Yes, talking to the emperor is probably pointless right now. Even setting aside that an empire is a terrible place that is not worth our support, we cannot trust the emperor to properly keep his side of the deal. And in our current state, we cannot force him to do this, since we are in the middle of a war.
[X] Have a dinner party with Cadre 1F as you had planned. However, Green Flame will not be able to attend.
-[X] Talk to them about helping them with their problems, making clear that they have the final decision
-[X] Bring up why we weren't able to invite Green Flame, and discuss our current ideas for how to fix it later
-[X] Bring up what we learned on Humferth Hygmalion
-[X] Introduce Cadre 1F and Catharne
-[X] Give Jana an opportunity to talk to Isolia in private
the people who've gathered together to fight the aspiti's, they wiuldnt stand a chance against either sambia or the khaganate. we are talking about a completely different scale if conflict here. the numbers dont add up.
Well, Prentigold behaved as expected: "sorry, my hands are tied but I do truly sympathize." while not actually answering the question about whether or not he could loosen Green Flame's restraints.
A well written character, but frustrating.
[X] Have a dinner party with Cadre 1F as you had planned. However, Green Flame will not be able to attend.
-[X] Talk to them about helping them with their problems, making clear that they have the final decision
-[X] Bring up why we weren't able to invite Green Flame, and discuss our current ideas for how to fix it later
-[X] Bring up what we learned on Humferth Hygmalion
-[X] Introduce Cadre 1F and Catharne
-[X] Give Jana an opportunity to talk to Isolia in private
Keep in mind, in this case the enemy of our enemy is a bunch of genocidal zealots. The Sambian Empire may suck, but it is good for keeping the Rhuzadi Khaganate in check (just like how, the Rhuzadi Khaganate may be awful, but it is still useful for keeping the Sambian Empire in check). If we're going to do anything to destabilize their stalemate, make sure we have a third party ready to finish off the winners.
When I was writing A Hedge Maze Is You, I had quite a lot of backstory written for the Sambian Empire and the Rhuzadi Khaganate that I never got around to using. Maybe this time...
Here's the vote tally:
Adhoc vote count started by Chandagnac on Dec 5, 2021 at 6:26 PM, finished with 9 posts and 6 votes.
[X] Have a dinner party with Cadre 1F as you had planned. However, Green Flame will not be able to attend.
-[X] Talk to them about helping them with their problems, making clear that they have the final decision
-[X] Bring up why we weren't able to invite Green Flame, and discuss our current ideas for how to fix it later
-[X] Bring up what we learned on Humferth Hygmalion
-[X] Introduce Cadre 1F and Catharne
-[X] Give Jana an opportunity to talk to Isolia in private
[X] Have a dinner party with Cadre 1F as you had planned. However, Green Flame will not be able to attend.
-[X] Bring up why we weren't able to invite Green Flame, and discuss our current ideas for how to fix it later
-[X] Bring up what we learned on Humferth Hygmalion
-[X] Introduce Cadre 1F and Catharne
-[X] Give Jana an opportunity to talk to Isolia in private
-[X] Bring up why we weren't able to invite Green Flame, and discuss our current ideas for how to fix it later
-[X] Bring up what we learned on Humferth Hygmalion
-[X] Introduce Cadre 1F and Catharne
-[X] Give Jana an opportunity to talk to Isolia in private
Keep in mind, in this case the enemy of our enemy is a bunch of genocidal zealots. The Sambian Empire may suck, but it is good for keeping the Rhuzadi Khaganate in check (just like how, the Rhuzadi Khaganate may be awful, but it is still useful for keeping the Sambian Empire in check). If we're going to do anything to destabilize their stalemate, make sure we have a third party ready to finish off the winners. Which should really wait until after we're done with the Aspitis, who are worse than either one.
Predictability and writing quality are not as connected as might be intuitive, I find. Usually, unpredictability wears thin after a while, just as predictability does.
All right, I've been thinking about this and I've got an idea for a future vote option/storyline.
Something like this:
Elys will discuss with her parents how she can become a better diplomat. They will find out that the Wranni who have joined the alliance against Aspitolm want to recruit some of the other clans, but they don't have anyone they can spare who would be a good diplomat. Elys will offer to do the job for them. The Wranni chieftain thinks that it shouldn't be too difficult to recruit the Kelwe clan, most of whom are merchants who have a history of being attacked by Aspiti pirates/slavers. Before sending Elys to the city of Vashiira (where the Kelwe clan have their headquarters), the Wranni will spend some time teaching Elys how she should talk to them, who their most prominent members are, which gods they worship, and a bunch of other stuff that might be useful when it comes to negotiating with them. Basically, the point of this is to demonstrate that knowing and understanding the people you're going to be dealing with is extremely useful for someone who wants to be a diplomat. And then, when they're ready, they'll send Elys, Jana, Catharne and maybe a couple of burly bodyguards (mostly for decoration, really) to Vashiira where they will visit the Kelwe clan compound and try to recruit them to join the war against Aspitolm. Training as well as practical experience!
I'm tired, so maybe that's not as coherent as it should be, but I hope you get the gist of it. Any thoughts?
Oftentimes, when I see that you are detailing your plans for things that will happen in the quest in the near future, I just skip the post and remember to come back later, after it wouldn't be spoilers anymore. So, can't comment on this idea right now, and will just have to trust your judgement. : - P
All right, I've been thinking about this and I've got an idea for a future vote option/storyline.
Something like this:
Elys will discuss with her parents how she can become a better diplomat. They will find out that the Wranni who have joined the alliance against Aspitolm want to recruit some of the other clans, but they don't have anyone they can spare who would be a good diplomat. Elys will offer to do the job for them. The Wranni chieftain thinks that it shouldn't be too difficult to recruit the Kelwe clan, most of whom are merchants who have a history of being attacked by Aspiti pirates/slavers. Before sending Elys to the city of Vashiira (where the Kelwe clan have their headquarters), the Wranni will spend some time teaching Elys how she should talk to them, who their most prominent members are, which gods they worship, and a bunch of other stuff that might be useful when it comes to negotiating with them. Basically, the point of this is to demonstrate that knowing and understanding the people you're going to be dealing with is extremely useful for someone who wants to be a diplomat. And then, when they're ready, they'll send Elys, Jana, Catharne and maybe a couple of burly bodyguards (mostly for decoration, really) to Vashiira where they will visit the Kelwe clan compound and try to recruit them to join the war against Aspitolm. Training as well as practical experience!
I'm tired, so maybe that's not as coherent as it should be, but I hope you get the gist of it. Any thoughts?
that sounds fun, one thing i will say though, is why wouldnt the wranni use thier own diplomats? what do they gain by babysitting our protagonist? a vague favor they get to cash in later from miskrak/ his chosen? would elys's family be offering the wranni anything else?
Separate from that, the negotiation from Prentigold was entirely by the skill of write-ins. So, my question is: will the mechanics of diplomacy or persuasion in this quest change as a result of pursuing that storyline? I ask, in case a vote is against another option I'm interested in, as I want to check that I fully understand the consequences.
Oftentimes, when I see that you are detailing your plans for things that will happen in the quest in the near future, I just skip the post and remember to come back later, after it wouldn't be spoilers anymore. So, can't comment on this idea right now, and will just have to trust your judgement. : - P
I don't think it's any more spoileriffic than some of my end-of-the-month vote options have been in the past, but I recognize that that's a matter of opinion.
that sounds fun, one thing i will say though, is why wouldnt the wranni use thier own diplomats? what do they gain by babysitting our protagonist? a vague favor they get to cash in later from miskrak/ his chosen? would elys's family be offering the wranni anything else?
The Wranni who have joined the alliance against Aspitolm have taken some losses. Not catastrophic losses, but they're at the point where they feel like they can't spare any of their best men or women to go trotting off to foreign countries and acting as a diplomat. If Elys is willing to do the job for them, so long as she does it well, she will genuinely be doing them a favour. And Mishrak is keeping them well-fed and supplied, so it could be construed that they owe him a few favours.
Separate from that, the negotiation from Prentigold was entirely by the skill of write-ins. So, my question is: will the mechanics of diplomacy or persuasion in this quest change as a result of pursuing that storyline? I ask, in case a vote is against another option I'm interested in, as I want to check that I fully understand the consequences.
It will certainly change my style of narration; in the 'Heart of Gold' series of updates, I presented Elys as a brash and impetuous young girl and the way I interpreted your write-in vote options reflected that. After Elys has had some training and diplomatic experience, I will present her differently. It doesn't mean that I'll stop asking for write-ins, but it may mean that I present her as being more careful or thoughtful. Of course, that will depend on what happens in-story.
Well done for completing Elys's first school year at the Engelram Academy, by the way.
Hmm. I'll give you 1xp for it. (Elys now has a total of 4xp. She needs a total of 9xp before she can reach Rank 4.)
*
The Dinner Party (Part One)
By the time you manage to get your friends together for a dinner party, the summer holidays have begun. In some ways, that's a good thing: it means that you have plenty of free time in which to prepare and get everything ready. However, you are acutely aware that time is not on your side: the longer you delay, the higher the chance that events will begin to spiral out of control. Before long, the Aspitis could launch a full-scale invasion of Rivayne, or Melphior's cultists could complete their evil plot to take over Zora Alishanda's dream realm, or the Mystic Path… Uh, actually you have no idea what they're doing right now, but it's bound to be nefarious.
The point is this: even though you're glad to be back home with your parents; even though long summer days stretch out ahead of you, ripe with possibility; even though you're relieved to have been freed from schedules and deadlines and academic assignments for the next month or so, you're beginning to worry that you may be running out of time. There never seems to be enough time to do everything you need to do. Time is a precious resource and it seems like all of Mishrak's wealth would be insufficient to buy you any more of it. You're just going to have to do the best you can with what you've got.
Mishrak provides the food and the venue for your dinner party. Initially, he promised to dazzle your new friends with the magnificence of his undersea palace and the wide variety of exotic foods that will be available for them to eat, but you managed to persuade him to moderate his generosity. Concerned that so much rich and unfamiliar food might make some of the members of Cadre 1F sick, you convinced him to limit tonight's feast to a few seafood dishes, a few regional delicacies, and a few of your personal favourites. Of course, Mishrak being who he is, 'few' in this case means more than enough food to enable you and all of your guests to overeat until you explode.
"What will you do to the leftovers?" you ask, still fretting.
"I'll send them to my temple in Rivayne; they'll distribute them to the poor," he informs you.
You nod, comforted. "That's good."
At the appointed time, with Raef's help, you manage to open a portal so that the members of Cadre 1F, except for Green Flame, can come through it. Then, you give them a short guided tour of those areas of Mishrak's undersea palace that are within a few minutes' walking distance of the hall where tonight's dinner has been laid out. You are gratified to notice that they all seem to be suitably amazed by what they see.
While Dorian, Philander, and Venta are wide-eyed and gawping at the sights, Jana manages to pull Isolia to one side so that she can converse with her in private, for a few minutes. Afterwards, she looks pensive, but not displeased or frustrated – and Isolia looks guardedly pleased – so you hope that it went well.
"Dinner is this way," you say, feeling that you've delayed for long enough already. "Follow me."
Catharne is waiting in the feast hall. She looks human, for the time being at least, and resembles a younger version of you to the extent that it gives you a moment's pause. But then you see something about her face that reminds you of Jana. Then, it occurs to you that the facial features that remind you of yourself might actually be meant as a reference to one or other of your parents. You think you can see something of Bellona in the shape of her nose and jawline. Also, her eyes are a virulent acid green, just like Mishrak's. It appears that Catharne has designed her human form to look like every member of your family combined into one.
"This is my cousin, Catharne," you say, after you've introduced her to the members of Cadre 1F. "She's Mishrak's daughter."
"How does a dragon god have a human daughter?" asks Philander, with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm a shapeshifter," says Catharne. "Um… most of the time, I… I don't look like this."
"Did you construct your own human form or do you have a limited repertoire of forms to choose from?" asks Venta.
"I… I made it myself. It took a long time," Catharne admits.
"Well, you did a good job of it," says Philander, giving her a sly wink. "Pretty."
"Thank you," says Catharne, smiling at him.
"Also, she's only seven years old," you announce. "So I would prefer it if you didn't flirt with her."
"Duly noted," says Philander, ashen-faced and shaken.
"Actually, because he wanted me to be Elys's… um, companion… my father designed me to mature much faster than if I was human. So there," says Mishrak's daughter, sticking her long pink tongue out at you. "I'm nearly an adult."
"Do you want him to flirt with you?" you ask, exasperated.
"What if I do?" she replies. "I want to be admired."
"Uh, don't worry," says Philander, a pleading tone in his voice. "I'm sure I can restrain myself from now on."
Catharne puts on such a childish pout that it makes you burst out laughing.
During the meal, what do you want to discuss first? (Choose one)
[] Why Green Flame was unable to attend this dinner party.
-[] Your plans to free Green Flame from slavery.
--[] Write in: what exactly are your plans to free Green Flame from slavery?
-[] Offer to get Mishrak to heal Dorian's father.
[] Tell Isolia what you've found out about Humferth Hygmalion.
[] Write in: how do you think you can help Philander?
[] Write in: what can you do to help with the Space Gonne project or to save Tyrepheum's goblin community from the depredations of Melphior's cultists?
[] Say something else (write in).
I feel like I need a bit more direction as to what you actually want to say to Cadre 1F. Be specific, please.
I'll be here to answer any questions you may have or to offer suggestions if you need them.
We don't have a concrete plan to save Green Flame from slavery, so we shouldn't talk about it. Cadre 1F knows that she's a slave, so they know why she isn't here.
We should tell Dorian that Mishrak can heal his father. Prentigold didn't object to a scholarship fund from Mishrak, so he's not one of the gods forbidden in the Sambian Empire.
One god that is forbidden in the Sambian Empire is Teryn, the god of stopping stuff from being done to people's souls. I think that he and his priests are the best people to figure out what's going on with Philander, and now that Phil has a way to leave the Sambian Empire temporarily, he can get access to them.
Telling Isolia about Hymalion is the right thing to do. Forewarned, she can keep an eye out for anything dangerous he might ask her to do.
The space gonne is tricky. It sounds like the students are progressing well if the cultists are stepping up their efforts to kill the goddess before they finish, and they're in a highly watched area (the school) so we can probably leave them alone.
The goblin community may be simpler. If the authorities aren't paying enough attention to the goblin community, we may be able to sneak in more goblins to help. Are there any knightly orders with many goblin members, or perhaps mercenaries we could hire? The goblins that are being attacked are non-combatants, so adding combatants and investigators to the mix would make it possible to track down the cult.
I feel like we should open on helping Dorian's father, since that has a fairly simple and definite solution compared to the others, but I could be persuaded otherwise.
[X] Offer to get Mishrak to heal Dorian's father.
-[X] Suggest Dorian's father come in for an evaluation, without promising more.
Haha, great to see Catharne again! And it sounds like the thing with Jana and Isolia went pretty well! Not great, but looks like a first date is probably being planned?
Anyway, what to do first.
[X] Why Green Flame was unable to attend this dinner party.
-[X] Your plans to free Green Flame from slavery.
Sound like the best thing to open up with. As for what those plans are... hmm. I'd say right now, what we need the most of right now is information, to make sure we don't accidentally do the wrong thing. Closely followed by skills at negotiating, but we'll work on that later.
--[X] Tell them we have some ideas, but they are in the very early stages and might not work out.
---[X] We are considering maybe finding a way to change the law so she will be freed legally, maybe even along with other elf slaves in Sambia. Right now, we need information on the Sambian Emperor, and especially on Prentigold. Particularly their motivations and typical modus operandi. Also, on the approximate number of elves in Sambia. Cadre 1F can help with getting that information.
---[X] There may be an alternate plan involving a group of powerful free elves, but there are other problems there, mainly involving the Mystic Path. So, we need to discuss the plan with some of those elves first, and are not sure when we'll get the chance to do that.
---[X] Simply knowing more about how the enchantments that keep Green Flame enslaved work could possibly let us break those enchantments. Possibly with help from Teryn the Ghostlord, depending on whether or not it's a soul thing. Cadre 1F can help with getting that information.
---[X] Ask Cadre 1F if they have their own ideas for freeing her.
We can do the other stuff next, such as healing Dorian's father.
Really nice summary of your logic, @Indivisible, I found it persuasive.
Overall, Catherine was my favorite part of the chapter. Her ego seemed adorably combined from her draconic and age. Her playing off Phil was entertaining.
Into the vote, I'm in favor of helping Dorian's father. However, I don't think we should rush into it. I don't want to overwhelm or over promise.
[X] Offer to get Mishrak to heal Dorian's father.
-[X] Suggest Dorian's father come in for an evaluation, without promising more.
Maybe this is unnecessary, but Dorian's parents might have enough money to travel for medical care. I expect Mishrak can heal him, but things have a way of being complicated.
Really nice summary of your logic, @Indivisible, I found it persuasive.
Overall, Catherine was my favorite part of the chapter. Her ego seemed adorably combined from her draconic and age. Her playing off Phil was entertaining.
Into the vote, I'm in favor of helping Dorian's father. However, I don't think we should rush into it. I don't want to overwhelm or over promise.
[X] Offer to get Mishrak to heal Dorian's father.
-[X] Suggest Dorian's father come in for an evaluation, without promising more.
Maybe this is unnecessary, but Dorian's parents might have enough money to travel for medical care. I expect Mishrak can heal him, but things have a way of being complicated.
I feel bringing up Dorian's dad might kill the mood and we should ask that privately.
[X] Why Green Flame was unable to attend this dinner party.
-[X] Your plans to free Green Flame from slavery.
--[X] Tell them we have some ideas, but they are in the very early stages and might not work out.
---[X] We are considering maybe finding a way to change the law so she will be freed legally, maybe even along with other elf slaves in Sambia. Right now, we need information on the Sambian Emperor, and especially on Prentigold. Particularly their motivations and typical modus operandi. Also, on the approximate number of elves in Sambia. Cadre 1F can help with getting that information.
---[X] There may be an alternate plan involving a group of powerful free elves, but there are other problems there, mainly involving the Mystic Path. So, we need to discuss the plan with some of those elves first, and are not sure when we'll get the chance to do that.
---[X] Simply knowing more about how the enchantments that keep Green Flame enslaved work could possibly let us break those enchantments. Possibly with help from Teryn the Ghostlord, depending on whether or not it's a soul thing. Cadre 1F can help with getting that information.
---[X] Ask Cadre 1F if they have their own ideas for freeing her.
Why would we bring up plans that we're not sure are even happening? We haven't even talked to the Elf groups yet. This is our chance to wow Cadre 1F and prove to them that we're trustworthy. Remember, Green Flame advised them that she wasn't sure that they could completely trust us.
I feel like talking about changing the Sambian laws about slavery will just make Elys seem less credible. The Sambian Empire is built on slavery, and there's nothing we could offer the Emperor to convince him to get away from it, especially when he's in a war and elves are war assets. Also, seeking out information (especially on the number of elves in Sambia, which might be considered a military secret) and giving that information to a foreigner, when Sambia is at war, could easily be spun as treason and put Cadre 1F is huge amounts of danger.
Asking them for more information on the magic keeping Green Flame enslaved, when that information could be used to steal Green Flame without freeing her, and Cadre 1F are first year students who won't learn about that kind of magic for years if at all, and searching for it would put them against Prentigold, and each of Cadre 1F see school as the only way to better their lives, is a bad idea.
I meant that if simply being in another location would provide access to the necessary medical care, then I figured Dorian's parents could afford to travel. The difference now will be deity level magic, but that has been limited in surprising ways. As such, I simply wanted to proceed slower than some of Elys's prior enthusiasm.
"But I worked so hard on my human disguise! Praise me!"
Note to self: more compliments and hugs for Catharne
Also good luck Jana!!
[] Why Green Flame was unable to attend this dinner party.
-[] Your plans to free Green Flame from slavery.
--[] Write in: what exactly are your plans to free Green Flame from slavery?
Okay, this one, since we've tried simply speaking with the man, we should try something else. I would say - we should ask Raef for some details - she (last we saw her she was still using a female guise) used to be the headmaster, and also mucked around with Green Flame's head, so she likely knows a lot about the curse keeping GF tied down.
[x] Offer to get Mishrak to heal Dorian's father.
-[x] Prompt Mishrak for an amusing anecdote or two
Yep. We could even go like "you know who's better at life magic than Zinistrari? My uncle!" Or something to keep it light.
[] Tell Isolia what you've found out about Humferth Hygmalion.
Next, I think.
[] Write in: how do you think you can help Philander?
My first thought on this is that Bellona could get a good look at him. As has been pointed out, Teryn is banned in Sambia, so this could be as simple as plucking out the little worm from his soul that makes him compulsively flirt with any woman who so much as speaks to him. Honestly that might even help her locate the metaphorical worm.
[] Write in: what can you do to help with the Space Gonne project or to save Tyrepheum's goblin community from the depredations of Melphior's cultists?
Could be a way to spend a nice month, going full detective, tracking down the cultists, and blasting them away with dragon breath. Or perhaps they are simply in need of defenders, in which case maybe the goblin shuffle described earlier by Indivisible could be used, especially if Elys gets a handle on portal magic - I recall that being a later acquisition, perhaps at the end of summer or at rank 4? I recall asking, but several minutes of searching hasn't found me the post, so I might need to check again later.
Haha, great to see Catharne again! And it sounds like the thing with Jana and Isolia went pretty well! Not great, but looks like a first date is probably being planned?
Anyway, what to do first.
[X] Why Green Flame was unable to attend this dinner party.
-[X] Your plans to free Green Flame from slavery.
Sound like the best thing to open up with. As for what those plans are... hmm. I'd say right now, what we need the most of right now is information, to make sure we don't accidentally do the wrong thing. Closely followed by skills at negotiating, but we'll work on that later.
--[X] Tell them we have some ideas, but they are in the very early stages and might not work out.
---[X] We are considering maybe finding a way to change the law so she will be freed legally, maybe even along with other elf slaves in Sambia. Right now, we need information on the Sambian Emperor, and especially on Prentigold. Particularly their motivations and typical modus operandi. Also, on the approximate number of elves in Sambia. Cadre 1F can help with getting that information.
---[X] There may be an alternate plan involving a group of powerful free elves, but there are other problems there, mainly involving the Mystic Path. So, we need to discuss the plan with some of those elves first, and are not sure when we'll get the chance to do that.
---[X] Simply knowing more about how the enchantments that keep Green Flame enslaved work could possibly let us break those enchantments. Possibly with help from Teryn the Ghostlord, depending on whether or not it's a soul thing. Cadre 1F can help with getting that information.
---[X] Ask Cadre 1F if they have their own ideas for freeing her.
We can do the other stuff next, such as healing Dorian's father.
i like all this, its all very reasonable, my only problem, is that i dont want us promising things we cant deliver on, or sounding like we are a space cadet who doesnt know there are things we cant do (even if we are that a little bit 😉)
so, if we are to bring it up, id want us to be more pensive or humble about it. something like; so obviously i think it sucks that greenflame is a slave and has magical restrictions placed on her, but i dont really know of any actionable course to take on that. id need to learn alot more about sambian law and prentigold in particular to even start. its not something that could be done anytime soon, itd take years.
[additional thing id like to add >>>>] well, bar just trying to spring her loose and uprooting all your lives. it would take getting the attention of some powerful people currently buzy with other things, like some free elves i know of for example, and prentigold would basically know we did it which puts a torch to some other things wed like to do, to put things mildly. it is theoretically possible though.
i shouldnt of cowarded out of the pretigold vote, i should of tried to come with something. anyway, the 'elys learns diplomacy' arc is going to be sick
We should tell Dorian that Mishrak can heal his father. Prentigold didn't object to a scholarship fund from Mishrak, so he's not one of the gods forbidden in the Sambian Empire.
While I was reading your comment, I started to worry that Elys knowing about Dorian's father's illness was a continuity error: I couldn't remember where she'd found out about that in-story. I had to reread the 'Green Flame's Journal' chapters to reassure myself.
But yeah, Mishrak is considered to be a relatively minor god in the Sambian Empire, so nobody has bothered to ban anyone from worshipping him.
One god that is forbidden in the Sambian Empire is Teryn, the god of stopping stuff from being done to people's souls. I think that he and his priests are the best people to figure out what's going on with Philander, and now that Phil has a way to leave the Sambian Empire temporarily, he can get access to them.
Also, Elys's adopted big sister is Bellona Kachalskey, the Chosen of Teryn. Even if she doesn't have the expertise needed to investigate what's going on with Philander herself (which is possible, but you won't find out one way or the other until you ask her), any of Teryn's worshippers would be happy to help her out.
The goblin community may be simpler. If the authorities aren't paying enough attention to the goblin community, we may be able to sneak in more goblins to help. Are there any knightly orders with many goblin members, or perhaps mercenaries we could hire? The goblins that are being attacked are non-combatants, so adding combatants and investigators to the mix would make it possible to track down the cult.
There aren't many goblins in Quellonia because of how they were persecuted by various factions during the Civil War. Therefore, the Dream Knights are probably the smallest of all the knightly orders. But you might be able to get them to help.
Various mercenary companies have goblins in their ranks. One semi-famous mercenary band is made up entirely of goblins, called 'The Night Blades'.
Oh, that reminds me: the most infamous mercenary company, 'The Battalion of Torment', renowned for the many atrocities they have committed over the centuries since their first incarnation was formed, were recently hired by the Aspiti Empire to take part in their planned invasion of the Quellonia mainland. They'll be getting increased Warscore for that at the end of this latest in-game month.
Overall, Catherine was my favorite part of the chapter. Her ego seemed adorably combined from her draconic and age. Her playing off Phil was entertaining.
I meant that if simply being in another location would provide access to the necessary medical care, then I figured Dorian's parents could afford to travel. The difference now will be deity level magic, but that has been limited in surprising ways. As such, I simply wanted to proceed slower than some of Elys's prior enthusiasm.
Dorian's parents aren't exactly poor, but money is tight at the moment because of his father's long illness. Also, most forms of travel would be difficult for them (again because of his father's illness).
[X] Why Green Flame was unable to attend this dinner party.
-[X] Your plans to free Green Flame from slavery.
--[X] Tell them we have some ideas, but they are in the very early stages and might not work out.
---[X] We are considering maybe finding a way to change the law so she will be freed legally, maybe even along with other elf slaves in Sambia. Right now, we need information on the Sambian Emperor, and especially on Prentigold. Particularly their motivations and typical modus operandi. Also, on the approximate number of elves in Sambia. Cadre 1F can help with getting that information.
---[X] There may be an alternate plan involving a group of powerful free elves, but there are other problems there, mainly involving the Mystic Path. So, we need to discuss the plan with some of those elves first, and are not sure when we'll get the chance to do that.
---[X] Simply knowing more about how the enchantments that keep Green Flame enslaved work could possibly let us break those enchantments. Possibly with help from Teryn the Ghostlord, depending on whether or not it's a soul thing. Cadre 1F can help with getting that information.
---[X] Ask Cadre 1F if they have their own ideas for freeing her.
Hmm. I will probably end up basing the next update on multiple people's different votes, but that could be a problem if (for example) some voters really don't want Elys to talk about how and why Green Flame has been prevented from attending the dinner party.
