Mare Internum: An Exalted Quest

[Kymme]

When you were still a child, ships took your parents, along with all the other adults of your village. They would have taken you too, if you hadn't taken refuge in the temple. You journeyed to the old hermit in the mountains, an ancient, stone-hewn monk. You asked him what you should do. He told you to contemplate death. You did.

Click to shrink...

As an aside, I love how this is an entire evocative life-story depicting the rise and fall of everything our character ever knew, and it's also clear that this is only a tiny fraction of our character's life.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] You said Rooster was your friend, right?

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"You said Rooster was your friend, right?"

FINCHER: "Why? Are you going to accuse him of murder too?"

"Uh, no, I just thought it would be nice for you to see a friendly face."

FINCHER: "Oh." a ghost of a smile passes her lips. "Yeah, I guess it would be good to see him. Not getting my hopes up, though. We lost most of our people in the wreck, Sulco's Spite might be the same. But I hope he's okay. He's an idiot, but we went through the Stair togther."

[ ] Can we talk about how I'm tied up?
[ ] How long until we get to Thazaniel?
[ ] What's this Mei like?

 

[Parabola]

[X] How long until we get to Thazaniel?
Being tied up is fine.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] How long until we get to Thazaniel?

Click to shrink...

"How long until we get to Thazaniel?"

FINCHER: "Two hours if we're lucky. Maybe four if the roads get worse. We're past the flooded parts, but we're still getting stuck too often. Plus the approach looks complicated."

NAVIGATE: Poorly maintained roads! The bane of any traveller.

"Alright. I guess I'll just wait here then."

FINCHER: "I've got to say boss, you're being awfully calm about this whole thing."

[ ] What whole thing?
[ ] Well, I kind of had it coming, right?
[ ] It's ok, I understand why.
[ ] Well, there's not much I can do about it.
[ ] I'm not going to try to escape when you're right in front of me, am I?

 

[Broken25]

[X] I'm not going to try to escape when you're right in front of me, am I?

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] I'm not going to try to escape when you're right in front of me, am I?

Click to shrink...

"I'm not going to try to escape when you're right in front of me, am I?"

She sighs, sits down heavily on a barrel sitting opposite you.

FINCHER: "Look, I'm trying to make the best of a bad situation here. I can't have you running loose. Even if you don't attack people, morale is bad. I'm trying to keep everyone safe and together. That means you have to, you know, change roles."

"To prisoner."

FINCHER: "It's temporary. Hopefully things will pick up when we get to Thazaniel. It's not like I can keep a magistrate locked up, right? Oh, but just in case you decide to make that case yourself to someone else..." she holds up your ring. "I'm going hold on to this until we can set you loose."

[ ] That's fair.
[ ] That's probably treason.
[ ] I am extremely uncomfortable.
[ ] What if I need to pee?

 

[GAWR]

[X] That's probably treason.

 

[ThatGazzer]

[X] What if I need to pee?

ask the important qesti-nevermind then

 

[zxzx24]

[X] That's fair.

 

[Broken25]

This quest is like Duel At High Noon lol

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] That's probably treason.

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"That's probably treason."

FINCHER: "Yeah, probably. But I figure if you want me up on charges I'm fucked anyway. Might as well do things properly while I have the chance, right?"

You try to shrug. The pain in your neck stabs again.

FINCHER: "You seem calmer after some sleep. I hope we can... you know, move past this."

"Well, you did attack me, poison me and tie me up in a wagon."

FINCHER: "That is something that happened."

[ ] Good job, keep it up.
[ ] I'm really very sorry about this whole thing.
[ ] Can we have a rematch later?
[ ] I would like to be let go now please.
[ ] I won't charge you if you release me immediately.

 

[GAWR]

[X] I'm really very sorry about this whole thing.

 

[Gargulec]

[x] Good job, keep it up.

 

[zxzx24]

[X] Good job, keep it up.
-[X] Usually I'm the one trying people up though.

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] I'm really very sorry about this whole thing.

Click to shrink...

"I'm really very sorry about this whole thing."

FINCHER: "I appreciate it, boss, but I figure we're even, personal-like. Orison's the one you need to apologise to."

"Is he okay?"

FINCHER: "He's fine. I mean, he's not fine, but the swelling is already going down and there's no sign of damage to the skull. If he avoids any other head injuries on this campaign he won't have any permanent effects from the concussion."

"Okay, good. That's good."

FINCHER: "So... are you going to stop being weird?"

[ ] I'll try to stop being weird.
[ ] I'll try to stop being weird around people.
[ ] I don't think I can stop being weird.
[ ] I'll try to be weird in a constructive way.

 

[GAWR]

[X] I'll try to be weird in a constructive way.

 

[Parabola]

[X] I'll try to be weird in a constructive way.
-[X] Even if there was an infiltrator, the way I went about it was wrong.

 

[zxzx24]

[X] I'll try to be weird in a constructive way.
-[X] Even if there was an infiltrator, the way I went about it was wrong.

 

[catDreaming]

[ ] I'll try to be weird in a constructive way.

Being the first vote entered, I'm glad someone else put it in. Fincher doesn't feel like she'd believe us if we claim to stop being weird, and at this point, we have a reputation. While 'I don't think I can stop being weird' is also good, this one shows that we have some awareness of the issue, and are trying to limit how much of a problem it can be.

 

[Crumplepunch]

There is currently a rare severe weather warning in my region so if I vanish for a few days you will know why.

 

[Kaiya]

[X] I'll try to be weird in a constructive way.

Click to shrink...

I'm also glad this was the first one in. It's very much the sort of reply I tended to pick in Disco Elysium. Self-Aware Sorry Cop was oddly fun. I'm also just really enjoying my favorite thing ever (Exalted) through Disco's delightfully Disco Disconess. Which is perhaps not very coherent but neither is Raphael so.

 

[Kaiya]

I was thinking about this quest, the Dragon-Blooded, and Exalted in general. I got reminded of a poem I really like that a friend wrote for Exalted, and figured I'd share.

Build my pyre upon the earth,
wherever I may fall,
I'd sooner sleep in ash and dust,
than a prince's marble hall.

Lift not my body from the ground,
I'll rest on bloodied loam,
for all the world's the dragon's Realm,
and I shall die at home.

Click to shrink...

Apologies for the doublepost but this felt worth posting on its own.

EDIT: It was, in-fact, written by our own esteemed author!

 

[Crumplepunch]

[X] I'll try to be weird in a constructive way.

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"I'll try to be weird in a constructive way."

FINCHER: "Well... I suppose that's best. Don't want to stifle your creativity or all, we're all just trying to get by. I should try being less uptight about it, too. This morning was, uh, not a great time to be pushed."

"I'm sure we can get on if we try."

FINCHER: "Maybe if-"

The wagon shudders to a halt. You hear a distant horse whinney.

FINCHER: "Ah, piss. One of the ones up front must have gotten jammed again. Well, duty calls. Sit tight, boss, it'll only be a few more hours."

She rises and moves to jump down from the wagon.

[ ] Let her go.
[ ] Wait, can you untie me if I promise to stay in the wagon?
[ ] Wait, I can help out.
[ ] Wait, can I have some water?
[ ] Wait, you forgot the gag.

 

[Kaiya]

[x] Wait, you forgot the gag.

This for sure

 

[ThatGazzer]

[X] Wait, I can help out.