CHAPTER SEVEN: OPEN YOUR HEART AND PRAY


You are Herald Ritera. You have no nation, you have no creed. You have only your meditations, and Father’s disappointment. The first are blessings. The second is hard to ignore.

*swish* *swish*

Your palm thrusts at the empty air shake the muscles in your aging arm. You may be one of the greatest Heralds alive, but that doesn’t make you young. There’s more gray than brown in your hair, now.

The light arcs down through shifting leaves as you enter the fourth and final kata of combat meditation. It’s going to be a lovely day in the middle of nowhere.

*swish* *swish*

The brand across your skin is so encompassing and complex by now, you imagine, that you could barely pass for human anyway. Is being alone so bad?

*swish* *swish*

No, it’s alright. You can fish. You can walk. You can talk your throat raw. Who’s to stop you?

*swish*

You finish with that old, slow bow at the end of the kata. You hold it for a good minute, thinking to yourself that despite all you lack, life is good.

|Ritera!|

You sigh into the breeze. Garm wants you.

{Yes, Father?} you think, one hand on your breast.

|You must leave, quickly! The Dommen mercenaries have found you!|

You snort in derision. {And? I can handle a pack of dogs.}

|They are six hundred strong!| Father says sternly. |They have artillery, and wolf cavalry!|


(con’t)

You pause, feeling flattered despite it all. {All for me?}

|You, and four others who have taken to these hills. Sun is one of them.|

You smile happily. {My boy! Where is he?}

|At the peak, looking for you! Go!|

You consider that. {Sure. For Sun. Not for you.}

He keeps scorn from his voice. {Farewell.}


You close your eyes and focus the raw power that courses through you from your Gem. You don’t use it much, but you rarely need it, anyway. Life alone in the hills is calming, deeply so. The elves had one thing right.

You search out the ringing echo in your son’s soul, and there it is! Atop the hill, just as Garm said. You grab your well-used bag, covered in patches and threadbare all over, and start the climb. It will take a while. Maybe you can have supper with Sun. That would be nice.


(con’t)

File: Elsa-Level-divine.gif (1.42 MB, 3300x2550)

1.42 MB GIF

You sit bolt upright, and your name is Elsa Ledren.

{What the hell was that?} you demand into the Gem. {Was that a human memory?}

[It was, my daughter,] Elsa’s soothing voice responds at once. [Sorry I spooked you.]

Your skin is crawling. {I didn’t know I could have memories from the other races!}

[You shouldn’t be able to, but considering how many of your enemies have tapped the Well, we thought it could help,] Asa points out.

You force your heart to slow. Elves and humans have so many body parts and thought processes in common, it’s sometimes easy to forget you’re different species. Then you remember having a different center of balance, different pulse, and different hearing, and it’s as stark as a light in the darkness. {So… what is this wisdom of yours? Was it the ability to sense Well-tapping people?}

[No, that was a last-minute addition. Use it wisely.]


ABILITY UNLOCKED: SOUL-FINDER
New Divine Ability unlocked!

Soul-Finder: Elsa can now locate all individuals who have tapped the Well – or even failed to do so – within five kilometers. This is an active ability, and can be used four times per day.

{Well… thank you, my Lady,} you say, as new power rushes into your soul from the Gem. {What was the other thing?}

[Nothing divine. Calm your heart, and think of the meditations that Ritera employed.]

You open your eyes and stare into the darkness with intense focus. Hart and Gannet have finished swapping fluids and have fallen fast asleep, and Stone sits crouched at the edge of the camp, watching the road with those Shadow eyes. The clouds are gone. The night is clear and starry.

Gradually, and to your surprise, the sense of direct focus you felt fades. Instead, you feel a sense of relaxed acceptance. No, not acceptance. Permissiveness? Allowance?

No… equilibrium.

(con’t)

File: Elsa-Level-mundane.gif (172 KB, 3300x2550)

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ABILITY UNLOCKED: PATHLESS ROADS
New Mundane Ability unlocked!

Pathless Roads: Elsa forces total calm onto the links between her mind, her soul, her body, and her Gem. Likelihood of learning a new ability as a result of improvised responses to critical prompts increases substantially. Passive.


You know this feeling. You’ve felt this every time Elsa has gifted you new power. It’s that same total calm. That same peace, that same belonging, that same sense of her love and balance. That usually fades after a moment. This is still going.

{…Wow.}

[I’m glad Vier showed me that memory, my daughter,] Asa says contentedly. [It suits you. You’ve balanced covertness and overtness well on your campaign.]]

You marvel at the sensation as it finally starts to fade. {Thank you, my Lady,} you manage. {I can already tell this will be very useful.}


>Wat do now?

>Try to get some sleep
>Go on ahead of the others on foot or by horse
>Relieve Stone at the watch
>writein

>>33342348
>Relieve Stone at the watch
Only needing two hours OP.

>>33342348
>>Relieve Stone at the watch

>>33342348
>>Relieve Stone at the watch

As pleasant as that was, you still have responsibilities. You rise to your feet and walk up behind the Shadow, trying not to spook him.

As you kneel behind him, he tilts his head to acknowledge your presence. “I’ll take the watch,” you murmur. “Get some rest.”

“Fine.” He dusts his knees and stands up with a pop of stiff tendons. “Good night.”

You turn your eyes to the road and rest on your heels, thinking as you look out. The names in that memory… they seem so familiar. You tap the Gem to confirm. {My Lady, the Sun in that memory. Was that Sun, of the Firesouls? Their founder?}

[Indeed. His mother was the last human Herald,] Asa says. [It’s one of the reasons I said you should trust them. He ensures that all of his students hold a healthy respect for the Pantheon… and our agents.]

{Huh. Thanks, my Lady.}

[Do you wish to ask me anything about your abilities, or shall I leave you to the watch?]

{No, I’m fine. Thank you.] You pause as a question on another topic floats into your mind. [Should I kill Soutri or Wind-thief first? I mean, we don’t know where Soutri is, except that he’s in the city, but he’s more a of a threat by far.]

[I would kill Wind-thief first, frankly, since she’s the only one who’s trying to flee the country,] Asa says after a moment’s thought. [Clen is a large city, and the surviving conspirators have a vested interest in keeping it productive and wealthy. All the more for them, and their criminal enterprises. Margent is only a few weeks from Clen on horseback. You wouldn’t be gone long.]

{I won’t leave my family at Soutri’s mercy while I’m gone,} you say firmly.

[Indeed not, indeed not. Perhaps some other accomodations could be made. I will think on it.]

The Gem goes cold. You pull your hand away and settle into the vigil.


(con’t)

The beautiful autumn sunrise catches the camp breaking for the journey. Gannet is at the horses, using her magic to calm and heal them from the other day’s hard exertion. Hart is off preparing some water from a stream nearby, as Stone sees to the tents again.

He looks at you oddly from where he works. “Did you stay awake all night?”

“Yeah. Herald thing,” you say. “I’d appreciate it, by the way,” you add, as Hart returns from the water, “if you keep your traps shut. Nobody knows about me.” Which is a flagrant lie, but better safe than sorry.

Stone nods, Gannet too, but Hart doesn’t. “People should know,” he says, as he drops his oilskins onto a blanket. “I mean, it’s important.”

You shake your head. “It’s my cover. Nobody looks oddly at some soldier, but a Herald? I wouldn’t be able to set foot outside.”

He doesn’t look convinced. “Not saying I’ll go shouting it from the rooftops, but it’s a mistake.”

>”If Culler says he’ll keep it secret, then so will you.”
>”Noted.”
>”Zip it, junior. It’s my life, it’s my call.”
>writein

>>33342911
>"Noted."

>>33342911
>"Noted."
"I'd like to shout it from the rooftops one day, when this all is done maybe. Or maybe just let it blow over and go back to regular life as a soldier instead of superelf."

You give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s probably just being jealous. “Noted.” You clap your hands together as Gannet finishes with the horses. “All right. Brother, Sister, you two are off your contracts, so you can go if you want. Stone, you and I are riding after Lake-watcher.”

Stone nods at once. “Acknowledged.”

Gannet hesitates. “Well, I don’t care about the spy, per se… but I would feel bad if he got away because I wasn’t here.”

Hart shrugs. “I’ll still tag along, I suppose.”

You tilt your head in surprise at that. Maybe they have more stake in this than you realized. “Thank you, both of you.”


As you all set out, you take point, driving the horses as fast as Gannet says you safely can. The road is a straight shot from here to the city, and maybe it’s your imagination, but the clouds on the horizon look to be moving your way. An autumn shower won’t slow you much, but it’s the last thing the horses need.

The road is lightly traveled in mid-week like this, right up until you reach the huge ring of farms around the city. The farmers traveling from the city and back clog up the road with carts and horses, and your only consolation is that Lake-watchers’ ride must be slowed down too.

You’re nearly to the city, almost an hour after a quick lunch break, when you spot him. His green cloak doesn’t mean anything, but Stone recognizes him at once. “We caught him,” he says darkly. “That dark elf, there, in green, on the horse with the red bags. I recognize that horse. It was in the stables at the north port.”


>Drive all out to catch up before he reaches the city
>Mosey on past him and inform the Guard
>writein

>>33343463
>Mosey on past him and inform the Guard

>>33343463
>>Mosey on past him and inform the Guard

Your horses look exhausted, and so do all of you, but he’s been on the road as long as you have. With any luck, he won’t notice you. You glance back and take stock. Hart just looks tired. Gannet looks nervous, while Stone is focused and seemingly unworried. “All right, here’s the plan,” you say quietly. “We just walk past him. Nothing fancy, nothing active. As long as we get to the gates before him, we can just take him alive and be done with this.”

Stone nods sharply. “Aye aye.”

The Brotherhood members look at each other, then nod as well. “I understand,” Gannet says for you both.


Roll 1d100+5
(one roll per person, please)

File: 1302863998750.jpg (84 KB, 675x720)

84 KB JPG

Rolled 10 + 5

>>33343749
Here we go!

Rolled 18 + 10

>>33343749
just got back from dinner, hope I can save the day

with this awesome nat 100

Rolled 73 + 5

>>33343749

Rolled 55 + 5

>>33343749

Rolled 46 + 5

>>33343749
I attempt to roll

At first, things seem to go well. The four of you advance on your wheezing horses until you’re within a few hundred meters of him, then slow down until you’re barely moving faster than he is. On the old, wide, crowded highway, you could probably pass him.

You give it a good try. You really do. But despite your caution, he suddenly looks over at you, and his eyes bug out at the sight of Stone’s armor, and your Cender emblem.

He turns back to the road and kicks his horse to high speed. The animal snorts and takes off.

“Damn him!” you groan. “All right, give chase!”

Your horses follow too, but you’ve been driving them hard for days. Very gradually, Lake-thief pulls back out ahead as you dodge around startled merchants.

“Son of a bitch doesn’t escape me,” Stone growls. “He’s heading for the north gate! Alert the Guard as soon as we’re in, Sergeant!”

The spy vanishes into the gates with only four hundred meters between the five of you. You race through the gate and immediately stop beside the Guards there.

You leap from your horse and flash your emblem. “Soldier! The spy on horseback, where did he go? The dark elf with the green cloak?” you shout.

The Guards recoil at your rage. “Ma’am! He headed for the central plaza!” one of them says, pointing that way.

“On his horse?” you demand.

“No, ma’am! On foot! And he discarded the cloak!” the Guard says. He jerks a thumb into the garbage pit next to the Guard outpost.

Fuck.


>Get a description from Stone and split up
>Stay together and make for the plaza (with or without horses?)
>writein

>>33344452
>Get a description from Stone and split up

>>33344452
>[x] Get a description from Stone and split up.

Acquire description then cover as much ground as possible. Spread word to more guards if you can to keep him from escaping unseen.

You whirl about to face the others. “Stone, what’s this guy look like?”

He rattles off the man’s details. “Tribal dark elf, tattoos everywhere, carries a pair of daggers, male, twenty nine years of age, no magic, small Gift, purple eyes!” he lists.

“All right! Guards, start spreading the word – quietly – that that man is a spy from the south, and we’re here to apprehend him!” you say, turning back to the Guards.

“Good luck,” Hart mutters.

“Brother, Sister, there’s an extra twenty thousand in it for the both of you if one of you catch the guy,” you add, figuring that Maas would approve the expenditure.

Hart’s eyes light up. “Done.”

“I’m in,” Gannet says after a moment.

“Good! Split up,” you instruct, and take off running.

Your weary knees carry you towards the large central plaza of the city, where Maas addresses the people, or Ekrine for smaller matters. It looks vacant of official events, thank goodness, but there’s foot traffic everywhere.

As soon as you arrive, nearly twenty panting minutes later, you scan the crowd…

There! Lo and behold, the exact man you saw before, staggering into a small butchers’ shop on the far side of the plaza!


>Game plan?

>CHARGE
>Surround the place with Guards and force him out

>>33345092
>CHARGE
he probably has an escape route or trapdoor in there

>>33345092
>CHARGE
This is gonna go poorly.

You’ve had quite enough of chasing.

You haul across the plaza, feeling every breath like sand in your lungs, and slam through the doors of the butchers’ shop.

The scene inside is chaos. People are running away from something on the floor in the middle of the room. You push past them and stare.

Lake-watcher is there, with ragged holes in both wrists. He’s clearly dead, far beyond your healing power.

You sigh and dig through his pockets, finding only a few scraps of paper and coins. “Better than nothing,” you grumble.

A Guard bursts through the door behind you. “Sergeant! What happened here?” he demands, aghast at the mess.

“A spy met his natural end,” you say coldly. “Grab some more Guards and secure this place.”


>welp.

>Go talk to Maas
>Go straight to the family
>Rally the other travelers and tell them the trip is over
>writein

>>33345884
but wat happen

>Rally the other travelers and tell them the trip is over

>>33345884
>>Rally the other travelers and tell them the trip is over
>>writein
Also figure out what the hell happned.

>>33345884
>>33346093
this

The other members of your group assemble over the next few minutes, a small army of Guards in their wake. “What happened in there?” Gannet asks, staring with eyes wide.

“He knew I was going to catch him, so he offed himself,” you say disgustedly. “I didn’t even touch the bastard.”

Stone scoffs. “Of course,” he grunts.

You grab the handful of paper and money and pass it to him. “Here, give this to whomever in the Shadows is running the anti-secessionist forces. I need to report in.”

“Aye,” he says, collecting the things and slipping them into a pocket. “Good luck.”

You pause to shake Hart’s and Gannet’s hands before going. “Thanks, you two,” you say, looking them both in the eye with a professional smile. “I appreciate your help.”

“My honor, Sergeant,” Gannet says. Hart chips in with a nod and a grin.

“Just call us up if you need us again,” he says.


>Go straight to Maas
>Page Asa for something
>Stop in on Culler/Garren/Family
>writein

>>33346538
>>Go straight to Maas

Since this spy is merely a national thing I don't think Asa'd help us much on it.

>>33346538
who the hell kills themselves by stabbing through their own wrists? How would they even do that?

The holes were bloody, right?

>Go straight to Maas

>>33346619

In a world with no Hell left to fear, why shouldn't death be preferable to capture?

>>33346656
No I mean I get that, but usually if you're in a hurry and don't have a warm tub to bleed out in you go for like the throat or something and not the wrists. You also don't stab completely through the wrists. How would he even injure himself like that? Stab through one wrist, then use that very hand to do the other wrist?

Those wounds are just super weird.

>>33346764
It means he went up the arm in a slice rather than a cut across laterally.

>>33346812
Ok. Now it makes sense.

>>33346538
>>Go straight to Maas

Half an hour later, you kneel before the King and present the invisibility amulet. “Your Highness.”

Maas looks at you from the window, expressionless. “Your Eminence. Rise. I understand that you actually cornered and killed two threats to my kingdom today?”

“I did, Sire.” You heft the talisman and set it on the desk beside you. “The spy from the southern secessionists, Lake-watcher. Duke Zafford sent him to the ports to spy on us, and he contacted, or was contacted by Jester.”

“And they both died,” Maas says. “Neither discreetly.”

You incline your head. “I apologize.”

Maas sighs and lifts the talisman. “It is no matter, I suppose. You captured their contact woman alive?”

“I did, Sire. Sir Reed of the Legionary Shadows has her in custody.”

“Excellent.” Maas drops the talisman back into your hands. “This is a praun weapon. Massively enchanted. I could feel my fingers tingle as I held it,” he says, rubbing them together. “May I assume that it harms the user in some way? Praun artifacts tended to harm their bearers if they were not praun themselves.”


(con’t)

You recall the welts on Jester’s body and shudder. “Gruesomely.”

“Then take it to Garren and have her destroy it,” Maas says. He passes you some bills from his desk. “Here’s a reasonable fee. Artifacts like that are incredibly dangerous. The ingredients alone can harm, regardless of total construction.”

“I shall, Sire, if I may check in on my family first,” you say.

He blinks. “Have you not?”

“No, Sire. This is urgent, after all,” you say.

Maas finally smiles. “Your loyalty is a credit to you and to the Auxiliary, Herald Ledren.”

You feel yourself flush a bit as you bow to acknowledge the compliment. “Thank you, your Highness.”

He gestures at the door. “I have had your armor, the enchanted Shadow armor, delivered to your suite. Please, try it on and tell me if you need anything adjusted.”


>”I want to say (this additional thing)”
>”I shall at once, thank you!”
>writein

>>33347065
>>”I shall at once, thank you!”

>>33347065
>”I shall at once, thank you!”

Maas raises one finger. “Before you go, you should know that Faye Whitehand is dead.”

“Feathers?” you blurt.

“Correct. The tribunal decided that her crimes merited life in the camps,” Maas says calmly. “She decided to bite her tongue off instead.”

The awkward silence that follows that announcement is palpable. “Er. Well, that’s that,” you say.

“Forgive my tone, but you should know,” the King says. “In any event, go and be with your family. I will be here if you need anything else.”


Quiet fills your ears as you walk down the stairs to the suites. You had told Jester that Feathers was alive when you confronted him, in the hopes that he would be more willing to surrender if he knew Feathers had lived too. What would you say to Wind-thief now? Would you have to rely on her sister?

The door to the suites swings open as you unlock it, and Laura gasps at you from inside. “Elsa! Elsa, you’re back!” she says, grabbing you in a tight hug.

You smile and return the gesture, setting the spear carefully against the wall. “Hi, Laura. Glad everybody’s okay.”

Jerome’s hands wrap around you as his sister-in-law lets go. “Elsa, sweetheart,” he murmurs into your hair. “How did it go?”


(con’t)

“Well. As much as can be,” you say, leaving the lengthier explanation for later. “How’s things here?”

“Better,” Darril says from his seat. “I went to work yesterday.”

“That was what, Tuesday?” you ask. “Were you followed?”

“Not that I can tell,” he says grimly.

You drop into a chair and look around. “I’m glad. Are Mom and Dad around?”

“They’re at work,” Jerome says. “Asa says she’s as sure as she can be that Soutri isn’t following them.”

You shake your head. “I hope so. Sorry I left you guys.”

“It has to happen,” Jerome says. “My face is fine, by the way.”

You smile up at his pretty brown eyes. “Good. I’m really happy to see you’re back to full strength so quickly.”

He smiles proudly. “Looking for a job has been rough, but it’s going,” he says, changing the subject. “Not many other armories need people.”

“I’m sure you’ll find something,” you say confidently.


Jerome grabs your gear and follows you into the bedroom, where the armor sits on a rack in the corner. “An armory guy dropped that off this morning,” Jerome says. “Is it yours?”

“You bet.” You run a hand over the armor and feel the tingle of a fresh enchantment. “Wow. This is Legionary Shadow gear, at least.”


>Try it on right away
>Wait for your parents to come home so you can tell the whole story
>writein

>>33347531
>>Wait for your parents to come home so you can tell the whole story

I'd rather not say the same thing twice.

>>33347531
>>Try it on right away
Toys!

Jerome stares. “Is it? Wow.”

You shuck the rest of your armor and outer clothing and slip into the armor. It takes nearly twenty minutes to get all the straps and buckles on, but when you do, the effect is immediate.

A shimmering layer of energy arcs over your body as the last buckle folds into place. The leather underlayer seems to darken your body against the bright lights of the bedroom, while the metal squares of armor attached to the outside, even the ones with pouches on them, sort of… twist light around you. It’s not entirely unlike the power of the Orb, minus the terrifying sense of unreality, and it reminds you of Newlar on the wall of the apartment building.

“Incredible,” you breathe. “This is just… incredible.”

Jerome circles you, running his hand over the metal with an experts’ touch. “This is enchanted steel. The same stuff your old armor is made of,” he says. “I doubt it’s as durable, but the stealth enchant is amazing.”

You run your hands over the belts, and their two attached scabbards. “I didn’t request swords, but I won’t turn them down.”

“Yeah, these are fine weapons,” Jerome says, fingering one where you left it on the skeletal rack. “Not enchanted, but they’re honed by magic, like your spear.”

The fit is perfect. You slip the helm on, and gasp as your shadow on the floor behind you flickers. The enchantment is so strong that it actually lets a bit of light pass through you. “Whoa! Did you see that?”

“I did!” Jerome waves his hand between you and the light, and you see your shadow darken where his hand passes. “That’s just astounding! How do they do that?”


(con’t)

File: MaulWow-5.png (637 KB, 1024x819)

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“Who knows?” You start removing the gear and stashing it on the rack again. “All right, I should tell the King that it’s perfect. In the meantime, I need to get this cleaned,” you say, eyeing your old gear and Logistics uniform. “I can do it myself.”

“Your parents should be home by then,” Jerome remarks. “You can tell the whole story.”

“I will,” you promise. You finish tugging the under-armor off and pause with a grin on your lips as Jerome’s hand encircles your waist.

“Hey. Elsa.” He leans over and pecks you on the lips, quick and playful. “Thanks for sending Asa to check up on us.”

Well, it was her initiative, but you’re happy to take credit. “You’re welcome,” you say, returning the kiss. “Thanks for staying where I can keep you safe. I know this is hard.”

“It’ll be over soon,” he repeats. “Right?”

“Right.” You slip your civilian clothes on as he releases you. “May as well throw out the black clothes I was using before,” you mutter. “Now that I have this…”

“If you want,” Jerome says. “I’ll go wait for your parents, okay? Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks.” You watch the door close and start sorting your clothing. Three days of hard riding have taken their toll.


[TEMPORARY END OF THREAD]
{what happened to the stealth clothes you had before, in case you forgot}

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I'll return on Saturday at around 1200 Eastern! Thanks for playing.

This, by the way, is the armor that I used as the base for the Heraldic War Raiment that elves ware before the Collapse. This is not to be confused with the uniform Asa is making for you, she's designing a formal uniform with no armor.

>>33348104
Interesting design!

File: Sleep2.gif (25 KB, 504x792)

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And the character sheet is updated.

Good night, all!

bump

fappo