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>>6088909
In the nearly 25 years since Archbishop Byleth Eisner’s reign over the Unified Kingdom of Fodlan, the continent had enjoyed unprecedented peace and prosperity. Even the neighboring nations of Almyra and Sreng, who’d endured long histories of volatility, had not been spared this virus. Both countries had gotten their domestic affairs under control, and equally flourished under an era of nonviolence.So then, what was someone like you, who had seemingly been born for the single-minded purpose of warfare to do? Your mentor from the Officer’s Academy had once cautioned that you would need to find this answer for yourself, lest you waste your talents away before your eyes. He’d suggested turning towards faith and chivalry, serving as an educator and model for young knights.

Taking his advice under consideration, you instead turned towards boozing and women. Those were conquests of a sort as well, after all. But a cask of fine ale and a supple, well-endowed pegasus knight could only take a man so far. With no lands to lay claim to, and preferring death over a boring life of sitting in a dilapidated fort somewhere along a border that would never see action, you were ready to resign to your fate. You planned to spend the next fifty years of your life residing in your aunt’s castle, carving woodland creatures (you’d gotten quite good at dogs), until you were mercifully killed by gout, or perhaps an undercooked mutton.

At least, that was until Castle Rusalka had received a certain letter. One that threatened to shake the very fabric of the world you knew.

>“Esteemed warriors of the world, my country’s long isolation is at an end! I seek a King worthy of ruling by my side. Send me your nation’s strongest, worthiest champions. Make the journey to Morfis, City of Illusions. In three months time, a grand competition shall be held. The one who proves themselves most true and valiant shall be the one to claim my hand in everlasting marriage. Our lives and nations will be bound forevermore in union.”

Signed,

Princess Yulia xan Phanes

The letter had gone out to all the major houses in Fodlan, and judging by its content, had likely also been distributed to Sreng and Almyra as well. The desert nation of Morfis was an isolationist country, several miles off the southern coast of Fodlan, across the sea from Rusalka. They’d always maintained only sparse communication with the rest of the world. In the years following the Unification War, they’d engaged in light trading with Rusalka, but remained an overall large mystery. Still, those few people who’d been granted access to the City of Illusions, had reported back a startlingly alien culture.One that was rich in both unknown magic, as well as technology. Meaningful attempts at diplomacy had always fallen on flat ears with Morfis, but now here was their ruler, offering her hand and nation in marriage.

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>>6088912
Perhaps this was it. The moment you had been waiting for your entire life. A chance to strike out and make a name for yourself, the way your father had done. To find whatever purpose your life held. Already warriors from all over Fodlan were gathering to make the trip overseas, hoping to claim victory in this mysterious competition. A waste of time on their part, you thought. There was no way you would lose.

Many prominent voices in Rusalka believed this to be an odd affair, and a dangerous one at that. There were those who tried to dissuade you from partaking on this quest, using words such as “suspicious”, “idiotic”, and “insane.” Still, once you received the blessing of your aunt, the matter was settled. The Countess’ oldest daughter, Bronte, had been permitted to study magic in Morfis, and scarcely ever wrote back home. After promising to check in on her, you easily secured her approval for your voyage, and booked your own passage with a Morfis merchant ship that was heading home.

You then spent the next several days getting drunk with the sailors and arm-wrestling, the latter of which was cut short once you nearly broke a few arms. Left alone on the waves, you could think of nothing but the goal that laid ahead of you. You thoughts heavily lingered on:

>A): Your impending future rule as the King of Morfis.
>B): The attractiveness of Morfis’ ruler, Yulia xan Phanes. You had no idea what she looked like, but surely she was beautiful.
>C): Your “cousin”, Bronte Weaver. Though you weren’t actually related, the two of you always had a good relationship.
>D): Write-in

>>6088924
>write in

>the beautiful sunset ahead of you. Perhaps the rum is getting to you. But that brocade of peach and orange fills you with hope of tomorrow. Whatever it may bring, you'll be able to live the life you were always meant to. That of a warrior, rather than a sorry drunk and self proclaimed Cassanova

>>6088924
>the trials ahead. What are they going to test? Strength of your arm? Your wits? Your ability to navigate comradery and treachery?

>supple, well-endowed pegasus knight could only take a man so far
Literally sky high? Top of the world? Cloud nine?
Hnng that mental image

>>6088924
>>B): The attractiveness of Morfis’ ruler, Yulia xan Phanes. You had no idea what she looked like, but surely she was beautiful.
oh shit, i thought i'd never see the day

>>6088924
>C): Your “cousin”, Bronte Weaver. Though you weren’t actually related, the two of you always had a good relationship.
Good to see you back Treehouse!

Also lets see what this 'cousin' is like according to Tristain.

>>6088924
>>B): The attractiveness of Morfis’ ruler, Yulia xan Phanes. You had no idea what she looked like, but surely she was beautiful.
Yay it's back!

>>6088924
>C): Your "cousin", Bronte Weaver. Though you weren't actually related, the two of you always had a good relationship.

Glad to see you back, Tree. 24 years on, huh? Outside of the obvious era of peace, I wonder what's changed in Fodlan and beyond. How's King Khalid I(I?) been doing? Is Duscur recovering at all? What's happened to Brigid, seeing as Petra didn't make it?

>Taking his advice under consideration, you instead turned towards boozing and women
kek
Tristain already seems like a fun character. And welcome back, Tree.

>>6088924
>C): Your “cousin”, Bronte Weaver. Though you weren’t actually related, the two of you always had a good relationship.

>>6088924
>C): Your “cousin”, Bronte Weaver. Though you weren’t actually related, the two of you always had a good relationship.

>>6088924
>B): The attractiveness of Morfis’ ruler, Yulia xan Phanes. You had no idea what she looked like, but surely she was beautiful.

>>6088924
>A): Your impending future rule as the King of Morfis.

Well, that's one way to gather all the familiar faces/their descendants in conflict during a time of peace. Glad to witness your return.

>>6088924
>>C): Your “cousin”, Bronte Weaver. Though you weren’t actually related, the two of you always had a good relationship.

Thanks everyone, good to be back. C's win, writing!

I wonder what Blair's tax policy is...

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>>6088924
As you dispassionately swatted away at a gray seagull that was making a swipe for your rum, you couldn’t help but be reminded of your “cousin”, Bronte. Countess Blair Weaver’s eldest daughter, you’d grown up alongside Bronte and her two younger siblings in Castle Rusalka. Though you were not actually related by blood, the Weavers were the closest thing you had to a family besides your mother. Bronte in particular was someone you’d always enjoyed a close relationship with, akin to that of a little sister. Though she was of a far more serious nature than you were, she’d oftentimes found herself wrapped up in your antics. When you wanted to steal that wyvern from the stables and take it out for a ride, it was Bronte who distracted the guards. And when you’d challenged that bear to a fight, only to find a much larger mother bear lurking in the shadows, it was Bronte who’d scared the creatures away with her magic.

Granted in both of these instances, she had rightfully cautioned you against acting in the first place. But “little sisters” weren’t there to be taken seriously. They were there to clap and cheer for their cooler older brothers. And to occasionally cast supportive magic on them. And while Bronte was terrible at the first part, she excelled in the second. There was no denying that she was a woman of talent. Taking after her mother, she was an adept sorceress, having graduated the Garreg Mach Officer’s Academy at the same time you did. So gifted was she, that three years ago she received a rare offer. A chance to study magic in the famed and mysterious City of Illusions, Morfis. It was an opportunity few ever received, and one she could not feasibly pass up. She left Rusalka soon after, alongside a diplomat from Morfis, and hadn’t been seen since.

While you had not heard from Bronte in some time, you were not worried about her safety. You knew that she could handle herself just fine. And ultimately, her leaving was a good thing. A wry smile crept to your face as you thought about all those other fools making their way towards Morfis. They had no idea what was waiting for them in that strange, alien land. But that was where you had a leg up over them. You had Bronte, who’d spent three years living amongst the Morfans…Morfians…people of Morfis?

Bah, it didn’t matter. Bronte would fill you in on the correct term. Along with so much more. With her guidance and knowledge, you were sure to enjoy a great advantage in the competition for Princess Yulia’s hand. Finding your cousin would have to be a top priority for you. Doing so would make what was to come too easy.

>“Hahaha…stupid bastards wasting their time…you might as well turn back now. It’s all too obvious I’m going to win.” You chuckle darkly under your breath, perhaps drunker than you realized. The Bronte-colored seagull had ceased trying to steal your rum, taking perch next to you on the ship's railing.

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>>6089712
“Oi, mate.” A nearby shiphand had called out to you, a tone of concern in his voice. “Ya’ doing alright there? It’s too early for ocean madness…”

>“Never been better, my friend!” You salute the bewildered sailor, offering him a swig of your grog. “Here, have yourself a sip. Soon you’ll be able to tell all your mates that you shared a drink with none other than the King of Morfis!”

“Ahh…I see.” Though he seemed unenthused by your words, he was more than happy to liquor up while on the job. “You’re one of them uhh…’contenders’ I been hearing so much about…”

>“Not just a contender. THE contender.”

“Oh really?” The sailor says through squinted eyes, rum dribbling down his chin. “And just what makes you so sure that you’re THE contender? Seen a lot of you continent folks jabberin’ about making your way down to Morfis and beddin’ our fair Princess. Hell, you ain’t even the only one on this ship with that idea.”

>“Wait just a minute!” You interject, the man’s words ringing importantly in your ear. “Are you saying that the Princess is, in fact, fair? Because that is important.”

“Ehh…I don’t know.” The sailor admits. “Ain’t ever seen her myself. Ain’t actually ever been to the city. They keep it locked down pretty tight from us ‘desert-dwellers’. But she’s a princess, ain’t she? That’s gotta mean she’s easy on the eyes, right?”

>“That’s what I’ve been thinking myself…”

“Ayy wait, don’t change the subject!” The sailor barks. “I hear a lot of nasty monsters are crawling out of every hole in the ground to come fight in that thing. Shouldn’t ya’ be at least a little more…scared?”

You took a moment to consider the various fighters that you might compete against. While you were unaware of any warriors from foreign nations, you were loath to admit that there were a handful from the Kingdom of Fodlan that could present a problem. Cyril the Dragonhunter. Thunderstrike Arios. Lady Leonora Gloucester. Should any of those three have chosen to make the journey to Morfis, you may find yourself having a difficult time.

>“Nah.”

“Bullshit!” The rum-filled sailor blurts out. You weren’t sure if you’d merely worn him down or if the rum was exacerbating his aggression, but he was now standing menacingly close to you. An impressive gesture, given that you were several inches taller. “Somethin’ tells me yer’ all talk! Bet you ain’t ever even been in a fight. What kinda weapon do ya even go into battle with?”

>A): The Spear, of course. It was the weapon of my father. With its range, there is hardly an enemy that can get near me!
>B): The Sword, a natural weapon for a hero such as myself. With blade in hand I’m a match for any in a duel.
>C): The Axe, obviously. I’m strong as all hell, and I’ll smash whoever gets in my way!

>>6089715
>A): The Spear, of course. It was the weapon of my father. With its range, there is hardly an enemy that can get near me!
The branch doesn't fall far from the tree.

>>6089715
>>C): The Axe, obviously. I’m strong as all hell, and I’ll smash whoever gets in my way!
Corrine would approve

>>6089715
>A): The Spear, of course. It was the weapon of my father. With its range, there is hardly an enemy that can get near me!

Besides, we have a lot of experience thrusting into danger...and other things

>>6089715
>>B): The Sword, a natural weapon for a hero such as myself. With blade in hand I’m a match for any in a duel.

>>6089715
>C): The Axe, obviously. I’m strong as all hell, and I’ll smash whoever gets in my way!

>>6089715
>>A): The Spear, of course. It was the weapon of my father. With its range, there is hardly an enemy that can get near me!
Oh shit we're so back.

>>6089715
>>A): The Spear, of course. It was the weapon of my father. With its range, there is hardly an enemy that can get near me!

>>6089715
>A): The Spear, of course. It was the weapon of my father. With its range, there is hardly an enemy that can get near me!

>>6089715
>C): The Axe, obviously. I'm strong as all hell, and I'll smash whoever gets in my way!

Hear me out. Both of Tristain's parents AND his aunt? All lance-wielders. If he's been focusing all his life on surpassing them all, it makes sense that he'd focus on their weapon triangle weakness, right? That's not to mention the sheer force his natural twin Crests would put behind an axe-blow. A sword or lance might not benefit as much as an axe would.

Also, if he's going to be a flier like his entire family, axe is good for Wyvern shenanigans.

>>6089715
>C): The Axe, obviously. I’m strong as all hell, and I’ll smash whoever gets in my way!

>>6089715
>>C): The Axe, obviously. I’m strong as all hell, and I’ll smash whoever gets in my way!

>>6089715
>C): The Axe, obviously. I’m strong as all hell, and I’ll smash whoever gets in my way!

>>6089715
>C): The Axe, obviously. I’m strong as all hell, and I’ll smash whoever gets in my way!

>>6089715
>A): The Spear, of course. It was the weapon of my father. With its range, there is hardly an enemy that can get near me!

Whoo, it continues!

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Looks like our MC will be proficient in Axes! Writing next update now.

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>>6089715
Those that chose to pick up a weapon such as the sword or the lance did so with the understanding that their pursuit towards mastery might be a never ending journey. It took more than just learning how to stick someone with the sharp end to make a competent warrior. One needed to understand a myriad of intricacies such as footwork, spacing and technique if they wished to survive their first encounter with the enemy. Even then, these weapons had their limits on the battlefield. A swordsman was more useful in a duel rather than a pitched battle, and a spearman might only be as good as the comrade standing next to him.

Fortunately, you suffered none of these issues, as you carried around an oversized axe.

Some asshole waving his sword around in front of you all fancy-like? Smash his weapon into a million pieces as you cleave him in half.

Were several assholes running towards you with their weapons drawn? Don’t panic! Just repeat the maneuver and watch as their heads are sent flying several feet into the air.

You were blessed by the Goddess with a rare sort of strength hardly ever seen, and you needed equipment that could truly reflect that. Fortunately, someone long ago had seen fit to invent the axe. The preferred weapon of bandits, berserkers, and lumberjacks. Nothing else felt right in your hands. Sure, it wasn’t exactly a “knightly” weapon. You recall how your master-at-arms and mentor, Kate, had disapproved when you’d shown up to the training grounds lugging one behind you. But it soon became evident that it was the perfect fit for both your skillset as well as your personality. Your father may have been a renowned master of the spear, but you did not let that dissuade you. This was your life, after all.

>“My good man.” You say to the sailor. “I’d say I know my way around an axe well enough.”

“Heh, oh yeah?” The sailor adds dubiously.

>“Of course!” You flex a bicep towards the rude deckhand, as if to convey to him just a fraction of your might.

>Tristain d’Rusalka
>Level 20/50 Lord (EXP: 0/100)
>Stats and (Growth Rates)
HP: 45 (120%)
Strength: 22 (65%)
Magic: 15 (40%)
Speed: 12 (30%)
Defense: 18 (60%)
Resistance: 10 (40%)
Luck: 10 (55%)

>Personal Skill: Resolve (When HP falls to less than 35%, Strength, Speed and Defense increase by 7)

Perhaps the sailor had realized he was not quite as drunk as he thought. Or perhaps he just merely spoke the language of muscles. But you sensed a softening within the burly man, his face quickly losing the aggression it previously held.

“Uhh…well. Reckon’ you might know a thing or two…” He says, suddenly looking embarrassed. “Hey, uh, thanks for the rum!” He says while handing you back your flask, the perfect image of politeness. “You should talk to the Capn’! He’s been to Morfis a whole bunch! Or that other contender. The lady knight! Maybe ya’ split er’ ‘ead open fore’ we even land!”

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>>6090812
Another contender on board? The brute points out a woman standing on the opposite end of the ship from where you were. She was clad in oversized and shabby green armor. The sort that could not be comfortable to wear in these conditions. You’d seen the woman when you were boarding, but you had no idea she was also planning to compete. By her appearance, you’d assumed she had been hired on as security for the ship’s cargo and passengers. At a first glance, you thought her to be somewhat unimpressive. But if she were making a perilous journey such as this, then surely she must have some measure of skill?

At the ship’s helm was its captain. A pale sort with white hair. You’d never gotten his name, but the other sailors seemed to treat him with a great measure of respect. So, he’d been to Morfis several times in the past? Apparently that was a rarity, even amongst those who called the far-off desert their home. Perhaps he might have some helpful information for what lay ahead.

You turn back towards the deckhand, but find that he has already left your company. He stands several feet away from you, swabbing the deck and whistling a tune while seemingly avoiding eye-contact. Evidently you’d made somewhat of a lasting impression on him.

>A): Speak with the green-armored woman.
>B): Speak with the ship’s captain.
>C): You’ve had enough fresh air and socializing for one day. Head to the ship’s depths and begin sleeping the booze away.

>>6090816
>B): Speak with the ship’s captain.

Those same like some fantastic growths

>>6090816
>>A): Speak with the green-armored woman

>>6090712
god, how is he so cool?
>>6090816
>A): Speak with the green-armored woman.

>>6090816
>C): You’ve had enough fresh air and socializing for one day. Head to the ship’s depths and begin sleeping the booze away.

>>6090816
>A): Speak with the green-armored woman

>>6090833
We got them protag growths

>>6090816
>B): Speak with the ship’s captain.

>>6090816
>>B): Speak with the ship’s captain.

>>6090816
>B): Speak with the ship's captain.
I feel like we get more exposition this way, and I would like some of that right now.

>HP: 45 (120%)
Wew. So this is the power of eugenics. Even if he turns out to be a RESlet, our boy can just follow Blair's method of facetanking hits with his high HP.

>>6090816
>B): Speak with the ship’s captain.

>>6090816
>A): Speak with the green-armored woman.

>>6090816
>B): Speak with the ship’s captain.

>>6090816
>B): Speak with the ship’s captain.

Interesting that Princess Yulia is also considering girls, I guess she doesn't care about getting (passing down) a crest. Unless Tristain is just being a bit dense.

>>6090816
>B): Speak with the ship’s captain.

B wins, writing.

>>6091026
I don't speak Fire Emblem, what do the numbers mean? Does it just mean "Basically you're a rock that managed to shove itself into a pair of boots and pick up an axe?" Because that's somewhat the vibe I'm getting, here.

>>6091419
Yes! You're not far off. I've spared going into the details of combat just yet so as not to overwhelm, but combat typically features characters facing off against each other, with their stats determining how well they perform. Upon leveling up, characters have a chance to increase their stats based on their growth rates.

In Tristain's case, he has high strength and defense. When he level ups, he has a 65% chance to gain a point of strength. Conversely, he is on the slower side, and has only a 30% chance to increase speed.

Strength determines how hard you hit with the weapon you are currently wielding. Magic does the same, but with the magic spell you are using. Speed determines if you're fast enough for a follow-up attack. Defense is how well you take attacks, and Resistance is how well you take magic attacks. Luck is mostly a non-combat stat that determines a variety of things yet to come.

Typically, there is not a cap on these stats, although the max level that you can reach is Level 50. Tristain starts off at Level 20. I'll go more in depth on the details, as well as some of Tristain's other capabilities, once we find ourselves in our first fight .

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>>6090816
Sparing another look towards the green knight, you decided against approaching her. If she was in fact a contender, you doubted she’d get very far. Instead, you figured it would be a good idea to probe the captain for any info that may prove to be useful for the journey ahead. When you approach the helm of the ship, you find him busy delegating orders to the crew. As you step closer, you catch the man’s attention. He holds his hands out to his sailors, telling them to give him a moment, and then bids you to approach him.

“Lord Tristain d’Rusalka.” He greets you with a warm smile on his face, hand outstretched to shake your own. “A pleasure to finally meet you. I am Alvin, captain of this ship.”

>“You know my name?” You ask, puzzled. You had booked your passage with one of the captain’s surly-looking sailors rather than him. Gripping the pale man’s hand in your own, you get the sense that he had been waiting for you to approach him for a while now.

“Of course.” He adds cheerfully. “I’d be a poor merchant if I was unable to recognize Countess Blair’s own nephew. I’d heard much about you from your aunt, Lord Tristain. She’s done the people of Morfis much good, and rest assured that I intend to see you delivered safely to the coast of our fair country.”

>“She has?” You had no idea your aunt was into boring crap like foreign diplomacy. Admittedly, matters of state left you bored to tears. They were the type of things left to a more bookish sort. The type of frail bureaucrat that spent all day playing with an abacus and measuring the season’s potato harvest. When you became King of Morfis, you’d make sure to hire a bunch of potato counters to do all that for you. Fortunately, the desert kingdom was full of sorcerers, and there would be no shortage of skinny academics to pick from.

“She has.” Alvin smiled. If he thought that you should have already known that, he politely kept it to himself. “Morfis has only recently opened relations with the Kingdom of Fodlan. Rusalka is just across the sea from us, and abundant in the sort of ore and minerals that our own Kingdom lacks. Countess Blair has been a fair trading partner, and already provided us with much. Our cargo currently consists of several crates of Rusalkan Iron headed straight for the City of Morfis.”

>Ahh, I see. Makes sense.” You nodded, sagelike. “Your man over there said that you’d been to the city before, but that not everyone who lives in the desert has?”

“That’s right.” Alvin says. “The City is particular about who it lets in. Mages and their kind are typically given free access. As for those without the talent, the city permits enough of them to reside within its walls to keep things running. Otherwise, everyone else lives in towns and villages across the desert. Some may live their entire lives without ever seeing the inside of the city their country is named after.”

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>>6091463
>“Is that so? Seems kind of brutal, leaving those ‘Morfians’ to fend for themselves out in the desert, no?”

“Morfisians.” Alvin corrects you. “And you’re right, it’s not a perfect system. Still, that’s the way it’s always been, dating back thousands of years ago to when the Sorcerer King first founded our nation. Those with the ability to use magic enjoy greater privileges in their neverending efforts to advance our civilization.They take the lead, while those without magical talent carry out everyday work and reap the benefits of our studies. For what it’s worth, the City of Morfis is still packed with people. Over a million, to be precise. And they provide much for those living in the desert. In any event, magical talent or not, you shouldn’t have to worry about being turned away from Morfis’ gates. As you can imagine, Princess Yulia’s declaration has turned things rather upside down.”

>“Hey, for your information I know how to fling a magic spell or two!”

“You do?” Alvin raises an eyebrow, inquisitively. “Forgive me, I mean no disrespect. It’s just…mages in Morfis don’t typically look like you.”

>“Handsome?”

“...I watched you bring that axe onboard, you know?”

Rare was the sort of warrior that fought with both blade and spell. Though you were far deadlier with an axe in hand, you still had been born with the innate ability to use magic. And while you were leagues away from the sort of talent that someone like Bronte possessed, you’d surprised more than one foe in the past with a hastily cast spell thrown at their face.

>A): I can cook an infantry soldier right in his armor with my Fire Magic.
>B): When a guy I want dead is out of reach of my axe, I have Thunder Magic to solve that problem.
>C): I’ve knocked more than one Wyvern out of the skies with my Wind Magic.

>>6091465
>>B): When a guy I want dead is out of reach of my axe, I have Thunder Magic to solve that problem.
Bolting???

>>6091465
>B): When a guy I want dead is out of reach of my axe, I have Thunder Magic to solve that problem.

>>6091465
>A): I can cook an infantry soldier right in his armor with my Fire Magic.
I don't know if this applies to this quest, but I know in some older FE games there was a triangle within Anima magic where Fire overcame Wind, Wind overcame Thunder, and Thunder overcame Fire. Forseti is a Wind spell, so overcoming that with Fire feels like something Tristain might want to do. Even without that, though, Blair never learned any Fire spells past the basic one, so it'd give us a new spell list to work with.

>>6091465
>>C): I’ve knocked more than one Wyvern out of the skies with my Wind Magic.

>>6091465
>A): I can cook an infantry soldier right in his armor with my Fire Magic.

>>6091465
>A): I can cook an infantry soldier right in his armor with my Fire Magic.

>>6091465
>B): When a guy I want dead is out of reach of my axe, I have Thunder Magic to solve that problem.

>>6091465
>>C): I’ve knocked more than one Wyvern out of the skies with my Wind Magic.

>>6091465
>C): I’ve knocked more than one Wyvern out of the skies with my Wind Magic.

>>6091465
>A): I can cook an infantry soldier right in his armor with my Fire Magic.
That was what granddad was best at, right?

>>6091465
>>A): I can cook an infantry soldier right in his armor with my Fire Magic.

>>6091465
>>B): When a guy I want dead is out of reach of my axe, I have Thunder Magic to solve that problem.

Fire Magic wins. Writing

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>>6091465
>“I can cook an infantry soldier right in his armor with my fire magic!” As if to demonstrate this claim, you light a spark at the tip of your index finger, producing a tiny flame. Alvin’s face takes on an even paler color as he steps back slightly.

“While that is certainly impressive, I’m going to have to ask you to refrain from playing with fire for the rest of your duration on my ship.” Alvin sighs. “Which, frankly, shouldn’t be too much longer. We’ve been making good time on this voyage. We’ll arrive in Solis within the next few days. It serves as something of a port town for Morfis. You’ll be able to resupply and get a good rest before you start your journey for the city in earnest.”

>“Is Morfis far off from Solis?”

“It’s certainly some distance. You’ll have to journey across the desert to reach Morfis. There’s no getting around it. And that’s a trip that can be perilous in all sorts of ways. I imagine getting to Morfis itself is meant to be a large part of Princess Yulia’s trials for you contenders.”

>“I’m sure I can handle a bit of walking…”

Alvin smiles. “Surely. Well, I must be getting back to the ship. Be sure to find me when we reach Solis. I’d be happy to make some introductions that may make the whole thing a bit easier. Farewell for now, Lord Tristain.”

Alvin returns to his duties on the ship, and you feel your head beginning to spin. It seems the rum was beginning to affect you more than you had thought. The Green Knight was gone, and you didn’t see much more of a point in sticking around up here. Deciding to get a headstart on any impending hangover, you make for the bowels of the ship to sleep things off. As you near the sleeping quarters, you find two sailors in a heated argument with each other.

“I’m tellin’ ya’, ya’ prolly just lost it.” The first sailor says.

“Now, why would I go and do a stupid thing like that?” The second sailor responds. “What kinda man loses a bread roll?

“The stupid kind.” The first sailor replies.

“It ain’t just my bread. One of the boys had some coins go missin’ the other day. And another went and lost his lucky dagger. I’m tellin’ ya, we got a rat onboard!” The second sailor hisses. “And I bet its got somethin’ to do with one of those foreigners. Just ain’t no trustin’ someone from the Dark Continent.”

The Dark Continent? That was the first you’d ever heard of a phrase like that. You couldn’t help but snicker. What sort of outlandish impression did these fools have of Fodlan? If the continent were as bad as they thought, you’d never have left in the first place. Upon noticing you, the sailors suddenly quit their conversation and make themselves scarce. You’d heard about all sorts of superstitions at sea, and assumed this to be just one such case.

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>>6092244
Tucking into a little corner you’d made for yourself in the sleeping quarters, you get as cozy as you can given the setting. Liquored up and with the waves gently rocking you, it is an easy enough thing to drift off into sleep. Just before you do, you swear to yourself that you see a bundle of shadows moving across the hold. But before you can investigate any further, exhaustion takes over, and you pass out. You remain blissfully unconscious for several hours, when you are suddenly awoken by the sounds of men screaming and running above you.

Rubbing your eyes to shake the sleep out, you find yourself sitting alone in the sleeping quarters. Night has fallen, and yet you are the only one here. Whatever is going on above deck sounds like a huge commotion. Men are barking orders to each other, and you can hear the rapid patter of footsteps running left and right. From where you sit in the ship’s hold, you’re unable to make out the specifics of what the men are saying. But one word finally comes in clear enough to sober you.

“Pirates!”

>A): Grab your weapon, and head to the deck with great haste.
>B): Investigate the ship’s hold. Pirates or not, you were in no great hurry.
>C): Write-in

>>6092246
>>A): Grab your weapon, and head to the deck with great haste.
Let loose a bellowing laugh, this is (probably) the first fight to the death we've had in our life, where we've basically trained nonstop to fight in a time of peace. It's like someone bred a racehorse and kept them off the track their entire life.

Maybe we'll kill a man and find out that killing people actually isn't something fun, maybe we'll turn out to be a lunatic, but for now let's indulge in the battle high of someone who's trained all his life finally getting to let loose.

>>6092246
>>B): Investigate the ship’s hold. Pirates or not, you were in no great hurry.
i'm sure that implied rat is going to bite us in the ass if we leave it unchecked

>>6092246
>A): Grab your weapon, and head to the deck with great haste.
So, Fodlan's the "Dark Continent," huh? Let me guess, tales abound of a backward, primitive land riddled with massive beasts, archaic systems and infrastructure, vast swathes of wilderness, and bloodthirsty savages?

Let's show these pirates, and anyone who watches us cleave them in twain, just how "savage" we can be.

>>6092246
>>B): Investigate the ship’s hold. Pirates or not, you were in no great hurry.

>>6092246
>A): Grab your weapon, and head to the deck with great haste.

>>6092246
>>A): Grab your weapon, and head to the deck with great haste.
Finally something happens on this boring journey! Axe them!

>>6092246
>>B): Investigate the ship’s hold. Pirates or not, you were in no great hurry.

>>6092246
>A): Grab your weapon, and head to the deck with great haste.

Pirates are more important than thieves.

>>6092246
>B): Investigate the ship’s hold. Pirates or not, you were in no great hurry.

>>6092246

>A): Grab your weapon, and head to the deck with great haste

I figure the rat is just a stowaway character. There will be time for that after we kill some pirates like a good warrior.

A wins. Writing!

>>6092246
>A): Grab your weapon, and head to the deck with great haste.

>>6092246
>A): Grab your weapon, and head to the deck with great haste.

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>>6092246
Pirates? What were pirates doing all the way out here? If you thought that was a bit strange, you didn’t let it bother you too much. You had expected to see no conflict until you’d reached Morfis and the competition had begun in earnest. A chance to warm up before the real fighting started would be most welcome. Stretching out your limbs, you reach down for your axe, which had been sitting to the side while you were asleep. Forged from fine Rusalkan Steel by the castle’s very own blacksmith, just holding the weapon made you feel like there was no enemy who could stand in your way.

>Obtained Steel Axe! (+12 Attack)

You grab some of your other belongings as well. Next to your axe were two healing poultices, useful in the event that you suffered any debilitating wounds. As you strap the poultices to your belt, you grumble a bit. You could have sworn you bought a 3-pack of these from the shopkeeper. Did he rip you off or something…?

>Obtained Concoctions! (2) (Heals 20 HP)

Lastly, you grab your coin pouch. For some reason, you felt it might be wise to keep the thing on you.

>Obtained 300g

Just as you were beginning to suspect that your pouch felt a bit lighter than you remembered, you were almost knocked off your feet by a loud bang coming from the other side of the hull, as well as the sound of water suddenly beginning to rush in. You were no sailor. In fact you’d never even been on a boat before. But certainly that wasn’t a good sign. You stow away the thought of your inventory and rats for now, determined to reach the deck of the ship and figure out what was going on.

As you approach the surface, the screaming becomes more intensified and frantic. Two more loud bangs occur, causing you to lose a bit of balance. These impacts feel a bit different from the one that caused that hole earlier. Gritting your teeth, you muscle through until you reach the surface, laying your eyes on the source of all this trouble. Another ship. Much larger than your own, and swarming with pirates. Pirates who had just succeeded in placing down two gangplanks connecting their vessel to your own.

“Gahahaha!” A man on the enemy ship laughs boisterously. Even under the cover of night, you could make out the large red jewel adorning the man’s hand, which was currently waving obscenities at the crew members of Alvin’s ship. “You sure you want to do things the hard way? Once Omar the Red and his crew get to swingin’ our swords, we don’t stop till’ the seas are painted crimson!”

Panic has overtaken the crew of Alvin’s ship with one notable exception. To his credit, the captain of the vessel looks more determined than fearful. He turns to you as you approach. “Lord Tristain…sorry to disturb your slumber.”

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>>6093046
>“There’s a hole in your ship.” You inform him. “Who are these guys?”

“Almyran Pirates, no doubt.” Alvin says. “And bold ones at that. Usually they would never dare attack a Morfis vessel. But these gentlemen have made it abundantly clear they wish to take our cargo. And a few slaves as well, of course. Naturally, I told them to go to hell. Would you be kind enough to lend us that axe of yours? I don’t believe these pirates would be willing to see you the rest of the way to Solis.”

>“As if you even needed to ask.”

Alvin smiles and nods. “Good man. You only need to hold them off for now. Myself and a few of my men will head below deck and work on plugging that hole these brutes caused. Once we make sure the damn ship isn’t going to sink, we’ll come back up and join you in routing these bastards.”

>“Can your men fight?”

“Well enough.” Alvin says. “But we’re outnumbered. And I’ll need quite a few of them to help me down below.” He gives you an apologetic smirk. “Sorry. Looks like the trials are starting earlier than anticipated for you. But you’ll at least have Adeline helping you out.”

Adeline? As the pirates begin getting ready to cross the gangplanks, you find that someone on your ship is already standing by ready to intercept them. It was that lady knight from before. Clad in her heavy armor, she held a great shield in one hand, and a spear in the other. You thought she looked shabby before, but now she gave off the appearance of a great wall that these pirates would need to overcome if they wished to earn their loot.

Alvin and his men rush below deck, leaving you and five of his shiphands to play defense against the pirates. This ‘Adeline’ seemed confident she could cover one of the gangplanks by herself, which left the other to you. You studied the pirates making their way across. They looked like hard men, each holding a nasty-looking cutlass in hand. They were certainly accustomed to fighting at sea. But their experience came from holding up defenseless merchants for ransom. How would they fare against one of your caliber?

You were happy to show them.

>Level 10 Pirate (x5)
HP: 26
Strength: 14
Speed: 15
Defense: 7
Resistance: 0
Weapon: Iron Sword (+5 Attack)


>A): Stand in front of the gangplank. Alvin’s men will stand back, and you’ll face five consecutive foes, but at least you’ll keep them off the ship.
>B): Stand with Alvin’s men. Distribute the oncoming foes evenly, and save yourself some trouble.

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>>6093049
Here’s how combat in Sorcerer Kingdom Quest plays.

Enemies each have their own stats and weapons. When a unit enters into battle with an enemy, the unit with the higher speed will make the first attack. Unlike in Three Houses Quest (or other Fire Emblem games), attacks can always be counted on to land, unless stated otherwise.

>A round of combat occurs as follows:
Unit targets an enemy for an attack. Unit with the higher speed attacks first. Damage calculation follows. The unit that was attacked is then able to make a counterattack, provided they are within range.

>Damage calculations are as follows:
STR + Weapon Attack - Target’s DEF = Damage dealt
MAG + Spell Attack - Target’s RES = Damage dealt

If Tristain’s HP reaches 0, it’s game over.

If a unit has at least 5 more Speed than the foe they are facing, they are able to make a second attack after their foe’s counterattack.

Critical hits are tied to weapons rather than stats. If there is a chance for a Critical Hit to occur, it will be stated.

Tristain has access to special abilities in his Crests. The Crest of Indech and the Crest of Macuil allows Tristain to use special abilities while in combat. He starts out with only a certain amount of charges. These charges refresh after each battle. Every 3 level-ups, Tristan will be able to increase the charges of one of his Crests, as well as pick a new ability. Tristan’s current Crest abilities are as follows:

Crest of Indech: You are able to make a follow-up attack on one foe, regardless of Speed. (3 Charges)
Crest of Macuil: Double the attack power of a magic spell. (3 Charges)
Combat Art: Earthsplitter: Cleave all enemies standing two rows in front of you. (Cost: 1 Crest of Indech Charge)

Occasionally, you will be able to give party members commands to attack. The above rules will apply to them as well, unless stated otherwise.

Tristan’s current stats, skills and equipment is as follows:

>Tristain d’Rusalka
>Level 20/50 Lord (EXP: 0/100)
>Stats and (Growth Rates)
HP: 45 (120%)
Strength: 22 (65%)
Magic: 15 (40%)
Speed: 12 (30%)
Defense: 18 (60%)
Resistance: 10 (40%)
Luck: 10 (55%)

>Personal Skill: Resolve (When HP falls to less than 35%, Strength, Speed and Defense increase by 7)

>Equipment:
Steel Axe (+12 Attack), Concoction x2 (+20 HP)

>Spells:
Fire (+3 DMG, 5 Uses)

>Abilities:
Crest of Indech: You are able to make a follow-up attack on one foe, regardless of Speed. (3 Charges)
Crest of Macuil: Double the attack power of a magic spell. (3 Charges)
Combat Art: Earthsplitter: Cleave all enemies standing two rows in front of you. (Cost: 1 Crest of Indech Charge)

>Defense 18
>Enemy Damage 14+5 = 19
>one chip damage per turn expected on us
These schmucks can't kill us even if all five of them crit all their attacks. Yep, I think it's gamer time.

>>6093049
A): Stand in front of the gangplank. Alvin’s men will stand back, and you’ll face five consecutive foes, but at least you’ll keep them off the ship.

>>6093051
>A): Stand in front of the gangplank. Alvin’s men will stand back, and you’ll face five consecutive foes, but at least you’ll keep them off the ship.


>Those stats

Our boy seems *slightly* overpowered

>>6093051
>>A): Stand in front of the gangplank. Alvin’s men will stand back, and you’ll face five consecutive foes, but at least you’ll keep them off the ship.

>>6093051
>A): Stand in front of the gangplank. Alvin’s men will stand back, and you’ll face five consecutive foes, but at least you’ll keep them off the ship.
Time to make a good first combat impression with the Morfisians

>>6093049
>A): Stand in front of the gangplank. Alvin's men will stand back, and you'll face five consecutive foes, but at least you'll keep them off the ship.

We're here to show off anyway. Why not claim their blood and skulls as the foundations of our soon-to-be throne?

>>6093049
>A): Stand in front of the gangplank. Alvin’s men will stand back, and you’ll face five consecutive foes, but at least you’ll keep them off the ship.
Along with only taking 1 damage, we're also strong enough one-shot them in retaliation if we stick to our axe.

>>6093049
>>A): Stand in front of the gangplank. Alvin’s men will stand back, and you’ll face five consecutive foes, but at least you’ll keep them off the ship.
We aren't a fucking PUSSY. Can we get on the gangplank itself and move onto the enemy ship once we've thinned their ranks?

>As you strap the poultices to your belt, you grumble a bit. You could have sworn you bought a 3-pack of these from the shopkeeper. Did he rip you off or something…?

>Obtained Concoctions! (2) (Heals 20 HP)
I SMELL A RAT!

>>6093049
>A): Stand in front of the gangplank. Alvin’s men will stand back, and you’ll face five consecutive foes, but at least you’ll keep them off the ship.

>>6093049
>A): Stand in front of the gangplank. Alvin’s men will stand back, and you’ll face five consecutive foes, but at least you’ll keep them off the ship.

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>>6093049
You didn’t know much about Almyrans. Or pirates for that matter. But you could tell a lot about someone by the way they carried themselves in a battle. These men were dexterous fighters, used to fighting on moving ships and maintaining their balance. Wearing heavy armor at sea was considered a death sentence for them. One false move and you’d sink to the bottom of the ocean. So these pirates opted for lighter wear. Some were bare chested, while at the most others wore leather jerkins. The swords in their hands were lightweight and easy to use. Their win condition was a simple one. Swarm the enemy’s deck as fast as possible, and cut their foes to pieces before they could retaliate. Clad in steel, these men likely deduced that you were out of your element here at sea, and did not slow down their approach.

The first pirate attacks with a grin on his face, only to quickly explode in a burst of red as your axe bites into his chest, sending him sailing off the gangplank into the water.

>10xp gained (10/100)

The second one behind him doesn’t slow down, striking at you with a thrust attack. The stab is laughably weak. These swords may be good at piercing the unarmored hides of merchants or other pirates, but they were a bee sting for you at most. You chop your axe into his side, sending him tumbling down below.

>10xp gained (20/100)

The third pirate tries swatting at you with some fancy flourish, only to have both his arms severed at the wrists when you swipe your weapon downward.

>10xp gained (30/100)

By now, the pirates have begun to exercise caution .You can sense the hesitation in the fourth man as he tiptoes towards you. All the speed in the world would be of no use to these cretins though, unable to so much as scratch your hide. He goes down with a gurgle, your axe splitting into his chest. Kicking his corpse off the gangplank, you now face the last pirate.

>10xp gained (40/100)

You were surprised to find the final man undeterred by your wanton slaughter. Perhaps he figured if he turned back now, this Omar the Red would strike him down for cowardice. Instead, he bellows a loud scream and charges at you, waving his cutlass around frantically. You honor his courage by removing his head in one blow.

>10xp gained (50/100)

>Tristain (40/45 HP)

That was easy enough, you think. You hadn’t been in a real fight since you’d been at the Officer’s Academy several years ago. But you still had ‘it’. You hardly broke a sweat, nor took any meaningful damage. There are still several pirates swarming the enemy deck, however, they now appear to be having second thoughts about crossing over. All the bravado they’d shown when they were holding up Alvin appears to have disappeared into thin air. You take the reprieve in battle to see how Adeline fares.

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>>6093681
The Green Knight appeared to be doing just fine, if not working at a slower pace than you were. She serves as a literal wall, blocking the pirates on her gangplank from crossing and causing a jam. When one man tries to vault over her, she slams her greatshield forward, sending him into the drink. She required no assistance. Perhaps she might make a worthy contender after all. Omar the Red begins bellowing orders to his men once more, bringing you back to the battle at hand.

“What are you slackers doing?!” The pirate captain screams, pointing his red-jeweled finger accusingly at you. Now that you were closer, you could see it was quite the prize possession. The sort of stone that would fetch a pretty price. You made a mental note to remove it from the man’s corpse if given the chance. “It’s just two damn fools! Get in there and knock them off already or I’ll gut you all myself!”

Omar was not exactly an inspiring leader, as his men were still milling about, weighing their options. You’d seen this sort of thing before. As a student at the Officer’s Academy, you’d been tasked with routing bandits as a part of your curriculum. These pirates knew they were stuck between a devil they knew and one they didn’t. This Omar became captain by being the baddest and strongest of his crew. He was in all likelihood a cruel man, a fact his men were all too well aware of. Eventually, they would regain their resolve and come crossing the gangplank once more.

The way you saw it, you could stand where you were and continue swatting them away like flies.

Or maybe you could cross the gangplank yourself and bring the fight to them?

>A): Continue holding the gangplank. There’s no need to rush in. You just need to hold them off long enough for Alvin to get back. You will face five more consecutive enemies.
>B): Cross the gangplank, board the enemy ship and bring the fight to the pirates. (Choose how to fight them)
>C): Write-in

>>6093685
>>A): Continue holding the gangplank. There’s no need to rush in. You just need to hold them off long enough for Alvin to get back. You will face five more consecutive enemies.
Free XP farming

>>6093685
>>B): Cross the gangplank, board the enemy ship and bring the fight to the pirates. (Choose how to fight them)
Walk forward, apply Earthsplitter. Or, Decksplitter, in this case. Pirate the pirates, steal their loot. If I'm reading that right, it'll hit two rows forward and three squares wide, killing them instantly.

>>6093685
>A): Continue holding the gangplank. There’s no need to rush in. You just need to hold them off long enough for Alvin to get back. You will face five more consecutive enemies.

>>6093747
that sounds cool as fuck, +1

>>6093685
>B): Cross the gangplank, board the enemy ship and bring the fight to the pirates. (Choose how to fight them)
The easiest flex imaginable as we arrive at Morfis is if we casually claimed a Pirate ship for our own on our way there. And of course if we take the ship, we can also take whatever treasure they have and present that as a gift when we meet Yulia.

>>6093747
If Eathsplitter functions this way, use it. Also we should rally Alvin's men as we push over to help us secure the ship.

>>6093747
+1

Everyone duck, we're about to whip out our dick

>>6093685
>A): Continue holding the gangplank. There’s no need to rush in. You just need to hold them off long enough for Alvin to get back. You will face five more consecutive enemies.

>>6093747
+1.

>>6093685
>>6093747
Supporting.
These guys aren't a threat, so might as well kill them quickly while showing off. We can then kill Omar next turn unless the pirates on the side are brave enough to get in our way.

>>6093685
Supporting the Earthsplitter manoeuvre

>>6093747
Supporting

>>6093685
Gonna support >>6093747 on account of crushing our enemies, driving them before us, and hearing the lamentations of- given the lesser emphasis on gender roles in this universe and how pirates tend to buck social norms anyhow, there's probably some women in the pirate crew?

>>6093747
+1

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>>6093685
>>6093747
The pirates before you had yet to regain their composure, and you didn’t plan on giving them the opportunity. Their heads sprang up as you suddenly stepped foot on the gangplank, moving forward towards the enemy ship. They were not the only ones surprised by your maneuver. You could hear Alvin’s men also exclaiming their shock, with some screaming for you to return before you found yourself surrounded. They had no idea just what you had in store though. Stepping foot on Omar’s ship, you lift your axe up high, and prepare to jump into the heat of battle.

Despite their historical prevalence, Crests were an oddity amongst the people of Fodlan. Seen as blessings from the Goddess, certain individuals were able to call upon innate powers that gave them an advantage in combat. For centuries, these Crests distinguished the nobility of Fodlan from others. Before Fodlan had become one unified kingdom, leadership and positions of power had often fallen to those who bore these Crests. With few exceptions, those born with the Goddess’ power had always only had access to one Crest. You however, had the gift of two. Crests were typically passed down via bloodline. How you were born with two was a mystery to all. The Rusalkan bloodline had no history of Crests until your mother and father, who had somehow awoken the gifts later in life.

You had never placed much stock in these abilities. Your own natural talent and skill was often enough to push you above most foes you faced in your younger years at the Academy. As a result, your Crests were admittedly underdeveloped. However, if you were going to be the one to bed Princess Yulia and defeat every contender in your path, you’d need to make use of every advantage you had. Now was certainly no time to hold back. As you land in front of the surprised pirates, you summon forth the power of Indech to lay waste to your foes.

>Combat Art: Earthsplitter: Cleave all enemies standing two rows in front of you. (Cost: 1 Crest of Indech Charge) (2/3 Charges)

Your axe pulsates with a vibrant blue color, signifying the activation of your Crest. With one swoop, the five pirates in front of you are sliced in half in an explosion of blood and bone. They never stood a chance to defend against the onslaught, and you scatter body parts across the deck of Omar’s ship in a disgusting rain of gore.

>50xp gained! Level up! (0/100)
>Tristain d’Rusalka
>Level 21/50 Lord (EXP: 0/100)
HP: 45 (120%) + 1 = 46
Strength: 22 (65%) + 1 = 23
Magic: 15 (40%)
Speed: 12 (30%)
Defense: 18 (60%)
Resistance: 10 (40%) + 1 = 11
Luck: 10 (55%) + 1 = 11

“W-what?! What happened?!” You hear Omar screech from across the deck. The pirate captain had lost all composure upon witnessing your attack. “Just what the hell are you supposed to be?!”

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>>6094384
A part of you thinks to ask Omar if he wishes to surrender. However, you decide against it. You knew his type well enough. He was in too deep. He’d refuse to see reason until it was too late. Besides, it would be a shame to end the fun so suddenly. As such, you simply readied your already bloody axe, planning to continue your work. That was until you heard a scream coming from the deck of Alvin’s ship. It was one of his men, pointing an outstretched finger towards the sea.

“A-another ship!”

You could scarcely believe it, but sure enough, the man was telling the truth. Another ship, Almyran in appearance, was now pulling up to the lefthand side of Alvin’s. You could not distinguish any signs of a flag, but there were men swarming the decks. It was clear to see that more pirates were joining the fray. They had not yet placed a gangplank down, but it would likely only be a matter of time.

“Ha…hahahaha!” The pirate captain bellowed in laughter. “You fool! Omar the Red never hunts alone. You'd best turn back now, before my men make mincemeat out of you wretches!” This last part, you noted, sounded more like Omar was pleading with you, rather than making a threat. It was possible he was planning on using the other ship as a decoy to make for his own escape.

>Omar the Red
>Level 15 Pirate
HP: 38
Strength: 19
Speed: 16
Defense: 10
Resistance: 0
Weapon: Steel Sword (+10 Attack)
Item: Red Gem (Worth 2500g)

>A): Return to Alvin’s ship and get ready to engage the new crew of pirates.
>B): Omar was within striking distance of your axe. Even if he planned to cower behind his men, you would not let him escape. Leave the other ship to Alvin’s men. (Choose how to fight)
>C): Write-in

>10 Defense
>38 HP
>Our Attack 23+12=35
>Damage 35-10=25
We just one shot Omar if we use one charge of our Crest of Indech to attack twice. Nice false bravado though, gotta give him a 6/10 for that one. Would've been an 8/10 if he hadn't hestiated in his evil laughter.

>>6094385
>B): Omar was within striking distance of your axe. Even if he planned to cower behind his men, you would not let him escape. Leave the other ship to Alvin’s men. (Choose how to fight)
Activate the Crest of Indech and turn this man to paste with our axe.

The other anon already calculated the damage we'd do with our axe, 25 DMG per hit, so we need to hit Omar twice to kill him.
If we use magic with the Crest of Macuil, we'll deal 15 MAG + 6 (3 * 2) = 21 DMG.
I'm not entirely sure how Macuil works. Above is the result if it only doubles the damage of the spell itself and not the damage we'd end up doing after calculations. With Fire the damage boost isn't much but it'd end up scaling better when used with stronger spells and against enemies that have higher RES.
If Macuil does double the damage after calculations, then we'd still fall short of killing him anyways since we'd only deal 15 MAG + 3 (Fire) = 18 * 2 = 36 DMG.

We'd take 19 STR + 10 (SS) - 18 DEF = 11 DMG from Omar. We're at 40 HP if the HP gain on the level up didn't heal us, leaving us at 29 HP left. It doesn't matter too much since if our HP gets low enough we'd have Resolve active and we have our Concoctions if we really need to heal.

>>6094385
>>6094466
Supporting.
We'd only have 1 charge of Indech left, but it's not as if we need to be frugal with it unless we get a third ship thrown at us. Alvin's men haven't fought yet because we solo'd the top side so they probably won't job immediately.

>>6094385
>?
I guess that's the thief? Atleast (s)he will have a concoction if the pirates start causing damage.

Agree with
>>6094466
>>6094523
It might even compel the pirates trying to get past Adeline to come and try and eject us from their ship (freeing her up to defend the other side)

>>6094466
+1

Fuck omar up

>>6094466
+1

>>6094466
+1

>>6094466
Support.

Say, does Fire have any AOE or is it just a bonus to our attack damage?

>>6094385
Supporting >>6094466 . Looks like the mathanons are back!

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>>6095238
Is it really enough to be called a mathanon when it's just very basic addition and subtraction?

>>6095244
You'd be surprised. The important thing is you're doing the math other anons don't want to.

>>6094688
No AoE component to Fire. It's just a bonus to your attack.

Writing!

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>>6094385
>>6094466
The ringleader of this entire escapade was right in front of you. He could make all the empty boasts and threats he’d like, but he was not about to escape your talons. You decide to leave the other ship to Alvin’s men. Let them pull their own weight. Lifting your axe, you continue moving forward on the enemy vessel towards Omar. As you draw nearer, you can see the pirate captain’s toothy grin slowly melting away from his face. He realizes with great dread that none of his men will be putting themselves between the two of you. Left with no recourse, he draws his steel cutlass, and engages you in battle with a roar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKzd28mlqGU

>Omar: 19 STR + 10 (Steel Sword) = 29 - 18 DEF = 11 DMG
>Tristain: 29/46 HP

Omar was definitely a few notches above his men. It was clear to see how he’d come to be the top dog amongst them. He lashes out at you with superior speed, landing a strong blow against your chest. He attacks with a swift fury. After seeing what you did to his subordinates, he’s well aware that giving you an opportunity to attack would be a bad idea.

“I don’t care who you are!” The pirate captain yells in-between strikes. “No one gets in the way of me and my loot!”

You were confident in your abilities, but you were not conceited enough to believe you were the perfect warrior. You knew you had weaknesses the same as anyone else. And while you perhaps had an obscene might, your agility was left wanting. Foes like Omar, who excelled in speed, could be a problem if left unchecked. Your Crest however, allowed you to level that playing field. For just the briefest of moments, you could greatly enhance the speed of your attacks beyond what any were capable of. And while you could have beaten the pirate without needing to rely on this technique, that other ship meant that time was of the essence.

You parry one of Omar’s strikes and counter with a slash across his chest. He yelps, and takes a backstep to escape your reach. He never stands a chance though. Your axe glows blue with the Crest of Indech, and you follow-up attack with a deft cut that the man never sees. He succeeds in creating distance between the two of you. Omar moves to raise his sword, only to find two bloody spurting stumps instead.

>30xp gained! (30/100)
>Crest of Indech (1/3 Charges)

“Huh…”? Omar exclaims, looking dumbfounded at his missing appendages. “This…this was a damn setup…” He mutters, before falling face down on the deck.”

You walk over to one of the pirate captain’s severed hands, and remove the red gem from its finger. Wiping it clean against your arm, you inspect it closely. You didn’t know much about jewelry, but maybe Yulia would like it?

>Obtained Red Gem! (Worth 2500g)

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>>6095415
As your back was turned, the other five pirates that had been standing behind Omar madly rushed towards you in an attempt to swarm. A few more chops of your axe though show them the error of their ways, serving to paint the deck of the ship further crimson.

>x5 KOs. 10xp gained. (70/100)
>Tristain: 24/45 HP

Most of the pirates that were still alive on the ship were now backing off, wanting nothing to do with you. Taking a moment to survey what was left of the battlefield, you could see that things on this side had cleared up considerably. Adeline was still holding strong, looking like she hadn’t even broken a sweat as she maintained her defense. You watch her knock another pirate into the water below, the procession line in front of her now nearing its end.

On the other side of Alvin’s ship, things were looking a bit more hairy. Two more gangplanks had latched on, and the pirates were looking to make their way onboard. Several of Alvin’s men rush towards the first gangplank, looking to hold it the way you and Adeline did. While you doubted they would be as successful, they might at least buy a bit of time.

As for the other gangplank, the pirates seemed to be sharing some trepidation when it came to crossing it. You were unsure why, until you noticed a strange woman standing there. That was odd. You’ve spent days on this ship and yet you hadn’t seen her before. She didn’t look like much. A skinny, non-threatening little thing. But somehow she was managing to hold the pirates off alone, seemingly having done nothing at all.

>A): Finish off the renaming pirates on this ship. Once you’re done, perhaps you and Adeline can focus fully on the new enemy vessel.
>B): These pirates were routed and would pose no more trouble. Jump back to Alvin’s ship and assist his men.
>C): Jump back to Alvin’s ship and assist the strange woman.
>D): Write-in

>>6095420
>D): Down a Concoction, then return to Alvin's ship by mowing down the remaining pirates on Adeline's gangplank
We get back over and we clear up Adeline to help defend the rest of the ship. Easy peasy.

I don't know if the gangplank has some gameplay mechanic where we might get knocked off if we fight on it, so maybe we kill the two pirates that are on the actual ship with our axe, and then burn the other two on the gangplank with Fire + Crest of Maculi for two oneshots. That way we can dodge being pushed into the ocean by combat (if that's a thing that can happen).

>>6095420
>A): Finish off the renaming pirates on this ship. Once you’re done, perhaps you and Adeline can focus fully on the new enemy vessel.

We won't even need to down a concoction, once we hit 16 hp Resolve will activate and give us +7 to strength, speed, and defense. The pirates wont even be able to hurt us anymore unless theres another hero. Maybe we can even offer this big pirate ship to the Princess.

>>6095420
>>A): Finish off the renaming pirates on this ship. Once you’re done, perhaps you and Adeline can focus fully on the new enemy vessel.
Mop up these guys, and next turn we can hop over and swap Mr. 4 out.

>>6095420
>B): These pirates were routed and would pose no more trouble. Jump back to Alvin’s ship and assist his men.
Move towards 4's position, looks like they might lose a man. Not sure if Tristain would care or not at this point but I don't really see any value in staying here. That being said, if the pirate guy is saying "this was a set-up!" it might have be co-ordinated specifically to get Tristain (or Adeline or Alvin or ???) so best get back to our 'allies'.

>>6095420
>B): These pirates were routed and would pose no more trouble. Jump back to Alvin's ship and assist his men.

We need to trigger the next boss fight if we want to show off again.

>>6095420
>B): These pirates were routed and would pose no more trouble. Jump back to Alvin’s ship and assist his men.

>>6095420
>B): These pirates were routed and would pose no more trouble. Jump back to Alvin’s ship and assist his men.

Onwards and upwards!

>>6095420
>>A): Finish off the renaming pirates on this ship. Once you’re done, perhaps you and Adeline can focus fully on the new enemy vessel.

>>6095420
>A): Finish off the renaming pirates on this ship. Once you’re done, perhaps you and Adeline can focus fully on the new enemy vessel.

>>6095420
>B): These pirates were routed and would pose no more trouble. Jump back to Alvin’s ship and assist his men.

>>6095420
>A): Finish off the renaming pirates on this ship. Once you’re done, perhaps you and Adeline can focus fully on the new enemy vessel.

>>6095420
>>B): These pirates were routed and would pose no more trouble. Jump back to Alvin’s ship and assist his men.

Looks like B wins by one. Writing!

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>>6095420
The remaining pirates on this ship wanted nothing to do with you. To prove the point, a few of them drop their weapons to the deck, getting on their knees and begging for mercy. You decide to grant them it for now. After all, there was another ship full of fresh challengers for you. Doubling back to the gangplank, you cross over to Alvin’s ship with the aim of relieving his men. So far, they were doing an adequate job of preventing any assailants from boarding. An admirable feat, you thought, given that they were more sailors than fighters. You step behind one such man, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder and pulling him from the fray.

“They’re fallin’ back boys!” A pirate on the gangplank yells. “Full speed ahea-”

The man never finishes his battle cry as he crumples from a single strike of your axe. Two more of his fellows follow, before the rest get the hint that the only thing they’ll be crossing is over to the afterlife.

>30xp gained! Level up! (0/100)
>Tristain d’Rusalka
>Level 22/50 Lord (EXP: 0/100)
HP: 46 (120%) + 2 = 48
Strength: 23 (65%) + 1 = 24
Magic: 15 (40%) + 1 = 16
Speed: 12 (30%) + 1 = 13
Defense: 18 (60%)
Resistance: 11 (40%)
Luck: 11 (55%) + 11 = 12

“O-oy! What the hell’s with this ship?! It’s full of freaks!” You hear a pirate scream from the enemy vessel.

“Look! Omar and his boys are leavin!” Another yells, pointing a finger behind you. You turn around and sure enough, the large Almyran ship has detached their gangplanks. It must have been those men you left alive. You didn’t blame them. Between you and Adeline, not a single one of them made it onboard. It would have been nice to have commandeered their ship for your own use, but alas, you’d have to be content with the plunder you already took.

You look towards the other gangplank that the weird looking girl had been holding. Up close, you could see what had kept the pirates away. Small metal studs covered the length of the wood, threatening pain and a possible trip overboard for any light-footed pirates who tried making their way across. Were those caltrops? Just what was she doing with those?

Stuck on their own ship, and with their allies retreating, the pirates seemed to be in a stupor as to their next move. Their indecisiveness lasts long enough for Alvin and his men to return above deck.

“They’re retreating?” Alvin exclaims, wide-eyed. “Just what did I miss…? No matter. I’ll take things from here. Allow me to show you fools the folly of attacking a Morfisian ship!”

Alvin begins muttering under his breath, and a cold wind suddenly blows through the air. As someone attuned to sorcery, you’re able to sense the great power welling up within the ship captain, who suddenly appears more than he’d at first seemed. His chanting reaches its crescendo, and with a great cry of ‘Fimbulvetr’, you witness his work in action.

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>>6096568
Your eardrums nearly explode from the sound of large icicles erupting from the enemy’s deck. The vessel is nearly snapped in two as a good portion of the crew is either killed outright or frozen solid. Those few survivors left begin jumping overboard, seeking to escape the sinking heap. You watch them do so dispassionately, supposing that you couldn’t expect much from a mere warmup. So, that was the sort of magic that a sorcerer of Morfis was capable of? You wondered where this man rated amongst the others of his kind. Perhaps you would find out soon enough.

“Lord Tristain, are you alright?” Alvin asks, running to your side. “You’re covered in blood. Am I safe to assume that most of it isn’t your own?”

>“You’d be safe, alright. I killed that loudmouth pirate captain myself. Along with several of his men. How’s the ship looking? Did you plug that hole?”

“We made the necessary repairs. It’s not perfect, but it will at least make due until we reach Solis.” Alvin breathes a sigh of relief. “You said you killed Omar? That’s…I have to say I’m impressed. I’d only asked you to hold them off. But to think that you did all that. And without incurring a single casualty even.” He shakes his head in disbelief as he looks over at his men, who were letting loose a loud cheer. “I owe you a great debt, Lord Tristain. I pity the contenders that will find themselves facing you.”

>“No need for the lord part. Not yet, anyway. And I’m flattered, but I didn't do it alone.” You say with a grin, pointing towards Adeline. “She was of good use. I mean, she mostly just stood there, but that was all I really needed her to do. Oh, and there was that other girl. Where’d she…”

You find the strange woman from before surrounded by a group of Alvin’s men. They’d boxed her in, preventing her escape. She was a tiny thing, especially next to those burly sailors, and she had the look of a trapped rat eagerly hoping to make its escape.

“Where’d you come from?! I ain’t seen you before?!” A sailor shouts.

“Hey, isn’t that my dagger?” Another accuses.

The woman shrieks as a third sailor rummages through her pockets. “And that’s my chocolate! I saved a fortune for that!”

>A): Intervene.
>B): Leave the woman to Alvin and his men.
>C): Write-in

>>6096569
>>A): Intervene.
she helped out so we can forgive her

>>6096569
>A): Intervene.
She's earned her keep.

>>6096569
>A): Intervene.
Without her they would have pushed the other gangplank. Life is about collecting habits and heroes.

>>6096569
>A): Intervene.
That was a nice level up.
We better get back our Concoction and gold though.

>>6096569
>B): Leave the woman to Alvin and his men
Honor Blair by showing no mercy

>>6096569
>A): Intervene.
How else are we going to intimidate her into returning the concotion and money she stole from us?

>>6096569
>A): Intervene.

>>6096569
>A): Intervene.
She probably stopped like one of those guys getting murked, but yeah as long as we get back ours everything's Gucci.

>>6096569
>A): Intervene
We need to make sure we get our stuff back, and if we leave it to the men, we're not getting it.

>>6097136
(I also mean this to stop her actually getting beat up or something as well, being that they owe her one as far as I' m concerned)

>>6096569
>>A): Intervene.
"But give me back my concoction, if you were the one that stole it. Everything else you stole too."

We're a rich fella, we can afford to hire a retainer.

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>>6096569
The crowd of sailors melt away as you approach the woman, towering over all of them. Cast in your shadow, she looks up at you, perhaps more scared now then she was when Alvin’s men were accosting her. You suppose you did look a bit frightening at that moment, drenched in copious amounts of blood. While you told Alvin that most of it wasn’t your own, a fair bit of it still was. You’d have to get stitched up later, you winced.

>“What’s going on here?”

“This girl’s been stealin’ from us, sir!” One of Alvin’s men says. He, along with the others, seem to be treating you with far more respect than they had previously on this voyage. You suppose saving them from a gang of bloodthirsty pirates might have helped. “This little rat snuck on board when we was in Rusalka!”

>So she was a thief? “Woman, what is your name?”

“M-May.” She stammers out. “B-begging your pardon my lord! I meant no harm I swear!”

>“May.” You ask calmly. “Did you steal from me?”

“Just enough to survive…” She says hopefully.

Lifting the small woman, you begin shaking her. She squeaks helplessly as several gold coins, rings, daggers, caltrops, lockpicks, a sailor’s cap, and even a golden goblet, fall out of her cloak and pockets with a jangle. And amongst all of the items on the floor, you find a sealed concoction. One that looks remarkably similar to the others in your possession.

>Gained 200g
>Gained Concoction x1

“I knew it!” One sailor shouts with indignation, others joining him in his rage. “Throw that lass overboard with the rest of those pirates!” Alvin’s men start moving closer, looking to make good on their threat, but back off once you give them a strong glance.

>“That won’t be happening.” You announce. “Thief or not, this woman held off those pirates alongside the rest of us. As far as I’m concerned, that makes things even. You can collect your valuables that were taken from you, but leave her be.” You had no love for thieves, particularly ones that stole from you. But you could at least appreciate the girl’s knack for survival in the face of danger. She must have known she’d be worse off with Omar’s men than Alvin’s, and made to defend the ship when things seemed desperate.

“T-thank you, my lord!” May showers you with praise. The tears in her eyes were now ones of admiration for you and your mercy. “I do not deserve such kindness! Thank you! Thank you! I promise to turn my life over from this day forth!”

“How in the blazes have you stayed hidden on my ship for an entire week?” Alvin exclaims incredulously, joining in on the conversation and speaking over May’s incessant blathering.

“I snuck inside one of those crates of ore.” May answers, wiping her tears away with her sleeve. “I’m really good at hiding. My mother always said I was completely unnoticeable. She’d say, ‘May, you’ve got no presence! No man’s ever gonna marry you!’”

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>>6097496
“...Well as sad as that may be, I’d still like to know why you’re on my ship in the first place. And actively thieving as well.”

“I’m sorry!” May exclaims once more, bowing her head. “I know it looks bad, and I have no right to ask for forgiveness. But I was just trying to earn enough gold to get by in Enbarr. I hear one can start a new life in the Kingdom’s capital. I planned on using that money for food and lodging once I arrived.”

>“Enbarr? This ship is sailing for Morfis.”

“Morfis?” May’s face goes blank. She turns around, examining her surroundings as if just seeing them for the first time. “W-wait. This isn’t ‘Dimitri’s Tidebreaker’”?

“No.” Alvin says. “You’re on the ‘Morfisian Rose.’ A Morfisian ship. Heading to Morfis.”

“Oh.” May says. “Morfis. I see. I must have got in the wrong crate.”

You grimace. In all your years, you’d never seen a more unfortunate wretch than this one. Just standing near her made the hairs on your neck stand, nervous that her ill luck would rub off on you. In that way, she was more frightening than Omar had been. The look of sheer disappointment that now claimed her face even gave you an inkling that throwing her overboard would have been a mercy. She walked over to the ship's bow to stare out at the sea, perhaps contemplating the idea herself.

“While I…appreciate her help in dealing with the pirates.” Alvin says to you. “She’s still a thief. I certainly don’t plan on providing anything more for her than safe passage. Perhaps you may have some use for her instead.”

>“Me?” You say with a raised eyebrow.

“You can rest assured that most contenders aren’t like you or Adeline.” Alvin says. “They’ll be traveling with a party. An entourage to ensure safe passage to Morfis, and to assist with the trials to come. You said it yourself that she held off those pirates. I know she’s not an…ideal companion. But perhaps she may still prove useful?”

You ponder the thought, rubbing your chin and examining May’s figure through squinted eyes.

>May
>Level 15/50 Thief (EXP: 0/100)
>Stats and (Growth Rates)
HP: 32/32 (40%)
Strength: 10 (25%)
Speed: 22 (70%)
Defense: 8 (60%)
Resistance: 5 (40%)
Luck: 5 (10%)
Equipment: Dagger (+4 DMG, can be used as a ranged weapon). Caltrops (Block a path for 1 turn)
>Skills:
Unnoticeable: Less likely to be targeted by enemies
Steal: Can steal non-equipped items from foes. Will bring you extra loot after every battle.

>A): Recruit May into your entourage. Every party’s got to start somewhere…
>B): Decline to recruit May. She’s a black cat in human form.
>C): Write-in

>>6097499
>>A): Recruit May into your entourage. Every party’s got to start somewhere…
being superstitious is bad luck

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>>6097499
>>A): Recruit May into your entourage. Every party’s got to start somewhere…

>Steal: Can steal non-equipped items from foes. Will bring you extra loot after every battle.
>Extra loot after every battle.
>EXTRA LOOT!
picrel

>>6097499
>A): Recruit May into your entourage. Every party’s got to start somewhere…

EXTRA LOOT!

>>6097499
>A): Recruit May into your entourage. Every party's got to start somewhere...

She literally owes us her life. Also, I get a mix of Academy-phase Ashe and Academy-phase Bernadetta vibes from her.

>>6097510
Also, in addition: it'd be REALLY funny to train this tiny woman into a fearsome warrior. Not as good as us because we're built different (literally), but the thought amuses me. Either lean into her sneakiness or capitalize on her speed, some kind of assassin or duelist, maybe?. We'd at least be able to teach her some self-defense.

>>6097499
>A): Recruit May into your entourage. Every party’s got to start somewhere…
She's cute and will give us extra loot. That's good enough for me.

>>6097499
>>A): Recruit May into your entourage. Every party’s got to start somewhere…

>Lifting the small woman, you begin shaking her. She squeaks helplessly as several gold coins, rings, daggers, caltrops, lockpicks, a sailor’s cap, and even a golden goblet, fall out of her cloak and pockets with a jangle.
Absolutely perfect, wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

>>6097499
>A): Recruit May into your entourage. Every party’s got to start somewhere…
Aunt Blair ran her own posse and she did reasonably well. This tiny woman will steal for us now.

>>6097499
>A): Recruit May into your entourage. Every party’s got to start somewhere…

>>6097499
>A): Recruit May into your entourage. Every party’s got to start somewhere…

>>6097499
>“I snuck inside one of those crates of ore.” May answers, wiping her tears away with her sleeve. “I’m really good at hiding. My mother always said I was completely unnoticeable. She’d say, ‘May, you’ve got no presence! No man’s ever gonna marry you!’”
Awwww
>A): Recruit May into your entourage. Every party’s got to start somewhere…
Also, maybe it's my paranoia but the fact that Alvin is suggesting we take her, and she was able to sneak on the shift and the fact that she's level 15 suggests to me that she's some sort of plant, but whatever.

>>6098084
>the snakes are still alive and plotting vengance on Rusalka so they sent the tiny woman to keep an eye on our movement
No please it's too early in the quest to become schizophrenic again.

>>6098102
She could have been sent by Blair as Alvin claims to know Blair.

>>6098102
>>6098176
Perhaps it's both and she's an Arcadian?

>>6098102
It's never too early.

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>>6097499
Alvin made a fair point. Going at things alone would only be a disadvantage. Your father had been a great warrior, but even he had not journeyed to Almyra solo. He’d had his faithful Hellwings at his side. Vaunted companions who’d fought with him in numerous battles throughout Fodlan. There was also Countess Blair and her Blackwings, who left a bloody trail in their wake during the Unification War. Both were exceptional champions, but they couldn’t do everything themselves. They needed allies. Friends?

That was a word you hadn’t used very often. Other than Bronte and her siblings, you didn’t exactly have many friends. Or any, really. Despite your talents, most people gave you a wide berth back at the academy. There was no question that you were the strongest amongst them. But in times of peace, that hardly made you popular. In your experience, it was the opposite. Most of the students had been afraid of you. They never disrespected you. Not to your face, anyway. And you at least enjoyed some popularity with women. But the majority seemed to fear you more than anything. They saw you as an oddity. Someone who seemed destined to commit grim deeds. A boy with two Crests in a world where those no longer carried the same weight they once had.

>“May, was it?” You say to the thief, who was busy sniffling at the bow of the ship. She turns to you wide-eyed, tears streaming down her face. “Today is your lucky day!”

“It is?” She croaks. “Doesn’t feel it. Actually it feels the opposite.”

>“Well, it is, because you’ve gained the favor of Tristain d’Rusalka, future King of Morfis! This future king is in need of retainers, and you’ve impressed me enough with your unique set of skills that I’ve decided to offer you the position. You’ll be the first of my companions whom I claim this land with! Naturally, once I become king, you’ll be well compensated for your services to your liege lord. Gold, land, prestige and titles will all be yours.”

“Titles?” May asks, wide-eyed. “You mean I could be like…a Finance Minister?”

>“I don’t see why not?” You shrugged.

“Wow.” May beams, astonished. “Thank you, Lord Tristain! I accept! I will follow you from this day forth!”

>May joined the party!

Seemingly in an instant, the girl had forgotten the trouble that had been previously tormenting her. She beamed with pride as she made a clumsy attempt to take a knee and bow before you. You’d grown up on stories of the Hellwings and Blackwings, along with their accolades. May was obviously a far cry away from the sort of warriors that chose to pledge themselves to your family. But she was not entirely without skill. She was swift on her feet, and clearly excelled at the sort of skullduggery that was beyond your ken. You were certain you’d find some use for her. You had to start somewhere, after all.

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>>6098393
“Well, I’m glad that all worked out.” Alvin says. “Just please make sure she refrains from any further stealing while onboard the ship. Otherwise I’m afraid even I won’t be able to stop the men from making good on their promise to toss her overboard. And as for you…” He places a hand on your shoulder. “Stay put. Luckily I’m not too shabby when it comes to healing magic. Allow me to sew you back up.”

You sat still as Alvin’s hands glowed white with a Mend spell. As he began treating your wounds, you remembered something Omar had muttered before you killed him.

>“By the way, the pirate captain. Before he died, he’d said something about this being a set-up.”

“A set-up?” Alvin’s brow furrowed. “What do you think he meant by that?”

>“Not sure. He didn’t live long enough for me to find out. And now that all his men are out at sea, it’s not like we can ask anyone.”

“Interesting.” Alvin muttered. “Our voyage to Rusalka wasn’t exactly a secret. There are many aware that our ship is one of the precious few allowed to trade with the Kingdom of Fodlan. Perhaps, someone had tipped those pirates off that we’d be passing through.”

>“To what end?”

Alvin shrugs. “Our cargo is extremely valuable. It’s possible the Almyrans wished to get their hands on it. Or perhaps a rival merchant had tipped them off. It wouldn’t be completely unheard of. Business in Morfis can get particularly cutthroat. Still, I’m glad we had you on board to deal with those curs. Tell me, was the battle to your liking?”

>A): The battle was exhilarating, while it lasted.
>B): It’s only fun when the opponents are strong. Small fry like that can’t satisfy me.
>C): The only thing that matters right now is getting to Morfis and winning Yulia’s hand.
>D): Write-in

>>6098395
>>B): It’s only fun when the opponents are strong. Small fry like that can’t satisfy me.
too easy

>>6098395
>B): It's only fun when the opponents are strong. Small fry like that can't satisfy me.

GODDESS, GIVE ME HARDER BATTLES!

>>6098395
>>B): It’s only fun when the opponents are strong. Small fry like that can’t satisfy me.
"If they hadn't had help, you'd be a ship richer. I doubt they could've defeated me if they came at me all at once."

>>6098395
>B): It’s only fun when the opponents are strong. Small fry like that can’t satisfy me.
but
>C): The only thing that matters right now is getting to Morfis and winning Yulia’s hand.

I don't vibe with this protag as much as with Blair (he's a bit of a turd), but I'll manage.
may could be arcadian - the low luck and shared skill with Anemone makes it more than a random guess, though not a guarantee. it'd be fun if even she got in the spirit of the times and had a kid. or maybe it was eulalia. who knows?
omar could have been sic'd on the ship by the morfisian authorities as part of the trials, as a 'you must be this tall to ride'. alvin's rather generic deflection to 'to what end?' and his concern about tristain's feelings about the battle give me job interview vibes
>>6098395
>>A): The battle was exhilarating, while it lasted.
Tristain doesn't seem very picky or discerning in other parts of his life. I don't think he's a battle snob

>>6098395
>>A): The battle was exhilarating, while it lasted.

>>6098395
>D): Write-in
This Alvin dude took 5 seconds to cast his ice magic and split the second pirate ship, one which is about the same size as his own ship, in half. Is he in on whatever test or just jaded to some kind of Morfian intrigue that is going on.

Also someone in his crew did mention foreigners from the dark continent last night. Whats the Dark Continent?

>>6098839
Us. We're the dark continent. I don't know much about FE but I DO know that it's regularly torn apart by massive wars, whereas this Morfis seems to stay mostly peaceful. They probably gave us that name after the 5th continent spanning war.

>>6098842
Oooh well thats fair. Imagine if the continent breaks out into another continent spanning war while Tristain is away on this princess quest and he misses it. He'd be very disappointed, so maybe they have a point.

Though I must say if Alvin could just blast s ship with giant ship shattering icicle I think he was slacking to see how we do.

>>6098395

>A): The battle was exhilarating, while it lasted.

Looks like B wins, writing!

>>6098395
Alvin seemed to not take it hard when discussing the potential of a rival sending pirates to slit him and his men’s throats. Could he have expected something like this? You thought these sorcerers were supposed to be an enlightened kind. Were they really willing to kill just for some ore? Whatever the case, you had no doubt that if Omar’s words were true, the setup in question was meant for none other than Alvin. This man was friendly enough with you, but he was undoubtedly more than he seemed.

>“Meh.” You snort. “It’s only fun when the opponents are strong. Small fry like that can’t satisfy me. There’s no glory to be found there.”

“Fair enough.” Alvin smiles. “I’m sure your opponents in Morfis will be far more to your liking. There’s a good chance some of them will already be at Solis by the time we arrive.”

Alvin finishes patching up the wounds you’d received during the battle.The green knight has disappeared without a word. With things finally reaching a calm, you return back to the sleeping quarters of the ship, ready to enjoy the restful night you were deprived of.

Several days pass following the battle with the pirates, and no further trouble is encountered along the high seas. In fact, the rest of the trip is actually pleasant. Alvin’s men have begun treating you as something of a hero for saving the ship. They’re all too eager to supply you with booze, food, and even a large umbrella for you to sit under so that you may enjoy some shade on the deck. You sit there now, laying back, while May waves a fan in your direction. She was taking her new duties as a retainer quite seriously.

>“You stole a lot of weird stuff, you know?” You say to May, striking up conversation.

“I thought it was better than stuffing my pockets with rocks.” May says, referring to the ship’s ore. “There wasn’t much else to take though. I think the captain keeps most of the good stuff in his personal quarters, and those were locked tight. Even I couldn’t get in there!”

>“That makes sense. He’s probably got a lot of treasure inside. Or maybe something embarrassing. I bet he’s got all sorts of weird romance novels or degenerate artwork locked up in there. He seems the type. Heh, strange guy.” You begin picturing the absurdities of Alvin’s chambers. It was a good way to pass the time, given that you were once again bored, and the green knight seemed to be actively avoiding you at every turn. As if having summoned him with your mind, Alvin appears, greeting you with a hearty hello.

“Afternoon, Tristan. May.” He waves. “You’ll be happy to know we’ll be arriving in Solis within the hour.”

>>6099011
>“Finally!” That was the best news you’d heard in ages. You were not cut out for a life at sea, that was for sure. The sooner you got off this boat, the faster you could embrace your destiny. “Tell me about this ‘Solis.’ Is it far from the capital?”

“It’s some leagues away, yes. Passing through the desert, it would take at least three weeks to reach the city. But it’s the largest town other than Morfis in the country. Every ship coming and going between our nation and Fodlan must go through Solis. Incidentally…” He trails on. “I wanted to ask you something. The rules of Princess Yulia’s competition. Do you perhaps know them?”

>Rules? Good question. The letter didn’t come with a list of rules or anything. In fact, this was actually the first time you’d thought about it. You’d assumed someone would fill you in on anything important once you arrived. “No clue.”

“To be frank, there don’t appear to be any. The only thing her missive made mention of was to come to Morfis. And there’s the problem. You aren’t the only contender to arrive on these shores, Tristan. Morfis has likely become full of would-be champions from Fodlan, Almyra, Sreng and even far off Brigid. Each with the same goal in mind. You can rest assured that they aren’t traveling alone. And with no rules to stop them, I believe we’re likely to encounter those willing to cull the competition by any means necessary. There’s a lot riding on this, after all.”

You lean back in your chair, pondering the man’s point. You suppose you hadn’t given it much thought. You assumed you’d only need to fight once you reached the city of Morfis. But you hadn’t even stepped foot on this strange land and already you’d been forced to contend for your life.

>“What are you suggesting?”

“Perhaps it may be wise to…keep a low profile. If you’d like, leave everything to me. I can arrange for passage to take you to the city, as well as even for some mercenaries. Think of it as a precaution.” He sighs heavily. “In the short time that I’ve known you, I’ve come to understand that this is not an…enticing offer. But I thought I’d make it nonetheless. Obviously you’re free to peruse Solis at your leisure otherwise. But I fear that there may be a possibility of being pulled into conflict with a contender seeking to eliminate some of the competition early.”

>A): Take Alvin up on his offer. Allow him off the ship first to make preparations and to hire mercenaries to assist you.
>B): You didn’t come all this way just to sit on a ship in the harbor. You’ll go out on your own and see this strange land for yourself. And if anyone gets in your way, you’ll take them out.
>C): Write-in

>>6099014

>C): Write-in
Maybe we could discuss this in Alvin's cabin. And see whatever it is he's really transporting and wants to send along with us to the capital. With the green knight woman too I think. What do you have down there, the princess herself?

In fact this whole competition is a bit odd. Is there some kind of power struggle going on here for their Throne. Now they show their factions so they can back one contender or another, and what better way to cull them then to make this offer so they fight each other or us contenders. I might take some mercs though, yeah.

>>6099014
>>A): Take Alvin up on his offer. Allow him off the ship first to make preparations and to hire mercenaries to assist you.
On the one hand, Tristain is a bit short in real experience so he could use to fighting, on the other hand an actually experienced opponent could pose a serious threat. But most of all I kinda wanna go straight at the heart of the story without getting bogged down by the chaff so I'll take it.

>>6099014
>>B): You didn’t come all this way just to sit on a ship in the harbor. You’ll go out on your own and see this strange land for yourself. And if anyone gets in your way, you’ll take them out.

>I believe we’re likely to encounter those willing to cull the competition by any means necessary
Must ... not ... throw Adeline overboard...
>>6099014
>B): You didn’t come all this way just to sit on a ship in the harbor. You’ll go out on your own and see this strange land for yourself. And if anyone gets in your way, you’ll take them out.
Don't want to appear weak in front of this Queen lady, I assume she's looking for someone tough.

>>6099180
>Queen
I mean Princess, fuck

>B): You didn’t come all this way just to sit on a ship in the harbor. You’ll go out on your own and see this strange land for yourself. And if anyone gets in your way, you’ll take them out.
Hard Mode let's go.

>>6099014
>>A): Take Alvin up on his offer. Allow him off the ship first to make preparations and to hire mercenaries to assist you.

>>6099014
>A): Take Alvin up on his offer. Allow him off the ship first to make preparations and to hire mercenaries to assist you.

>>6099014
I'm gonna support >>6099032 . However straightforward Tristain is, he's a Garegg Mach graduate. He's not STUPID. Looking for more information seems like something a scholarly people like the Morfians would appreciate.

>>6099442
>*Garreg
I feel dumb.

>>6099014
>B): You didn’t come all this way just to sit on a ship in the harbor. You’ll go out on your own and see this strange land for yourself. And if anyone gets in your way, you’ll take them out.
My boy Tristain ain't a bitch coward. He'll make waves before he reaches Morfis proper.

B wins. Writing.

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>>6099014
>“I appreciate your concern, but I don’t intend to earn Princess Yulia’s hand by skulking about on your ship. When I walk into Solis, it will be with my head held high, so that all her citizens may lay witness to their future king! Besides, this will be a good opportunity for me to scope out the competition with my own eyes.”

“I had a feeling you’d say that.” Alvin laughs. “Very well then. I won’t broach the subject again. If you plan to head into Solis yourself, there are two locations in particular that I would suggest you visit. The first is ‘The Scrying Orb’. It’s the largest tavern you’ll find outside the city of Morfis. It attracts all manner of news throughout our kingdom. Right now, it’s sure to be a hotbed of information about the contest, as well as the other contenders. If you go there, you’re likely to learn a thing or two.”

>You nod. “Excellent. Sounds like a good place to sample this land’s cuisine while I’m at it. What’s the second place?”

“Murillo’s Companions.” Alvin says. “Murillo is a retired soldier who runs something of a security business. They mostly guard caravans that run between villages, but his mercenaries tend to be decently skilled. You’ll likely be able to pick up a companion or two. It may cost you some gold, but it’ll be worth it to have a decent blade at your side. You can likely use that gem you picked up off Omar to barter with them. Additionally, feel free to tell Murillo that Captain Alvin of the ‘Morfisian Rose’ sent you. Him and I have a cordial relationship, and he may treat you more favorably.”

“Caravan guards?” May asks. “What do they guard caravans from?”

Alvin shrugs. “All manner of things. Raiders, monsters, the snake people.”

>“Monsters?” You raise an eyebrow.

“S-s-snake people?!” May blurts out, horrified.

“Well, not ACTUAL snake people.” Alvin says, trying to smooth things over. “It’s more of a derogatory term. The Cult of the Serpent is what they’re called. Just regular cultists, I assure you. And as for the monsters, well I understand Fodlan has them too, no? I believe you call them ‘Demonic Beasts’ if I am not mistaken? Here in Morfis, we simply refer to them as Terrors. They’re not too common, fortunately, but you’d still prefer to avoid an encounter with one if at all possible.”

You’d seen a Demonic Beast just once before. A few years ago, one had taken its home in a mountain pass near one of Rusalka’s many mines. You accompanied the Countess, who went herself to deal with the creature when she’d heard. You still recall the stench of blood in the air as you neared its den. That monster boasted a frighteningly strong hide, which was impervious to all but a specially made spear that Blair had possessed. If you knew you might encounter them here as well, you might have brought the damn thing with you.

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>>6099725
>“Raiders, cultists and terrors. I thought you Morfisians had things more put together than us ‘Dark Continent’ folk.”

In response, Alvin only laughs.

You soon spot Solis on the horizon, and true enough, it is like nothing you’d ever seen in Fodlan. The term “port town” did not do it justice. Solis was a city on par with any of Fodlan’s major hubs. Every building seemed to be constructed to be large and grand, all of which had been built using some sort of white stone or marble. There was a symmetry in the way they were designed and placed together. Green shrubbery covered many of the buildings, bringing a sort of vibrant color to the drab and dreary desert. From a distance, you could see a busy square that must have served as a market, with countless people going about their business. And in the docks of Solis…

“Wow!” May exclaims, standing on her tippy toes to get a good look. “There are so many boats here!”

Indeed, there was certainly an overabundance of ships both domestic, but mostly foreign, in Solis’ harbor. Some of the flags you recognize. Gloucester, Charon, Bergliez. You see several flags bearing a mounted horse archer, signifying that they belonged to Almyrans. And even more flags of houses and knights that you had no reference for. Alvin had been right about at least one assumption so far. Solis was going to be crawling with contenders. You find you’ve been joined by Adeline, who stares out at the scene with a look of shock on her face. You think to say something to her, but doubt she would hear you under present circumstances. Perhaps she wasn’t as impervious as appearances had initially suggested.

“Welcome to Solis, my friends!” Alvin announces happily. “The first step of your long journey begins here.” Strolling up, he hands you and Adeline two sealed scrolls. You open yours to discover that it is a map of the city.

“I took the liberty of marking where ‘The Scrying Orb’ and ‘Murillo’s Companions’ are.” He says. “I’ll be attending some business here for a few days before heading to Morfis. If you’d like, you’re both free to accompany me to the city once I’ve concluded. Otherwise, I’d suggest finding a guide while here. You won’t be able to navigate through the desert without one.”

>“Can’t one of Murllio’s men do it?”

Alvin shakes his head. “The sands are ever shifting here in Morfis. They’ll provide you with protection, but navigation is a different matter. You’ll need someone with magical talent who has made the journey before to lead the way.”

Alvin takes his leave. Soon after, Adeline does as well, tepidly stepping off the ship, leaving you alone with May.

“So boss.” May says enthusiastically. “Where to first?”

>A): The Scrying Orb
>B): Murillo’s Companions
>C): Walk around and explore the city

>>6099726
>>A): The Scrying Orb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOy6hqzfsAs
SNAKE PEOPLE!?!??!?!?!??!?!?!?!??!

>>6099726
>C): Walk around and explore the city

>>6099726
>A): The Scrying Orb
I'd like to measure up the competition before we go anywhere, see what we're up against. Don't think guys will attack us in the streets, but you never know.

>>6099726
>A): The Scrying Orb
Let us ponder the orb. Also let's eat something other than the hardtack we've probably been living on for weeks now.

>>6099726
>>A): The Scrying Orb

>>6099726
>A): The Scrying Orb

>>6099726
>>A): The Scrying Orb

>>6099726
>A): The Scrying Orb

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>>6099726
Between the two, The Scrying Orb seemed the more appealing choice. You’d be able to finally get a good bite to eat, while at the same time learning more about this competition and those you would be up against. With your mind made up, you take the lead, beginning your stroll through the city of Solis. As you walk through its large, heavily populated streets, you attract no shortage of attention. Even though you were far from the only foreigner mucking about in the city, the lion’s share of eyes seemed to gravitate towards you. You couldn’t be too surprised, as you looked vastly different from your average Morfisian. Many of the people of Solis were of a deeply dark or tan complexion, and walked around in light and airy clothing. Towering over them with your pale skin, red mane of hair and heavy armor, you stood out like a sore thumb.

“Goddess, it’s so hot here.” May complained from your side as you walked. “How are you not dying inside that suit?”

You were in fact, very uncomfortable. The weather of Morfis was extremely dry, and the sun was high overhead. But the Morfisians were not the only ones staring at you. So too, were the eyes of the other contenders, who were passing through the city. Each one would size you up from a distance, as if trying to slyly get a measure of your strength. At that moment, uncomfortable as you were, you were grateful for that armor. Not only did it help you cut an imposing figure, but it would be useful if any of these fools got ahead of themselves. From what you could tell at a glance, many of them seemed like small fry.

>“I can’t even feel the heat.” You lied.

Following Alvin’s map, you eventually land in front of The Scrying Orb. Seated on a hill in the town and spanning multiple floors, the tavern was one of the larger buildings within the area. These Morfisians must have taken their drinking seriously. Finally something you’d had in common with them. You swing the door open to find a busy and loud interior. Both floors of the tavern are heavily packed with customers, both Morfisian and foreign alike. It’s hard to hear yourself even think with the amount of chatter that overwhelms you. An employee of the tavern turns around upon sensing the door opening, his face dropping when he sees you and May.

“Ahh…more contenders.” He says, putting on the biggest forced smile you’d ever seen. “W-welcome to our establishment. How may I help you?”

>“A table for two please. Two servings of whatever passes for booze around here, and a menu, if you would.”

The tavern keeper flinches. “I-I’m sorry my lord, but we’re at full capacity at the moment.” Glass shatters from behind him, followed by uproarious laughter from a table of foreigners. “Perhaps you may come back another time?”

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>>6100496
You look past the sniveling man towards the source of that glass. Up ahead is a table with about a dozen armed soldiers sitting and standing around. By the matching armor they wear, you can tell immediately that they are from Fodlan. At their center is a knightly-looking man, clad in thick blue armor. With a smirk on his face, him and his cronies are leering at a woman standing away from them. It was Adeline, and her armor looked as though it were dripping wet, shards of glass scattered at her feet.

“You have GOT to be fucking kidding me!” The man says with a haughty laugh. The tavern, which had previously been buzzing with noise, had grown eerily quiet. “I thought there was no way, but it really IS you!” He bangs a fist on the table, sending tankards clattering about and signaling his men to laugh along with him. “What are you doing here, Adeline? Don’t tell me you came sloooooowly clanking all the way here because you actually plan to compete?”

Adeline faces the loudmouth. For a second, you expect her to run the bastard through. You’d seen her in action, and while she may not have killed as many pirates as you did, she clearly still possessed a measure of skill. So you are surprised when she insead bows her head, looking down towards the floor. “...Lord Gideon. It is good to see you…”

Lord Gideon? You try running through your scant knowledge of the nobility. Gideon is a territory in the uppermost region of Fodlan, in what was once the Kingdom of Faerghus. A relatively unremarkable land with scant accomplishments, ruled by a house with hardly any notable figures. The fact that someone from Gideon had come all this way was surprising. Surely this backwoods oaf did not think he was the mightiest warrior Fodlan had to offer?”

“Don’t give me that shit.” Gideon slurs, standing up and knocking several more tankards to the ground. Up on his feet, you now notice the heavy blade that was strapped to his back. His men were in no rush to stop him as he sauntered over to where Adeline was. “I asked what you were doing here. The daughter of an impoverished house, and a traitorous one at that, seeking the hand of Princess Yulia? Do you truly believe she’d ever waste a second on a loser such as yourself? That you would come all the way here and pretend we’re on the same level pisses me off.”

“...I mean no disrespect, Sir Gideon.”

“Kick her ass, Lord Alexander!” One of Gideon’s men shouts with a drunken slur.

“Oh no, Adeline!” May whispers, her voice caught in her throat. “What’s she doing?!”

The green knight had reverted to that unimpressive figure she’d first appeared, as she made no effort to defend herself from Gideon. Her shoulders were slumped, and she was unable to even make eye-contact with the large man.

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>>6100497
“Hey, I just got an idea.” Gideon says, another smile creeping up to his face. “If you’re here as a contender…that means you and I are enemies in this land, right? And we contenders are supposed to do each other off, aren’t we? I’ve already taken out two snot-nosed little brats who came all this way for nothing. Maybe you could be my third? Eh, what do you think, Adeline?” He places one hand on the sword strapped to his back, as he leans in closer, the entire bar watching with bated breath.

“Not again…” The tavern keeper remarks with a choked sob. “What don’t you damn foreigners understand? This isn’t an arena. If this keeps up, my business will be ruined!” He is unable and unwilling to stop the scene in front of him.

>A): Get in the middle of the scene and break things up.
>B): Intervene, threatening violence of your own.
>C): Sit by and watch. Despite her help on the ship, Adeline was still the competition.
>D): Write-in

>>6100498
>>A): Get in the middle of the scene and break things up.
With a healthy dose of:
> threatening violence of your own.
"Lord Alexander, was it? If you want to fight, why don't you wait, let us all have a few drinks, and then we two can take this outside and avoid ruining this tavernkeeper's fine establishment or killing any bystanders? Or are you some slavering brigand who can't wait even a moment to fight?"

>>6100498
Supporting >>6100514 . If we can successfully take this outside, maybe the tavern keeper will thank us. Maybe he'll even think we're "one of the good ones," if barely.

Also, Adeline being from a "traitorous" house, and a presently impoverished one, implies to me one of two things. Either she's from an Adrestian house that remained loyal to Edelgard, or she's from western Faerghus and her house joined up with the Dukedom back in the war - and that's more likely, given Gideon was a Faerghan (Faerghi? Faerghusian?) house (and one of the houses involved directly in the Tragedy of Duscur, for extra hypocrisy points).

What do we think she is? A Dominic? A Rowe? A Gaspard? A Charon? A Kleiman? A Belinus? Maybe an Elidure or a Mateus?

>>6100522
Some addendums due to details I forgot to account for in my last post:
>Gaspard doesn't make sense unless Lonato had another kid after Cristophe while Ashe wasn't looking, or unless someone else in the Dukedom snapped up the territory and took the name once Blair re-recruited Ashe.
>Who would've been left in House Dominic, considering Blair saw Annette die and IIRC Gustave also died either at Gronder or some time after?
>Did Count Charon have any kids besides Cassandra- er, Catherine? The Fandom FE wiki says he's got some unnamed sons and daughters, but that could be wrong.
>Count Rowe adopted Yuri at one point, but isn't said to have any biological kids. Also, I don't actually remember if he survived the war.

>>6100498
>>6100514
Ill support anon's idea. Take this out back and paint this dude across street. If he starts backing off use some of the more colorful sailor insults we've heard over the trip to goad him into the fight. If we don't kill him he will probably just come back later, with more men.

I have a notion for combat in the use of the Crests, would this work? If we Earthsplitter, then use another Indech Crest to activate a followup attack can the follow up attack ALSO use Earthsplitter for a whopping usage of 3 Crest charges in a single turn. Maximum violence, maximum damage for when theres a whole grouping of strong units.

>>6100498
>>6100514
Supporting

>>6100522
For her to recognize Gideon and not retaliating against him means that she's probably from a house that was apart of the Dukedom.
>Count Rowe adopted Yuri at one point, but isn't said to have any biological kids. Also, I don't actually remember if he survived the war.
Based Sebastian barged in and single-handedly killed Rowe and anyone in the way.
Maybe she was inspired by him and became an armored knight due to his rampage. She can't be a Rowe since Sebastian's ending basically states that he ended House Rowe when he killed Count Rowe unless someone unrelated just took the name.

>>6100561
>Sebastian's epilogue
So that's where it was. Well, that eliminates that option. Excluding the Literally Who houses like Elidure and Mateus, my best guess right now is Kleiman, but Felix killed Viscount Kleiman back when Blair was rescuing Dimitri (I literally just checked the archives for this) so either Adeline would've had to have already been born or she'd have to be his grandkid.

>>6100498
>>C): Sit by and watch. Despite her help on the ship, Adeline was still the competition

>>6100498
>>A): Get in the middle of the scene and break things up.

>>6100498
>C): Sit by and watch. Despite her help on the ship, Adeline was still the competition.

>>6100514
This and also act like we're doing the bartender a big favour for even trying. Anyway, smashing uppity nobodies is like 50% of what being a King is all about.

>>6100545
That's a pretty neat idea. I'd say something like that may be a bit beyond Tristain's ken for now, but chaining Crest abilities could be a thing he eventually learns to do as he levels up.

>>6100498
You were worried you were beginning to make a habit of coming to the aid of strange women. Still, this Gideon rubbed you the wrong way. This sort of act may have worked in whatever Faerghus hellhole he was raised in, but you were not so easily impressed. If Adeline was not willing to stand up for herself, then you were more than happy to do so for her. You saunter up to the pair. Gideon takes his eyes off the green knight to stare up at you as you approach. He looks ready to assault you at first, but as you get closer, forcing him to look upwards, you can see the gulp in his throat.

“Who the hell are you?” Gideon growls.

>“Just a passing contender.” You grin. “I overheard that you were looking to pick a fight. Just so happens I love a good brawl. This place is a bit crowded for my liking though. How about a round of drinks, followed by stepping outside? Surely a great lord such as yourself could understand not ruining this fine establishment? Or are you nothing more than a jumped-up brigand, barking for a fight?”

Gideon is a fool, but even he has his limits. He can sense that an encounter with you would not end favorably. Even with his men, it would come with great loss of life and limb. He appears ready to forget this entire encounter and save whatever face he can. That is, until one of his men who had been watching the entire affair, and was a bit more inebriated than the rest, opened his mouth.

“Kick ‘is ass, m’lord! Who the hell does ‘e think ‘e is talkin’ to you like that?”

You and Gideon thought how unfortunate that was, albeit for two very different reasons. The brash-mouthed lord was on top of the world a second ago, but was now dangerously close to losing the respect of his ‘friends’ over at the table. You hoped you wouldn’t have to kill this man over some childish goading, but sure enough, he suddenly found his missing backbone.

“Who do you think you are, you overgrown piece of trash?” Gideon says red-faced. “I’ve had men beaten and whipped for talking to me with a fraction of the disrespect you’ve just shown. Walk your ass out of this tavern or I’ll cut you down where you stand.”

Unbelievable. The others may not be able to, but you can see the small twitches in Gideon’s posture. Did he really intend to go through with this just to save some face? You could almost admire the man’s stupidity, if it didn’t now stand a good chance of getting him killed. If you applied a bit more pressure, he’d likely back down. And there were a few ways to go about it too.

>A): Threaten the man once more. He’ll back down if he knows you mean business. (STR (24) + LCK (12) x2. 72% chance to succeed.)
>B): Show him one of your Crests. He’ll back down from fighting, though you’d be revealing a bit much of yourself to those watching, for better or worse.
>C): You did threaten the man after all. Best to settle things now. (Fight)
>D): Write-in

>>6101110
>A): Threaten the man once more. He’ll back down if he knows you mean business. (STR (24) + LCK (12) x2. 72% chance to succeed.)
Gamblechads, it's our time.
Fighting him would be more fun, but the tavern keeper would probably prefer to have this settled nonviolently, so keeping him happy might lead to him being willing to give us a table.
It'd also be more dramatic and cooler to reveal our power level during a fight instead of a petty squabble like this.

>>6101110
>>A): Threaten the man once more. He’ll back down if he knows you mean business. (STR (24) + LCK (12) x2. 72% chance to succeed.)

>D): Write-in
Hold up a coin and bend it, dropping it on the table as we order a drink. Just a little drinking game trick Tristain picked up at the Academy.

>>6101110
>>A): Threaten the man once more. He’ll back down if he knows you mean business. (STR (24) + LCK (12) x2. 72% chance to succeed.)

>>6101110
>>A): Threaten the man once more. He’ll back down if he knows you mean business. (STR (24) + LCK (12) x2. 72% chance to succeed.)

>>6101110
>C:) You did threaten the man after all. Best to settle things now. (Fight)
I want to fight him, but lets lose that 72% toss like we lost the 96% chance to cheat during the Sreng ritual just because we can.

>>6101110
>C:) You did threaten the man after all. Best to settle things now. (Fight)

Literally asked for it

>>6101110
>A): Threaten the man once more. He’ll back down if he knows you mean business. (STR (24) + LCK (12) x2. 72% chance to succeed.)

>>6101110
>>A): Threaten the man once more. He’ll back down if he knows you mean business. (STR (24) + LCK (12) x2. 72% chance to succeed.)
"Either we fight here or fight out there. Your choice."

>>6101110
>A): Threaten the man once more. He’ll back down if he knows you mean business. (STR (24) + LCK (12) x2. 72% chance to succeed.)

His nerve is weak. His resolve is pitiful. We are beyond him. He cannot help but fear us. He will give in.

Rolled 28 (1d100)

Rollan. Dice needs to be between 1 and 72 to succeed.

>>6101550
>that roll
Phew. Our Mother who art in Byleth, hallowed be thy name.

>>6101110
>“If I walk out of this tavern, it will be to drag your carcass out.” You growl. “I plan to enjoy a drink, and I don’t want your corpse stinking up the place.”

Gideon’s eyes widened in shock. No one in his life has ever spoken to him this way, let alone someone so capable of actionably following up on their threats. He tries to think of something to say to save face, but his resolve fails him. Instead, he turns back to his table of sycophants and snarls at them. “Come on boys, we’re leaving. I’ve lost my taste for this Morfisian swill.”

“L-Lord Gideon, are we really gonna let him-?”

“Shut your damn mouth!” Gideon shouts. “I said we’re going! Get your shit and let’s leave!”

You watch dispassionately as the Faerghus noble and his men quickly scoot out of their table and pass you by, making for the exit. Gideon attempts to bump his shoulder into you as he leaves, but is unable to so much as push your body aside, serving to enrage him further. He says nothing more, and you watch as him and his cronies exit the bar without incident. Walking over to his table, you take a seat, clearing the drinks out of your way and resting your leg on one of the chairs. Immediately, the tavern keeper rushes to your side, taking the empty tankards away.

>“Is it alright if we sit here?”

“O-of course, my lord!” The man says deferentially, bowing his head profusely. “Please! Make yourself at home! Drinks are on me. Those bastards have been here all week making a mess and scaring my customers. If you hadn’t shown up I think they would have done something really stupid. What did you say your name was, my lord?”

>“Tristain d’Rusalka.”

“The Scrying Orb thanks you, Lord Tristain. Please, is there anything else I can do for you while you’re here?”

>“Some food would be nice. Also, I was hoping to get a bit more information on Princess Yulia’s competition.”

“Of course! Of course!” The man says, rubbing his hands. “I know just the gentleman to assist. You just wait one moment and I’ll send someone to get him for you.”

You watch the man saunter away, replaced by May and Adeline, who take seats at the large and now empty table that you occupy. You expect the green knight to perhaps offer you a word of thanks, or maybe at the very least a curtsy. Instead, she simply sits there staring at you, refusing to utter a single word. The two of you engage in an impromptu staring contest for several moments until May, who has become fed up with the two of you, clears her throat loudly.

“You are…reckless.” Adeline finally says after sometime.

>“Pardon?”

“The way you threw yourself at those pirates…and just now with Gideon. You charge headfirst into grave danger. Even if you’re outnumbered 12 to 1, you stake your life on the line. It is…reckless.”

>>6101747
>“Perhaps you and I differ on what we consider to be dangerous situations. An idiot like that would never pose a danger to me. Nor you, would I imagine. And yet you still seemed content to roll over and let that man berate and insult you. What’s your deal?”

“The insults of men like Gideon mean nothing to me.” Adeline says. “When you are the last survivor of a ruined house, they become all too commonplace. Your very existence becomes an injury to them. A reminder that if they are not careful, they may share the same fate as you. I’ve weathered their petty assaults, both verbal and physical, all my life, and have built my defenses accordingly. Nothing they can say can cut me.”

>“Huh, good for you.” You snort. “Should I let him take a chunk out of you with his broadsword next time?”

“I am sorry.” Adeline says blushing. “I am…not good with people. Nevertheless, thank you for coming to my aid. I only said what I did because…I did not wish any harm to come to you on my behalf.”

“You heard the boss, he’s as tough as they come!” May chimes in. “But gosh, I’m sorry to hear you’ve had a history with that jerk. And I’m sorry about your house too. Which one are you from?”

“I’d…prefer not to say.”

>“Suit yourself.” You shrug. “But that idiot did say something I was curious about. Why are you here to compete for Yulia’s hand? I would have assumed she’d be looking for…you know…a man. Someone to propagate the bloodline, unite the nations, so on and so forth.”

“The letter did not make specifications on gender.” Adeline says. “I simply wish to compete to restore honor and glory to my house. Were I to win…I would not mind if Princess Yulia took on a paramour.”

You stifle a laugh, thinking it might be rude. Fortunately, someone arrives with your drinks.

>“Well…whatever works for you, I guess.” You say, taking a fresh sip from your tankard. “So, you took Alvin’s advice about coming here for information?”

Adeline nods. “I do not have much gold. Mercenaries are out of the question for me. I thought it best to come here and gather information on the competition. So far, I’ve learned that contenders have been arriving in Solis these last two weeks. Many have gone on ahead to Morfis…and many are stuck here. They are unable to find mages willing to escort them to the city. I believe our kind are presently…unpopular.”

“That is putting it mildly.” At that moment, a man of Morfisian complexion, clad in light blue robes joins you at your table. You can tell right away that he is a spellcaster, sensing the magic emanating off his aura. “And with the antics of such fools as your ‘Lord’ Gideon, can you truly be surprised. The man was hardly doing you foreigners any favors.”

>“Who are you?”

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>>6101751
“Cassius.” The spellcaster replies. “I am a local mage here in Solis. I have a great deal of interest in the continent of Fodlan, and have spent much of my career studying its people and customs. As you might imagine, this makes me a bit of an eccentric amongst my kind. When I heard word of Princess Yulia’s competition, I came here to Solis immediately. I wished to lay my eyes on the champions that would be venturing forth from the ‘Dark Continent’ to lay claim to her hand.”

>“Are you the one the tavern keeper sent for?”

“I am indeed.” Cassius nods. “He mentioned you were looking for information on the competition. I’ve seen many of the more notable contenders first-hand, and would be happy to provide you with the information you might be looking for. That is, provided you were willing to answer a few questions of my own. It’s rare that I am afforded an opportunity to speak with someone from Fodlan, and there is still much I wish to learn about your people.” He takes a seat at your table, a flagon of ale in his hand. “So, what do you say we play a game? I’ll answer any questions you have about the ongoing events here in Morfis, and in return, you’ll answer any question I have about your culture. Tit for tat, deal?”

“Hmph, fine, deal.” The two of you clank your tankards together, and take a sip. Morfisian ale was stronger, but not bad, you thought. Hopefully you could hold your own with this man.

>A): Ask about any notable contenders that have passed through Solis
>B): Ask why the Morfisians refer to Fodlan as the “Dark Continent”
>C): Ask about Princess Yulia
>D): Ask about the Cult of the Serpent
>E): Ask something else (Write-in)

>>6101753
>A): Ask about any notable contenders that have passed through Solis

We ask for this first. This is the mission. This is the thing we absolutely need to know. If we can get any more questions, I feel like we should ask about the Cult of the Serpent next. After that, we ask either about Yulia or about anything of interest that's come up during the answers.

>>6101753
>>E): Ask something else (Write-in)
Does he know any mages that could navigate us to the Capital?

I figure we might as well get this out of the way unless we wanna just wait for Alvin's group.

>>6101753
>B): Ask why the Morfisians refer to Fodlan as the “Dark Continent”

>>6101753
>>C): Ask about Princess Yulia
tell us about her... personality

>>6101753
>A): Ask about any notable contenders that have passed through Solis

>>6101753
>C): Ask about Princess Yulia

>>6101753
>>A): Ask about any notable contenders that have passed through Solis

Ah! You're back TreeHouses! Looks like I am a bit late to the party but nevertheless it's good to see you running a quest again, and having just caught up to it this sounds like a really fun quest, Tristain is a different MC compared to Blair but he's very enjoyable, it's kinda nice to have a more brutish man at our helms, also the plot hook of being summoned to another kingdom to compete for the hand of a princess is very fun, I can already see that we might get a sorcerer Mofisian and a dessert dweller Mofisian as party members, get that class difference dynamic going on, or maybe we'll have to choose between either or.

One thing that caught my eye when I was reading this was that May has a surprisingly high Defense potential, it's equal to Tristains at 60%, I can see her becoming a hardy gal at the latter stages of the quest.

>>6101753
>B): Ask why the Morfisians refer to Fodlan as the “Dark Continent”

>>6101753
>C): Ask about Princess Yulia

>>6101753
>C): Ask about Princess Yulia
Yeah, we need to know about her personality (specifically, if she has the personality of a good looking woman). I wonder if Tristain thinks he will be able to charm Yulia with his masculine energy or if he's just planning on smashing the entirety of the competition.

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>>6101869
Glad to have you back, my man. That DEF growth is definitely an error. Can't believe I only just caught it now. Maybe I'll leave it because it makes me laugh.

Looks like C wins. I'm a bit delayed at the moment, so the next update should come tomorrow.

>>6102273
I'd interpret it as her being wily and knowing how to roll with hits she's taking rather than Tristain's "Your hit literally bounced off my thick skull because you're a wimp"

>>6102562
With all hits landing in this quest that would be a good way to interpret her def growth, or the desert heat just hardens her skin like crazy

>>6101753
Information on the other contenders could wait. They could be the reincarnation of Dimitri Blaiddyd or literal circus performers, either way it wouldn’t matter to you. You’d already determined you were going to win, and that was all there was to it. Instead, you wished to know about the mysterious prize that awaited you at the end of your journey. The fair hand of Princess Yulia Phanes. You and Cassius clank your glasses together, taking a big gulp and beginning the start of your arrangement.

>“Very well, tell me what you know about Princess Yulia.”

“Heh, an interesting place to start. I thought you’d be more concerned about your competition.” Cassius chuckles. “But very well. What is it that you wish to know about her?”

>“Anything at all. My info on your Princess is rather scant. Is she a good ruler? Does she come from noble stock? Most importantly, is she easy on the eyes?”

“Oh yes, most certainly yes to all of the above.” Cassius answers assuredly. “Well, probably.”

>“What do you mean ‘probably’?!” You say, feeling on edge.

“Well, the Princess does not make many public appearances. If any, really. The divinity of her family line demands as such. She is a direct descendant of the Sorcerer King, our country’s founding ruler. Her orders are passed through the Vizier, who then relays them to the rest of the country. In fact, she has not been the ruler of Morfis for very long. She succeeded her father, who had passed only a few years ago. Her tenure as leader of our country has mostly ensured the status quo. Our lands remain peaceful, advancements in sorcery and knowledge continue to flow, and the Cult of the Serpent remains kept at bay.”

“Wow!” May exclaims, perhaps a little easily impressed. “She sounds amazing, doing all that after having just taken over. How long was her father the king for?”

Cassius ponders the question thoughtfully, as if trying to remember the exact answer. “Hmm, I believe it was for somewhere around 140 years. Obviously a bit before my time.”

>“One hundred and what?” You ask incredulously. “Is this family made up of tortoises?”

“Careful now.” Cassius warns you. “Insulting the royal family is not looked upon kindly. I told you that they possess the blood of the Sorcerer King, who founded our nation over 2000 years ago. His blood grants them innumerable benefits. Benefits which include untold sorcerous talent, and an extended lifespan. Morfis is unlike your nation, which is perhaps littered with noble families. Here, the only thing that marks one as of the nobility is whether they possess the blood of the Sorcerer King. Besides Princess Yulia, only those in charge of the Royal College of Sorcery bear that gift. Together, the two of them rule Morfis in harmony”

>“Huh, sounds pretty important. Is she sure she wants to go mucking up that fancy bloodline of hers with us foreigners?”

>>6102895
“You’d be hard pressed to find a single person in Morfis who was not surprised by her announcement of this competition.” Cassius remarks. “To offer the hand of our princess in pursuit of a foreign alliance…and to do so in such an extravagant and peculiar manner at that. In thousands of years of Morfisian history, there is simply no precedent for it.” He shrugs. “But I suppose I can’t complain too much. I already told you that the continent of Fodlan is my choice of study. If Princess Yulia marrying a foreigner means I’ll be able to study your people and history more, well then all the better for me.”

“I’ve never met someone who is so interested in Fodlan before.” May exclaims. “But I guess I’ve also never met someone outside of Fodlan before this week.”

Adeline nods in agreement.

>“What a joke.” You lean back in your chair. “So no one can tell me what she looks like?”

“Rest assured.” Cassius says. “Once the competition has neared its climax, Princess Yulia will make herself known. I believe she’ll have to, to really sell the idea to her people. It hasn’t been popular. While not all of you foreigners were like the previous lord who was sitting here, his antics certainly do not help your cause. Most Morfisians already have a deep distrust of the people of Fodlan.”

>“So, I’ve noticed.”

“Well then, if that answers your question, I believe it is time for my own.” Cassius says, rubbing his hands gleefully. “You’ll answer any question I have about Fodlan and its people, just as I have for you.”

>>6102897
>“Fine, what do you want to know?”

Cassius clears his throat. “As I said earlier, Fodlan appears to be littered with noble families and houses. The most prominent of these houses were the ones who possessed Crests. Gifts from the so-called Goddess that bestowed them with supernatural abilities, though there is no evidence to support that these gifts were in fact divinely bestowed.”

>“Get to the point.” You say bored.

“I understand that those born with Crests enjoy immense privileges, one of which includes the right to bed any woman on the night of her marriage. Is that true?”

What the hell? You grimaced. What kind of question was that supposed to be? Was this guy a pervert or something? He could choose to ask you anything and that was what he landed on? You’d never heard of such a ridiculous thing before. And if it did exist, certainly no one had ever offered you that kind of thing before. You look towards your companions. May is staring at you, as if she doesn’t know the answer herself. As for Adeline, she’s blushing, keeping her face down to the floor. You reflexively took a sip of your drink. This ale was stronger than you first thought.

>You feel tipsy.

It looks like it was up to you to answer this inane question. You hadn’t revealed your Crest earlier, so Cassius should not know that you had one. For all the man knew, he was talking to a simple contender, and nothing more.

>A): Lie and tell Cassius his belief is true.
>B): Tell Cassius his belief is false.

And

>A): Ask about any notable contenders that have passed through Solis
>B): Ask why the Morfisians refer to Fodlan as the “Dark Continent”
>C): Ask about the Cult of the Serpent
>D): Enough questions. Bid the man farewell.
>E): Ask something else (Write-in)

>>6102899
>>B): Tell Cassius his belief is false.
would he prefer a silly lie over the simple truth? idk, i'd rather tell it straight
>C): Ask about the Cult of the Serpent