It had been two days since your confrontation with Caylen, and the inexplicable fallout with Rinnier. The option to declare the brigands your slaves had not gone over well with your rather idealistic cousin, and though Rinnier had stepped up to support you of her own volition, your own reluctance and opinions on the matter seemed to have driven a wedge through the tentative rapport that you had been happy to finally have established. In that time, neither your Testament nor your cousin had been in much of a mood to talk, leaving you hours of awkward silence in the library as the three of you dug through the library in search of alternative means of dealing with the brigand audience looming closer. You hadn't set an exact date, merely told them to go mourn, but it had been almost a week since then; You were going to run out of time sooner, rather than later.

On top of that, you had promised Rinnier that when this whole event was over, you would dedicate your attention to trying to find her people and make good on your OTHER promise to help her... help them. You held your face tiredly as the list of "to-do"s piled up mentally, trying to brush it away so you could focus on the current matter first and foremost.

>Continue research
>Go find Alouette, you can't stand this awkward atmosphere
>Find somewhere quiet to meditate (Which Mana?)
>Go wandering, open more doors someone told you not to

>>42159531
>>Find somewhere quiet to meditate (Which Mana?)
Luna

Now 2 hours late!

Previous Threads:
https://archive.moe/tg/search/tripcode/!y56qKWqxyc/results/thread/
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?searchall=valen+quest

Where things are said:
https://twitter.com/Riz_QM

Pastebin Stuff:
Kara's Day Out - http://pastebin.com/8ZbiSKLs
Adventures with Asche - http://pastebin.com/RNviCBJu

Misc notes:I'd like to wrap up this audience business in the next couple of threads. We'll be moving ahead shortly, whether you've found other ways to handle it or not.

Previous thread's unanswered question:
"So how badly did we fuck up with Caylen and Rinnier?"
You knew it wouldn't go over well with Caylen. Rinnier on the other hand... It's difficult to be sensitive with someone so aggressive, isn't it?

>>42159531
>Continue research

>>42159531
>Go find Alouette, you can't stand this awkward atmosphere

What time of day is it now, has any time passed?

>>42159650
It is two days later since last thread. A little after noon.

>>42159668
Whoops. Totally missed that line

>>42159531
>Go find Alouette, you can't stand this awkward atmosphere

>>42159549
Meditate in accordance to Luna.

>>42159617
Continue research

>>42159650
>>42159821
Go find Alouette.

Writing.

You breathe in heavily, setting the book in your hands aside. The tension in the room had been weighing on you for the past few days, exchanging the tired comradery of rushing to find an answer for a strained cooperation between the three people who were all nominally trying to achieve the same result, but wildly disagreed with each other's methods. You excuse yourself silently, sliding your chair back as you absently grasp the lukewarm finger laying against the table.

As expected, there's barely a grunt of response. Ari is quick to follow suit, scrambling from her chair the moment you begin to move in order to follow; You suppose that as bad as it is for you, Ari didn't even have the luxury of trying to focus on something else. You frown for a moment, realizing she had likely just been sitting in a room for two days and watching three other people petulantly ignore each other.

The two (three, if you counted the finger really) of you quickly made your way out of the room. You let out a sigh of relief as the door to the library clicked shut behind you, letting the weight of the room melt away in the relatively more open air of the hallways. While you had a few ideas as to what you could be doing out here - Meditating, exploring, and generally things that could be described as procrastinating if anyone caught you doing it - Your initial goal in leaving was a little more individual related. Specifically, you wanted to find Alouette.

Partially because you had some things to follow up on with her, partially because she's the only person besides Ari that you personally knew in this estate who wasn't actively upset right now.

Finding Alouette was another story, however. It wasn't as if the woman had an office, and as head of the guard for Caylen's estate, you presume that meant she moved around fairly often. You roll your neck about as you settle in on a course of action, and get searching.

It takes you maybe fifteen minutes or so of wandering, eventually pointing out various things you remember from your childhood to Ari in order to distract yourself from the situation at the back of your mind. Alouette hadn't been on the roof, nor had she been patrolling any of the halls. The kitchen staff had been less than helpful in locating her, but had cheerfully been able to provide some dried jerky for you to chew on you looked. When you do finally catch wind of Alouette's lecturing voice drifting out from the courtyard, you can't help but wonder why you hadn't just checked there first.

Well, you hadn't seen her from the roof, so perhaps she only recently arrived.

While most instructors of the martial arts were much rougher, Alouette's smooth contralto washed calmly across the assembled guards with an unimposing confidence. Minor instructions were given as she stood affront the rows with sword grasped firmly in hand, the spread of her legs and lowered weight mirrored in the uniformly armoured guards as a slight sheen of sweat began to work her hair looser with each measured swing.

Each of her repeated strokes cut the air with a practiced ease, her own exclamations simultaneously serving as cues for the guards to follow suit, and being drowned out in their far more energetic shouts. There was no sparring amongst them, no fanciful techniques or maneuver, as Alouette steadily and perhaps mercilessly led them through drill after drill of striking.

>Approach them and get Alouette's attention
>Ask if you can join
>Sit back and watch
>Other? (write-in)

>>42160283
>>Ask if you can join
At least until she's finished, we could try to get a little competence in fighting.

>>42160351
This.

Writing.

Thinking back to your fight with the guards in Carona, you can't help but remember the brutal and inelegant brawling that you had gotten yourself sucked into. You hesitate to call that disaster a fight, so much as a dirt and desperate violent struggle; Had Kara not been there, you would have definitely lost that conflict. Then again, had Kara not been there, you wouldn't have BEEN in that situation... You suppose it evened out in the end.

However, if you had had some proper experience fighting, it might have gone differently. That had, a little embarrassingly, been your first real foray into a fight. You had scrapped before, wrestled with your cousin and sibling growing up, but that had literally just been child's play. Faced with the reality of being outnumbered with armoured foes, and even the disgusting reality that some middle aged, self-important ponce had nearly been your equal, you swallowed a rather bitter pill. You didn't expect to ever be like Kara, the memory of her simply snapping the neck of an oakenbear while chatting came readily to mind, you could at least endeavour to become a bit better in this regard. Perhaps good enough to not embarrass yourself completely if you ever ended up having to fight alongside Rinnier.

This in mind, you try to get Alouette's attention.

She glances at your approach, immediately easing her stance to turn inquisitively towards you. Perhaps out of habit, her sword is sheathed smoothly well before you arrive. She holds a hand out to the assembled guards, signalling them to remain ready until she further notice, and finally nods in acknowledgement.

"What can I do for you, Irue?"

You feel distinctly out of place, given the armoured uniform present around you. The simple cloth you wore day to day was hardly as respectable or imposing as the links of chain and plate that adorned Alouette and her guard. Never the less, you chase the thought from your mind.

"I was wondering if I could join?" You imagine the request was a surprise, but the strawberry blonde swordswoman nodded in calm acceptance rather than ask why. "Do you have any experience with a sword?" She asked levelly, sending for a spare blade as she looked you over. "Not.. as such." You admit slowly, "Which is why I asked to join. I've little formal knowledge of how to handle weapons."

That you've recently been finding your way into situations where that would be valuable information is left unsaid. Alouette seems to accept your reasoning at face value, nodding affirmatively as a serving boy trots up carrying a sheathed sword from the nearby guard's quarters. Your hand wraps around the hilt, feeling the weight of the tool in your grip. It continued to surprise you just how heavy these were, given how easily you saw everyone using them. "Normally I would be reluctant to allow a new practitioner to begin wielding without proper instruction before hand." Alouette's chiding broke your thoughts away from the familiarly unexpected weight of the sword that fit rather uncomfortably into your hand. "As it is a personal request from Ser Valen, I will deign to overlook this... To an extent."

She hefted her sword, moving to your side as she demonstrated what she expected from you. Your copy of her posture was rough, and while you initially believed it was quite close, the way she proceeded to make manual adjustments and critiquing even the simple way of standing for the next few minutes nearly brought your cheeks to flame from the flushed embarrassment of how shoddy it must have been. Row after row of guards stood not a few paces away, their stances rigid and steady, and facing forward to watch as you receive a newbie's treatment. Your grip tightens around the sword when you see a few smile out of the corner of your eyes.

It is not so much that you hold them ill will, and you imagine you must seem rather sorry, but their muffled laughter was hardly appreciated.

When Alouette was finally satisfied with your posture, came the stroke. What seemed like a simple downward stroke became so much more as she pressed your spine straight from behind and began to forcibly guide your arms through the motion. Time and time again, Alouette would correct your grip, demand your elbows bend, insist you lift from specific points of your arm and shoulder during the carry through. This was a skeleton crash course, you realized with a sense of sinking motivation. This nearly ten minutes of corrections and studious critiquing were simply an 'overview' to Alouette.

What had Caylen gone through?

When all was said and done, your legs and arms were already beginning to burn. Sweat ran down your brow from having simply stood under the sun for so long.

"Now we can begin."

Alouette retook her position, drawing her sword and assuming the stance she had spent so long molding you into, and focused her eyes back onto the guards. Her smoothly uttered cry followed by the slice of steel through air, and the deafening roar of the guards as they finally resumed their drills.

...And your own sword sailing from your hands through the air in its majestic journey to return to its people. You stare in blank awe, mind shutting down, as the hilt is violently rejected from your hands the moment you attempted to actually swing the thing, watching in a sick sense of fascination as the steel glinted under the midday sun in its airborne journey across the courtyard before finally clattering into the ground.

"It is required you grip tightly when you swing, Irue." Alouette's comment lacked the heat you expected, and you dimly nodded as she retrieved the blade and deposited it back into your hands. "Once more- Aa!"

Refusing to be denied its purpose, the steel in your hands bravely launched into space no blade had travelled before. Its trajectory was awe inspiring, a javelin of purpose and splendour that blinded the casual observer, like a lance descending from the heavens. However it somehow managed to completely reverse itself at the last second, seemingly just to spite you, and land hilt first into the packed dirt of the courtyard.

"..." Alouette frowned, glancing between you and the blade again. once more retrieving the blade with a cloudy expression, she sheathed her own blade and gripped your escaping sword, giving several solid test swings before looking over its hilt. "Do you consider this a joke?" She inquired neutrally, "If you will not take this seriously, then I would you please allow me to at least finish my instruction?"

You shake your head slightly, staring at your hands in confusion, and no small amount of betrayal. "No, I..." You bow your head, breaking stance and stepping back as you did so, "I apologize, I'm... not sure what's happening."

"Hm." Alouette stared you down, humming in acknowledgement after a moment. "If you have need of me, I will be done shortly. I trust the matter is not urgent?"

No. You shake your head and stumble away from the guards with what little dignity you've left, slipping into the shade of a tree next to Ari as you watched the drills resume for the next hour.

When it was all over, Alouette dismissed the guards to their duties. Though many of them seemed to be nearly dead on their feet, the woman herself looked no worse for wear than when she had started. A gauntleted hand brushed back sweat slick hair behind her ear as she finally approached you.

>Apologize
>Ask about Caylen
>Ask about the audience
>Tell her about Carona
>Other? (write-in)

>>42161409
>>Apologize
>>Ask about the audience
>>Other? (write-in)
Has she been filled in on the option we found? If not, it'd be good to do so before we get some counseling about it.

>>42161488
This. Writing.

>>42161409
>Ask about the audience
>What about Nightgaunts
>Where is Maran

"I'm sorry, again." you speak up as she approaches, "I was actually trying to learn some sword work, but..." You glance back down in confusion at your hands, functioning perfectly fine now that they weren't in charge of not embarrassing you in front of half of Caylen's guards. "Nervousness?" Alouette guessed, and you want to chalk it up to that, but somehow it seemed too severe. You can't even recall being particularly shaky either. You shake your head in denial, offending digits clenching into fists obediently. "I had a grip, but when I went to swing, it just..." You struggle to find some word for it, but nothing comes.

Alouette doesn't bother to press you, merely considering your response in a comfortable silence for some time. "Has this happened before?"

"N-" You pause, several memories flashing to the surface. "... Yes, actually." Your eyes narrow. Alouette silently accepted that, setting the sword you had been practicing with aside for the moment. "As you waited, I presume you were looking for me for a reason beyond joining the drills?" She graciously changed the topic without needling you further over your gross inability to so much as swing a sword without screwing up.

"Ah..." You nod, remembering some of the reasons you had thought to go find Alouette. "Has there been any progress in finding a polearm for Rinnier?" You start after a moment, deciding to ease into the topic more directly on your mind. "Polearms are not typically weapons that we use here, save for larger game hunting." Alouette tapped the side of her sheathe pointedly, "We skirmish often, but our blades are primarily meant for humans, not beast."

"Polearms are for hunting?" You can't help but ask, trying to coincide Rinnier's words on the matter with Alouette's. "Not explicitly, but it is our normal use for them." She explained softly, easily sliding into a lecturing tone.

"By bracing the weapon against the ground, you can more reliably weather or discourage the charge of a heavy creature, such as a bear or elk. The bear in particular often responds to aggression by rearing up and then lunging forward to both maul and crush the offender. In this case, you may think of polearm use to be primarily that of a punji."

You nod, a little lost. You don't actually know what a punji is.

"A trap set up by some native tribes in a foreign land. Primarily effective for guerilla warfare, though it often ruins the meat, or is unable to properly kill, animals... So it is ill advised for hunting."

But... the polearm was a punji used for hunting?

"To an extent, yes. It serves a similar purpose, but with more efficient application of manpower. Your Testament is likely used to using them in a far different manner, so I expect our polearms will not be to her liking. We are still attempting to find something suitable."

Well with that out of the way... You have to ask if Caylen had told her of what they had discerned so far regarding the audience. Her expression doesn't change persay, but the way her weight shifts slightly before answering conveys a sense of reluctance to continue. "I am generally aware of his ill mood of late." She admitted politely, "Some of his rantings may have provided me enough insight to put together what was suggested to have caused them."

You purse your lips at that round-about acknowledgement, "It's the only idea we've found so far." you defend it a little personally. Partially because it was really the only thing you had found, partially because you disliked the potential implication that you had been enthusiastic to do it. "It is a last resort, if nothing else can be found... But it is all we have." The swordswoman listened as you explained the deliberation that had gone into it, and the resulting situation between Caylen, Rinnier and yourself.

"The burden of nobility is great." She offered in an un-committed tone, her eyes meeting yours with little room for pity or sympathy.

"There shouldn't be a burden!" You snap, "He knows damn well I want to help them, and I know he does too. Rinnier's trying, and she's given us the only lead we've gotten. We're all working towards the same thing, but it's like we're enemies!" For a moment, Alouette's expression wavers. A knight's veneer cracking to reveal a softer side for barely an instant. You nearly question if it had really happened, the shift replaced by something approached a resolved fatigue.

"Ser Valen, if I may speak freely?"

You blink, having never once actually experienced Alouette asking you permission for something. If anything, all your life it had been the other way around entirely. You nod curiously, "Of course, you're always welcome."

"My thanks." She bowed her head and continued in the same smooth, warm voice you associated with the older woman- "Your petty squabbles are the definition of worthless nobility." -Which caused the resulting venom to sting that much more.

"What?" You hiss back almost reflexively, but the offended pride that had begun to flare waned under her steady gaze. "Can..." You take a breath, "Can you explain, please?"

"As you say, the three of you all genuinely claim to wish to help these brigands. Your initiative to do so is admirable, I will admit..." She closed her eyes tiredly, "...But understand that in your squabble to decide HOW you wish to help them, the very people you are trying to aid continue to suffer. The longer you cannot come to a decision, the longer that stalemate continues."

When she opens her eyes again, she's staring at something further off in the distance. Averting her head, possibly out of a reluctance to actually maintain eye contact as she spoke, or to turn her eyes from the memories she spoke from.

"It is the burden of knights and soldiers to follow the will of their lords, for good or ill. When indecision wracks your minds, we take no action. We will fight, struggle, and die each and every day until order comes to move. Those people are even perhaps worse, wondering why the injustices met upon them by squabbling nobility has been seemingly ignored."

"I know that!" You entreat, "It's why I'm trying to help them now!"

"Do you?" Alouette asked dully, "Do you honestly know what they have gone through, waiting for something to happen? Can you compare your own burden to theirs, as the people who can help them, who profess the wish to help, muddle themselves in petty squabbles because they can't agree HOW to help?" You wince, and Alouette sighs, shaking her head. "Forgive me, Irue."

"No... No, it's.."

She cuts you off with a hand, "No. I do not demean your merits, nor that of Caylen or your Testament... I have said something unforgivable, even with your permission to speak as such."

"Really... It's fine." You sigh, "...I kind of... understand what you're saying."

You lapse into silence, a slight breeze picking up through the courtyard as thoughts swirl around fruitlessly in your head. "Then... From a knight's point of view." You finally ask, "What would you prefer?" Alouette's lips thinned, as if seriously considering whether or not to answer. Her shoulders rose in tension as she inhaled, finally releasing her response with the breath.

"Action. A knight of any merit yearns for a purpose to devote themselves to. A leader is more than a figure head, or someone to handle borders. To we knights, you are an ideal. Our life, the reason for honing our skills, we want something to devote ourselves to. A purpose to strengthen and defend. Without that, we are empty, and suffer for each day of that aimlessness."

"They're... not knights." You sigh.

"They are not." Alouette agreed easily, "But few are borne as such. Who can tell what the future may bring?"

>Return to study
>Continue speaking (about?)
>Try to practice with sword more
>Meditate (mana?)

>>42162335
>>Continue speaking (about?)
NightGaunts and Maran.

>>42162335
>Continue speaking (about?)
What >>42162410 said, and
>Meditate (mana?)
Let's try a different one than Luna this time. Shade?

Conscription is an interesting alternative to slavery

>>42162410
>>42162489
Continue speaking.

>>42162489
Shaaaade.
That'll be interesting.

Writing.

A few minutes pass amiably after that as Alouette once more donned her feathered tricorn hat. "If that is all, I do still have other duties to attend." She bowed at the waist slightly in askance. "Actually..." You pause, "I asked this a few days ago, but... Do you know where Jenseits has gotten to?" Her disappearance was still bothering you, especially since you had overheard her in the estate since.

"Apologies, but Ms. Jenseits hasn't been seen on the premises since the last time you asked." Alouette once more denied her presence, "If I may ask, is there a reason you have been so insistent to find her?"

"I've got some things I'd like to discuss with her." You answer a little vaguely, trying to gauge whether Alouette was honestly telling you the truth or not. For all intents and purposes, she seemed to be honest in her answer... Though you aren't certain you could read Alouette, even if she was lying. You swallow at that thought; your recent relationship deterioration with Caylen springing to mind. Alouette was someone else who held a particular spot in your childhood memories, one that could scarcely be mended or replaced should it be lost. The idea of the tepid swordswoman turning against you was as terrifying for purely emotional reasons as it was logistically.

...For now, you'd believe her. You'd believe her, because you're not certain you can really handle the thought of not doing so.

"I saw the bonfires a few nights ago," you switched tracks after a moment, "Have you encountered any nightgaunts?" Given their relative proximity, you'd be surprised if they hadn't made their way here already. The experience of walking through that haunted camp site still raided your dreams during the few eyefuls of sleep you had managed to get since.

"None." Alouette's answer came without missing a beat, but you weren't sure whether to be relieved or confused. "We had not so much as heard of their existence until you arrived, so our measures may be insufficient... However, there have never been any incidents I could think to attribute to them; Both before you arrived, and since." She raised her head inquisitively, "You say you learned of these specifics from Jenseits?"

You nod, eliciting a slight shake of her head. "Then perhaps she would be the one to ask further. I will keep this in mind, should I encounter her again."

She bids you farewell once more, this time without you trying to stop her departure. You're left with something else on your mind, a roiling displeasure with Maran Jenseits that had, for once, little to do with her relation to your cousin, and a frustrating betrayal of your body.

Looking around, there was still plenty of daylight left before evening. The light wore down on you, and you couldn't really imagine staying out in it any further... Rather, with your mind as scattered as it was now, perhaps what you needed most was a chance to meditate. You hadn't had a chance to do that since-

....
...
..
.

-You visited the Shrine at Carona, right? You held a hand to your head, warding away the white-noise like haze that threatened to develop into a headache. It had been over a month, when you used to do it at least once or twice a week. You had been so busy lately, you suppose you had simply let it slip your mind. Running through the potential Mana, you tried to line up what would probably help you the most.

Luna? You certainly needed knowledge, but perhaps you had been learning too many things these days.
Undine? The peace of mind granted by the water Mana would be a blessing...
Gnome? You snort, you don't know what calming down would even help with.
Salamander? Wisp? Jinn?

The last thing you needed was more heat to the pot, and it would be difficult with Rinnier around anyway. A carefree relaxation was the last thing you needed with this choice looming... And Wisp wasn't something you were comfortable with, so soon after that exercise.

Which left Shade.

You exhale heavily, hefting yourself up to your feet with the help of the fingerstick. Meditating in accordance to Shade was... A measure of courage. Something to move past fear and indecision. With time looming closer, the one thing you were afraid of was choking when it finally came down to it. You needed to be able to make that final decision in the end. Where most Mana had an element with which to focus their meditations around, even Wisp - the Mana of light - emphasizing the body and physical merit, Shade was a more ephemeral subject. Much like Luna, the things that Shade embodied were complex, and couldn't readily be addressed or focused upon.

Typically speaking, there was the darkness that was associated with Shade, Mana of shadow, but Shade was more than that. A trickster, a terror. It embodied fear and nightmares. Far from malicious, the Mana always seemed to wish to test and tribulate those who wandered into its domain; Confronting them with dangers and frights, often of the deadly nature, purely to provide the those who sought its council and domain a moment to 'sink or swim'. It watched hopefully, ever optimistic that the trials would be passed. That people would overcome their fears, one step at a time, and move forward.

...But it was hardly a benevolent existence. It held no care if you failed, even if it would kill you. The apparitions of Shade were congealed from ambient regrets, pain and suffering. Memories of terrible moments, the scrambling rejection of reality as death loomed at one's doorstep. Scared, lost, alone. Places that inspired fear simply by being.

While Shade would provide the opportunity to move forward, failure to meet its expectations were more often than not met with a consequence as dire as your success may have been grand.

You shake these thoughts from your head, coming to a stop with Ari at the threshold to an empty, windowless room. Traditionally, meditation in accordance to Shade was something more... Personal. It was not something pursued lightly, as it was often some measure of confronting one's fears. What you sought wasn't something that drastic. Just a little courage. A little more decisiveness. The bravery to make a choice you knew might hurt you, if it was necessary.

"Ari, can you wait out here for a little while?" You ask briefly, crossing the threshold. "I'll teach you this later, I promise, but for now... It's something I need to be alone for."

She seemed reluctant, clearly staring into the doorway as if considering whether or not it was really alright to let you leave her sight. It's more hesitance on her part than rejection though, you know she'll stay outside since you asked; She's simply unhappy about it. "I'll be out soon." You promise, handing her the finger to keepsake as you close the door. That miserable expression on her face as you close the door is probably one of the more pathetic things you've seen in the past month.

>Bring Ari inside with you, you need to teach her this stuff anyway.
>No, this should be done alone.

>>42163050
>No, this should be done alone.

Let's... not potentially scar Ari forever.

>>42163050
>No, this should be done alone.

Agreed. >>42163071

>>42163050
>>Bring Ari inside with you, you need to teach her this stuff anyway.

>>42163071
>>42163117
Should be done alone.

>>42163138
You need to teach Ari things anyway.

Writing.

The door clicks shut, and the light streaming in from the hallway is cut off. She wouldn't like it, but you'd teach her more about this later. For now, it's something you needed to do for yourself, which meant focusing entirely on what you were doing rather than trying to instruct someone. With the sole light source cut off, you're left staring blankly into the pitch black room. You had briefly memorized a rough layout of it before entering, so it wasn't as if you were entirely blind.

You stub your toe, cursing under your breath immediately as you think that. It takes you a few more clips to the shin before you finally find the couch.

As you were saying, you weren't entirely blind. You had a rough idea of where the furniture was, give or take an inch. Or three. More over, nothing in this room was particularly frightening to you. In all honesty, it was just a simple unused room, you had many of the same at home. Similarly, what you were doing now was something you had done before in your attempts to meditate in accordance with Shade. If you couldn't, or weren't interested in fully embracing fear, the next best thing was to use the dark.

You close your eyes, of little use now considering what you could see without light, and let your mind drift to the things troubling you. Starting with these decisions, your inability to wield a weapon, Rinnier's reaction a few days ago, Caylen's changes, Maran's connection to him, the Nightgaunts...

The longer you let your mind drift, the further it went. At some point, you had accumulated an entire scroll full of concerns and traumas. How were Asche and Kara doing, anyway? Had Kara taken an opportunity and left? Had they been able to find the Tiers? Would you be ready when the brigands returned? Would you be able to give them an answer?

To a lesser extent, you have to wonder what was going on in the world. Nothing made sense, but you were getting more and more involved in it. Did you even know what you were doing?

You bit your lip, insecurities and concerns flooding out almost unbidden. One thing led to another, cascading into a torrent of thoughts that were starting to choke you under their weight. You had ignored some of these, set them aside as things you'd deal with later - later, like Rinnier's people? You'd deal with that later? How were you even going to find them? You didn't have any contacts. Ask Caylen again? Sure, keep relying on Caylen, especially to fulfill a promise you made between Rinnier and yourself specifically to prove she could rely on YOU. If you did find them, what then? You didn't have any money. You never had any money, you were hoping to fix that but got sidetracked, now this issue with Roderik. Had Caylen's shrine friends managed anything? Had the letter of complaint reached your aunt and uncle yet?

Mouth parting, gasping for air in the darkened, stale air. What the hell had you been doing with your life before this? Now? You're trying to decide the fate of what, thirty... fourty people? At most? That's thirty to fourty more LIVES in your hand than you've ever had responsibility for. If you screw up, isn't it the entire country? What about Rinnier's people? Ari? Ari didn't deserve to get dragged into any of this.

The pressure increases, chin tilting back as tears start to pool in the corner of your eyes. You want to cry, but nothing can escape. The urge to scream overwhelms you the more you think about everything that's going on, but you can barely choke out a pitiful gurgle. This wasn't supposed to happen, all of this was to avoid a marriage, and the shafting of your inheritance. You were just supposed to go through this Rite, become head, and laugh over it later. Your rite... your Rite, when did your Rite even end? What was required from it? This was the test that would decide the rest of your life, and you knew nothing about it. What was it testing? How do you pass?

You're failing it, you're definitely failing it. How could anyone look at Ari and see competence? Look at Rinnier and see trust? Kara and see loyalty?

This was a mistake. This was a mistake, a mistake, a mistake. You made a mistake.

You try to jerk to the side, hands grasping out feebly as stars begin to creep into your vision. You didn't want any of this. You stepped into it, and you never thought any of this would be like it was. You couldn't breathe, this damned room was suffocating, the pressure on your throat nearly enough to creak your spine. Hands scramble to claw at your neck, to massage feeling back into that simple tube you needed air to travel through.

And your fingers alight on something solid.

Your eyes snap open, dilating painfully in the dark, pulsing as if to burst as your body demanded air, blurry from unshed tears. The pain in your chest as your heartbeat fluctuated wildly was pressured along by the stress of everything you had inadvertently started to think about. This was who you were in the dark. You weren't confident about any of this. You were making it up as you went along, you were trying your damndest and it wasn't good enough. You weren't READY for this.

Eyes trying to find focus in the darkness, but there's nothing to discern.

'Apparition' A detached part of you notes with more clinical assurance that you feel in your entire body. 'Newborn Shade Elemental'

Your fingers numbly fumble against the very real hands wrapped around your neck.

'Manifest Insecurity'

A soft light from your left sheds light on the pitch black replica of yourself attempting to physically choke you to death atop your own problems.

'Doppleganger'

>Attempt to yell again
>Try to wrestle it off of you
>Push backwards and try to escape
>This is enough, isn't it? You didn't want any of this anyway.

>>42163510
>>Try to wrestle it off of you

>>42163510
>Try to wrestle it off of you
>Attempt to yell again

>>42163576
>>42163583
Wrestle it off.

>>42163583
Scream.

Writing.

Your hands weakly wrap around your doppleganger's wrists, trying to pry them away from your throat. You needed air, how could you have mistaken being physically choked for being choked up? There had to be a limit to your incompetence, didn't there? You had to be able to do SOMETHING right, didn't you? Your nails scrape against the solidified shadows, failing to find any purchase in the thing's limbs as you move straight to attempting to peel its fingers back and away.

You were going to die here, weren't you? All the things you went through, every time you scraped by with just the skin of your teeth, and you were going to die right here, like a dog. Not even a dog, a dog at least could fight back. You were lower than that, worse than that. You struggle, attempting to lean forward and get a better position, but the doppleganger's grip only seemed to be growing stronger. Or you were growing weaker. You were always weak, relying on people to get things done. Ever since your sister had died it was Asche, and before that, wasn't your sister the one who was always the brave one? You followed her. Things were okay because she was around. She was that beacon of confidence, and she and your parents died, what was left?

You?

You sputter a self-loathing laugh, spitting up onto the uncaring arm of the Doppleganger as it loomed over you more imposingly. You were a coward in the end, weren't you? Only going when someone else would come with you, or go first. You hadn't taken Asche in, she had taken pity on you. Aunt and uncle were right to hide you away. They knew you wouldn't be any good with the world like it was... Let you become heir? YOU? You could almost understand why they had tried to just quietly marry you off. You'd have done the damn same thing.

You twist your body desperately, only barely succeeding in slipping from the couch onto the floor. The pressure was unrelenting, if anything the hard shock to your head sent your vision white for a brief moment upon impact with the ground. Your doppleganger had taken the opportunity to mount you in the meantime, its own wraithish tendrils of shadowed hair falling across the two of you like a veil to shut out the outside world as it leaned in closer and desperately started to try and crush your windpipe. You could see the denial in the creature as you flailed to push it away, the same features you knew to be your own; Crying, shaking its head, lips moving in a silent plea to just die. Die and don't come back.

There was a blinding crease in your vision beginning to creep along the outside edges, gradually growing to block out even the darkness with the headache inducing searing of your vision starting to fail. You continue to struggle, but its position was stronger than it was a moment ago. Baring straight down on you, a grip like an iron clamp, your feet kick out desperately, slamming into table and furniture alike as you try to find some purchase, or buck your hips up to dismount your assailant. Futile efforts, much like most of the rest of your efforts. Like with Rinnier, you couldn't do this right. No matter how hard you tried, even when it seemed like you were improving, something went wrong because of you.

>Stop caring. Just give up, let it be over.
>Why resist? You can't do anything right.
>Try and find something loose to hit it with
>Struggle to dismount it
>Other? (write-in)

>>42163757
>>Try and find something loose to hit it with
If we can't find anything, at least punch it or something to loosen its grip.

>>Other? (write-in)
Calm down. It's preying on our fears. None of these inadequacies matter if we can eventually beat them.

>>42163757
>Try and find something loose to hit it with
>Your name is Irue Valen and you do not give up.

>>42163816
>>42163821
Find something to hit it with.

>>42163816
>>42163821
Assorted happy thoughts.

Writing.
You might want to start rolling some 1d100s...

Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>42163891
>>42163816

Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>42163891
Sure. What's the worst that could happen?

>>42163905
... Oh dear.

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>42163891

>>42163913
...At least >>42163911 rolled twice as much

>>42163920
Well, THAT'S slightly more heartening. Not sure what sort of dice thresholds are being used, but it's good to see that at least the dice aren't going to go down without a fight.

Your attempts to thrust the doppleganger off of you slowly to crawl to a halt. This was it. A part of you, an ever increasing part of you, just wants to lay back and embrace oblivion. You tried, you failed, story of your life, just let it end already. You were tired of trying, just to get kicked in the face again...

...Yet your hand wrapped around the leg of a side table, stubbornly gripping it with a strength born of dying light. You wanted this to end, you didn't want to do this anymore, but...

But damn if you were going to die here. Your arm burns from strain as you leverage all the fulcrum you could manage from your position and violently jerk the side table towards you, hearing a gratifying crash as something upon the table smashed into the doppleganger's skull hard. A clatter of something jagged and sharp cascaded to the floor, your own desperate efforts to resist curling back to life with a voiceless scream. You screwed up a lot, almost every time you did something, something went wrong. So what? You adapted. You were damn good at adapting! There had been setbacks, but you hadn't definitively lost anything yet.

Your bravado waned as Garet's promise to come back floated to mind. He hadn't been important to you, to be honest you had barely known him for a single day. You owed him no loyalty, no responsibility, no care. It wasn't pain that you felt from his loss, but guilt. That had been your first kill, as inadvertent as it was - But it wasn't simply him. He was a face. A face to remember, a single face that represented the hundreds of people you sentenced to death that night. To say you hadn't lost anything yet, could you honestly say that? Those people, you were talking about helping the same people who you thoughtlessly allowed to die simply because you were rushing to get Ari back.

...No, they deserved that. You had no way of knowing. It wasn't fair to say it was your fault for those choices, when you had no way of knowing, right?

Excuses ring hollow in your ears even now. So what if you didn't know back then? What's done is done, and it's your fault. The survivors wouldn't forgive you simply because you didn't know. And was that even true? Couldn't you have listened to Garet? Could you have done something differently? Kept them alive?

You dimly feel something cutting into your hand as you roll your arm quickly across the ground, grasping clumsily onto a large piece of the jagged shards that had fallen. In your panic, the very thing you seek cuts into your palm. It's a sharp pain, dulled by your fading senses, and you ignore it entirely in favor of trying to drive the pointy end into the doppleganger's neck.

You killed them because you were ignorant. Ignorant of what a nightgaunt was. Ignorant of who they were. Just like you were ignorant of the world, like you were ignorant of what the traditional Rite meant. Like you're ignorant of the past, ignorant of the way to save the remains of the people you killed. You'd been making choices, not knowing the consequences you were stepping into, ever since this whole fiasco began!

Your eyes burn, tears that had nothing to do with being choked streaking out the corner of your eyes as you drive the jagged sliver of pottery into the doppleganger's neck, your sister's dual-ringed bracelet burning warmly against your wrist as blood from your palm ran down your arm and soaked it in the hot liquid pulsing through your veins. Yes, that's fine, you fucking did it! No hiding from it, no denying it, you did that! You HAD lost something, you lost a LOT of things!

The doppleganger flinched as its neck was pierced, not bleeding as a proper flesh and blood mortal would be apt to, but the grip on your neck loosened and allowed you the first glorious gasp of air you had been able to suck into your lungs since this hell had begun. It hurt to breathe, Wisp preserve it burned like fire just to hold the air in.

A guttural scream rips from your abused throat as you press violently into the doppleganger, acutely becoming aware of the broken pottery in your hand cutting into your own flesh as you struggle to thrust it further inside. In one, inelegant, raw motion your own hand snaked out to latch onto the doppleganger's throat as you twisted yourself over and sent the two of you crashing through the room until you slammed against something else. In the tumult, only a vague sense of awareness remained to you. A physical link, your body melding with the doppleganger as your legs intertwined through gasping breath and shifting weight. You roll to a stop, the mount-reversed, pressing your hips down on the doppleganger as your one free hand latches onto your shadow-copy's throat just as it had not moments before.

A violent rip tears the shard from its neck and into the air, your fingers tightening around its throat until the knuckles shown white in the dim light. It was still crying, even now, still crying. Mouthing those words.

>Hate and Rage
>Desist and Despondence
>Sacrifice and Tribute
>Denial and Rejection
>Who You Are In The Dark

>>42164192
>>Sacrifice and Tribute
>>Who You Are In The Dark
Not 100% sure what these might mean but...

If it represents our fears and insecurities, we shouldn't deny and reject them.

>>42164192
>Sacrifice and Tribute
What we've already left behind, and what we will need to learn how to leave behind in the future.

It's not always going to be all Grit and Determination, Irue.

Only one option can be chosen here.
Choose carefully.

>>42164241
As in, everyone can only vote for one, or only the majority vote will matter?

>>42164260
Both. You may only vote for one thing, only the majority will win.

There will be consequences.

>>42164192
I'm >>42164231

>Who You Are In The Dark

>>Who You Are In The Dark

>>42164192
>>Who You Are In The Dark

File: ItsHappening.gif (1.84 MB, 1920x1080)

1.84 MB GIF

>>42164233
Sacrifice and Tribute.

>>42164277
>>42164287
>>42164288
Who You Are In The Dark.
___

Hahaha...

>>42164347
Kurumi a shit.

Die. Die and don't come back, please. It never wanted this, it never asked for this, just make it stop. drops of shadow spill from its eyes as you feel its neck begin to give under your grips.

A doppleganger, an apparition of Shade born of insecurities. They grow from your worries, maturing as the concerns and petty fears of the ones who birth them are ingrained upon them until they're experienced enough to exist without their host. Parasites, who will grow to become your hesitation incarnate, consuming you from within until it can consume you without, eventually becoming you entirely. There were never violent, you might even go so far as to call them timid. From the beginning, they were born of indecision and fear, down to their core, it is what they are. They are everything they learn from you, until all that remains of you is what they represent.

Kill. Just kill me, please. I never wanted this, I didn't want to be here, I can't make it stop. It struggles futilely under you, a lithe body of shadows writhing under you as it slowly shook its head with wide, panicked eyes.

In the black room, only the dim glow of your late sister's dual-ringed bracelet shed away the darkness to reveal the identical featured apparition. Blood ran down your arm, a shard of clay dropping carelessly from your hand as you slowly bring the hand to your face. Your frown starting to slip as you feel the blood painting your hand begin to wipe across your face. Crimson eyes reflect a molten light from the bloodstained bracelet, and you thrust down with your other hand suddenly to still the thrashing doppleganger. Its mouth opens, trying to scream just as you had not moments ago, but nothing escapes its throat.

Please. Please stop this, let me go. Why are you doing this? Why was I born for this? I didn't want to come here. Hands clawing at your arm, shadowy nails unable to find purchase along your sleeve, nor against your skin.

I made a mistake. I existed, it is my sin. I'm sorry, it hurts, please. Pleading eyes of pitch black stare up from beneath you, but you can't bring yourself to answer. More than reluctance, its disgust that begins to well inside of you. This doppleganger is you. Born of you, born from you, a parasite made to incarnate aspects of you.

I... I want my sister. I don't want to be here alone anymore, I'm scared. I keep making mistakes. I made a mistake, I'm sorry.

It couldn't speak, but you understood. You understood it painfully, because these thoughts were things you never allowed yourself to get trapped in. You pushed forward, you took everything that came and you adapted as best you could. You had many mistakes, so many mistakes, countless shortcomings, but you moved forward.

I'm afraid. What have you done to me? Why do you keep doing this to me? I... I don't...!

Pain. You knew it was suffering. You didn't understand why, but from the beginning it had asked only that you die - Then later that you kill it. Even now it alternated between begging for an end and struggling to escape. This was you? This was what it had learned? You stare down emptily at the doppleganger, lifting your braceleted hand from your face. If you killed it, if you killed it right now, that was it. All of your hesitation, all your insecurity, it would be gone. Like severing an entire piece of you from the whole. You could crush it underneath you, move forward and make any decision you needed to make.

It.. It hurts... Who am I?

It jerked under you, chest heaving as its faux-breathing sped into a hyperventilation. It was beginning to panic, gasping for air it didn't even need in order to live. Choking... Choking on what? You reach down, drawing your blooded hand across its smooth, blackened cheek even as your kept firm grasp around its neck. Precious thing, dear piece of me, do you want it to end?

More than anything.

Fingers trace its jaw, grasping its trembling chin between thumb and index to tilt it back and expose the arching, delicate neck that you strangled without a second thought. "No."

It stills, a single breath of disbelief, before its struggles renew. Futile movements, an agony that wracked its body. It hurt, didn't it? A lot of things hurt. Every failure, every misstep. You grin and bare it. You snap and lash out to defeat it. You adapt and make the most of it. You suffer, you thrive. "All you have to do is give up." You whisper hoarsely, drawing your braceleted hand past its neck to hover over the doppleganger's chest. It shook its head, closing its eyes tightly as its panicking slowly died, reduced to a persistent, pitiful whimper.

I can't. Please, just make it stop. I want to, I can't make it stop, I can't.

"No. Of course you can't." You snort, eyes burning as the bracelet's dull light unravelled the shadows that composed its body. "You're part of me."

I don't want to do this, I'm sorry, please, let me go-

"You're Irue Valen."

-Why did you summon me, why are you doing this-

"You can't give up."

It screamed as your hand thrust into its chest, plunging the dimly lit room back into darkness as the bracelet disappeared within the doppleganger's abyssal flesh.

"I won't let you."

"...Master?" Ari looked up quickly as the door clicked open, stumbling to your side quickly as the twilight-lit halls spread light over the blood smeared across your face and staining your sleeve. "...Are you okay?" The question was rhetorical, but it was the best the timid Testament could manage. You take a deep breath, stretching as you do so, and click the door shut behind you.

"I'm okay. I feel pretty good." you answer after a moment. "I had a lot on my mind, but I think I've managed to figure some things out."

"...You're hurt." Ari disagreed weakly, ducking her head as she mustered the courage to speak up. "You're really hurt."

You glance at your hand, clenching the unmarred skin under the stains of blood along your bare wrist. "I encountered something unexpected." You offer vaguely, "I do need to wash, though."

Ari glances between you and the closed door behind you, visibly unsure about what was going on. "..."

>Are you okay, Ari?
>Let's go, there's nothing in there.
>Disobeying me?
>Ari, Come.

>>42164901
>>Let's go, there's nothing in there.

>>42165000
This.

Writing.

You shake your head, "There's nothing in there." You reiterate, holding your hand out to the timid Testament. "Let's go, I need to take a bath and I can't leave you here on your own." Ari's reluctance seemed only marginally abated, but your second request for her to come with you was finally accepted. You take hold of her hand once more as you briefly try to remember where the bathes were.

...

Well, you'll just walk until you find them.

Progress with Ari is particularly slow, the emaciated girl barely capable of stumbling after you even with the help of the fingerstick in her other hand. From time to time it seemed like you'd need to pull her along or she'd fall behind. Even then, you were barely managing a casual walking speed. After only a few minutes of wandering about, she's already breathing like she's run a marathon. The thought of just telling her to stay somewhere was admittedly tempting.

She'd probably stay in one place, wouldn't she? Or you guess there was Rinnier. You'd come back for her, of course. After you were finished with what you were doing.

>Leave Ari here. Tell her to stay.
>Just drag her along, she'll keep up if you pull her.
>Drop her with Rinnier so you can go do things.
>Pick Ari up and carry her, she's can barely walk.

>>42165159
Find a servant ask where the bathes are. Then depending on how far away the are either drag Ari with us( possibly after explaining we're doing this so she can stand and walk on her own) or drop her with Rinnier.

>>42165159
>>Pick Ari up and carry her, she's can barely walk.

>>42165184
>>42165159
Seconding

>>42165172
Asking servant.

>>42165172
Drag or Drop depending proximity.

>>42165184
Carry Ari.

Writing.

>>42165225
Beat me to the post.

Revising to carrying Ari, then.

>>42165184
>>42165225
Why? All we're doing is making her more dependent upon us to the point where she'll never improve. We're babying her.

You fall back, scooping Ari up off her feet in an abrupt motion that elicited a frightened squeak from the exhausted and timid Testament. This was how you could move faster, wasn't it? Not be dragged down by Ari just barely moving along. "Hang tight." You mutter as Ari clutched the fingerstick to her, picking up your pace through the halls. You shift your hand away from the fingerstick as you get a better grip on the timid Testament and make a point to find you and give you directions to the bath.

Yes, you're fine. You assure the startled servant that you weren't injured, and the blood was just a result of something unexpected happening. Regardless of whether they believed you or not, you got the instructions you needed.

At the door, Ari's squirming finally became too difficult to keep up with. She shook her head insistently as you approached the baths, metaphorically putting her footdown as best she could. "What?" You finally set her down, watching in confusion as she backed away from the door to the baths. "I know you've had a bath before, Ari." You try to convince her, offering a half-hearted smile, but she resolutely continues to shake her head in rejection. "Not..." She stuttered uncertainly, "It wasn't..."

Well, she seemed pretty reluctant. You suppose it wasn't as if she was the one who needed the bath, though.

"Fine, I won't make you go in." You hold your hands up, turning back towards the baths. "Just stay put out here, I'll be out in a few minutes."

File: ValEnd.gif (1023 KB, 500x281)

1023 KB GIF

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Valen+Quest

And we are archived.

I'll lurk the thread for a bit to try and answer some questions if I can.

Apologies to all anons who participated in Valen Quest but died at their keyboards wondering when QM would finally stop.

To those who did not make it to the end, we will never forget your sacrifice.

Mostly stopping because I need time to plan certain progressions from here. Your choices in the following threads will be rather crucial, so I can't really afford to wing them while tired.

>>42165458
Is conscription or indebting them a viable plan? What was the ramifications of who you are in the dark besides a confidence boost?

>>42165513
Conscripting them is one of the methods you could deal with them. There were five ways in all, not counting ad-libbing, and you've found two.

1. Enslavement.
2. Conscription.
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?
___

Ramifications of Who You Are In The Dark... Extensive. The first four options were the usual fare for dealing with mana. Each of them represented certain methods of dealing with grief.

Getting angry.
Becoming depressed.
Accepting it and becoming stronger for it.
Hiding through denial.

...The fifth option, the one you chose, was not.
Depending on how things progress from here, you could consider it your first formal step down a potentially painful path.

>>42165575
Serfdom another way?


And we'll crap.

>>42165617
Well*

>>42165617
you can always try serfdom. Not all methods will give you the same results, they're just pre-generated "here, try this" from different points of view, so the players don't feel like they're just being thrust aimlessly into dealing with it. It gives you options to think over.

All of the choices of pros and cons to them. Some of them are explored and laid out clearly, others might require some thinking.

Depending on choices taken, you may not even find them all before the audience. In fact, I'm roughly certain you won't. You've passed the opportunity to find at least one already.

>>42165662
It had to do with Jenseits didn't it?

>>42165662
This quest got worse read between the lines than AEQ.

>>42165662
Yes.

Getting that one was a little tricky, as it required you go back to get her immediately after cowing the brigands, thus ensuring her presence in the estate to consult later.

>>42165691
I'm still unfamiliar with AEQ. Though generally speaking, I try to keep the more abstract options restricted to, as some may notice, dealing with Mana.

This is done deliberately, as interacting with them in general stretches your ability to communicate and comprehend. Irue is just as confused and baffled as the player in these situations, only able to convey general sentiments.

This can actually change if you study mana more. Becoming more familiar with a mana can add more context to options regarding that mana.

>>42165758
Imprisonment is an option too isn't it? Why does Irue seem unable to use any weapon? And I don't mean from lack of skill I mean not allowed to by her bracelet? Also that bracelet, has she examined it closely?

>>42165814
Anything the players want to try is an option. Whether it was one of the pre-gen options or not, I won't actually answer. However, the pre-gen options are just things to choose from if you don't have an idea you personally prefer. There will be an "Other?" option when the time comes.

The bracelet is your late sister's bracelet. You obtained it in thread one. It is composed of two bronze rings crossed over each other. You treasure it dearly, for it is your only memento left of her.

I wondered how long it would take before someone realize that Irue was literally incapable of using weapons. There is a reason for this, and the players almost have enough meta information to piece it together... Unfortunately, I doubt it will be revealed in-thread any time soon.

>>42165873
I picked up on it with Caylen, alouette hammered it in. It's because that bracelet and the battle state she enters while fighting isn't it? Also does Irue have the potential to be one of the multiple mana users?

>>42165902
The pseudo-trance Irue enters during certain combat sequences is related, yes. You may notice that when it triggers, and at what intensity, is variable - This is not random. There are reasons and elements involved in its function.

As for multiple mana user... The answer to this is complicated. Irue will never be Mint. The favor of Mana... As stated, Irue is almost universally uncared for by the Mana. No favor from any of them, but no particular disfavor either.

...But it's not impossible to gain the power of Mana. If you're willing to walk that road, and accept the responsibility it entails.

>>42165963
Has to do with how hurt and stressed she is, as well as how big the threat is right?

>>42166018
Sort of. I won't explain the details of it, as they're somewhat related to plot things.

Suffice to say, it is not free-ride safety net. The intensity of its activation based on stress and danger is harshly limited, while the nature of the threat is more relevant than how "big" it is.

For example, Alouette or your aunt could murder Irue without breaking a sweat, even with that trance. It is, at most, a minor survival tool for low grade threats.

But that's all I am willing to discuss in that regard.

>>42166071
>oakenbear
>low grade threat
Well fuck, Irue is dead then.

>>42166095
Irue did nearly die fighting the oakenbear. Had anon not chosen for Rinnier to return, Irue would have been dead, and the quest would have continued from Rinnier's point of view.

There were 3 options to leave, and 1 to return to Irue. I left the choice in your hands.

>>42166141
Wouldn't Irue's death effectively end the quest? Since there would be no Valen? Wouldn't Rinnier also have been fucked over hard ditching as the testament?

>>42166167
There is an entire house of Valen. Irue just happens to be your focal point.

It would not have been easy for Rinnier, no, but that was something that would have been dealt with (by anon) when the time came.

Choices led us down a different route, though. So it is something of a moot point now.

Going to shut down now. This post is saged so as to not bother the rest of the board.

Thanks for playing, everyone. Maybe one day I'll be able to update fast enough to keep the attention of more players!

You guys sticking around through these 45m-1h updates are wonderful. I apologize for the waits.