Fire Emblem: Last of the Manakete

Alright, so you're heading up towards the Divine Realm, while also talking to some of the common soldiers.

"Angels are mysterious things. Existing in only a few scattered pictures and ancient stories, nobody knows if they are previous creations of Sol Invictus, if she is simply the most powerful and glorious of their numbers, or if their relationship is something beyond our mortal understanding. All that is known is that they ride on wings feathered in light, and that none alive have ever seen one in the flesh. All that is known is that once, before the Emperor befouled this sacred land, they watched over it and those who were faithful… before the dark times."
-Canticles of Sun-Father Michael II


You sigh slightly as you leave the tower office. You appreciate that Artemis wants you to feel involved, and wants you to be seen as being helpful by the other nobles so they'll respect you, but you are aware that this is not your area of expertise. You don't really know how to command and organize large numbers of men to protect an area. You were even confused about why chokepoints were being discussed until you were reminded that very few humans have access to flight, so natural barriers are a much greater deterrent than they would be for manakete.

Most of all, you have to continuously sit on your dragon-self's urge to blurt out that you should just all get together in a big group and march over to Wyrmrise and bite the regent's tail until he stops being a jerk. Or better yet, send you over there to breath lightning on him.

So while you appreciate being kept in the loop, to be able to listen and learn how humans do things in case you have to do this again in the future, you're not sure how much help you are. All you've really been able to do is answer a few questions about magic that you're pretty sure Princess Alina could have answered (but she was nice enough to let you do it) as well as reiterate some of the things you saw on your trip through the Empire.

The news about the large army coming up from the southwest is met with consternation but not panic. "We figured this would be the main target," Sir Rimpler had said, the large painted pegasus feather in his big, poofy hat bouncing slightly as he nodded. "And a great many of those soldiers are likely intended for the invasion of the Divine Realm rather than us, and the Empire will be loath to spend them early."

You'd nodded, that made sense. Apparently, while the united Northern Kingdoms have about as much land as the Divine Realm, the former Union is more unified, wealthy, and is better prepared to resist an invasion. It will take a lot of people to conquer it.

Not that you intend to let things get that far.

On that note… "I still think we should take a look at the border region, where that letter said the Imperials were looking for information…" you'd said.

Count Sobieski had managed not to roll his eyes at you, but you could tell he wanted to. "Your concerns have been noted, Mistress Levinheart," he'd said. "But I am still of the opinion that they were simply taking the opportunity to do some reconnaissance in the act of sending their message." Most of the other nobles in the room had nodded, both the major players like Princess Alina and other landed Northern nobles as well as the ever-present cluster of hangers-on that made the room so crowded…

Before you could argue more for the position, a bell had rung elsewhere in the castle, and Alejandro Rignali had suggested that you all break for lunch. "It's getting a little stuffy in here," he said, fanning himself slightly, the very topmost button of his shirt having already been undone to show his neck and the very top of his chest in a way that you'd seen draw a few of the women's attention.

'Hey,' Dragon-you cuts into your musings, drawing you back to the real world. 'Focus! We hear something, what's that?'

Refocusing, you frown as you hear quiet but still angry voices coming from down a staircase. You might not have noticed them if your other self hadn't pointed them out. 'I don't know,' you think back, spreading your wings and hopping over the banister in order to glide down faster, ignoring the shocked cry from further back the corridor you'd been walking down. 'Let's go find out!' Your other self pulses her agreement.

You have to go down a few floors, but eventually the noises become more distinct. Landing on the appropriate floor, you hustle down a few corridors before turning to see a group of people surrounding a single woman.

"-don't belong here!" one of the men, a villager if you had to guess, though he seemed to have been conscripted to some sort of guard duty as he has a spear that he's not quite pointing at the woman, but is dangerously close. "We don't want no Imps here!" A few of the other men, a combination of villagers and soldiers, agree.

You start as you realize that the woman they're surrounding is Elena! She has her back against a wall, and while you can tell she's trying to appear non-threatening she's gripping her axe very tightly. "I'm not doing anything wrong!" she says, fear and anger chasing each other as she presses herself harder against the wall as the Northerners circle closer. "I came with Lady Cartese and the others, I'm just try'na help-"

"Yeah, and if you think anyone's gonna believe that I'm the Sun-"

"I believe it!" you snap, flapping your wings and taking advantage of the relatively high ceiling (and your small size) to fly over the harassing Northerners and float in front of Elena. "After all, I was there for all of it."

The Northerners stumble back, their eyes widening as they stare at you. You're generally popular around the castle, even if it's not in the same comfortable, easy way that the people of Agrithe are starting to treat you. Instead, whenever you're around, especially if your wings are out, ordinary people stare at you with an either worshipful or fearful reverence. You don't feel comfortable with it, but if it'll help you protect Elena, then you'll use it.

The leader of the gang stutters, but manages to draw himself up. "Mistress Levinheart," he says. "We were just making sure there were no spies sneaking about-"

'As if!' Dragon-you thinks, anger coiling around her being, and for once your heart isn't in the mood to channel it away.

"I looked to me like you were all bullying her just because she's not from around here!" you say out loud, turning in the air to sweep your eyes over everyone. "Elena's my friend, she came with me from Agrithe to help you all, and without her telling Lady Artemis what the Talons were doing she might not have known exactly what was going on and the Imperials might have taken over the castle before we got here. Do you want that?"

Most of the Northerners quickly shake their heads, but you hear one of them muttering under his breath, clearly thinking you can't hear him. "So not just an Imp bitch, but a treacherous Imp bi-"

An Arbiter-honest snarl originates from your dragon-self and escapes your shared throat as you spin in place to glare at the man. You don't care about the faint hissing of Yellow static starting to fill the air around you thick enough to generate tiny sparks, you don't care that your ears have lengthened and your eyes gone slightly slitted. All you care about is making that jerk stumble back a bit as you pin him to the wall with your gaze. "Care to repeat that?" you ask icily.

Dragon-you is far less restrained. 'Make. Him. Suffer!' she growls mentally, her rage building. That, more than anything, reminds you of your place as the Heart. You have to rein this in!

Focusing, you ignore his babbled apologies and the way everyone else is backing away to give you a clear path to him. Forcing calm back on your mind, you channel out some compassion as you speak more gently. "I understand that you're scared," you say. "I understand that you're scared and it's easy to lash out when you're scared. But Elena didn't do anything to deserve this. She's come here to help you, just like I have. We all need to work together, just like Lady Artemis and Princess Hornglade and everyone else. That's how we're going to make things right."

The humans all glance at each other. "I-if you s-s-say so, Mi-Mistress…" the man you'd been glaring at stutters out.

Guilt pools coolly in your gut. "I'm sorry I scared you," you say. "What you were doing and saying was wrong, but I shouldn't have lost my temper." Dragon-you grumbles a little, but you can sense the guilt seeping into her too, and she wilts slightly as it suffices her being enough to shift her emotional state away from her anger.

The Northerners look at each other again, and you're heartened to see a few of them are looking guilty too. "I… We're sorry…" the leader said, lowering his lance as the others began slinking away. "We were just…" he seemed to struggle to find words for a few seconds before shrugging helplessly and leaving himself, leaving only you and Elena in the corridor.

"Sorry about that…" the former Talon says, slumping tiredly against the wall. "I saw them glaring at me, but I thought I'd be able to lose them…"

Gently, you pat the bigger woman on the shoulder. "You have nothing to be sorry for," you say, landing. "I'm sorry I lost my temper, that can't have been pleasant."

She smiles wryly. "Maybe if you'd been looking my way," she says bravely, though you get the feeling she isn't being a hundred percent honest. "But since you were protecting me, it's fine. You did nearly hit me with your wing a few times, though."

The two of you stare at each other for a second before you nod. "Alright," you say. "I'm glad that you're okay."

"Me too," Elena says. "I mean, I probably could have fought them off… but that would have just gotten me in real trouble. Best thing to do in the long run would have just been to take it…"

You shake your head sharply. "No! No you shouldn't have to just let people walk over you because you're different! I know I don't."

'Mostly,' your other half thinks dryly.

However, you press on with your initial thought. "If anyone gives you problems, come talk to me or Artemis, we'll set them straight. You came here to help us, and that means we're going to help you."

The Imperial woman looks at you oddly. "…You'd really do that, wouldn't you?" she says, a faint note of wonder in her voice. "I'm just a farm girl turned mercenary turned deserter… and you'd do that for me?"

"Of course," you say. "That's what friends do for each other."

"…You really mean that?" she asks. "That we're friends? I mean, you're really nice, but we don't… we haven't known each other all that long."

You consider Elena's words thoughtfully. It's true, you haven't known her very long, and aside from a few stories, mostly about her time with the Talons, you don't know a huge amount about her past.

However… "Yes," you say. "You were there at my Awakening, that alone gives you a big leg-up, and my dragon likes you-"

'She gives great head-scratches! Tell her she gives great head-scratches!'

"-especially when you're petting her," you continue. "And nothing I said before was wrong: you are here risking yourself to help make things right. It's not your fault if they don't recognize that." Lifting your head, you take a sniff as the smell of cooking meat drifts up from the courtyard… "As for the rest, why don't we sit down and learn a bit more about each other?"

Elena blinks a few times before slowly smiling.

"I… I'd like that."

Gained Support Rank C: Elena

---

"-so now we're going to be riding north, to the border," you say to Axton and Lancel as you sit and watch them rub down their horses after a day spent patrolling the area around the castle. Night is falling, and you're glad to hear that there weren't any problems.

While your conversation with Elena over lunch had been fun (and somewhat productive, as enough people had seen the two of you together that hopefully nobody would give her any problems anymore) it turns out that Alejandro had been using that lunch he'd suggested to quietly talk to the various nobles and their aides, convincing them to support sending a small expedition north to the border to check things out.

"For all that he's an incorrigible flirt," Artemis had muttered after the meeting finally broke up and the two of you stood by the window, watching him chat casually with a few women. "He does know what he's doing when it comes to sweet-talking people into doing what he wants."

Unfortunately, the man himself hadn't been able to convince the council to let him go as well. With Agrithe being the biggest single force currently around (Only a portion of the Hornglade army was present, along with a few scattered remnants of the Starhelm forces that hadn't followed their lord into the Empire and a few knights and men-at-arms from nearby kingdoms showing the banners) it had been decided that you'd provide the scouting force. That meant Artemis was in charge, and despite the requests of several of the nobles you'd insisted on joining her.

Which led you here, telling Axton and Lancel to be ready to ride out again in the morning.

The two men nod. "Very good," Axton says.

As you watch them tend to their mounts, you frown slightly. "I'm sorry it's been a while since we really got a chance to talk," you say. "I know you came to my Awakening and dragon-me played with you a bit-"

'I picked Axton up and put him on top of one of those pillars,' she says proudly.

'Yes, and that wasn't a nice thing to do,' you remind her.

'Everyone else was laughing! And I said sorry afterwards!'

Meanwhile, you continue your verbal comment. "-but we haven't really talked much otherwise…"

The two glance at each other. "Surely that is not so surprising, Mistress Levinheart?" Lancel says. "After all, you're Head Mage of Agrithe. You have more important things to do than seek out two common yeomen."

"But you're not just two common yeomen!" you say. "Not to me! You're two of the first people I met after I woke up. That means something to me, and I don't want to forget that."

Axton sighs, but Lancel nudges him and gives him a meaningful look. "We appreciate that, Mis-" You give him a Look. "-Ryza," the younger yeoman says. "So, other than the meeting, did anything else interesting happen while we were gone?"

You spend some time telliing them about what happened with Elena. "I don't get why they were being mean to her," you say as you finish, munching on the dry, salted jerky that Lancel had offered you. It's not as good as the freshly cooked and seasoned cuts of meat that Mother and Father made ('or the taste of raw goat in your mouth!' your bigger half says), but its almost addictive in its own way. "I mean, she's here to help, isn't she?"

Axton shrugs. "Most people tend to be very insular and suspicious of outsiders," he says. "There's a reason small villages have a reputation for being somewhat unwelcoming of strangers. Add on that these people were just invaded by people who sound like her…"

"But Miau was really nice to us," you say.

"True, but there are always exceptions to the rule. Besides, the people had met Lady Artemis before, and as such were less suspicious of her. The fact that we were clearly in distress also helped, most people will be willing to set aside some prejudices for those in need."

You suppose that makes some sense. Even though you're sure that Mother would have let a stranded, weary traveler rest if they'd come to your doorstep, she likely would have kept an eye on them. "So did you both grow up in small villages?" you ask. "Axton, you said something about a forest once…"

The older man nods, tearing off a piece of his own jerky as he looks up at the stars. The three of you are sitting outside the stables, listening to the ongoing hum of conversation from the hall. For some reason, none of you had felt like joining in tonight. "Some ways north of Castle Agrithe, yes," he says. "We were even smaller than Miau, which might have been part of the reason we were a bit more insular. Urban folks say that in small towns, everyone knows everyone, but that was literally true for us. Pretty much the only outsiders we saw were the occasional messenger or traveler who'd gotten lost or our lord when he came by hunting."

You turn to him in interest. "So what brought you out here, then?" you ask.

A small, rare smile crosses his face. "While most of the village was content to stay in our little corner of the world, Father had always been a wanderer, at least according to Mother. He'd been called up for levy service in his youth, and afterwards he'd stayed behind to train as a yeoman. Even after he had completed his active service, he took every opportunity to leave the reserves, to get back into the thick of it. It seemed he spent more time away from home than present."

Frowning, you realize there's a lot of past-tense talking in there. "What happened to him?" you ask.

Axton sighs. "He met the fate all warriors do eventually," he says. "He met someone who was younger, faster, luckier, and he died. He died defending Agrithe, which I'm sure is the sort of death he wanted… but that didn't help Mother. She never recovered from the grief, just… wasted away."

You reach out and pat his arm. "I'm sorry…" you say.

"It's the way of the world," he says. "Eventually, all things pass."

'So did he join to go fight the guy who killed his dad?' your impulsive self asks. Thankfully, your heart thinks better of phrasing it that way.

"So did you become a yeoman to honor his memory?" you ask instead.

He shrugs. "In part, I guess," he says. "Though part of it was that I simply didn't have anything or anyone left in the village after Mother passed. It's part of the reason I stayed on after my initial service ended; I'd found a place at the castle, and I felt it was better to stay with it."

"So… you don't have any family anymore?" you ask. When Axton shakes his head, you frown. "That sounds lonely. You should try to find-"

Lancel chuckles and puts a hand on your shoulder. "Don't," he says, but there's humor in his voice as he speaks. "It won't work. Pretty much everyone in the yeomen has tried to find a girl for Axton, and he's rebuffed us at every turn."

'… maybe we should go see if Legerius has any girl yeomen, like we found Claire for Kelton, so he'll be less stuffy,' dragon-you says. You nod to yourself, it's not a bad idea, though you probably should think about that later- 'But then he'll stay grumpy we should do it ~nowwwww~…'

"Mistress Levinheart?" Axton asks.

"Nothing, nothing!" you say quickly as humor and embarrassment swirl between and around the parts of your being at being caught thinking about something like that! "So, Lancel, what about you? What's your story?"

The two glance at each other, but after a moment both shrug. "I grew up in a stone-working and mining village, near the quarry that supplies Castle Agrithe," Lancel says. "It's where I picked up what little I know about it: I was pretty young when… well, digging is always a dangerous job. Sometimes, people break into old tunnels, ones that are best left sealed…"

You have a feeling you know where this is going… "What sort of monsters were down there?" you ask nervously.

The man signs. "Just the one: a great bloody cyclops. No idea how it got down there, but one minute everything was normal in the village, and the next… well, that massive thing's bursting out of the ground, waving around an axe bigger than some houses and doing what monsters do."

You blanche: while intelligent, magical monsters like gorgons are far more dangerous, few things can match the sheer destructive power of a cyclops. They're also very difficult to permanently kill; stories of them having their heads ripped off and their hearts torn out, only to continue fighting, are pretty common. Just about the only way to really kill them is magic; preferably expunging every trace of corrupted "soul" from them with White or Black magic or reducing their body to ash with the elemental colors. "How-"

"-Did I survive?" Lancel asks. "We were lucky. So, so lucky, that Master Shadebringer happened to be in town. The village militia were able to hold it off, distracting it with various arrows and javelins, as he used his power to destroy it. We still lost a lot of good people that day, including my family, but the town survived." He sighed. "I was like Axton, I guess; I didn't have anyone else. Besides, I'd nearly been crushed, but one of the yeomen with Master Shadebringer had grabbed me and carried me to safety, and I wanted to pay the good deed forward."

Looking between them, you consider the similarities between you all. All three of you've had your parents torn away by violence, only to find a new calling in Agrithe. True, Axton and Lancel'd already lived there, but still… "I'm sure your parents would all be very proud of you," you say. "Artemis and I probably wouldn't have made it to Legerius without you…"

Axton rolls his eyes. "I understand that you're trying to be nice," he says. "But we all know that's not true. You could have flown Lady Artemis home easily enough without us."

"Besides," Lancel says. "It's weird to hear you saying that, even though I know you're older than both of us put together."

Smiling, you wrap and arm around both their elbows. "Agree to disagree," you say to Axton. "But even so, I'm glad I met you both. Thanks for giving me a chance, even if I scared you when we first met."

"You're welcome, Ryza," Axton says. "Thank you for putting up with our suspicions."

Gained Support Rank C: Axton and Lancel

---

The next day finds you, Artemis, Phoebe, Axton, Lancel, and ten yeomen you don't know riding towards the border, with Belle, Kelton and Elena riding on the backs of some of the bigger horses. Sister Selinda is guiding you, though by the sound of it she'll have to return as soon as she's gotten you to the right place. You're not sure if you hope you find trouble, so you can say "I told you so" to all the doubters, or that you find nothing so that there aren't a bunch of Imperials sneaking around planning to invade the Divine Realm.

Thankfully, even as Starhelm turns to a tiny dot on the horizon, there's no sign of trouble. In fact, the first other person you see is an old man sweeping the pathway leading to a small shrine that, according to Sister Selinda, acts as a sort of marker for the border.


"Welcome, travelers," the old man says in a crinkly voice, but you can see the White magic gliding gracefully around him. He's not as powerful as Mistress Softshimmer, but in some ways you get the feeling that he's more attuned to his magic than she is, despite her surely having a Guiding Seal. "What brings you here?" He looks you all over, frowning a little. "And so armed and in such numbers."

The troubadour gets off her horse and bows deeply, forming an O with her hands over her heart. "Sun shine upon you, Father," she says.

The man repeats the gesture. "And also upon you, Sister," he says.

Standing, Sister Selinda gestures back to the rest of you. "This is Lady Artemis Cartese of Agrithe and her retinue, who have come from the south to help the Northern Kingdoms in their time of need," she says formally. "I am sure you have heard of the invasion into Starhelm by the servants of the False Savior?"

Frowning, the man nods, his eyes pausing on you for a moment. "I have," he says. "Though I would prefer if you do not use such incendiary language, especially not of the dead. Whatever the sins of his linage, Emperor Thaddeus was doing his utmost to make amends, and Sol Invictus shines warmly upon those who earnestly seek redemption. The world is lessened by his loss."

The younger priestess flinches. "My apologies, Father," she says. He makes a gesture of acceptance, still studying you. "Well, there is some evidence that the Imperials are planning to do something up here, and Lady Cartese, in her wisdom, wishes to survey the land, to ensure that there is no trouble."

Finally looking away from you, the Father looks Artemis over, nodding slowly. "While I hope that no war comes to this place," he says. "I am grateful that you have come so far to protect others, young lady."

Artemis, who'd dismounted, nods. "All those who seek freedom must stand together when the wyrm awakens," she says. "Besides, the Empire targeted my friends and I before they came here, so I have my own reasons to fight."

"I see," the man says, his eyes drifting back to you.

Swallowing slightly, you slip off Actaeon's back yourself. "Can I help you, Father?" you ask.

He starts slightly before giving a wry smile. "My apologies, child," he says. "I have just never seen such a bright sanctum of lightning magic contained within a physical form." He watches your cloak swish. "Nor have I ever seen a Marble Hall cloak upon so young a body."

Sister Selinda glances at you. "Mistress Levinheart is an… oddity, that is true, Father," she says. "But her heart comes from a pure place, and she seeks to protect others."

"That is good," the father says. "But where are my manners? I am Father Simon, the caretaker of this humble shrine." He glances up at the sky. "If you need time to rest, then you are all welcome here," he says. "And as you will be traveling in lands unfamiliar to you, I believe I have a map that will help you."

"You are most gracious, Father," Artemis says.

He waves a hand. "It is but a piece of parchment, child," he says. "though I would ask that you return it before you depart." His smile takes on a slightly teasing air. "I worked in a library in my younger years, in the Divine City. You would be shocked at how many people forget to return that which they have borrowed."

Artemis nods. "I will do so, Father," she says.

As the yeomen get off their horses to give them a quick rest, the old man walks back into the shrine, using his broom as a staff. A minute later, he exits with a large, rolled piece of parchment. "Here, Lady Cartese," he says, offering it to Artemis. "Sunlight brighten your path."

"And the Spirits be with you, Father," Artemis says.

"Thank you for your help," you say as everyone starts getting ready to leave.

Father Simon studies you again, his brow furrowed thoughtfully. "Forgive me, child," he says. "But might I know your name? Not just the title you seem to wear somewhat uncomfortably, if I might be so bold."

You jerk, you still aren't used to your mage-name, but you hadn't thought it was obvious! "Oh, yes," you say. "My name's Ryza."

"Ryza…" he says slowly. "Not the sort of name that is common in the Southern Kingdoms…" He glances at Sister Selinda again.

You hesitate for a moment, but you're trying to spread the word about what manakete were really like. "That's because I'm not from the Southern Kingdoms," you say, unfolding your wings. "I am a manakete, what humans know as dragons. I'd thought that Jenna had sent letters to the Revisionists up here, telling them about how we really were?" Had those letters somehow gotten delayed?

Father Simon blinks once, then twice. "I… see," he says, his eyes tracing your wings. "I will admit, that was not what I had expected," he says. "I had thought you had been particularly blessed by a spirit…"

"I have not seen her other form, Father," Sister Selinda says. "But I have spoken to enough of the soldiers from the South to know that it is true. She is of draconic blood."

"Hmmm…" Father Simon says.

A few tense seconds pass before Kelton speaks up. "Is there a problem with that?" he asks in what's clearly intended to be a mild voice, but you can tell that if the man gives the wrong answer, there are going to be some sharp words and maybe a few thrown spears.

The man waves a hand. "No, no," he says. "Sol Invictus has never seen fit to reveal all things to her servants, and thus we are often surprised. I had not expected this morning to be told that the ancient ones still walked the land, I had though the old Emperor had been… most thorough."

You flinch. "Well, I know I'm alive," you say. "And I'm hoping to find others." Looking around, you see the yeomen have finished re-mounting. "Well, it was nice talking to you, Father Simon," you say, flapping back onto Actaeon's back. "But I have to go help Artemis and the others. If you want to know more, you can talk to any Revisionists you know, I was told there were quite a few living here in the Divine Realm."

"So there are," Father Simon says as he watches you. "Though sadly, not so many live near me." He pauses. "However… perhaps I shall find a replacement to watch the shrine temporarily so that I might learn more. It is not every day that a living legend walks out of history one sunny morning."

…You're not quite sure how you feel about that statement…

Thankfully, before anything more can be said, Artemis gives a whistle as she looks up from the map. "Alright, we have a job, people!" she calls. "Mount up and let's get going." She gives a nod to Sister Selinda and Father Simon. "Thank you for your assistance. Rest assured, if the Empire is planning something up here, we will deal with it."

Both priest and priestess nod. "Sun guide you, Lady Cartese," Sister Selinda says.

"You too," your friend says as she gets up in front of you, letting you wrap your arms around her as she leads the way west at a canter.

As you glance back, however, you see Father Simon staring after you, a small frown on his face. Sister Selinda says something you don't catch, and he simply nods, not taking his eyes off you.

'… I don't know if I like him,' dragon-you says quietly.

'I know what you mean,' heart-you says back. 'I mean, he didn't do anything bad, and he seemed nice enough, but…'

'He was kinda weird,' both your halves say together.


As you begin your patrol of the border, occasionally dipping into the Divine Realm to cover more ground, how do you personally scout for trouble?


[] You stick close to Artemis and the rest of the group. While you will fly around and ahead, you're always within easy range of them. This does limit your options somewhat, and it's possible you'll miss something, but if you run into trouble you're assured to have help.

[] You range well away from the others, covering large amounts of area. This means that you're all but guaranteed to find out about any shenanigans going on, but it's possible you might do so far enough from help that you'll either have to handle things alone, or flee with your tail between your legs if it's beyond your solo abilities.

[] You convince Artemis to split the group up to cover more area. She and Phoebe will take five yeomen, Axton and Lancel five more, and the infantry will cover the wooded areas that horses are less maneuverable in. You will act as the glue holding these groups together. While you're all but positive you'll find any trouble that might be out here… you'll do so with only a portion of your full force.

[] Write-in (subject to veto)

yannoshka said:

Seeing as going solo scouting explicitly says we are all but guaranteed to discover shenanigans, I have to disagree with your interpretation.

The way I see it, it is a case of balancing.

Sticking close gives us the safest investigation, with the least chance to discover anything.
Ranging on our own reverse that - least safe, greatest chance of discovering things.
Splitting the party is the middle-of-the-road action. Better safety than going at it on our own, but still less chance to discover stuff, and better investigation than going in the full group, but at lower safety.

Click to expand...

Click to shrink...

Quoted for truth, sorry if I didn't make that as clear as I should have. You have a very good chance of finding things if you split the group, but it's not guaranteed in the way doing a very wide aerial scout pattern does. You are, however, guaranteed to have some help if/when you do run into Problems?(tm), though not the whole group. Meanwhile, sticking together has a lower chance of finding things, but if you do find it, you have the full force of the group behind you.