"Alright, everyone, Gravern Keep is close, and there's... No way they don't already know we're here. Everyone be careful. Remember that NONE of you are above dying."

A few eyes are fixed on you, in particular, miss daredevil herself, which you don't want to say are wrong (mainly because they really aren't) as you finally head down the path you didn't take long ago.

Eva, leading the way along with designated meatshield Reese, opens a trapdoor into a lush garden, in which a lush witch is currently dropping a hideously powerful spell of dark magic on a General-class. The ambient scene is countered by the death surrounding it, and the figure simply glances at you all.

"Eh, hey," she says rather awkwardly, "it's, er... Safe to come out. I've been on ambush-countering duty until you guys showed up."

"Esmer, right?" Eva says with a grin, "haven't seen you since-"

"-since you fled the country after undoing our effort capturing Lars," Reese finishes with no amusement.

Esmer raises her hands in defense, "hey, guys... Look, Lars couldn't exactly do his thing cooped up in a castle! He has no intent of opposing Neir or its allies now that he's broken out of Dain's grip! Now he's just trying to save his mom. You see, she's-"

>A. You already know about that
>B. Okay cool where's she kept
>C. Why are you waiting then
>D. Write-in
>E. Be silent. This isn't your time to talk

>>43185567
Time renewed, par for the course.

>>43185844
I really don't mind doing this renewing thing again and again for the first odd-hour of the thread. I mean, I would prefer people get here quickly especially since the final few threads have a ton of ground to cover, but I know people are busy and I respect that, and I know they'll turn up eventually.

Ugh, that came off too passive-aggressively.

I also welcome newcomers, simply asking that you read the most recent summary. It's what it's there for.

>>43185567
>>A. You already know about that
>>B. Okay cool where's she kept
>>C. Why are you waiting then

>>43185567
>C. Why are you waiting then
Sorry I'm late.
I've been waiting on hanging captchas for ten fucking minutes

>>43186268
>>43186394
"Well, then, why are you waiting here?"

"I just said that... That he told me-"

"Anyway, we knew about Princess Alexia."

Canis waves, "my doing."

Esmer nods, "alright, alright..."

"Where're they keeping her?"

Esmer shrugs. "Lars is just... On the warpath trying to find her! I know, he's confident in his invunerability and speed, but... Gh, he knew this place better than I did, and ordered me to wait here."

Eva speaks up once again. "Alright, alright, if I had to figure, she's being kept in... No, no, we just left Aum... Gh, this stupid castle's a hellscape of traps and puzzles since before I left. Grandpa's really paranoid, so he keeps having things redesigned or relocated, and nothing makes sense."

"We can confirm," Bryce nods, "this place is bullshit."

Asra closes her eyes thoughtfully. "Perhaps... Where Kia was held."

"That was the... Western tower, right?"

"I believe it was the Eastern one."

Bryce and Asra are interrupted by Canis saying, "could be either one, with how either tower is equipped... Either way, running up there when they're on high alert is a death wish, least when everyone puts their eggs in a basket at the top of the tower. That being said... If we can kill or capture the Emperor or his son..." Eva shudders, causing Canis to add, "what? It's a valid possibility."

"So... We'll need people just holding people off from sending reinforcements into the castle, people in both towers, and a group headed directly for Emperor Elias'... Where is he?" Salia asks.

"Guy's in love with cliche by all reports, so... Probably the throne room," Esmer suggests.

"Alright," Garrus says, "we're gonna... Need to send a few people in every direction. Any path missed could lead to good lives being lost, but so can going somewhere you're not prepared for!"

"More last-minute planning, then?" Yvette says.

"Yeah, looks like it..."

>A. Head to the Western tower
>B. Head to the Eastern tower
>C. Hold off reinforcements
>D. Seek out Elias

>>43186536
>>D. Seek out Elias

>>43186536
>D. Seek out Elias

>>43186661
>>43186713
Looks like you, King Garrus, Canis, Yvette, and Victoria are headed straight for the throne room.

Esmer, Biff, Byron, Yancy, Nat, Reese, Misheil, Logan, Bolse, and Katina are going to be taking care of reinforcements.

Salia, Zoe, Monica, Cheryl, Anna, and Quidel are to be on the Western tower.

Eva, Gorman, Bryce, Laurina, Asra, Maria, and Stefyn are headed for the Eastern tower.

Just about the only group that'll be able to immediately know of the others' success right away is the first.

"Wait..." Salia hands something to her brother: the mostly-broken Witch Pendant.

"Salia, why're you..."

"Garrus, you're our leader. Please, if something happens to you... I don't even know if this'll work, but at least try to use it."

"Salia..."

Monica glares silently.

>A. Let them sort this out however they do
>B. Object
>C. She's right
>D. Write-in

>>43186966
>B. Object
Garrus will be fine. He has me to protect him after all, and so will you for that matter

>>43186966
>>A. Let them sort this out however they do

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>43187067
>>43187064

>>43187124
You don't say anything.

"...I don't need it. I mean, I'm just... I'm probably heading into a less dangerous situation here, and I'm the more experienced fighter, and-"

Salia nods, cutting him off as she puts it back on. "Alright, alright, you be the one without a safety net this time. I owe you one, though."

"Deal..?"

"Thank you."

And with that, the groups split apart as described. How things played out from there, only time will tell.

The following events occur basically simultaneously.

>A. Follow the group headed for the Western Tower first
>B. Follow the group headed for the Eastern tower first
>C. Stick with Ellen first and foremost

And if C...

>D. Follow the others another thread
>E. What's the point after that

>>43187265
>C. Stick with Ellen first and foremost
>D. Follow the others another thread

>>43187301
Seconding

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>>43187301
>>43187322
Naturally, the five of you hurry down the hall, not interrupted by any such thing as cuts between the scenes of as many as five different POVs.

"Alright, the throne room was..."

Canis pulls Victoria away from a fake floor dropping into a pit of spikes. "This way. The traps let up after a certain point, else his majesty wouldn't be able to get around, but I figure whenever we get onto that particular route..."

You and Garrus duck-roll out of the way of arbitrary swinging axes. "Hate to be a servant here..." Garrus remarks.

"Yeah, help around here either doesn't last or gets... Kinda freaky," Canis remarks.

>A. Freaky how
>B. You have a sudden urge to duck
>C. You have a sudden urge to leap out of the way of something
>D. Write-in

>>43187520
Shit, I forgot that I took the paladins out of this scene. Got too caught up in my computer being a slow shit to remember.

>>43187520
>>B. You have a sudden urge to duck
I'm assuming b and c are mutually exclusive?

>>43187566
Yeah.

>>43187520
>A. Freaky how
>B. You have a sudden urge to duck

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>>43187665
>>43187566
"Freaky... How?" You ask, ducking just in time to avoid a knife being thrown directly at you.

"Think you've figured it out."

A woman clad in what absolutely cannot be practical wear for battle stands on the opposite end of a false floor trap, holding another throwing knife. "Hello," she says in a sweet voice, "did you have a meeting with Emperor Elias?"

Victoria aims her bow at that one before another appears and holds her back from behind. "Canis, are these your guests? I wish we'd had more time to prepare..."

You and Yvette draw your swords, and Garrus his staff in one hand, axe in the other. A third maid drops down. "Now, now, you don't want to hurt yourselves swinging those around, do you?"

"Hrn... Unhand her," Yvette demands.

"We would like to avoid making too big of a mess. Cleaning out these traps is... Unpleasant enough in impromptu practice sessions."

>A. Immediately attack the closest one
>B. Immediately attack the one past the pit
>C. Immediately attack the one Victoria is held by (Victoria is between you both. You'd need to trust your accuracy)
>D. Offer to lay down your weapon
>E. Say something (specify)
>F. Let someone else handle this

>>43187921
>>D. Offer to lay down your weapon
While Ellen gets closer to the maid holding Victoria. If they're distracted enough and we have an open shot at the maid then attack?

>>43187921
>look at can is expectantly
Attack now? Or is talking futile

>>43188130
>>43188182
"Alright, alright... I'm putting my sword down. Just... Hand Victoria back to us." You walk forward slightly, keeping your hands where everyone can see them.

They think you need something in them, don't they?

"Ellen, what on Earth are you doing?"

You don't answer Yvette, though the maid does look somewhat quizzically. "You ought to follow your friend's example. As I said, swinging such sharp objects around in the castle makes such a mess."

Canis speaks up now. "Alright, we'll keep your traps clean... Could you just point us to the safest route? The traps have changed in the HOURS I've been downstairs."

"Of course, of course, Lady Canis." A maid bows. "That door over there should take you right down a short hall into the throne room with... Just a single pitfall. Of course, the door itself is rigged with an... Experimental test involving a magical barrier. We've nicknamed it 'Anguilla's Arena,' for reasons that will be apparent to whichever person approaches it first, but suffice to say that it is a rather archetypical 'two enter, one leave' situation."

Another (as in one you haven't seen before) maid adds, "of course, as soon as one of you has challenged Anguilla, the rest of us are expected to get to work. I suggest the two of you who were disarmed... Rearm yourselves."

>A. Volunteer to take on the trap in question
>B. Nah, fight the maids (someone else will trigger the duel-trap)
>C. Forget formality, just grab your sword and start fighting! (while a valid idea, I warn that the difficulty of the consequences will be hard to predict)
>D. Write-in?

>>43188354
>A. Volunteer to take on the trap in question

>>43188354
>A. Volunteer to take on the trap in question

>>43188354
>>A. Volunteer to take on the trap in question
Ask the maids on any useful info about our foe.

>>43188425
>>43188523
>>43188554
"I'll do it." You have some bragging to make good on.

"Thank you for volunteering. Streamlining the process means we might get to cleanup that much sooner!" A fifth one? Well, you guess it makes sense for this place to have plenty of maids.

You also have a few questions about Emperor Elias' tastes, but that's neither here nor there.

"Mind the sword pit~."

"Thanks."

You step over a suddenly-unveiled hole in the ground and approach the doorway in question. Before putting your hand on the doorknob, you quickly turn and ask, "anything I should know about my opponent?"

The barrier appears around you, and with it a rather egregious bit of music.

https://youtu.be/ljr0fOhBWGo

"Canis told you the 'another realm' thing, correct?"

"Er... Yeah, why?"

"It just made me consider something funny~." The maid giggles as your opponent, a swordswoman nearly as tall as yourself, several swords and tomes strapped to various parts of her light armor, clad in a mask like Bovis had in your first meetings with him, also appears within the barrier.

>A. Strike!
>B. See what Anguilla does first, hopefully prepare for it
>C. Check on the others fighting the maids
>D. Say something
>E. Write-in

>>43188703
>>A. Strike!

>>43188703
>A. Strike!
Come on azure dragon sword

This is your time to shine

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>>43188750
>>43188783
You immediately take a swing with your ranged attack, and Anguilla dodges, her mask being sliced, before doing similar things with a Wind Sword.

It stings a lot even when it doesn't hit you, both sword-beams absorbed powerlessly by the barrier.

"This thing's just going to get in my eyes now that you've messed it up," Anguilla says in an eerily familiar voice, though you don't really have much time to puzzle out the implications with the mask being thrown in your face.

You cut IT in half with a sword beam before fixing your eyes on... A less-muscular, red-eyed version of yourself.

Really, bar her hair being even shorter, this is a dead ringer for what you looked like on your last day in Orsin Village.

"Surprised? Yeah, I, uh... expected that."

>A. Don't care. Just keep attacking
>B. Ask how this happened/can be
>C. Be ready to defend or dodge
>D. Glance at the others-just for a moment (will be safer if you get her to speak, obviously)
>E. Write-in

>>43188956
>B. Ask how this happened/can be
>C. Be ready to defend or dodge

>>43188956
>>B. Ask how this happened/can be
>D. Glance at the others-just for a moment (will be safer if you get her to speak, obviously)

>>43188956
>C. Be ready to defend or dodge
>B. Ask how this happened/can be
Even if shit is going down we are too stuck between dimensions right now regardless

>>43189005
>>43188995
>>43189034
Okay, you normally don't give a shit about yourself, but this one has you for a loop. "Wait... How could this happen?"

"Actually, it's... Pretty simple. You've clearly heard that I'm from another realm, right?"

You nod, shooting a quick glance at the others. Yvette, Garrus, and Victoria are handling themselves well, and one of the six (you think there are six total? You could be undercounting) maids winds up knocked into the sword pit you stepped over. A wounded Canis, clutching her Silence Staff, listens in on your conversation from just out of the fray, leaning against the magical barrier. Thinking about it, you could probably significantly weaken Anguilla by having Canis silence her, reducing her to just her hopefully-inferior swordsmanship skills.

"Anyway, yeah, the necromancer is from one too... Not mine so, er, no clue where... Where they're from." She shakes her head. "Anyway! Were you there when Tabat himself led an attack on Orsin Village?"

"I'll never forget it... My inaction getting Lambert killed."

"Well, thank yourself for it. See, I had this brilliant idea when Natalie was captured... Basically, knock down all of her clutter to set up a diversion, get the Johalva in the room distracted. And Nat got away!"

"And you didn't, I assume."

Anguilla nods. "Thankfully, being captured is... Where they cut off my memories of my past, but they love leaving a Deadlord from another realm in every Outrealm they visit. I... Think they just like to show off. Anyway, next thing I remember, I was awake, undead, and in another realm entirely!" She readies her sword. "I... shouldn't be rambling like this, though. Wait, wait, one more question. How's Gorman doing? Did they ever find him?"

>A. Answer matter-of-factly
>B. Answer vaguely
>C. Lie for some reason
>D. Refuse to answer

And...

>E. Get Canis to Silence Anguilla/the barrier. She IS just sitting right there.
>F. Don't ask that of her

>>43189255
>A. Answer matter-of-factly
>F. Don't ask that of her

>>43189255
>A. Answer matter-of-factly

>>43189255
>>A. Answer matter-of-factly
>F. Don't ask that of her
Canis needs to focus on her battle, her magic power is probably too low to do anything, and we can beat ourselves without her help.

>>43189386
She could Silence the barrier and Anguilla's powers away (remember, your Res fucking sucks). The issue is more with weakened!Anguilla joining the rest of the fight.

>>43189439
What I was implying by saying this is that Anguilla also has shit Res and would be susceptible.

>>43189439
Yeah. I'm more afraid of Ellen tearing out allies a new one

>>43189299
>>43189314
>>43189386
"Well, since you asked... He was actually old friends with Tabat, saved him and his mother's life way back in the first Dain war against... Well, against who is a whole other story I was actually pretty involved in ending. Anyway, Tabat's daughter was captured, turned into the Deadlord Simia, but neither of them knew it at the time, so Tabat sent him away to find her, and then it turns out he was kind of a spineless shithead, and... You know the rest."

"...huh." Anyway, she fires off another blast of wind, which winds up enveloped by (and overwhelmed by) your sword beam, which you chase with a nice dose of yourself. She's hit by the blast, but manages to swerve out of the way of the more direct hit.

This speedier variant of yourself then strikes you from behind with an ordinary Steel Sword.

You wind up toppling over, but actually pick yourself up and knock her away. She skids to a halt, switching to and thumbing through what looks like an Arcthunder tome. "Huh. Honestly... Thought that'd be it. Guess I'm pretty resilient." She chuckles sort of awkwardly.

>A. Respond (specify)
>B. Say nothing

And...

>C. Strike
>D. Wait for it...
>E. Switch to a lighter weapon (you have a Steel Sword and Hand Axe)
>F. Down a Vulnerary
>G. Glance at the others for a moment
>H. Write-in action

AND...

>I. Ask Canis for help
>J. Keep not doing that
>K. Only if you look like you're dying

>>43189488
The flipside, though, is that YOU can help YOUR allies too.

>>43189548
>A. Respond
>So what else can you tell me about that necromancer? After I finish you, he's next, I'm sure you won't mind
>D. Wait for it...
>dodge and close the distance.
We're not hurt enough to need a vulinary yet right?

>>43189548
>>D. Wait for it...
>K. Only if you look like you're dying
You're pretty talkative for a deadlord. Most of your kind don't even remember themselves before they died, much less chat about it. Did something go wrong with your creation? Maybe you weren't really dead, for instance?

>>43189645
I was going to reveal that Ellen, as attentive about her health supplies as ever, only brought a single one with her, but... Your call.

Garrus can heal you if you make it out of this, though.

>>43189728
We arent that hurt, better to save it.
Or will we die in a hit?

>>43189645
>>43189714
"Anything else you can tell us about this Necromancer, your realm..? Why're you so talkative?"

You wait out and dodge a blast of Arcthunder, followed by a response. "Well, you see! It's... Mostly so they can brag about all the dimensions they've influenced, like I said. Deliberately left in my memories. Maybe they just... Wanted people to know about the Outrealms existing?"

"So it's... Not a weird quirk or screwup in your creation process?"

Anguilla shakes her head. "Nope, I am... Pretty sure that my last living memories were just removed due to their, uh... Their subject matter."

"I see what you're getting at, Ellen," Canis says, still sitting by the barrier, "but... Like I said, necromancer didn't ever try that until Porcus."

"Worth a shot, though... Anyway, if it looks like I'm about to get killed, could you just... Silence her? I know how my resistance is, so a me that died months ago shouldn't be much bett-"

Aand you just took an Arcthunder to the... In general, really. You're knocked down, just out of arm's reach from your Azure Dragon Sword.

"Does that count?" Canis asks, holding her staff up.

>A. Yeah
>B. You're good
>C. What does she think

And...

>D. Try to stand up
>E. Just try to roll around
>F. Use up your vulnerary
>G. Attack from down here (you have a hand axe)
>H. Write-in

>>43189868
>B. You're good, but I'd appreciate it if you checked on me from time to time
>G
>F

>>43189922
"I-I'm good... Just... Keep your eyes peeled..."

Shit shit shit you're in pain. You quickly fiddle around for the single vulnerary you packed up. You down it and begin to feel better right in time to be stabbed again from the Steel Sword.

"Ngah-!"

You quickly draw your Hand Axe, hacking with all your might into your ten-fingered counterpart's ankle.

You have a lot of might, a fact which you are thankful for when this is more than enough to send Anguilla to the ground with you.

Continuing to strike as she struggles to stand back up, you glance at Canis, "I, uh... Th-think it might be safe now to let-"

Hoo boy. A maid approaches Canis. "Sorry for disturbing your rest, Lady Canis, but we still have an appointment."

Hoooo boy.

>A. Try to kill her faster
>B. Come on, do it NOW (cast Silence, that is)
>C. Write-in action/dialogue

>>43190065
Why did I say "stabbed again?" This is Ellen's first time being hit with the Steel Sword!

>>43190065
>A. Try to kill her faster
I meant attack first to cover your heal but okay.
>A. Try to kill her faster
As soon as possible Canis, please

>>43190094
Oh also, try to disarm her
Her arm or sword, whichever is available.
Preferably the sword arm

>>43190094
I figured the order you meant, but also figured that would've failed fatally. Anguilla would've had the opportunity to get one more attack off whichever one you did first, and the way I went with made it not kill you.

Did you mean >B, with that second one?

>>43190152
Oh. Okay.
And no. I meant to get ourselves situated and up, then ask her to do it when she's not on lockdown

>>43190065
>>A. Try to kill her faster
Attack with your steel sword

>>43190281
Guh. I literally just finished up a post acting on the assumption that that second thing was meant to be >B. It doesn't screw you over any more than you already were, though. Briefly looks like it might, but ultimately doesn't.

>>43190094
Okay, this is the part where you start killing faster.

Even with a now-opened stab wound, you pin Anguilla down with your superior strength. "C-Canis, Silence!"

You don't see her respond, but you hear the maid cry in pain, and Canis saying, "hey, yeah... Not my style, but Loba WAS strong as all hell. What's a few knives to the... Okay, I should... Get that checked out."

The magical barrier around you disappears as you literally disarm your counterpart.

"Hrg..."

"Give up, Ellen?" You ask Anguilla slightly tauntingly.

"No, just... There's something above you."

You look up in time to see a maid standing over you, smiling and holding two daggers... Only to fall before you two, riddled from behind with arrows.

"Heh..." The Deadlord says, "now's normally the part where I have some sentimental parting words, right..?" She shakes her head. "No, I wouldn't give that opportunity, because I know you'd use it to surprise me one last time." She quite literally sticks her neck out. "Just get it over with, alright?"

>A. Alright
>B. This is kinda fucked up
>C. Write-in dialogue
And...

>D. Do it
>E. Don't do it
>F. Check on the others

And...

>G. Pass out. Been too long since you indulged in this old pastime
>H. Try to stay conscious

>>43190336
>B. This is kinda fucked up
>E. Don't do it
>How's bout a third option? You wanna join us?
>H. Try to stay conscious

>>43190311
That's fine. I had to do my patrol. I just wanted to make sure she wasn't going to get stabbed for it.
>>43190336
>C. Write-in dialogue
>Tell lambert I'm sorry.
>D. Do it
>H

>>43190406
>>43190374
Is fine to.
Just be on guard

>>43190374
Seconding, but try to disarm her first. Let's make a new habit of recruiting deadlords instead of killing them.

>>43190374
>>43190431
"I dunno, literally killing myself is... Kinda fucked up."

"When did I get so soft?"

"You... Really didn't. I just feel like, if there's that much of me left in you to talk this much, you might like to... Actually live?"

She wriggles out from under you. "You, er, offer after cutting off my arm..." She shakes her head. "No, though, no can do. Deadlords, we literally exist for the sole purpose of fighting. It's what we were raised from the dead for. Apparently this... This 'Porcus' is a special case, but... Even with all these memories, Ellen, I'm not you. You wouldn't serve this guy so... Compulsively." She picks up her Wind Sword. "Aside from this anomaly, just... Do yourself a favor, and don't leave a single one of us alive after this. And keep a close eye on that one."

Anguilla shambles, foot partially sliced into, towards Canis, aiming and swinging. "The, uh... Outrealm Gate is on a little island just off the coast of... Coast of Tordo..."

You are unable to do anything due to your own incapacitated state, but you see the rushing of Yvette's feet. You hear the sound of Canis howling, "urgh.. Yeah, this isn't good... No, no, I'll live. I'm resilient, just... This is a bad wound. Realistically... I might live to see the end of this battle assuming nothing makes it worse?"

Garrus kneels over you with the Staff of Katri. "A-alright, Ellen, just... Just... This looks bad, but this is what the staff is for! You'll feel better in no time!"

>A. Ask what just happened
>B. What about the maids
>C. Write-in dialogue
>D. Silently be healed by the vague super-staff

>>43190604
>B. What about the maids
>Apologize to Canis

>>43190698
"Uh... Sorry for getting you one more grievous injury, Canis."

"That was my GOOD hand!"

"Calm down. You're literally on the verge of splitting in two," Yvette chastises.

"I don't LIKE losing parts of my hands!"

"Well, the death of former knights sort of irks me as well."

"Guess someone had to point that out out loud."

You blink. By the sounds of things, Canis is significantly less okay than she insists, but... She also killed Robert and IS the death of your friend's mother.

Unless she ASKS for Garrus to heal her, you don't mind using it up a bit in this case.

You ask the king, "so what happened with the maids?"

"Well, uh, kind of a funny story there... When there was only one left, she just... Dropped everything to start cleaning up after the rest. Like without a word, knives replaced with mops and pails."

"Ellen, are you up to snuff yet?" Yvette asks, "the Emperor is still just a hall ahead."

You're no longer the complete physical wreck that you were a minute ago.

>A. Yeah, you're alright
>B. Just another minute
>C. Write-in

The last maid approaches you and Garrus. "Would you care for refreshments?"

>D. No
>E. Yes
>F. Write-in????
>G. Hell no

>>43190839
>A. Yeah, you're alright
>G. Hell no

No more converting

>>43190882
"I'm alright, Yvette..." You turn towards the maid, "and why the hell would I want that?!"

The maid runs away crying at your tone of voice.

"I mean, uh, I mean you didn't need to refuse so harshly... I know she just tried to kill us and stuff, but... Y'know... I mean I'm not upset with you but that was sort of harsh..."

You thank Victoria for saving you from that other maid, and she nods. "I'd been focusing on the barrier since I saw Canis approach it. Everyone was fair game to anyone inside and out once it was silenced, so a trained eye and arrow needed be vigilant... And it paid off."

Canis shambles ahead of everyone else into the hallway in question. "Al-alright, I know they said there was... There was only a pitfall trap in here, but I know the signs of the traps." She wobbles. "So just... Let me check the hall out, just in case those maids lied... Which they easily could've done."

>A. Sure
>B. Knock yourself out
>C. Break a leg
>D. That won't be necessary
>E. Write-in

>>43190943
Well, Porcus, Canis, Simia, and Equus are the last three Deadlords left, if I haven't forgotten anyone. Equus is probably just gonna die on the battlefield where Corneria and co. are waging war (as an aside, Duke Kilos realized that his people won't be cool with staying neutral to Dain anymore after the events of chapter 46, so at least he's helping on that front for however long he survives), Simia is currently your ally, and Porcus is a special case. And also your ally.

>>43190991
>Be careful

>>43190991
>D. That won't be necessary

>>43191034
Duke can go fuck himself and I hope he dies.

Also, with Miles dead now, would Devon be next in line for succession?

>>43191080
Yeah, that's a pretty common sentiment. He hopes he dies too, honestly.

Probably, on that second note. There isn't ENOUGH to work with on the warfront note now that most relevant characters aren't in it for me to focus on it for a chapter, especially with the other parties to look into, but I'll see if I can't squeeze it into either a write-up or a PART of thread 48.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>43191128
49, even. Point is a lot needs to happen in a little time.

>>43191045
>>43191067
Might as well throw in the dice rolls for this one.

>>43191154
"Just be careful, alright?"

"Hey, I'm the one who's... The most intelligent Deadlord of all time. I caught YOU off-guard, miss paranoid."

"Just check for traps before I retract my well-wishes."

"Alright, alright... Here, hold my Silence Staff," she hands said item off to Garrus before looking around the short hallway. She carefully glides along it, looking over its ceiling, its walls, its corners...

She misses the floor. However one interprets that sentence, it's entirely correct.

"Well, uh, guess those maids were telling the truth," Garrus says, "about the, uh... Hole."

"It... Doesn't even look like it was covered by a false floor. She just... Fell into a hole in the ground that we knew was there."

Canis howls in frustration again. "Great. I needed those to WALK. I'll, uh... I'll be down here awhile. Step over the pit, there's nothing else here."

"Will you be alright?" Victoria asks.

"Realistically... No. I'm... Hearing something in the next room though. Sounds like... Lars!"

>A. Hurry!
>B. Write-in!
>C. Leave the premises?

>>43191258
>help her up

>>43191258
>You guys go save Lars I'll get canis up

>>43191320
>>43191331
While the rest run ahead, you reach into the pit and for Canis.

"What're you doing now?"

"Helping you up."

"Hrg... I thought you hated me."

"Well, yeah, but I hated the last guy to kill my friend, too. I'd help him up."

"Look, I won't be any more saved by this, you know that, right? If I make it out, it'll have nothing to do with whether or not I was pulled out of this hole. Anguilla's right, much as I hate to be wrong. I say I want to be intellectual, but... I really can't hide the PLEASURE it gives me to spread violence, that I pioneered an entire new way to kill, the desire to do nothing more than serve who I was raised up to serve... You wouldn't understand as someone who's still human. I can only imagine the hell Porcus and Asra are feeling with this... Internal conflict of theirs. This overwhelming desire to serve, and this... Overwhelming desire to serve someone conflicting? I don't know Asra. But I digress. Point is, I'm probably going to die anyway, so just let me have my dignity as a Deadlord and go save my boss."

>A. Go on
>B. haha no
>C. Write-in

>>43191501
>B. haha no
>You killed my friend, So you get to live a happy life with no more fighting, That is your punishment.

>>43191501
>A. Go on
They deserve rest

>>43191551
Second

>>43191590
>>43191551
"Haha, no... You killed Robert, helped turn the Garou on what would've been a killing spree... You get to just live on peacefully, get out of here, and survive. This is a pretty good punishment for-"

"DO YOU WANT TO SAVE YOUR DAMN FRIENDS OR WASTE TIME ON SOME KARMIC GARBAGE?"

Whoa. You were a bit taken aback by that one.

"Ugh, they heard that in there too... Well, now might be a good moment to actually do your damn job! I'm not even gonna live after all this and I'm not in any pain, it's why Garrus didn't bother with healing me. You'll accomplish NOTHING my 'saving' me."

>A. Get in there
>B. Insist regardless
>C. Write-in

>>43191661
>A. Get in there
Can we please try to keep the living ones alive instead of trying to delay the inevitable

>>43191661
>>A. Get in there

File: DracozombieGBAIcon.gif (2 KB, 78x68)

2 KB GIF

>>43191781
You decide to stop delaying the inevitable for someone you would honestly rather never see again.

"Erh... Anyway, as I was saying..."

A figure almost Lars' height stands in front of a throne, clad in exceptionally heavy-looking armor and brandishing a lance, hairs gray and sparse. Opposite him, Yvette holds her sword, Yvette readies her bow, and Garrus heals up an injured-looking Lars.

"As I was saying before... Before, er..." The old folk's voice booms with much more menace than his word-fumbling begets. You can see where Garrus gets it now. He clears his throat. "You've come so far, but... Bah, I forgot my speech. I wouldn't teach Lars that armor spell if I couldn't dispel it, something about how 'we can rule together...' Yeah, just gonna skip that one. I didn't have a response for someone saying yes anyway... Oh, right, Dracozombies! A couple of those, too! I... Believe I said 'fool' a lot? Pah, I'm too old for this shit. This is my last fight, whether I survive it or not."

"Play the fool all you want, Emperor Elias, but we know what you're capable of!" Yvette shouts out, "none of you underestimate him for an instant."

>To be continued next thread
And so the exceptionally Generic final boss appears, leading to an even more generic cut to what the B-plots are up to next thread.

Thanks for playing. As always, twitter and ask.fm are qmgrandflocto, and I'll be around to talk and writeup until I'm not.

>>43191936
Thanks for running.
It was fun.

>>43191972
I'm glad it was fun. I haven't had any clue how to tackle Elias before this point, but I've known that his characterization, at its core, is "senile to the point where he acts like a completely standard evil emperor," right to keeping himself and his second-in-command cooped up in the castle.

Thought it was an interesting spin on things without actually needing to do anything creative with his role in the story, and portraying him as a bumbling old man who happens to be a horrifying warrior sealed the deal.

His son Elias III's a bit more complex, but it's... Archetypical "I'm not loyal to you, but I need the position saying I am gives me so I'll never bother to betray you" depth, hence why he's been going along with his plans without objection.

All of the assorted Dain royalty took pretty drastically different takes on their distaste for Grandpa and his abuses of power.

Thanks for running Octo. The fight with Anguilla was pretty great.

Remind me again, was Canis created by Bolse or another necromancer?

>>43192098
By Bolse, hence the more specific loyalty to Lars' cause or orders that every Deadlord who wasn't Simia seemed to have (Simia was just sort of... Bolse's first try. He made mistakes and Willow made him pay with his hearing). There was this whole elaborate fake-real invasion just to make it seem like a general botched assassination->invasion was their goal, in the process planting Canis and faking her survival. With secret assistance from Ahua, not that we knew that at the time.

Amazing how such a convoluted plot ends with "you fight the evil emperor in his castle."

>>43192149
Yep. Looking forward to the fight with the emperor soon. Although taking a detour with the other teams is cool too. [Spoiler]Hopefully we don't fuck up and let someone die[/spoiler]

>>43192191
Well, at least the only people Ellen can still possibly be to blame for getting killed at this juncture are... A close friend, the literal king, his brother, and his most loyal knight and dear friend of his mother.

I am sort of upset that I couldn't get Yvette and Alexia to reunite at any point, but I couldn't really let Garrus not face Elias, and Yvette WOULDN'T leave Garrus alone.

Maybe in the aftermath.

Ideally everyone still in the party's gonna do at least ONE noteworthy thing in these last two threads.

>>43192246
That being said, despite their realistically-speaking most harrowing position, I have... No idea what to do with the Reinforcement-counterers, and that's a pretty sizable part of why they're lumped together as the biggest group.

Which is a shame, because I really LIKE everyone in that group.

At least it completes the joke of never fucking learning the details of Reese's arc.

>>43192272
I wish we'd spent more time with Reese

>>43192297
Same, really. I did try to write in excuses for him and Ellen to bond when I felt like he hadn't done much in awhile, since I know I, Grandflaw, and the thread all like him.