cautiously before the seal. "What are the exact terms of this oath to defend your territory? Are there terms and conditions of being a Knight of the Ikren that you have not told me? Can you accept that my duties as Totemist of my Village come beyond all other duties I accept?"

The Emperor growls, shaking the chamber and rattling your teeth in your skull. "I do not engage in deceit or trickery, Totemist. They are beneath a being of my station."

You put your hands up placatingly. "You must concede that the potential for vagueness and loopholes in spirit oaths leaves much room for unintended consequences. Your current state is testament to that. I would not want either of us to find that we have committed to obligations that we can't fulfill. I can see much unpleasantness between us if we start thinking we're trying to cheat each other."

"Rest assured," the Emperor says, "Your duties are precisely as I have outlined. Should another being, Iron Tyrant or otherwise, attempt to challenge my claim to these mountains, you will act as my champion and defend my right to rule. Your duties as Totemist are irrelevant to this mission. When I call, you must come with all the speed you possess, assuming that immediate departure would not immediately endanger your own life."

>>25806293
That's reasonable, accept.

>>25806293
"That sounds reasonable, I much prefer you as lord of these mountains than any other. I accept."

I would accept these terms, as long as before I am thrust into dealing with this threat I have time to both warn my village and gather supplies as well as spend some time in a deep meditation within your throneroom.

>>25806293
>only exception for direct threat to own life
Not acceptable. This conflicts with our obligations to our village, to Elana and Quinn and Aurora and Terra, to Sylvia, to Board, etc. If they are threatened, we must be free to assist them. Not that we shouldn't also view Stone Emperor as someone to be defended, but we need to have the freedom to prioritize the severity of the threats, and direct our resources as appropriate.

>>25806441
Anything that threatens Elana, Quinn, and the rest of the inhabitants of the village will also, likely, threaten our own life.

>>25806473
But not necessarily. We do leave the village at times.

>>25806522
Simple solution then, we just pass through the village on our way to the mountains, thus our life becomes threatened.

>>25806573
That's directly against the proposal, which demands Osyki go to the mountain range with all the speed he possesses. If he detours, that's not "all the speed [Osyki] possess[es]."

>>25806638
Well then we should ensure that we never have a faster way to get to the Stone Emperor than the way that goes through the village. I suggest placing one of Ayren's transport beacon totems in the town square, so unless we're right at the base of the mountains at the other side from the village, the fastest way is always to spirit portal to the village then trek on up.

Alternatively, we can make it so anything that threatens the village threatens the mountains, too. Expand the village up into the hills to better provide support for our new mines. Though with Cordia bound to defend our village that might in itself be seen as challenging the Stone Emperor's rule. There are logistics to consider, I suppose.

>>25806293
"Very well."

Fistbump the seal.

>>25806759
We could also make sure that there are no threats to the Stone Emperor. I get the feeling that spirits contesting for Land Guardian status is a relatively uncommon event. Probably more common for the Stone Emperor now that he's weakened, but once the Iron Tyrant is dealt with we can probably keep most threats to the Emperor away just with the reputation we earned in the process. Having a champion capable of slaying a being that devastates entire landscapes would make for a good deterrent. Combine it with some alert wards so we know about any powerful spirits getting close to the Ikren range, and keeping on good terms with the local spirits as informants, and we can minimize the disruption to our lives this will serve. It'll be another duty, but not an onerous one.

You watch the seal of revolving earth for a moment, contemplating the implications of the agreement. While it could be potentially irritating, you need this agreement to go through amicably. As you extend your hand and gently fistbump the seal of earth, you consider the implications of expanding the village up the slopes of the mountain.

The seal erupts in a wash of lime green light. A burning rune presses itself to the skin of your palm, merging seamlessly with the briefly illuminated seals of earth that flare from beneath your skin. The seals, rune and all, fade from your flesh.

"Good," the Emperor says, sounding at once much more congenial. "Welcome to my court, Totemist."

You nod. "Allow me some time to meditate here, Emperor, and to return to my village to prepare for my journey over the mountains."

The mole rumbles briefly. "Very well, Totemist. The mark in your palm connects you to me, now. Should you require my council, you need only ask of it."

>>25807156
"Excellent.

I do have one question first, why did you claim I was speaking of fairy tales when I spoke of the Lord Restrained?

Because I assure you, on my honor as Totemist, and Knight of Ikren, that when on a meditative spirit journey, guided by Cordia, a Warden of the Earth, I met with something Cordia and myself believed to be him. It may have been an echo of him, or a dream of him, or the Lord Restrained himself, but I was advised by him and my questions answered."

>>25807347
Nah, don't go further into the Highest Elemental, seemed like he was the personification of the Earth, or at the very least one of the continents. We can look it up later, right now we need to focus on fixing our self up and trying to permanently deal with the corruption.
Or at least make it so we won't have to worry about it as much when we deal with the Iron Tyrant.

>>25807156
Did we just say that the pact may not interfere with out duties as totemist of our village and then immediately agree after it had been clarified that they would indeed supersede our obligations to the village and all other spirits?

Example: Magnus sends two splinters. One to attack the mountain King, one to attack the village. Now we might need to leave in the middle of a fight because the Mountain King demands it.

To those saying we could just move to the village so our life is endangered by leaving: Running away from a fight, especially if you are as fast as Osyki, is usually less dangerous than actually fighting.

File: 1372917622132.jpg-(119 KB, 731x1000, Osyki.jpg)

119 KB JPG

[[ And that's where we end for tonight, folks. It's been good fun. If someone would archive this, as usual, I'd appreciate it.

Don't forget to follow the Twitter in the second post for updates and interesting hints about the Quest.

Have a good night!]]

>>25807693
I archived it, Night Diarca.