While Kara had given you some clue that they were theoretically capable of experiencing abstract emotions, you're forced to admit that the sight of an entire pack of demihumans very nearly flattened into the ground was far more than you had expected. How many regrets did they have to have a result this drastic? Was it simply because they didn't know how to deal with the few they did have? Something complicated was at work, with more unknown elements between the abnormal mentality of demihumans and the supernatural emotional siren song of the Shade apparition, but right now you didn't have the time or frame of mind to find out more.

"Make it stop, or I'll do it!"

Right now Kara's younger brother was rapidly descending into some manner of attack as your Testament cradled his deceptively small body in her arms helplessly. She felt the weight, like the others, but it did little but force her to stagger... Was she simply more adept at dealing with regret? Or was she like you, and had already come to terms with the things she'd done wrong?

"'Rue!"

Her desperation was beginning to bleed away into something harder. A resolve that promised violence. You didn't particularly have any interest in letting the demihumans live after what they'd done... But it wasn't as if you could contain the Revenant's aura from affecting Raid. Just being in close enough proximity to this thing would cause you to come under its effects, which left you with a few options.

Kara could simply take Raid and run, saving him in the process. You've little idea of how well that could go, and a sneaking suspicion that attempting to flee would just provoke the Revenant.

You could allow Kara to deal with the Revenant herself. You know first hand of her monstrous strength, she was more than capable of crushing something like this...

...Or you could do it yourself.

You knew how it worked, every movement it made, every twitch and spontaneous action that spasmed through its body. The cool, methodical understanding of what was raging before you had synchronized with your web of awareness. In a very real sense, there was nowhere for it to run; Nothing it could do to escape.

You stepped forward, watching dispassionately as claw, wing and serrated tail seemed to fly wide around you, and wrapped your hand around the Revenant's neck as you effortlessly drove the near ethereal nightmare into the ground. It was... Unlike the one you had fought before. This was a newborn, barely born, inexperienced and confused. It reminded you of the way your Doppleganger had been initially, anxiously trying to claw its way out of confusion and disorientation.

For a moment the bracelet upon your wrist seemed to glimmer in the evening light, a warm glow that shone upon the Revenant you held pinned, and you distantly realized that you could do it again. At this moment, in this exact juncture, you could force control over the terrified child-

"I don't... Want to experience this again."

-A realization that passed with the sharp sound of shattering glass, your fingers clenching through its chitinous armoured neck and ending the Revenant's short-lived manifestation in this world with a lingering scowl.

As its form began to steam away in a thick black smog, you straightened your posture and turned back towards Maro and the rest of his recovering pack. The crushing aura was fading along with the Revenant's body, dispersing back into nothing... But the damage had already been done. Even without the physical weight to hold them down, the pack lay immobile upon the ground. Some groaned in pain from their wounds, others did little more than stare ahead with hollowed gazes and empty eyes.

You are Irue Valen.

And they have failed Shade's test.

>Wait for Maro to come around, then re-open negotiations.
>Check on Kara and Raid.
>You don't have time to waste, time to get your Testament back.
>Other? (write-in)

Previous Threads: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?searchall=valen+quest

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

Where things are asked: http://ask.fm/RizQM

Assorted Supplemental:
Current Abilities - http://pastebin.com/PchcdWpw
Basics of Mana - http://pastebin.com/V9b1DMrS
A List of Forgotten Things - http://pastebin.com/kPEscJ3h
Leadership - http://pastebin.com/hGhUA4wf

Write-ups:
Kara's Day Out - http://pastebin.com/8ZbiSKLs
Adventures with Asche - http://pastebin.com/RNviCBJu
The Reclaimed Doll - http://pastebin.com/n6miP1qT
In Your Shadow - http://pastebin.com/EfeeHFAE

Misc notes:The song I looped to keep myself in Kara's frame of mind during development was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43ZNtVffOu8

Just some fun trivia.

>>45827007
>>Check on Kara and Raid.

>>45827123
I have a question, Riz. Irue seems to feel disgust whenever something reminds her of Dopplerue, but what exactly is she disgusted with?

>Check on Kara and Raid.

I'm going to bed now but i just want to let you know this quest is awesome

>>45827007
>>Check on Kara and Raid.
Give them a once over, get them on their feet.
Then,
>>You don't have time to waste, time to get your Testament back.

>>45827241
Mostly themself. Their actions, and how they handled Dopplerue in general. Dopplerue is one of the largest regrets Irue has, and the way it ended left a very bitter stain.

They had a complicated relationship with each other that wasn't quite parent/child, but held a lot of similarities. Dopplerue died regretting ever living, and Irue feels responsible for that - Both it living, and its regret in the end.
----

>>45827187
>>45827270
>>45827311
checking on Kara and Raid.

>>45827311
Off we go!

Writing!
---
>>45827270
I'm glad you've enjoyed it! Sleep tight, anon.

A quick glance between the demihumans told you that they'd not be a problem for some time to come. Honestly you would be surprised if the majority of them even started moving again within the hour; They had more wounds to lick than simply physical lacerations, if their vacant stares were anything to go by. You stepped aside the dissipating Revenant corpse, moving free of its choking black smog as you turned back towards Kara and her little brother, his hands clutching frantically at his chest as he struggled to breathe. Much like the others, removing the cause had done nothing to fix the damage that had already been done.

"C'mon lil bro! Calm down, please? Please! S'gonna be okay, s'gone now..." Kara poured over the hyperventilating demihuman, distress written plainly across her entire body as her hands hovered nervously over the smaller sibling, eyes flashing back and forth over him anxiously in an attempt to find something that would tell her what to do. Those same eyes that eventually snapped up to you, brimming red with tears as the usually confident demihuman tried to choke out a wordless cry for help. It was a cry you found yourself hesitating to answer, with no direct experience to lend her.

"Asche?" You glanced to your left, catching the deadpan sea-green gaze of your (m)aid in askance. She nodded shortly, a silent answer to your unspoken question, and moved to begin helping Raid in whatever way she knew how. Your chest tightened at the way Kara's face lit up as Asche approached, a brief and almost blindly brilliant moment of relief that led way to her being shoo'd off from over the boy's body so that your left-hand could help.

Several tense minutes later found Raid's breathing beginning to stabilize... But once the panic had subsided, the sandy blonde demihuman seemed to withdraw upon themselves like all the others - Or perhaps worse, if the way he had physically curled into a ball was any indication.

Kara's tail flicked nervously back and forth at his side, torn between reaching out to him and staying put as Asche had told her. You'd ask her how she was feeling, but you doubted she'd have an answer for you. You doubted you'd have an answer in return if she did. You absently noted that approach of Priat and your knights through the web, realizing that your time was quickly running out here. Rinnier was close by, and you don't know how far that Revenant's aura had extended... Or if the demihuman's screams had reached the mercenaries inside.

"He's hurt." You blinked out of your thoughts, barely catching Kara's plaintive whimper as her knuckles near shone white from her anxiously clenched fists, "I can't see it, 'Rue... Raid's hurt, but I don't know where. I can't..."

Her eyes never left the despondent little brother before her, even as she sought an explanation from you desperately, trying to find some wound or injury to understand what had done this.

"It's... Complicated." You manage, unsure of how qualified you were to try and explain this. You had theories, mostly based on what you knew about Shade apparitions, but there was too much you didn't understand about what had just happened. Demihumans... Reacted very badly to its presence. It had to have been some kind of mental or emotional damage. "He'll get better, Kara. Give him time."

"To heal...?"

You glanced aside, towards the approaching knights and Priat, unwilling to meet Kara's eyes. Even if she had trouble reading body language, you felt the uncertainty in your eyes strong enough that it made you uncomfortable. "Yeah, something like that."

The way to the fence was clear, and your knights arrived with varied looks of awe and caution as they approached the pack of immobile and despondent demihumans. They looked between them and yourself, a myriad of emotions washing through their ranks, but ultimately held their tongues. Everyone was gathered, and Rinnier wasn't far off now.

"Priat, can you burn open a hole in the fence?"

"I can't."

....You stare at the Salamander representative blankly, motioning for some kind of explanation from the sheepish looking man. "It is disturbing to me as well, but I haven't been able to call upon Salamander since getting close to this house. It feels as if the Mana has simply forsaken the place." He crossed his arms, furrowing his brows thoughtfully. "It is... A little distressing. I do not understand it."

...Right. Rinnier was held not far off, wasn't she? Of course Salamander didn't want anything to do with this place.

How were you going to get in there?

>Try to convince Kara to come with you. (Not choosing this means you'll tell her to stay with Raid)
>To the victor go the spoils, right? Cough up the keys, Maro!
>Search for a way to scale the fence and enter the compound.
>Other? (write-in)

>>45828912
>To the victor go the spoils, right? Cough up the keys, Maro!
>Tell Kara that she can stay with Raid if she wants, but on the way back we'll be taking her with us.

>>45828912
>>Try to convince Kara to come with you. (Not choosing this means you'll tell her to stay with Raid)
>The Spirit was made of raw regret Kara, it made them feel every mistake they had made. From what you told me most demi-humans never feel anything. It's like the first time you get cut hurts the worst, but eventually your skin toughened up because of it. They'd never felt it before, and it was a deep blow, so it will take a while to heal.
>To the victor go the spoils, right? Cough up the keys, Maro!

>>45828912
>Search for a way to scale the fence and enter the compound.
>Drag Raid along?
Simply leaving people here with the other demihumans seems like a spectacularly bad idea, so see if Kara will settle for taking him with us for now.

>>45829034
>>45829127
Looting bodies is an adventuring tradition!

>>45829127
Attempt to explain Revenants and your theories.

>>45829034
1. Stay with Raid, but we'll be back for you.

>>45829127
2. Come along Kara, got Testaments to rescue.

>>45829153
3. Attach rope to Raid and literally drag him along behind the party.

...Anyone wanna break that 3-way tie, or am I gonna have to roll for it? 5m

>>45829153
>>45829354
ill second taking him provided we DON"T drag him.

was>>45829127
rest of my vote stands

File: 1449183852130.png (142 KB, 299x368)

142 KB PNG

>>45829398
>Provided we don't literally drag him.
I see you are opposed to fun.

Alright, writing!

"Asche, search the demihumans for keys. Maro will probably have them, but just to be safe." You look back over your shoulder at the collapsed group of them, wondering if they'd really be alright. They were awake, still breathing, and seemed conscious... They just weren't moving. Asche nodded in affirmative however, and blandly made her way back over to the pack of defeated demihumans. You keep an eye on them at first, wary of one of them taking an opportunity to strike back, but...

After the second time Asche flipped one over and started confiscating everything from spare change to loose daggers, with little more than a tiny groan for a response, you decided she would probably be fine.

"Kara, do you know anything about Shade apparitions?" You turn back to your Testament, trying to get her mind off her little brother for the moment. Of course, you had kind of expected her blank look of confusion as an answer. "They're..." How do you even begin to explain apparitions. Did she know what Shade was, even? "..manifestations of emotions. Each of them calls a different feeling their 'Origin', and it's the core concept that they embody."

"Uu." Kara nodded, you could see the gears in her head strain to understand what this was about, but at least you had her attention. "They have the side effect of... Calling their Origin. Sometimes in the people around them, sometimes just in their target. It forces them to feel an amplified version of their Origin, and prevents people from ignoring it, or pushing it aside."

"Why're y'tellin me this...?"

"That thing was what's called a Revenant, a Shade apparition that identifies as the manifestation of Regret."

"So it made Raid an the others regret things?" Kara frowned deep in thought, trying to connect dots, "Why are they still..."

You follow her brief glance over to the pack of demihumans, catching the tail-end of Asche tugging the pants off of one of the demihumans and beginning to fold and set them in a distressingly large pile of similarly folded clothes. "I felt... Really bad, 'Rue. When that thing showed up, it hurt to stand up, but everyone else... What happened to them? What happened to Raid?"

"Like I said, it's complicated." You look back at Kara, putting Asche's activities out of your mind for the moment. "For some people, regret can stop their life. That weight can hold them back, and drag them into an abyss they don't feel like they can escape from... But that's humans." This was where your concern became shaky, as you looked over Kara's attentive posture as one of her hands absently rested against Raid's fluffy ears.

"Humans are used to emotions. To... Dealing with things like that. They've felt them and had to handle things like that since they were born." You trailed off, glancing between Kara and her little brother. "Demihumans..."

"They don't understand." Kara supplied quietly, ending the conversation sombrely as you nodded. It seems she understood, or at least got the idea.

Several minutes later, Asche announced she had acquired a set of keys from Maro. She also announced she had acquired a small wardrobe of shirts and pants of varying sizes, several pounds worth of coins, and an entire drawer of combat cutlery. There were other piles as well, containing obscure and odd bits and bobs such as waterskins, dried meats, some manner of six inch long wooden rod covered in smooth bumps, and handkerchiefs, all sorted into corresponding piles.

She had also taken the liberty of piling all of the despondent demihumans onto a pile once she was done with them.

"Thanks Asche."
"Yes."

You turn back to Kara with a shake of your head, "Are you ready?"

"I.. I can't come with ya, 'Rue. Raid's still like this, I don't-"

"Then bring Raid." You cut her off shortly, "I'm not leaving you here, and if you're not leaving without Raid, then he'll have to come with us. We've still got to save Rinnier."

Kara hesitated, her hand pausing in its absent stroking motions as she considered the smaller demihuman in front of her. "I... Can't. If I take him now, they won't take him back." Her arm shook slightly, "I can't get him kicked out, too. He'd never forgive me."

>Leave Kara for now.
>Have a pleasant and amiable consultation with Maro.
>Other? (write-in)

>>45830739
>Have a pleasant and amiable consultation with Maro.

>>45830739
>>Leave Kara for now.
Maro probably isn't in any shape for a negotiation of any kind at the moment, and Kara is too worried to leave her brother. WIth the demi's out for the count, we should focus on getting in, getting Rinnier, and coming back to scoop up Kara right afterwards.

>>45830739
>Other? (write-in)
If we don't take too long, she could take Raid and bring him back before any of them realize it.

Alternatively, we could leave and tell her to just catch up. I'm not sure which is the better option, but I guess this is also a vote for
>Leave Kara for now.

>>45830739
>>Have a pleasant and amiable consultation with Maro.

>>45830739
>Leave Kara for now.
But tell her to catch up.

>>45830750
>>45831038
Friendly chats!

>>45830802
>>45830971
>>45831053
We'll be back, then.

Writing.

You briefly contemplating having a friendly chat with Maro about allowing you to borrow Raid. You're relatively certain that he would be understanding and willing to see things your way now... But this notion was grudingly discarded when you caught Asche staring at you. It was the same blank look she normally wore, but... "What? I wasn't going to do it." You felt like there was some kind of chiding accusation hidden behind those sea-green eyes. "Look, he's probably at the bottom of the pile too, we don't have time to dig him out, I get it."

You didn't bother to actually check the pile of semi-naked demihumans to find out if this was true or not, but the idea had passed regardless. "Alright Kara, I want you to listen to me." Your demihuman Testament perks up slightly, tufts messy hair you could barely make out as ears twitching to attention. "Stay here with Raid while we go to rescue Rinnier... Just, don't leave again, okay? I'm going to come back for you when this is over. We're going to go home together."

"Together..." Kara mumbled, half-lidded eyes resting on Raid's curled up form, "I don't... If they wake up and leave, then I..."

"If Maro leaves before I get back, I won't stop next time." You frowned pointedly, "If he wants to test me, he's welcome to get in line, because we still have business with each other."

"...Mm. I'll tell him, then." She rested her hand against Raid's crown, giving you a small smile as her tail tentatively began to twitch at the tip.

"Let's go!" You turn on your heel, taking the fence keys in hand as your knights and Priat rally in your wake.

You feel better now. The meditation helped you fight off some of the dizziness you had been feeling since you woke up recently, so at the very least you felt like you could handle getting a little temperamental or excited without suddenly losing the earth right out from under your feet. You had hoped to have Kara join you for this, but... Right now, that would mean forcing her to choose between her brother and you. Regardless of who won that, your Testament likely wouldn't be happy with the result. It was better to leave it alone for now.

Pushing that out of your mind, you slide the keys into the gate lock and push open the greenery covered gates with an obnoxious creaking that only served to remind you how close you were now. Before you was the backyard of the main house in the Tier estate, a sprawling plain of overgrown grass and plants with long forgotten fixtures that may have once been used for training the creatures the retainer family was known to handle and keep. Further towards the back stood a barn-like building that stood imposingly in the sinking evening sun, casting long shadows across the yard as its oversized doors remained ominously shut... Or at least, they should have been.

Down the center of the building was a crack that towered from ground to roof, revealing an entrance to the inky black space concealed behind the gargantuan doors. Your mental tag of Rinnier's location on your web practically guaranteed that's where she was being held... But it was becoming more and more difficult to sense anything as you approached. That ridiculously large source of haze within your web was close enough now that your usual pristine awareness from the web was accompanied by something that felt like having low-volume white noise on surround sound.

It was... Distracting. You'd need to devote focus to your web to get a better picture of the area now, but who knows what looking directly into the web would be like if this white noise was already proving to be a frustrating drone.

You could set up camp outside, but you'd need to be quick about it. You don't know how much time was wasted sneaking around and dealing with the demihumans. Best case scenario, you didn't have much time until the Mayor came out; Worst case scenario, he was already in the barn... You could potentially find out by checking the web, but...

>Quickly move everyone into the barn, Rinnier is our priority.
>Spread out and hide within the yard, wait for the Mayor and Roderick to come along.
>Look into the web to try and get a better picture.
>Other? (write-in)

>>45832145
>>Quickly move everyone into the barn, Rinnier is our priority.
The web takes longer than we're aware of, and we don't have time.

>>45832145
>Quickly move everyone into the barn, Rinnier is our priority.

>>45832145
>Quickly move everyone into the barn, Rinnier is our priority.
We might be there and out before Roderick and the Mayor can get there, which means we can be sure we have Rinnier and have time to set up an ambush or get out of here

>>45832145
>Sneak inside the barn, but with Asche and Priat only. Have the rest hide in the yard. Knights will likely be of no use against that monster inside.

>If the monster shows any signs of hostility, retreat and wait for the Mayor who probably can control it somehow.

>>45832262
>>45832277
>>45832298
nyooom into the barn.

>>45832361
Hide knights, and then promptly leave if the monster is angry.

Writing.

You push away the droning static from the back of your mind as you motion your knights forward. You weren't willing to take a chance on getting lost in the web again, not with time as tight as it was currently. Your priority here was to save Rinnier, and if you had her then everything else could be handled at your leisure.

The thirteen of you moved as stealthily through the overgrowth filled backyard as you could, crossing the gap with tense attention being paid both towards the house itself and the barn you were approaching. The gap inside was large enough to slide inside easily as you approached, but you found yourself hesitating at the final steps into the threshold. The static was nearly palpable to your senses, with each subsequent step feeling as if you were wading through a tide of white noise.

Your balance shifted, with only Asche's timely interference keeping you on your feet as she cast a questioning stare in your direction. You flashed her a reassuring grin, because you were too close now, too close to stop and wait, and maybe lose it all. Pushing forward, you slip through the man sized crack in the barn door and step through to what lay inside with bated breath.

...It was literally a barn.

An empty one, at that. It seems like the stables had at some point been converted into make-shift holding cells, but even they were empty now. Any straw and droppings that could have covered the ground here in the past had long since been cleaned out... It was actually pretty clean. Your knights file in behind you quickly, spreading out behind Priat and Asche as they take up position behind you.

"You're certain your friend is here?" Priat murmured at your side, scanning the barn interior. There were two stories here, with the upper level serving as a relatively wide catwalk around the ledges, so you could see the roof from the ground floor if you so desired. From what you could make out, it seemed there were cells along the walls that you could access.

You considered checking for Rinnier's mental tag, but the roaring white noise was getting bad enough that your eyeballs were starting to itch; The last thing you wanted at this point was to aggravate that. The good news at least was that the barn was silent, meaning that it wasn't likely the Mayor had beaten you here-

"Some people just left the house, Ser."

-Yet. Okay, no, you still had time.

>Find Rinnier, now!
>Split up and hide, we'll watch them.
>Prepare an ambush.
>Other? (write-in)

>>45833272
>>Prepare an ambush.

>>45833272
>Split up and hide, we'll watch them.
Hide the knights, have them keep watch, Send Irue into the barn to
>Find Rinnier, now!

>>45833272
>>Prepare an ambush.
>>Other? (write-in)
How convincingly do you think we could get one of our knights to pretend to be one of the mercenaries?

>>45833272
>Split up and hide, we'll watch them.

>>45833499
Would you like to try this?

>>45833545
On second thought, it's kinda too risky. Just going with ambush.

>>45833388
>>45833499
1. Ambush!

>>45833489
>>45833517
2. Hide knights!

>>45833489
Irue is on a Rinnier hunt while the others hide.

Alright, tie breaker between hide/ambush or roll?

If we succeed at hide: Irue hides as well, or runs to find Rinnier?

>>45833499
If there were no mercs in the barn it's likely that the presence of one will cause suspicion.

>>45833588
>Ambush
Irue can hide too. The Mayor will lead us to Rinnier himself.

>>45833619
Damn it, I meant >Hide

Alright, writing for hiding.

"Hide." You twist around, throwing your arm wide as the command hisses past your teeth. They need no further heeding, splitting apart in a scramble as they move to find places out of sight. "Don't get too comfortable, make sure you can stay mobile!" Footsteps echo through the barn as your knights scatter. You nod to Asche, casting one last glance down the seemingly empty barn, as you the two of you make your way quickly up a ramp and onto the second floor. More empty cells await you at the top, as well as a clear and open view of the ground floor beneath you.

"I'm glad you could make time to come for this." Your thoughts are cut short as the Mayor's voice echoes through the rafters, the man himself stepping into the barn alongside Roderick and a single mercenary. "It's a pity that the Salamander representative has been so reluctant to come verify their guilt. You would think someone of that status in the Shrine would be more concerned with seeing the Tier family's tragedy met with justice."

"I am certain Priat has had many things keeping him occupied." Roderick replied stoutly, "He is the representative of Salamander, and not at liberty to simply be called upon so promptly. Especially given the... Unusual level of activity we have had recently." The attendant of Gnome seemed to grimace as he spoke, prompting a curious "Oh?" from his conversational partner.

"I wasn't aware. Has there been some measure of commotion lately?"

"It is private business." Roderick replied curtly, "Two unexpected boons have come our way... And one unexpected reunion that I hope to be concluded shortly."

You can't help the smirking leer that merrily peels your lips back while listening. There was certainly no love lost between the two of you... Pity you had already taken the chance to throw him under the proverbial cart by setting up a meeting with the Mayor in all of this.

"Tell me Roderick, do you remember those plans we spoke of some years back?"
"I do. I do not agree with them any more now than I did back then."
"That is a strict stance to take, as expected of a man such as yourself, but do you not see that it held merit?"

You blinked, slowly stepping forward along the catwalks as you followed the talking men from above.

"Given recent events, I cannot disagree that perhaps your dreams of succession and returning to Carona's roots were without reason." Roderick admitted after a moment, "However, as an attendant of the Shrine, I cannot support something that would so clearly lead to bloodshed. It is our duty to guide those around us."

"You would instead guide them towards a dead end between nobility and crown?" the Mayor asked amiably, "Do you know how many villages have already been overturned in the wake of that? How many people have lost their land and homes to the senseless bickering and power struggles? You cannot tell me that is the future you wish to guide Carona into, surely not as someone who was born here."

"My place of birth is irrelevant, Mayor."
"Don't give me that, Rodne-"

"Roderick, Mayor." The Gnome attendant stopped in stride, cutting off the Mayor's amiable voice with a stern rejection. "My name is Roderick, attendant of the Shrine. My place of birth, and our relationship as children, are NOT relevant in this capacity. Please respect that I am here purely on official capacity, trying to find justice for something that has caused great harm to former residents of Carona."

"..." an awkward silence covered the barn for a brief moment, but if the Mayor was offended, his amiable chuckles gave no sign of it. "Very well, I apologize. That is what this is ultimately about after all, yes. We are seeking justice."

You were going to shove justice down his throat before this was over.

"Here, we arrive." The Mayor turned towards a cell at the far end of the barn, his mercenary escort beginning to crank a wench and the barn interior filled with the sound of clinking chains as the cell's slid apart, revealing a black shaft... And from within that shaft, the clinking of chains, you heard a platform creaking up towards the surface.

"This place is unexpectedly... Intricate for a barn." Roderick mused as they waited, and you found yourself grimacing at your silent agreement.

"This is actually the second floor." The Mayor laughed, "There is a large holding area beneath the ground that the Tiers had constructed. There are a few entrances to it, such as through the house we passed earlier... But this one, as I am to understand it, was something of a supply elevator to them. They moved their beasts and feeds up and down the different levels with wench operated lifts."

"Fascinating. I hadn't expected such ingenuity from beast tamers."

Their conversations rapidly began to matter less to you as a familiar head of flamingly red hair rose from the pits upon the platform, her hands bound in ropes, and escorted on either side by a pair of mercenaries.

"This is...!"

"Former princess Rinnier Suriah Lamandra, of Teranford." The Mayor confirmed as he greeted your Testament, "My sources informed me that she been driven from her country not long after her family was dethroned."

Rinnier held her head level, looking over both of the men with a familiar measuring glance. Her hair was dirty, but the clothes she wore remained in good quality; Still the ones you had lent her from your own wardrobe.

"What cause do you have to think a former royalty was behind the arson of the Tier estate?" Roderick boggled, looking her over as if unwilling to believe he had actually encountered her here.

"Is the Shrine not informed of matters abroad, Roderick? Word is that the La'Fielan crown supported Teranford's invaders, brokering a deal of alliance to expand their borders once Teranford had been conquered."

"What?" Roderick's head snapped back towards the Mayor's smug face.
"They what....?" Rinnier's hiss barely audible from where you stood.
"Do aunt and uncle know about this?" You looked to Asche, receiving only a shrug.

"Driven by grief, this slip of a girl has been doing far more than just our simple Tier arson. There are reports of similar groups of foreign Salamander adepts springing up across the country. It is, simply put, terrorism."

"No!" Rinnier jerked forward, her momentum being caught immediately by the two mercenaries at her side as she struggled, "If this is a ploy, it is one of your own! My people are slaves, sold to the highest bidder!"

"Hardly." The Mayor shook his head, "You expect me to believe that clothing as fine as that came from a mere 'slave'?"

Flesh against flesh rang out in the barn, Rinnier's head jerking to the side after one of the mercenaries had stepped in to swipe the back of his hand across her cheek. "We have witnesses of you at the Tier estates the night of the fire, girl. We know exactly what your family is capable of, and the size of that fire was certainly no coincidence." The Mayor stepped back, allowing his mercenary escort to take center stage as he spoke, "It has taken me some time, but we have finally obtained Shrine sanction for this. You will be answer our questions truthfully, and face your crimes."

>Settle in and watch, you might learn something.
>You didn't tolerate this with Kara...
>Begin Meditation (To which Mana?)
>Other? (write-in)

>>45834855
>Settle in and watch, you might learn something.

>>45834855
>>Begin Meditation (To which Mana?)
Jinn

>>45834956
>You didn't tolerate this with Kara...

>>45834855
>Begin Meditation to Jinn

We probably should have brought Kara along...

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>>45834956
Get comfy, it's the torture channel.

>>45834967
That is not okay.

>>45834962
>>45835006
J-Jinn...? When did this become a thing?

Writing.

>>45835071
> Get comfy, it's the torture channel.

Dude just slapped her, we aren't at the whips and chains yet.

Rod is surprisingly not that bad a dude. An ass, yes, but hey at least he isn't a killer.

Man, we are gonna Fuck this mayor UP though.

>>45835160
>we have finally obtained Shrine sanction for this.
They wouldn't have needed a sanction to just have a nice chat.

Your emotions spiked, a wave of vertigo threatening to overtake you had Asche not been there to steady you. You were left reeling in a very literal sense as you tried to digest the information. There was no reason for you to believe it, nothing you knew about the Mayor gave you any reason to believe what he had said about the La'Fielan royalty working with that nomadic army...

But it would explain where they got their resources from, wouldn't it? Forces like that couldn't sustain themselves.

It was too convenient. Something like that, just to paint a plausible target on Rinnier's back for her to seem guilty of a crime she didn't commit. Even if it explained the army, how would the Mayor have known? Why hadn't the Shrine known? ...No, was that the right question? Had you even asked them? If they knew, why would they tell you?

You stumbled back against an empty cell, letting your eyes shut as the world began to spin as quickly as the questions in your mind. Was it possible the crown wasn't simply bickering with the nobles, but sabotaging foreign countries as well? Was it all really just for the sake of land?

Why did you trust any of this? The Mayor was looking for an excuse, any excuse, to frame Rinnier. It was a lie.
Why didn't you trust this? The Mayor wanted to be free of the crown, why would he lie about their actions? Was it the truth?

The best lies contain the truth. Where did one end and the other begin?

"Irue." Asche's silent interjection was nearly lost in the whirlwind of your rapidly escalating thoughts. You were being pulled in too many directions with this, did any of it really matter? After what you had seen them do to Rinnier? You hadn't stood for this with Kara. You had taken on the entire town guard for less, and now you were sitting here?

...Because there was more to gain here. There was more at stake. You weren't the impulsive child you had been-
-Less than six months ago.

Had it really been that short of a time? Or rather, wasn't that a long time? Had you changed so much since then? That you could stay calm and listen? That you would accept that kind of disrespect to your own Testament?

You felt your breathing.
Each inhale pulling in more concerns.
Each exhale expelling palpable unrest.

You needed to let this go. You needed to retaliate. You needed to listen. You needed to speak. You needed... To find your center amidst the storm. You focus on your breathing, the cycle of air in and out, and memories of Jinn's meditations flicker through the static in the back of your mind. Jinn was whimsy; Curiosity and Vengeance in a single package. Quick to offend, quick to forgive, quickest to forget.

Inhale.

Asche was near you, you realized that her hand had stayed steadily upon your arm as you had struggled. Her presence was a calming reassurance amidst the storm... And that is exactly what your mind had become: A storm. Thoughts raged like wind, battering you in a frantic tug of war.

Your blood boiled, rumbling thunder lurking beyond darkened clouds. You were angry. Offended. Outraged. It wasn't just the way they had raised a hand against your Testament, it wasn't just that this town had the nerve to frame one of your own for their petty schemes. This entire country had been thrown onto the edge of civil war... For land? The very thing that had landed Rinnier as your Testament was a result of your own royalty's machinations?

You needed to know if it was the truth.
You needed to grind the Mayor under heel for what he'd done, but damn if you didn't need him to answer your questions.

Exhale.

"Irue...!"

"I'm all right."

You don't sigh, your pattern of breathing having been purposefully and deliberated regulated, but you allow your muscles to relax as the distant rumbles of thunder and a howling wind began to overlay the ambient static. You felt... Calmer. An almost serene sense of peace as you felt the makeshift wooden planks of that composed the cell you were leaning against. You could hear them below, question after question came. Some of them you knew to be purely for show. Others inspired curiosity, as they were ones you found yourself wanting to answers to as well.

Where were Rinnier's people?
Those terrorist sects, were they truly Teranford slaves?
If so, was what he said about the crown true?
If not, who were they? What did they gain for framing a fallen country?

But... You felt oddly little. As if your emotions were being sucked away from you as they sparked. There was idle curiosity, one that wanted to know more.

A dim, pastel green glimmered along your wrist; a cool whisper of wind that matched your breath.

>Feed the Storm.
>You've had enough.

>>45835701
>>You've had enough.

>>45835701
>>You've had enough.

>>45835701
>>Feed the Storm.

>>45835701

>Feed the Storm.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>45835736
>>45835766
1. We're done here.

>>45835795
>>45835804
2. There's still more to learn.

This has a 50% chance of being one of the funnier dice god decisions made in Valen.

>>45835701
>You've had enough.

"Asche." Your voice is airy as you lean forward, feeling yourself teeter within the eye of the storm as they proceeded to interrogate Rinnier down below. Understandably, she had answered very little... There were very, very few questions she had the answers to. For every question she didn't, or couldn't, answer she was struck.

You felt something about the fact that she continued to turn back to stare directly at the Mayor after each time. The exactly details of that feeling escaped you, sucked away into a vacuum every time. If you had to guess, it was probably shame... Because there was nothing there for you to be proud of. Rinnier alone had always been fiercely independent, and unlike Kara or Rinnier, you couldn't think of anything you had done to inspire a change in her.

...Maybe it was admiration. The way she kept her back straight, and a defiant glare.

"Pride will get you nowhere." The Mayor's voice drifted up from the ground floor, laced with genuine regret as one of the mercenaries drew a knife from his belt, and the sound of metal leaving its sheathe seemed to be the final push to destabilize your centered whimsy.

"I've heard all I want." Ah yes, it was all rushing back to you now. You nodded calmly to yourself; You had satisfied your curiosity, and waited long enough to listen and learn. You had stood and endured, and now that you had humoured one side of the storm, it was only fair your humoured the other.

Feeling the air bleed off of your bracelet, swirling around you with excited and confused whispering whistles, you allowed the mental storm bleed through the glowing accessory and summon forth a proportional manifestation. The coalescence of Jinn's apparition, composed and nurtured from a simple breeze to a gale, then a whirlwind that had threatened to knock you off your feet. This wasn't a creature excitable and curious by nature, above all.

Forced into existence, trapped in a strange world, surrounded by unknown people, the breeze didn't despair as its Shade cousins may have, nor raged as Salamander had. It expanded, rushing through the barn with an insatiable curiosity as it rapidly sought to learn any and everything about its new world. A strong gale, force enough to stagger a grown man, fed and empowered by its summoner.

It howled as it ran, until only your grip upon the catwalk bar kept you from being torn from the ground. Rushing, screaming, transforming into something more than simple wind as its excitement was stimulated.

"What in Jinn's-" The Mayor's voice was drowned out in the ensuing winds, creaking of wood beginning to groan through out the interior of the barn.

'Apparition.'

The cool, mechanically supplied information trickled into your mind as an orb grew within the center of the barn, wind so powerful that its condensed spinning had picked up and trapped enough debris to become clearly visible.

'Newborn Jinn elemental.'

Long hair unfurled from within, an androgynous face, with a slender body that lost consistency until it had merged completely with the rushing torrents of air. Empty eyes turned to face the mercenaries, the Mayor, Rinnier and all. It smiled, face lighting up in joy as its tender lips parted...

'Mistral's Child.'

Into an ever gaping, vacuous maw.

'Banshee.'

Rinnier's had a brief moment of confusion before her training kicked in and suppressed the panic, the red haired princess immediately jerking free of the mercenary at her side as she dove to the ground when. It was a split second decision, one that paid off as the next second saw two mercenaries be sent bodily through the barn wall - Followed not long after by a majority of said barn wall, an assortment of chains, and the ominous creaking of the upper catwalks beginning to shatter and break under the strain.

The Mayor's escort had performed admirably, throwing Roderick and his charge behind him as the stern looking man's calloused hands ripped up a slab of earth from the ground to oppose the oncoming wind as a breaker.

It was, perhaps, unfortunate for everyone involved that this served purely to excite the Banshee.

>Retrieve Rinnier and get out, this isn't your problem anymore.
>Make your way to safety and let it play out, you might still need to get involved.
>Kill the wind before it grows too strong.
>Other? (Write-in)

...Jesus there are too many typos to count.

I think I'm going to call the thread after this vote, if this is what I'm writing. Probably a sign i need rest.

>>45836596
>Get Rinnier and get back to Kara.

We're going to get us a whole pack of demi-humans.

>>45836596
>>Make your way to safety and let it play out, you might still need to get involved.

>>45836596
>>Make your way to safety and let it play out, you might still need to get involved.
With Rinnier, I assume.

Rescue was the foremost of a lot of other things we have to do. Like kill the mayor.

>>45836596
Can we
>Retrieve Rinnier and watch it play out? I don't want to leave Rinnier at the mercy of the banshee, but I do want to see what happens to everyone else.

>>45836728
Didn't mean to leave that second sentence in the quote. Looks like I'm getting tired too.

>>45836596
>Retrieve Rinnier, try to get Kara.

We are at a disadvantage here - the opponent has two adepts, while our own is useless near Rinnier.

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>>45836645
Rinnier and back to Kara.

>>45836677
We're out!

>>45836708
>>45836728
I'll count these two as the same things, because technically speaking "Make your way to safety" literally meant just you, it would have left Rinnier to fend for herself for a bit.

But yes, we can do this.
---
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.
---

Finally, an announcement! Or two. Ish.

1. Given that we seem to have actually managed the much joked about 4 whole players, I'm more or less certain that Valen will be continuing past this arc's conclusion. I had considered stopping it there since there was a fairly depressing lack of interest it seemed, but I'm game to go on if you guys want to stick around for more.

The next arc of Valen will probably occur after a short time skip both in-quest, and after a hiatus for me personally writing it so I can get some things together and collect my notes from the first arc before going forward.

2. Somewhat related to the short hiatus announcement while I gather information from the first Arc, I'm actually planning on starting a new quest soon. I'm not sure how much I should really spoil regarding it, but it's drawing heavily from my enjoyment of the atmosphere in Demon Souls, and later in Bloodborne.

Primarily expect it to touch on themes of Identity and Memory as you play an amnesiac outsider who has awoken within a derelict lakeside town known as 'The Walled City, Rahm'... Which, conspicuously, has no walls. Every night a thick fog rolls in from the lake, and shapes twist and writhe within them.

Anyway, that's about all for me tonight; Sorry about the horrible typo flurry towards the end!

Rolled 2 (1d2)

1. Retrieve Rinnier/Kara.
2. Retrieve Rinnier and watch it play out.

I missed the vote making it a tie. Rolling to see what I'm writing next thread.

>>45836857
>depressing lack of interest

I'd literally got up in the middle of the night for this quest. Don't you dare say that, Riz.

>>45836857
Most of the time I have to sleep about halfway into the quest due to the long runtimes so I think you actually have far more than 4 players. We just can't all make it for the entire duration so we're rotating in and out. I really enjoy reading the rest after I wake up, though, even if it seems frustrating at some points because we can't remember all the details.

Yup, Yup, I usually wake up around halfway.