If no one was born a knight then maybe the same could be said for a leader. Somehow you had garnered the loyalty of your Testament, and those brigands still followed you. Even now they looked to you, trying to find something to devote themselves to. A reason to become more than just men and women. They were as self-conscious of their own shortcomings in knighthood as you were in leadership, but there were still some among them who were determined to live up to the clumsily donned title of knighthood. Who refused to doubt the chance they had been given, and to believe in you.

You owed it to them to not falter. You may not be in the right frame of mind to extol your virtues, but something had brought you this far, and your flame haired Testament had been strictly uncompromising when she chastized you for your depressive spiral. The arrogance and aggression which had gotten you into this mess, burned to its last embers to get you out; Having come out the other side, it was hard to argue when Rinnier said you had earned some fraction of the pride you'd shown back then.

Hard to argue, but just as hard to agree. Nothing was scarier than the thought of reliving those mistakes in new and different ways.

You are Irue Valen. You're doing your best.

"Have you visited Carona before?"

Attention shifted to Miska as you took advantage of the woman's curiosity. Fen's fiancee was a nigh endless font of enthusiasm which seemed to disregard the gap of tension the rest of your knights ailed under, which made her an excellent spring board into common ground. Though she shook her head, it wasn't an answer you were unprepared for.

"The town has a rich history. In all honesty, it predates the establishment of La'Fiel as a country." though the past of this town was something you'd only discovered recently, it wouldn't be forgotten any time soon. Your time in the Abandoned Child's Atelier all but guaranteed it would be seared into your memory. Combined with some assigned reading from Rinnier, the fruits of your crash-course in Carona's affairs could be exercised proudly. "In relatively recent years its focus of livelihood shifted from hunting and gathering to farming. It's seen some increase in its net worth as a result of its proximity to the Valen estates, but that same positioning limited its ability to participate in regional trade."

"My village traded a lot!" Miska volunteered eagerly, "Urhay, we were on one of the main travel roads, but we weren't a large city. Mostly dealt in smaller goods to and from caravans passing through, my mom was a jeweler."

"I recognize Urhay." A new voice joined the conversation, its owner excusing himself from continuing with a mug to his lips as your crimson eyes fell on him expectantly. "Erherm..." He coughed into the hollow obscuring his face, "My cousins were part of the caravan train in Lord L'Cata's territory. Miners who made their living in at the foothills along the border of the Northern Wastes."

"Oh, that's so neat! Maybe I met them?" Miska's attention slipped from your conversation, giving you time to cool your throat and watch the man be drawn into a conversation over his family's mining connections.

It was short lived, eager as he was to not become the center of this particular show. "Matters of adjacent territory aside Ser... Er, Liege." You deigned not to react to the confusion in title. "Your knowledge of this town's history is nothing less than expected from someone of your pedigree. No doubt you've given a great deal of careful thought as to how we will be proceeding here?"

"...What do you think of this place?" You set your cup aside, leaning forward to rest your chin upon a bridge of interlaced fingers. The curious smile playing at your lips cultivated with care to vent the bitter laughter he'd elicited into something more welcoming.

"The people here are tightly knit." The man offered after a moment of surprised consideration. "There's a strong sense of... Home, I guess you could call it?" He looked around the room, seeking - and finding - affirmation in the face of fellows. "They are not easily broken. A catastrophy like the Mistral's Child may have crippled other settlements of similar size permanently, but they seem almost eager to rebuild."

"When they're not bitching about who's helping them." Another snorted under his breath, swiftly earning more than a single nervous glance for his irreverence.

"It's rarer to not be concerned when you see a demi rooting through where your house or shop used to be." One knight scolded his frustrated peer, "Even if they obey our liege now, their tales turn with the wind."

"And if they spent less time whining about who's carrying half a collapsed wall down the street, maybe we'd be seeing more of these buildings cleared while the wind's still good, eh?"

"Assuming they're not slacking off."

You felt the beginnings of a frown as the conversation veered from its earlier topic, and their briefly aired bickering seemed to remind them of their previous nervousness in drawing attention to themselves.

Kara's pack was a delicate problem, and not one you were inclined to try and sort through tonight. At least not right now.

"I agree." You took up where your exchange with the man from earlier had slackened, "They've done everything they can to help rebuild, and even donated this building to the effort to help organize it. Carona's identity is strong, but the Mistral's Child left its mark. With fields ruined like they are, it'll be difficult to feed them all later in the year, to speak nothing of replacing the assorted goods and necessities which were lost."

You scanned the room out of the corner of your eye, content with the attention. This much had there interest, but there was more to this dinner than a simple meet and greet; it was time you gave your knights a glimpse into the future. Their future.

"Ultimately my goal is to pull Carona back to its feet, but it's a task easier said than done. We need raw materials for building, supplies to support the people, and an authoritative presence to keep the peace during its recovery. It's fortunate that with some exception they seem to have taken to our involvement favorably... Which means that it will be all the easier to accomplish the tasks at hand."

"So we're gonna be tilling out the farms for them?" One knight asked with a bizarre tinge of hope. You favored him with a singularly confused stare, where upon he felt compelled to explain himself. "I was a farmer before all of this. Honestly kinda missed working the fields, and this territory's pretty famous for its ground."

"Can't say I'd disagree..." Dullem rumbled, prompting an exasperated blink as you turned to look at the bear of a man scratching his chin contemplatively. "After everything that's happened, might be nice to do some good old fashioned farming."

"Hey, hey, we're knights now!" Miska scolded them both, leaving you ever further uncertain just where the chain of command lie, and whether she herself actually cared, as Dullem grumbled assent to his own subordinate. "There's no way our liege brought us out here to dig dirt. There's probably some big plan to go retrieve special seeds from a private grove or something, ain't there?"

Her attention turned back to you towards the latter end of her fanciful story, and for a fleeting moment you had to wonder if House Valen even had secret groves with special seeds. The Abandoned Child's Atelier probably counted... But what kind of seeds would you even retrieve from-

You shook your head slowly, dispelling both Miska's mounting excitement and the traitorous thoughts which got swept up in her tempo.

"While I'm not against your involvement in the fields, Carona can look after itself. Our priority is to help them stand on their own again, not spoonfeed them." You had no grand plans to waste your knights on farming, even if a portion of them may well be more skilled at that than knighthood in the first place. "However, Miska is right." She blinked, visibly straightening her posture as the attention of your assembled knights snapped taut. "There are bigger things you'll be seeing to."

You had a number of priorities floating around in your mind, but now wasn't the time to discuss them all. What you told them tonight would undoubtedly spread, and the first glimpse your knights truly got of your character would be colored by what you broached next.

>Reveal one priority. It can be any major plan or initiative you have in mind, but be aware that it is inevitably going to become the first real piece of public news about you.

Previous Threads:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=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
A List of Forgotten Things - http://pastebin.com/kPEscJ3h
Irue's Memoires - http://pastebin.com/sWnicrK7

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
Friends Forever - http://pastebin.com/Yn0QaTVB
The Woman Beneath Steel - http://pastebin.com/pMGgiHC3
Paper Flowers - https://pastebin.com/Pk0W7rEm

Misc notes:Prepare for an incredibly casual week!

Memo:
1. Make Asche explain everything about the bracelet
2.
3. Mim said "When are you going to tell her?" Tell what to whom?

Finally, take your time to discuss your choice.There won't be an update until later today, and I'll give an hour's warning ahead of time before the voting window closes. You all have plenty of time.

Go ahead and get settled in for the week!

Wait. so uhhh, are we planning to turn them into alouette tier knights? Honestly don't remember.
they did show a lot of potential as fighters during our fight against that giant snake. just need some training and leadership

>>3010114
Improving their capability as knights was on the docket, but how you went about it was ill defined and never decided! Training in martial prowess, arming them appropriately, scouting and nurturing affinity with Mana, locating those most willing to work alongside demihumans, etc.

Currently they are untrained, barely organized, and armed little better than a militia. If your priority is strengthening them rather than pursuing an objective then there are plenty of ways to go about it, but you would need to settle on one method to be made public at this dinner.

>>3010078
Reveal mining thing

>>3010123
My vote is to find them a trainer, some horses and swords. Teach them the basics of knighthood, the rest can follow after that.
Outside training I can't think of anything other than the whole quarry thing.
teaching them to work full time with demihumans sounds like a lost cause and a waste of time imo

>>3010134
>I can't think of anything other than the whole quarry thing.
There's plenty that I can recall anons showing interest in previously. Rooting out the remaining rebellious elements in Carona, tracking down Rinnier's people, finding a way to deal with the sleeping Behemoth before it wakes...

Examples off the top of my head. I'm not sure which things you all have forgotten over the hiatus, and which ones you just don't feel relevant to consider. However, there's plenty of time still for it to be discussed. I have faith you'll choose something you'll be happy with!

>>3010149
ah yes excuse my bad memory. I remember the mayor's followers now and that is something we should crack down soon. I recall that we had a lead of some sort, something regarding a list? god damn i need some sleep

>>3010211
Go ahead and sleep anon, the window won't be closed until the skyfire has come and gone anyway.

As for your lead, yes. Mim was curating a list of suspicious individuals based on the appearance and disappearance of certain names (fake or not) which appeared on the Missing Person's list managed between you and the Shrine.

>>3010083
You came back!

I guess you could call this a Wednesday, if you squint enough. Maybe.

Is it 2020 already?

>>3010078
>Stamp out the Mayor's conspiracy
Begin with the weirdness with the missing people. Tell the populace we're suspecting foul play with someone trying to get more than their fair share of aid.

>>3010075
Also damn, a whole town subsisting on humting and gathering? The local woods must be exceptionally full of game. In the history of the Earth, only one known group of people managed to be sedentary hunter-gatherers, and they had an amazingly productive locale to thank for that.

>>3010370
I assume being so close to a Dryad forest helped immensely, at least when the place was founded.

>>3010397
The town has moved on to farming "in relatively recent years" though.

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>>3010078
2 weeks late? More like 5 months early. I still missed you though!

Now since this'll be the first thing most people hear about us I'd like to vote against telling them about our plan to sort out the dissidents. The townsfolk grew up with these people and our knights were in their position not too long ago so I'd rather keep our involvement in this quiet in case we get Marchovic killed or we drown the bandits in their own blood or both. If we diplomance a solution we can brag all we want later.

As for what to tell our knights... I'd go with the mining/smelting combo plan honestly. Tell them that we'll likely be involving the citizenry, that we're currently negotiating a few different specialised individuals help us with this and also that we'll be operating out of some currently unused Valen holdings. If we can pull this off not only will we be giving Carona what they need to pull themselves back on their own two feet and rebuild their home. We'll also be in a position to export processed iron to other localities that have been no doubt been lacking these resources, bringing up the standard of living throughout Valen lands and with any luck we'll replenish our depleted personal coffers so we're in a better position to deal with whatever comes next. We'll be working closely on this so let's all do our best together!

Can Ari unfuck the farmland?

>>3010440
>Can Ari unfuck the farmland?


I doubt it. I assume the damage is more to the crops and harvesting infrastructure than the fields themselves. Crops take a while to grow, and if they were destroyed partway through the growing season, then untended while the farmers were dead/injured/unavailable, there won't be time to regrow them before winter rolls around.

>>3010078

Whatever we do, we must make them feel like they are knights. So that gets faming out of the equation.

I suggest we try to train them into a police/militia, give them an ideal by way of them devoting themselves to the upholding of the law. Taking into account we already got local people looking into possible traitors within Carona and our knights are not familiar with the city, I proppose the following.

>I want you to establish a more formal headquarters in Carona. From it, you must conduct patrols to look for any trouble brewing around the surroundings, returning to the HQ to share information coordinate and train.

>Also, I plan to reconnect with the other towns in my domain, so I would like to dispatch riders to ask each town to send a representative to meet with me here, in Garona. I know too little of my lands and I cannot afford to be so ignorant any longer.

We have established that we need to make sure the towns in our domain are loyal and this seems like a good moment to start.

Besides, our "knights" are the outdoor type and they would be more effective cracking down on any banditry than rooting out traitos in a town they do not know and has a very ingrained idea of local identity that might not open p to strangers.

It also gives them a ideal, upholding the law, which might calm their knightly urges and give them a task they will feel proud of.

I believe establishing this sort of "Ranger" organization might be a good way to start policing our lands and establish our presence, something which Irue really needs as she is an unknown entity now. The reconnection with the other towns is a crucial matte as well, but if they come and see an established organization of our own creation their opinion of us might increase.

>>3010506
Sorry if I am being too pushy, but using the knights to rebuild or help establish a mining operation might make them fall into depression. They must feel part of somethin bigger and I believe that something like what I proppose but help with it.

>>3010506
Anyway, to finish the shillig with a tl;dr:

>establish some sort of ranger organization to police the outskirts of Carona

Because:

>It lets our knights be knightly by giving the something to strive for: upholding the law
>Uses them for something they are good at, as they are good outsddormen and women.
>Will lower banditry in our region and warn us for any important events (Magical beasts anyone?)
>Has the potential to grow, as we might be able to establish further out posts and recruit more people if the idea goes well.
>Will be something truly ours, giving us some notoriety, which might even translate into people not mistaking us with a boy.

Also, as a minor thing, ask representatives of other towns to gather in Carona. We need to see what is going on in our domain.

>>3010506
Not a terrible idea on the whole, though it still runs into issues around /how/ to train them as rangers and police. The only person we know of that could even start is that lady knight that isn't anywhere near and has her own responsibilities.

They should have woodcraft(?) based on their history, but that's only a foundation for patrolling and actual combat.

Rinner could maybe help with the combat stuff a little, but her style is pretty different, and she's got plenty of her plate already.

What does most of our knights armor and arms looks like a the moment?

>>3010506
I'm not convinced telling them to drop what they're doing to go hiking through the woods will be effective for their self esteem or as a PR move, in fact pulling them from reconstruction will likely be bad PR. This is all assuming they're even competent and well equipped enough to face down a wild beast or halfway organised bandit force without getting wiped, which they most certainly are not.

I agree with your point about making them feel like more than a glorified workforce, that's a very important long term goal, but -
1, The fact remains that we're overbooked on plans and understaffed on manpower. Baby steps are what's required here, I'd wanted to put forward some plans on team building and group cohesion drilling, maybe with some war games and adapt training during our evening downtime in the mountain estate but Riz limited us to one idea for some reason and the iron gathering idea is the most well thought out idea we have at the minutemostly because half of it came from Rinnier.

2, What we say here isn't solely for their benefit, what we say here will travel around town (and eventually further afield) and will be representative of what our first order or business was upon arriving in the smoldering ruin of our capital town, I just can't see pulling our knights from their much appreciated current duties to build a ranger guild being a good look for us. Maybe something to file away for later?

3, If we/Marchovic are successful in dealing with the local dissatisfied revolutionaries then we're not really going to have any bandit related troubles for the foreseeable future, unless they're patrolling the entirety of Valen territory which is the very definition of biting off more than we can chew.

>>3010542
Well, they spend a lot of time surviving on the wilds, are decent hunters and I believe some f them know how to ride. While they might need some training in the police part, I believe they got the basics of the survival training good enough. But we at least know that they are reasonbly fit and performed well enough at the snake hunt so...

As for the fighting part, there should be some town guards liying around that might help them a bit, but the at least should know how to hunt with a bow. A few lessons from them should do the trick to cover any gaps on their education.

>>3010440
>>3010506
yeah nah I don't agree with you on some things.
First of all, there's no reason to keep the mayor problem secret - traitors deserve no mercy. Tell the knights about our dissident problem and their upcoming role in it's suppression. It was already delayed FAR too long and we can't afford to take "if's" and "but's" anymore, crackdown NOW

Second, I don't see the point to turn the knights into a police. The mayor post is temporary, we will be the head of house Valen someday and when that comes a bodyguard retinue of trained knights would be of much more use. Remember the long-term plans!

Lastly, the ranger thing. I don't recall there being a bandit problem so this whole outskirt patrol idea seems kind of a waste. They could be put into better use, like the crackdown I mentioned earlier or even starting their training

>>3010562
>The mayor post is temporary
I desperately hope that's true, but the only reason we have this post in the first place is because Aunty refused to abdicate as Head of House like she should have when we passed the Rite. If she didn't then, she has no reason to at any point in the future; doubly so because she still has a son she could pass it to instead.
Remember, Aunty is entire responsible for our responsibility of this mess.

>>3010570
Now hold on a second. Auntie has no justification or right to deny our birthright. In fact, from what I understand of feudal law we should have become the head by default as soon as we passed the rite and became an adult!

But even then, you have the altitude of a defeatist. We can't start changing our plans just because of the possibility that auntie will double-cross us and try to steal our title (which I doubt, auntie isn't that bad)

>>3010562
>>3010552

They don´t have the skills of a secret police force. To use them that way won´t be by any means effective. We have better allies for that.

The value of having our outskirts surveiled will tp threats from coming out of the blue which might be a good investment.

There will always be bandits creeping on our territory. Having a rural police force would be a great way to make their threat be much lower. Coming from historical experience from my own country, an especialized corps will do a rgeat way to enforce central authority (google Guardia Civil, Spain)

Frankly, I don´t want to be full military with these guys. They have their strengths and they should be used accordingly. Hell, if we expand them to our whole domain, our Auntie won´t be able to feel proud of us, and give us more authority.

>>3010573
Auntie is at least an honest woman. If she see us taking creaive decisins that better the whole domain I feel she will feel impressed and finally allow us to rule as Head.

As I have said, we already have people working in the crackdown. No need to use our knigths for that. Besides, more safety on the roads will help commerce flourish, helping Garona (and us) in the long run.

>>3010574
>yeah lets send away our knights to wander the countryside because of the possibility of a bandit or two (and lock them out of being anything outside glorified scouts in the future)

You'll have to forgive me if I vote against this option famalam

>>3010562
>First of all, there's no reason to keep the mayor problem secret

>"The people here are tightly knit." The man offered after a moment of surprised consideration.

Yo, I'm your new mayor and the first order of business is a bloody purge of the people you've known all your lives, death to traitors!

>>3010570
I'm happy to grant her leeway on the whole head of the household thing, at least for now. Lets get some experience dealing with the training wheels tier mayor job for a while while she maintains the knifes edge political situation.
>Remember, Aunty is entire responsible for our responsibility of this mess.
B-but we're the ones that destroyed it in the first place! What are you saying here, it's her fault that we have to clean up our own mess?

>>3010579
Well I don't exactly recall just how big this crackdown is going to be so maybe you're right. I just want to turn the dudes into actual knights.
Thats what I'm gonna vote for but for now I'll just be quiet

>>3010083
>casual week!
Oh no, we're going to spend 2 IRL months talking about the shade of green of Irue's new dress.

>>3010581
I just don´t see the appeal of turning them into a full military force. But I see your point. Still, our house has already full fledged knights in their control. And we have responsabilities that an army cannot resolve. Having something "truly ours" which helps the people at large will be a good way to build up a reputation and make the towns recognize us as their liege.

>>3010573
I'm not being defeatist, just point out how she's likely thinking. I figure we're going to have to take the title from her, by arms or trickery. I doubt she's just going to give it to us.

>>3010584
The destruction of the town is our fault, but no one knows that but us, iirc. Auntie certainly doesn't, so her appointing us here doesn't mesh with a "clean up your mess" attitude. I structured that line intentionally. She's responsible for our responsibility, not the mess itself.

>>3010592
I'm of a mind to have them ~3/4 military focus, 1/4 something else. A small core of full time military is extremely common for nobility. Heck, look at our cousin.

>>3010587
And it'll somehow be interesting anyway. Riz is good at that.

>>3010596
I would rather do the opposite. Make them focus in the ranger stuff and add enough martial training to make use of them as a paramilitary unit if war comes.

My point here is, if the House already has a dedicated military, why should we create yet another one, without any good instructors available (as Alouette has her duties).Shit, police units have a history of aiding the military, specially those of the rural type, since they ca srve as scouts of skirmishers and are not a money drain but an asset in peace time.

Again I might be sounding too spergy about this.

>>3010596
>~3/4 military focus, 1/4 something else
I think Rinnier mentioned some idea she had as a kid, a kind of construction corps. Reminded me of the Roman Legionary's tendency to start building fortifications if left idle for more than 5 minutes.

We should try and organize all the ideas for a major action that we might our knights on. Remember that if we don´t take an action especifically to prepare our knights, we can make them help and train in the background or in downtime:

>Exploit the mine (as miners or protection for miners)
>Crackdown on the rebels (I guess usage as muscle for detentions)
>Finding Rinnier people
>Helping with the reconstruction of Garona (farming, rebuilding..etc.) Get the city in shape as soon as possible
>Try and help you deal with the Sleeping Behemoth
>Establish rangers/rural police/paramilitary. Uphold the LAWN.
>Reconnect with the other towns

Remember, we can do many things at once. We are just trying to decide he absolute priority and what is the most important thing, our first official action as the mayor.

What do we know about the Behemoth in general and its sleeping habits?

>>3010078
>Reveal the mining operation

All our work so far has been rebuilding, but now we are looking to the future. The town need income to conduct trade to survive the winter. Our food production is fucked, so it stands to reason that we look for ways to trade for it. We create jobs and an industry to get the people back on their feet.

Soon we can speak to reps from the other towns and find investors for our projects. It'll be grand!

>>3010370
>a whole town subsisting on humting and gathering?
>they had an amazingly productive locale to thank
Carona is situated a stone's throw from the absolute heart of Dryad's Throne, which means there's arguably no richer locale in the world.

>>3010399
>relatively recent years
Although this may have been misunderstood. It's relatively in contrast to the time of its establishment. They were forced to transition from hunting/gathering and generally living freely off the fat of the land to cultivating and farming for their livelihood starting when Dryad was sealed.

>>3010440
>>3010474
>Can Ari unfuck the farmland?
There was conversation on this topic either last thread or the one before, and the short answer is that, yes, it's possible for her to help once you know she's made progress connecting to Dryad. There's a larger explanation in thread 65, around #2042793.

The catch is that doing so in an immediately noticeable manner is a swift way to alert people to Dryad's involvement. Your mileage may vary on how important this is to you, and you're welcome to try and think of ways to conceal or misdirect that information if you are so inclined to do it anyway. It can also be done more subtly to force the plants to ignore seasons entirely and just grow all year round no matter what.

Honestly when you have the favor of a Mana which represents Life itself, farming is pretty difficult to fail at.

>>3010552
>Riz limited us to one idea for some reason
What you choose to do later and what you announce tonight are separate. This is mostly for publicity, so rather than overload them you are picking one thing to frame their attention on; you're not shelving other plans just because they're not chosen right now.

>>3011039
You know that it's a Wisp blessed creature with a supernaturally sturdy constitution. It is currently pacified due to increasingly potent drugs, but it builds resistance to their effects with each iteration. When you played as Rinnier you located the apothecary who made those drugs and abused your authority as Testament to get the man a license again and put him immediately back on making a drug even more potent than last time, but you have no idea if he'll succeed, and if so, in time. The Behemoth's last dose was months ago right after the fire at the Tier estate, so it's absolutely due to shake off the lingering drugs in its system and wake.

This question is primarily answered because Rinnier would know all of it, and wouldn't fail to inform Irue even if you didn't ask.
---

I think that's everything. Window will close in about 2-3 hours!

>>3011078
Wait, but wouldn´t Ari doing stuff diseminate even more the disease?

Also, if we finally go fo he mining operation, could we ask Alouette in a letter for ways to deal with the monsters that reside there? I believe Griffons were one of them.

Seeing that my Ranger idea hasn´t got much traction, I would proppose opening the mine as our main actio and try to use that as a way to bring the towns into the fold. Train our knights to defend the caravans of ore and present it as a way to defend the "lifeline " of Carona. I mean, it´s not very knightly to act as a glorified caravan guad, but it is knightlier than farming.

Also, before compromissing, coul we ask the guy that is supposd to make the drug how is the work going? He is kinda vital. I mean, can he just make a weaker drug to stave off the moster?

>>3011078
I kind of want to try bloodletting and slowly bleed it to death. If it's sleeping from drugs it's not eating or drinking and can't replenish what we tap... Right? No mana shenanigans allowed!

>>3011114
>wouldn´t Ari doing stuff diseminate even more the disease?
You have no concrete idea what the "corruption" is, or how it supposedly spreads. However, it's worth noting that ALL life is rooted in Dryad, so Ari's interference on behalf of the agriculture would only be increasing a theoretical chance for food to be a vector, if indeed that's even possible in the first place. Otherwise, literally anything ever grown (or born) would theoretically have a chance to just spontaneously carry a fragment of the corruption, assuming that is how it works.

Which is a lot of words to say that you should use your best judgement. How much, or how little, you utilize Ari's potential powers for fear of spreading something you don't understand is entirely your prerogative.

>could we ask Alouette in a letter
No. Alouette is with your cousin Caylen as is her charge, and last you heard (some months ago) he was traveling east to rendezvous with splinters of Artemis. Your aunt took Ser Stomperson and rode off immediately to try and prevent this, and you've not heard an update on this.

>can he just make a weaker drug to stave off the monster?
Unlikely. The Behemoth is apt to simply shrug off anything weaker than what it's built a resistance/immunity to.

>How is the work going?
He's probably going to make you go on a fetch quest or something stupid to get the last rare item he needs in order to produce your plot device key item.

>>3011144
Okay, so Alouette is out. What about our uncle? Last time we saw him, he was in the library of his manor. Could we contact him, as he seems like a well learned man? Try to stress how this is fucking importan and we really need that small bit of research done?

>>3011156
>Could we contact our uncle?
Yes, but more to the point you've also had revisiting the Valen estate, or at least sending them a letter, on your to-do list for a while now. Looking for backlogged stipend stuff which I recall there being some division over, with some of you wanting it for an easier ride and some of you wanting to prove you could make do without hand outs, as well as checking on the aforementioned situation with Caylen, asking more things about the fae, etc...

You can certainly add dealing with griffons and mountain based monsters to the list.

>>3011167
Been trying to send that letter for over a year now...

We're the head, it's our money!

Really though when people realize that we are flat out broke with no income we're going to have problems with consequences far beyond a snide remark from aunty about accessing our available wealth. Our workforce needs to be paid and our treasure chest is soon running on empty if it isn't already

so it still looks like we lack any sort of consensus. >>3011039
Is a good starting point.

>>3011213

As usual, we're focusing far too much about being Valen then being Irue.

We're the Mayor of Carona. Send a message requesting funds for a number of reconstruction and infrastructure projects.

Jab lightly with a line about "Making use of my coffers", with the balancing touch of requesting an summary of family finances

>>3010078


In regards to the current question; I'm backing mining. We're need resources, and at this point, we're going to have to go get them.

Frame it as focusing on the same kind of formation tactics "we" used against the snake all that time ago: Before weapons, before armor and before magic, we need discipline for our Knights.

That means marching, and that means drilling.. and both of those require nothing more than a pointed shaft and a willing heart.

With luck, we'll get challenging action from local wildlife and potential banditry.

If we're unlucky, we get nothing, and we come out of this with nothing but marching and drilling.

In that same vein, we use it as an excuse to dig in with our knights and put them on a useful path, which we're going to need since we've got at least two major physical threats looming, and we need the people under our control to be as competent as possible as quickly as possible.

The important part though is that they're working towards something: We can't afford to just pull them into a training regime, even if we had the necessary expertise to apply it: Carona needs to see movement, and building self-sufficiency is good movement.

Aight, window closed! I'll be tallying up votes now as best I can. A little worried I'll miscount given the nature of the replies, but here we go!

>>3010128
>>3010440
>>3011061
>>3011441
Mining!

>>3010134
>>3010506
Training knights! As knights? As rangers? Anything's better than peasants!

>>3010369
Stamping out rebellion!

Alright, writing. I gave up after noticing mining had the lead by a long shot.

>>3011078
>Carona is situated a stone's throw from the absolute heart of Dryad's Throne, which means there's arguably no richer locale in the world.
This is a good point. Did they previously export food as a trade good? If so, the other towns maybe also run into food issues, and there may not be much food to buy. It also suggests that we after we get the reconstruction finished, we should encourage a return to a focus on food export, as we should be able to produce it in much greater quantities, allowing the other towns under our rule to become/stay specialized.

>>3011719
It was unlocked by a forgetting, it's automatically the best options!

>>3011732
>Did they previously export food as a trade good?
Yes, but perhaps not as you'd expect. Carona is overall a small town that is mostly concerned with supporting itself, and as its position in the territory made it unsuitable to largely interact with trade, they would mostly sell off whatever comfortable excess they accumulated during a harvest.

So while foodstuffs were their primary export, they weren't an economically potent settlement by any means, and it served mostly to accrue extra pocket change on a community scale. Notably however, this pocket change was managed by the mayor. The second paragraph of Asche's write-up actually touches on this.

>Large amounts of funds were being pressed into, and subsequently out of, Carona through the guards. The recorded rates from previous ledgers correlating with the exchanges on the paper in your hands. Coin for coin, a total was raised and then split 99-1, composed of steadily rising fees being slid into place over the last decade.

You know, in case anyone was wondering how he was funding his rebellion, and where those chests of money came from.

>>3011768
Hrm. I wonder if there's a trail to his supporters there. People who supported or benefited from the taxation, or seemed to have prior knowledge of it.

Follow the money pretty much always works.

"Most of you already know this, but reconstruction has gone slowly. We're reclaiming salvageable materials from the wreckage to cut down on what we use to rebuild." Primarily because you were so comically tight on funds that it was only Rinnier's management of your coffers which had kept you afloat this far. "What you may not know is that this was done to buy time."

A murmur rose unbidden, born from no conversation in particular. A level of piqued curiosity tension as your knights held rapt to the first showing of your hand since you'd properly met with them. That it was mixed with small mistruths was a minor detail, as the less they questioned the cheapness of your actions, the better.

"All of you came from strife that you had no say in." You continued, spreading your attention to address the rest of your knights. "You know better than anyone the result of the Crown and nobility squabbling, and are a testament to who takes the fall for it. I guarantee you, you're not the only victims of this."

"what's this gotta do with buying time?" Miska piped up, whole arm raised to be called on. Her eyes cut to Fen as he laid a hand over hers at the table, "What? I don't get it."

"Because this squabbling won't end." You give Fen an appreciative smile as he contains his fiancee so you can finish explaining. "You likely weren't the first to be dispossessed, and you won't be the last. We're approaching the crux of the matter rapidly, a fact that my family has been doing all it can to stave off. One of the reasons we weren't able to meet with you like we should have." You let silence reign for a beat; long enough to allow the implicit apology to find its mark. "Carona needs to be rebuilt and on its feet before then, but more than that, we need to be prepared. Weapons. Armor. Fortifications."

"The problem is that everyone needs those same things." You unlaced your fingers, sitting back in your chair. "Anyone who realizes the coming storm won't simply blow over will begin clamouring for those things, spending their wealth like water as the prices rise and the supply dwindles... So I chose to buy time instead of materials. Time to leverage our good circumstances and prepare an expedition for something far more important than any of those things I mentioned." your hand rose, a single finger extended theatrically. "I aim to tap the source of it all, and become a supplier."

"I heard the Valen lands were rich in good soil, but you've got a mine laying around?" One knight whistled appreciatively, "Guess that makes us good for mining? Tough work..."

"Temporary work." You correct absently. "You all come from diverse backgrounds, and among you I don't doubt there's a handful of people who have some measure of expertise in any number of labors. It's part of the reason why you've been so helpful in Carona. But... Miska is right, before you're civillians, you're my knights. I don't intend to let you all waste away on menial tasks."

Your fingers snap, a motion meant only to startle their straying thoughts back to you...And while it accomplished that task, it also led to Asche depositing a rolled up piece of paper in front of you. You blink once, the only sign of confusion you allow yourself to express in front of the assembled dinner participants, and unfurl it in as natural a motion you can manage.

"...And to that end I've charted a map for the expedition?" Words link themselves together one after another as you scan the scrawled navigational tool and its familiarly tidy script. "Detailing the safest route to the foot of the Northern Wastes, as well as what you'll likely encounter along the way." You read over it two more times in quick succession, noting branching paths meticulously sketched out. Rinnier leaned over in her chair to look at the map as well, expression hidden as she took a strategic sip from her mug.

You'd address this more later, there was a timing to consider and this map was an excellent prop to focus their thoughts on.

"The materials we need to rebuild Carona, to fortify and arm ourselves, and the raw metal to reap the whirlwind if we act swiftly." You announce confidently in your element once more, slamming the paper on the table with just enough force measured from your scrawny arms to cause it to shake. "It's going to be hard work. Not all of you will be suited for what I have in mind, but if you are..." You trailed off, taking a stand to look out over your assembled knights, "...This is where I need you."

"What happens if we're not suited?" Dullem rumbled, giving voice to the singular question you could all but feel looming in the minds of your knights after you threw down the gauntlet.

"I find what you are suited for." You answer simply, brooking no room for doubt with an imperious intonation. "This is only one of the things I'll be entrusting to you all in the future."

"How did it go?"

Dinner wound down not long after. A predictable course of events, given the climax of it all had been your announcement of the mining expedition... Which left certain details yet undisclosed.

"I think you did well." Rinnier returned, breathing in the cool night air as you stood outside. "Are you sure you should have told them about the war?"

"No." You admitted with a grimace, tucking an errant blonde lock behind your ear when the wind picked up. "I started talking and it came out. Where they came from, it's something I felt like they'd latch onto. No one is more affected by this than they were."

"It certainly caught their attention." The redhaired Testament offered a pensive agreement. "If it gets out we're preparing for a civil war, though..."

"They were on the verge of giving the Crown an excuse to start one just by being here, and they came to ask us to get involved in the first place." You muse. "...I doubt they didn't see this coming. Confirming it tonight won't change anything."

"It changes idle concerns to something more real."

"...Do you think it makes a difference?" You tilt your head back towards the stars. "You said yourself we're on borrowed time until it starts. What's coming isn't a secret. Even if all the actors haven't noticed yet-"

"I know." Rinnier set a hand on your shoulder, "I'm worried, is all. I know where we stand."

You grumble some vaguely dissastisfied sentiment but leave it at that. "Some of them seemed excited about mining, at least."

"An eclectic lot." A soft giggle escaped your Testament. "I wonder how many will be willing to work with the demihumans in the end... Are you sure it's a good idea to send them like that?"

"I trust Kara to keep them in line, and they need to learn to work with each other. The sooner, the better. Besides, how else will they handle themselves if a griffon really does show up near the mountains?"

"Hmm..." She turned away, humming her reluctant cede to the point. "If they're necessary, they're necessary. When did you make that map, though?"

"Asche made it." You corrected, "and I couldn't tell you. I used to rely on her to just have the things I needed like that all the time... It's been so long since I'd had her around, I was a little surprised."

"Weren't you the one who sent her to Carona with the demihuman in the first place?" Rinnier teased.

"I needed someone to look after Kara, and Ari wasn't in any shape to do it."

"Of course. But who was it that left her here and ran off to an Atelier not long after?"

Your arms cross unamusedly. "You needed more help than I did. You hadn't slept well in a week."

"And you came back a mess that cried in my office." She returned, poking you in the ribs. "...But thanks." She continued more silently, "I can't say I get along with her, but she was a lot of help to have around."

"I don't think she likes you either." She'd certainly never seemed to approve of time you spent with Rinnier, at any rate. "She gets along well with Ari and Kara, though. I don't know what you did to catch this stitch."

"I didn't do anything." Rinnier sniffed, "I'll have you know she thinks I'm high maintenance. Can you believe that? Me?"

"..."

Rinnier poked you in the ribs again. Harder. "I'm not. If anyone's high maintenance, it's you."

"Why me?" The retort is almost reflexive.

"I'm sorry, who's affairs have I been managing every waking hour for the past month or two?" Rinnier lightly stuck a pinky in her ear as she pretended to clean. "Who was so used to their maid always having what they needed?"

"Aren't you literally a princess?" You deadpan.

"My position in life has no bearing on who and what I am." She angled her chin up in faux pride. "But yes, I am. It's good to be acknowledged once and a while."

"Mrh." A snort leaves a puff of hot air visible in the air; the evidence of your thoughts on the matter made visible due to the Diary of Reflections, yet floating away into the night sky. "I'd appreciate it if you made more of an effort to get along with Kara."

"The demihuman?" Distaste, audible in her voice even now. Not quite disgust, nor personal enough to be dislike... But laced with dismissal all the same. "She and her pack are going to betray you. One of us needs to be wary of that, and I can't expect you to do it."

"You don't know her." You point out irritably, "And like it or not she's just as much my Testament as you and Ari. She's not going anywhere."

"We'll see." Rinnier voluntarily ended the thread, "If your knights show a favorable report from working with them, I'll consider humoring you."

"I'll hold you to that."

"We should head back inside." Rinnier murmured, taking in one last breath of night air. "Where've your shadows gone, anyway?"

"Asche took Ari to bed." You explain absently, soaking in the peace before you rejoined the dinner gathering. While the dinner was long over, the post-dining social event was... Ongoing. The knights had been given plenty to think about, and you doubted they'd have comfortable speaking amongst themselves with you still in the room. "Meditation always seems to put her to sleep, but I guess it's tiring her out mentally too."

"I can't recall ever falling asleep meditating to Salamander." Rinnier mused, setting a hand on the front door's knob. "Are you sure she's doing it right?"

"Yes. Probably." You'd never managed to meditate normally on your own either, so you couldn't say for sure. "It won't be long until I go, either. Marchovic is expecting us to leave tomorrow."

"Right, no sooner do you get back than you're off again on some other ill-advised adventure." Rinnier rolled her eyes. "How pray tell are you planning to risk your life this time?"

"I'm not risking my life, Rinnier."

"Oh of course not. What are you going with Marchovic to do?"

"...Hunt bandits."

"And how many years have you trained to defend yourself?" She probed sarcastically, "Can you even hold a weapon?"

"There are other things I can do than fight." You didn't have to take this. You were well aware how your past attempts at self-defense had ended... Namely either bad for you, or bad for the some-odd mile diameter centered on you. "That's why we're taking someone else to handle the violent parts."

"As long as you're not overreaching again." Rinnier sighed, "Who else is going?"

"Well there's..." You thought back to the incredibly awkward question you'd posed at the Shrine two days back. "Mim."

"...Mim's a child, Irue."

"She's the Representative of Luna."

"She's what? Twelve? Thirteen? Is it just the three of you?"

>Who else are you taking with you to hunt bandits? (Up to two more)

>>3012266
Any brave souls willing to come!

Ideally a Demihuman and a Carona guard.

>>3012266
okay rinnier, if you're so concerned then why don't you come with us

>>3012266
Huh, so we're taking Mim after all? I guess if anyone would be helpful in reaching a non lethal solution for the bandits it'd be her.

>Raid
>...The wind guy? Maybe?

Ask Rinnier if she has any advice, the leader will probably have to die no matter what but we'd rather not slaughter a bunch of dispossessed villagers if we don't have to.

Also we gotta tell Ari to slow down on the meditation until we get back to supervise her. I wonder if she falls asleep because she's meditating to a sleeping mana?

>>3012266
We're a little short on combat specialists.

...I almost suggested Tim for a tracker. Now I'm sad.

>>3012266
Bring the Treebomination. Better to have it and not need it than the other way around.

Other than that, bring two Knights to guard Mim and if necessary evacuate her.

>>3012480
If OakenRue will still listen to us, it'd be great to have along. It's not like it'll do anything in town but make Rinner uncomfortable.

>>3012480
I'd like to bring it too but Mim is locked into being a party member due to some retard voting to invite her at the tail end of one of the previous threads. We can't just go fighting bad guys with a length of visible corruption in full view of Mim after needing to roll to stop her from finding out about it.

>>3012266
>Asche and Kara

>>3012480
>>3012494
>Showing a Dryad Apparition to Marchovich and Mim
It's like you want a Luna death squad hunting for our head.

>>3012266
>Take Raid and Asche

>>3012496
Oh, that's a good point; Why are we bringing her along again? Something about friendship or trust or something silly like that? It's not like she's going to be much help in a fight. Then again, neither are we. It never was very clear why he wanted us along either, so we can be useless together.
If we had to give Rue a class, it would just be AOE.

>>3012264
I'm really starting to enjoy these conversations with Rinner. Once she warms up (heh) to you, she's not so bad. And she can talk to us as an equal, something we've been sorely lacking.

>>3012526
It was some utter moron who cannot grasp the fact that Mim is a CHILD.

That no matter how you dress it up, your don't bring children to hunt fucking bandits. I wasn't around to slap their shit so here we are.

>>3012480
Agree with the Oakenrue.

and the knights I guess. I don't want her with but we gotta deal. They're going to think we're insane for pulling her along, and for good reason.

>>3012647
Actually no fuck that it makes me as dumb as anyone I insult. No Oakenrue.

Kara is busy, but Raid perhaps? We'll have a great advantage with a demis senses, and he'll work with us as long as he can trust us to do right by him and Kara. I don't think we've given him a reason to fuck us up yet.

>>3012292
I've never trusted Raid, he always feels like he's looking for a weak spot to exploit, or some way to undermine our authority. I strongly suspect if we'd met any other demihuman besides Kara first, especially Raid, our perception of them would be much more in line with the norm.

>>3012266
We could ask around the shrine, see if anyone else want to come along I guess, though I suspect they won't be up for it. Wasn't Marchovic annoyed we wanted to bring anyone else along anyway?
I'm still not against bringing OakenRue, though we'd have to leave it in stick form, and only release it as an emergency option. Marchovic 's insistence that this should be a simple mission is making me nervous, and an emergency option would be nice.

It's been a while, so I'm fuzzy. Who else actually knows about our ability to "summon Apparitions?" If anyone we bring along isn't aware, they'll connect the dots quick enough if we demonstrate it with that "rogue Apparition" that we've spent so much time cleaning up after.

>>3012690
>I've never trusted Raid
That's exactly why we should take Raid along, and not Kara. Kara has to remain with the pack and keep it under control.

>>3012690
>I'm still not against bringing OakenRue
If Luna becomes aware of it the best case scenario is that we get slaughtered by a containment group. Also it goes berserk in Mim's presence and tries to kill her, if we force it not to do this with the bracelet the conflict will kill the oakenrue. I urge you to reconsider.

Are you the same guy that suggested having our house looted by homeless children? I swear I get into one of these arguments at least once per thread.

I'm still baffled Mim isn't a 40 year old woman

>>3012741
Note that wasn't a recommendation, only a lack of stance against. It is a risk. We don't know what she knows about Dryad, or how "visible" it would be to her, or if it would flip out around her.
We are short on alternates if we still want them though, My genre-savviness is twitching, and Oakenrue makes a fine "kill them all and sort it out later" option.

Chist, I should hope not. I've made some dumb suggestions, but nothing like that.


>>3012750
That group pic still confuses me; just about everyone one in it is significantly different from my headcanon.

>>3012750
I know right, shit still gets me

>>3012266
I suppose I should make a formal vote:
>Yep, just the three of us

>>3012690
>Who else actually knows about our ability to "summon Apparitions?"
Rinnier and Mim! Also everyone in Kara's pack except Kara. There's Asche as well, but that's a given since she told you about the bracelet anyway.

Anyway, I've got a torchbearer thing to do tonight so it'll be a while before the window officially closes. It seems like there's a bit of a consensus on wanting to bring Raid along, and I'll go ahead and mention that the vote was for UP TO two extra people, so if you want to just take Raid that's fine - Marchovic would be happier with less people anyway.

>>3012944

I'm seconding Raid for selfish reasons. I want to see Marchovic and Raid bounce off of each other.

I'd still like some more combat potential, but our options are severely limited in that regard.

If it's an option, I'd like to draw from our knights and see if there's anyone with promise: We need Dullem to stay focused as our man-at-arms, but taking a closer look at our resources seems to be the name of the game.

Fen and Miska are explicitly out unless one of them is an overlooked prodigy: Microcosms are important: It's a more severe setback than you'd expect if our knights cannot afford the luxuries of humanity like love or attachment. We don't have our own Sardaukar here: Morale is important.

>>3012760
Fair enough, I'd prefer to take the Oakenrue too if it wasn't so dangerous. I wish we could just...not take Mim, it's frustrating that we're forced into dealing with an enemy encampment unarmed because one guy wanted to take a 10 year old non combatant with us.

>>3013051
We can use her as bait. Once the bandits catch a whiff of her tight cunny I'm sure they'll fall for any trap.

>>3012504
Yeah, because nobody noticed the giant fucking tree we've been using so far.

>>3013051
Honestly? I don't see how Mim couldn't already know about it. It's not like all of our knights didn't know about it, or that it's particularly low key out of Staff from. Not to mention using it at Caylens place.


And we could take it in Staff from so it was incognito. That way we only pull it out if we really need it, but like I said better to have it and not need it than the other way around.

You guys are way too worried about hiding something that's already out of the bag, or about using it in a situation that might end up just as bad as Luna death squads but also much sooner.

Better to survive now, and deal with death squads later, than die because we weren't willing to go balls to the walls.

Also we could alternatively have it pretend to be a tree in the woods or something, and just be nearby.

>>3013379

Keeping secrets from a Luna adept is incredibly difficult, but I'm not sure that Mim knows yet.

From Luna's perspective, it's the metaphorical equivalent of seeing a demon. The last time anything related to it was brought to Luna's attention, it was taken from our mind.

If a chosen of Luna of this caliber knew, I sincerely doubt the reaction is going to be "Mkay"

I'm not ruling out the fact that Mim might be smart enough to have started actively dodging the information to preserve the little friendship she's started with Irue. Which has to be rather painful for a Luna adept.

>>3013423
I can't see a Chosen of Luna of this caliber NOT knowing, unless it was willingly.

>>3014079
She strongly hinted she knew at least something before we ventured into the forest.
What exactly she knows, though, is hard to say. Not enough to stop us from going int othe Atelier, at least. It's also possible that wasn't prior knowledge, but a well-made conjecture.

>>3014086
Well she knew about the 8th temple and all, and it would be weird AF if the Luna representative here didn't know about the connection to the Valen lineage.

I personally wouldn't mind bringing the tree along just in case, but having it hidden away somewhere that we can retreat to if needed.

The problem I feel is how the tree would react to Mim as a Luna adept.

Window will close in about 30m! I'm pretty sure nothing is changing at this point, but just for the warning.

>>3012992
> We don't have our own Sardaukar here

And we won't with that attitude.

>>3012266
My vote

> No tree

> A knight and a carina guard to come along and protect Mim - and to also be witnesses

The Knights job is to also watch the Guard.

>>3012273
Demihumans

>>3012273
>>3014101
Carona guard!

>>3012289
Rinnier!

>>3012292
>>3012504
>>3012656
>>3012992
Raid!

>>3012292
Hraes!

>>3012480
Oakenrue!
There was a lot of discussion on this point, but I'm not sure I saw many people saying concretely whether they were for it. Go ahead and respond to this post with either a >Yes or >No and I'll take a quick tally later on when it becomes relevant.

By default however, it stays with Ari.

>>3012480
>>3012992
>>3014101
knights!

>>3012498
>>3012504
Asche!

>>3012498
Kara!

>>3012825
No one else!

---
Looks like the only major consensus is that we want Raid to come with us, with the follow up of one our knights being brought on board.

Writing!

>>3014130
>No to Oakenrue
It can go berserk at the sight of Mim. Maybe even if it's in the stick form.

>>3014130
no to oakenrue

Were Kara herself not busy then she'd have been an incredibly obvious choice, but you didn't want to pull her into something else not even a day after assigning her to corpse-digging... And as Rinnier was quick to point out, you were sorely lacking in the ability to defend yourself, much like attack someone else. With such a short roster being filled your thoughts immediately turned to the demihumans. Each of them were significantly stronger than they appeared, granting them a raw physical advantage that was difficult to overcome. Person for person, you weren't likely to have a stronger retinue than by including your Testament's pack.

Setting aside their leader, who else was suitable? The only two you'd had serious interaction with were the former leader, Maro, and Raid. The former had a deeply seated, if well deserved, grudge against you... The way he'd faced you down once, you wouldn't put it against him to actually stab you in the back when given the chance. Would Raid be any better, though? There was a distinct feeling that the smile he showed you was done so just to taunt you. You'd thrown down the gauntlet during your first meeting, and while he'd been nothing but amiable since, it was the kind of amiable that resembled a predator waiting for weakness.

...You'd be lying if you said you didn't like it.

He may not have been the physically strongest among the pack, being one of the youngest, but he had experience taking people by surprise. Disguising himself as a human of similar age to lure travelers from their guard and distract them. He had sharp senses, cunning, and was someone you didn't feel you'd need to micromanage. Considering how outnumbered you were going to bed, and with the inclusion of the young Luna Representative in this bizarre line-up, maybe it was more useful to focus on subterfugue than raw brawling potential?

The more you thought over the other options in Kara's pack, the more your thoughts strayed back to the sandy haired hellion. An idea was forming nebulously in the back of your mind; thoughts you couldn't give voice to connecting subconsciously to paint a slowly clearing image.

"Raid's coming." You muttered aloud, half to yourself as you held a knuckle to your lips distractedly. "...Someone in the knights probably has the skillset I need."

"So your party consists of a Shade Adept, two children - One of whom is a demihuman - a noble that can't defend themself, and a former civilian." Rinnier nodded along unimpressed. "You plan to suppress bandits with that?"

"No." You answered distantly, letting the gears in your mind churn. Crimson eyes blinked and you met Rinnier's curious stare with a strange resolve settling in your veins. "Not suppress. Hunt."

Rinnier's lips pursed as if she wanted to say something, a shadow fleeting across her features before she thought better of it. "Just don't make us have to come dig your body out of a ditch in a week."

"If you're that concerned, you could come with us instead."

"Ah yes, and leave this town to the mercy of Ari and your maid's administration." Rinnier mused sarcastically. "As tempting as that is, one of us needs to do your job."

"Then it's fortunate you're so good at it." You snipe back dully. "I wasn't expecting to be invited out like this either, but Marchovic seemed insistent I join him. Your guess is as good as mine what he wants."

The flame tressed Testament snorted, opening the door to your standing headquarters. In the space of a step the casual aura between you melted away, trading privacy for publicity as you reassumed the role of someone to be looked to. It wasn't one you were used to using in practicality but practice, as they as, makes perfect. At the very least it gave you an opportunity to tentatively feel out a comfort zone that your newly earned confidence could start to call its own.

A small collection of tonight's guests were standing in the foyer as you entered, their conversations trailing off as you stepped from Rinnier to take center stage. "Not interrupting anything?" Your lips quirk wryly, "I have some unfinished business with everyone before the night's over."

A quick glance told you that the lion's share were probably still in the makeshift dining room, which was as good a place as any to end the night. "I'll let you go after this."

It was a simple statement and it did all you needed it to. They nodded along at their own pace, casually filing ahead of you into the room they'd left not ten to fifteen minutes ago. You'd already dropped one piece of news on them tonight regarding your plans for the future, what was one more, right?

Most people had a litmus to their ability to process information like that. A threshold that, once reached, reflexively created a mental distance and throttled their intake in order to internalize whatever overstimulated them. It made people space out, leading to detail after detail being lost as it charted a flight path clear over their bowed heads. This wasn't anything special. just a lesson you'd learned studying some years ago. The point of that lesson had been to discourage passing down edicts and orders that were too immediately complicated, or abundant in density, as the accuracy of their execution would change accordingly with how much or little your subjects and aids could process at once.

You felt you'd reached that litmus tonight already. You could see it in their eyes before you stepped out, and traces still lingered in the gait of the men and women in front of you. Signs of a mental bracing; resignation as if to say: "what's a little more?"

"Do I have everyone's attention?"

If you wanted to tell them more tonight then this was the wrong way to do it. You'd only be wasting your breath and sewing the seeds of frustration by overwhelming them.

"When I asked Dullem to invite anyone who showed interest, I'll admit I didn't expect this many to turn up. I'm honestly flattered."

But you didn't care about any of that. Rather, you didn't have time to let them chew through tonight's events on their own. You wanted to meet them, but more than that, you wanted to show them more of who you were - To answer the enigma Dullem had left you with of a legion of knights who simply didn't know where to begin trying to understand you.

"While we got a little derailed talking earlier, it's not actually what I wanted to leave everyone with tonight."

What you needed - What they needed - was a shift in paradigm. An announcement they weren't meant to understand the purpose behind, but to question. A piece of the puzzle, a thread from the larger tapestry. The urge not to passively consume what they learned tonight, but to devour it for answers.

"I'm looking for..."

>People who may have an affinity with Mana, no matter how slight.
>People skilled with arms with a taste for conflict.
>People with patience, unafraid to get their hands dirty.
>People most suited to working with demihumans.
>People... (Write-in)

This choice means to begin filtering through your knights for specific talent to cultivate. If you write something in, be sure to specify what exactly your goal is in searching for them.

>>3014235
>People with patience, unafraid to get their hands dirty.
We have a need of secret police.

>>3014235
>>People skilled with arms with a taste for conflict.
Looking possible adepts just doesn't seem like a good fit for our knights. It doesn't fall into their 'official' duties, and we haven't heard a whisper of interest about it from them. And we risk finding Luna or Salamander possibles, which would be a bad thing.

>>3014233

> "No." You answered distantly, letting the gears in your mind churn. Crimson eyes blinked and you met Rinnier's curious stare with a strange resolve settling in your veins. "Not suppress. Hunt."

Fucking chills, Riz.

God Irue is terrifying. Let's bully Raid while we're with him. Just a little. Just enough of a poke to let him know that any time he wants a rematch we'll be happy to remind who the monster in the room is.

>>3014235
>People... (Write-in)

Who are loyal and looking to establish roots in Carona, and place their duty above their personal desires. People willing to compromise on most things but never on doing what's best - not necessarily what's "right".

Other skills can be taught.

>>3014248
>>3014338
>>3014235
Pretty much a nuanced version of this. Not a secret police, but an Inquisition.

>>3014235
>People with patience, unafraid to get their hands dirty.
This meshes best with Irue's M.O. at the minute, and it's something attainable so this makes sense for now.

I want adepts but that's not something the majority of them can latch on to, if it's the first thing we ask of them then it'll likely have a demoralizing effect, being part of a recruitment pool is no fun if you don't get picked. Maybe later.

>>3014235
>People skilled with arms with a taste for conflict.
We some sort of force of arms.

Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>3014235
>People with patience, unafraid to get their hands dirty.
>>3014338
Voting against this, I don't want to tie them to this city because we won't be staying here forever

>>3014338
>establish roots in Carona
Why? They aren't from here, and we don't plan on staying here. In fact, encouraging those connections will only make it harder to move in when the time (finally) comes.

>>3014235
In the coming storm, people with actual
combat skill will be valuable. And if it comes to it, will give us the option to force aunt to yield to us our rightful claim.
>People skilled with arms with a taste for conflict.

>>3014235

>People skilled with arms with a taste for conflict.

We have magic and subterfuge as options. Beyond Kara, we don't have force as a tool.

We need to rectify that.

>>3014500

We aren't getting into family infighting, especially not against Clara.

I am not so naive to believe she's a saint, but I believe she has good reasons. A name is a heavy thing, and while she's holding its power, she is also holding its weight.

There's also the non-trivial problem of Clara Valen being an absolute terror of a woman. And the fact that despite our best efforts, she seems to have some respect for our efforts; even above her own son.

She may have been having us babysat, but while she entrusts Irue with responsibility and autonomy, she went off to drag Calyen back by the ear for being an idiot.

To find who someone trusts, ask not who they grant power, but who they grant responsibility.

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Mods are asleep, discuss the shade of green of Irue's new dress

>>3014235
I´m kind of divided. Somehow, the idea of a secret police it just...disgusts. Like I suppose a nobl has got to make tough calls, but having someone snatched off the streets or assasinated kind of clashes with the idealization Irue has presented. There are other uses for a secet police, but if they "are unafraid of getting their hands dirty" it only leads through that sort of actions.

I would rather get a police force, which could be used for information gathering and cover action than an outright devoted secret police. Those tend to...devolve quickly.

May I suggest a write in, see what anons feel about it?

>Loyal people, willing to uphold the laws and my authority through the realm

Suggest another one if you feel this is not good enough

>>3014553
>We aren't getting into family infighting
I'm not keen on it either, but I also don't see how else we're going to get our title back.The original reason we took our Rite was to remove ourselves from under her by becoming a full adult, and as rightful heir (as opposed to her as regent) we should have taken over as head at that time. Instead, she stuck out her tongue at us. She just... didn't turn it over, and we couldn't do anything about it. Thus our current position.

>but I believe she has good reasons
This is the core difference, I think. I don't trust her at all. She neglected us for almost our entire childhood, then tried to steal our inheritance right out from under us before we could come of age.

>To find who someone trusts, ask not who they grant power, but who they grant responsibility.
The issue her is that she shouldn't have any responsibility to hand out. That position is ours by birth.

>>3014844
Is that OC?

Closing the window in an hour or two!

>>3014844
Something about the shade of the far right is abrasive to me. The far left I'm undecided whether it's too dark, but there's almost an Alice vibe to it due to the neon contrast with the ribbons? The designs themselves are all very cute, though. I think the far left's design is probably the one I'm least enthused about overall.

>>3014235
>People with patience, unafraid to get their hands dirty.

I mean, I'm more worried about a secret war in the shadows against Artemis than winning a civil war. But...
>>3014956
This guy has a point. Irue is pretty idealistic when it comes to being a noble. Just remember, being good doesn't mean being nice.

>Loyal people, willing to uphold the laws and my authority through the realm

>>3012260
>expression hidden as she took a strategic sip from her mug.

What does that look like?

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164 KB PNG

>>3015268
a quick google gave me this, which gives the idea close enough. It's just using your cup to obscure the lower half of your face to obfuscate any unexpected reactions. Off the top of my head you also see this sort of thing done with folding fans.

>>3014997
Right now that title is not something we can wield effectively. Are you saying that Irue can or should shoulder the political and financial responsibility of the family, the domain, the vassals, subordinates, the armed forces and the smallfolk living in Valen lands? Now that's a joke. Let Clara deal with the top level politics she has a lifetime of experience with.

That title will be our death when the war happens because you cut off the head of the snake.

>>3014248
We do, but not of these guys. Everyone in this room who won't volunteer are going to gossip about this and they think they're knights, not thugs and killers on retainer. Just a asking this will fuck morale and colour their perception of us. Let's recruit a secret police from a better source.

>>3014338
Sounds good to me but I don't think we're going to settle for long and if these guys can actually be trained to be useful we will want to take them with us on excursions. Best thru don't have anything tying them down since I doubt they will be real "loyalty above all else".

>>3014235
>People skilled with arms with a taste for conflict.

Also ideally I'd want people with a head for numbers and trade but these peasants ain't it. We need to find someone who can run business and trade so that we don't get screwed over , if we find ore, when we try to sell it. Also do that Irue doesn't have to micro manage it

>>3014235
>People skilled with arms with a taste for conflict.

>>3015293
>Right now that title is not something we can wield effectively.
Our ability to properly run the domain doesn't factor in. Legally, we're a full adult and should have been given full control. There isn't a formal intermediate stage of partial responsibility.
For what it's worth, I doubt our ability to run the whole thing as well, seeing as we were never trained to run the entire place. I wonder if that was deliberate on her part, or just more negligence? But it's legally ours, and she doesn't have the legal authority to deny it to us.

>>3015348
So just go to our estate and write a declaration of our ascension? Throw a ball! The fuck is she gonna do about it? She's away god knows where trying to stop Caylen from being an Idiot and a Hero with capital H.

She is not physically present and had neither the ability or authority to stop you. She's entirely wormed her way into your head man, she's not an obstacle and hasn't been since like 20 threads ago.

I don't care because we've got more immediate concerns like building our own power base and despite how much we talk about it, it never show up in her inner thoughts. Irue herself has tunnel vision and this is far from her mind

>>3014844
far right is patrician. Excellent work anon

>>3015380
It's relevant because auntie was the one that appointed us to dealing with this wrecked town, when it shouldn't be our responsibility.

>She's entirely wormed her way into your head man
I don't like her, you're right, but heck, I'm just talking about it because it's interesting, and it might be relevant someday. Don't look into too deeply.
I've been in too many quests that are dead silent besides votes. It starts to feel almost oppressive after a while. Better to talk about something that might be relevant than nothing at all.

Shame my write-in wouldn´t cut it. I just feel that going all full secret police or personal army wouldn´t be as useful as making them extend our presence through our fief (which we kinda nee to do at some moment)

>>3015293
Any thought about my idea, senpai?

>>3015483
>spoilers
I appreciate it, at least. Seeing you guys chat is a joy, and it gives me better insight into what you want to see touched on.

>>3015496
Wonder Riz, could you ask for you closely related virtues?

Like instead of just loyal, loyal and steadfast when fulfilling their obligations? In that case, consider write in changed or leave it just at loyal.

>>3014248
>>3014362
>>3014475
>>3015268
Patience!

>>3014277
>>3014363
>>3014500
>>3014553
>>3015293
>>3015332
Conflict!

>>3014956
>>3015268
Loyal!
More on this in a moment.

I doubt we're getting a swing vote at this point, so Conflict seems to be the winning vote.
---

>>3015537
Oh good you're around. There seems to be a bit of support for your write-in, but I admit I'm not entirely clear on what your goal with it is. Specifically speaking, ANY of the above options can be additionally flavored with "upholding law" or "enforcing my authority", primarily changing the method of how. Working with demihumans, cultivating Adepts in your knights, emphasizing typical physical conflict fare, etc.

I can certainly include an emphasis on specific types of virtue, but can you explain a little more on what kind of end result you're hoping to get from it?

>>3015554
Oh well, instead of making an army or a secret police, make them something different. Something to make our presence in the realm made manifest, with actual decision making and some independency when it comes to enforcing the laws. They were yearning to something to devote themselves to and we need to make sure our authority reaches beyond the streets of Carona.

Taking into account the huge support for both conflict and patiente, I was angling for a middle compromise. A sort of paramilitary police force, something like the Carabineri or the Guardia Civil. By establishing more of a public service (ensure safety, reinforce militias, keep track o the happenings in our realm and the whereabout of dangerous criminals...etc.) than a personal amy of retainers, we also could win the support of the other towns, or at least gain enough notoriety for someone to recognize us t sight.

Still, this might not be everyone´s choice ad I recognizeboth other options have their merits as well. I just believe this is useful o us right now and might greatly expand on the long run.

>>3015581
You got it alright, or am I being too confusing?

>>3015581
Anyway, going to schleep, so further explaining of virtues.

This quest has been a wild ride. Still, if we aim to rule or prove we can rule, we need to create some sort of estability. Having a knightly order of people fiercely and untiredly supporting the laws might give this land some kind of peace and prepare it for the storm that it´s brewing. I choose steadfast as a virtue because I felt we need that sort of people if we aim to suceed. People who don´t allow themselvs to give up, that will go to the bottom of hell if it means fulfilling their obligation. Our childish ideals of noblesse obligue, crystalizated into something that would defend the people of this realm in peace and war and migh even outlive us.

Loyalty though, is crucial. Without it, there can be pretence of nobility. Our knights must be loyal to us, the realm, its laws and its inhabitants and need to cultivate those feelings to make sure they aren´t forgotten, like it happened in Carona. It overlaps with steadfast, but it would reflect the recognition of the implicit oaths that hold society together to oppose savagery and crime, not only the capacity to fulfil them. "Honor is my main emblem", so to speak. They cannot just act loyal, they must feel like their loyalty is crucial to the betterment of the feud.

>>3015582
I had to do a little more research on the Carabineri/Guardia Civil, but I think I have a better understanding of the intent here.

As I understand it, a major component of this hinges on them being given a measure of autonomy to act as they see fit in preserving your will or best interests. Whether that's disaster relief, apprehending petty crimes, scouting, investigating merchant fraud, dealing with brigands... Essentially a conversion from a force that deploys purely on Irue's word and one that is trusted enough to be given carte blanche to move and make decisions. Calling them "police" doesn't quite capture the romance.

So the point of filtering for specific virtues is to streamline a recruitment process for people most likely to be capable of handling that sort of flexibility responsibly.

Tell me if I'm the mark there, but under that understanding the only problem I would point out is that it doesn't actually address how they're being cultivated/trained off the top of my head. For example the Mana would perhaps lead to fledgling Adepts, the patience leads to more rogue-like stealth corps and rangers, etc. It looks to find people with talent in specific skill sets and then cultivate that. The institution of a Guardia Civil-esque retinue over the traditional standing military force (e.g. Caylen's) is a pretty cool idea, but how would they be trained?

It seems like a step which would potentially come after establishing a competent skill set, unless you're implying that you'd rather filter for moral aptitude first and foremost.

In other words,
>Someone suited to operate autonomously
with the idea that loyalty is most strongly cultivated in people who are given responsibility, over people who are given orders.

At any rate, I'm going to begin writing for Conflict for now. If any anons happened to read through this and are interested in the autonomous vs standing force topic, reply here like you did with the oakenrue thing; a simple >yes or >no to make it easier to tally.

It's not something that will be happening immediately, but depending on majority interest it is something that can be kept in mind and set into motion later. The difference between the two is fairly stark so you won't be able to have both, so choose carefully which prospect is more enticing.

>>3014491
> We don't plan on staying here

But Anons, remember how we talked to Rinnier about this, and she tried to pound into our head how important Carona was going to be as our power base in the upcoming trouble?

We aren't going to be able to afford throwing it away.

Why do people think our Aunt gave it to us, they're crazy independent and thereby not beholden to other powers.

We have the opportunity to make Carona fully ours, and ours alone.

But to do that, we have to give it all of ourselves as well.

Remember, we're here forever.

>>3015738
This is exactly what I would like.

>>3015866
> Yes

>>3015866
>Yes

>>3015984
>Remember, we're here forever.
Heh, yeah. The sleeping god in our backyard doesn't like when we leave I guess.

>>3015866
>yes

>>3015866

>Yes

This is exactly the kind of temperament I want to see in our knights. Also a rather strange but apt parallel to the handling of our Testament.

>>3015866
>no

>>3015866
>no

>>3016220
Wait, we're gonna start punching our knights?

>>3015866
>Yes

>>3016546
> Yes

>>3015239
>2 out of 4 not disliked
I guess it's kinda success?

>>3015866
Wait, which option corresponds to >yes?

>>3016707
>yes for establishing a civil guard later on when we have the resources for it, >no for not.

>>3016707
I rather like the design of the far right, just not the color. So it's 3 out of 4 liked!

Also >>3016758 is correct.

>>3015866
>Yes

>>3015866
>no
it seems kinda out of place

"People skilled with arms, with a taste for conflict." The widest net you felt you could cast given the circumstances. A call that most could claim to be part of, even if they weren't. "You've all made it this far fighting and defending yourselves with little more than a militia's armament and a desperate resolve. For that you have my respect." A wry smile slips across your face, hands raising helplessly, "As I'm occasionally reminded, I can't so much as hold a weapon without it slipping out of my hand. To do what you've done to get here is something I couldn't."

"Pft, you speared that snake with the rest of us." Miska snorted, breaking the confused tension and drawing a round of stifled chuckles from the rest of the assembled band. You favored them with a smile, letting the moment carry them on as you collected yourself from the unwelcome, if not entirely unexpected, reminder of your Doppleganger's actions.

"I had splinters for weeks." You countered softly, bottling whatever melancholic tinge may have tried to worm its way free. "But that was then, and this is now. I can't expect any knight of mine to continue struggling with loose hatchets and raw wrought spears. So I need you to spread the word: To those with the taste for it, step up. You can be taught. You can be armed."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Fen's fiancee's eyes lit up as she quite literally followed your instructions and stepped towards you. "You serious? You're really gonna train us to be knights? Like, real knights? Like the ones back at your cousin's? Swords n' all?!"

Swords were wielded by two types of people: Monsters and Morons. Their forging used far more metal than a spear tip or arrowhead would have, and unlike an axe, they were quite difficult to repurpose for uses other than its intended and violent purpose. To a nation such as La'Fiel, abundant in wood and wanting in metals, they were a flagrant waste of resources. Even in Teranford, where veins of metal ran rich, they were typically scorned in favor of spears or bolts in order to provide the people of Teranford as much distance as possible when facing down the desert's beasts. The antlion, as Rinnier had helpfully described to you some time ago, was one such example of a creature whose den all but necessitated as much range as possible - Either to pull out hapless victims, or to aggress without casualty.

Given that most cultures eschewed the tool in their primary military and social traditions, the forging of swords was a rare endeavour, which drove up the price even further on their wasteful commission. Those who boasted the ownership of one were thus either rich and predisposed to spending money before wit, or distinguished enough to warrant the ownership of a weapon built purely with bloodshed in mind.

Each of the individuals under Alouette's charge were trained by her to such an extent that they had earned the right to own and wield the sword they carried - A sight which had no doubt left quite the impression on your own knights. Romantic as the notion was, you sincerely doubted any of them would reach the same level of skill as one of Alouette's hand picked and personally trained proteges.

...It went without saying that Alouette owned one, but as you recall, she was always disdainful of its use. It seems that of the several she had been awarded over the years, not one survived their first use; rendered worthless and ruined in the wake of whatever terror inducing force the stern woman brought to bear that could split the Mistral's Child in half and cleave the sky beyond.

"...If you're capable." you return conservatively, doubtful any of your knights would measure up to such a standard but simultaneously reluctant to douse their hopes.

"yyyyYYYYYES!" You winced along with the room as Miska cheered, "Jinn bless, I'm gonna be a knight!"

"...You're already a knight." Stating the obvious, you implicitly excused and allowed the woman to have her outburst. Fen's stress filled sigh sagged his shoulders out of the corner of your eye, his ill fated attempts to keep his fiancee's enthusiasm under check through out the dinner having well and truly failed.

"I mean, I guess." Miska admitted with a smile bright enough to be considered infectious as her excitement flowed over. "We had the title and all but it didn't really feel like much'd changed. With this we're really... You know! You won't regret this!"

"Excitement aside." There really was no good way to answer a statement like that, "It's an open invitation to anyone who feels suited. That's all I wanted to say tonight..." You trailed off satisfactorily at the sight of hopeful, if tired, smiles spreading before you. "-Except, there is one thing to note about that invitation."

Yes, you had their attention now, and this - you could feel - was where they knew the other shoe would drop.

"Dullem," You turned to the larger man, tilting your head back to address him face to face, "It's not optional for you, knight captain."

"...I was 'fraid o'that." He grumbled, sparing no time in throwing back the rest of his mug of water.

You would need to apologize to the beset captain of your knights later for being used as a sacrifice, yet for now, this scene of near comedic resignation signalled the official end to dinner.

"I thought today was supposed to be my day off." You groaned to the mostly empty room later on, taking time to let your mind unwind after the ordeal you'd just hurdled. It hadn't been an unpleasant night, but the excitement left you fatigued all the same. "Why aren't you tired?"

"It was just dinner." Rinnier noted amusedly. "Which went well, even with a few surprises. Like that 'invitiation'?"

"It'll be a while before anything comes of it." You explain, having already expected this conversation to happen. "There'll be a period of time for word to spread, and then another for them to finish making up their minds."

"And you're banking on having an armory and finding someone capable of training them before then?"

You were pleasantly surprised to find the emotion lacing the administratively minded Testament was one of earnest curiosity rather than skeptical accusation. Must have done something right recently. "The instructor is the easy part." You confided blithely, leaning against the creaking wooden back of your chair. "My aunt and uncle can spare a handful of experienced veterans to fill the role, it's just a matter of asking for them."

"You sound sure of that." There was the expected doubt.

"I don't think I ever told you." You start tangentially, "but I didn't pass my rite unanimously. It was a majority decision from the adjudicators. Two to one, in my favor."

"I can think of a couple ways that could have gone." The flame haired Testament humoured the abrupt change in subject, tapping her fingers along the table top rhythmically.

"I couldn't." A soft admission, accompanied by the distractions of reminscience. "I went there expecting a swing vote, and I got one... Just not the one I suspected."

Rinnier hummed quietly, taking it for what it was. "Do you plan to get your weapons from them as well?"

"Maybe. There are other sources I can think of for those."

There were probably still a lockers of Teranford weapons down in the Tier basement. If they weren't enough, you got the feeling that the bandits Marchovic and your merry party would be visiting later would be willing to make a donation to the cause. Put together, you could hopefully salvage something without needing to ask for more than the bare minimum.

"Sounds like you've put some thought into this." Her pleased tone lifted your spirits more than you cared to admit. "I'm going to turn in for the night. There's still some work I want to get done before the day is over." She rose to her feet, pausing only to wordlessly withdraw the Diary of Reflections and set the crystalline Relic on the table before making her leave. Glancing over revealed nothing but the frosted texture of ice reflected in its chilly cover as the table around it slowly condensated.

"Thanks for today." Your throat urged words to come and the tongue obeyed, stringing awkward thoughts together before she could leave. "I enjoyed it."

"You needed it. Both of us did, probably." She paused before the door, "The royal I met before your Rite concluded. He was one of the adjudicators, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, a cousin of one of the princes." You affirm, blinking curiously. "Why?"

"How did he vote?"

"For."

"..." Rinnier's eyes fell in the beat of silence which followed. When finally she responded, it was a simple, apologetic murmur. "I see. Sleep well, Irue."

The door clicked open as you ran your hand along the frozen Relic, drawing it to you as you prepared to leave. "For the first time in a while, I think I might. What about you?"

"I'll be fine." She lied.

The door clicked shut and you tapped the Diary of Reflections absently, left alone with your thoughts.

The next day met you with the familiar searing of sunlight directly into your eyes, helped along - much to your bitter confusion - by Asche. Upon discovering your bed orientation did not allow the sun to shine directly into your face, she had taken it upon herself to retrieve a small hand mirror and assist it in finding its daily target for the past ten years of your life.

"Why? Why do you do this?"

"It is nearly noon."

You had an agenda today and Dullem had already been imparted the message to find you a knight with a peculiar skill set fit for subterfuge to accompany Raid and yourself on Marchovic's trip, which ultimately just left collecting yourself and... Well, Raid. Who was not yet aware he was coming.

Surprise.

You had a fair idea where you could find him, given you'd assigned Kara and her pack to corpse duty not long ago. He'd not been thrilled with the prospect, so the excuse to escape would probably be a welcome one.

Then there was Mim to consider. She'd tentatively agreed to come along to "kill people", but it was an awkwardly posed question, and you weren't sure if she'd just felt pressured to accept any invitation at the time. On one hand she'd certainly love a reason to travel beyond Carona again, but somehow you doubt the little Luna Representative was concealing any thirst for blood in her naiveté.

And finally Marchovic himself... He had been conspicuously forward about wanting you to come along, but you couldn't fathom what he thought you'd bring to the trip.

Probably only had time to visit one of them before it'd be time to get going, and you had everything you figured you'd need... Which is to say you had your bracelet. The Diary of Reflections was also an option, fortunately back in your possession for now... But whether you'd bring it with you or not was a minor point of contention.

>Meet with Kara and Raid
>Catch up with Mim
>Confront Marchovic once more
>Meet the knight Dullem recommended
>Other? (write-in)

ALSO:

>Take Diary of Reflections
>Leave it in Asche's care

>>3017139
>Confront Marchovic once more
What's your angle, Marc?

>Take Diary of Reflections
We'll probably need this.

>>3017138
This is mighty suspicious.

>>3017139
>Catch up with Mim
Ask her if she really wants to come kill people. Make clear we're afraid we might've pressured her into it.

>Take Diary of Reflections
Better have and not need than the reverse

>>3017139
We'll have plenty of time to talk to everyone on the road, our prep time can be better spent elsewhere.
>Ask Ashe to pick up Raid
>Ask the Jinn adept to do some wizard stuff and point us in the general direction of the camp
All we need to do is head in the general direction, we won't miss it if Raid is with us. This should cut down on travel time a lot,

>Take Diary of Reflections
At least we have one ace in the hole.

>>3017139
Oh, also
>Ask Asche to relay a request for Ari to cut down on or maybe stop meditation until we're around to supervise her, and also relay some praise for showing results so quickly.
>Ask Asche if there's anything she can do to help Dullam with his request to the shrine.

>>3017139
>>Meet the knight Dullem recommended
New friend!
>Take Diary of Reflections
This would be, what, the 2nd time we actually take it out on a "mission"? We keep handing it off to people.

>>3017139
>Meet the knight Dullem recommended
> Take the diary of reflections

>>3015866
>no

>>3017139
>Meet the knight Dullem recommended
>Take Diary of Reflections

>>3017139
>>Catch up with Mim
>Leave it in Asche's care

>Meet with Kara and Raid

The sooner Raid is voluntold, the better.

Also

>Take the Diary of Reflections

Disguise and subterfuge are chocolate and peanut butter. The more tools we have, the less likely we'll get stuck freebasing A Spider's Web or amputating another piece of our soul for an attack.

>>3017165

Not sure it is. Rinnier was trying to politely suss out the vote. With three people and a 2-1 vote, You know how everyone voted if you know how one person voted.

The rules are:
2 people vote yes, 1 person votes no.
A person who voted yes has resources to train knights
The Royal voted yes.

Hence she clarfied that it was Clara that voted for, and therefore Caylen voted against, something that Rinnier probably acknowledges is both a surprise and a betrayal.

>>3017454

Typo: Rule two is "A person who voted yes will provide resources to train knights": Clara and Caylen are shoe ins, the royal is not.

>>3017139
>Meet the knight Dullem recommended
>Take Diary of Reflections

>>3017454
This sounds reasonable

>>3017139
>Meet with Kara and Raid

>Take diary
Absolutely no sense in depriving ourselves of an option

>>3017454
>>3017459

Augh. I screwed it up twice.

TL:DR

Vote was 2:1

By saying that there was a unexpected swing vote, it states that Clara voted yes to determine the rite. (both by context, and because Caylen would be an expected swing vote) By stating the Royal voted yes, It relegates Caylen to the no vote.

So the question had nothing to do with the Royal: The thing Rinnier actually said (IMO) is "It's a good thing your family backed you up." and the implied answer was "Ha... no. Fuck Maran."

Window closed in an hour or so! Looks like there's a consensus to take the Diary of Reflections.

>>3017164
Marchovic!

>>3017165
>>3017332
Mim!

>>3017171
Ask Hraes to help scout!

>>3017216
>>3017260
>>3017322
>>3017465
Knight!

>>3017454
>>3017974
Raid!

>>3017171
>>3017173
asking Asche for things.
---
>>3017164
>>3017165
>>3017171
>>3017216
>>3017260
>>3017322
>>3017454
>>3017465
>>3017974
Leave it with Asche.

>>3017332
Take the Diary!

Alright, looks like we'll be leaving it with Asche.

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>>3018189
>Alright, looks like we'll be leaving it with Asche.

>>3018189
>>3018215
Riz, you flipped taking the diary with leaving it. We voted overwhelmingly for taking it.

>>3018256
lol

>>3018215
It's a joke? Right? He's not that blind, Surely?

>>3018570
Riz is a very serious person who doesn't joke ever. Not sure if his blind or not though. Hard to tell.

We'd never take a dangerous relic on a dangerous mission

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>>3018803

Despite being the first and only Relic you'd ever truly earned, the Diary of Reflections had ironically spent most of its time outside of your possession. First entrusted to Asche during the events pre-Banshee, then later gifted to Rinnier for experimentation, the prospect of leaving it behind now was one raised habitually... But not one you spent long thinking over. Disguise went hand in hand with subterfugue, and there was little doubt in your mind that the team you'd assembled would be apt for anything less.

"I need a message relayed to Raid." You dictated, storing away the Diary of Reflections as its cool aura slowly became your own. "Tell him that he's been recruited for an excursion. We'll meet at the Shrine stairs."

You glanced around, finding the bundle of covers still nestled into the bed only vaguely identifiable as Ari. For better or worse she had taken the stick form of the Dryad apparition to bed with her, which resulted in... Peculiar experiences trying to sleep. Some part of you had expected to wake tangled in ivy as you had within the Abandoned Child's Atelier, but it seemed you'd been spared that fate. Considering it had become debatably more flesh than tree at this point, perhaps it was for the better; there was a line to be drawn between the untowards affections of plantlife and that of clammy, undead flesh tendrils.

"Keep an eye on Ari while I'm gone." The thought of taking the Dryad apparition along with you had been tempting, but you couldn't afford to have it go berserk in the presence of Mim like its siblings. "...Tell her not to focus as much on meditation until I return, as well. She's been falling asleep too often since we've returned and I'm starting to become suspicious it's because of Dryad."

Meditating to a Mana was an exercise in aligning your thoughts and values with that of the Mana in question. A synchronization of the mind. While there wasn't a precedence for it, meditation towards a Mana sealed to slumber may well have been lulling the timid Testament into a similar fugue.

It made a certain sense to you, and would go a long way towards explaining why her studious efforts in pursuing meditation were resulting in more naps than progress.

Your thoughts trailed off into conjecture while your eyes lingered on Ari's wrinkly and crumpled nest of blankets, somehow strongly having come to resemble a skewered meatball thanks to the addition of the Dryad Apparition. Normally she'd have woken up before you, so you could only hazard a guess that she'd tried to get an early start meditating and simply fallen right back to sleep... Which meant there really was no telling when she'd wake up.

"...Anyway, I need to track down the knight Dullem recommended before we gather." You turn back to Asche, "Speaking of, I've asked him to make a request to the Shrine for a Gnome Adept to aid our mountain expedition later. If there's any way you can assist him with that, I'd appreciate it." Sea-green eyes bobbed as the little maid nodded. "The map you made as well," You continued, "I'd almost forgotten how much I relied on you."

"Don't." Her incredibly flat response, delivered as she watched you finish preparing your hair.

"Should I rely on you more, then?" You snicker, adjusting the cuff of your shirt to more comfortably.

"Yes."

"Then I'll do that." You cede a meaningless defeat to the small maid, "Look after everyone while I'm gone. What are the odds I'll find my way into another Atelier chasing down bandits, anyway?" Sea green eyes stared up at you blandly, her lips held thin and unamused. "...It's only going to be a short trip this time, I promise."

"Be careful." She entreated softly, staring at you for only a moment longer before taking her leave for the day.

Your idle fiddling slowed as she left, settling for an experimental shake of the wrist to let things fall where they may. A deep breath later and you followed her lead, leaving Ari's meatball to snooze in peace.

Unexpectedly however, you found yourself stopped not far from your room by an incredibly apologetic, and frankly exhausted looking, Fen. "Is something going on?" You pause at a pace, looking him over worriedly.

Covered in sweat with disheveled hair, the man who'd taken up a valiant effort as Rinnier's secretary and the de facto clerk of your headquarters here gasped for breath as he held up a plaintive hand for you to wait. "No, Everything's.... Fine." He caught his breath, straightening his shirt in one of the most futile actions you'd seen this week, "You can't imagine how glad I am to have caught you."

"..." You offered a mildly confused smile. It was nearly been noon when Asche woke you, and it'd been some time since. "Were you running?"

"Yeah, I just barely made it in time." He readily admitted, "You haven't seen Ms. Rinnier yet, have you? I'm usually here three or four hours earlier."

"No, but I'm sure she's around?" Probably in her office, but you weren't about to explain you'd just gotten up yourself... Even if Fen was probably well aware of your sleeping habits. "What kept you today?"

"Overslept. Miska kept me up."

"She did seem excited after the dinner." You mused understandingly.

"...You have no idea." Fen grumbled with a weak, marginally dazed smile. He shook his head, swiftly refocusing himself. "That's actually what I- Ahem, may I have a moment of your time, Ser Valen?"

"If you want it." You allowed dubiously, accepting the sudden formal shift in his manner. "What's on your mind?"

"I'm so, so sorry about last night." He wasted no time in starting in, "My fiancee has always been... Boisterous, but I didn't think she'd interrupt your event like that, and so many times. Please don't think badly of her."

You blinked, having already prepared yourself to try and calm the man's fears of his fiancee becoming a combat specialist... And found yourself at a loss. "Come again?"

"She told me later, how she'd just invited herself after overhearing you and Ms. Rinnier making plans earlier that day." He continued, "I didn't think much of it at the time since no one seemed to question her being there, but I'm extremely sorry for how she stood out. I should have been more aggressive in keeping her in check last night, it's entirely my fault."

"..." Your mouth opened but... Seeing the man all but prostrate himself in distress over this was triggering those frustratingly deeply seated strings that left you a helpless mess in front of crying people. "It's... Fine?"

"If there's anything I can do to make this up to you, or some kind of punishment..."

"No!" You snap suddenly, perhaps more forcefully than you meant to. "No, there's been a misunderstanding. I'm not mad at either of you, last night went wonderfully. I'm incredibly pleased Miska came!" An accurate, if slightly overvalued, description... but she had been very useful. "Rinnier was suggesting I meet her yesterday as well, so it was a convenient appearance."

"Ms. Rinnier did...?" He breathed out, allowing his shoulders to sag with relief. "I don't know what she's done to warrant your attentions, but thank you for being so patient with her."

"No, she really was a pleasure." You insist, finding more comfortable footing in the conversation now that Fen was beginning to calm. "And I couldn't have blamed you even if she did get out of hand, she seems like a handful to keep hold of."

"She is... Difficult, some times." The soft spoken man agreed, smiling shyly. "We've known each other since we were children... She makes enemies and friends easily and I only wish I could say it was in equal measure. If she had done anything to offend you or Ms. Rinnier last night..."

"She didn't." You assured him once more, "The enthusiasm was a welcome break in the ice, and it wasn't meant to be a formal event in the first place."

"I see." He nodded along tiredly, "In that case, I apologize for taking up your time like this. I probably didn't look very dignified."

"Honestly you look terrible." You agree. You can do that, because you're the boss here. "Listen, take today off. Go home and get some rest, I'll handle Rinnier."

"I appreciate the clemency, but I couldn't... There's so much to do, plans to organize, records to sort through-"

"Fen, go home." You interrupt him firmly, "Or find a room here and go back to sleep. You're going to be useless in a couple hours, and any mistake you make because of it is just going to make more work."

"..." You eyed him confrontationally, expecting him to try and make further excuses, but he seemed to shrink under your stare - Almost comically so, given your relative statures. "You're right. excuse me, then."

You nodded, watching Rinnier's typically reserved assistant gather himself and wish you well before shuffling away. Notably choosing your latter suggestion over returning home, which was a choice you neither understood nor felt like questioning at the moment. You briefly changed course, heading to check in on Rinnier and uphold your word to the man before you left for the day.

Much could be said about Carona. Much had been said about Carona. Whether your lingering disdain for this hole in the ground and nearly everyone who lived in it remained justified or not with the relative absence of its rebellious mayor was a debatable matter, but you would be lying if you said you were inclined to see it in another light. Regardless of the innocence of this place as a whole, or the people who lived within, there were too many negative memories associated with its streets to inspire anything but ire.

These days those feelings were less potent. The urge to simply sneer was distant, and often distracted by the faces of your knights. Not gone - Never gone - but you weren't in a position to indulge in pointless cruelties with a place you found yourself responsible for managing... Particularly not with Rinnier's advisements still fresh on your mind.

"Ah, Ser Valen!" But inevitable as they were when walking these winding paths, the quarry you'd set out to find took precedence over your ill and idle thoughts. A shorter man, older on in years sporting a stubbornly whiskery beard. He hailed you with a deep voice belying his smaller stature, just slightly more than face to face with yourself, and approached with one calloused hand outstretched. "Word from Dullem's y'got use for an old soul."

You grasped his hand, feeling the warm and leathery texture wrap around your slender, much softer skin. There was a weight to his grip which felt like a sinking rock. "He spoke highly of you." You return, finding the older man more at ease before you as he scratched at his salt and peppered mane, poorly cut and hid within a worn-to-seam coarse hat. "Trapper, hunter, ranger. The best to turn to."

"Can't say I'm the best, but I've made due for almost fifty years now." His head held high to meet your eyes, you found your concerns over needing to set his nerves at ease seeming more and more misplaced. "Plenty of younger stags what can outpace this old boar, but I'll getcha what you need got."

"What have you hunted before?" The topic held some shade of nostalgia to you, for reasons you couldn't quite place. Tim had been a hunter as well, and his skills had been invaluable... Enough so that it was his name which had sprung to mind first and foremost when considering who you wanted to accompany you.

"Name it, I've probably tangled with it." The man evaluated evenly. "Can't say I've always come out better for it mind. Still got a limp from an Oakenbear I ran afoul some thirty years back when I was younger." He pat his leg through the heavy hanging pants leg. "'Course y'might call that cheating. Damn thing was hunting me, not the other way 'round. Nasty fellas, let me tell you."

"Any experience hunting humans?"

"Never ate one afore." A sardonic response, but not a startled one. "But I s'pose if it's suitin' to your fairy tastes, I can find you somethin'." He grinned irreverently, "Name's Gerh by the way, case Dullem just pointed you towards a stubborn goat and sent y'on your way."

>?

>>3018908
>Fairy tastes?

>>3018908
>If he didn't tell you, this is going to be a 5 man bandit hunt. We don't know their numbers, motives or objectives. It will be you, me, markovich from the shrine and Mim, the young Luna adept and Raid, one of the demihumans.

>One old goat is more than enough to keep a couple of kids in line don't you think?

>>3018908
>"He spoke highly of you."
Whatever your expectations, we're worse than you expect but better than you hoped.

>>3018997
It's the other way around, we said that to him.

>>3018908
Fill him in with some details and thank him for coming before excusing ourselves briefly to call in on Rinnier. If she isn't there then leave a note on Fen's desk or slide it under her door or something.

Ask if he'll be okay working with Raid, I expect their skillsets will mesh well together.

>>3019046
Ohhhhhhhhhh....
Fuck I need sleep.

>>3018908
>?
Give him an overview of what he's been thrust into, see if he has any initial thoughts of the mission or who he's going to be working with. Make sure to mention a demihuman will be among us.


>>3018942
A reference to our second Faedka binge? Though if he's been in those woods long enough, maybe he's seen things.

>>3018908
>fairy tastes?
Didn't Miska say something about weird rumours concerning the fae's relationship with the valen? Interesting.
>probe for more info

>>3018908
> Fairy taste? I'm quite certain men hunt each other more than the Fae have ever done. If they even understand what it means to hunt instead of simply longing.

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>>3019046
>before excusing ourselves briefly to call in on Rinnier
This was done before leaving. It was a swift report, so it was omitted from the scene lest Rinnier gain even more screentime en route to other things.

>>3018942
>>3020010
>>3020487
Fairy tastes!

>>3018957
>>3019358
>>3019046
Overview of our team, particularly of the inclusion of a demihuman!

Campaign comes tomorrow and I've been preoccupied today. I suspect I won't have an update out until late saturday night/sunday morning at this rate, but I wanted to check in and keep everyone updated on where things stand.

There doesn't seem to have been a great deal of interest in this vote so it seems silly to leave it open, but since I'm not going to update for some time it probably won't hurt to give people the ability to amend whatever errant thoughts they want before I'm ready.

If there are any questions between now and then, I can probably answer them sooner than I can update.

>>3020884
I suppose we could discuss our Oakenmurders with him. Offer to show him around the wasteland surrounding our Mansion.

I feel like it would be fun.

>>3020976
Tell him we murdered an oakenbear with our bare hands, and that Kara can rip them in hands?

Sure

>>3021062
How did I manage to fuck that up. In half, not hand

>>3021062
Didn't Rinnier kill it? I don't think Irue remembers much of this anyway.

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Alright, campaign has concluded for the night with half of my party having a teary-eyed and ugly-cry heart to heart talk with the boss of the session in an emotional tearing out of their personal insecurities with each other ending in a group hug as the boss supervised and mediated their breakthrough, while the other half concurrently got slammed through a concrete floor by a giant skeleton centipede whose legs were made of ribcages, into an ooze composed of magically infused mindbreak ink derived from blood and torment, then sealed inside of the ooze's tiny stone container to suffer from claustrophobic PTSD.

Gonna get some alcohol and get writing! Thanks for the patience!

>>3024085
Your campaign sounds fun.

"Men hunt each other more than fairies ever have." You quip drolly, "Is there some sort of fascination with them in the knights?"

"Y'could say that." Gehr snorted. "Seeing as how we're workin' for one, it's become a bit of a hot topic." The older man's ragged mirth mistarted, morphing to concern, realization, and then back once more to an even greater light in his dark, wrinkled eyes. "Hoho, no one told you?"

"I wasn't aware I was a fairy." You admit, "But it's not the first time I'm hearing something to that effect. Some kind of rumour, isn't it?"

"Aye, popular one, too. Most us common folk never dream of running into nobility, much less people like you Valens. Don't stop people from gossiping over a drink or three though. Word on the street is that ye olde Valen household has fey blood in their veins. Y'bleed amber."

"And that entails eating people? Doesn't seem very fairy-like." Your own understanding of fairies didn't include this at all. Just what did people think they were? Or perhaps more concerningly, just what had Dryad been up to in order to garner a reputation like this...? Besides Oakenbears. They didn't count.

"It doesn't?" Gehr's eyes widened enthusiastically, appropriating a faux amazement to your retort. "Well what does?"

"..." You held a hand up to veil your mouth as you gave the question far more thought than it probably deserved. "A gentle nature. Freely given affection. Forgiveness. A playful nature...? Perhaps a little stubborn." Vicious rage. Endless bitterness, black as night. The more you thought on it, the more traits you tried to pull from your time spent with the Dryad apparition which had become Ari's personal guardian.

"Pfah! Oughta known you'd be the classical sort." Gehr all but guffawed, "That's right, more or less... Least it used to be, in the old tales. Times have changed since then, kids are more like to be told fairy tales to scare 'em than anything else. Tripe like having their toes eaten, or gettin' strangled by the veggies they don't eat."

"And my family's associated with that?" You sniff, unimpressed.

"Aw naw." He waves you off. "Eatin' toes is a bit too tame for you Valens. Now-" He starts up with a snap of his fingers, "Bathin' in virgin blood to stain your pretty eyes red? Summoning the spirits of the trees to stalk your lands? Eating the flesh of your enemies to live longer? Dancin' in the wood to court the fairies for an heir? People've been suspicious of House Valen secretly being fairies longer than I've been alive."

"I've never done..." Your objection falters. "...More than one of those things."

"Ha!" A hearty, deep bellied bark of a laugh erupts from the older man. "And it ain't a sight none of us are keen on forgetting any day soon believe me, lil' faeliege. I'll be wakin' up with a heartattack when I'm old and gray dreamin' about it."

You let the man have his laugh, deigning not to point out he was already old, satisfied as you were that his nerves were well settled while your thoughts lingered. Some of the examples he'd given were frankly preposterous, but others... Given what you knew of Dryad, that last one may have legitimately happened at some point.

You weren't naive enough to think this was an exhaustive list by any means, but the insight was equal parts enlightening and concerning.

"Folktales aside, I doubt Dullem briefed you on what to expect." He couldn't have, considering you only asked him for a specific skill set. "You'll be part of a five man team including the Representative of Shade, Representative of Luna, a demihuman, and myself."

"And human's our game?" Gehr grunted, settling into business with a long practiced ease.

"Bandits that have been identified near Carona, led by a man we suspect to be a Wisp Adept, and connected to the previous mayor's rebellious efforts." The same man who nearly dissolved you, and left your doppleganger traumatized in his defiance. You wouldn't say you had unfinished business, but there was certainly no love lost between you. "One old goat will be enough to keep a crew of kids in line, right?"

"M'back hurts thinking about keeping up with all the stupid plans." He griped theatrically, "It's always something big and flashy with young hunters. Thinking they're gonna reinvent the snare."

"No complaints, then?" Your arms cross - A defensive reaction, one you felt yourself moving to adopt but decided against resisting. "I understand demihumans aren't well received, but if you've got an issue with him, now's your chance."

"Ain't fond of 'em." He grimaced plainly, "Can't say I trust 'em either, not s'far as I could throw one... But if we're hunting men, they're probably better at it than I am."

"You'll be glad to know this one's a kid." You accept his answer with a deadpan, "Odds are he could be thrown further than most."

"My back ain't as spry as it used to be, either." Gehr grumped, but didn't seem inclined to make a fuss on the matter. "Say he's a kid, though? If he's a kid for you, that's young. Real young. Why's he in this outfit?"

"Experience with a particular skill set, same as you." You flash the contemplative hunter a smile. "The Representative of Luna is a little girl, as well."

"Gnome bless, Dullem sold me out as a babysitter." he groaned. "See if he hears the end of this."

"You're free to reject the offer." You point out, "The Shade Representative would be happy with less."

"Aye, and I bet they're a strapping six year old lass like the rest of ye, too." Gehr snorted, "Put some faith in me, I'll get you what you need got. Sounds like you got some kinda plan, anyway." The elder hunter looked you over evaluatingly, and what you saw reflected in his eyes wasn't the skepticism you'd at some point come to expect, but earnest curiosity.

"...S'pose you don't remember, but I was with you durin' the snake hunt, lil' faeliege." He began to grumble quietly, voice lowered with respect. "Not up at the head with the rest of ye, but I was there. Didn't think I'd make it outta there either, but you proved me wrong. Proved a lot of us wrong." He reached out, clapping you on the shoulder with a heavy grip, "Mighta been a fluke. Maybe you're really somethin'. All I can say is that snake tasted damn good, an' I'm willing to find out."

>Probe Gehr about something else en route to your rendezvous with the others?

>literally one update later his name is consistently spelled wrong.
The alcohol was not a wise choice, but I do not regret it.

>>3024211
I like Gehr. We must not let him down and/or get him killed

>Probe Gehr about any other folk legends and tales about Valens, Carona, Shrine and whatnot.
>Or, barring that, about town rumors.

>>3024211
>Sounds like you got some kinda plan, anyway."
Yes... I think? I mean, we're open to suggestions. You've done this longer than we have.

As a side note, I'm excited to see just what a shade adept can really do! Come on Marco! Show us why Shade is the best Mana!

>>3024211
Can't think of nuthin to ask Gehr
as a side note we shouldn't discourage the peasants from thinking we're fae or somesuch

>>3024211
>>Probe Gehr about something else en route to your rendezvous with the others?
Don't really have much at the moment. Maybe ask more on rumors about us, and very gently feed one or two. Or we could ask more about the Oakenbear fight that gave him his limp.


I like him. ...He's going to be at considerable risk, isn't he?

>faeliege
Oddly, I don't mind the nickname. It's endearing, and shows he's not stuck us on a massive pedestal. It also provides a great way we can gently troll our knights when we want to blow off some steam, though pushing it too far would be unproductive.
I don't remember if the knight are aware we still have Oakenrue around.

>being trusted for the snake hunt
Ah yes, one of /ShadowRue's/ successes.

>>3024211
>Ask him where he's from and if he has noticed any long term change in the country, we know about the literacy ban but is there anything else like that?

>Mimic the demihuman greeting when we see Raid
>Yo!

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>>3024441
>>3024211
Support.

>>3024374
Hey . . . Our Knights are gonna need a Crest, no? Wonder if we could do like a Red eye in a tree or something.

>>3024597
You mean a red eye staring through a bottle of alcohol.

>>3024597
Technically, we should inherit the ruler of the main branch's iconography as the . Crest, banners, and such.

Though it could be fun to put one together.

>>3024211
>probe
We know about nightgaunts, giant snakes and oakenbears, but are there other nightmare monsters around that we dont know about?

Also task him with making a shopping list so that we go out there fully prepared. Irue hasn't even packed yet.

>>3015483
I keep forgetting to reply to you, but it is important to me to let you know that you sound like a villain, a two-bit mid-boss. An entitled child stomping their foot, crying about the unfairness of the world and that heads will roll if you don't get what is rightfully yours. You're written out of the show before the end of the first season.

It's actually kind of funny, but I'm still going to vote against you.

>>3025194
I'm quite sure you are also allowed a personal crest, usually a small flair to differentiate it from the main family

>>3025244
Maybe that came out wrong. I don't mean to be insulting, it's just a funny observation I made.

If things had gone differently Irue could have been that character, imagine what a mess we could have made.
imagine what a mess we're making...

>>3025244
Christ dude, he said he was just discussing things. No need to tear into him.

>>3025599
Christ dude I couldn't delete it so I clarified what I meant in the next post.

I got this mental imagine of Irue throwing a cartoon tantrum that would make Skeletor blush as I read those posts. It was funny.

Window closed in an hour or so!

>>3024289
>>3024374
More rumours!

>>3024331
Open to suggestions! Also excitement over Marchovic.

>>3024441
>>3024597
Where you from? What have you seen change? Tell me your old man secrets.

>>3024441
>>3024597
While we make a show of being both hip and happening when Raid shows up.

>>3025244
What other kind of silliness is out there? Give me a run down of your tangled-with resume.

Here we go!

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>>3026679
Hey look I found something for when things aren't going well.

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>>3027992
oh yeah? well how about THIS

>>3028159
Needs someone touching her hair.

"I'll try not to disappoint, but explanations will need to wait. I'll explain my thoughts when we've met with the rest."

"'Course." Gerh accepted the delay as if it were the most obvious thing. "Lead the way, then. Can't say I've had the pleasure of working with Representatives from the Shrine 'fore... Little nervous 'bout that."

"You didn't strike me as someone intimidated by station." Moving with the flow, you begin to make your way through Carona's morning streets while further indulging your curiosity.

"Depends on the station, lil' liege." He confided gruffly. "I'll confess I ain't never been a religious type. Can understand men well enough, but the whole Mana thing..." He shook his head, uncomfortably grimacing. "That there are people out there that can talk to th' wind and hold fire is pretty amazing, don't matter who you are. These Reps are the bigguns too, ain't they?"

"I can't speak for Marchovic, but our Luna Representative is loved so much it's hardly fair." You muse over the two for a moment. "As much experience as you seemed to have, I'm surprised you're not more familiar with Adepts."

"S'how it goes. Shrine's gotta tendency to snatch up whoever's got a strong affinity for the Mana young. Something about how we're not prepared to address their gifts, or some other rubbish... Can't say I understand it, but... I don't know."

You push the man inquisitively, refusing his implicit attempt to let the matter pass.

"They live in a... Different world, I guess. People with that affinity, they disappear into the Shrine and pursue..." He gestured fruitlessly, frustration self-evident with each motion. "Whatever it is they do. The longer they're at it, the more they start changin', and fore long you gotta wonder if they're even the same folk you knew in the first place. Like snow in summer to see one of those Adept kids out doing handwork anymore."

The words he stumbled over to try and air his jumbled thoughts to you held incomplete, vague understandings of the processes you'd studied since you were a child... And it gave you pause to consider how you may have thought of the Shrine and its people had you not poured as much misguided effort as you had into their traditions.

Adepts did change as they grew closer to their Mana - It couldn't even be considered a side effect or consequence, as the very purpose of meditation was to refine your thoughts into something more uniformly akin to the Mana in question. Without an understanding of this process, Gerh's unsettled observation of the near cult-like changes one goes through wasn't far off the mark... And if you rarely interacted with those of the Shrine in the first place, their sectional similarities could be downright bizarre.

"The Shrine was founded initially to be a haven for people graced with the Mana's favor." You begin a lecture towards the latter most of his complaints, judging it a little too complicated to explain the rest. "Before their conception, it was common place for people with power in society to take advantage of the gifted, but now they're rendered mostly untouchable outside of personal devotions. In exchange for this amnesty, those affiliated with the Shrine are pledged to act in as neutral and detached manner as possible from any given nation or political figure."

"Huh..." He scratched at his stubbled chin, "Ain't the ones here a bit nosey then? Can't say it gets much more political than a field trip with the Valen Heir."

"The Shrine exists separate from nations and nobility, but not technically from society. As the primary source of communication with the Mana, they serve as a beacon of spiritual guidance for most people." You continued, finger held aloft. "Specifically speaking, the local political figure is typically directly responsible for the well being of the people in their holdings, so circumstances which require the maintenance or tending to of civillians fall immediately into the purview of the sovereign land owners - In our case, my family. Because it resides solely in our lap, the Shrine is obligated to remain uninvolved."

This was the core principle behind several of their tenets, as well as the justification which allowed the Shrine to serve as a shelter for the people during a war, in the case of conquered and occupied territory.

"But they're off their arses now, ain't they?"

"Exceptions made rarely and on a provisional basis during emergencies." You agree, "The extent of their aid is limited even now. You recall I mentioned that the Shrine is separate from the nation but not the people? There are still circumstances that can allow them to become involved, most of which must be judged to have been a phenomena beyond the pale."

"...I don't understand half of what you're sayin, lil' liege." He bluntly interjected, "Not that I don't 'preciate the effort, and all. Basically they think it's someone else's problem most of the time?"

"Well, no..." He's not wrong precisely, but the reality was more delicate. "...Well, let's put it this way: The Shrine gets involved when the Mana are involved, or when the landowners are incapable of fully handling the fallout."

"So I'm supposin' we're actually in much deeper shit than we thought here..."

"No." Well, yes, but he didn't need to know your affairs. "Carona is like this as a result of the Mistral's Child, which was officially recognized as a rogue Jinn Apparition. As such, the Shrine are allowed - and to some degree obligated - to cooperate with the local authority - Myself - in recovery efforts."

"Ah huh..." He muttered vaguely.

You feel like you started this lecture for a reason, but the purpose seems to have escaped in the meantime.

"Guess I should apologize." He grunted, drawing an owlish blink out of you. "Was always sorta suspicious you noble lot had it cushy and easy. Blows my mind you can just recite all that off the top of your head, 'specially as young as you are."

"I studied a great deal." Something indescribably warm tingles in your chest as you beam back at him happily. "I can't speak for other nobility, or the Crown, but House Valen's scions are groomed rigorously since we're children to be able to manage our holdings and responsibilities."

That your own personal library was the source of much of this dialogue was unimportant. You had been encouraged to pursue pursuits becoming of an heir, if not uniform in tutelage; Your cousin Caylen's interests had tilted towards the art of war just as your own had been towards the Mana, and your respective libraries bore testament to that. While there was a significant portion of your role you still felt sorely unprepared for, recent events had rendered your interest in the Mana over much else all but toe-curlingly vindicated.

"That, and drinking the blood of the fae since childhood mostly describes our youth." You find yourself concluding matter of factly. "Well... my youth, anyway."

"You don't say. That how your eyes turn red?" Gerh's soft chortles laced his mood's general improvement.

"That's something different." Simple heritage really, but your disagreement didn't need to be anything more than vague. "The blood is to make the fae more comfortable. They dye us in their colors before they'll accept us."

"Heh... Hahaha!" You cut a glance towards the openly laughing older man, watching him wipe the wetness from the corner of his eye as his body shook. "Ah, lil' faeliege, I love it."

"?" You tilted your head inquisitively, feeling ever so marginally out of depth while the man collected himself from the prior public outburst.

"I have no idea if you're pulling my leg or not; didn't even believe in the old fairytales until I wound up on your doorstep and one nearly stomped on me! Shade of a feeling to start wondering about those kiddy stories again at this age!"

"Glad I could be of service." You deadpan, smiling despite yourself with the infectious mirth. "I don't suppose you feel like sharing one of those before we get there?"

"Hmm, well far be it for me to say no, but ain't you the expert on those already?" He returned, "Not sure I could tell you anything you haven't heard already."

in truth, you'd heard remarkably little. You'd been quite honest with how much of your childhood was spent studying one subject or another, which left you woefully underinformed when it came to seemingly common civilian topics like... Well, fairytales.

"How about one from where you're from, then?" You persist, turning the conversation back towards the ranger. "Where are you from?"

"West." Gerh answers impishly. "Like most us knights, I reckon. I lived in Lord L'Cata's territory most of my life. Father lived there before me, my sons lived there after me, their sons..." A gash of anger began to show as he spoke; one bitter enough evidently to leave the taste upon his tongue, if the way he trailed off with a sour expression was any indication. "Y'get the idea. Our life was the wood out there, not quite as lethal as yours. Hunters for the most part, made our living off meat and pelts."

L'Cata... A name you were hearing more as you interacted with your knights. Miska's hometown had been in their holdings as well if you recall, as well as another of the knight's. Though considering the circumstances you acquired your knights, you can't imagine things have gone well for him since.

"Ah but ye wanted a fairy tale, not my life's story." The elder hunter recanted. "Out there we didn't need to worry overmuch about serpents the size of trees, or Oakenbears. Most of the year the wood was calm. Most." He reiterated meaningfully, eyes slit towards you in a half-lidded aside. "Those woods haunted, lil' faeliege. On moonless nights, a hunter could lose their way in the dark. The lucky could be found in the morning dew, turned to a sapling with a face o' terror."

"A... Sapling." You repeat, blinking slowly. "Rooted to the ground? They became a tree?"

"Aye." Gerh nodded seriously, "An' they were the lucky ones, far as we can tell... Because if y'didn't turn up a tree, y'didn't turn up at all. But yer voice... Yer voice would stay lost in the woods. For years an' years hunters claimed they heard people calling them out in those woods, when they were out alone. Sometimes people they knew, sometimes people they knew were gone."

"Any truth to that fairytale?" You probe, a complicated feeling brewing in your gut.

"All of it." He affirmed, sniffing somberly. "Lost one of my sons to those woods. He'd just become a father himself when we found his tree out there... I ain't never heard his voice, but I was out in those woods most o' my life, and I've heard enough to not trust what I couldn't right see."

"What happened to his family?"

"Well my son's wife passed couple winters later." He cleared his throat, making an effort to blink away the thoughts in his eyes as he distanced himself from a topic he'd probably not expected to be dragged down this morning. "She'd always been a bit... Guess ye'd call it Shadetaken if y'catch my drift."

A term for someone mentally, and often emotionally unbalanced... Often times it was a sign of someone favored by Shade who had crumpled under its attentions, or had perhaps never received the guidance they needed to understand what was happening to them.

"My other boy adopted his nephew into th' family, an' little over a decade later... Well, y'know the rest."

"...My condolences." For once you don't push him for more, and respectfully leave the topic to falter. You knew, far more intimately than he probably thought, what happened.

"Aye, aye. Garet'd have been over the moon to be caught up in all this. Would have still been here if I'd not made him stay back at camp when we left."

Gerh drew a single, deep and shuddering breath... But where you expected a breakdown, he only seemed to look tired, the vitality of his frame struggling under the weight of his years as his shoulders sagged. He shook his head once, spitting a piece of phlegm bitterely to the street as you walked.

"Thought it was safe."

"You wouldn't happen to have any thoughts on the ban of literacy, would you?" You cleared your throat louder than strictly necessary in one of the most obvious attempts you'd ever made to change the topic. "How is it seen from the common class' perspective?"

"Like a hot, steaming load." He harumphed with all the orneriness of his age. "S'not like many of us have books in the first place, but what're they think they're doing? Shade take 'em if they reckon people'll roll over and just stop teachin' their kids."

"...Is reading that important to you as a hunter?" You query, relieved to be on less potentially miserable conversational ground... If surprised at the vehemence it evoked.

"Not at all, can barely read m'self." A flat stare is levelled at the older hunter from the edge of your eyes. "But just cause I can't don't mean I didn't want my son or his kids to! They've gotta be better than us! That's th' whole point of havin' kids; watch 'em do all the things y'never could y'self."

"I... Hadn't gathered that kind of resistance." You admit tentatively, "I personally can't imagine it being a popular decision, but the nobility are all but exempted from it in the first place."

"S'just another thing to try and squeeze the life outta us." He growled, "First they put restrictions on what we were allowed to trade for, then where we could hunt, when we could hunt, Gnome preserve they took leave o'their damn senses when they rolled out that 'license' nonsense trying to say who was allowed to do what-"

You listened quietly, allowing the man to rattle off an increasingly strict list of Crown spawned legal edicts. By the time the meeting place was in sight, you felt it safe to say that this ban on literacy was hardly their first questionable decision. It almost felt like the Crown had been gradually trying to alleviate settled power from the hands of the people; slowly wresting from them their freedom of autonomy inch by judicial inch over the years.

But that made no sense. What could they gain from making life harder on their own people? Much less engendering the sort of rebellious attitude they had in the process.

No, you had to assume the Crown was moving intelligently. They had to have known what they were doing, and the fact they did it anyway either meant it was what they wanted... Or that they judged it a necessary consequence for something else.

...But why? Why focus so much on weaving this net through the people and leave the nobility unmolested? Why go so long ignoring the nobility only to become so aggressive now?

There was a piece missing to this. Like a detail you felt on the cusp of understanding.

>Am I... forgetting something? (write-in)

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>>3028178
2000 hours in ms paint

>>3028159
>>3028213
You probably didn't mean for these to be more than shitposts, but you should know that they are saved and added to the tiny folder of fanart I keep. I put just about everything you guys make in there.

>>3027992
Curious where this is from, it almost looks familiar.

Anyway, I die now. The skyfire is well risen.

>>3028210

>Am I... forgetting something? (write-in)

They're trying to minimize the exposure to whatever happened with Teranford, and partly there's a seditious element opposing the Royals so I believe that it was being done in part to intentionally hurt the Nobility by causing unrest and ruining production so the Royals could claim their lands as they default and they would be less able to resolve.

Or not.

Gotta read those archives.

>>3028221
All these warm and fuzzy feelings.

The eyes are from Romantically Apocalyptic the webcomic. It's crazy good.

>>3028244
I had something similar in mind, this dude went into much more dept than I could though.

>>3028213
DOnt worry I'll make your folder burst with shitty ms paint garbage soon enuff

>>3028210
Well you gave us plenty of time off I guess, but you've come back swinging. We've been musing on the why's of this ever since we first heard of it.

>>Am I... forgetting something? (write-in)
Best guess is something to do with arresting the spread of the Corruption that got Dryad. You've never been clear on the how of it's spread but it seems to be linked to some sort of knowledge.

That doesn't cover all these other niggling laws though. Maybe the royals were trying to stir up discontent among the commoners against the nobles? We've guessed the royals have been trying to take land and titles away from the various noble families, though we never guessed why.

>>3028210
I don't remember how long ago the Crown started to encroach on the nobles, but I have a suspicion that it's connected to the Artemis' activities and/or the Prophet. Basically, I think either Artemis or the Goddess' followers changed their strategy, moving from influencing the masses to working with nobles (Caylen is an example), and the Crown responded accordingly.

>>3028210
More interesting things that I've found:

>Mayor: "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"

>Irue to Caylen: "The crown can afford to wait us out, because their only goal is to drain the presiding land owners until they can justify removing the nobility from power."

>Caylen: " if we broke into a civil war now, we would be at the mercy of an outside force"
It might be that the Crown is using the threat of a nomad army invasion to keep the nobility in check while it's being dismantled. Before that happened, touching the nobility was too dangerous.

>>3028344
Do you have the thread number for those? There might be other hints in the nearby text

>>3028364
Unfortunately, no.
The Mayor one is from where he was meeting with Roderick before we went to free Rinnier. The other two are from Irue's discussion with Caylen on how to handle the brigands.

This one update a day thing makes Forgetting windows a bit strange. We can close it tonight if everyone is confident in their answers, or I can extend it out another day - It's up to you guys!

I'll be around to answer questions best I can regardless, though. Do your best!

>>3028971
>QM asks "are you sure?"
we havn't gotten it yet guys.

>>3028988
does anyone have any other ideas, or are we going to take another loss?

>>3029547

Isn't it to combat Artemis?

Doesn't the strangeness that infected Dryad spread through ideas? Vaccinating the populace with ignorance is a damn good defense, which can't be applied to the nobles who have the resources to ignore and undermine the mandate.

Which is exactly why they're reacting now: Caylen can't be the only noble that's been taken in with this ridiculousness.