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>>5690950
>Outside Conand Tower
>10 Days After the Battle of Gronder Field

“This sucks.” Scratch pipes up helpfully from her seat next to you. You find it hard to disagree. The cold of Faerghus was completely insufferable, and doubly so when you were practically starving. Even when the weather elsewhere in Fodlan was beginning to warm, the remote regions of Faerghus still found a way to be borderline unhospitable for those residing there. You currently sat before a half-frozen lake, fishing rod clutched between your thighs, shivering as you waited for something to bite.

>“You want to eat don’t you?”

“Why is it that the captain of the company is doing this type of grunt work?”

Good question. In the chaos and disorder of trying to regroup the company during the aftermath of the battle, the Hellwings had left you a parting gift. They’d burned the undefended supply carriages belonging to the Faerghus Army, effectively destroying much of your company’s baggage and rations. Furthermore, while the Imperials were in no position to pursue the Blackwings, there were plenty of other actors who were. Armies belonging to both the Orthodox Church, as well as the Faerghus Dukedom, were eager to finish you off. In the last 10 days, you and the company had been forced to march day and night to evade your pursuers, with little opportunity to recuperate or replenish. Of the 200 mercenaries you’d began the year with, there were only roughly 40 left, many of whom still bore injuries from Gronder. Now was not the time to pull rank and sit on the side.

>“Because I’m halfway decent at fishing, and we need food.”

“Is that so?” Scratch asks, bored. “Well then why am I here? I’ve never fished a damn day in my life.”

>“I can’t just have you sitting around doing nothing. Now’s as good a time as any to teach you some valuable life skills that don’t involve robbing other people.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Scratch argues. “It ain’t uncommon for mercenaries to pick up banditry when things get slow. If you ask me, we should have helped ourselves to that village we passed by a few days back. Maybe it’s not too late? If we don’t, someone else will just rob them anyway.”

You recall that sad-looking hovel Scratch generously referred to as a village. Even before the battle at Gronder Field, Dimitri had neglected his duties to his people. He gathered what resources he could from the populace to aid his all-or-nothing attack on the Empire, and then left them to their own devices, undefended. As a result of his actions, the people have suffered greatly under the absence of real leadership. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Kingdom’s remaining land was in a state of utter anarchy. With whatever food that had been available having gone to the army, banditry had quickly become commonplace.

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>>5690952
Beyond just the cold, and the bandits and the occasional attack from Dukedom soldiers, the people of Faerghus also had another unique enemy that they were forced to contend with: Sreng Raiders. Little was known about the land north of Faerghus known as Sreng. From what you’d heard, it was an even harsher and crueler land, populated by barbarous raiders with razor-sharp fang teeth. Sreng and Faerghus had always been on unfriendly terms, and border skirmishes around Gautier were common. But with the Kingdom in it’s weakened state, raids from Sreng had become far more common, even as far down south as Conand. Once word spread of Dimitri’s death at Gronder, you expected things in Faerghus to descend even further into hell.

>“We aren’t bandits. And you aren’t one anymore either.”

Scratch hardly seems convinced. “Did you hear what those villagers were blabbering about? All that ‘End of the World’ nonsense? You ask me, it sounds like they’ve already accepted their fate. Ain’t no harm in helping them get there a bit sooner so that we don’t starve.”

>“Enough.” You say, beginning to feel an oncoming headache. The Orthodox Church had made a practice of preaching that the end was near. The notion had been a laughable one back in Leicester, but here in deep Faerghus, you could see how it was an attractive idea. If you were a peasant stuck in Conand, beset by all manners of famine, villains, and beasts, what more did you have to look forward to? Making your peace with the Goddess and preparing for the end of the world seemed a much more reasonable alternative than pretending things would somehow get better.

“Fine, you’re the boss.” Scratch says unconvincingly. “Seems a waste though.” She gestures with both arms towards Conand Tower, which stands imposingly nearby. “This would make a great hideout.”

>“It used to be one. It was known as the Tower of Black Winds. A bandit with a Hero’s Relic had made it his base.”

“Sounds like a smart man. Whatever happened to him?”

A tug on your line wakes up your tired and cold muscles. You’ve finally managed to catch something. You stand up and begin working at reeling it in. The fish on the other end is tough. It’s undoubtedly a big one, and puts up a strong fight, refusing to relent to your pulls. You’re weakened both by the weather and fatigue, but you haven’t found a fish yet that’s been able to stand up-

Your thoughts are interrupted when Scratch suddenly grabs your hands from behind you. You sense the activation of the Crest of Indech as she aids your efforts in reeling the captured fish. It erupts from the lake in a large splash of water, the sudden force toppling you onto your back. The fish lands next to you with a soft thud, flopping limply. It’s an Airmid Pike. A decent size, though hardly enough to cover dinner for everyone.

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>>5690953
“Did you see that? I got it in one pull.” Scratch says proudly.

>You get back on your feet, staring down at the disappointing catch before you. “Using a Crest of the Four Saints to catch fish…it somehow seems almost disrespectful.”

“Hey, I never asked for this thing, but I’m sure as hell going to use it. So, since we caught something, are we done here?”

>“It’s one fish…it’s hardly enough for everybody…”

“But we’ve been out here for hours. And it’s freezing. Maybe that Ashe kid got lucky and caught some game hunting.”

Ashe and a few of the others had volunteered to go into the wilderness and hunt for that night’s meal. Your lover had proven to be a decent hunter, but he was no Boleslav, who had been capable of acquiring the company’s game single-handedly. To make matters worse, the forest surrounding Conand seemed to be scarce on edible wildlife. Ashe and the others would have their work cut out for them. Still, Scratch was right. You’d been at this all day, and only managed to catch one fish. There was no sense in staying out here and freezing to death in vain.

>“Fine. We’ll return to the others. Grab the fish.”

“It’s still flopping around though.” Scratch grunts, trying to grasp onto the thing.

Scratch was direct and often to the point, but most importantly, she was the newest member of the company. As such, it was easy to speak to her without feeling the same sense of failure that you did with the others. Objectively, Gronder had been a failure, and one that came off the heels of a devastating battle back in Ordelia. Everyone was counting on you to get them to safety, but once that had been completed, there’d been some talk of some potentially leaving. At only 40 members, the Blackwings were a shadow of the former powerhouse they once were. And now that the Kingdom was gone and the Alliance likely considered you an enemy, jobs were going to be a lot more difficult to come by. It would be hard to justify keeping the company together with the Empire on the verge of victory. There were a myriad of problems you’d have to take care of when you got back to the tower. A flash of blue appears at the corner of your eye. The Crest of Indech.

“It stopped moving!” Scratch yells.

>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation.
>B): Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries.
>C): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you.
>D): Meet with Anemone. Supposedly she’s made great strides in researching Diogenes’ notes.

>Corrine lived
>Ashe lived
Praise the Heavens, how would we go on without them?

>>5690955
>Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries.
It would probably do good for morale if we showed ourselves directly meeting the wounded instead of keeping to our officers only. At least we caught a fish for them. If only potatoes existed in Three Houses, then Faerghus maybe wouldn't be this way.

>>5690955
>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation.

>>5690955
>“Using a Crest of the Four Saints to catch fish…it somehow seems almost disrespectful.”
if only you knew, blair, if only you knew
>>B): Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries.
Not where the losses hit hardest, but we could hardly take those with us. These are reminders we have. Gotta be responsible, and be seen being responsible

>>5690955
>>B): Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries.
I'm glad our favs are alive but damn. We are in a very difficult position right now.

>Down to 40 from 150
>Lost 3 officers in the last battle
>Lost 2 officers and 50 men in the battle before that

Talk about precarious. That's Gronder Field, baby. I'm just glad our other captains made it out.

>>5690955
>B): Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries.

The sooner they can get on their feet, the sooner they can help with other matters or the sooner they can leave of their own accord, which is technically a plus as well but let's hope our presence reassures them. Who knows-- Elizabeth might tell us about what kind of stuff we'll need.

>>5691097
>Lost 2 officers and 50 men in the battle before that
Meant one officer. It was just Boleslav who died at Ordelia, iirc. Elizabeth procced Miracle and was fine.

>>5690955
>C): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you.
She's probably taking this worse than anyone here.
I'm mostly voting for this because we lost a couple of our guys to save her damn it.

>>5690955
>A): Meet with Corinne and get a grasp on the company's current situation.
We need to know what we're working with, or nobody is living much longer at all.

>>5690955
>>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation

But I’d like to do B as well, if we could.

This seems slightly more important.

>>5690955
>B): Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries.

>40 members (?)
>Barely any supplies or morale
>Losing the war
>No allies to rely on
>Captains have to fish in a freezing lake to survive
Can we really call our little band of travelers a mercenary company anymore? I don't think we'll be taking any jobs anytime soon.

>>5690955
>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation.
Only one way to find out how bad things really are.

>>5690955
>B): Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries.
You know, the comedy of Scratch using her crest to kill a damn fish is pretty good after the previous thread.
But on the upside of losing most of our men and a few commanders... We got Ingrid, that's a plus.

>>5690955
>>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation.

>>5690967
>>Corrine lived
>>Ashe lived
hallelujah! praise the lord!
>>5690955
B): Meet with Elizabeth and some of the injured mercenaries.

B wins. Writing

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>>5690955
Conand Tower was in surprisingly good condition. There was still a hole in the roof from Miklan’s transformation into a Demonic Beast. But the lower levels of the “Tower of Black Wind” were certainly still habitable and provided excellent shelter from the harsh wilderness and predators of Faerghus. Perhaps it was due to the local superstitions surrounding the place, but it was truly a miracle that no marauding bandits or raiders had laid their claim here. The storage room at the lower level is what now passes for the company’s infirmary. You enter to find about a dozen cots on the floor, each with a Blackwing sprawled atop. Elizabeth is where she always is, tending to the wounded.

“Blair.” Elizabeth turns her attention away from an injured scout to look up towards you. She looks tired, and even frailer than usual. She’d done a remarkable job of settling into the company, and had proven to be an invaluable healer, but she was still just a village cleric. She was never meant for this life and was far out of her depth of experience. “What are you doing here?”

>“I just came to see if I could help in any way. How is everyone doing?”

Elizabeth sighs. “I’ve reached the limit of aid I can provide with my healing. They’ll make it, but they need plenty of rest before they’ll be ready to do anything strenuous.” She closes her eyes, leaning against her staff. “Please don’t tell me you expect any action soon.”

>“I’d prefer not to go starting any fights, but…”

“But it’s not your choice to make.” Sebastian says. The knight is sitting up on his cot, having awoken from his slumber. He’d taken a beating back at Gronder, being one of the few survivors of the frontline battle with Edelgard. Both his head and torso were bandaged, covering nasty wounds he’d received in the fighting. You recall it taking the combined efforts of Theo, Scratch and Clay to drag the giant to safety. In the moments since then where he’d drift back into consciousness, his mood was darker than usual. “Hiding in this tower…we’re sitting ducks. It’s only a matter of time until the enemy finds us. The only question is who will it be? The Dukedom? Sreng Raiders? Or perhaps those pale beings. Whoever it is, we’ll be at a disadvantage.”

>“Don’t worry about hypotheticals. Conand Tower is defendable. If anyone comes knocking, I’ll send them packing myself. Just focus on regaining your strength and health.”

Sebastian shakes his head. “I know how bad my wounds are. I won’t be fit for marching for quite some time, let alone battle. You’d be better off leaving me behind and escaping this place while you still can.”

“Hey! Don’t lump me in with him!” Mina shouts. The dancer had managed to tear something in her leg during the company’s retreat and was now lying on a cot opposite Sebastian. “Don’t leave me behind for those Sreng guys to find! I hear they do all sorts of disgusting things to-”

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>>5691923
>“No one is being left behind!” You shout, irritated. “Remove the thought from your heads. “We got into this together, and we’ll all get out together. I’ve yet to leave a man behind, and I refuse to start now.”

Sebastian laughs bitterly, unconvinced by your words. “I made a vow to serve you, captain. I’ve done my duty to the best of my ability. Don’t stay tethered to this place for our sake if it means exposing yourself to those enemies who would love nothing more than to seize your head.”

>“You say all they need is bed rest?” You turn towards Elizabeth. “Surely their must be something else we can do to aid their recovery?”

“If our supplies hadn’t been destroyed, I might have been able to do better.” Elizabeth admits tiredly. “But as it stands, we have no surplus of medicinal herbs or vulneraries. And in this wilderness, we’d be hard pressed to find any. There are limits to what healing magic can fix on its own. Unless those items turn up, we’ll just have to wait for their bodies to get better on their own.”

>“You’re from Faerghus. Is there any place nearby that you believe we can receive assistance from?” You ask Sebastian.

“Not likely.” The knight says. “The locals have been completely picked clean. First by Dimitri and his army, then the raiders. The larger towns might be in better shape, but I doubt they’ll be willing to help us. We’re not officially with Faerghus after all. We’re just mercenaries. They’ll be looking to keep whatever they have left tightly to themselves. I doubt even our coffers would get them to let up.”

What a headache. Suddenly Scratch’s idea didn’t seem so ludicrous after all. How anyone managed to survive in Faerghus was a mystery. But you stood by what you said. Even if the Agarthans came knocking during your weakest hour, you wouldn’t abandon your comrades just to save your own skin. You’d never be able to live with yourself if you did.

>“I’ll keep it in mind. Rest assured that we won’t be going anywhere without you, so just focus on recovering. You’ve been taking blows for all of us for as long as I can remember. It’s about time that we returned the favor. That goes for you as well, Mina. Get better so that we can all see those dances you’re so proud of.”

“Aye, Captain.” Sebastian says, unenthused. Mina simply lies back into her cot and groans.

Sebastian was right about one thing. While Conand Tower was a great place to hold up, you still ran the risk of being heavily outnumbered by enemy forces. You needed to come up with a plan to get the company back on its feet, and fast.

>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation.
>B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you.
>C): Meet with Anemone. Discuss her research and the Agarthans.

>>5691925
>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation.
how far is garreg mach

Glad to see Sebastian made it. He was part of the vanguard, after all. On the plus side, if we do get attacked, we can just take whatever supplies the attackers had, but I'm sure the fight preceding that won't be easy.

>>5691925
>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation.

We need to prioritize, and to do that, we need to know what's going on.

>Mina, Sebastian, Theo and Clay confirmed alive
This leaves Yara, Caleb, Milly and Uriel as the only captains who's fate is unknown to us (as players, I figure Blair already knows who didn't make it out at this point). We didn't find Sylvain during our retreat neither, so it's becoming likelier he died at Gronder. But if he survived, Conand Tower is likely a place he'll stop by on the way home to Gautier territory, given his history with the place.

>>5691925
>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation.

>>5691925
>A) Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company's current situation.
We need to know what we're working with besides the injured.

>>5691938
>if he survived, Conand Tower is likely a place he'll stop by on the way to Gautier territory, given his history with the place
Wouldn't he more likely avoid anything that reminded him of Miklan at a time like this? If we're going to find him, we're going to have to roll up to his house. That goes double if he's leading some last remnant of Kingdom/Blaiddyd loyalists or something.

>>5691925
>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation.

>>5691954
Well, just like us he would know it to be free of bandits due to it's reputation and that it would be able to provide shelter on his trip back north. He can't just stop anywhere he likes, he was part of Dimitri's army when they went around pillaging villages after all.

>>5691925
>B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you.
I still think she's taking this worse than anyone here. It might be good to nip whatever is stewing inside her before it blossoms.

>>5691925
>B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you.

>>5691925
>B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you.

>>5691925
>B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you.

>>5691925
>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation.
Can't believe so many actually survived. We can only hope no outsiders stumble upon the fort.

>>5691925
>B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you.
We chose to side with the Kingdom in the first place for the Blue Lions, so might as well get the most mileage out of it. It'd be bad if she becomes dead weight or does something drastic like an hero.

>>5691938
The first three were confirmed to be alive by Ava. It should only be Uriel who's still unaccounted for.

>>5691925
>>B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you.

>>5691925
>>A): Meet with Corrine and get a grasp on the company’s current situation.

>>5691925
>>B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you.
I can't believe we're here and that we actually survived.

>>5691925
>B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you.
How many died for her?

>>5691925
>B): Meet with Ingrid. She’s hardly said a word since joining you

B wins. Writing

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>>5691925
You find Ingrid sitting alone on the top floor of Conand Tower. The hole Miklan had opened in the ceiling was still there, flooding the room with extreme cold. Ingrid had become a shade of the brave knight you once knew and even feared. With nowhere else to turn following the defeat of the Kingdom, you’d taken her in almost by force. She bore numerous wounds from the fight with Rex, and yet she had still insisted on being allowed to search for survivors right after the battle’s conclusion. It was those same wounds that caused her to finally pass out and allow the company to take her with them. When she’d awoken several miles from Gronder, the first thing she’d asked you was the state of her friends. Upon reporting the casualties you’d seen; something had broken inside her. A part of you was afraid she’d fly off the handle, either at you or perhaps even the Empire. Instead, all she’d done was sob softly into her hands. Somehow, that was even worse. She now resided here, far away from the rest of the company, in complete solitude. Any attempts by other members of the Blackwings to get her to open up had been met with failure.

>“How can you just sit up here?” You ask her, standing across from her and shivering. “This infernal cold is enough to drive me mad.”

“Galatea is not too far from here.” Ingrid says. Her eyes are fixed on the opening in the ceiling, never meeting your own. “I’m used to this sort of weather. It does not bother me.”

>“Makes sense. Rusalka could be a cold place, but never like this. The people of Faerghus are certainly built tough.”

No response. Ingrid seems uninclined to engage in small talk with you. Taking a look around the room, her armor is strewn about haphazardly. Luin, her priceless Hero’s Relic, lies on the floor carelessly several feet away. Ingrid herself looks disheveled. Beyond just the bags under her eyes, you can make out faint traces of blood still in her hair and under her fingernails. Had she really not cleaned herself in 10 days?

>“What will you do now? As you said, Galatea is not too far from here. Will you return home?”

“I don’t know.”

>“If you haven’t gotten your fill of fighting, you’re welcome to stay with us. Once we recuperate, we plan to head south towards Garreg Mach. We’ll link up with the Professor and the Knights of Seiros. The battle at Gronder may have been lost, but there’s still fighting to be done. Both against the Empire, and the Agarthans.”

Nothing. Ingrid simply acts as if you aren’t there. She pulls the thin fur that is blanketing her closer and continues staring out of the hole as if it were far more interesting than you.

>“I never got to thank you...if it weren’t for your help, Rex would have killed me up there.”

“You’re the one that saved me.” She mutters softly.

>“…Would you have preferred that I didn’t?”

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>>5692653
“Yes.” She finally makes eye-contact with you, and you notice that her composure has noticeably darkened. “You made a mistake…coming to save me. I should have died there. Died in service to my King. I should have died just as Glenn did, all those years back. You came to my aid…and for what?” She laughs bitterly. Her fur drops, revealing the litany of scars covering her bare shoulders. “Dimitri is dead. The Kingdom is no more. What purpose is there left for me? Am I to live the rest of my life in shame? In hiding from the Empire’s assassins that will surely come looking for me? What sort of knight does that make me? I couldn’t vanquish my enemy without outside interference…I couldn’t save my King, nor my friends…I couldn’t even die right!”

>“And what would dying have accomplished? There was nothing either of us could have done to change the course of the battle. You know that.”

“You don’t get it! There’s nothing left for me anymore. Everything and everyone I’ve ever held dear is dead. Gone, and soon to be forgotten. Even if I were to march down south and join the Knights of Seiros, what would be the point? Revenge? It won’t bring back what I’ve lost. Honor? I have none left. I traded it all in exchange for my survival. You made a mistake saving me, Blair. Even your company thinks so.” She slams her head back against the wall she was leaning on.

>“What are you saying?”

“I’ve seen the way that girl looks at me. The Pegasus Knight with the colorful hair.”

>“Diana?”

“She resents me. Resents the choice you made. You came to my aid, and as a result, a lot of your people died. Her friend and wing-sister died. All for a worthless stranger that couldn’t win even with a Hero’s Relic? I’m no good to anyone anymore. Even now, I’m causing you and your company problems just by living.”

You were unsure how to proceed. Ingrid was a broken mess, absorbed in self-pity and guilt. It was possible that she may never be the same person you knew before again.

>A): Remain gentle with Ingrid and try to prod her out of her depression.
>B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake.
>C): There’s nothing you can do here. Not now, anyway. Leave her to her sorrow.
>D): Write-in.

>>5692660
>A) Remain gentle with Ingrid and try to prod her out of her depression.
Operation Free Hugs is go!

>>5692660
>>B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake.

Damn, it's a shame to see her in this state, but it's totally understandable.

>>5692660
>B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake.

I'm not a psychologist by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't think we should leave her alone to stew. Gentleness might work if we had more time, but... it seems like getting angry and showing emotion is probably the best way to get our feelings across.

We didn't make a mistake. We were able to save one more friend in the grinder that was Silver Snow Gronder Field, and Ingrid was that person. It was at a heavy cost, yes, but if Blair's presence was able to save even one life from that fate, it was worth it.

>>5692660
>>>B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake.

>>5692660
>B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake.
>''You have no honor? Then you'll just let everyone's deaths be left unavenged? You'll just allow Dimitri's, Sylvain's and Felix's deaths be left like that? I know I wasn't that close to them but would any of them want you to become this shellshocked over their deaths? I don't think so, I think they'd want you to continue on and not praddle on about how it was a mistake for you to be left alive, so either gather up your wits or go join them if you're so certain I was mistaken!''

or something like that

>>5692660
>>A): Remain gentle with Ingrid and try to prod her out of her depression.

The pain and suffereing route, excellent.
>>5692660
>B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake.
>"Were you not a knight of Faerghus? Have you forsaken the reason that you lived for until now? Even without king or country a knight is still a knight! Ingrid Brandl Galatea, would you forsake them by indulging in this egocentrical act of self-pity? Even if you can't bring back what you've lost, even if what you fight for is gone... you'll have to keep on living! I've lost countless friends and companions at Gronder, yet here I am! Mercedes, Lysithea, Shelley... at Gronder I departed with more than I could ever imgine and left promises unfulfilled. Yet here I stand, Ingrid! Because I'm still alive, because of their sacrifices I must live on for their sake! So please... end this selfish charade, Ingrid."

I'd imagine Blair would feel somewhat offended by her words, maybe even quite angry due to all the sacrifices made, but would more than understand Ingrid.

>>5692660
>>B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake
Righteous fury will help her snap out of it. Also I want to see angry Blair.

>>5692660
>B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake.

>>5692660
>>A): Remain gentle with Ingrid and try to prod her out of her depression.
Cheer up, you were supposed to die.

>>5692660
>A): Remain gentle with Ingrid and try to prod her out of her depression.

>>5692660
>A): Remain gentle with Ingrid and try to prod her out of her depression.

>>5692660
>B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake.
Coddling Ingrid or leaving her to stew in her survivors guilt are the wrong choices. We need to shock her out of this state, and Blair angry is probably the most shocking this quest can be since she's impossibly reasonable and pragmatic. I wouldn't count on myself to write any dialouge, but maybe end whatever rant we make with that she didn't lose all her friends at Gronder, since we're still here.

>>5693010
>We need to shock her out of this state
I get what you're trying to get at, but I feel like yelling at her when she's like this is just going to get us shanked.

>>5692660
>B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake.

>>5692660
>>A): Remain gentle with Ingrid and try to prod her out of her depression.

>>5692660
>>5692808
>>B): Lose your temper with Ingrid. You don’t appreciate her saying you made a mistake.
>>"Were you not a knight of Faerghus? Have you forsaken the reason that you lived for until now? Even without king or country a knight is still a knight! Ingrid Brandl Galatea, would you forsake them by indulging in this egocentrical act of self-pity? Even if you can't bring back what you've lost, even if what you fight for is gone... you'll have to keep on living! I've lost countless friends and companions at Gronder, yet here I am! Mercedes, Lysithea, Shelley... at Gronder I departed with more than I could ever imgine and left promises unfulfilled. Yet here I stand, Ingrid! Because I'm still alive, because of their sacrifices I must live on for their sake! So please... end this selfish charade, Ingrid."

this one's pretty good. no idea if it's gonna work, but I do think pointing out the similarities between the two of them is a good idea. blair abandoned her own country, honor, knighthood, and much more, and still finds reason to live on.
another possible tack would be to say 'yeah I did make a mistake, if you're going to be like this' but that's a pretty terrible way to go

B wins, writing.

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>>5692660
You were vexed. It’s true that saving Ingrid came at the cost of leaving your comrades to deal with the Hellwing’s Aces alone. Had you chosen differently, it’s very possible that Shelley, Nero, and countless others from your company would still be alive. So you damn sure didn’t appreciate Ingrid rubbing salt in that fresh wound by saying you’d made a mistake in rescuing her from Rex. You’ve been dealing with the repercussions of Gronder for days now, and the Blackwings might never be the same again. Losing your temper, you grab the collar of Ingrid’s shirt, lifting her up from where she’d been sitting. You slam her back against the wall and get in close, her face only a few inches away from yours. In the past, such a thing would be completely inconceivable to you. Both from a personal and practical standpoint, there was no way Ingrid would ever allow such a thing. And yet she doesn’t fight back. She merely stares back at you, her blue eyes practically begging you to put her out of her misery.

>“You don’t get to tell me I made a mistake.” You hiss. “I knew the risks when I came to fight alongside you, and I did it anyway. Do you think you’re the only one suffering? My wing-sister is dead. Over half my company was killed, and what’s left can hardly trust me. I killed my brother for you, just for him to tell me that my adopted father is one of the same enemies I’ve been hunting for five years. Tell me, should I wallow in self-pity like you?!”

“Just leave…” Ingrid mutters. “There’s no point to any of this. That was Ashe I saw earlier, wasn’t it? You’ve been hiding him all this time, haven’t you? Run away with him and forget about all of this while you still can. While you’re still alive. I lost the only man I ever loved, Blair. Don’t waste your life fighting an unwinnable war when what’s important to you is right there. Spare yourself from that same pain.”

The pent-up frustration you’ve bottled up inside you this entire time threatens to boil over. You’ve been through hell time and time again, forced to abandon people and ideals that had once been dear to you. The battle at Gronder. Shelley’s death. Rex. The Count. Lysithea? Goddess, you had promised her and her family you’d help her, and now look what’d happened. You cock your fist back. You think about hitting Ingrid. Throttling her, smashing her against the wall over and over. Leaving her to rot and starve in this wretched tower you once almost died in. How many times have you almost died already? Bearing it all as best as you can, trying to maintain the picturesque image of a leader who held everything together. Why weren’t you allowed to break down like she was? Because the others would abandon you in a heartbeat if you did. They relied on you to be strong. Followed you because you brought them victory. Or at least you used to.

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>>5693392
You release your grip on Ingrid. She slumps back down to the floor wordlessly. No. It would be unfair to hit her. To hurt and take your frustrations out on her. She had her reasons for acting this way. You had your own. Now was not the time to lose your cool. Not when the others were counting on you to deliver them to safety.

>“Mistake or not, I saved your life. I won’t throw it away now. We’ll go to Garreg Mach as planned. Come if you like. Or don’t. But so long as you’re here, under my watch, you’ll be protected.”

She doesn’t say a word. Ingrid merely continues sitting there, staring blankly at the floor. You’d done all that you could here. You leave Ingrid to herself.

“Boss!” One of your mercenaries calls out upon spotting your descent from the top floor. “Captain Ashe and the others have returned.”

>Please let them have brought back food. “Excellent. I’ll see them now.”

You find Ashe, Caleb, and a few of the others huddled around a table, working at skinning whatever game they’d acquired. As your approach, your stomach rumbling, you find…

>“…What is this?”

“Uhh…a couple of rabbits and a fox.” Ashe reports solemnly. “Oh, and some berries we found growing in a fern. They’re not poisonous. Or uhh…they shouldn’t be.”

“There was a deer but…it got away.” Caleb says sadly. “Never missed Boleslav more than I do now. That guy knew how to hunt. This forest is completely desolate. It’s as if something’s gone and scared all the animals away. It took us hours just to even find these meager things.

“How’d fishing go?” Ashe asks you, a tinge of hope noticeable in his voice.

Goddess. If this kept up, you’d be forced to eat Beathan soon.

>“Ashe, you’re a native to these parts. Is there anything we can do to somehow salvage more food?”

“Short of stealing from the locals?” Ashe winces. “Not really. Caleb’s right. I’ve never seen a forest this…empty. Something’s got the local wildlife spooked. They’re nowhere to be seen. It’s as if they’ve already been hunted.”

“Don’t think I’m necessarily opposed to stealing at this point.” Caleb mutters. “If I have nothing to eat but watery broth again, I think I just might lose my mind. Goddess knows I’m not the only one grumbling.”

“I’d…rather we not go down that route.” Ashe says. “I’d like to think I’ve left that sort of thing behind me. There’s got to be something we can do.”

“Every village we’ve passed has wanted nothing to do with us.” Caleb counters. “It’s not just about keeping a tight hand on their supplies. The Dukedom is coming. And they’re afraid about what might happen if they’re found out to have given aid to the enemy.”

>A): You have no choice. You’ll need to pay a visit to one of the local villages and take food by force if necessary.
>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative.

>>5693393
>>A): You have no choice. You’ll need to pay a visit to one of the local villages and take food by force if necessary.
Ah great the depression and misery route.

>>5693393
>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative.
Well here's hoping that the other anons were right about psychology of shocking her out of it. But from her reaction I'm not that hopeful.
As fun as it would be to transform into a bunch of raiders, I don't think it would do us any favors if we want to join up with the church and the professor.

>>5693393
>B) You aren't a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative.
We could always descend on the incoming Dukedom force, kill them, take THEIR rations, and give anything we don't eat and can't keep to the local villagers.

>>5693393
>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative.

>>5693393
>A): You have no choice. You’ll need to pay a visit to one of the local villages and take food by force if necessary.
Call it solidarity contributions if you must

>>5693393
>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative.
Keep in mind that while this may seem like a small decision, we'll have to face consequences for choosing to steal from already starving and war-exhausted peasants.

>>5693393
>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative.
Go hungry ourselves if need be so our men, and primarily the wounded, get fed.

>>5693393
>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative.
No food, just cuddles and kisses with Ashe to keep self warm at night.

Somehow I copied the wrong prompt

>>5693393
>>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative.

Even disregarding the morality, you can’t squeeze blood from a stone- not unless we plan to eat the impoverished peasants.

>>5693393
>>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative.

Two rabbits, a fox, a decent-sized fish, and some berries to feed 40-something people... We might've had better odds fleeing into Alliance territory, hah.

>>5693393
>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative.

They might not like us enough to open their doors to us, but I'd rather not make an enemy of them entirely. We already lost our job prospects in the Empire, the Alliance, and the Dukedom, so losing prospects from the Kingdom Remnants means the Blackwings basically have no place to find work in in the future, except for maybe the Church of Seiros.

Besides, it's not like the people here have a lot of food anyway. We'll just have to find some other place or some other group to acquire food from.

>>5693393
>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative.
Sitting around and hoping for the best isn't my preferred choice, but the talk about the animals is foreboding. Here's hoping it's just Dukedom soldiers we'll be dealing with and not the mole people.

>>5693393
>>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative.

>>5693393
>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative.
If we steal then any goodwill we have with the remnants of the Kingdom will be gone, and I'd not like for Blair's history book end with ''After the battle at Gronder she became a mere bandit and died of hypothermia a year later.''

>>5693393
>A): You have no choice. You’ll need to pay a visit to one of the local villages and take food by force if necessary.
Is it just me or do we have more players than usual? Misery loves company?

>>5693393
>B): You aren’t a thief. Sit back for now. Surely there must be some other sort of alternative.

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>>5693393
>“Enough. I’ve already said it once. We aren’t thieves. We don’t go stealing from peasants just because we can. Once the others are in a decent enough shape to march through their injuries, we can leave this place behind and march down south.”

Caleb groans. “I suppose we have enough enemies as is. No need to go making any more.” You’re treated to a squelching sound as he plants his carving knife into the flesh of one of the captured rabbits. His face says it all concerning his enthusiasm. “Say, what do you think pegasus tastes like?”

>“I’ll eat you before we eat Beathan.”

“Fair enough.”

That night, the company “enjoys” a rather meager meal of water, vegetables, and the small game brought back by Ashe and the others. Milly, who has doubled as something close to the Blackwings’ cook, does her best to try and make things as appetizing as possible. Still, there’s a limit to what miracles she’s capable of performing with such scarce supply. As night begins drawing near, Milly distributes straws to most of the mercenaries present, including yourself. The ones who draw the shortest are to be those chosen for that night’s sentry duty. Conand Tower was defendable, but not if you were caught unaware. Despite Corrine’s protests, you entered the lot. You’d once read long ago at Garreg Mach that in times of hardship, commanders could limit a drop in their army’s morale by foregoing preferential treatment and “suffering” alongside them. That was why you went fishing for food, and that was why you were now entering the lottery for guard duty. So long as you weren’t picked, you wouldn’t have to worry about-

“Ahh…you got the short one, Blair. Bummer…” Milly hands you your straw with a frown.

Three other mercenaries, including Diana, are also chosen for that night’s guard duty. Dressing as warmly as you can muster, you try your best to mentally prepare yourself for several hours of what is sure to be a boring watch in the freezing cold.

Night falls, and you find yourself leaning back against one of the tower’s walls. A small, lit brazier is the only thing you and Diana have for warmth and light out here. Standing on opposite ends of it, you stare at Diana’s illuminated face, which in turn is staring down at the fire. Ingrid’s dark mood was one thing to deal with. She was a relative stranger to the company, after all, and it’s not as if she had ever been known for her bubbly personality. Diana was an entirely different matter. She’d always been considered the more “cheerful” member of the Blackwings. Though not the brightest, she’d always been a warm and friendly face. An orphan raised by Serena, your former pegasus instructor, the company was the closest thing she’d had to a family. She’d considered you and Shelley to be like her sisters. It only made sense she’d fallen into depression following the latter’s death.

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>>5694132
>“How are you getting by?” You ask Diana.

“I’m okay.” Diana barely whispers her answer.

>“If you aren’t up for this, go back inside. Rest up. I don’t mind taking the watch myself tonight.”

“No, really. I’m okay. Everything’s fine.” Diana says. No one liked losing a comrade in war, but pegasus knights in particular tended to take those deaths the hardest. You trained day and night with your fellow sisters, taking to the skies and running drills until your steeds bled themselves dry. Learning how to perform the complex Triangle Attack hadn’t just been a battlefield asset. It also drew you incredibly close to both Diana and Shelley. It was easy for you to tell she was lying.

>“I’m sorry about Shelley. We haven’t had a chance to speak about her. I wish that things could have been different, and that she was still here with us. Goddess knows I could use some of bright ideas right now.”

Diana does not say a word, continuing to stare down into the lit brazier. There seemed to be a theme today of pegasus knights choosing to ignore you rather than engage. Unlike Ingrid though, there was no conceivable way you could ever lose your temper with Diana. Pegasus sisters could feud or get into arguments, but they never hated each other. It was a complex sort of bond. One that made Kate’s words to you at Garreg Mach sting all the harder.

Though it feels like an eternity, several hours pass you by in silence. The usually chatty Diana never utters a peep. The sun will be rising in a few moments, and you’ll fortunately be able to get some much-needed rest.

“Did anyone tell you how she died?” Diana suddenly pipes up, startling you.

>“What?”

“It was that wyvern rider. The strange one that could use magic. He was tearing us apart. I’d never seen a wyvern rider that could use magic before. He was fast too. It was all we could do to avoid his attacks, but he was taking us down one by one. He’d set his sights on me. I was a goner. But Shelley took the attack for me. She got in the way and tried to stop him, but by then it was too late. His wind magic tore her to shreds. I heard her scream, and there was so much blood. And then she just…fell from the sky.”

>“…Diana”

She looks up from the brazier to face you, tears in her eyes. “If you were there…you could have beat that guy for sure…so why? Why did you choose that woman over us? We’re supposed to be sisters and look at how that lady’s repaid you.”

Diana’s question catches you off-guard. Before you can even comprehend an answer, something catches your eye. In the shadows merely a few feet away from you, you see movement. Something is drawing closer from behind Diana. Your spear is laying against the wall, away from your immediate reach.

>A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed)
>B): Attack the moving shape with your magic (MAG+DEX: 1-56 to succeed)
>C): Scream and try to alert the others.

>>5694134
>A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed)

>>5694134
>>B): Attack the moving shape with your magic (MAG+DEX: 1-56 to succeed)

>>5694134
>A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed)

>>5694134
>A): Pull Diana out of the war (SPD+LCK. 1-73 to succeed)
I don't know who or what is coming for our remaining pegasus sister, but we are having a MOMENT right now and we do NOT need her dying in the middle of it!

>>5694134
>A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed)

>>5694134
>C): Scream and try to alert the others.
What could it be?

>>5694134
>B): Attack the moving shape with your magic (MAG+DEX: 1-56 to succeed)
Maybe we'll be able to pull Diana out of the way, but we might take the full hit ourselves from whatever this is. I'd say risk it a little and take the coin flip.

>>5694134
>A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed)

It's probably an assassin or scout, but the +20% chance to protect is better than the reward. I hope it's the Sreng, myself.

>>5694134
>>A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed)

>>5694134
>B): Attack the moving shape with your magic (MAG+DEX: 1-56 to succeed)

>>5694134
>A) Pull Diana out of the way

>>5694134
>A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed

>>5694134
>A): Pull Diana out of the way (SPD+LCK: 1-73 to succeed)

Rolled 33 (1d100)

A Wins, Writing.

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>>5694134
You reach over the brazier and grab onto Diana’s shoulder, yanking her towards you and nearly knocking the thing over. She’s startled and offers no resistance. She almost topples over you just as a sword comes swinging down right where she was standing. The blade finds no purchase, colliding with the ground instead of Diana’s skull. The figure is now close enough to be illuminated by the brazier, allowing you a good look at him. He’s a muscular man, with a face as hard as stone. His clothing is in somewhat rough condition but is still of higher quality than any run of the mill bandit would possess. The light of the fire reflects off his sword, shining partially in your eyes. The blade is exquisite, and you’re instantly able to tell it’s a weapon of master quality. If the assassin is surprised that he missed his mark, he does not show it. Instead, he lifts his blade up, and looks towards you.

“Wha-”? Diana says, unaware of what just happened. You quickly push her towards the front entrance of the tower, away from both you and the assassin.

>“We’re under attack! Alert the others!”

The assassin moves to attack you. He comes in with a thrust, only to feint at the last second and attack with a swift downward strike. You still don’t have your spear in your hand, and magic would be too difficult in this situation. So, you parry the attack with the only weapon you have on hand. Kronya’s dagger collides with the masterwork sword in a flash of sparks. You’ve managed to successfully prevent your head from being split open, but quickly find that you’re being pushed back. This man isn’t just fast, but also strong. You thrust out a knee to try and open up space, but he quickly steps to the side. Escaping the clutch, you attack with a flurry of dagger blows, but each attack is deftly parried or avoided by your foe. Forced to use an unfamiliar weapon, you’re unable to land a blow on the experienced fighter, who appears to be a swordmaster. Either way, you succeed in grabbing his attention, allowing Diana to rush inside the tower and seek help from the others.

“A chol ceathrair, lig dom an ceann seo a ghlacadh mar mo bhean chéile.” In the middle of parrying your attacks, the man suddenly utters…something.

>“What the hell is that supposed to mean?!” You ask, frustrated with your inability to hit him. As you back up from your opponent, a sword suddenly thrusts towards the side of your head from behind. The blade stays there on your shoulder, only a few inches away from your throat, threatening decapitation. A second attacker has joined the scene, pinning you from behind.

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>>5695019
“Please pardon my cousin. He never took to the language of you southerners.” The second man says with a smirk. “He’s saying he wishes to take you as his wife. A high honor, for sure. The First Blade of Sreng is not easily impressed.”

>“Sreng…huh?” Of all the rotten luck. The rumor of Sreng raiders attacking Faerghus was true. You knew next to nothing of the remote nation north of Faerghus, but what you’d heard was not good. It was supposedly a barren wasteland, populated by a warlike, barbarous people. Sreng and the northern parts of Faerghus, particularly the lands of Gautier, where Sylvain was from, often engaged in border skirmishes. Most of those bouts saw Gautier coming out on top, effectively keeping the Sreng people away from Fodlan much in the same way the Almyrans were barred out by the Alliance. With the collapse of the Kingdom though, you suppose it’s no big surprise that these raiders would be emboldened to come knocking.

“You’re no ordinary woman, that’s for sure.” The second man says. He speaks the common language of Fodlan with hardly any accent. You’d heard the Sreng people had their own tongue they used, likely whatever that gutterspeak you’d heard the first man utter was. How he could communicate with you with no issue was certainly a mystery. “Why don’t you drop that uhh…interesting looking dagger and we have ourselves a nice little chat. The way you southern folk love to do.”

>You comply, dropping Kronya’s dagger to the ground. It’s not as if the thing would serve you well in this situation anyway. You fought with a spear and magic for a reason. “Are you here to rob us?”

“Well, that depends.” The second man says smirking. He seems to be enjoying himself quite nicely. “Who are you?”

The sun is beginning to rise, lighting the area surrounding the tower. As you look out, you can see figures emerging from the trees. There are dozens of them. Men and women, armed to the teeth. Sreng raiders surround the tower, ready to attack.

>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work.
>B): We’re aligned with the Faerghus Kingdom, and there are more of us on the way here now.
>C): We’re just simple travelers, passing through.
>D): Write-in

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Just a heads up that circumstances will be taking me away for the next three days. Updates will likely resume on Tuesday!

>>5695021
>>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work.

We’re… not going to be able to overpower them. Not if this is a Warband lead by the ‘first blade’- or worse, the sort of leader who has the first blade in their *retinue*.

But perhaps they have a rival they’d like us to take out?

>>5695021
I'm torn between A and B. Both are on some level true, and going with A might get us hired for some viking shenanigans, but that could backfire if we get hired to help raid someplace and it turns out Sylvain is in charge of the defense there. Also, this First Blade dude wants us, and there's no way anyone here is going to vote to dump Ashe.

At the same time, B is a bluff. If they call us on it and hang around long enough for the Dukedom to show up, they'll quickly realize we have no friends. If they don't call us on it and we bail, we'll still have to deal with them later, and they'll be angry, but hopefully by then we'll be rolling with Team Byleth. If we're not, though, game over.

I'm not even considering C, the lie is way too obvious.

>“A chol ceathrair, lig dom an ceann seo a ghlacadh mar mo bhean chéile.”

It's Irish, if my translator is correct. Supposedly meaning 'Cousin, let me take this one as my wife'. It's a little funny, but it's an eternal reminder that Blair is S-tier waifu material. Unfortunately for everyone else, she's reserved for Ashe.

>>5695021
>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work.

Option B might get us robbed (and they're not going to buy it anyway). Option C is definitely something they're not going to believe in, and may lead us to Option A again, but it may also give us a chance to disengage...

Option A does however, open up negotiations. Plus, the Blackwings are still the greatest mercenary company in all of Fodlan, so maybe even the Sreng will have heard of us. If they offer us a job, we should probably refuse any jobs against the Kingdom Remnants, but if they want our help to take down Dukedom, Empire, or Orthodox Church forces... we might be able to help.

>>5695021
>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work.
The thought of us just using Forseti again for a repeat of the first time we used it is kind of funny, but starting a fight against the raiders now probably won't end well considering how exhausted we and our men are.
If they're bloodthirsty, B might end up provoking them into attacking us instead of deterring them.

>>5695021
>>B): We’re aligned with the Faerghus Kingdom, and there are more of us on the way here now.

>>5695021
>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work.

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>>5695021
>>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work.

>>5695021
>>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work.

>>5695021
>B): We’re aligned with the Faerghus Kingdom, and there are more of us on the way here now.

>>5695021
>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work.

>>5695021
>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work.
The Faerghus Kingdom is no more. It would be unwise to tell the raiders that were in constant conflict with them that we served under the Faergus banner. Saying that we're travelers, they'll probably take that as a joke. I'm sure they don't want to lose men to mercenaries so..

>>5695021
>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work.

>>5695021
>>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work.

This'll be interesting. Beathan's name is Irish...
With the way the vote is going it seems we're soliciting the Sreng to hire us. Pulling our own Claude-style post-Gronder disappearance.

>>5695050
Are we the greatest anymore?

We still have the reputation and the leadership (mostly), but we’re down to a fifth of our original numbers.. rebuilding will take a very long time, if we can.

>>5695819
Hm, good question. We're probably one of the few non-Empire mercenary bands who participated at the Battle of Gronder Field to even survive, but there are probably a lot of mercenary bands out there who could give us a run for our money in our current state.

If Leonie's still around, the Jeralt Mercenaries probably took back the top spot, but knowing that she was likely aligned with the Alliance, they're probably dead for good now.

Still. We've got the reputation, and the men that remain are among the most skilled in the entire land-- we can go toe-to-toe with special forces and probably come out on top. We're certainly not in a good state at the moment, but I'm sure we'll bounce back sooner or later.

This just in, The Blackwings have gone down the rankings of 'Fodlan's Mercenaries' from their previous number 1 spot to 48, a massive downgrade for the once great unit.

>>5695021
>A): We’re the Blackwings. A simple mercenary company looking for work.

Blair is missing the shield she nabbed from the last thread from her inventory

>He’s saying he wishes to take you as his wife
His death will be slow, how dare he try to take the place of Ashe

If we had to we could probably defend the tower pretty well against a much larger force.

>>5696217
Yep. Conand Tower is really defensible, and even with our numbers, we can probably hold out for a while. Attackers may still win, but the Blackwings will make them bleed for it-- maybe even to the point that we're not worth taking on. Besides, it's not like we have any food or supplies. Just a lot of money that is apparently not really worth much in a desolate place like this.

>>5696512
the problem with this is that Blair has a sword to her head. Forseti can take care of that for one round and then maybe we get a swooping aerial rescue, possibly, I guess. but the Blackwings really, really shouldn't be fighting right now.

>>5696567
Yeah, at the moment, Blair's pretty vulnerable, but at least these guys just want to talk for now. If they start getting other ideas though... I only hope Forseti gives us enough time to get to our spear, because then we can probably hold out for a rescue if we can hold a chokepoint.

On that note, I do agree with you. We really shouldn't be getting into any unnecessary fights. We might be able to win against these guys, but I'm more interested in the opportunity they may present to us soon enough.

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Catching up on the last thread, had to make this

>>5695049
>>5695021
Screw it, going with A before TreeHouses gets back. It's going to win anyway and I realized I never actually voted.

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>>5697553
Much appreciated Yara, ah, minty.

I am back! A wins, writing.

>>5696020
You're right, she should have a Delphi Shield in her inventory, Good eye!

>>5697553
100% Duscan Kush

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>>5695021
This smooth-talker’s blade lies only a few inches away from your neck. Even if you were to try and use Forseti, he’d likely slash your throat before the spell even went off. It was an unfortunate circumstance to find yourself in, but it wasn’t completely hopeless. If he’d wanted you dead, you’d be a headless corpse by now. Despite everything you’d heard to the contrary up until now about Sreng, perhaps there was a chance that you could defuse the situation with your words.

>“My name is Blair, I’m the commander of the Blackwings. We’re mercenaries staying here in Conand Tower for the time being.” You tell the truth, figuring it to be far more convincing than any lie you could come up with at this point.

“Blackwings…” The second man says with a click of the tongue. “Never heard of you. Though that’s not your fault, I suppose. Not much news travels up north into our lands. A long time ago, this tower used to be a garrison. The Kingdom kept a small number of troops deployed here. I thought you might be Faerghus soldiers, but up close it’s plain to see that isn’t the case. Still, that does beg the question of what it is you’re doing here exactly. Surely you don’t expect to find employment in this remote region. The people of Sreng have no need for sellswords. We’re more than capable fighters ourselves.”


>You hesitate, unsure how much to tell him. You settle on the truth, choosing to omit certain key details. “There was a great battle in the south, in a place known as Gronder. We were there fighting. After the battle was over, we marched north to afford ourselves some rest before the next fight.”

The man chuckles softly, his sword never leaving its place by your neck. “Rest? In this place? I’d wager you’d have had a much more comfortable experience had you kept heading south. Though given that you’re here in Conand, that can only mean you were fighting for Faerghus. And you lost.” He clears his throat, his face becoming a bit more serious. “We fought through Gautier to get here. It was a trifle, really. An unmemorable battle hardly worth mentioning. I had expected to run into the Margrave there. He and I have a bit of history together, you see. But instead, we found the castle almost completely devoid of life. Those few garrison soldiers left informed us that the Margrave and his son had all gone south to fight the Empire at this Gronder. By any chance, did you happen to see them?”

>“…Yes. I do not know Margrave Gautier, but I knew his son Sylvain well.”

“You knew him well?” He asks through narrowed eyes. “Interesting. Do you know if he survived?”

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>>5697755
>You shake your head. “I did not see his body but…as you said, the battle was a loss. Many of his fellow nobles he fought alongside, including the King, perished in the fighting. Sylvain had been in the front during the final charge against the Empire. I believe it very likely that he did not make it.”

Something changes in the man’s face upon hearing your words. Though it is only there for a fleeting moment, you’re confident that news of Sylvain’s death has deeply affected him. The strong look of remorse vanishes as quickly as it appeared before he regains his composure.

“I see. That’s too bad.” He sheathes his sword, granting you an immeasurable sense of relief. As he does so, the Blackwings begin pouring out from the tower one by one.

“Blair?! Are you okay?!” Ashe yells, bow in hand and an arrow knocked. Though no one makes a move, the mercenaries all have their weapons unsheathed. Likewise, those from Sreng who had surrounded the tower have begun drawing closer, screaming and hollering in their strange language, and hammering their shields. Things threaten to escalate into violence once more.

“Tá cuid acu láidir. Ach is féidir linn a bhuachan.” The man whom you’d fought says to his ‘cousin’.

"Níl aon ghá. Níl aon argóint againn leo. Is fearr go sroichfimid lán-neart.” The second man responds. He turns towards you. “We’ll be taking our leave now. There’s no need for a fight here. Best of luck to you, mercenary commander.”

As the two men turn to leave, someone from the Sreng side of the crowd runs forward yelling.

“Prince Leif! What is the meaning of this?!” She yells. Curiously, she speaks the common language of Fodlan rather than the language of Sreng. She points a trembling finger towards you, genuine fear in her eyes.

“Maeve.” Leif says. “There simply mercenaries. We have much to do, they aren’t worth fighting.”

“No!” Maeve shouts, sounding almost as if she’s on the verge of tears. “The spirits cry out to me in anguish! This one is evil! A black soul we must eradicate!” She turns back towards the throng of Sreng raiders, shouting further. “Namhaid! Namhaid!”

The crowd responds to her provocations by raising their weapons and screaming murder. They begin drawing closer, weapons at the ready, only to stop in their tracks as the “First Sword” takes a step towards them, one hand on the pommel of his blade.

“Maeve.” Prince Leif says. There’s an edge to his voice, as if he’d lost any semblance of patience with this woman long ago. “You may be the Oracle here, but I am the head of this army. Justify what these spirits are claiming. Until then, no one here is fighting.”

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>>5697757
“The spirits speak clearly to me, my Prince! They say that this woman is in possession of a foul tome! One that holds forbidden secrets that corrupt the sanctity of life! Written in a dark language unreadable to all save those that share her dark disposition, she plans to use it to further the evil deeds of her master’s!” She turns back to the crowd, most of which are beside themselves with enthusiasm to fight. “Olc! Olc!”

Despite saying nothing, you can sense Leif’s immense frustration. A sentiment shared by that of his First Sword. He turns towards you with a dull look. “Any idea what she’s talking about?”

>A): I have no idea. There’s no such item within my possession.
>B): She must be speaking of Diogenes’ tome. Maybe if you show it to them, that will get them to leave you alone.
>C): Write-in

>>5697674
Welcome back, Tree!

>>5697755
>Tá cuid acu láidir. Ach is féidir linn a bhuachan.
"Some are strong. But we can win."

>Níl aon ghá. Níl aon argóint againn leo. Is fearr go sroichfimid lán-neart.
"There is no need. We have no argument with them. We better arrive at full strength."

>"Namhaid! Namhaid!"
"Enemy! Enemy!"

>"Olc! Olc!"
"Bad! Bad!"

At least, that's what my translator says. Super cool. Personally, I find the inclusion of the Irish language to be quite immersive. Good stuff.

>>5697759
Hm. Tough one. On one hand, if we say nothing, and they believe it, they just leave us alone. But if we say nothing and they don't believe it, we've got a fight on our hands.

On the other hand, if we show them the tome, we may be able to convince this Leif that we're hunting the Agarthans, and they may be inclined to help us out (or at least, let us help them instead). That being said... their oracle will definitely want the tome destroyed. And of course, if we show it, and it happens to rouse the Sreng into fighting, then we've got a fight on our hands.

I think in the end, I'll choose...

>B): She must be speaking of Diogenes’ tome. Maybe if you show it to them, that will get them to leave you alone.

It's a gamble, which either results in us gaining a potential ally, or escalating things into a fight, but... I think the risk is better than sticking with the status quo. This is just me banking on the Prince's 'reasonable' demeanor though-- if he learns that we're hunting these 'black souls', and wants more info on them, we're happy to provide and potentially gain a new ally against the Agarthans.

>>5697759
>B): She must be speaking of Diogenes’ tome. Maybe if you show it to them, that will get them to leave you alone.

>>5697759
>>A): I have no idea. There’s no such item within my possession

>>5697759
>B): She must be speaking of Diogenes’ tome. Maybe if you show it to them, that will get them to leave you alone.
Either we show it to them ourselves, or we prepare to defend our secrets with the lives of our men. Leif may be frustrated, but I can see some of his men either acting on their own, or under his "cousin". Its seems these men trust their oracle, willing to take up arms the moment she points out is suspicious. I'd rather we not have to fight here.

>>5697759
>C) Say that we do have the tome, and we are making breakthroughs on reversing its effects, but do not show it just yet

If we whip it out, we're gonna get jumped. First let's explain what we're doing with it.

>>5697759
>>A): I have no idea. There’s no such item within my possession.

>>5697759
>>5697926
Supporting
A might be the safer choice, but things can still fall apart if Leif decides to humor Maeve and asks us to show our items to get her to shut up, or if she successfully riles up the rest of his men.
The prospect of Blair acting like a conspiracy nut and redpilling the Sreng raiders about the mole people is too good to pass up despite the risks, and trying to explain ourselves first sounds like a smarter idea than just pulling it out.

>>5697759
+1>>5697926

>>5697759
>>C) Say that we do have the tome, and we are making breakthroughs on reversing its effects, but do not show it just yet

>>5697926
Agreed to this, better to just say the book is bad indeed but we are in no way of using it for our 'master' or anything like that.

Also, Leif huh? That just a name you decided to use or are we seeing some bizarro version of Leif from the Thracia games? Or the third option of Leif being an ancient figure in this world and the dude is just named after him.

>>5697985
He's an actual guy from Three Hopes lol.

https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/Leif_(Three_Hopes)

No clue why they went with that name. It's not like the actual Leif is obscure or anything.

>>5698100
Oh, well shit got me there

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So, I've caught up. This was absolutely horrible and I regret everything.
Lysithea's death broke me
Gronder fucking delivers

>>5697759
>>5697926
+1 on that, start force feeding them redpills. Alternatively bring out the elf woman to really give those guys some culture shock.

So what's the plan now? Go back to Faerghus, pray that Sylvain is alive and help him rebuild? Byleth can go fight the empire, for us it's time to scale back.

>>5697759
>>5697926
Support.
Maybe that will give Leif enough of a hand to reign in his men

>>5697759
>C) Say that we do have the tome, and we are making breakthroughs on reversing its effects, but do not show it just yet

>that we are making breakthroughs in it's effects
saying that we're well versed in the knowledge of that book might be the perfect way to get attacked

>>5698240
say "we got it after killing an evil mage to help our friend who's been cursed by said evil mage, but now that friend is dead so might as well fucking burn it desu" instead

>>5698240
Yeah, mentioning that we're actively reading the contents of the book is a surefire way to end the conversation in bloodshed. Doesn't matter what we intend to say afterwards, the shaman will stop listening to us then and there. Better to just say we claimed it after defeating an evil mage and we're guarding it so it doesn't fall in to the hands of his companions.

>>5698100
Interesting. I suppose Sylvain is one of the few people Leif likes (or at least, respects) then, being a hostage and all. iirc, Sylvain may have advocated for bettering ties with the Sreng, but he was shut down by his father, who tried to do the same thing but was betrayed.

>>5698166
We're probably not going to stay here in Faerghus for long. Even if we bank on the off-chance that Sylvain or Dedue survived the fight, this place is going to be swarming with Orthodox Church and Dukedom soldiers sooner or later. Not much business here to do either, unless we want to throw our lot in with the Kingdom itself.

So instead, we're probably going to head to Garreg Mach. Our own personal goal has always been the war against the Agarthans, and that'll likely mean working with Byleth, the Church, and the Empire Rebels to mount an assault on Rusalka at some point.

>>5698270
>So instead, we're probably going to head to Garreg Mach
Yeah. I honestly liked how our route wasn't aligned with Byleth, felt like we're writing our own story. But sadly it's probably time to go to Blair's roots and become a background character once again.

>>5698261
Unironically that would be better to say, but that's not what the write-in is saying.

>>5698264
That is also a much better way of putting it.

>>5697759
>A): I have no idea. There’s no such item within my possession

C wins. Writing

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>>5697759
The only thing in your possession that matches the description would be the tome you’d retrieved from Diogenes’ lab. The question though is how would she know about that? It was possible she really was a clairvoyant, perhaps much like Yara. Or was she an Agarthan? You didn’t have enough information to make an accurate call, and even if you did, you were still at a grave disadvantage. You decide on answering Leif’s question with another half-truth.

>“We do have the tome in question, and we are making breakthroughs on reversing its effects.”

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Maeve’s piercing scream startles you. The Oracle has fallen to the snowy ground, rolling around and wailing as if she were a child throwing a tantrum. The entire scene looks incredibly silly to you, but unfortunately, the warriors of Sreng seem to be taking it quite seriously. Many of them join in alongside her, clutching their heads and screaming at the top of their lungs. Leif spares the woman a glance of disgust before turning to you and giving you a familiar look. It’s the same way Corrine stares at you when you shirk your duties and make more work for her.

>“What is going on?”

“The spirits of Sreng are communing with her.” Leif says unconvincingly.

Maeve gets back to her feet, dress covered in mud, her face red and tear stricken. She points at you once more with that shaky finger. “You heard her! She possesses the evil object. You must order the men to attack now! Kill them all and then let us seize the tome before it can fall into the wrong hands once more!”

This was bad. Leif didn’t seem to want a fight, but his men certainly did. Egged on by this supposed Oracle, each one of them was fully prepared to charge and attack. In your current state, defending the tower and surviving would be nigh impossible.

“Do the spirits tell you that we will emerge victorious and seize this…tome?” Leif asks Maeve.

“Yes! I see these villains destroyed, scattered to the winds! Their possessions become our own, and we hold that dreaded book over our heads in exalted victory!”

“And that’s what you see?” Leif asks once more.

“Yes!” Maeve insists.

“Dúirt tú go bhfuil cuid acu láidir?” Leif asks his cousin, switching back to his native tongue.

“Tá.” He responds with confidence. “B’fhéidir láidir mar ár gcuid féin.”

Leif, looking thoughtful, leaves your side to approach the massing hordes of Sreng warriors. Each one waits with bated breath, hoping to hear the command that will send them screaming for your throats. You spare a glance back at the Blackwings, who have set up formation at the foot of the tower. If you make a run for it, it’s possible you could reach them before the First Sword struck you down. Possible, but extremely difficult. The man was fast, and you get the feeling he may have even held himself back. As all eyes fall on the prince, he extends his arms out to address the crowd, and shouts.

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>>5698553
“Deir an seer go mbeidh an bua againn! Dearbhaím Na Cúig Thriail!”

The crowd turns silent, weapons falling to the side. You can hear them whispering amongst each other with unsure looks. Suddenly, one by one, each begins shouting and rhythmically slamming their weapons against the ground. The mood has changed. They’re no longer hungry for blood, but rather appear to be excited for something.

“No!” Maeve shouts at Leif. “What are you doing?! There’s no need for this! We can destroy them right here!”

The prince shrugs. “You said that the spirits showed you a vision of us emerging triumphant, no? Then it should not matter whether that ends up the result of a battle, or the five trials. Besides, we haven’t done this in ages. The men’s morale should improve tenfold with a victory in the trials. I promise they’ll fight twice as hard against the southerners once they’ve seen proof of their Oracle’s divine powers.”

>“What’s going on now? I thought you said we had no reason to fight?” You ask Leif.

“I’m afraid circumstances have unfortunately changed.” He says honestly. “But rejoice! Instead of being slaughtered wholesale, you’ll have a chance to prove yourselves in the Cúig Triail!”

>“And just what is that?!”

Leif shrugs. “It’s an age-old method of solving disputes between feuding clans of Sreng warriors. To put it simply, it’s a series of five, one-on-one battles. Our five fighters will face off against five of your own. Whichever side wins three bouts first will be declared the victor.” He extends a hand towards Maeve, who has begun impotently clenching her fists and seething. She stares daggers not just at you, but at the Blackwings behind you. “Of course, our Oracle has already seen in her visions that we will win, so I should inform you that your fighters don’t stand a chance. But perhaps this will offer you a more sporting opportunity than a drawn-out battle?”

>“And if I refused?”

“You’re more than welcome to.” Leif says. “There are 250 Sreng Screamers behind me. That’s just the vanguard. There are 750 additional warriors on their way. How many fighters do you have?” He asks with a wry smile.

>“What happens if we win?”

“Well then, you’re free to do as you please. We’ll take our leave, and we’ll even share some of our bounty with you. I’m sure you’d enjoy that. Though if we win, I suppose that…tome of yours will be ours.” He shrugs, seemingly not caring about the book. “And any other possessions we deem worthy. You’ll also probably all be put to the sword, truthfully.”

>“Rather uneven terms, no?”

“Beggars can’t be choosers. Decide now. I can’t hold them off forever.”

>A): Agree to the five trials.
>B): Decline. You’ll fight them together.
>C): Write-in.

>>5698555
>A) Agree to the five trials
I got us into this, I made this bed, I'm going to lie in it.

>>5698553

>"Dúirt tú go bhfuil cuid acu láidir?"
"You said some of them are strong?"

>“Tá.” “B’fhéidir láidir mar ár gcuid féin.”
“Yes.” "Maybe as strong as ours."

>“Deir an seer go mbeidh an bua againn! Dearbhaím Na Cúig Thriail!”
The seer says we will win! I affirm The Five Trials!

Leif is pretty based. He could've killed us all, but decided to give us a chance, at least. Maeve on the other hand... our own fortune-teller is better.

>>5698555

Well. As far as chances go, I'll take this over an actual fight.

>A): Agree to the five trials.

Let's see if we can get through this without casualties. I hope Sebastian's ready for fighting though-- he'd be great to wall any of their physical attackers.

Well that's unexpected. Telling a scared oracle that we've been studying the necronomicon, and that doesn't calm her down? How fucking absurd!
What's with shit write-ins getting so much support? First there was that close call with trying to 'feel out' the Blue Lions while we were at their camp, and now this.

>>5698555
>A): Agree to the five trials.

>>5698588
It really is a plauge of people not being able to think past their nose, isn't it? I'm starting to think I'll need to cut sleep so I can be here once the updates drop to mitigate shit write ins at this point.

>>5698555
>A): Agree to the five trials.
Lets just die I guess. We're probably going to lose at least two fighters here considering the state of our troops.

>>5698555
>A): Agree to the five trials.

>>5698555
>A): Agree to the five trials.
i will continue to support "shit" write-ins

>>5698588
This is still better than B would've gotten us, and no one came up with anything better in that time. At least we have a chance instead of getting shot right there and everyone else jumped by vikings.

>>5698555
>>A): Agree to the five trials.
Goddammit. Why can't we just lie?

>>5698639
We can and should've lied and say we had nothing of the sort.

>>5698651
Lying to oracles doesn't work, and it angers proud warrior folk.

>>5698652
Oracles are fake

>>5698555
>A): Agree to the five trials.
How do they fight? Roster selection will be important.

>>5698555
>A): Agree to the five trials.
We fucked up.

>>5698555
>A): Agree to the five trials.

>>5698639
I wouldn't be too surprised if we locked ourselves into a fight the moment we admitted to having the tome and what we said didn't really matter. Maeve was targetting us from the very start. There likely wasn't any chance of us being able to reason with her.
Playing dumb and hoping that Leif could reign his men in and leave before Maeve escalated things was probably the best choice to avoid a fight.

Though we still do have some dumb options left with the tome if anyone actually thinks it's a good idea to try and talk Maeve down.

>>5698811
Don't we practically have this Bo3 in the bag with our Agarthan attaché's and crest bearer(s)?

>>5698827
We do have ourselves, Clay, and Scratch, so that's already 3 people who can fight and should be able to win. Only main concern would be if there's a twist on who's allowed to participate, but even if we don't get to choose the raiders would probably pick our strongest men anyway.

>>5698555
>A): Agree to the five trials.

>>5698555
>>A): Agree to the five trials.
Great. Just fucking great.

>>5698566
>Leif is pretty based
It just seems to me he's annoyed with their fortune teller. Probably doesn't like that she undermines his authority

>>5698555
>A): Agree to the five trials.

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>>5698555
There wasn’t much to think about. You had a far better chance of escaping with your life in a series of five duels as opposed to trying to defend Conand Tower with your limited numbers. It was a thin lifeline, and one that could potentially lead to ruin, but you had no choice but to grasp it.

>“Very well. I accept your challenge.” You say. Leif smirks, hardly looking surprised. He’s aware that this “Cúig Triail” is the best hope you have of survival.

“Wonderful. This is going to be a great time, really. The five trials are an honored pastime amongst the Sreng people. Any excitement they had for splitting you open has been swiftly replaced by their desire to represent the clan in honored battle. Now then, there are a few additional rules we should cover. You won’t have to select your five champions until the actual event commences. This should give you some time to decide who you wish to select to represent your mercenary company.”

>“When does this all begin?”

Leif looks up towards the sun, then back to his assembled warriors, each of whom are still clamoring in excitement. “Give us a day. The rest of my warriors are on their way. It would be best if they see the results of the Cúig Triail as well. Besides, there’s much to do in the ways of preparation. Though it may not seem it, this is a big deal amongst our people. One cannot simply rush into it.”

>“Fine. Are these duels to the death?”

“They can be.” Leif shrugs. “It’s completely up to the discretion of the duel’s winner. At times, they may look at their leader for a sign on whether to execute the defeated foe or not. But there is no rule that states the winners must finish off their opponent.”

You get the impression that the warriors of Sreng will hardly show you the courtesy of keeping any of your soldiers that they defeat alive.

>“Will you be fighting yourself?”

Leif balks. “Certainly not! And you won’t either. In the Cúig Triail, it is tradition that the leaders of each clan refrain from joining in themselves. Given that those leaders are usually the strongest of their people, it’s a way of preserving the overall strength of the nation. Though you may not be of Sreng, you’ll be expected to follow those same rules.”

That certainly wasn’t comforting. Though you didn’t want to sound full of yourself, you were sure you were the strongest, if not amongst the strongest, of the Blackwings. You also had a desire to put yourself in harm’s way before asking the same of your band. Sitting on the sidelines and being forced to watch the events unfold just didn’t sit right with you.

>>5699375
“Don’t look so glum.” Leif says, noticing your discomfort. “Rest assured it’s better this way. If I was fighting, it’d be a sure thing that whoever I came up against would perish.”

>“…Very humble. Is there anything else I should know?”

Leif nods. “Yes, one more thing. It is customary for each side of the Cúig Triail to offer a hostage to each other. Think of it as a means to ensure that no strange business occurs between the feuding clans.”

>“What? You want us to send someone with you?”

“Correct. Whoever you send over will, of course, be ineligible to compete in the Cúig Triail. Likewise, neither will our hostage. As such, it would be best if you chose carefully. The hostages will be treated with the utmost care and respect, of course. You have nothing to worry about in regard to their safety.”

>“Unless of course we lose.”

“Well then don’t lose. Traditionally, the hostage sent over is someone of great importance and respect within the tribe. Don’t just send us a common footpad. Make sure it’s a good one. Maybe they’ll even learn a thing or two of Sreng culture while they’re enjoying our comforts.”

The hostage would be unable to compete in the Cúig Triail. That meant you’d have to send over someone you felt you wouldn’t have any need of during the duels. And someone of sufficient renown as well. There were a few candidates in mind, but you’d have to choose carefully. You didn’t want to pick someone that you may end up having need of.

>A): Mina might be suitable. You had no intention of entering your dancer into mortal combat.
>B): Elizabeth was a safe option, though she might be better off staying with your injured soldiers.
>C): Ingrid seemed…rather useless at the moment.
>D): Someone else. (Who?

>>5699376
We're so fucked. Maybe send Ashe in hopes that he won't get killed?

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>>5699376
>A): Mina might be suitable. You had no intention of entering your dancer into mortal combat.
Byleth save us

>>5699375
One interesting thing to note is that that sword design is Mercurius. Definitely a legendary weapon, even if it's not a Hero's Relic.

>>5699376
>A): Mina might be suitable. You had no intention of entering your dancer into mortal combat.

I know she asked not to be left to Sreng, but hey, she's actually safer with them then she is with us, it seems.

We should probably think on a five-man-team. Hopefully we win the first three bouts, but we'll probably have to decide on a good selection. Scratch and Clay are definite picks. Sebastian too, if he's recovered enough to fight. Uriel and Theo, maybe?

>>5699376
>A): Mina might be suitable. You had no intention of entering your dancer into mortal combat.
Unless we want to bank on them allowing her to dance during the trial, there's not much reason for her to stay with us.

>>5699435
Ideally, Anemone and Ingrid would also be willing to fight which would leave us with one actual pick that isn't obvious, but things probably won't go that smoothly. We do have a day to try to convince them, so we could hopefully get at least one of them on board.
Worst case scenario would be us only getting Scratch and Clay while Sebastian is still too injured to fight. I think Uriel and Theo would be good choices in that case, and either a mage or we could go with Ava if we need a mage killer since her personal skill is busted.

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>>5699455
>Ideally, [...] Ingrid would also be willing to fight
Ah yes, give her an opportunity to suicide by Sreng. God I hope Sylvain is alive, maybe he can set her straight again.

Overall it's all fucked beyond comprehension

I think Mina explicitly asked us not to give her to Shreng alive, like this guy >>5699435 says, but fuck it, who cares, she won't be the first blackwing we disappointed

>>5699376
>>A): Mina might be suitable. You had no intention of entering your dancer into mortal combat.

>>5699376
>A): Mina might be suitable. You had no intention of entering your dancer into mortal combat.
Yeah she's important but not good in a 1v1 combat so she makes the most sense, only issue i see being that she might annoy the hell out of the Sreng

>>5699376
>>C): Ingrid seemed…rather useless at the moment.

>>5699431
>>5699435
>>5699455
>>5699477
>>5699527
For the love of God, DO NOT SEND MINA AS THE HOSTAGE. Leif just told us to our face, that they're expecting someone of GREAT IMPORTANCE AND RESPECT to be the selected hostage. Mina is NOT THAT.
>Don’t just send us a common footpad
>Don’t just send us a common footpad
>Don’t just send us a common footpad
>Don’t just send us a common footpad
This is what we are doing if we're sending Mina. It'll be an insult to the Sreng. We're making a shit choice without thinking again.

The best choice out of the three provided would be Ingrid, as daughter of Count Galatea and wielder of the Lance of Luin her importance would be understood by the Sreng, if only by the presence of her Hero's Relic. Ingrid however is currently a catatonic sack of potatoes, so I will not argue that we send her as the hostage.
You can argue that sending Elizabeth fits the bill too. As our main healer she's likely to be well respected, liked among the whole company and neccessary for the smooth operation of our band of mercs, but sending our one caretaker away from our wounded at this time is as much of a mistake as sending Mina.

The logical choice is to offer ourselves as hostage. We're already not allowed to compete, so using ourselves as hostage will not have an impact on who can fight in the tournament, our importance is established because as the leader of this group we're negotiating directly with the Prince himself and we fought the First Blade to a standstill with a dagger so they know our strength too is to be respected. Some of the Blackwings might even fight with more determination if we put ourselves up as hostage (read: Ashe).

We can't fight, but we can keep anyone else away from the Sreng.

>>5699376
>D): Someone else - Ourselves

>>5699376
>>D): Someone else - Ourselves

Good argument.

>>5699557
I should clarify that the "common footpad" comment was more so to prevent you from picking a generic, background Blackwing rather than someone who could theoretically provide useful assistance. Either one of those three options would satisfy Leif.

Given that you're the leader though and in charge of picking the five units that are going to compete, it probably isn't wise to nominate yourself.

>>5699557
I mean Mina is still a valuable ally and it's not like she's a footsoldier, and I'd rather have our cleric keep healing our allies.
Also I doubt the QM would just add in a trap option like that here.

Also sending in Ingrid would just be a dick move, and putting ourselves as hostage is just stupid, sure they'll respect it but... We're kinda too important to make prisoner.

>>5699586
A wild night with the Sreng might be fun. Maybe.

>>5699557
But Mina is someone of great importance and respect? She's the company's dancer-- she's not like, a generic camp follower, she's a valuable battlefield asset that the Blackwings fought hard to acquire, and whose services have been critical in plenty of battlefronts. She's a little new, but I'm sure she satisfies the requirements.

Yeah, dancers are rare kind of mages in FE, she's valuable enough

>>5699376
>D) Someone else - Milly the Quartermaster

We don't know if she is still alive but this is one way to check and she is important for all the Blackwings

>>5699376
Nominally torn between A and C. We need Elizabeth healing our people. Keeping Mina safe is a high priority, but giving Ingrid a chance to suicide by Sreng is not so great. Mina doesn't want to be left with the Sreng. Ashe might seem like an okay write-in compromise, but he lost whatever standing he had in the Dukedom when he joined us, and lost his Kingdom standing when he joined the Dukedom. He was even a "common footpad" before he met Lonato. Plus, there's no way Blair is letting the Sreng hold her boytoy hostage.

>>5699586
False alarm then, my paranoia was triggerd by wording that wasn't clear.

>>5699594
>>5699635
I still disagree with sending over Mina, or any woman that isn't ourselves really. They'd be walking into a raider army composed of mostly men, and while I trust Leif I don't trust his men. I'd rather send Theo or Caleb as the hostage, they would probably not get hassled too much. Yara too, being a Sage/Oracle just as Maeve would probably be a better choice then Mina.

>>5699376
>A): Mina might be suitable. You had no intention of entering your dancer into mortal combat.

Yeah, it seemed more like Leif just wanted named Blackwings and not the remaining generics we had. If we were to send a dude instead, we could send Caleb. We already have two other archers, so unless they surprise us with five fliers or something, having him not being a pick shouldn't be too bad.

I also think anons are underestimating Ingrid in the thinking that she'd class change to an Hero during the trials. She might refuse to participate, yes, but I really don't think she'd outright screw us over like that by throwing the fight just so she could die.
If we can convince Ingrid to fight, she'll be one of the strongest picks with her lance and crest.
From what I remember, Anemone also has better stats than our men as well. Unless we're hoping that us being the hostage spurs either one of them to fight, we'd lock ourselves out of the chance to convince them to participate.

>>5699376
>C): Ingrid seemed…rather useless at the moment.
I genuenly don't see much hope for Ingrid at the moment. At best she's going to put up a ridiculously flawed fight, at worst she's going to let herself get killed.

>>5699376
>D) Someone else - Caleb

>>5699376
>B): Elizabeth was a safe option, though she might be better off staying with your injured soldiers.

>>5699550
Changing to
>D): Someone else. (Who?)
Yara. I did thought about sending Ashe but Blair probably needs someone to pour out her true feelings and fears tonight. Ingrid may indeed commit seppuku if we sent her out on her own.

>>5699376
>D): Someone else - Sebastian

He's still not healthy enough to fight and hes one of our mightiest warriors which Sreng will respect. They might even help him recover a bit faster with their superior supplies/healers. He's also dutiful and brave enough to handle being hostage. Plus he won't be molested by any horny marauders. All the other options presented seem to have more risks involved.

>>5700120
>>5699376
actually, I'm switching to this from this>>5699477
>D): Someone else - Sebastian

>>5699375
>D): Someone else - Sebastian

>>5700120
You know what? I'll support it. You make a good point about the Sreng healers.

>>5699376
>D): Someone else. - Sebastian

>>5699376
>>5699844
sorry, switching to >>5700120

Would it be okay to leave someone that badly wounded to them though?

Looks like the final tally has Sebastian at 5, Mina at 4. We'll go with that. Writing.

Blair:''Here's our hostage, an injured man.''
Leif:''Wonderful, we'll do shots on his cast.''

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>>5699376
You initially settle on Mina as your choice of hostage. As there’s no way you’d ever enter her in the Cúig Triail, it seems a no-brainer. But the more you see of those Sreng raiders, the less you like the idea. The majority of them are male, and each one seems hyper-fixated on slaughtering you and yours, or perhaps doing much worse. Mina being Mina, you’d feel uncomfortable leaving her to the whims of Leif’s men. Sebastian though is a much more suitable alternative. While ordinarily he’d be a huge asset in these trials, the man is still recovering from his wounds, and would be unlikely to compete. That being said, he was still a hulking behemoth of a man, and less likely to be subjected to the whims of the Sreng raiders than Mina would. He also shared the same desire as you did to put himself in danger before the others in the company. If this was the only way he could do so, you knew he’d welcome the opportunity.

>“Very well. I’ve settled on my hostage.”

Leif nods. “Good, as have I. We’ll send them over to each other within the hour. In the meantime, I’d suggest you take refuge in your tower and prepare yourselves. We have much work to do out here after all, and you’ll likely want to make the most of your remaining time left.” Leif boasts about his chances of victory, and yet you get the feeling he doesn’t actually care. This man was a strange one. How did he know Sylvain? And just what were his intentions? He’d mentioned an upcoming battle with southerners. Was he referring to his plans to raid Faerghus? Or was there something else at play here? You’d love to get to the bottom of things fast, but for now, you had work to do. The two of you shake hands, and head to back to your respective armies.

“What the hell is going on?” Asks an exasperated Corrine upon your return, axe drawn and resting at her side.

You explain the situation to the assembled Blackwings. Already exhausted from the events of Gronder, no one is particularly happy to hear the news. By the end of your tale though, they seem to be in sullen agreement that these “trials” are a far better alternative than defending this worthless tower to the death.

“Commander.” Sebastian calls for you. The man is utterly enraged. At first you believe that he’s upset over your decision to choose him as hostage. You’re prepared to defend yourself when he reveals his thoughts. “That man…the one you said is the ‘First Blade of Sreng’. The sword he is carrying…I’m confident that weapon is Mercurius.”

>“Mercurius?” You’d never heard the name before.

Sebastian nods. “It’s a sword of great renown, only a notch under the Hero’s Relics. It was forged during the original War of the Eagle and Lion. It’s a prized regalia that belonged to House Blaiddyd. Dimitri's house.” He clenches his teeth. “I saw it once during my time serving King Lambert. They called it the Shooting Star Sword. Why does he have it?”

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>>5700212
>“I don’t know…but he’s strong. I verified that for myself.”

Sebastian tightens his jaw. It’s plain to see that his fury is great, but in his current state, he is unable to do anything about it. “If you must choose someone to face that man, choose with caution. It is a powerful sword, and one that would require a powerful wielder to make full use of. If I were at full-health, I’d crush him myself. So, I must ask this of you instead. If we defeat him, please retrieve that blade. It is ill-suited in the hands of a barbarian.’

>You nod. “I will do what I can. Please watch your temper around those raiders, Sebastian. I would see that you return to us unharmed.”

Sebastian salutes you, before hobbling over to be exchanged to the Sreng raiders as hostage. Though injured, he still cuts an impressive figure, standing taller than most of the northern fighters. In comparison, the hostage that Leif has sent over is…

“They’re sending…a child?” Corrine asks incredulously. “I thought you said it had to be someone important? Who the hell is this little shit supposed to be?” She seethes silently to you.

Indeed, the hostage Leif has sent over appears to be a child, perhaps only fourteen or fifteen years of age at best. He walks past the giant armored knight, who stares at him dumbfoundedly. The boy spares him a smile and a wave, before hopping over to you and Corrine.

“Are you Blair?” He asks, beaming proudly.

>“I am…”

“I’m Ronan!” He shouts, seemingly unbothered by the present circumstances. “It’s really great to meet you!”

>“…Likewise. So…you’re the honored and respected representative of your clan?”

Ronan nods vigorously and salutes. “I sure am, ma’am!”

“…And why is that?” Corrine asks.

“Well…I’m a pretty fast runner! I can count pretty high too. Oh! I also can speak your language really good! Prince Leif says I’m a natural!” He spares you a toothy grin.

“We gave up the head of our infantry…for this?” Corrine mutters.

“So, you old ladies are from the south, huh?” Ronan asks. “Hey! Blair! Do you think we can chat privately? I’ve never talked with anyone from the south before! There’s a whooooole lot I want to talk about! And I want to practice the Fodlan tongue with a native too! Can we talk? Please? Pleaaaaaaaase?”

>A): Chat with Ronan in private.
>B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Triail.

>>5700216
>>B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Triail.
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH
At least Seb can't fight or we would've sent our best for nothing.

>>5700216
>A): Chat with Ronan in private.

>>5700216
>>B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Triail.

Learning foreign languages and mathematics for childhood education in these types of settings suggests that the kid might be related to nobility or high military standing through a parent. But we have to win these trials to better feed and support our mercs first and foremost.

>>5700216
>A): Chat with Ronan in private
There's no way they'd send some kid to us unless he's a big deal just by existing. If he's not a prince of Sreng, he's either something close to that or one of the raiders' own kids. Plus, we gotta treat our hostage well. If we screw up and Ronan gets all weepy, it's all our heads. Additional point, we get more L O R E this way.

>>5700216
>>A): Chat with Ronan in private.

>>5700216
>A): Chat with Ronan in private
He could provide insight into the Triail, Sreng customs, stats of the enemy army, etc. And like>>5700276 said, we should at least treat him well as insurance. If we win him over, he could possibly advocate/plead mercy for us in case we lose. He might even defect, however unlikely

>>5700216
>A): Chat with Ronan in private

>>5700216
>A): Chat with Ronan in private.
We're expected to treat the hostage well, so even if he is simply a clueless kid who wouldn't know anything useful like who we'd potentially fight against, it still wouldn't be smart to tell him to screw off. He knows our langauge at least, which should mean something unless that's just something all Sreng scouts are expected to know.

>>5700216
>B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Triail.

>>5700216
>>A): Chat with Ronan in private
Either they're attempting to fool us by sending someone unimportant, or this kid is somewhat renowned. Better to find out.

>>5700216
>A): Chat with Ronan in private.
They're either fucking with us, or this is the child of Prince Leif. The latter would make the most sense. Best treat him well.

>>5700216
>A): Chat with Ronan in private.

Leif seems honorable enough, which means this kid is important and respected. It wouldn't surprise me if this was his kid, or the kid of someone important. We're obligated to at least treat him as best we can or at least, pump as much info out of him as we can before the trials.

>>5700216
>A): Chat with Ronan in private.
If nothing else we can learn how they fight

>>5700216
>A): Chat with Ronan in private
Yeah fact that they are bothering to teach him the Southern Tounge makes him pretty likely to be related to someone important. And he likes to talk.

>>5700216
Oh god they send us their boy scout mascot- wait
>So, you old ladies are from the south, huh?
>Hey! Blair! Do you think we can chat privately?
>And I want to practice the Fodlan tongue with a native too!
I do not trust this child, but i understand why they send him to us, he seems pretty smart and his attitude is prolly good for the morale.
>B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Triail.

>>5700513
"that shota is a spy" is a funny reasoning, so I'll go with it
>>5700216
>B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Triail.

>>5700216
>A): Chat with Ronan in private.

>>5700517
>is a funny reasoning
An Agathan spy sent out to recover / steal the diary anyway?

>>5700216
>B): You have no time for this child. Begin making preparations for the Cúig Triail.
Don't think the shota is a spy but entertaining him would only be a waste of time.

Oh, I wasn't thinking he was a spy, I interpreted his lines as double entendre's

A wins. Writing

>>5700216
Ronan was a mere child. To claim that he possessed the same value to an army as someone like Sebastian was ludicrous. Still, he spoke the common tongue of Fodlan with great ease, and he might have at least some insights into the inner workings of Sreng and its fighters. Surely there was a reason Leif would have sent him over. Perhaps if you humored Ronan, you might be able to dig out some valuable info on your new opponents. You didn’t exactly have much experience with children, but it seemed worth a try to speak with the boy in private.

>“Corrine, I’m going to spend a bit of time with Ronan here. Do you think you can start getting the others ready? Find those who are eager and confident in their ability to fight tomorrow and report back.”

Corrine gives you that same look Leif gave you earlier but does not refuse your order. “So, you’re a babysitter now? Fine. I’ll take care of it.”

“Woohoo!” Ronan jumps for joy. He holds onto your hand. “Lead the way, miss!”

You shepherd Ronan back to the Tower of Black Winds, perhaps slightly embarrassed at how the scene must look to your mercenaries. It doesn’t take long for you to find an empty room for the two of you to take over. It’s a dreary and cold place, much like every other room in the tower. A small slit in the wall is the only thing that provides any sort of light.

>“Apologies for the accommodation. We uhh…lack certain amenities currently.”

Ronan shakes his head vigorously. “No way! I think it’s cool! We don’t really have towers like this back in Sreng. I can’t wait to tell the others all about this. What’s the story behind this one? Did a maiden used to live here?”

>“…Probably not.”

“Really? Prince Leif told me a story about a beautiful maiden that lived in Fodlan. There was a dragon that was guarding her, and a bunch of brave knights had to go and rescue her! But to do that, they had to go around the land collecting a bunch of these special rocks called Sacred Stones, and they fought all manner of beasts and bad guys that were-“

Ronan goes on for several minutes, rambling excitedly about various folklore tales and stories he’d learned from the prince.

>“So, Ronan.” The boy has tired himself out, forgetting to breathe in the midst of his excitement. It seems he’s well-versed in Fodlan’s lore and has a deep appreciation for it. Certainly, a rarity amongst his kind. “Why exactly was it that Leif chose you as his hostage? I was under the impression that hostages were supposed to be…uhh, important. Not saying that you aren’t, of course.”

“Oh right! Sorry, I almost forgot. I get really excited when I get to talk about Fodlan.” The boy looks embarrassed. “I’m the prince’s sciúire. It’s kind of like what you would call a squire. I do all sorts of tasks and stuff for him, and in exchange he trains me and teaches me all kinds of cool things!”

>“…I see.”

>>5701435
“So, you guys are mercenaries, right? And you’re pretty strong?”

>“The strongest.”

“Really?” Ronan opens his eyes wide. “That’s great! Because the prince wants to hire you!”

>“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Ronan gets up from where he was sitting, looking left and right as if to ensure no one was eavesdropping, before coming in closer. “This is top secret, Blair!” He whispers. “The prince wants you to win the Cúig Triail tomorrow. He’s prepared to pay you a lot of loot if you do!”

>“I don’t understand.” Truly you didn’t. “Why would he want us to win? “That Oracle of yours seems to be convinced that we’re evil. And the rest of your army doesn’t seem to hold us in any high regard. What would the prince gain from us winning?”

“Back home, they call Prince Leif the ‘Great Modernizer’. Did you know that when he was a boy, he was a hostage in a place called Gautier? He managed to escape though and come back to Sreng. When he did, he brought back with him all sorts of new ideas! He single-handedly changed the way that the people of Sreng did everything! From how we grew food, to building homes and even changing the way the military fought. The clans used to fight with each other a lot, but even that’s all stopped! He’s made a huge impact on Sreng, and after his father dies, everyone thinks he’s going to be a great King. He’s really the coolest!” You can practically see the stars in Ronan’s eyes as he talks about his lord.

>“That’s…good to know.”

“Still though, he’s got a lot of work left to do. Sreng’s made a lot of progress thanks to him, but a lot of the people are still superstitious. The Oracle is a position of great importance in Sreng culture. Supposedly, they communicate with the spirits, who show them visions of the future. For hundreds of years, Sreng chieftains have used those visions to make a bunch of important decisions. But Prince Leif doesn’t believe in any of that stuff. He thinks the visions are fake, and that the Oracles are just pretending they see things so they can stay in power. The current Oracle, Maeve, is the worst. She and Leif get into all sorts of fights about what they’re supposed to do. The prince has a lot of great ideas, but he can’t do any of them because Maeve keeps blocking him. If the Prince tried to get rid of her, it would be too obvious it was him, and then everyone would start fighting again.” He pauses for a second. “For some reason, the Oracle reaaaaalllly doesn’t like you.”

>“I noticed.”

>>5701436
“But Maeve made a big mistake! She said that she saw a vision of Sreng winning the Cúig Triail and claiming that book of yours. If an Oracle pronounces a vision, and it doesn’t come true, then everyone believes that it means she’s lost the favor of the spirits. She’d been careful up until this point with her predictions, but for some reason she couldn’t help herself around you. So, that’s why the prince wants to hire you! If you win the Cúig Triail, then Maeve has to stop down, and he can finally have full control! And I’m here to help!”

You got the impression that Leif had a dislike of Maeve, but you had no idea that things ran this deep. He’d made a great show of backing up Maeve’s ‘vision’, claiming that it would be impossible for the Blackwings to emerge victorious. But if what Ronan was saying was true, it was likely just to later drive home the point that the Oracle had predicted wrong. He’d seized on Maeve’s hatred of you and your admittance of owning Diogenes’ Tome to place himself in a potentially favorable position. He was a cunning one, that much was true. Whether he wanted you to win or not, you’d have to be careful around him.

>“Very well. We’ll emerge victorious tomorrow. That was never in question for me. Now then, how is it that you can help?”

“Ask me anything!” Ronan beams. “The prince gave me lots of good info before sending me off!”

>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail
>B): Tell me more about Maeve. Where did she come from and what is her influence?
>C): Tell me what Sreng is doing out here. I heard Leif mention an upcoming battle with Southerners.

>>5701437

>A)

The other two can wait until after we win the fights

>>5701437
Huh, we learnt more than I thought we would from the kid. There's something telling me that Leif sent his squire so he would spill his secrets to us in secret.
>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail
Let's focus on the short term. If we win we'll be able to ask Leif these questions ourself.

>>5701437
>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail
knowing how the individual match ups are assigned would potential also be critical, assuming the Leif isn't instructing people to sandbag for us.

Since we may well be limited in our selection and further who they have to face off against.

>>5701437
>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail
I think Leif does want us to win. But Ronan's claims of loot and favor could be a ploy. Or even non-negotiable, delaying us from reaching Garreg Mach. It all just seems a bit too good to be true.

>>5701437
>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail

Huh. Leif's a cunning bastard, I'll give him that. I'm 100% sure he won't hold back with his selections though, especially not in front of his entire army. He going to try his hardest, and we need to win anyway to disprove Maeve's omens. Besides-- no point in hiring a mercenary company if you make it too easy for them. All that being said, I will admit that I'm curious about the potential Sreng route, even if we are basically locked into Ashe now.

>>5701437
>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail

Let's see their lineup and see if we can't make suitable counterpicks.

>>5701437
>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail
Choice should be obvious. We can hear Maeve's life story or learn about whatever they plan to do when we can ensure that we're surviving.
Only benefits from the other choices would be if they plan on fighting Agarthans or if Maeve might really be one herself, which would convince Anemone to fight if she still insists on not being involved in non-Agarthan affairs.
As funny as it would be if it turns out Blair's initial paranoid accusation about Maeve was correct, it'd be a complete waste of time if it turns out that the mole people aren't involved, and this situation is different from Gronder where red flags were everywhere, so Anemone might be more willing to help us with this fight anyways

>>5701437
>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail

>>5701437
>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail
Well this is interesting. But I share the same feeling that this might be too good to be true.
That, or Sreng is a cunning bastard and allowed his squire to spill some secrets.

>>5701437
>>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail
There's going to be a curveball tomorrow somewhere for sure but if Leif's serious on getting rid of this oracle then he's 100% fed the kid some good info

>>5701437
>B): Tell me more about Maeve. Where did she come from and what is her influence?

>>5701515
Thinking about it, Blair might be right about Maeve being an Agarthan lmao
She's been subverting Leif and rejecting his ideas to improve the country, and she has hates us. Classic Agarthan behavior.
More importantly Maeve has repeatedly said that she'll keep the tome she's so scared of. Not once has she ever said that she'll try to destroy it.

>>5701437
>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail
Would he know this?

>>5701437
>He’d seized on Maeve’s hatred of you and your admittance of owning Diogenes’ Tome to place himself in a potentially favorable position.
Oh look at that, revealing we have the book was actually good.
>A): Tell me about the fighters Sreng will enter in the Cúig Triail

>>5701437
>>C): Tell me what Sreng is doing out here. I heard Leif mention an upcoming battle with Southerners.

>>5701437
>C): Tell me what Sreng is doing out here. I heard Leif mention an upcoming battle with Southerners.

>>5701437
>B): Tell me more about Maeve. Where did she come from and what is her influence?
I don't know. This feels to good to be true.

>>5701437
>>B): Tell me more about Maeve. Where did she come from and what is her influence?
I feel like Maeve isn't going to play fair. Try to rig the order, like making us declare who we're sending out first, or something. Or just meddle more directly.

>>5701437
>B): Tell me more about Maeve. Where did she come from and what is her influence?

>>5701500
>All that being said, I will admit that I'm curious about the potential Sreng route, even if we are basically locked into Ashe now.
SRENG'D

>>5702081
I am a sucker for foreign princes, even if they are not!Irish.

>>5701437
There were plenty of questions you wanted to ask Ronan. What was Sreng doing this far down south in such large numbers? What was this upcoming battle of theirs that they were readying themselves for? And just who or possibly what was Maeve? But for now, it was imperative that you focus on the Cúig Triail. Emerging victorious and escaping with your life took priority over sating your own curiosity.

>“Ronan, is there anything you can tell me about the fighters that Leif plans to enter tomorrow? I’ve never fought someone from Sreng, much less even encountered anyone from there before. It would be helpful to know what I can expect so that I can adjust our roster for tomorrow accordingly.”

Ronan nods. “Of course! Not only did the prince share with me the fighters he’ll be calling upon, but he even let me know the order he plans to do so as well!”

>“That’s incredibly helpful!”

“It is, but don’t get ahead of yourself thinking that will be all you need to win.” Ronan warns you. “To make this as convincing as possible, Ronan had to pick powerful warriors. None of them know anything about his plan, and each will be fighting to the utmost of their ability. Winning in the Cúig Triail is considered a great honor, so you can be sure they won’t hold anything back.”

>“I suppose it would be too easy if Leif did all the work for us. Very well, tell me what you know.”

“The fighters on the Sreng side will be a Halberdier, a Berserker, a Druid, an Axe Warrior and a Swordmaster, in that order. You can rest assured that this particular swordmaster won’t be Cormac.”

>“Cormac?”

“You’ve met him already. The First Blade of Sreng, our mightiest warrior. Leif needs to make this look interesting, but there’s no rule saying he needs to use Cormac tomorrow. I’d say that’s a lot of good news for you. Cormac is really strong! Maybe even stronger than the prince! The good thing is he’s also loyal to the prince too. We won’t have to worry about him.”

That was a relief. You weren’t sure if there was anyone in the company you’d want crossing blades with that man. Ronan goes into detail about each of the fighters on Sreng’s side. He tells you about their specialties, their personalities, and even the types of weapons and skills that they’re best known for. All the while, you jot these notes down in your head, silently going over who might be best suited for each fighter. While you hope that things won’t get to the point that you’ll have to fight a fourth or fifth battle, you’ll be ready if you must. You feel a little more at ease having received such valuable intel on your enemy, and you and Ronan speak over strategy until night falls.

>>5702397
“And that’s that.” Ronan yawns, tired from all the day’s excitement. During your conversation with the boy, you couldn’t help but overhear all the noise from outside the tower. Those reinforcements that Leif had spoken about must have arrived. It sounds more like a party outside than a war camp. There’s been a routine loud-banging noise outside, though you have no idea what it could possibly be.

>“Thank you, Ronan. Should we win tomorrow, I’ll have to make it up to you. I’m a fan of fairy tales myself. I’m sure there’s plenty of books in my chest that might be of interest to you.”

Even through his fatigue, the boy manages to look excited. “That’d be great! Thanks for hanging out with me Blair, you’re pretty cool. I really hope you guys don’t die tomorrow!”

>“Me too.”

“Oh, one last thing.” He says, having seemingly forgotten an important detail. “You should know that it’s pretty common for both sides in a Cúig Triail to end up cheating during the tournament.”

>“What? Isn’t this whole thing all about honor or something?”

“The people of Sreng only respect a victory, and what the Oracle foresees. They don’t care how they go about achieving it, so long as they do. In the past, there’s been all manner of schemes that clans have tried to pull over. Poisoned weapons are a popular method. I’ve seen stray arrows ‘accidentally’ hit competing fighters. Sometimes, clans have even tried messing with each other the night before the trials to ensure that one side was not ready. If one side is caught cheating during a bout, then they’ll be considered to have lost that round. You can rest assured that Maeve will be actively trying to ensure that Sreng wins tomorrow. So, you should either do the same, be ready to dismantle any scheme she tries to cook up, or just power through. Whatever you do though, just don’t get caught!”

>What a pain. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. Thank you, Ronan.”

“You’re welcome.” He yawns, before stretching out on the floor and seemingly falling asleep.

Closing the door gently behind you, you think about your next steps from here.

>A): Meet with Anemone and discuss the possibility of Agarthan influence at work here.
>B): Meet with Corrine and get an assessment on the Blackwings before tomorrow.
>C): Meet with Milly and actively discuss the potential of cheating.