I wonder if taking Cinna's name is part of an experiment to go after the Forgotten God's lost names. We know from the All Devourer that the parts of himself he cast off are still out there, and if the demons got control of death itself they'd gain a lot of power over Creation. It also reminds me a bit of the souls of elves being set aside when they are being made, so it may also be a plot to take control of the remaining souless elves, which would be a pretty formidable fighting force.
Chosen by the Dragon God
- Thread starter Chandagnac
- Start date
- Original
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
Two updates this quickly? You spoil us, dear Changadnac!
Ain't got much to say here but I do like Jana, she's got priorities. Lets hope she makes up her mind about her dating prospects.
That's so relatable, reminds me of my own note-taking habits.
Omg, this is major info. This is why primary sources are so great! You get past the telephone game that is myth and legend to the meat and potatoes of the events. Don't get me wrong, I like the myths and legends, but seeing the gap between them is interesting, especially considering that both parties would have had little time to spin those events, given subsequent happenings.
Man if I were an archaeologist I would be on the floor weeping. Imagine if we had a living person who could tell us all about the city of Ur or the origins of Ishtar!
Oof, ouch. Explains why she didn't see what happened next with Telthalus though.
Now that's interesting! It's Kinda something we already cpuld have guessed, and I like seeing the kinda-correct info from partially-informed sources, but seeing it plainly spelled out from someone who is in a position to know is really cool.
Blegh, wizard paranoia. Did he write a book too? I wouldn't put petty profit motive past these people. Or perhaps his intent was more sinister...
Did we know he was a war hero? Honestly that strengthens the case for talking to him.
My guess? Ghost possessing her own corpse. Nobody goes to those lengths without something to hide, and I have little doubt her secret is worthy of the measures she's taken.
Zinistrari be on that magic CRISPR
The All-Devourer showed up before TFG, and was instrumental in resolving the major demon problem? Something tells me we don't know enough about him to make a true estimation of his character, goals, or motives.
[x] Tell Green Flame the flaws in her methods the next time you see her in person
No need for an intermediary, we're capable of saying in ourselves if we're capable of noticing it.
[x] By taking Cinna's surname, he also takes the surnames of all of his children, allowing him major demonstrable influence over their existences. Assuming that his line continues, this could spread to be a major issue over the next few hundred years, especially if Achamat has made this deal more than once.
Ain't got much to say here but I do like Jana, she's got priorities. Lets hope she makes up her mind about her dating prospects.
That's so relatable, reminds me of my own note-taking habits.
Omg, this is major info. This is why primary sources are so great! You get past the telephone game that is myth and legend to the meat and potatoes of the events. Don't get me wrong, I like the myths and legends, but seeing the gap between them is interesting, especially considering that both parties would have had little time to spin those events, given subsequent happenings.
Man if I were an archaeologist I would be on the floor weeping. Imagine if we had a living person who could tell us all about the city of Ur or the origins of Ishtar!
Oof, ouch. Explains why she didn't see what happened next with Telthalus though.
Now that's interesting! It's Kinda something we already cpuld have guessed, and I like seeing the kinda-correct info from partially-informed sources, but seeing it plainly spelled out from someone who is in a position to know is really cool.
Blegh, wizard paranoia. Did he write a book too? I wouldn't put petty profit motive past these people. Or perhaps his intent was more sinister...
Did we know he was a war hero? Honestly that strengthens the case for talking to him.
My guess? Ghost possessing her own corpse. Nobody goes to those lengths without something to hide, and I have little doubt her secret is worthy of the measures she's taken.
Zinistrari be on that magic CRISPR
The All-Devourer showed up before TFG, and was instrumental in resolving the major demon problem? Something tells me we don't know enough about him to make a true estimation of his character, goals, or motives.
[x] Tell Green Flame the flaws in her methods the next time you see her in person
No need for an intermediary, we're capable of saying in ourselves if we're capable of noticing it.
[x] By taking Cinna's surname, he also takes the surnames of all of his children, allowing him major demonstrable influence over their existences. Assuming that his line continues, this could spread to be a major issue over the next few hundred years, especially if Achamat has made this deal more than once.
[x] Tell Green Flame the flaws in her methods the next time you see her in person
[x] By taking Cinna's surname, he also takes the surnames of all of his children, allowing him major demonstrable influence over their existences. Assuming that his line continues, this could spread to be a major issue over the next few hundred years, especially if Achamat has made this deal more than once.
[x] By taking Cinna's surname, he also takes the surnames of all of his children, allowing him major demonstrable influence over their existences. Assuming that his line continues, this could spread to be a major issue over the next few hundred years, especially if Achamat has made this deal more than once.
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Well, you're along the right lines. But there's more to it than that.
Ever since I started telling this story (six years ago), it's always been the case that the Demon Lord Daevos was crippled in battle against the time elves, but I've only just got around to telling people about it.
Again, you're along the right lines.
Thank you. I had hoped to update again tonight, but... no, I'm beat.
He makes an appearance at the end of A Hedge Maze Is You, but I know you haven't got that far yet.
Interesting idea. However, there are a number of reasons why that isn't the case, which I hope will become apparent when I get around to posting the next update.
Anyway, I see four people have voted for this:
[X] Ask Raef to talk to Green Flame about portal magic.
-[X] Suggest that he subtly point out the mistakes she has been making.
One person has voted for this:
[X] Ask Raef to teach Green Flame how to use portal magic.
-[X] 'He' should reveal that he is Galadan the Mystic, the old headmaster who was kind to her.
And two people have voted for this:
[x] Tell Green Flame the flaws in her methods the next time you see her in person
Therefore, Elys will tell Raef to talk to Green Flame about portal magic and subtly point out the mistakes she has been making.
In the next update, I will try to finish off describing the contents of Green Flame's journal. Then, you'll get a chance to vote on how much to tell Cadre 1F.
:
-
(
Darn, was really hoping some people would change their votes about Raef revealing himself as Galadan after I pointed out the thing about Hurondus shooting himself in the foot with that particular order to Green Flame.
(EDIT: Nope, didn't see him. Skimmed from Chapter 178, where that afformentioned greatest servant shows up, all the way to the end. Didn't see The All-Devourer himself show up anywhere...)
Darn, was really hoping some people would change their votes about Raef revealing himself as Galadan after I pointed out the thing about Hurondus shooting himself in the foot with that particular order to Green Flame.
Wait, he did? I knew his greatest servant (who we know even less about) did, but the guy himself? ...crud, gonna have to go reread that part, again.
(EDIT: Nope, didn't see him. Skimmed from Chapter 178, where that afformentioned greatest servant shows up, all the way to the end. Didn't see The All-Devourer himself show up anywhere...)
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Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
Yeah that's extra rad; though making elves is still unethical, Aea is a pretty good craftswoman. I can't imagine what else you still have up your sleeve after all these years...
I will eventually! I have many, many pages to go, though.
Ooo, dang. That seemed like exactly the kind of sneaky thing a demon lord would do if they wanted to engage in the weakening of Creation without the epic battles and epic heroic resistance typically associated therewith. He has been wiggling their surname back and forth like he's trying to bore a hole in everyone's memory (ours included), so I figured he was up to something especially scurrilous, despite claiming not to be motivated by the destruction of Creation.
Personally, I feel like putting that secret out there before GF is properly freed from mental bondage could be used against us, so I opted for my vote - the cardinal rule of secrets is to keep the number of people who know low, you know?
Green Flame's Journal (Part Three)
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Ah. I misremembered that. Sorry, my memory is not infallible.
I think… originally, I had planned to have the All Devourer get in touch with Hedgy before Jerhamays and his army of never-beens appeared, but I changed that to the Forgotten God instead. The All Devourer doesn't speak, so a 'conversation' between him and Hedgy would have been hilariously awkward, to say the least.
*
Green Flame's Journal (Part Three)
"All right," you say. Immediately, you begin turning back the pages, trying to find a section that you think she will enjoy listening to. After a few moments, you read from Green Flame's notes: "I think it likely that Zinistrari took elements from both Dorian's mother and father when she made him, just to make sure that he would somewhat resemble the two of them, so that no one would doubt that he was theirs even if they thought it was peculiar that he had inherited the elven characteristics of a distant ancestor. Those 'elven characteristics' were probably because Zinistrari wasn't able to resist the urge to make the baby special: perhaps she was trying to give him elven magic or accelerated healing. When I told Carmenta this, when I said that I was convinced that Dorian really was hers and her husband's, I was very much surprised when she hugged me and wept grateful tears into my shoulder."
"Aww, that's sweet," says Jana. "Is it all like that?"
You shake your head. "No. Some of it is horrible."
Jana gives you a quizzical glance. "In what way?"
"Uh… I've been reading about how Philander's dad made a deal with one of the Demon Lords," you say. "Very creepy."
"All right, I'll let you get back to it," says Jana, making a visible effort to restrain her curiosity.
Despite what Prentigold had said, when Green Flame started investigating what had happened to Cinna the Sinner Man, her initial assumption was that Achamat had taken a piece of his soul. A person's name was an important part of their identity, soul and identity were unavoidably linked, and so the Sinner Man's surname could be interpreted as being a symbolic representation of his soul, or at least a small part of it. When used as a component in a ritual, such symbols could have great power: that was something Green Flame knew well, as did almost every other wizard.
However, as she continued to investigate, she developed an alternative theory. Having noticed that what had happened to Cinna was somewhat similar to the story of how the Forgotten God had come to be, she began to suspect that it wasn't a coincidence: in his attempts to free himself from Nymandor's control, the Elder God of Death had given up all his names and thereby erased himself from existence; Cinna only gave up his surname, but in doing so he made it so that even his closest friends and allies struggled to remember who he was, as if he barely existed at all.
She wondered if Achamat had deliberately tried to recreate the conditions that had led to the Elder God of Death erasing himself from existence, perhaps in an attempt to study the process, in the hope that he could weaponize the process, find one of the Forgotten God's missing pieces and take it for himself, or otherwise gain knowledge that would enable him to gain tremendous power.
Over the next few pages, you are unable to follow Green Flame's train of logic: there are too many crossings-out and seemingly random scribblings. The words 'true name?' have been circled and underlined several times.
If you were to hazard a guess, you would say that Green Flame was trying to find more similarities between how Cinna became the Sinner Man and how the Elder God of Death ceased to exist. The old Death God gave up all his names because his enemy, Nymandor, knew his true name and was using it to control him. Achamat doesn't know Cinna's true name and therefore can't use it against him… or can he?
On the next page after that, Green Flame finally gets around to explaining what she was thinking: do true names matter anymore? During the First Age, the Fates wanted to know everything and to be able to exactly predict what was going to happen in the future; in order to do that, they gave every living soul a 'true name' so that they could use to keep track of it and, if necessary, force it to comply with their directives. However, because Telthalus was offended by their plan to eradicate free will, he turned them into stone and ripped up their Book of Names. Thousands of years later, no one who is alive today really knows what their true name is or if they even have one; never mind the fact that, in many places, it is traditional for new parents to hold a ceremony where they give their new baby a secret name, which they say is his or her true name. It's usually a cutesy pet name such as 'Petal' or 'Bubbles'…
Or Sparkle, you think to yourself, remembering the 'secret name' that your parents gave you when you were only a tiny baby. Not even Jana knows that.
For around seven thousand years, Green Flame has only had one name. It is the only name she has ever needed. Does that mean 'Green Flame' is her true name? If so, why was it necessary for the humans who enslaved her to bind her with so many chains of mind magic? Couldn't they just use her 'true name' to force her to do their bidding? Apparently not, so either Green Flame is not her true name – which could indicate that she has a true name that she is unaware of – or true names don't have any real power. Not anymore.
On the other hand, a great many people still believe that true names have immense power. Even if, in reality, true names were not important when they were being magically empowered by the Fates, the idea of true names has taken on a significance of its own. Green Flame wondered if a canny Demon Lord could have used that as part of a magic ritual.
Because Cinna had been born into an old and prestigious noble family, his surname was of great importance to him. He was proud of his aristocratic ancestors, even if he had inherited hardly anything from them other than his name, a worthless plot of land, and a crumbling mansion. He felt that he was better than everyone else because he had the purest noble blood. Although he may not have realised until it was too late, his surname, which had been passed down through his family since before the city of Tyrepheum was founded, was the most precious thing he owned. Did that mean that it was his 'true name'? Or was it merely a 'symbolic representation' of his true name? Either way, Green Flame thought it was likely that Achamat could use it to take control of the Sinner Man anytime he wanted to. Presumably, the reason that he hadn't was because it amused him to watch the crime lord desperately trying to escape his clutches without realising that he had no hope of success.
It occurred to Green Flame that if Cinna's family had been so very noble and distinguished there would probably be some record of them in Tyrepheum's official histories. She was nonplussed at how easy it was to find the information she needed: after only a few minutes in the archives, she was able to find out that Cinna's original surname, the one he had traded to Achamat, had been Beli-Zephalos. Undoubtedly, it would have been similarly easy for him or one of his minions to find it as well. The fact that he hadn't suggested that some kind of mental block was preventing him from seeing, hearing, or noticing his original name in any way. That was Achamat's doing, no doubt.
Green Flame considered telling Philander what his family's original surname had been. Would he enjoy knowing something that his hated father didn't? If so, would it cause him to act rashly, as he so often did? Or would it only cause him pain, since she didn't have a solution for any of his family problems?
While she was trying to find out more about the Sinner Man, she discovered several other things that caused her a great deal of worry and concern: apparently, he had been the ruler of Tyrepheum's criminal underworld for five or six decades, or possibly even longer, and yet he was not an old man. According to rumour, he'd had other children before this latest batch, all of whom had been similarly named after vices and other negative qualities – Torpor, Avarice and Spite, for example – and they were all long gone, presumed dead.
It was possible that immortality was one of the things that Cinna had asked for when he made his bargain with Achamat. However, human bodies weren't designed to be immortal and, for that reason, immortality always came with a heavy price. For instance, Green Flame's immortality was fuelled by the awesome power of one of the Elder Gods, other elves were created by fey spirits who used their souls as fuel for the ritual that made them seemingly immortal, and she had heard horror stories of people who had horribly cursed themselves and everyone else around them by trying to make themselves immortal. So how had the Sinner Man lived such an unnaturally long life? Why was he so well-preserved after living for more than six decades? No doubt Achamat could have used his divine powers to extend his thrall's life and keep him looking relatively youthful, but it would have cost him a great deal, so why would he bother?
After much thought, Green Flame began to suspect that Zinistrari was the one who had sold the Sinner Man the magic object, spell, or whatever it was that he was using to extend his life. More than that, she suspected that he was sacrificing his children in order to keep himself alive: perhaps literally, by draining their life and youth and taking it for his own.
She had noticed that Philander looked very much like his brother Simony, despite the fact that they had different mothers: if their births hadn't been separated by several years, they would have looked like identical twins. Also, Philander's sisters, Ferocity and Indulgence, looked exactly like him, even though they were female, much younger than him, and their mother was different to his. Green Flame had vague memories of Philander's other siblings who had attended the Tyrepheum Academy; she recalled that Hubris, Envy and Acedia had looked suspiciously similar. It was obvious to her that he had done something to all of his children to make them look the same, but she didn't know how or for what purpose.
It occurred to her that maybe the reason why Cinna had so many different mothers for his children was not because he quickly grew bored of his women – or, at least, not just because of that – but because he didn't want them to notice what he was doing to their children. Perhaps one of his previous mistresses realised what he was doing and confronted him, or ran away with her child, or tried to betray him to his enemies. If something like that ever happened, Cinna could have made it his policy from then on to quickly dispose of his mistresses after they bore him a child, so that there was no risk of it happening again.
Also, something Philander said – that he'd been to a slave market and been traumatised when he saw a slave with the same face as him – made Green Flame suspect that the Sinner Man was creating more children somehow. Her theory was that Cinna was using one of Zinistrari's devices to clone himself, or clone his children. Perhaps he was trying to make sure that if any of his children died of natural causes before he was able to sacrifice them, he would nevertheless be able to replace them. But why would any of them end up being sold at a slave market? Did he think that some of his clones were defective and decide to get rid of them? Or was there some other reason?
And why did Cinna name all of his children after a sin? Why were they seemingly compelled to act in accordance with the name he had given them? Was it just a private joke, a reference to his famous nickname? Or was it for a more sinister reason? Did it enable him to control them somehow?
Green Flame didn't know what to do. She wasn't sure what to tell Philander or how to protect him. All she could do was write down everything she had learned in her journal, and wait, and try to come up with a plan. You see a few scrawled notes about that – the phrase 'kill Cinna' appears several times – but it doesn't seem like she figured out exactly how she was going to do it.
After that, there aren't many pages left: a few have been written on, the rest have been left blank.
Spread across two pages, Green Flame wrote down her concerns about the man who had 'rescued' Isolia from her life on the streets, paid her school fees, and seemed to be trying to use her in an elaborate con trick. Humferth Hygmalion was his name. He was a wizard who had formerly been a professor at the Tyrepheum Academy, until Prentigold sacked him for "gross misconduct".
"If he does anything to hurt Isolia, I will kill him," is what Green Flame wrote in response to that.
As far as she was able to find out, it seemed that "gross misconduct" meant that he had been encouraging his pupils to commit criminal acts, which meant that at least one of them had been killed or seriously injured and this had brought the school into disrepute.
Also, it seems that Dr. Hygmalion had been a teacher at the Tyrepheum Academy at the time when Galadan the headmaster disappeared and the Mystic Path briefly took over the school. In which case, he might know more about them than Green Flame does…?
On the next page, Green Flame started writing about Garanhedd the Giant, but evidently decided that Cadre 1F already knows everything they need to know about him. Therefore, she crossed out what she had already written and replaced it with a warning not to trust him. Apparently, if Garanhedd made a promise to someone, he would probably keep it because the lesser spirits of the land might not accept him as their king if he developed a reputation for breaking his word. But then, after he'd kept his promise, there would be nothing to stop him from destroying the city of Tyrepheum and killing the one he'd made a promise to – and the spirits under his command would probably approve if he did that.
No context is provided, but it seems that Green Flame wants to fight someone called 'The Elm King': "I could probably beat him in a fair fight," she asserts.
There is a paragraph about you as well: apparently, you seem rather nice, but maybe you shouldn't be trusted. Your friendly demeanour might be a mere façade, especially considering that you are the Chosen of Mishrak, a god who has never been particularly friendly to humanity and who devotes most of his time to creating ferocious sea monsters. Still, a supplementary note says that Mishrak has a reputation for giving generous gifts to his relatively few human worshippers, from time to time.
Finally, on the last page that she wrote on, Green Flame's handwriting is an almost illegible scrawl. It takes you some time to decipher what she has written, but it seems that she has very much enjoyed working at the Tyrepheum Academy as a teacher, even if she wishes that she wasn't a slave. She feels very close to Dorian, Isolia, Philander and Venta – and several others you haven't met, such as Anthikares Neroth – almost as if they were members of her own family, although she doesn't really know what that's like. It had made her wonder what it would be like to have a child of her own, if that's even possible – she has heard of elves who were able to sire or bear children, but they're not common. And if it was possible, who would she want to have a child with? She can think of no one: all the men she knows are thousands of years younger than her, which makes things awkward. Also, she remembers being used as a sex doll by some of her former masters and has no desire to relive those memories: she doesn't really like the idea of having sex with anyone. And anyway, would she be any good at being a mother? While she was trying to teach Dorian how to defend his mind, she accidentally hurt him so badly that he spent a night in the school's infirmary. If she had a baby, she could very easily hurt or kill it without meaning to, so… maybe it's for the best that it probably won't ever happen? And so on.
These confessions are so deeply personal and candid that they make you feel uncomfortably hot. A fiery blush spreads across your cheeks.
Jana notices your discomfort, grins at you, and says, in a teasing voice, "What're you reading now?"
"Um… I think Green Flame's getting a bit broody," you mumble.
There is a pause while Jana tries to work out what you mean. "Broody like she's brooding, or…?"
"Like a mother hen, I mean."
"Cute," says Jana, with a nod. "That's why she's got Cadre 1F crowding around her like a nest of chicks."
"Well, there's more to it than that…"
When you go to Tyrepheum to tell Cadre 1F about the contents of Green Flame's journal, do you want to tell them everything? (Choose one)
[] Yes. Be as honest as possible.
[] It would take too long to tell them everything. Just tell them the most important things.
[] There are some things Cadre 1F don't need to know…
-[] For example, Green Flame would probably be very embarrassed if you told them about her confessions on the last page.
-[] And they don't need to know that Green Flame was suspicious of you and Mishrak.
-[] Write in: is there anything else you don't want to tell them?
Ugh, this took a while. Oh well, I hope you enjoy it.
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[X] There are some things Cadre 1F don't need to know…
-[X] For example, Green Flame would probably be very embarrassed if you told them about her confessions on the last page.
That's the only thing I'm gonna say to leave off, otherwise, Be as honest as possible.
Yes, even tell them the Mishrak thing... hell, maybe even especially bring that up; as his Chosen, it's our (extremely unofficial) duty to clear up misconceptions about him and get him some more worshippers, casual or otherwise.
-[X] For example, Green Flame would probably be very embarrassed if you told them about her confessions on the last page.
That's the only thing I'm gonna say to leave off, otherwise, Be as honest as possible.
Yes, even tell them the Mishrak thing... hell, maybe even especially bring that up; as his Chosen, it's our (extremely unofficial) duty to clear up misconceptions about him and get him some more worshippers, casual or otherwise.
[X] There are some things Cadre 1F don't need to know…
-[X] For example, Green Flame would probably be very embarrassed if you told them about her confessions on the last page.
This sounds good.
-[X] For example, Green Flame would probably be very embarrassed if you told them about her confessions on the last page.
This sounds good.
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
She is right to be curious, this is a veritable Tome of Secrets.
Oh like an object reference code! That makes sense to do, honestly.
If I were to take a guess, the true names aren't something designed to be used casually or written down in any intelligible way - if the Fates were smart, which there's no guarantee they were, especially if the legend of their petrification is true, then they'd make the names long alphanumeric strings assigned per soul, keeping the book relatively static without interfering too much in the creation and destruction of mortals. If true names ever had power, they'd be generally beyond the reach of any who would misuse them.
Scribbles down for later
Zinistrari could definitely be behind this - if she's got her little fingies on the direct building block codes of life, who's to say she can't encode a spell which would overwrite large portions of DNA. And it would make sense if Cinna could use... oh god, he's merging with them spirit style, isn't he? He makes them all sinners with his face so they are like him enough that he can just swooce right in and keep lowering his average age.
Yeah not 100% sure what to make of this yet. Maybe a Sin who bucked the name curse, and was thus useless? Or a child smuggled out from his direct view?
That's not great, but it could be way worse. I agree with Green Flame's assessment though. Maybe he's using her to try to get his old professorship back?
Godspeed, Green Flame. Just gotta get him to give you one.
Yeah the passage before this... I don't know if we should really share this with anyone except to talk to Green Flame about it. Maybe we could encourage her to talk to Raef about it? Or Mishrak honestly. He could help her make a child without the potentially traumatic biological acts normally required to initiate that process.
Like, I knew it happened, because of the way she talked about it, but seeing it on the page...
[x] Explicitly tell them about Mishrak, maybe invite them all over for dinner
[x] There are some things Cadre 1F don't need to know…
-[x] For example, Green Flame would probably be very embarrassed if you told them about her confessions on the last page.
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Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
[X] Explicitly tell them about Mishrak, maybe invite them all over for dinner
[X] There are some things Cadre 1F don't need to know…
-[X] For example, Green Flame would probably be very embarrassed if you told them about her confessions on the last page.
[X] There are some things Cadre 1F don't need to know…
-[X] For example, Green Flame would probably be very embarrassed if you told them about her confessions on the last page.
- Location
- Earth
[X] Explicitly tell them about Mishrak, maybe invite them all over for dinner
[X] There are some things Cadre 1F don't need to know…
-[X] For example, Green Flame would probably be very embarrassed if you told them about her confessions on the last page.
I wonder if Cinna is turning into something like a demon, by means of embodying vices into clones and then draining them into himself?
[X] There are some things Cadre 1F don't need to know…
-[X] For example, Green Flame would probably be very embarrassed if you told them about her confessions on the last page.
I wonder if Cinna is turning into something like a demon, by means of embodying vices into clones and then draining them into himself?
probably keep it
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Okay, so...
When I finished writing the latest update, I was tired and it was getting late. There was something else I meant to ask, but I forgot: basically, Green Flame found out a lot of stuff about Cinna that she hasn't told Philander because she's not quite sure if it's true, or she's worried about how he might react, or she feels like she needs more information and doesn't know how to deal with it. What do you want to do about that?
I mean, with that in mind, do you want to be completely honest with Phil? Or not?
When I finished writing the latest update, I was tired and it was getting late. There was something else I meant to ask, but I forgot: basically, Green Flame found out a lot of stuff about Cinna that she hasn't told Philander because she's not quite sure if it's true, or she's worried about how he might react, or she feels like she needs more information and doesn't know how to deal with it. What do you want to do about that?
I mean, with that in mind, do you want to be completely honest with Phil? Or not?
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- Location
- St. Petersburg
I don't think that's how comparative adjectives work.
We could offer ourselves for an adoption (as an honorary Aunt, at least) but you'd have to be a goddess to qualify, sorry.
Green Flame wrote the diary for Cadre 1F, not for us. We should give it back to them once we are done; they can decide what to do with it. There is no reason they can't deduce that the information she has is incomplete; they'd be looking at the same source, after all.
We can absolutely tell them it contains personal things they may be not comfortable knowing, but there's not a soul in the world who'd be less inclined to read something with a foreword like this one instead of more, especially not kids. She could have torn out the pages she didn't want anyone to read; and yet she gave the diary away as it was.
I don't know what qualifies us to be privy to someone else's personal secrets more than the people it was explicitly addressed to.
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I think that it's a poor idea to conceal information from Cadre 1F (that's pertinent to them) when we're still in the trust building phase of our relationship.
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
I would say yes, but preface it with the knowledge that Green Flame is making guesses
Green Flame's Journal (Part Four)
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
I didn't include anything about demon-worshipping cultists in the last update, even though I'd previously said I would, partly because Green Flame doesn't really know much about Melphior's cultists outside of school and there was no need to write down anything she knows about the Rayze twins, Yulian Sagittarus, or Moroth Noorandiun because she can tell Cadre 1F anytime she likes, but also because I forgot.
Yeah, well, that was a long update and I was tired when I posted it. Thank you for pointing out the mistakes.
Green Flame is bound with magical chains that prevent her from revealing most of the stuff that's in her journal. The only way she was able to write it at all was by hiding it in such a way that she could pretend to herself that there was no chance that anyone would ever be able to find it. Even if she was secretly hoping that Cadre 1F would solve the puzzle and read what she had written, she couldn't make it easy for them. She certainly didn't explicitly address anything in her journal to them.
*
Green Flame's Journal (Part Four)
Later in the week, after you have told Raef that you want to go back to Tyrepheum – and after you have suggested that she should speak to Green Flame in private and subtly correct her misconceptions about portal magic – you ask Jana, "Have you come to a decision yet?"Green Flame's Journal (Part Four)
"About what?" she asks, giving you a look of puzzlement.
"Who do you want me to ask out on your behalf? Isolia or Venta?" you remind her.
"I don't know either of them very well," she moans, in consternation. "How am I supposed to choose?"
"Maybe you should get to know them better," you agree. "If you come with me this time, you can spend some time talking with them. After that, you can make your choice."
"Uh… all right," says Jana, with a tremulous nod.
And so, when you arrive at the Tyrepheum Academy again, you meet Cadre 1F in Green Flame's office while she's gone to talk with Raef somewhere else. You spend a few minutes on greetings and small talk, mainly to give Jana a chance to speak to Isolia and Venta. Then, when the conversation seems to be dying down, you hold Green Flame's journal above your head and say, "By now, I've had time to read this. It made for interesting reading. Would you like to know what I've learnt?"
Immediately, you have everyone's full attention.
"Very much," says Dorian, in a whisper.
"Tell us," says Venta. "We'd really like to know."
Isolia says nothing, but gives a nod. Philander looks thoughtful. "I suspect that I'm not going to like some of the things you're about to say… but don't mind me. Please, go ahead."
"Well, the first thing you should know is that Green Flame doesn't entirely trust me. I'm the Chosen of Mishrak, who usually lurks at the bottom of the sea and isn't renowned for being friendly to humans. I suppose she's worried about what my intentions might be." You grin mischievously and waggle your fingers at them. "Maybe she thinks I'll lead you astray. Wooo!"
"Very funny," say Dorian, rolling his eyes. "And do you disagree with anything Green Flame wrote about your Uncle Mishrak?"
"Well, he enjoys creating sea monsters, but he doesn't mean any harm. He's a big old softy, really!"
The members of Cadre 1F exchange weary glances.
"Never mind that," says Venta, after a moment's pause. "What else did Green Flame write in her journal?
You tell them how Green Flame and her fellow elves were summoned to aid Keron in his battle against Telthalus and his army of birds. In particular, you point out that the popular legend of how 'Keron was tricked into fighting his own shadow, after which he lay down in his exhaustion and became one of the constellations' is quite different from what Green Flame actually witnessed.
"Interesting." Phil nods. "But how does that affect us?"
"Well…" You pause and think for a minute. "The reason why Green Flame didn't tell anyone the true story was that she was forbidden from doing so by a member of the Mystic Path!"
You go on to explain who the Mystic Path are, how they deposed Galadan the Mystic and took over the Tyrepheum Academy for a short time before Opernus Prentigold was appointed, and how you have heard of them before: you describe how they attacked Teryn's Necropolis, how they created the magic mirrors that enabled you to travel to the Tyrepheum Academy the first time, and how you found a coded notebook written by one of their former lackeys. This derails the conversation to the extent that you begin to worry that you will not have enough time to tell Cadre 1F everything you learned from Green Flame's journal.
Hurriedly, you explain who Alikada Zinistrari is, what she did while she was at the Tyrepheum Academy, and how she has returned several times in the guise of 'Madam Zyn'.
When he hears that name, Dorian is unable to suppress a gasp. "Madam Zyn… that's the woman who…"
"She enabled your parents to have you. To do that, she took pieces from both of your parents, added life magic and some elven blood, and then…" You indicate him with a nonchalant gesture. "It seems to have worked out pretty well, don't you think?"
"I suppose," he mumbles.
Then, you explain Green Flame's theory that the Mystic Path salvaged the body of one of the time elves who was slain in battle against the Demon Lords – and Zinistrari took something from it that she used to create Dorian, which is why he knows such an unusual 'cantrip' that only he can use.
By this point, Dorian seems to have been shocked into silence. Phil nudges him and says, encouragingly, "I've heard it said that noble blood is rare and royal blood is rarer still, but it seems like your blood is even rarer than that. You're one of a kind, my man!"
"I… um… thanks," is the reply.
After that, you go on to explain what Green Flame thinks Cinna the Sinner Man has done and is planning to do in future, although you are at pains to emphasize that most of this is mere speculation based on fragmentary evidence. Nevertheless, by the end of it, Philander has joined Dorian in grim silence.
"What can we do?" asks Venta, looking anxiously at Phil.
"I've got a few ideas," you tell her. "But I don't think we have time to discuss them right now. Don't you have curfew fairly soon?"
She nods. "Yes, we'll get in trouble if we're caught out of our dormitories past curfew. Especially if we're with boys."
"Oh, so it's fine if you're out with a girl, huh?" asks Jana, giving her a roguish wink.
"Um… no, it's not fine," says Venta, who doesn't seem to understand Jana's meaning. "You still get in trouble for it. But being caught with a boy is worse."
Jana sighs. "Why?"
"They assume we'll get pregnant if we so much as look at a boy when it's past nine o'clock in the evening," says Isolia, rolling her eyes. "Or maybe it's another one of their stupid rules that're supposed to make us grow up to be clever and cunning."
"Oh," says Jana, giving her a considering look.
"Anyway, I've nearly finished," you say, rifling through the journal one last time, just to remind yourself of anything you might otherwise have forgotten. "Isolia, Green Flame has some concerns about your sponsor, Dr. Hygmalion, but she has promised to kill him if he does anything to hurt you. I hope you find that reassuring."
"Not especially," she replies. "By then, I'll already be… uh, I don't want to think about it."
"That's something else we can discuss next time we meet," you say. "How about you come over to my place next time? You can come to dinner!"
Venta looks narrowly at you. "And when you say 'my place', you mean?"
"Mishrak's undersea palace, of course. It's beautiful! Honestly, you'll love it!" you tell her.
"Hmm." She does not look enthused by your suggestion.
Looking down at the journal, you finish by saying, "Green Flame thinks she could beat 'the Elm King' in a fair fight, whoever that is. Also, she doesn't think you should trust Garanhedd the Giant, but you know that already. And finally, she really cares about you, as if you were her own family. You know that, don't you?"
There is a chorus of gruff yeahs and a few nods.
"I think it's time for us to go," you say, taking Jana by the hand. "Until next time."
You are only able to open a portal between this room and the next, but it's still quite impressive to those who are watching. But then you need Raef to teleport you the rest of the way home. Fortunately, it doesn't take long for you to find him.
"So, have you made your decision?" you ask Jana, later that evening.
With a nod, she says, "Isolia."
"Good choice, I suppose. May I ask why?"
"Venta's a cutie, but she's a bit too innocent for me. And she's part of a huge family who might not approve of her being with a girl – a human girl – you know," says Jana, blushing. "Whereas Isolia's an orphan who spent her early years living on the streets: she knows what it's like to be hungry and mistreated and… well, I haven't lived like that for a long time, but I think she and I've got a lot of things in common."
"Do you want me to ask her out for you, next time?"
Jana shakes her head. "Nah. I'm a big girl now: I don't need you to hold my hand, mom."
"Well, if you're sure."
"Yeah, this is something I have to do by myself," she says, forming a little knot of determination with her pursed lips.
"Good luck," you tell her. "I hope you'll be very happy together."
"Thanks, but she hasn't agreed to anything yet," she reminds you.
That's the end of another month.
As usual, the Aspiti Warscore increases by 1. They now have a total of 12 Warscore.
As usual, the Aspiti Warscore increases by 1. They now have a total of 12 Warscore.
What do you want Elys to do next month? (Choose one)
[] Visit Mishrak again. (+Warscore?)
-[] Talk to Catharne about her shapeshifting powers.
--[] Suggest that she could join you as a pupil at the Engelram Academy at the beginning of the next academic year.
-[] Talk to Mishrak about his brother, Lavokthagua. (+Warscore)
--[] Find out about the various magical enhancements that Mishrak has given his brother to make him fully amphibious.
-[] Ask Mishrak to rejuvenate Yslena in much the same way that he did to Gareth.
[] Go to Mishrak's undersea palace and spend time meeting various representatives of the different groups that make up the Coalition. (+Warscore)
-[] Ask Sildar and Jorantul how they're getting on.
-[] Meet some of the Wranni.
--[] Be pleasantly surprised to see an old friend.
-[] Talk to some of the Deep Ones.
-[] Meet Red Ruin and a few of the orcs.
[] Join Sildar and Jorantul in one of their attempts to defend the Rivayni coastline from Aspiti slave raiders. (+Warscore)
-[] Fly around protecting innocent civilians while the Chosen of Mawroth do all the fighting.
[] Join Gareth and Yslena in trying to sort out what's going on with the Rivayni royal family, demon cultists, and the upcoming trial.
-[] Rescue them from a difficult situation.
[] Go to Norrange and meet her grandfather, Count Lymond Sayce. (+Warscore?)
-[] Visit her uncle, Elward, and his wife, Raene.
--[] Visit her cousin, Jesric.
[] Finish reading Kelamon Dumar's How to Enter the Underworld.
[] Invite Cadre 1F (and Green Flame?) over for dinner.
-[] Ask Mishrak to host them for dinner in his undersea palace.
--[] After you've eaten, you can talk about all sorts of things!
OR
-[] Ask your parents to take care of the arrangements.
--[] Eat a fancy meal somewhere in Truinon, then discuss how you're going to help them with their various problems.
[] Go to Tyrepheum and talk to Green Flame.
-[] Ask her about Garanhedd and the Elm King.
--[] Ask Raef how you can free her from the magical bonds that keep her as a slave.
---[] Attempt to free her, maybe? (Warning: this will be extremely difficult and potentially dangerous)
[] Go to Tyrepheum and talk to Dorian.
-[] Offer to get Mishrak to cure his father's supposedly incurable disease.
[] Go to Tyrepheum and talk to Philander.
-[] Investigate his evil father and what's going on at home.
--[] Attempt to kill Cinna the Sinner Man, maybe? (Warning: this will be extremely difficult and potentially dangerous)
[] Go to Tyrepheum and talk to Isolia.
-[] Find out more about her unusual situation.
--[] Who is Humferth Hygmalion, anyway? What exactly does he want with her?
[] Go to Tyrepheum and talk to Venta.
-[] Find out more about what's been going on with the space gonne project and the demon cultists.
[] Visit the Headmaster of the Tyrepheum Academy, Opernus Prentigold.
-[] Offer to buy Green Flame from him.
-[] Suggest that he repeal some of his predecessors' outdated commands, enabling her to act more freely.
-[] Try to persuade him to tell you what he knows about the Mystic Path. (Warning: this will be extremely difficult and potentially dangerous)
[] Visit Archironaeus and ask him about…
-[] The Magic Mirror.
-[] Demon cultists at the Tyrepheum Academy.
-[] Green Flame's attempts to learn about portal magic.
-[] Something else (write in).
[] Do something else (write in)*.
*If there's anything I've forgotten to add to this list, that doesn't mean that you can't do it.
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[X] Visit Mishrak again. (+Warscore?)
-[X] Talk to Catharne about her shapeshifting powers.
--[X] Suggest that she could join you as a pupil at the Engelram Academy at the beginning of the next academic year.
-[X] Talk to Mishrak about his brother, Lavokthagua. (+Warscore)
--[X] Find out about the various magical enhancements that Mishrak has given his brother to make him fully amphibious.
-[X] Ask Mishrak to rejuvenate Yslena in much the same way that he did to Gareth.
Now that Jana knows who to ask out, you know what goes well with fair maidens? Dragons.
Seriously though, we add more Warscore, get a combat buff for when we return to the Sambian Empire, and narratively ensure that Catharne will be present at the dinner next month. We currently have 19 Warscore, so we're closing in on the 27 to win the first part of the war.
We should definitely have the dinner with Cadre 1F before we start trying to solve our problems, both for politeness sake and the sake of action economy (talking to the kids together rather than individually).
-[X] Talk to Catharne about her shapeshifting powers.
--[X] Suggest that she could join you as a pupil at the Engelram Academy at the beginning of the next academic year.
-[X] Talk to Mishrak about his brother, Lavokthagua. (+Warscore)
--[X] Find out about the various magical enhancements that Mishrak has given his brother to make him fully amphibious.
-[X] Ask Mishrak to rejuvenate Yslena in much the same way that he did to Gareth.
Now that Jana knows who to ask out, you know what goes well with fair maidens? Dragons.
Seriously though, we add more Warscore, get a combat buff for when we return to the Sambian Empire, and narratively ensure that Catharne will be present at the dinner next month. We currently have 19 Warscore, so we're closing in on the 27 to win the first part of the war.
We should definitely have the dinner with Cadre 1F before we start trying to solve our problems, both for politeness sake and the sake of action economy (talking to the kids together rather than individually).
- Dorian has a sick father who resists healing magic, but in School of Sorcery we learned that there are differences between human magic and god magic, so having him interact with Mishrak might lead to Mishrak coming up with a breakthrough.
- Mishrak's wealth casually solves the issues Isolia has with being vulnerable because of her poverty.
- Venta tell us how the cultist situation is progressing.
- Green Flame will have had another month of interacting with Raef, so he might have a better idea how to help her.
- Mishrak has enough ties to Teryn that being in Mishrak's palace is probably Philander's best chance to get examined by an ethical necromancer and get a better idea of what his dad did to him.