She looks haggard and weary, almost as if she has aged several years in the past few days. It makes you uncomfortable to be reminded of how old she is, especially when you compare her to your father who looks so much younger and stronger these days. Idly, you wonder if Mishrak could rejuvenate her – but of course he could! – and, just as crucially, if she would agree to it. It scares you to think that she might not.
If this is your bid to make us see every option on that month action list as vitally necessary Chandagnac, you are succeeding.
Using our new diplomacy skills, we might be able to crack her likely objections using the exact same train of thought she just spoke to us - it's distressing to see the ones you love growing older and putting themselves into more danger, and we are legitimately worried about her.
I remember Cerianna! Boy we sure are in the past if she's just a baby. I wonder if that tower in Aspitolm still exists, or did someone burn it down already? If not, we certainly will.
[x] "Tell me more about the Kelwe clan."
-[x] "Do you know any specific customs or social faux paux that the Wranni or Vashiiri observe that might not be obvious?"
-[x] You said that "Numerous unlucky members of the Kelwe clan have ended up being sold in the markets in Aspitolm"... do we know who any of them are, who might still be alive now?
[x] "Tell me about Vashiira."
-[x] "How religious are they?"
Shaori is their numero uno - it seems like she'd be a natural ally against slavers, perhaps we could scout her out for such? Deific diplomacy might be a level above mortal diplomacy, though.
[x] "Hey, if I have Wranni ancestors, does that mean I'm part of your extended family?"
-[x] "Do you think approaching them as distant family would help?"
Sounds good to me, if they value extended family, as Gelfavar seems to place great importance on it.
[x] "Tell me more about yourself."
-[x] "Why does your shadow look like a snarling wolf?"
I understand the desire for fun secrets but also, I Gotta Know
I assume the two of them have no relations at all, right now; Mishrak has kinda kept to himself for most of history, the only major being we know of that he's ever been explicitly allied with until recently was his brother Tatse Gozira/Gozraka, who is dead.
(For those who don't know or just don't remember, Cerianna was a minor character in A Hedge Maze Is You; she was enslaved by the Aspitis until Hedgy rescued her. Cerianna's parents also made brief appearances, Erion being shown for one scene leading some of Gelfavar's men shortly after they conquered Aspitolm, and Ilona being briefly met with to let her know her daughter is alive and recently freed)
Also, I'm not sure if I ever mentioned it in A Hedge Maze Is You (AHMIY), but I always had it in mind that Cerianna's brothers had been killed in the same raid in which she was captured.
I'm not sure exactly what age Cerianna was in AHMIY, but she was a young adult woman when Hedgy saved her. And by the sound of it, she's about a decade younger than Elys!
(what age even was she when the Aspitis got her... or do I not want to know)
Cerianna was around twenty years old in AHMIY. Elys was born approximately thirty years before the start of AHMIY, so... yeah, she's about a decade younger than Elys.
We did see her rescue one of her followers by having a flock of birds tear apart his attackers in the middle of the street, and then turn her follower into a bird.
i want her to ask about diplomatic customs, both of the wranni broadly and the kelwe specifically. i think there is no harm in presenting as alien, since she is quell and not kelwe, but i think showing the interest to have found out the proper ways to approach would reflect well on her.
do we already know of any language barriers she might face and how to rectify them?
also i suppose we should ask for broad knowledge of faux paux to avoid.
i also like the idea of asking if they are kin, and if taking a more active interest in her wranni ancestry would change that.
she could also ask for a character breakdown of the kelwe chief.
wolf shadow's knowledge sounds limited and the kelwe sound distant but hes going to know alot more than our nothing.
i think that's everything. again i dont think we will get elys to pretend she is wranni soits not as if she needs to speak of shared wranni culture when there. just needs to know how to behave and to not clash with kelwe values
It was burned down by Kari/Samaya after she escaped to freedom and found out that the owners of Paradise Loft were the ones who'd bought her from her former owner, a wizard named Fyralio Belusk.
Shaori is their numero uno - it seems like she'd be a natural ally against slavers, perhaps we could scout her out for such? Deific diplomacy might be a level above mortal diplomacy, though.
Adhoc vote count started by Chandagnac on Jan 3, 2022 at 11:43 AM, finished with 5 posts and 4 votes.
[X] "Hey, if I have Wranni ancestors, does that mean I'm part of your extended family?"
-[X] "May I call you 'cousin'?"
--[X] "Do you think approaching them as distant family would help?"
[X] "Tell me more about the Kelwe clan."
-[X] You said that "Numerous unlucky members of the Kelwe clan have ended up being sold in the markets in Aspitolm"... do we know who any of them are, who might still be alive now?
[X] "Tell me more about the Kelwe clan."
-[x] "Do you know any specific customs or social faux paux that the Wranni or Vashiiri observe that might not be obvious?"
-[X] You said that "Numerous unlucky members of the Kelwe clan have ended up being sold in the markets in Aspitolm"... do we know who any of them are, who might still be alive now?
[X] "Hey, if I have Wranni ancestors, does that mean I'm part of your extended family?"
-[x] "Do you think approaching them as distant family would help?"
[X] "Tell me more about the Kelwe clan."
-[X] "Do you know any specific customs or social faux paux that the Wranni or Vashiiri observe that might not be obvious?"
-[X] You said that "Numerous unlucky members of the Kelwe clan have ended up being sold in the markets in Aspitolm"... do we know who any of them are, who might still be alive now?
[X] "Tell me more about the Kelwe clan."
-[X] "Do you know any specific customs or social faux paux that the Wranni or Vashiiri observe that might not be obvious?"
-[X] You said that "Numerous unlucky members of the Kelwe clan have ended up being sold in the markets in Aspitolm"... do we know who any of them are, who might still be alive now?
[X] "Tell me more about the Kelwe clan."
-[X] what language should i speak to them in?
-[X] Is there anything more you can tell me about erion stormcrow as a person? his family?
[X] "Tell me more about the Wranni."
-[X] Are there any wranni specific diplomatic traditions i should be aware of? is there anything that wouldnt be offensive to a quelli but would be to a wranni?
—[X] Do you know of anything like that specific to the kelwe?
[X] "Hey, if I have Wranni ancestors, does that mean I'm part of your extended family?"
-[X] "May I call you 'cousin'?"
—[X] "Would taking a more active interest in my wranni heritage and wranni culture allow us to become family?
ok i think that covers it, am tired and am about to go to sleep. the wording here might be a bit fucked but i take it the vote isnt meant to be literal anyway right? was much more confident in my non vote wording tbh.
Also, I'm not sure if I ever mentioned it in A Hedge Maze Is You (AHMIY), but I always had it in mind that Cerianna's brothers had been killed in the same raid in which she was captured.
It was burned down by Kari/Samaya after she escaped to freedom and found out that the owners of Paradise Loft were the ones who'd bought her from her former owner, a wizard named Fyralio Belusk.
Excellent. No less than the wretched place deserves. Fyralio's fate (if she killed him) is far more germane to the current plot though so I expect we'll need to ask Kari for that.
ok i think that covers it, am tired and am about to go to sleep. the wording here might be a bit fucked but i take it the vote isnt meant to be literal anyway right? was much more confident in my non vote wording tbh.
Actually, considering that there are only seven or eight people taking part in this, I'm not sure why I bother with the vote. Maybe there's a more interesting way of deciding what Elys will do next. I've just been reading through The Creative Question Confabulation thread and it's made me want to experiment a bit.
Maybe no one will find this interesting, maybe I'm just making extra work for myself, but I'm going to try it anyway. From now on, I'll try to base Elys's actions on the discussion that came before the update, rather than ask for votes.
So...
In the next update, Elys will ask Gelfavar about whether she should approach the Wranni as distant family. She will think about getting Mishrak to contact Shaori. She will ask about the Kelwe clan members who have been sold at the slave markets in Aspitolm and she'll ask what Gelfavar thinks about Mishrak. She'll ask about Vashiiri and Kelwe customs, potential faux pas and language barriers, their religious beliefs, and what Erion Stormcrow is like as a person.
I'd like to have her ask, "Where do we come from? What's our shared origin, and why are we spread and separated all over the world now?" However, that's a question that might need an entire update to properly answer. Let me know if you want to do it or not.
Flashkannon wants to know the story of why Gelfavar's shadow is in the shape of a wolf, but x_lksk doesn't, so... Elys isn't going to ask about it unless there's anyone else who wants her to. (x_lksk vetoed Flashkannon's vote, but someone could still veto his veto.)
What do you think of the plan so far? Is it okay? Is there anything you'd like to change? Please let me know.
(So far, this new way of deciding what Elys will do next won't be much different from the previous system of voting. I hope that things will start to differ after I've finished writing and posted the next update.)
All right, I didn't remember the exact details. But it shouldn't affect the story since the 'bad future' of A Hedge Maze Is You isn't going to happen anymore. At least not in the same way.
...sounds like an interesting experiment, which could go either way. My only reservation is that this new system kinda incentivizes explicitly vetoing stuff rather than just not voting for them, which seems a bit more... rude? I dunno. Also, some people, used to the voting system, might not even think to veto ideas they don't want. But we'll see; if this goes well, I think it could improve this quest a great deal.
As for me, I do want add in one more... sort of conditional veto. For the suggestion of:
[] "Hey, if I have Wranni ancestors, does that mean I'm part of your extended family?"
-[] "May I call you 'cousin'?"
—[] "Would taking a more active interest in my wranni heritage and wranni culture allow us to become family?
It seems like the first two parts of this would be a bit random if we don't even know what it means to be a Wranni. (and kind of random in general, I mean she isn't trying to adopt every major Quellonian she meets into her extended family, but whatever, it would kinda fit Elys's personal brand of silliness)
And the third one would be partially preempted by learning their shared origin. So, I say, go with this if we do get that update on what the deal is with Wranni, otherwise nah.
...sounds like an interesting experiment, which could go either way. My only reservation is that this new system kinda incentivizes explicitly vetoing stuff rather than just not voting for them, which seems a bit more... rude?
It was my hope that readers would discuss the recent updates and what they wanted Elys to do next, and then come to some sort of agreement. Since there are so few people voting, I don't think it makes sense to go with a traditional voting system.
Since Indivisible, Zam, and prof_Chemical are all in favour of the "Hey, if I have Wranni ancestors, does that mean I'm part of your extended family?" and "May I call you 'cousin'?" questions, your veto isn't enough. You need to persuade them to change their minds. Or you could get two other people to join you in vetoing, I guess. That's what the discussion is for.
EDIT: Basically, after I post future updates, I hope that someone will reply saying, "Elys should do this next." And then someone else will say, "Yes, and she should do this as well." And then someone else might say, "I don't like one aspect of the plan. Would you mind changing it slightly?" And so on. Hopefully, we'll end up with plans that people can agree on. If not, I'll scrap this idea and go back to tallying votes like I did before.
im ok to discuss wording on the ancestors thing. like i dont want her to be an ass about it. 'you were saying that we paid no mind to our wranni ancestry, what would it mean properly acknowledge and respect it, would that make us wranni too?' something along those lines perhaps?
I'd like to have her ask, "Where do we come from? What's our shared origin, and why are we spread and separated all over the world now?" However, that's a question that might need an entire update to properly answer. Let me know if you want to do it or not.
It seems like the first two parts of this would be a bit random if we don't even know what it means to be a Wranni. (and kind of random in general, I mean she isn't trying to adopt every major Quellonian she meets into her extended family, but whatever, it would kinda fit Elys's personal brand of silliness)
Personally, I would back this up - her asking to call him 'cousin' off the bat seems... I dunno, unearned? Presumptuous? Rude? That's not to say it's OOC for Elyx, that kinda thing would definitely be in her wheelhouse, but I did consciously disinclude it from my vote earlier, at least. I am open to discussion about it though, because it's a very knee-jerk reaction.
the only reason i considered it at all was because the guy seemed to lament wranni lineages forgetting who they were so to speak. not that elys should decide to just reculturate herself as something else now she knows she has ancestry. just it might be cool to find out about and reconnect to this way of life and so on that got lost along the way.
when comparing it to irl analogues, just saying are we the same then is a bit oof. but also isnt it odd how we privalidge just one line of ancestors when the lines are a branching fractal? like one generation back ur family bame is half of you, two its a quarter, three its an 8th... what about the rest of you.
I have a busy holiday and come back to an entirely new voting structure...
Well, I'm game for it.
I think asking about the current wranni family structure and the development of various lineages makes sense. That both helps Elys in the immediate, and in understating potential hotpots between different branches.
We kind of know Shaori from AHMIY. She is... definitely a good guy, but also really mentally alien. We did see her rescue one of her followers by having a flock of birds tear apart his attackers in the middle of the street, and then turn her follower into a bird. Turning the guy into a bird was a temporary thing and was always intended as such, but she never thought it might be important to mention that part to anyone... such as his mother, who was a powerful noble in the area. Would have ended pretty badly if Hedgy hadn't cleared up the misunderstanding.
Anyway, yes, recruiting Shaori could be very useful, but be prepared for awkward misunderstandings involving stuff getting Bird'd in various ways.
On to something totally different. When I paused on this quest, GF's restrictions were heavy on my mind. In catching up, here are a few things that stuck out to me.
She strides past you, through the open door, down the stairs and out into the school grounds. You and Raef have to jog to keep up with her.
"Is there a reason why we're going so fast?" asks Raef, glancing nervously around, clearly worried that your rapid movements might attract some unwelcome attention.
"We can slow down, if you wish," says Green Flame. "But I thought you were in a hurry."
"I didn't say that, did I?" you ask, wondering why she thought that. Maybe she still doesn't trust you and this is her way of being passive-aggressively obstructive. "Well, anyway… let's just walk. I'm not in that much of a hurry."
I think GF is forbidden from accepting third party portal transport. It would make sense to me, to limit her opportunity to get out of range of her boss(es). As for the first point, I don't think GF was being mean. I think the behavior was significant, but not mean and I'm just not sure what it signified.
The only guess I've got so far is that GF may have to report time off campus as based on duration. Run a twenty minute errand? Summarize in a monthly report. Being gone for hours might mean writing down a detailed summary.
I think GF is forbidden from accepting third party portal transport. It would make sense to me, to limit her opportunity to get out of range of her boss(es).
Hm, she is learning portals on her own, though, if I recall correctly. As for the means and methods, it seems to prevent her from thinking along Unapproved lines, thus far. I certainly hope she wasn't given any new commands on account of our little visit.
Another thing for the list, examine how exactly Green Flame is being controlled. From what the headmaster said, it seems like it's some kind of ritual circle or object somewhere. Maybe Raef would know?
"What should I say to the Kelwe?" you ask. "How can I persuade them to join our coalition?"
"These days, the Kelwe make their money as merchants, but they still know how to fight; their ships tend to be well-armed. Even though Aspitolm is the richest merchant city hereabouts, the Kelwe refuse to do business with them because the Aspitis are heavily involved in piracy and the slave trade. Numerous unlucky members of the Kelwe clan have ended up being sold in the markets in Aspitolm. Plenty of grudges need to be settled. Remind them of that. Also, if we win the war against Aspitolm, we'll have got rid of one of their main trade rivals and given them an opportunity to make fabulous profits, at least in the short term, until things settle down again. And, I suppose, if all else fails…" Gelfavar looks uneasy, but presses on. "Mishrak has been paying to keep us fed and supplied, for which I am grateful. It's possible that the Kelwe might demand a cash payment before they'll agree to join us. Or you could make them an offer, I suppose. Personally, I hope that you can persuade the Kelwe to join us without offering them monetary rewards for doing so, but… that'll be up to you. If you're going to lead this diplomatic mission, you'll have to make some of these decisions for yourself."
Now, it is your turn to pause, thinking about the information he has given you. What else do you need to know? What do you want to ask him while you have the chance?
"If I have Wranni ancestors, does that make me part of your extended family?" you ask, putting on a mischievous smirk. "Should I call you 'cousin', perhaps?"
He remains impassive. "We're all cousins, if you go back far enough. Children of Telthalus, every one of us, the entire human race."
"Goblins, too?" you ask, tilting your head to one side and regarding him quizzically.
"Yes. They're not so different from the rest of us, where it really matters. And elves, those poor mutilated children…" He pauses and heaves a mournful sigh at that. "I always try to remember that other people are people, the same as me, even if I don't speak their language, or they worship gods I'm not familiar with, or their skin colour is different to mine, or whatever. Never lose sight of that."
You're not sure why he feels it's so important to say that to you, here and now. "All right, I won't," you reply, with a raised eyebrow.
He gazes consideringly at you for a few moments. "Do you hate the Aspitis, Princess Elys?" he asks, at last. "I'd understand if you did. They drove you from your home, nearly killed your father, and tried to enslave your people. For hundreds of years, they've been at the centre of the slave trade and responsible for countless atrocities. So why not hate them, am I right?"
"I… I don't think I know them well enough to hate them," you say, discomforted. "Until recently, I never came across any of them, except as the villains in some of my old storybooks. Even now, they seem very far away."
"Wise of you," says Gelfavar with a nod. "I've been a soldier for several decades, long enough to know better, and during that time I've learned that hatred is poison. All across the world, kings and generals and religious leaders pour it in the ears of their soldiers in the hope that it'll help them to kill their enemies. But it's corrosive stuff, causes festering wounds that linger for generations, makes good men and women much less than they otherwise could be." He firmly shakes his head. "I'll fight because it's what I do best, kill because I have to, but I won't hate my enemies. Not even the Aspitis, no matter what they've done. Besides, most Aspitis are poor labourers, working for a meagre pittance and a roof over their heads, barely more than slaves themselves, who have no say in anything their leaders decide to do. Why should I hate them? If I'm going to hate anyone, I should hate their leaders, the rich and powerful, the slave-owners and the warmongers."
"But you don't hate them?"
"What good would it do? How would it help anyone?" he asks. "I'll stop them, if I can. I'll punish them for their crimes, if I can. But I won't hate them."
Thinking back to what he said previously, you venture so far as to say, "The Aspitis are our cousins as well."
"Precisely." He nods and gives you the approving smile of a teacher to a diligent pupil. "In fact, they're more closely related to us than most. Just like the Wranni, the Queli, and the Sini, the Aspi are sons and daughters of ancient Urosh."
"What happened?" you ask, unable to contain your curiosity. "How did we get separated? What's our shared origin and how did we separate and spread out all over the world?"
"I'm surprised you don't know already," he says, giving your mother an assessing glance, as if wondering what kind of education she has been giving you. "It's ancient history, so old that it's passed into legend, but I didn't think that it had been forgotten entirely."
Your mother rolls her eyes at him. "The world is full of stories. Should I have told her all of them?"
Gelfavar holds her gaze for a moment before turning away. "It's none of my business, really," he mutters. "But, if you want to know… the Kingdom of Urosh was one of the first human nations, formed during the First Age, rivalled only by Os and Emer. It's said that Telthalus himself – and his wife, Zora Alishanda – were frequent guests and advisors to the king. Multiple kings, in fact, over hundreds of years. Some of those kings were great – such as Valurhiag the Just, who slew the dread Oudagorgon – and others were much less so. Still, great or not, they managed to preserve their kingdom for nearly two thousand years. The Elder Gods slew each other or fled, the world changed almost beyond recognition, but Urosh endured."
He hesitates, staring at the wall as if looking past it, as if peering through the mists of time at the ancient kingdom that vanished so long ago. "Bolvariag was not a good king. He was a cruel tyrant who exploited his people ruthlessly. When he heard of a beautiful sorceress who had turned her home village into a virtual paradise, he became enamoured of her. He wanted to marry her, but he was married already, so he had his wife put to death. Frightened of what would happen if she continued to refuse him, the sorceress agreed to marry him, on the condition that her beloved hometown would remain intact and its people would be protected. One of the king's enemies saw this as an opportunity: he sent his private army to raze the village to ashes and slaughter everyone who lived there. Enraged by this, the sorceress cast off her mortal flesh and ascended as the goddess Nyssa, the Autumn Mother, Queen of the Harvest, the Equinox Flame, and so on. She laid a terrible curse upon the Kingdom of Urosh, so that whenever its people saw each other they were filled with rage and compelled to fight.
"And so, brother fought brother, sister fought sister, mothers and fathers slew their children and were compelled to slay each other in turn. It was a time of hunger and cold and anger, of treachery and murder, of people who preyed on each other and became less than wild beasts. And then, when civilisation had collapsed, when the last remnants of the Uroshi people had fled into the wilds and were living like animals, Nyssa was satisfied that her revenge was complete. At last, she lifted the curse. The surviving Uroshi banded together for warmth and mutual protection. Over time, they split into four separate tribes who didn't even speak the same language: the Aspi, the Queli, the Sini, and the Wranni. According to legend, the Queli are descended from the priests and scholars of ancient Urosh, the Aspi from merchants, the Sini from farmers and craftsmen, the Wranni from the warrior caste and the nobility, and the working poor were split between all four camps, but…" Gelfavar shrugs his shoulders. "Who can say how much of that is true?"
He takes a deep breath and then finishes his story: "The fall of Urosh meant that other tribes were able to fill the empty spaces that had been left behind. The Cafalors, Dunhas, Enishari, Inglyri, and Samanoi – or 'Sambians' – all built their own great kingdoms during that time. The Sini mingled with the Dunhas and share the northern coast of East Ardenor with them. The Queli congregated in the south-west. For many centuries, the Aspi lived along the southern-eastern coastline until they were all subjugated by the Sambian Empire or forced to flee to the isle of Tolmar. And the Wranni dwell in the spaces in-between, the mountains and the plains, split into hundreds of little kingdoms and chiefdoms. We are great sailors and explorers, which is why we've spread so far across the world. Some of us live nomadic lives, others have settled in various places. For a long time, many of us lived in the Sambian Empire, were hardworking and patriotic, and considered ourselves to be citizens of the empire just as much we were ethnically Wranni. But… well, that's all over now."
"Thank you for telling me that story," you say, after a significant pause. "But I think we've drifted away from the topic we came here to discuss. I need to know more about the Kelwe clan. For instance, what languages do they speak? Are there any customs or traditions that I should be aware of? I want to avoid giving offence."
"They speak Wranni and Vashiiri, but you should speak to them in the Trader tongue," says Gelfavar. "They won't mind that. It's not like you're travelling halfway across the world; Vashiira is right next to Greater Quellonia's northern border. You don't need to worry that they'll have some unusual customs that you've never heard of. They won't bat an eyelid when they see you or any other Queli visiting their city."
"Well, what about their religious beliefs?"
"They seem to favour Shaori most of all, but I'd be surprised if they didn't still pay homage to the old Wranni pantheon: Strashan and his siblings, Wranolf the Bloody and the other denizens of the Hall of Heroes, the Forgotten God, and so on."
Privately, you wonder if it would be possible to get Vashiira to join the war against Aspitolm by getting Mishrak to speak to their patron goddess, Shaori of the Many Wings. She is a goddess of freedom, so is it possible that he could convince her to send her worshippers to fight against the city-state that is attempting to enslave its closest neighbours?
"What do you think about Mishrak, by the way?" you ask.
"He seems nice enough, very different from his reputation as an insane recluse. I'm glad that he's been paying for our food and supplies. Those of his worshippers I've met seem like pleasant people, if a little peculiar." As he says that, he gives you a playful grin. "But I don't know him well enough to have formed a strong opinion, I'll admit."
Ignoring his teasing, you change the subject again and say, "Oh! Earlier, you said that some of the Kelwe had been sold as slaves in Aspitolm. Do you know anything else about what has happened to them?"
He shakes his head. "Sorry, I don't know much about them. It was just a rumour I heard."
"So you don't know if it's true or not," you point out.
"A fairly reliable rumour, I think. But I don't know any of the Kelwe personally," he admits. "It's not as if I've had an opportunity to talk to them about it."
"I suppose you don't know much about Erion Stormcrow or his wife, then," you say, somewhat dismayed. "I wanted to ask you about them."
"I only know them by reputation. Erion is supposed to be a stern and lugubrious fellow, hence his nickname. His wife is of a similar temperament, though I've heard that she dotes on her children."
"Well, do you have any advice for me?" you ask.
"Try to be dignified without being standoffish, honest without giving too much away, and put on an impressive show without making the Kelwe think that you are looking down on them," he recommends.
"Good advice for any diplomat," says your mother with a nod.
"I want to take Jana and Catharne with me," you say.
"Yes, a diplomat should have an entourage," says Gelfavar. "And, as you're acting on my behalf, I want to send two of my Wranni with you as an honour guard. Hafjon and Rekka, I think. They've both been injured, so they're on light duties, but they should be more than capable of standing around and looking like they'd be ready to defend you if it was necessary. Not that you'd need them to fight for you, of course. But Vashiira is a city like any other, with its fair share of thieves and thugs who might see three young ladies as easy targets. Appearances can be deceiving, so let's use that to our advantage: if they see you with two well-armed bodyguards, the city's criminal element likely won't dare to approach."
"What if Catharne stayed in her dragon form?" you ask.
"I think that would attract too much attention," he replies. "But, if you think differently, do as you will. See what happens."
What should Elys do next?
Please discuss.
For example, is there anything else you want to ask Gelfavar? Or, do you want to go back to Mishrak and see if he's finished healing Theophyllus Valens?
Otherwise, if we've finished here, maybe we should time-skip ahead to when Elys goes to visit the Kelwe clan. Or would you prefer to do something else first?
EDIT: This is the first test for the new system. Soon, I'll see how well it works (or not).
(There was a typo correction here, Chandagnac fixed it now)
Also, geez Nyssa. We got parts of that story before (in earlier quests), but... detailing exactly what Nyssa did, to the entire kingdom... it's no wonder most of her exes are morally dark grey at best. Provides an interesting contrast to Gelfavar's point about how the Aspiti commoners are not to blame for the atrocities of their leaders.
Anyway, seconding Indivisible; checking on Mishrak and the healing, and bringing up possibly allying with Shaori is a good idea.
As for once we're actually on the diplomacy mission... what would be some good magic tricks we can do that would be simultaneously impressive, dignified, and not seem like we're looking down on the people we're showing them to? Or maybe we should just keep an eye out for opportunities that could be resolved with shields or thunder breath or talking to fish.
He gazes consideringly at you for a few moments. "Do you hate the Aspitis, Princess Elys?" he asks, at last. "I'd understand if you did. They drove you from your home, nearly killed your father, and tried to enslave your people. For hundreds of years, they've been at the centre of the slave trade and responsible for countless atrocities. So why not hate them, am I right?"
Gelfavar has a lot of good points here, I like his take on this. Negative emotions are very strong drivers, but I have yet to see one that does not eventually wriggle free and pursue its own agenda.
"I'm surprised you don't know already," he says, giving your mother an assessing glance, as if wondering what kind of education she has been giving you. "It's ancient history, so old that it's passed into legend, but I didn't think that it had been forgotten entirely."
Your mother rolls her eyes at him. "The world is full of stories. Should I have told her all of them?"
Gelfavar holds her gaze for a moment before turning away. "It's none of my business, really," he mutters.
Hey, Elys is still a kid, plenty of time to learn. Not to mention, there's all kinds of history out there. I wonder if, besides Nyssa herself, there's any primary sources?
Also, geez Nyssa. We got parts of that story before (in earlier quests), but... detailing exactly what Nyssa did, to the entire kingdom... it's no wonder most of her exes are morally dark grey at best.
Perhaps we should casually hover? Or we could do a funny static electricity prank. Actually, maybe someone trying to mug us on the way might be useful, as long as we're chill about it.
Absolutely wanna see how Theophyllus is doing, by the way. Have all the family together, Catharne and Jana get to meet Dorian's dad, Catharne shows them a cool trick, and we learn that Mishrak tricked out Theophyllus while he was mucking about in there replacing things and giving it a metaphorical spit shine.
Hm, she is learning portals on her own, though, if I recall correctly. As for the means and methods, it seems to prevent her from thinking along Unapproved lines, thus far. I certainly hope she wasn't given any new commands on account of our little visit.
Uh, perhaps I misunderstand you, but Elys seems absolutely a third party to GF and her owner. My point is that GF might not be allowed to accept transport she can't control, except from her owner.
More generally, I feel this narrative spigot is appropriately tapped and I'm ready to time skip to the diplo openings on meeting the Kelwe. I think Jana and Catharne are an appropriate personal entourage, but that we should bring a couple of actual guards. Not for fighting, but for watching the premises of where ever we're staying. As good security management and that sort of thing.
I'm a little opposed to Mishrak contacting Shaori. She's big on freedom and I fear it might look heavy handed towards her people by starting off with involving her.
Lastly, I echo the "geez Nyssa" sentiments, cause wow... Interesting, but dark background info.
Gelfavar's love of unusual words is a minor character trait I've carried over from A Hedge Maze Is You (AHMIY), in which he uses the word "autochthonous".
Also, geez Nyssa. We got parts of that story before (in earlier quests), but... detailing exactly what Nyssa did, to the entire kingdom... it's no wonder most of her exes are morally dark grey at best. Provides an interesting contrast to Gelfavar's point about how the Aspiti commoners are not to blame for the atrocities of their leaders.
In AHMIY, there was a long debate about the meaning of justice. Several times, it was described as 'the law of the harvest'. Basically, you reap what you sow. I was inspired to write the full story of what Nyssa did to the Kingdom of Urosh after that. She is the harvest goddess after all. Does that mean what she did to them was justice?
we should bring a couple of actual guards. Not for fighting, but for watching the premises of where ever we're staying. As good security management and that sort of thing.
I'm a little opposed to Mishrak contacting Shaori. She's big on freedom and I fear it might look heavy handed towards her people by starting off with involving her.
I imagine that Shaori wouldn't give commands to her worshippers. Instead, she might inform them that she would very much approve if they went to war against the Aspiti slavers and leave it up to them to decide what to do.
And, back when she was a grubby little orphan girl, Lissa led a revolution that toppled the mighty Betrurian Empire. There's a reason why, in some parts of the world, Lissa and Nyssa are known as the Flame and Fury of the Equinoxes.
All right, it seems like in the next update you want to end the conversation with Gelfavar and then go back to see how Mishrak is getting on with Dorian's dad. Please let me know if you've got any more ideas for things you want to say or do while you're there.
My thought is that regardless of the personal capability of Elys, she's operating here in a professional role and should bring with her an appropriate entourage to demonstrate the respect she's accorded from her own people as well as limiting the possibility of somebody trying to get clever or silly.
As a purely hypothetical, embarrassing Elys by ruining or sabotaging all her nice clothes while she's out on a tour. Of course, depending on where she's staying, that just made up example may not apply but it's the low level disruptions I'd like to avoid.
In AHMIY, there was a long debate about the meaning of justice. Several times, it was described as 'the law of the harvest'. Basically, you reap what you sow. I was inspired to write the full story of what Nyssa did to the Kingdom of Urosh after that. She is the harvest goddess after all. Does that mean what she did to them was justice?
And, back when she was a grubby little orphan girl, Lissa led a revolution that toppled the mighty Betrurian Empire. There's a reason why, in some parts of the world, Lissa and Nyssa are known as the Flame and Fury of the Equinox.
They may have both ended mighty empires, but there's a huge difference between leading a revolution, and mind-raping an entire country's population into killing their own families. And that's, like, even before taking into account that it's supposed to be "you reap what you sow", not "you reap what someone else sowed".
Anyway, this is completely off topic to the current situation, but I made Hero Forge portraits of some of the major gods in this setting. For ones with multiple shown forms, I tried to make composite forms incorporating traits from a few at once. Which were chosen was based on a combination of how important they are to the stories, how much their appearance was described, and how well or how interestingly I think they could be conveyed in Hero Forge (which does not have options for making characters that look like floating shrubberies). Spoilered for size:
