- Location
- Earth
Personally, I'm not opposed to multiple topics, I just voted based on my priority for the conversation.
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Chosen by the Dragon God
- Thread starter Chandagnac
- Start date
- Original
I'm fine with talking about talking about why Green Flame isn't here, I just don't want to make promises we can't keep.
So for Philander:
For the cultist/gonne issue:
So for Philander:
- Ask Bellona or another Teryn priest to look at Philander.
For the cultist/gonne issue:
- Hire the Night Blades
- Ask the Dream Knights for help, and since it involves their patron goddess being killed, they'll probably agree
- Tell her what we've learned.
Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
[X] Offer to get Mishrak to heal Dorian's father.
-[X] Suggest Dorian's father come in for an evaluation, without promising more.
-[X] Suggest Dorian's father come in for an evaluation, without promising more.
I forget, but weren't these jerks also hired by Har at some point in AHMIY? To defend themselves against the various armies rising up to make them pay for their numerous demon-influenced atrocities? Or was that some other guys. If that was these guys, then... if Har ever reaches or approaches the state it was in in AHMIY, defeating or crippling the Battalion of Torment here would likely weaken them considerably. Not that crippling a centuries old world famous mercenary company would be easy of course, but... y'know, something to aim for if we can.
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
I find that amusing. And hopefully not a problem for us later once we rise to their attention.
Yeah next month is definitely Warscore time. Can't slack on that. Say, if we reach the requisite Warscore way becore the deadline, does that mean the war is less bloody for us and ours?
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Yes, that happened. Also, in The Tinpot Princess and Her Many Travels, it was mentioned that Everrarc Ninefingers, one of the leaders of the Battalion of Torment, slew Pelathyne Poyner, who was an old friend and adventuring companion of Gareth and Yslena Allardyne.
It may not be that simple. In the past, the Battalion of Torment has been all-but-annihilated more than once, only to be revived by one of the last survivors or by someone completely unrelated who was hoping to make use of the Battalion's fearsome reputation. Currently, there are multiple versions of the Battalion of Torment extant at the same time, after what Roylott Flawse described as a "bloody schism".
See here:
So, if you defeated the Battalion of Torment in Ardenor (the central/eastern continent where Aspitolm is), that would have no effect on the Battalion of Torment in Mercadia who will presumably be the ones hired by the Kingdom of Har later on.
Not quite. If Aspitolm gets to 27 Warscore first, they will begin a full-scale invasion of the Quellonian mainland. On the other hand, if Mishrak's coalition gets to 27 Warscore first, the Aspitis will be forced to defend themselves while their enemies prepare a counter-invasion. (After that, the next stage of the war might involve desperately trying to defend Rivayne from being conquered by Aspitolm, or the invasion of Tolmar by Mishrak's forces, or a bitter and bloody stalemate. It depends on how things develop.)
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- Male
If voting is still open.
[X] Offer to get Mishrak to heal Dorian's father.
-[X] Suggest Dorian's father come in for an evaluation, without promising more.
[X] Offer to get Mishrak to heal Dorian's father.
-[X] Suggest Dorian's father come in for an evaluation, without promising more.
The Dinner Party (Part Two)
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Hey Lovemuffin, it's good to see you again.
*
The Dinner Party (Part Two)
When you settle down at the dinner table, there is not much conversation at first: the members of Cadre 1F are too busy examining and investigating the wide variety of food you have made available to them. They seem quite overwhelmed. Even Philander, who is the son of one of the richest men in Tyrepheum, and Dorian, whose father is an important government official, never had a meal like this before. For a while, the only sounds you can hear are the clattering, clacking, and scraping of cutlery against plates, the munching and crunching of industrious chewing, and a few soft whispers whenever someone is asked to pass one of the dishes to someone else.The Dinner Party (Part Two)
Much later, when everyone has gorged themselves to satiety, you decide to begin your planned discussion by saying, "I'm sorry Green Flame couldn't be here tonight. I would like to free her from slavery and from being bound to the Tyrepheum Academy, but I don't know how to. When I spoke to him, Headmaster Prentigold wasn't very helpful in that regard."
"Of course not," Philander mumbles, picking at the remains of his bowl of raspberries and cream. "He's always been one to let things lie, especially if they benefit him."
"Having a highly qualified professor whom they don't have to pay must save the academy a lot of money," Dorian agrees.
"I want to free her, but… uh, I know I'm being selfish when I say that I want her to stay at the academy and be my teacher," says Venta with a nervous laugh. "I mean, surely she should be given the choice, but…"
"According to Sambian law, all elves are slaves," you say. "She can't stay in the Sambian Empire and be free. Unless someone were to change the law. I've been coming up with various schemes: persuading the emperor to change the law, getting a powerful group of elves to rescue her, or… well, I'm not sure how feasible any of my ideas are." You glance around the table at the others. "I was wondering if you had any thoughts about that?"
"You're on first name terms with some of the gods," Philander points out. "Surely they could help you."
"I'm sure they could." You nod. "But they tend to be extremely busy. If I'm going to ask one of them to do something, I'd like to know exactly what I want them to do beforehand."
"Which means that you need information," says Dorian, catching on.
"What kind of information?" asks Isolia.
"How many elves are there in the Sambian Empire? Where did they come from and what abilities do they have? What kind of man is the Emperor and what would he want in exchange for freeing the elves?" you ask. "What is the nature of the enchantments that keep Green Flame bound to the Tyrepheum Academy? If she were sold to another owner, how would her magical chains be changed?"
There is a brief pause following these pronouncements. Then, by way of explanation, you add, "The more I know about these things, the better chance I have of being able to free her."
"I'm not sure we are in the best position to be able to answer any of those questions for you," says Venta, rather uneasily.
"Perhaps not," you admit. "I'm not asking you to put yourselves at risk or get into trouble. I just want you to know that I'm in the process of coming up with a plan to free Green Flame from slavery."
"Well, that's… good for you," says Philander. "How long do you think it'll take?"
You shake your head. "I have no idea."
"At least you're trying," says Isolia, giving you an earnest glance.
"Actually, there were some other things I wanted to talk about," you say, taking the opportunity to change the subject. "Dorian, I know your father is very unwell, so… what if I brought him here and had Mishrak take a look at him? I don't want to promise anything, but Mishrak is one of the most skilful life mages there has ever been and has the powers of a god as well, enabling him to perform miracles that would be impossible for mere mortals. I'm not certain that he will be able to help your father, but… if anyone can, he can."
Dorian blinks at you and doesn't say anything for several moments. At last, he tilts his head slightly and murmurs, "That's kind of you. I would be grateful if you'd do that. Even if it doesn't work out."
Turning to the boy sitting next to him, you proceed, "Philander, I would like to have one of Teryn the Ghostlord's priests take a look at you. I don't know what your father has done to you, but I suspect that it has something to do with your soul – and Teryn's priests are experts at dealing with curses and afflictions that have to do with the soul." Not wanting to overcomplicate things, you refrain from explaining that your big sister is Teryn's Chosen and probably counts as one of his priests.
He frowns, looking suspiciously at you. "Teryn? The god of necromancers? Isn't he evil?"
"No, he and his worshippers actively try to prevent necromancy from being used for evil," you correct him. "I've been told that the reason why his worshippers have been banned from the Sambian Empire is that slavers don't like being told what they can't do with their slaves."
Philander is taken aback. "Uh, isn't necromancy inherently evil? I mean, raising the dead and trapping people's souls doesn't seem like the kind of thing a good person would do."
"The word 'necromancy' has come to mean much more than it originally did. In the beginning, it meant 'trying to divine the future by consulting the dead'. Much the same as how ornithomancy means 'divining the future by studying patterns in the flight of birds', pyromancy means 'divining the future by looking into fire', and so on," you explain. "However, over thousands of years, the meanings of words change. These days, necromancy is used as a generic term for all forms of soul magic. A necromancer can use soul energy to animate dead bodies or dolls or puppets, or they can repair damaged souls, or guide the lost souls back to the Wheel, or keep a dying man or woman alive for long enough to be healed – or at least give them a chance to say goodbye to their loved ones." You give a rueful smile at that. "Honestly, there are dozens if not hundreds of possible uses for it, relatively few of which are evil."
"Well…" Chewing his lower lip, Philander gives you an uncertain glance. "If you think that it'd be for the best if I get my soul examined by one of Teryn's necromancers, I guess that's what I should do."
"You can come here for it," you try to reassure him. "I know someone who can help."
He nods, but doesn't say anything.
Then, you glance at Isolia. "I think you should know that Humferth Hygmalion, your sponsor, was sacked from the Tyrepheum Academy of the Magical Arts because he was the mentor to a group of students who got themselves killed or maimed by trying to craft a powerful magical artefact. Prentigold believes that he deliberately encouraged them to do so, but he couldn't prove it."
"That's exactly what Green Flame told me," says Isolia, seemingly unruffled. "But I don't think she knows all of the details."
"Prentigold suggested that Hygmalion wanted those students die so that he could take the artefact they were crafting for himself," you inform her. "He is power-hungry and amoral."
"I could not afford to attend the Tyrepheum Academy if he wasn't sponsoring me," she replies. "It will be several years before I have learned enough to be able to 'craft a powerful magical artefact' or anything like that. Even if his intentions are…" She winces, takes a deep breath, and shakes her head. "Even if he means me harm, I will endure, for the time being at least."
At that, Jana nudges you in the side. "Come on, Elys, take a hint," she mutters at you.
"Oh… uh, Isolia, what if I get Mishrak to sponsor you instead?" you suggest. "He's incredibly rich, so he could easily pay for your tuition and anything else you need. What do you think?"
"That's kind of you, but… I don't know how Hygmalion would react if he found out that he was being replaced as my sponsor," she says. "I suspect that it would force a confrontation with him sooner rather than later. I'm not ready for that."
"At least think about it," you tell her.
Finally, you turn to Venta, who is sitting at the other end of the table. "There aren't many goblins in Quellonia, but…uh, the Dream Knights see Zora Alishanda as their patron and benefactor. I'm sure that I can persuade them to help out. Also, I was thinking… are there any goblin mercenaries I could hire – or get Mishrak to hire – to protect your people?"
"I don't know," Venta admits. "It's not something I've given much thought to. However…" She pauses, looking thoughtful. "I've heard legends of Dharta Thennir, far to the south, a land ruled by goblins, sheltered under the banner of the Avanni Empire. If you go there, perhaps you'll find warriors who'd be willing to fight for your money and a worthy cause?"
"That sounds like a plan," you say, beaming at her.
What else do you want to talk about?
[] Write in.
I've tried to include as many of your suggestions as possible. Where do you want to go from here?
EDIT: Alternatively, I could bring this latest month to a swift end and then we can vote for what Elys should do next month. It's gonna be a long list...
EDIT: Alternatively, I could bring this latest month to a swift end and then we can vote for what Elys should do next month. It's gonna be a long list...
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so, while icing prentigold would be messy and counter to some of our goals, ive seen nothing to indicate any issue with doing the same to hygmilion. we just need to find people conpetent enough to kill him. any heat we'd get from allies of his would be people we'd be enemies with anyway. now if only we could do that to every old wizard planning to take advantage of young mages.
also, i think it would be nice to just ask them how theyve been and let them lead the conversation for a bit, they are meant to be her friends after all. and from a meta narrative perspective, it'd be more information and a chance for chamdagnac to write about something different if he wants to.
on the business side of things, we could talk about phils brother perhaps?
also, i think it would be nice to just ask them how theyve been and let them lead the conversation for a bit, they are meant to be her friends after all. and from a meta narrative perspective, it'd be more information and a chance for chamdagnac to write about something different if he wants to.
on the business side of things, we could talk about phils brother perhaps?
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- Earth
I'm terribly tempted by the thought of Elys telling her sister that Phil babbles nonsense when he's nervous and the best thing to do is just reassure him.
Hmm... yeah, at the moment I can't think of anything else to bring up right now, the above update covered all the most important stuff. But at the same time, not quite ready for this to just be over yet. I'd say, give one more update's worth of conversation, seeing what the members of Cadre 1F have to say for a bit.
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Maybe ask them if they have any questions for us? It feels like to me our relationship with them has been Elys proposing solutions to their problems after learning more about them.
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a worry i have; the food and the palace and the bluntness of "you know ur personal and upsetting business, what if i (a person you have spoken to like 3 times) just threw a bunch of dragon money at it until it went away. anyay how was your day?" will intimidate them/ ruin the mood because they are all contemplating thier own shit. and like indulging elys will feel like a chore/ obligation. like those movies about lonely rich kids trying to make friends 😅
Yeah, talking to them about their opinions and feelings seems like a good idea.
What @prof_Chemical said, I really liked the update but aaah, social awkwardness via second hand experiences XD
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
I was going to make a crack like "Just ask Jana, she can vouch!" But I found and reread the chapter in question and it was actually The Forgotten God who assisted in that particular bit of re-aliving. Reading that now is so different, now that I know more about the guy.
It does change the interaction a lot. You call up The Forgotten God and say "hey there's a soul here that got trapped under a rock, I can lift the rock but the soul still thinks there's a rock on it, can you lift the soul rock?" TFG will just shrug and say sure. It's usually faster than talking about it, if you know the person already. I can only imagine most gods call eachother in the same way.
[x] Ask Cadre 1F what they've been up to
-[x] Play a game of Bladderwrack??
--[x] have some fun
We'd need a fourth for Elys's team but we almost have the right amount of players!
Chandagnac
Broken Robot
- Location
- Nowhere
Sildar and Jorantul could do it fairly easily. In fact, if you told them the real reason why you want him dead, you might not even have to pay them. However, although they're basically well-meaning, they do tend to cause a lot of collateral damage. And they're banned from the Sambian Empire already.
Philander: "You... are a very beautiful woman."
Bellona: (Raises an eyebrow) "You do realise that I'm old enough to be your mother, don't you?"
Philander: "Even so." (Blinks a few times and shakes his head) "Uhh... just... forget I said anything, all right?"
Bellona: "Yes, I think that would be for the best."
All right, would you like to put that in a vote?
Cadre 1F have formed one of the best Bladderwrack teams in their year group, but Elys is a much more powerful mage than they are. And you'd need to add a fourth player to your team. I reckon it'd be close, at first, but Elys's team would probably win every match after they gained more experience.
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maybe if we had someone babysit Sildar and Jorantul? keep them on task so they can get in, kill a guy, get out and back to doing war stuff. as always, i feel doing anything with them would involve you in some future mess of theirs (by becoming an associate of a tornado) but is that not what life is for? idk if they came out coherently so sorry about that.
what does everyone else think? (also would probably be good to consult isolia before icing him -if we are doing that- i want him gone, but i also dont want to replace one controlling force with another by stomping all over the girls agency and autonomy)(but also i dont want to give the guy the chance to decide he nolonger will wait for her to be older before doing something horrible to her)
with the tution thing, im not too worried about elys or miskhrak's bad diplomacy skills since they have competent people to spin that plate for them, (between elys's parents and mishrak's followers). mishrak can just exist as a new patron, one who doesnt ask alot, and that can be that, unless we are actively poaching students we shouldnt have meaningful trouble i dont think
what does everyone else think? (also would probably be good to consult isolia before icing him -if we are doing that- i want him gone, but i also dont want to replace one controlling force with another by stomping all over the girls agency and autonomy)(but also i dont want to give the guy the chance to decide he nolonger will wait for her to be older before doing something horrible to her)
with the tution thing, im not too worried about elys or miskhrak's bad diplomacy skills since they have competent people to spin that plate for them, (between elys's parents and mishrak's followers). mishrak can just exist as a new patron, one who doesnt ask alot, and that can be that, unless we are actively poaching students we shouldnt have meaningful trouble i dont think
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[X] Ask Cadre 1F if they have any questions for you to answer or anything they want to know about you.
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To put it in the form of a vote, I'll go with
[X] Ask Cadre 1F if they have any questions for you to answer or anything they want to know about you.
(I... assume the "Charade" thing was a result of some form of autocorrect?)
For the Sildar and Jorantul idea, I suggest we combine that with the thing about helping them protect civilians from the war. It's both multitasking, and a good test run to see what they are like in action. Of course, there's still the problem of... Elys's hasn't even met Hygmalion and just sorta has a couple people saying they suspect he is very likely to be bad. I don't want a repeat of the Lavokthagua in Hedge Maze situation. Also, without more concrete information at the very least, I doubt Isolia would appreciate us hiring someone to kill her sponsor on her behalf, even if Mishrak replaced him as her sponsor right away.
[X] Ask Cadre 1F if they have any questions for you to answer or anything they want to know about you.
(I... assume the "Charade" thing was a result of some form of autocorrect?)
For the Sildar and Jorantul idea, I suggest we combine that with the thing about helping them protect civilians from the war. It's both multitasking, and a good test run to see what they are like in action. Of course, there's still the problem of... Elys's hasn't even met Hygmalion and just sorta has a couple people saying they suspect he is very likely to be bad. I don't want a repeat of the Lavokthagua in Hedge Maze situation. Also, without more concrete information at the very least, I doubt Isolia would appreciate us hiring someone to kill her sponsor on her behalf, even if Mishrak replaced him as her sponsor right away.
[X] Ask Cadre 1F if they have any questions for you to answer or anything they want to know about you.
I think combining 'collateral damage' and anything related to a school is a bad idea.
I think combining 'collateral damage' and anything related to a school is a bad idea.
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that's a good point about lavthoklagua. greenflame's word should be good here, but it wouldnt hurt to check
Flashkannon
Aqua Iconographer
- Location
- TM 91
Honestly that's all the more reason to do it, it's a bit of fun that Phil and co (he gets to be top billing because he loves bladderwrack) can feel good about knowing a little more than Elys about, because she's thus far, for very good reasons, overshadowed them immensely at every turn. It'll put them a little more into a peer relationship which I think Elys needs more of and Cadre 1F certainly could use! Plus friendship and also, kids deserve to play some games and have fun.