Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
I'm not prepared to say that's for sure, but you're probably right.
[X] Agree to join Anri and Horace and head for the Cathedral of the Deep.
Blue Ash (Dark Souls III/PMMM)
- Thread starter RecurringExtra
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
[X] Agree to join Anri and Horace and head for the Cathedral of the Deep.
[X] Agree to join Anri and Horace and head for the Cathedral of the Deep.
Really, is there any other option? More people, potentially easier fights, and they even straight up agreed to help us through Farron afterwards so no loss.
Also, glad to see I was wrong about Hawkwood talking with the Corvians, situation resolved peacefully (as long as we don't intend to go back that way anytime soon). Even got a bonus advance warning about Friede that Sayaka will hopefully remember when the time comes.
Really, is there any other option? More people, potentially easier fights, and they even straight up agreed to help us through Farron afterwards so no loss.
Also, glad to see I was wrong about Hawkwood talking with the Corvians, situation resolved peacefully (as long as we don't intend to go back that way anytime soon). Even got a bonus advance warning about Friede that Sayaka will hopefully remember when the time comes.
Last edited:
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
I honestly expected more people to comment on this. I mean, it's a change I made for a reason, but it's still a really weird, and honestly kind of dumb reason (although I feel it's the kind of dumb reason that would actually happen, which is why I went with it. Can't really say more for reasons.)
I figured that there really wasn't a reason to not have the option to join them, since, you know, they're literally right there. I honestly have very mixed feelings about the Road of Sacrifices. On the one hand, I do like the area in theory. It's a nice little zone meant to split into two different ways, and isn't meant to be anything big. On the other, for some reason it's been cursed and writing about it in this quest has been slow beyond lethargic.
That said, I am very much looking forward to the Painted World, although actually getting to it is going to be weird. Gael is kind of a weirdo when you actually meet him for the first time.
Just to confirm, Aldritch is not at the Cathedral. Even if I wanted to put him there, it'd basically break the story entirely because he's been gone from there for a long time. That said, don't expect the Cathedral to be the exact same as it is in game, barring it being disgusting and (almost) everyone there being awful. So, you know, still pretty similar over all.
Hawkwood actively doesn't want to fight pretty much anything, barring abyss corruption, to be fair. I probably should've emphasized more in the voting options that his goal was getting out of the situation over anything else. Staying and apologizing still involves staying around longer, unless you're just giving a half-assed apology that wouldn't actually mean anything, which is debatably worse than not apologizing at all.
Last edited:
[X] Agree to join Anri and Horace and head for the Cathedral of the Deep.
I was honestly just confused abaout what sword-spear you were describing. If it was Anri sword or Horace halberd.
If it is Horace weapon, making it a spear-sword would kinda change the lore of how he obtained it.
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
It's Anri. I changed it for a reason, though, I promise. Said reason is honestly kind of dumb, as I previously mentioned, but if there's one thing about rumors turning into folk tales and legends over time, it's that 'being correct' is often secondary to what people think sounds cool.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Agree to join Anri and Horace and head for the Cathedral of the Deep.
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
Voting will close tonight at 10 PM.
[X] Decline the offer, and head towards Farron first.
They have their role, we have ours. Sort of. If you subscribe to the theory that each Unkindled was arisen to deal with one of the Lords in particular that abandoned their throne. Hawkwood- Abyss Watchers, Anri- Aldrich, Onionbro- Yhorm, and PC- Prince Lothric.
Hopefully Hawkwood can speedrun Sayaka through Farron Keep, right? Right?
Things just get more interesting when the world can talk.
They have their role, we have ours. Sort of. If you subscribe to the theory that each Unkindled was arisen to deal with one of the Lords in particular that abandoned their throne. Hawkwood- Abyss Watchers, Anri- Aldrich, Onionbro- Yhorm, and PC- Prince Lothric.
Hopefully Hawkwood can speedrun Sayaka through Farron Keep, right? Right?
Things just get more interesting when the world can talk.
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
I am a dumb. Voting is closed.
Road of Sacrifices 5: Original Location Do Not Steal
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
"Could you give us one moment?" Hawkwood asks.
"I'd only ask that you don't take too long, if you wouldn't mind. We're by no means in a rush, but I feel there's been enough waiting around for a lifetime as it is." Anri says.
"Much appreciated." Hawkwood says, before dragging you to the other side of the courtyard.
"Is something the matter?" You ask.
"No, but don't you think having a conversation like this right in front of somebody would feel rude?" Hawkwood poses.
"I mean, I guess" you say with a shrug. " So do you have an issue with us joining them?"
"Honestly? For the most part, no. The more hands the better, although that other fellow, Horace, does seem a bit... odd."
"I'm not sure if you really have much room to talk there." You reply, to which he merely rolls his eyes.
"You're not wrong, but there's just something about him that seems off, and no, it's not the fact that he isn't talking. I just can't put my finger on it. Keep an eye on him, is all."
"What, do you think he'll attack us or something?
"I don't think that, no, but you can never really know." He says. "So I assume by your earlier question that you have no problem with them either?"
"No problems by me. It'll be nice to have other people around. Maybe they won't be as depressing as you."
"I prefer to see it as maintaining realistic expectations."
"Yeah, I'm sure you do." You say with a smile, before you head back over to Anri and Horace. Hawkwood joins you a moment later, still looking a bit annoyed.
"Alright, sorry about that." Hawkwood apologizes, rubbing his neck. "I just wanted to clarify a few things beforehand. We'd be happy to go with you."
"You see Horace? I told you that they weren't going to just run off on us." Anri says, turning to her silent companion. Horace raises his hands in the air, seemingly as a sign of surrender.
"What, you thought we'd actually say no?" You ask.
"I didn't, but Horace doesn't trust people very easily. It's..." Anri pauses when Horace glares at them. At least you assume it's a glare, it's hard to tell with the face covering helmet. "...a long story. Suffice it to say, it's for a good reason." When no further context is provided, Hawkwood just gives a slow nod.
"Well, alright then."
"So, as I said, up ahead we have the Crucifixion Woods." Anri begins.
"You mentioned that earlier." Hawkwood says, confused. "What's something so ghastly doing in the hinterlands of Farron?"
"Apparently there were fears of a beast plague, from what little I know. The choice to crucify victims is one that I can't say I fully understand."
"What the hell is a 'beast plague'?" Hawkwood asks.
"I don't claim to understand it myself, but I believe it had something to do with wolf blood, or something like that." Anri explains.
Hawkwood doesn't respond, instead simply thinking to himself. He looks a bit unsettled, but seems to choose not to say anything.
"After that, we should arrive almost immediately at the Cathedral. The place is likely to be packed with madmen, so I'll hope the two of you are ready for a fight."
"Why can't there be more people like those Corvians? It'd be nice to go somewhere and not have to slaughter everyone present."
"Even if we had a choice in the matter, do you really think allowing the monsters in the Cathedral to continue living would be wise?"
"If it means we could continue on sooner? Absolutely." Hawkwood says without a moment of hesitation. Our primary goal is hunting down the Lords of Cinder; all else is secondary. Besides, a frontal assault on a fortified target like this would be a terrible idea, and that's if we had an army to back us up. If we had the option to avoid the risk, why wouldn't we take it?"
"Because the creatures there are monsters that can't be allowed to live." Anri hisses.
"There are a lot of monsters in this world. Throwing your life away on a fool's errand like that just to kill a few of them is noble, yes. Heroic even. It's the kind of thing that I'd expect from the Legion."
"Then why would you be opposed to it?"
"Because the Legion was full of idiots with hero complexes who were all too happy to get themselves killed." Hawkwood explains, before relaxing somewhat. "It's a rather moot point, though. One of our targets should be in the Cathedral, and I doubt he's going to be accepting guests willingly, so we have little choice but stupid heroics. And with the four of us together? We just might be able to take one of them down, if we get lucky."
"Woah, hold on," you say, interrupting, " since when did you feel positive about anything?" Honestly, that would have been pretty cool of him to say, if he hadn't added that last bit at the end. It really killed the mood, which is rather fitting considering who it was that said it.
"The key word there is might. I still doubt our chances, truthfully, but I doubt they're going to be getting better than this." He sighs. "I already know that you'd be trying to hunt them down alone if you had to, and I can't just let you get yourself killed. So if we really are going to do this, then this is the best shot we'll be getting." Anri pauses, before giving a nod.
"Allow me to apologize for that earlier outburst of mine. I... was concerned that you were leading that conversation in a very different direction."
"What I said earlier is how I feel on the matter, but how I feel on the matter is irrelevant to the reality of the situation. If our only option is to run face first into a brick wall, then she," he gestures towards you, "would be trying to break it down before anyone else."
"Wha-, hey!" You yell out, much to Hawkwood's amusement. You shoot him a glare, only to hear a light snicker come from Anri. "Oh, not you too?"
"Sorry, as I said before, I haven't gotten to experience anything like this in a very long long time." Anri says. "It's refreshing to be reminded of such things."
With the tension having quickly been dispelled, everyone gets ready to continue the journey. Before you do, you put your hand over the nearby bonfire, and watch as the flames erupt from it. It, like so much else, may not make much sense beyond 'magic', but you're okay with this part. It's pretty cool.
"Let's get moving, shall we?" Anri says after a few minutes of preparation, and you can picture them smiling. Kind of. You honestly can't actually picture their face, you really have no clue what they might look like, but still.
As you move through the archway, you're struck by what you see in the distance. You have a clear view of Farron Woods, and the three flaming towers spread amongst them. If it weren't for the layer of fog in the air, you'd imagine it'd be purely green from here to the giant rising rock that holds up Lothric. You aren't the only one struck by the sight either. You can hear Hawkwood audibly inhale at the sight, freezing up almost completely as he stares out at what was once his home. It takes Anri a moment to notice the sudden hold up, but they quickly turn around.
"I hope you aren't having second thoughts already." Anri says, though there's a hint of amusement in their voice. They clearly aren't being serious.
"Wuh..." Hawkwood blinks, realizing that he'd stopped completely in his tracks. "Oh, uh, um, sorry." He swallows nervously, before finally breaking his gaze. "It's been a long time, and now that I'm close..."
"Don't worry, the sooner we get through the Cathedral, the sooner we can head over there. How's that sound?"Anri says, patting Hawkwood on the back. Hawkwood takes another deep breath, before giving Anri a nod.
"Yeah... yeah." is his reply. Not exactly the most thought provoking on its own, but you can guess he has a lot of thoughts going on through his head as it is. If you saw Mitakihara off in the distance right now, you aren't sure how'd you feel either. Well, it'd probably be a lot weirder, since it'd be so out of place, but... this didn't work as well as you'd hoped.
"It still feels so wrong, though." Hawkwood says, interrupting your train(wreck) of consciousness.
"What does?" Anri asks.
"It took me some time to realize, but that was the old border outpost." he says, gesturing behind him to the ruined fortress, "The issue is that the distances are all off. The Cult of the Deep was several days' travel from Farron proper, and the outpost should be around two days from the Keep."
"Didn't you say that the Cathedral was on the outskirts of Farron?" You point out, remembering an earlier conversation on the topic. "Outskirts implies it'd be kind of close, doesn't it?"
"I meant on the outskirts of the area controlled by the Farron Legion. At its height, we... the Legion was massive, and while it never held enough territory under its influence to be recognized as a nation in its own right, it may as well have been for all intents and purposes." He explains. "But that's just the start. For one, the presence of the High Wall, looming over Farron like a mountain that simply shouldn't be there. And this isn't even mentioning the fact that the 'Cathedral' of the Deep is even a thing." Both Anri and Horace stiffen up somewhat in response to the mention of the place.
"What do you mean, exactly?" Anri asks, their voice hardened.
"I remember the group of isolationist priests who guarded their self proclaimed holy site that they called 'the Deep', and there was nothing like the massive building or the amount of support that they now seem to have back then. There also wasn't any cannibalism nonsense and what not, it was just a group of people that wished to be left alone with their faith. I mean, they were suspected of having Abyssal ties numerous times, but there was never even the slightest bit of proof found beyond the accusations. Either they were just that good at hiding it, or they were working to keep the Abyss suppressed, because there's clearly something there that's gone out of control." He shakes his head. "And now they're a crazed cult of cannibals worshiping a giant ball of slime." He pauses briefly, seeming to realize something. "My apologies, I should stop wasting our time with useless recollections."
"It's alright" Anri turns to look at Horace, who gives a nod in return. "That's actually rather useful information. From what we'd known, the Cathedral has always been a cesspit of cruelty."
"I can't say I knew much of their practices, but they never seemed to be awful people, just rather cagey towards outsiders."
With one final glance at Farron, Hawkwood joins the rest of you as you all finally begin moving, heading down the pathway that leads to the so-called Road of Sacrifices. It's about time that you finally arrived there, you idly think to yourself as you round a corner on the slope down. That is, unless the earlier section was also part of the Road of Sacrifices, in which case you'd already arrived. You really aren't sure of the specifics of where exactly it would actually begin, but the specifics are kind of irrelevant in your mind the moment you spot a hollowed man carrying a pointy tree.
In the place of any sort of practical weapon, it's... a sharpened log. A thin, twisted and fairly gnarly log, likely from what was once a young tree or a particularly large branch, but still a log. What?
"Beasts... bloody beasts..." The man murmurs to himself, before he seems to notice your group. "Eh? You lot beasts too?" Before any of you can even reply, he's already started charging at you with his makeshift spear. More specifically, charging at Hawkwood, judging by where it's pointing.
The moment he's in range, Horace has already pierced his heart with the spike atop his halberd. Stiffly, the man collapses to the ground.
"Damn... the legion..." He manages to rasp out before falling still.
"I guess you really aren't that popular, huh Hawkwood?" You start, before seeing the look on his face.
"...He was a member too."
"What?" Anri asks.
"Not everyone in the Legion was a combatant. What's going on he-"
Before he can finish, Hawkwood's interrupted by a loud groaning noise. You all turn to look and see another hollow with a tree further down the path, who is quickly joined in by a mass of gurgling noises as a practical horde of stick wielding hollows lurch over towards your group.
To call what follows a "battle" wouldn't really be fair. When Hawkwood said that these weren't combatants, he was clearly being serious. None of them seem to have much experience in combat, judging by how, in their hollowed state, they can do little more than amble over towards you with their pointy sticks at the ready. Anri and Horace both step forward, in one hand holding their respective polearms, and the other a shield, with Horace having a small circular shield to Anri's large kite shield. While Anri's weapon is rather silly, it's still a deadly weapon, as proven as they cut out the throats of several hollows in a single swing. Horace, meanwhile, doesn't put much effort into finesse, although judging by how he took out the hollow before, it isn't from a lack of capability. Instead, he uses his halberd's axehead to chop through the horde, blood and viscera scattering around. After his first swing, he stows away his shield and switches to a two handed grip, seeming to realize that there isn't much of a need to worry about protection.
Unfortunately, Hawkwood seems a bit... off right now, but thankfully, all the two really need is a bit of help, owing to the fact that they're fighting on an inclined slope against a bunch of hollows armed with wood. You summon a few swords, and pull the triggers on them, the blades flying forward and impaling themselves into the hollows who the other two hadn't been able to get to as quickly.
All in all, the 'fight' if you can call it that is over in about ten or so seconds, after which Hawkwood seems to finally free himself from the daze he had fallen into.
"Ah, crap." He says with a shake of his head. In truth, it'd basically been just a brief hesitation, but he clearly seemed embarrassed by it. "I really need to shape up. Not exactly giving off a good first impression, am I?"
"Frankly, if you keep acting like that, me and Horace are going to start putting our trust in the child over you." Anri says, to which you try your best not to get annoyed about, because they're probably just saying it to make a point. It's hard though. You have a name, after all, and referring to you like that is rather rude.
"Is everybody just fine with a girl her age being exposed to things like..." He stops, likely determining the answer to that question before he even finishes it, and doubtlessly hating it. "Forget it. I won't let myself slip up again." He says, before heading forward. Horace glances over at Anri and then you, before moving up to join him.
"Is he always like this?" Anri asks.
"I mean, he's been gloomy ever since I met him, but this is a lot, even for him." You say with a shrug.
"I imagine that this is not going to be a very fun homecoming for him." Anri says with a shake of their head, before continuing on, with you quickly joining.
Up ahead, you spot Hawkwood having paused again, this time kneeling down to examine the swampy ground. At least he doesn't seem to be blankly staring at it.
"The wetlands shouldn't be starting here." He mutters as you walk up. "They're several miles in, well past the Keep." He stands back up and turns his head to look at the ever thickening tree line that blocks sight up ahead. "I suppose it isn't just distance that's being messed with, but position as well."
How is this an idea that people can just accept as being possible? Saying 'Oh yeah, looks like a few miles just ceased to exist again' should get you assigned to a psych ward, not just be something you're able to shrug off. How does distance even disappear? You could easily shrug it off if it was just stuff having vanished. That would be weird, but you've seen weirder. Hell, you've been weirder. Maybe the position swapping he mentioned is what's really going on? In fact, yeah, from now on you're going with that. It's weird, but at least it's the kind of weird you can wrap your head around.
Off in the distance, you can see what looks like several creatures with red eyes. They're chained up to a bunch of crosses, although there's a big circle in the middle so they're a different kind of cross, or something. You're guessing that's where this place gets its name from. Still, the things look pretty big, and you don't see a reason to get near them. Instead, your small group continues through the woods, eventually finding a bonfire located on a small hill nearby. You reach down and light it, ignoring just how close it is to the previous one, because lighting these things is still cool.
[ ] Continue heading for the Cathedral of the Deep.
[ ] Head back to Firelink Shrine.
-[] For? (Write In)
[ ] You have extra people now. The only thing stopping you from beating that demon now is common sense, but who needs that when you can go and fight a big monster? You'd probably have to somehow convince Anri and Horace, but you're sure you could do that!
-[ ] How do you convince Anri and Horace to help in thiswaste of time heroic task? (Write in)
[ ] Okay, there's clearly something happening with Farron. Maybe heading there first would be a good idea?
-[ ] How do you convince Anri and Horace to agree to the detour? (Write in)
[ ] Write in
God, I really hate how much of this area is just a fucking Bloodborne reference.
Also, if you actually want to try and do either of the two options, you're going to have to come up with a good enough explanation to try and convince Anri and Horace.
"I'd only ask that you don't take too long, if you wouldn't mind. We're by no means in a rush, but I feel there's been enough waiting around for a lifetime as it is." Anri says.
"Much appreciated." Hawkwood says, before dragging you to the other side of the courtyard.
"Is something the matter?" You ask.
"No, but don't you think having a conversation like this right in front of somebody would feel rude?" Hawkwood poses.
"I mean, I guess" you say with a shrug. " So do you have an issue with us joining them?"
"Honestly? For the most part, no. The more hands the better, although that other fellow, Horace, does seem a bit... odd."
"I'm not sure if you really have much room to talk there." You reply, to which he merely rolls his eyes.
"You're not wrong, but there's just something about him that seems off, and no, it's not the fact that he isn't talking. I just can't put my finger on it. Keep an eye on him, is all."
"What, do you think he'll attack us or something?
"I don't think that, no, but you can never really know." He says. "So I assume by your earlier question that you have no problem with them either?"
"No problems by me. It'll be nice to have other people around. Maybe they won't be as depressing as you."
"I prefer to see it as maintaining realistic expectations."
"Yeah, I'm sure you do." You say with a smile, before you head back over to Anri and Horace. Hawkwood joins you a moment later, still looking a bit annoyed.
"Alright, sorry about that." Hawkwood apologizes, rubbing his neck. "I just wanted to clarify a few things beforehand. We'd be happy to go with you."
"You see Horace? I told you that they weren't going to just run off on us." Anri says, turning to her silent companion. Horace raises his hands in the air, seemingly as a sign of surrender.
"What, you thought we'd actually say no?" You ask.
"I didn't, but Horace doesn't trust people very easily. It's..." Anri pauses when Horace glares at them. At least you assume it's a glare, it's hard to tell with the face covering helmet. "...a long story. Suffice it to say, it's for a good reason." When no further context is provided, Hawkwood just gives a slow nod.
"Well, alright then."
"So, as I said, up ahead we have the Crucifixion Woods." Anri begins.
"You mentioned that earlier." Hawkwood says, confused. "What's something so ghastly doing in the hinterlands of Farron?"
"Apparently there were fears of a beast plague, from what little I know. The choice to crucify victims is one that I can't say I fully understand."
"What the hell is a 'beast plague'?" Hawkwood asks.
"I don't claim to understand it myself, but I believe it had something to do with wolf blood, or something like that." Anri explains.
Hawkwood doesn't respond, instead simply thinking to himself. He looks a bit unsettled, but seems to choose not to say anything.
"After that, we should arrive almost immediately at the Cathedral. The place is likely to be packed with madmen, so I'll hope the two of you are ready for a fight."
"Why can't there be more people like those Corvians? It'd be nice to go somewhere and not have to slaughter everyone present."
"Even if we had a choice in the matter, do you really think allowing the monsters in the Cathedral to continue living would be wise?"
"If it means we could continue on sooner? Absolutely." Hawkwood says without a moment of hesitation. Our primary goal is hunting down the Lords of Cinder; all else is secondary. Besides, a frontal assault on a fortified target like this would be a terrible idea, and that's if we had an army to back us up. If we had the option to avoid the risk, why wouldn't we take it?"
"Because the creatures there are monsters that can't be allowed to live." Anri hisses.
"There are a lot of monsters in this world. Throwing your life away on a fool's errand like that just to kill a few of them is noble, yes. Heroic even. It's the kind of thing that I'd expect from the Legion."
"Then why would you be opposed to it?"
"Because the Legion was full of idiots with hero complexes who were all too happy to get themselves killed." Hawkwood explains, before relaxing somewhat. "It's a rather moot point, though. One of our targets should be in the Cathedral, and I doubt he's going to be accepting guests willingly, so we have little choice but stupid heroics. And with the four of us together? We just might be able to take one of them down, if we get lucky."
"Woah, hold on," you say, interrupting, " since when did you feel positive about anything?" Honestly, that would have been pretty cool of him to say, if he hadn't added that last bit at the end. It really killed the mood, which is rather fitting considering who it was that said it.
"The key word there is might. I still doubt our chances, truthfully, but I doubt they're going to be getting better than this." He sighs. "I already know that you'd be trying to hunt them down alone if you had to, and I can't just let you get yourself killed. So if we really are going to do this, then this is the best shot we'll be getting." Anri pauses, before giving a nod.
"Allow me to apologize for that earlier outburst of mine. I... was concerned that you were leading that conversation in a very different direction."
"What I said earlier is how I feel on the matter, but how I feel on the matter is irrelevant to the reality of the situation. If our only option is to run face first into a brick wall, then she," he gestures towards you, "would be trying to break it down before anyone else."
"Wha-, hey!" You yell out, much to Hawkwood's amusement. You shoot him a glare, only to hear a light snicker come from Anri. "Oh, not you too?"
"Sorry, as I said before, I haven't gotten to experience anything like this in a very long long time." Anri says. "It's refreshing to be reminded of such things."
With the tension having quickly been dispelled, everyone gets ready to continue the journey. Before you do, you put your hand over the nearby bonfire, and watch as the flames erupt from it. It, like so much else, may not make much sense beyond 'magic', but you're okay with this part. It's pretty cool.
"Let's get moving, shall we?" Anri says after a few minutes of preparation, and you can picture them smiling. Kind of. You honestly can't actually picture their face, you really have no clue what they might look like, but still.
As you move through the archway, you're struck by what you see in the distance. You have a clear view of Farron Woods, and the three flaming towers spread amongst them. If it weren't for the layer of fog in the air, you'd imagine it'd be purely green from here to the giant rising rock that holds up Lothric. You aren't the only one struck by the sight either. You can hear Hawkwood audibly inhale at the sight, freezing up almost completely as he stares out at what was once his home. It takes Anri a moment to notice the sudden hold up, but they quickly turn around.
"I hope you aren't having second thoughts already." Anri says, though there's a hint of amusement in their voice. They clearly aren't being serious.
"Wuh..." Hawkwood blinks, realizing that he'd stopped completely in his tracks. "Oh, uh, um, sorry." He swallows nervously, before finally breaking his gaze. "It's been a long time, and now that I'm close..."
"Don't worry, the sooner we get through the Cathedral, the sooner we can head over there. How's that sound?"Anri says, patting Hawkwood on the back. Hawkwood takes another deep breath, before giving Anri a nod.
"Yeah... yeah." is his reply. Not exactly the most thought provoking on its own, but you can guess he has a lot of thoughts going on through his head as it is. If you saw Mitakihara off in the distance right now, you aren't sure how'd you feel either. Well, it'd probably be a lot weirder, since it'd be so out of place, but... this didn't work as well as you'd hoped.
"It still feels so wrong, though." Hawkwood says, interrupting your train(wreck) of consciousness.
"What does?" Anri asks.
"It took me some time to realize, but that was the old border outpost." he says, gesturing behind him to the ruined fortress, "The issue is that the distances are all off. The Cult of the Deep was several days' travel from Farron proper, and the outpost should be around two days from the Keep."
"Didn't you say that the Cathedral was on the outskirts of Farron?" You point out, remembering an earlier conversation on the topic. "Outskirts implies it'd be kind of close, doesn't it?"
"I meant on the outskirts of the area controlled by the Farron Legion. At its height, we... the Legion was massive, and while it never held enough territory under its influence to be recognized as a nation in its own right, it may as well have been for all intents and purposes." He explains. "But that's just the start. For one, the presence of the High Wall, looming over Farron like a mountain that simply shouldn't be there. And this isn't even mentioning the fact that the 'Cathedral' of the Deep is even a thing." Both Anri and Horace stiffen up somewhat in response to the mention of the place.
"What do you mean, exactly?" Anri asks, their voice hardened.
"I remember the group of isolationist priests who guarded their self proclaimed holy site that they called 'the Deep', and there was nothing like the massive building or the amount of support that they now seem to have back then. There also wasn't any cannibalism nonsense and what not, it was just a group of people that wished to be left alone with their faith. I mean, they were suspected of having Abyssal ties numerous times, but there was never even the slightest bit of proof found beyond the accusations. Either they were just that good at hiding it, or they were working to keep the Abyss suppressed, because there's clearly something there that's gone out of control." He shakes his head. "And now they're a crazed cult of cannibals worshiping a giant ball of slime." He pauses briefly, seeming to realize something. "My apologies, I should stop wasting our time with useless recollections."
"It's alright" Anri turns to look at Horace, who gives a nod in return. "That's actually rather useful information. From what we'd known, the Cathedral has always been a cesspit of cruelty."
"I can't say I knew much of their practices, but they never seemed to be awful people, just rather cagey towards outsiders."
With one final glance at Farron, Hawkwood joins the rest of you as you all finally begin moving, heading down the pathway that leads to the so-called Road of Sacrifices. It's about time that you finally arrived there, you idly think to yourself as you round a corner on the slope down. That is, unless the earlier section was also part of the Road of Sacrifices, in which case you'd already arrived. You really aren't sure of the specifics of where exactly it would actually begin, but the specifics are kind of irrelevant in your mind the moment you spot a hollowed man carrying a pointy tree.
In the place of any sort of practical weapon, it's... a sharpened log. A thin, twisted and fairly gnarly log, likely from what was once a young tree or a particularly large branch, but still a log. What?
"Beasts... bloody beasts..." The man murmurs to himself, before he seems to notice your group. "Eh? You lot beasts too?" Before any of you can even reply, he's already started charging at you with his makeshift spear. More specifically, charging at Hawkwood, judging by where it's pointing.
The moment he's in range, Horace has already pierced his heart with the spike atop his halberd. Stiffly, the man collapses to the ground.
"Damn... the legion..." He manages to rasp out before falling still.
"I guess you really aren't that popular, huh Hawkwood?" You start, before seeing the look on his face.
"...He was a member too."
"What?" Anri asks.
"Not everyone in the Legion was a combatant. What's going on he-"
Before he can finish, Hawkwood's interrupted by a loud groaning noise. You all turn to look and see another hollow with a tree further down the path, who is quickly joined in by a mass of gurgling noises as a practical horde of stick wielding hollows lurch over towards your group.
[Four on Twenty: 74 + 20 (Four Player Co-Op is Very Fair) = 94/100]
To call what follows a "battle" wouldn't really be fair. When Hawkwood said that these weren't combatants, he was clearly being serious. None of them seem to have much experience in combat, judging by how, in their hollowed state, they can do little more than amble over towards you with their pointy sticks at the ready. Anri and Horace both step forward, in one hand holding their respective polearms, and the other a shield, with Horace having a small circular shield to Anri's large kite shield. While Anri's weapon is rather silly, it's still a deadly weapon, as proven as they cut out the throats of several hollows in a single swing. Horace, meanwhile, doesn't put much effort into finesse, although judging by how he took out the hollow before, it isn't from a lack of capability. Instead, he uses his halberd's axehead to chop through the horde, blood and viscera scattering around. After his first swing, he stows away his shield and switches to a two handed grip, seeming to realize that there isn't much of a need to worry about protection.
Unfortunately, Hawkwood seems a bit... off right now, but thankfully, all the two really need is a bit of help, owing to the fact that they're fighting on an inclined slope against a bunch of hollows armed with wood. You summon a few swords, and pull the triggers on them, the blades flying forward and impaling themselves into the hollows who the other two hadn't been able to get to as quickly.
(3000 Souls Gained)
(+15 Corruption)
(+15 Corruption)
All in all, the 'fight' if you can call it that is over in about ten or so seconds, after which Hawkwood seems to finally free himself from the daze he had fallen into.
"Ah, crap." He says with a shake of his head. In truth, it'd basically been just a brief hesitation, but he clearly seemed embarrassed by it. "I really need to shape up. Not exactly giving off a good first impression, am I?"
"Frankly, if you keep acting like that, me and Horace are going to start putting our trust in the child over you." Anri says, to which you try your best not to get annoyed about, because they're probably just saying it to make a point. It's hard though. You have a name, after all, and referring to you like that is rather rude.
"Is everybody just fine with a girl her age being exposed to things like..." He stops, likely determining the answer to that question before he even finishes it, and doubtlessly hating it. "Forget it. I won't let myself slip up again." He says, before heading forward. Horace glances over at Anri and then you, before moving up to join him.
"Is he always like this?" Anri asks.
"I mean, he's been gloomy ever since I met him, but this is a lot, even for him." You say with a shrug.
"I imagine that this is not going to be a very fun homecoming for him." Anri says with a shake of their head, before continuing on, with you quickly joining.
Up ahead, you spot Hawkwood having paused again, this time kneeling down to examine the swampy ground. At least he doesn't seem to be blankly staring at it.
"The wetlands shouldn't be starting here." He mutters as you walk up. "They're several miles in, well past the Keep." He stands back up and turns his head to look at the ever thickening tree line that blocks sight up ahead. "I suppose it isn't just distance that's being messed with, but position as well."
How is this an idea that people can just accept as being possible? Saying 'Oh yeah, looks like a few miles just ceased to exist again' should get you assigned to a psych ward, not just be something you're able to shrug off. How does distance even disappear? You could easily shrug it off if it was just stuff having vanished. That would be weird, but you've seen weirder. Hell, you've been weirder. Maybe the position swapping he mentioned is what's really going on? In fact, yeah, from now on you're going with that. It's weird, but at least it's the kind of weird you can wrap your head around.
Off in the distance, you can see what looks like several creatures with red eyes. They're chained up to a bunch of crosses, although there's a big circle in the middle so they're a different kind of cross, or something. You're guessing that's where this place gets its name from. Still, the things look pretty big, and you don't see a reason to get near them. Instead, your small group continues through the woods, eventually finding a bonfire located on a small hill nearby. You reach down and light it, ignoring just how close it is to the previous one, because lighting these things is still cool.
[ ] Continue heading for the Cathedral of the Deep.
[ ] Head back to Firelink Shrine.
-[] For? (Write In)
[ ] You have extra people now. The only thing stopping you from beating that demon now is common sense, but who needs that when you can go and fight a big monster? You'd probably have to somehow convince Anri and Horace, but you're sure you could do that!
-[ ] How do you convince Anri and Horace to help in this
[ ] Okay, there's clearly something happening with Farron. Maybe heading there first would be a good idea?
-[ ] How do you convince Anri and Horace to agree to the detour? (Write in)
[ ] Write in
190/2250 Corruption
7881 Souls
7881 Souls
God, I really hate how much of this area is just a fucking Bloodborne reference.
Also, if you actually want to try and do either of the two options, you're going to have to come up with a good enough explanation to try and convince Anri and Horace.
[ ] You have extra people now. The only thing stopping you from beating having a nice perfectly friendly chat with that demon now is common sense, but who needs that when you can go and fight talk to a big monster? You'd probably have to somehow convince Anri and Horace, but you're sure you could do that!
-[ ] How do you convince Anri and Horace to help in thiswaste of time heroic task? (Write in)
There we go, fixed up that voting option for you Extra!
Alright, alright, as for actual vote, probably best to just
[X] Continue heading for the Cathedral of the Deep.
Hawkwood is a bit off right now, sure, but I don't see it as quite enough for us to try and make a full detour and potentially split the party this soon. If even more issues start to arise with the Farron situation or he just seems entirely out of it, maybe we change things up, but for now I'm good to keep heading for the Cathedral of the Deep.
-[ ] How do you convince Anri and Horace to help in this
There we go, fixed up that voting option for you Extra!
Alright, alright, as for actual vote, probably best to just
[X] Continue heading for the Cathedral of the Deep.
Hawkwood is a bit off right now, sure, but I don't see it as quite enough for us to try and make a full detour and potentially split the party this soon. If even more issues start to arise with the Farron situation or he just seems entirely out of it, maybe we change things up, but for now I'm good to keep heading for the Cathedral of the Deep.
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
Keeping to the path to the Cathedral is best for Hawkwood I think. Going right to Farrow as he is... I don't think it's going to help. At least here we have extra people to watch his back while he processes.
[X] Continue heading for the Cathedral of the Deep.
Wonder if we can get some of that Good Blood in Sayaka?
[X] Continue heading for the Cathedral of the Deep.
Wonder if we can get some of that Good Blood in Sayaka?
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
[X] Okay, there's clearly something happening with Farron. Maybe heading there first would be a good idea?
-[X] How do you convince Anri and Horace to agree to the detour?
-[X] If the space is this... Squished... All the way through, then the trip to Farron might not be as big a detour as any of us were originally thinking. And it does seem like things have gone dangerously wrong in some capacity.
-[X] It's not so hugely important, if Anri and Horace are set and insistent on Cathedral first there's no need to split up, but the idea should be floated at least.
-[X] How do you convince Anri and Horace to agree to the detour?
-[X] If the space is this... Squished... All the way through, then the trip to Farron might not be as big a detour as any of us were originally thinking. And it does seem like things have gone dangerously wrong in some capacity.
-[X] It's not so hugely important, if Anri and Horace are set and insistent on Cathedral first there's no need to split up, but the idea should be floated at least.
[X] Continue heading for the Cathedral of the Deep.
Onwards. The worldbuilding of everything being closer than it should be causing people to comment on it in-universe is great.
Something may be rotten in Farron but I concur with the strength in numbers allowing us to cover Hawkwood being out of sorts. For now.
Onwards. The worldbuilding of everything being closer than it should be causing people to comment on it in-universe is great.
Something may be rotten in Farron but I concur with the strength in numbers allowing us to cover Hawkwood being out of sorts. For now.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Continue heading for the Cathedral of the Deep.
Well, Farron has gone the Yharnam route and had a werewolf-zombie apocalypse.
I really like this part, because the same thing is just implied in the game itself. With the monsters begin called werewolves, the wolf-blood drinking ritual and the hollows with the pointy logs called "werewolf hunters".
I mean, beside the nice loot, in that area you can also find a bunch of Evangelists of the Deep wich i suppose could give us useful information.
There is also a secret area nearby wich is a shortcut for the Cathedral.
Of course Sayaka dosen't know that so the argument can't be made...
[X] Continue heading for the Cathedral of the Deep.
Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
[X] Continue heading for the Cathedral of the Deep.
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
They're literally called Lycanthropes, but they don't actually look like they have any wolf-like features. The whole area in general just feels out of place because of it. I've seen a few lore theories that manage to make the area make some amount of sense, which I've incorporated somewhat because without them the area really just feels like "you guys remember bloodborne? haha beasts amirite." It sucks because the idea of Farron being the home of this legion of zombie warriors who fight monsters while pretending to be action heroes is a lot of fun, but they didn't seem to know what to put on the outskirts of it. If they did, they came up with it late enough into development that they just re-used assets originally meant for something else.
Last edited:
- Location
- The Frozen North
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Before anything else, see if those big sticks count as swords. 
A half joking vote, Sayaka has been bit by the sword collecting bug and now must check every weapon she finds.
A half joking vote, Sayaka has been bit by the sword collecting bug and now must check every weapon she finds.
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
Voting will close tonight at 8 PM.
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
Vote closed.
Scheduled vote count started by RecurringExtra on Apr 8, 2024 at 10:16 PM, finished with 12 posts and 10 votes.
-
-
-
[X] Continue heading for the Cathedral of the Deep.
-
-
[X] Okay, there's clearly something happening with Farron. Maybe heading there first would be a good idea?
-
-
-[X] How do you convince Anri and Horace to agree to the detour?
-
-
-[X] If the space is this... Squished... All the way through, then the trip to Farron might not be as big a detour as any of us were originally thinking. And it does seem like things have gone dangerously wrong in some capacity.
-
-
-[X] It's not so hugely important, if Anri and Horace are set and insistent on Cathedral first there's no need to split up, but the idea should be floated at least.
-
-
[X] Before anything else, see if those big sticks count as swords.
-
Road of Sacrifices 6: Time for Crab?
RecurringExtra
Designated Background Character
- Location
- Out of Focus
The cool, humid air is thick with fog, which seems to rise from the swamp waters down below you. You figure this place could be called the foggy swamp and it would fit fine, but after glancing around, you quickly come to understand the real reason that this place is called the crucifixion woods. Pretty much everywhere you look, old, moldy wooden crucifixes are staked into the muddy ground, most of which are beginning to fall apart from the wear and tear caused by time.
"Why are there so many?" You can't help but ask. "Did they really use all of these?"
"I doubt anyone would ever need this many. It's a waste of wood at this point, although I suppose it isn't like wood is a concern in and of itself." Hawkwood says, gazing at the numerous trees in the area. He leans over to look closer at one of the crucifixes. "Not professionally made by any means either."
"With all of the moss and decay, these things must be rather old, although how old I can't say." Anri adds. "Anyone here by any chance study natural philosophy enough to determine such things?"Hawkwood shakes his head, and while you don't know what 'natural philosophy' is, you're guessing they're talking about science stuff. Unfortunately, you always hated STEM, so you also shake your head, although you're assuming that nobody was expecting you to be of much use here. Considering you come from a place so much more advanced technologically than here, you'd think that might be of some use, but seeing as you've been assigned to what amounts to a manhunt, it hasn't really mattered much. All you know for sure is that you miss the nice stuff like AC and TV.
While nobody is looking, you take a moment to try out a dumb idea that popped into your head. You reach over and touch one of the big sticks to see if, maybe, just maybe, they might count as a sword.
Nothing happens. You aren't sure why you feel disappointed by this.
"Sayaka, you okay there?" Hawkwood calls out.
"Yeah, I'm fine!" You all but shout out, shooting back up from leaning over to straight backed as quickly as you can manage, while Hawkwood just stares, before shaking his head and glancing out into the distance.
From the hill you found the bonfire on, you're able to get a look at the nearby swamp. The water is actually rather clean, or at the very least clean enough to be clear, much to your relief. Normally when you think of a swamp, the image that comes to mind is thick murky water full of who knows what. Besides the swamp itself, there's also everything living inside of it. Many of the trees are huge, towering up high into the air, alongside many thinner and shorter ones that seem to grow in between the larger ones. Many of the trees grow out from the swamp itself as well as along its shorelines. Of course, there aren't just trees off in the distance that you see.
"Is that a crab?" You rub at your eyes, only to confirm that, yes, there is a giant crab in the middle of the swamp.
"Ah, the Farron Great-Crab. I haven't seen one of those in years." Hawkwood says with a genuine smile. The expression looks wrong on his face.
"But it's a crab." You say, as if that alone was enough to explain what you meant. When the other three pause to look at you, you hesitantly continue. "Crabs live in the ocean, right?"
"There are plenty of freshwater crabs as well, and besides, there are even some kinds of crabs that can live on land. You are staring at one right now, after all." Anri adds, gesturing over towards the huge creature that seems to be minding its own business. Were there any like that back on Earth? Well, there were definitely none that big, but were there land crabs? Probably, now that you actually think about it. If something like a flying fish could exist, then a land crab seems normal by comparison.
You survey the area for a bit longer, spotting several different locations nearby. To your left is a huge stone structure that looks like it's falling apart, although that isn't exactly unique as pretty much everything around here seems to be in similar condition. Dead ahead, beyond the crab (and the many other smaller crabs that dot the area that you've since noticed) is another stone structure, although you see what looks like two outlines of people standing in front. Maybe guards of some kind? Lastly, a third set of ruins lies in the far corner that you've already passed, although the path seems to be blocked by several of those huge crucified guys with red eyes. You doubt that they're actually guards, but they may as well be. The number of things that have actually proven to be friendly since you showed up here barely reaches the double digits, while the number of things that have been hostile is likely well into the triple digits at this point.
"Seeing as the Keep is, in theory, up ahead, the way to the Cathedral should be..." He turns to look at the large building to your left "...through the Sage's academy, or at least what's left of it."
"So, the rumors of the Legion managing to recruit one of the Crystal Sages was true then?" Anri asks.
"Woah, woah, slow down." You say. "What do you mean 'sage's academy'?"
"It was where the mages of the Farron Legion were trained. Farron did have its own mages, believe it or not."
"So what, you guys had crazy flipping swordsmen, spear chucking bladedancers, and now also your own mages as well? What did Farron not have?"
"A functional government, a stable economy, a large population, any real urban centers..." Hawkwood begins to list off dispassionately, much to Anri's seeming amusement judging by the snickering.
"You weren't supposed to answer that!" You yell back.
"Don't ask questions you don't want answered then." Hawkwood says with a slight smirk.
"From what I know, Farron was mostly a land of drifters, correct?" Anri asks, turning to Hawkwood.
"For the most part, yes." Hawk replies. "Not many people originally lived around here, and most new arrivals were undead who'd come to join the Legion, which kept anyone without the curse from wanting to come themselves, despite all of the open land."
"If there were so few people, then how did Farron have enough influence to maintain its borders?"
"Fear of reprisal played a large role, but the few places where regular humans actually lived tended to be located near the supposed borders with the Keep located in the center, which was how any real idea of a border came to be. The only real dealings the local populace had with the Legion was the agreement of protection for toleration of their presence, and even that wasn't a happy exchange."
"Few people want anything to do with the Undead." Anri says softly, to which Horace seems to place his hand gently on their shoulder.
"And fewer still wanted anything to do with the Legion." Hawkwood says, although he lacks anyone to provide him the same measure of comfort.
"So were the mages as silly as everyone else?" You ask, which, thankfully, snaps Hawkwood out of the funk he seemed to be descending into. Unfortunately, it's replaced with annoyance, but better annoyed than wallowing in misery. You can speak from experience.
"Okay, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop talking about the Legion as if it was some circus act."
"That's not really the picture you've painted every time you've tried to describe them." You say with a grin. "Isn't their fighting style a bunch of flips with big swords?"
"That was just the Abyss Watchers. Everybody else was much more pragmatic." Hawkwood said, irritation evident. "After all, not everyone was so willing to throw safety to the wind."
"So then these guys were just a bunch of normal mages?" You say, although the idea of a 'normal' mage still feels weird, but then again you traded your soul to become a magical girl, so do you really have the right to call things weird? Hawkwood seems to stumble over his words for a few seconds, before he recomposes himself enough to respond.
"Well, not exactly." Hawkwood admits begrudgingly. "From what I've heard, they did tend to be seen as a bunch of eccentrics by magical academics. I think the quote was something along the lines of 'a bunch of madmen more focused on finding a shortcut than proper methodology' or something pretentious like that."
"That sounds like a Vinheim scholar alright." Anri says with a laugh, although you notice that her companion seems to have vanished.
"Where'd Horace go?" You ask.
"Oh, he probably went to take a look up ahead." Anri explains. "He does that sometimes, it's nothing to be worried about."
"Without saying anything?"
"I'm not sure if you've noticed, but he doesn't tend to say much of anything." Anri replies dryly.
"Sorry, poor choice of words." Hawkwood admits sheepishly. "Without letting you know?"
"He can handle himself, and it's not like he'll be going very far." Anri shrugs.
"So there should be two entrances to the academy we could take from what I remember." Hawkwood explains. "There's the main entrance, of course, but I think there should be a way in from the lower level storage room as well.That said, both of them would require us to head into the swamp, unfortunately. He gestures out towards the crab-filled waters (seriously why are there so many crabs?).
"Do we really have to?" You ask. The water might look cleaner than you expected, but you still don't want to step in it if you can avoid it. Wait, you could probably just climb one of the trees and jump around, couldn't you? Well, that'd be a relief to you, but you doubt anybody else would want to walk through it.
Your thoughts are interrupted as Horace just sort of... appears behind Anri, much to your surprise. The man really knows how to be quiet, despite wearing literal plate armor. He taps Anri on the shoulder, and seems to perform a few quick motions with his hands, to which Anri gives a quick nod.
"Horace says there's a hole in the wall right over there as well." Anri says, gesturing over to the left.
"Oh thank the Flame." Hawkwood says, relieved at being spared from the water. Horace, for his part, seems to make a few more gestures including one that seems to be mimicking drinking something, before pointing off in a slightly different direction.
"There's also a seeming dead end that might have some stuff. Horace saw what he thinks might be an Estus shard on a body there."
"How did he see something so small from a distance?" Hawkwood asks. Horace gestures once more to Anri, which at this point is obviously some form of sign language.
"He didn't, but there was a large fire going and he spotted the green glint on a corpse. It could be something else, of course." Anri turns their head to look in the direction Horace had informed them of. "Only way we'd be able to find out is to check."
[ ] Head into the Academy directly.
-[ ] Through the crack in the wall.
-[ ] You feel like making everybody miserable, so one of the other two entrances would be better. Overruled by basic human decency.
[ ] Take the detour to grab loot. Loot is always worth it.
[ ] Head back to Firelink Shrine.
-[] For? (Write In)
[ ] Can we pretty please fight the demon Hawkwood, it'll be quick I promise, pleeeeease?
-[ ] Guys, it'll be a ton of fun and totally worth it I swear, wait, don't leave come back!
[ ] Write in
Five years. Hard to believe it's been that long, yet it also sounds about right with just how much time has passed, and how different I am compared to when I started this. This update was meant to be a lot longer because today's the anniversary, but I had to cut it short after some stuff happened with a close friend of mine, and I've been left really stressed out about it. I'm not directly involved with it, it's more a friend of mine may have done something messed up, and we aren't even sure if he did or not because he's basically vanished. Kind of a complicated situation, but that's life, I guess. Before that, I was finishing up classes (I am now technically a college graduate which I guess is neat) so I was busy the past month. That all being said, here's hoping it won't take another five to see this quest through. Of course, the only way to do that is to keep on going, so that's the plan currently.
"Why are there so many?" You can't help but ask. "Did they really use all of these?"
"I doubt anyone would ever need this many. It's a waste of wood at this point, although I suppose it isn't like wood is a concern in and of itself." Hawkwood says, gazing at the numerous trees in the area. He leans over to look closer at one of the crucifixes. "Not professionally made by any means either."
"With all of the moss and decay, these things must be rather old, although how old I can't say." Anri adds. "Anyone here by any chance study natural philosophy enough to determine such things?"Hawkwood shakes his head, and while you don't know what 'natural philosophy' is, you're guessing they're talking about science stuff. Unfortunately, you always hated STEM, so you also shake your head, although you're assuming that nobody was expecting you to be of much use here. Considering you come from a place so much more advanced technologically than here, you'd think that might be of some use, but seeing as you've been assigned to what amounts to a manhunt, it hasn't really mattered much. All you know for sure is that you miss the nice stuff like AC and TV.
While nobody is looking, you take a moment to try out a dumb idea that popped into your head. You reach over and touch one of the big sticks to see if, maybe, just maybe, they might count as a sword.
Nothing happens. You aren't sure why you feel disappointed by this.
"Sayaka, you okay there?" Hawkwood calls out.
"Yeah, I'm fine!" You all but shout out, shooting back up from leaning over to straight backed as quickly as you can manage, while Hawkwood just stares, before shaking his head and glancing out into the distance.
From the hill you found the bonfire on, you're able to get a look at the nearby swamp. The water is actually rather clean, or at the very least clean enough to be clear, much to your relief. Normally when you think of a swamp, the image that comes to mind is thick murky water full of who knows what. Besides the swamp itself, there's also everything living inside of it. Many of the trees are huge, towering up high into the air, alongside many thinner and shorter ones that seem to grow in between the larger ones. Many of the trees grow out from the swamp itself as well as along its shorelines. Of course, there aren't just trees off in the distance that you see.
"Is that a crab?" You rub at your eyes, only to confirm that, yes, there is a giant crab in the middle of the swamp.
"Ah, the Farron Great-Crab. I haven't seen one of those in years." Hawkwood says with a genuine smile. The expression looks wrong on his face.
"But it's a crab." You say, as if that alone was enough to explain what you meant. When the other three pause to look at you, you hesitantly continue. "Crabs live in the ocean, right?"
"There are plenty of freshwater crabs as well, and besides, there are even some kinds of crabs that can live on land. You are staring at one right now, after all." Anri adds, gesturing over towards the huge creature that seems to be minding its own business. Were there any like that back on Earth? Well, there were definitely none that big, but were there land crabs? Probably, now that you actually think about it. If something like a flying fish could exist, then a land crab seems normal by comparison.
You survey the area for a bit longer, spotting several different locations nearby. To your left is a huge stone structure that looks like it's falling apart, although that isn't exactly unique as pretty much everything around here seems to be in similar condition. Dead ahead, beyond the crab (and the many other smaller crabs that dot the area that you've since noticed) is another stone structure, although you see what looks like two outlines of people standing in front. Maybe guards of some kind? Lastly, a third set of ruins lies in the far corner that you've already passed, although the path seems to be blocked by several of those huge crucified guys with red eyes. You doubt that they're actually guards, but they may as well be. The number of things that have actually proven to be friendly since you showed up here barely reaches the double digits, while the number of things that have been hostile is likely well into the triple digits at this point.
"Seeing as the Keep is, in theory, up ahead, the way to the Cathedral should be..." He turns to look at the large building to your left "...through the Sage's academy, or at least what's left of it."
"So, the rumors of the Legion managing to recruit one of the Crystal Sages was true then?" Anri asks.
"Woah, woah, slow down." You say. "What do you mean 'sage's academy'?"
"It was where the mages of the Farron Legion were trained. Farron did have its own mages, believe it or not."
"So what, you guys had crazy flipping swordsmen, spear chucking bladedancers, and now also your own mages as well? What did Farron not have?"
"A functional government, a stable economy, a large population, any real urban centers..." Hawkwood begins to list off dispassionately, much to Anri's seeming amusement judging by the snickering.
"You weren't supposed to answer that!" You yell back.
"Don't ask questions you don't want answered then." Hawkwood says with a slight smirk.
"From what I know, Farron was mostly a land of drifters, correct?" Anri asks, turning to Hawkwood.
"For the most part, yes." Hawk replies. "Not many people originally lived around here, and most new arrivals were undead who'd come to join the Legion, which kept anyone without the curse from wanting to come themselves, despite all of the open land."
"If there were so few people, then how did Farron have enough influence to maintain its borders?"
"Fear of reprisal played a large role, but the few places where regular humans actually lived tended to be located near the supposed borders with the Keep located in the center, which was how any real idea of a border came to be. The only real dealings the local populace had with the Legion was the agreement of protection for toleration of their presence, and even that wasn't a happy exchange."
"Few people want anything to do with the Undead." Anri says softly, to which Horace seems to place his hand gently on their shoulder.
"And fewer still wanted anything to do with the Legion." Hawkwood says, although he lacks anyone to provide him the same measure of comfort.
"So were the mages as silly as everyone else?" You ask, which, thankfully, snaps Hawkwood out of the funk he seemed to be descending into. Unfortunately, it's replaced with annoyance, but better annoyed than wallowing in misery. You can speak from experience.
"Okay, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop talking about the Legion as if it was some circus act."
"That's not really the picture you've painted every time you've tried to describe them." You say with a grin. "Isn't their fighting style a bunch of flips with big swords?"
"That was just the Abyss Watchers. Everybody else was much more pragmatic." Hawkwood said, irritation evident. "After all, not everyone was so willing to throw safety to the wind."
"So then these guys were just a bunch of normal mages?" You say, although the idea of a 'normal' mage still feels weird, but then again you traded your soul to become a magical girl, so do you really have the right to call things weird? Hawkwood seems to stumble over his words for a few seconds, before he recomposes himself enough to respond.
"Well, not exactly." Hawkwood admits begrudgingly. "From what I've heard, they did tend to be seen as a bunch of eccentrics by magical academics. I think the quote was something along the lines of 'a bunch of madmen more focused on finding a shortcut than proper methodology' or something pretentious like that."
"That sounds like a Vinheim scholar alright." Anri says with a laugh, although you notice that her companion seems to have vanished.
"Where'd Horace go?" You ask.
"Oh, he probably went to take a look up ahead." Anri explains. "He does that sometimes, it's nothing to be worried about."
"Without saying anything?"
"I'm not sure if you've noticed, but he doesn't tend to say much of anything." Anri replies dryly.
"Sorry, poor choice of words." Hawkwood admits sheepishly. "Without letting you know?"
"He can handle himself, and it's not like he'll be going very far." Anri shrugs.
"So there should be two entrances to the academy we could take from what I remember." Hawkwood explains. "There's the main entrance, of course, but I think there should be a way in from the lower level storage room as well.That said, both of them would require us to head into the swamp, unfortunately. He gestures out towards the crab-filled waters (seriously why are there so many crabs?).
"Do we really have to?" You ask. The water might look cleaner than you expected, but you still don't want to step in it if you can avoid it. Wait, you could probably just climb one of the trees and jump around, couldn't you? Well, that'd be a relief to you, but you doubt anybody else would want to walk through it.
Your thoughts are interrupted as Horace just sort of... appears behind Anri, much to your surprise. The man really knows how to be quiet, despite wearing literal plate armor. He taps Anri on the shoulder, and seems to perform a few quick motions with his hands, to which Anri gives a quick nod.
"Horace says there's a hole in the wall right over there as well." Anri says, gesturing over to the left.
"Oh thank the Flame." Hawkwood says, relieved at being spared from the water. Horace, for his part, seems to make a few more gestures including one that seems to be mimicking drinking something, before pointing off in a slightly different direction.
"There's also a seeming dead end that might have some stuff. Horace saw what he thinks might be an Estus shard on a body there."
"How did he see something so small from a distance?" Hawkwood asks. Horace gestures once more to Anri, which at this point is obviously some form of sign language.
"He didn't, but there was a large fire going and he spotted the green glint on a corpse. It could be something else, of course." Anri turns their head to look in the direction Horace had informed them of. "Only way we'd be able to find out is to check."
[ ] Head into the Academy directly.
-[ ] Through the crack in the wall.
[ ] Take the detour to grab loot. Loot is always worth it.
[ ] Head back to Firelink Shrine.
-[] For? (Write In)
-[ ] Guys, it'll be a ton of fun and totally worth it I swear, wait, don't leave come back!
[ ] Write in
190/2250 Corruption
7881 Souls
7881 Souls
Five years. Hard to believe it's been that long, yet it also sounds about right with just how much time has passed, and how different I am compared to when I started this. This update was meant to be a lot longer because today's the anniversary, but I had to cut it short after some stuff happened with a close friend of mine, and I've been left really stressed out about it. I'm not directly involved with it, it's more a friend of mine may have done something messed up, and we aren't even sure if he did or not because he's basically vanished. Kind of a complicated situation, but that's life, I guess. Before that, I was finishing up classes (I am now technically a college graduate which I guess is neat) so I was busy the past month. That all being said, here's hoping it won't take another five to see this quest through. Of course, the only way to do that is to keep on going, so that's the plan currently.
Last edited: