So Wes, who you have just learned to be, behind his thick wall of amnesia, none other than the very Nameless Advisor Paula needs to refer to, stands opposite the perilous princess and her shapeshifting sidekick, the Chameleon Ymira. Paula holds the staff of katri, able to heal anything short of death itself, probably including memories.

"Wes, stay away from that staff," you warn. Paula and Ymira already notice you, Leigh, Ellen, and Ansi, so there's not much you can do in terms of the element of surprise.

"I'm... Curious why that is," Wes says, backing away obediently, "but I'll at least take that to mean it would be very bad for me."

And now Ellen steps forward, firmly grasping her sword. "The Staff of Katri belongs to the rightful ruler of Neir!"

"And he died decades ago!" Paula shouts back. "I'm continuing what he would have wanted!"

"By mind controlling me?! Unleashing indiscriminate hordes of undead?! Paula, back down now before you get hurt!"

Paula's response to that is lots and lots of Dracozombies.

>A. Say something (specify)
>B. Try to get Wes out of here
>C. Attack Paula
>D. Attack Ymira
>E. Attack Dracozombies

>>45264420
Oh, whoops, forgot to include write-in response. That's pretty much always an option when applicable.

>>45264420
Vote time renewed.

>>45264420
>>B. Try to get Wes out of here

>>45264420
>B. Try to get Wes out of here

>>45265464
>>45265465
"Come on, Wes, this is all a setup. We need to get you out of here!"

It's at that moment that you realize-wait, you have an artifact that lets you teleport at will, and now you're aboveground! "Be right back," you say to your various companions, warping right outside the first floor/main entrance of the temple, where Welles and his guarding companions await, chilling and having tea with Eyven.

"Ah, so you return to us, but with a warp, and not from these stairs! I take it to mean that the situation is... Complicated?" Tomnus asks.

"This only speaks of another way aboveground within the maze, doesn't it?" Kneil astutely guesses.

>A. Explain briefly
>B. Don't explain, just leave Wes there
>C. Guard Wes, things are weird, Shea'll explain soon
>D. Write-in response

Unless explicitly requested otherwise, Lloyd will immediately warp back after however he responds.

>>45265750
>A. Explain briefly

>>45265772
"Alright, alright... Wes, you'll want to sit down for this..." Wes sits down, accepting tea from Welles. "Wes' amnesia was all a part of this crazy gambit of Paula's, and his memories hold something she needs to control, but... Who, exactly, he is is able to resist mind control." You then add. "Wes, you don't want your memories back. And yes, there was a secret exit on the bottom floor of the temple. That's all you need to know on the matter without getting too complex. I need to go make sure Ansi, Leigh, and Ellen aren't dying now. The rest of the team will be up shortly."

Calof and Welles perk up, at the same time starting to say, "wait, did-" before you warp back onto the scene.

There are already far less dracozombies than before, an impressive feat considering that they keep appearing at a regular rate.

"See?" Leigh says to Ellen from semi-afar as she decapitates a Dracozombie. "Told you he'd be back."

No sight of Ymira anywhere, just Paula standing in the distance, arms folded and surrounded by the rising Dracozombies, wrist-nub extended upwards as she stares at it.

Ansi has the perimeter surrounded in Mauthe Doogs and is constantly trying to rush through with his summon magic, break over to Paula.

You feel something amiss in the air.

>A. Write-in response
>B. Aid Ansi in trying to apprehend Paula
>C. Aid Ellen and Leigh in killing assorted Dracozombies
>D. Do nothing
>E. Go back to Wes

>>45266045
Vote time renewed.

>>45266045
Are there any freshly-raised Dracozombies that are closer to Paula than to another Dracozombie or the Mauthe Doog lines?

>>45266441
I wouldn't say so.

>>45266045
>B. Aid Ansi in trying to apprehend Paula

>>45266469
So much for that plan then.

Would've had Lloyd teleport away after using the berserk staff to somewhere close-but-out-of-sight, since Paula's likely enraged reaction to that happening twice would ideally have had her try and sic the majority of the dracozombies on Lloyd, or fan out to try and find him after he vanishes, as we were warned she would be *extremely* angry at Lloyd if she realized he was the guy with the berserk staff, hopefully allowing Ansi, Leigh and Ellen to quickly finish off the remnant dracozombies and then detain or kill her. If she didn't react with sufficient anger to be stupid, the backup plan was to start adding direct Eclipses at her to both increase the chance of the berserker dracozombie, Ansi or a Mauthe Doog killing her and to further stoke her fury.

>B. Aid Ansi in trying to apprehend Paula
I've got nothing as far as what "something amiss" could be referring to.

>>45266608
>>45266640
You decide to start off your assault on Paula with a strike of Eclipse, figuring that these dracozombies, by the much faster rate they're being churned out, are much weaker, and since there are more anyway berserking one would have less of an effect.

Ultimately, this lair is broken through, and Paula is successfully struck by Eclipse! You warp beside Ansi and advance as Paula shakes and shudders in place, hugging herself. "E-enough of this!" She drops to her knees. "This... This isn't worth it... This isn't worth it... If I die, how will I..."

The Dracozombies do not stop spawning, though they're really more of an annoyance that Ellen needs to kill before they finish forming every 10-20 seconds at the number they're currently at.

You, Ansi, and Leigh approach Paula, and Leigh looks at her feet. "The... Staff of Katri. I thought she just set it down or something, but it's not even there..."

"Wait, fuck! Here I thought that that shapeshifter bitch just ran away in the commotion!" Ansi shouts, swearing too much as always.

"Y-yeah..." "Paula" returns to her default form, Ymira rubbing her arm with her re-grown, never-actually-lost hand. "That was what you were supposed to think, but... I'm not about to die for anyone's sake but my people's..."

>A. Write-in response
>B. Ask Ymira a question (specify)
>C. Be dumbfounded
>D. How did the others let this happen?!

>>45266936
>B. Ask Ymira a question
"Any idea where Paul a went?

>>45267130
*Paula

>>45266936
>A. Teleport everyone to the temple lobby. Either Paula's attacking there already or it's just as good a place to ask questions as here.

>>45267130
>>45267214
"Ugh... Do you know where the real Paula is, Ymira?"

She shakes her head. "If I had to guess, looking for you and yourself, but... She didn't really have any way of knowing where you would take him. She could be anywhere..."

Ugh. So naturally, you brought him to the damn temple. Soon enough, with no real correlation to anything, the dracozombies stop spawning. "You're coming with us, Ymira. Now."

And then you warp back to right outside the temple again, this time with your allies in tow.

Thankfully, Paula's not there for the moment, but people are thankful that Ymira was ultimately captured, and by this point Shea and the rest of the gang have come back to the surface. "She impersonated the messenger you sent out. Paula has the staff of Katri and is currently missing in action," you report.

"That's... Problematic, to say the least," Shea responds, "but... Thank you wholly for all that you've done. Irene is explaining Wes'... Situation to him now."

"So... Now what?" You ask.

"Now?" Shea responds, "Wes needs to be placed under constant protection and supervision until Paula can be captured separated from the Staff, but unless that happens... We can consider this senseless conspiracy of hers to finally be defeated."

>A. We need to actively search for her
>B. Agree that this is for the best
>C. We can't just assume that
>D. Write-in response
>E. Well that's anticlimactic

>>45267490
Yet another vote renewal.

Least I can safely say that this is not the actual finale at this juncture.

>>45267490
>A. We need to actively search for her
She could still cause horrendous amounts of damage, even by herself. Unless I forgot something, she still has the Staff of the Wampyr, and that alone is a huge danger, especially since we don't know for certain that every one of her Wampyr died today. We'll also need the Staff of Katri to reverse Monica's Wampyrism. Getting Wes his true freedom back sooner also plays a part.

I'm assuming this option means "in a little while, once we've cleared everything with nearby kingdoms and fully resolved the dangling issues that come with our recent actions" and not "RIGHT NOW GO GO GO"

>>45268052
"Look, this doesn't mean we can just... Give up on the search. Marrius' Group has been very personally invested in this, too, you know."

Shea nods. "Of course, and I wouldn't ask you to do anything of the sort. But for the moment, at least... We need to keep Wes safe and rest."

Then, you ask, "did you... Find the Wampyr staff anywhere in the temple, by any chance?"

"No... Ugh, my aunt's going to go down fighting, isn't she?"

"And your dad still thinks you're the bad guy until we clear all of that up..."

"I know my father," Shea responds, "he'll certainly listen to reason, especially with Ymira captured, Ellen back, sir Jorden convinced, and the entirety of the Tarvosian Nomads fighting the knights of Neir... He treasures Ellen's word more dearly than nearly anyone, you know."

>A. So we can rest easy for now?
>B. How do we know he isn't compromised
>C. He sounds like a total pushover
>D. Write-in response
>E. No response

>>45268371
>A. So we can rest easy for now?

>>45268561
"So... We can take a moment to catch our breaths again."

"By the look of things... So long as your counterpart is kept safe and secure while we wait for Paula to resurface. If we have the entire continent on alert, we should be able to apprehend her."

"That's reassuring. Not everything has to end in some... Grand final battle, right?"

Awhile after that, you check up on Irene and Wes, finding the latter just... Looking down.

Irene gives you a look, but doesn't explain his reaction much.

Wes, after an awkward moment, finally says, "so... My concerns were correct. I was a menace this entire time, a single spell away from ruining this continent."

Irene shakes her head. "That's... people are capable of changing, Wes."

"I've been here... It's been what, two, three days? I don't think that cancels out centuries of evil because I don't remember it..."

Irene responds, "well, that's a... Difficult question to answer, but it's clear to me that you're an entirely different person without all of that."

"That's... not my point." Wes replies. "Whether I remember it or not, whether it's what I would do now or not, it doesn't erase my mark on another realm, the fact that I came here to do the same." He sounds absolutely ashamed of this fact.

>A. Mention how Ellen wanted him dead
>B. Agree with Irene
>C. Agree with Wes
>D. Write-in response (there are, in fact, potential viewpoints on this that don't sync up perfectly with either stance)
>E. Don't respond
>F. Go bother someone else (specify)

>>45268904
>A. Wes, the way I see it, you were born 2-3 days ago. What the person who inhabited your body before you did has no bearing on how we treat you and what you deserve. The man before you is dead as long as you live.

>>45269165
Not >A but >D

>>45268904
>D. "Remember what I said before, Wes. Who you choose to be is more important than who you were. If you're horrified at the actions of who you used to be and won't let go of the guilt you feel merely for sharing a body, then do your best to make the world a brighter place; put your mind and ability towards that end and change the future for the better instead of feeling guilty about not being able to change the past."

>>45269165
>>45269263
"Wes, consider it like this... You were reborn those few days ago. The person and experiences before you, that led to those circumstances... Jumping from an old person to an empress to my counterpart... Ellen's friend killed him, and Ellen his sole connection to the past at the Outrealm Gate. Despite her intent, Paula's done nothing but put him down for the count and, so long as she never meets you again, that's where her plan ends."

"I, uh..." Wes starts to respond, but doesn't say anything further.

"Remember my old words, still. Even if you were right, what matters is what you do from here, and from my perspective, all you've done from here is help us bring this insane conspiracy down before it could hurt anyone else. If you refuse to see yourself as anything more than an extension of that advisor still... Consider it your repentance."

"You really do have a way with words, Lloyd..." He rubs the back of his head idly. "I... Think I'll believe you."

"That being said, uh... Entirely for your own safety, Shea thinks we need constant eyes on you, until we can recover the Staff of Katri. Just warning you that that's her viewpoint."

Wes nods. "I would've suggested it myself if she hadn't. That being said, though, I... Suppose now would be the ideal time to figure out my new life situation, least for the next few... However long this takes."

>A. Suggest he meet with General Yancy
>B. Suggest he go with Shea
>C. Nothing to tell him
>D. Write-in response

>>45269498
>B. Suggest he go with Shea

>>45269742
You suggest to Wes, "the princess seems as though she has something in mind to keep you safe. Maybe it would be wise to stay by her side on this one."

"I guess... It'll be a bit weird being in a castle town, but then again most things are going to be new to me now."

Irene adds. "If you do that... keep in touch, alright? We want to make sure things are safe even in Heim..."

Wes responds, "I'll at least hear out what she has in mind for security... Might just tag along with you guys if I don't much like the sound of it, you know?"

You don't have much more to continue this conversation with after that, so you wander awhile until it's time to go, ultimately speaking to Ellen, herself currently detailing her adventures to Asra and Bolse.

"...and as much of a ride all of that was, I'm just glad to be back. I've missed Zoe so much, and Sir Jorden seems like he could use someone reminding him he isn't invincible more regularly..."

Asra nods half-certainly, still being a bit slow on the uptake in terms of events since she herself fled to the mountains for several years, while Bolse is just... Sad at the confirmation that his dead son was already doing evil before he so much as caught on.

>A. Say something (specify)
>B. Go talk to someone else (again, specify)
>C. Skip ahead a bit
>D. Write-in

>>45269992
Vote time renewed once more.

>>45269992
>C. Skip ahead a bit

>>45269992
>B. Go talk to someone else (Leigh)

>>45270349
>>45270359
Not much in particular to say about the next several hours, days, what have you.

Shea and Cargia are able to return to Rakche without much of a fight, word being that Queen Eva is unable to convince King Garrus in light of outstanding information from countless other sources, but the man, softhearted as he is purported to be, cannot bring himself to punish her too severely. That being said, she doesn't get off entirely unscathed due to pressure from officials who would reasonably see her as... Not deserving of getting away with things. She is placed under house arrest, stripped of her position as overall leader of Neir's military, a position that General Reese takes over in response. Wes remains in Rakche's court awhile, often accompanying the likes of princess Shea, Yvette, and Jolie on missions. You don't meet the king of Neir yourself, but word is that he's... Deeply saddened to say the very, very least, by the way things turn out.

You do spend a nice few days in Rakche, though.

"Ellen told me about this spot," Leigh says, having picked the hero's brain quite a bit in their brief time together, as the two of you sit together on a cliff overlooking the city one night. "Called it... Extremely romantic, and I have to say, she has a point there."

She leans into you as you look at the city.

>A. You're still having trouble resting easy
>B. Ask her about something (specify)
>C. This place does feel at ease
>D. Write-in response
>E. Be silence

>>45270590
>A. You're still having trouble resting easy
>But it is very nice.

>>45270590
>A. You're still having trouble resting easy
>It's nice, though.

>>45270714
>>45270765
"I... I'm still having trouble resting easy, with this gigantic loose end hanging over us," you admit.

Leigh sighs. "Yeah, same..."

You smile anyway, though, pulling her closer. "It... Is pretty nice, though." You shake your head. "I suppose it only makes sense that something was left unresolved, though... Hell, that all happened in a single day's span."

Leigh nods. "It was certainly eventful. But... we'll find Paula, I'm certain."

You nod. "Here's hoping they ask us to help..."

For now, though, you suppose it's back to the old grind. You don't think you're quite ready to put your mercenary career on hold until you know it's safe to stop fighting.

>to be continued next thread
And so the overarching threat is on its last legs for who knows how long. Surely it'll be resolved by the end, but it was about time that the day-long arc that took up a solid quarter of the quest up to this point came to a close.

The question now is whether there should be more mercenary shenanigans or we should just jump into the final arc.

Either way, though, thanks for playing, everyone. As always, update twitter is qmgrandflocto, ask.fm is also qmgrandflocto, and I'll be around in-thread to chat for awhile.

>>45270944
Thanks for running. I wouldn't mind some more mercenary shenanigans. I'd expect us to be hilariously overpowered compared to the kinds of things we'd be facing, which can be it's own kind of fun.

Accidentally ruining Leigh's abs when?

>>45271096
Yeah, it'd be a fun break to wipe out some assorted minor threats and possibly justify more pointless cameos. At least you won't be AS hideously overpowered when Irene takes the pendant back to further her research with it. Then again, though, I think I might have mentioned her expecting a hammerne staff to arrive several threads ago, so you might get Rescue back.

Eventually, I assume, if I read your meaning correctly, but not before the plot is genuinely over.