I quite enjoy listening to Orrentil speak, something about the sentence structure or cadence I think?
Anyway that went well, let's see our options!
[X] Go to Mishrak's undersea palace and spend time meeting various representatives of the different groups that make up the Coalition. (+Warscore?)
-[X] Ask Sildar and Jorantul how they're getting on.
-[X] Meet some of the Wranni.
--[X] Be pleasantly surprised to see an old friend.
-[X] Talk to some of the Deep Ones.
-[X] Meet Red Ruin and a few of the orcs.
I'm open to other options as I would like to free Greenflame or see Jana's mum, but this feels more pertinent.
(I assume when that shrine is completed, Mishrak and possibly to a lesser extent Elys will get some more xp?)
Holding off on voting just yet, will wait until there's a bit more discussion first. But for now, I am thinking probably one of the following:
[?] Go to Mishrak's undersea palace and spend time meeting various representatives etc (+Warscore?)
-[?] etc etc etc
[?] Join Gareth and Yslena, rescue them from a difficult situation etc
[?] DIPLOMACY TRAINING: 'the Sisterhood of the Iron Orchid' etc (+Warscore?)
[?] Go to the Tyrepheum Academy and talk to Jaqari Pruyte, head of the space gonne project.
-[?] ...depending how this goes, maybe combine this one with another meeting or two with other people in Tyrepheum, such as the cultist kids?
Note that the Gareth and Yslena one is now officially vital, we are running out of time with it and will need to do it soon. If not this month, next month. But I get wanting to pick a +Warscore option instead for now, just so we're not at 0, especially one that potentially has additional benefits such as +Diplomacy or putting more characters into play. And wanting to reinforce the Space Gonne situation further will probably be important soon too, especially since the current options seem to mostly be just various forms of information gathering and thus will need at least one additional month to be actually useful.
[X] Join Gareth and Yslena in trying to sort out what's going on with the Rivayni royal family, demon cultists, and the upcoming trial.
-[X] Rescue them from a difficult situation.
It's probably better to deal with this problem early than risk not having time to do it.
[X] Join Gareth and Yslena in trying to sort out what's going on with the Rivayni royal family, demon cultists, and the upcoming trial.
-[X] Rescue them from a difficult situation.
This is the only option that immediately gets rid of one of the countdowns. We'll still have 6 turns after that for the cultist situation, and more turns after that for the Warscore.
My intuition is that we can get Simony to roll on the cultists if we figure out a way to protect him from his father (which is tied to helping Philander), since he became a demon worshipper to protect himself from whatever his father is doing.
So that would be:
[] Invite Philander to the undersea palace.
--[] Get Bellona to examine his soul and the curses that bind him.
[] Go to the Tyrepheum Academy and find Simony Bulhac.
-[] Convince him to tell you everything he knows about the Melphior cultists.
I think that the other people we know are cultists are too high status to touch without blowback that we can't afford, and they know that so threats wouldn't be effective.
I'm also worried that giving the space gonne project the resources they need might lead to the cult to escalate before we're ready, so we'll want to have our pieces in place.
I think that the Dream Knights would be useful to bring into this, both because they're more muscle to use against the cult, and because having helped their Goddess means that they might be more amenable towards entering the war. But that should probably be a later thing once we have a better idea of how the Nightblades are doing.
Sometimes I forget that portal magic isn't something normal people have access to, and a large part of why Keladon Dumar (if I am remembering Agon Hurondus's given name correctly) is such a big problem is that he managed to get that portal magic and start using it as he pleased, where before it was controlled by Nymandor's elves, Raef and Samaya included. And the rest of their gang.
You ignore the fact that you didn't know Venta before you rescued her from Yulian Sagittarus and his gang of junior cultists: she's your friend now and that's what matters.
"We will erect a shrine to Mishrak, here in Keshpydar. He is 'the Dragon of the Depths', so I've heard – could that be interpreted as 'the depths of the earth' as well as 'the depths of the ocean'?
Currently, you have 7 months before things go to hell. Some of the vote options you can choose at the end of each month will extend or shorten this timer.
Also, you've got 3 months before Elys will be called upon to save her parents from a really bad situation (which could lead to their deaths), unless you bite the bullet and choose this option beforehand:
Oh dear, that is quite a lot of Doom Counters. Worrying. That 0 for our warscore is starting to concern me, though. I say Warscore this time, Parents next, cultists, then Warscore. We'll have 2 warscore actions done in the time it takes them to get to 12 warscore, so they had better be effective ones. With that in mind, the following caught my eye:
[x] Sildar and Jorantul want a portal mage to help them with their daring plan to destroy a large part of the undead fleet commanded by the Aspitis. (+Warscore?)
-[x] Elys will volunteer for the job.
--[x] Samaya doesn't want to attract attention to herself, but if Elys volunteers, she will insist on taking part as well.
Maybe we could get Teryn in on it a little too, he is usually against necromancy. Either way, this feels decisive and high numbery. Perfect if our attention is going to be drawn away to other affairs.
This is the only option that immediately gets rid of one of the countdowns. We'll still have 6 turns after that for the cultist situation, and more turns after that for the Warscore.
[X] Join Gareth and Yslena in trying to sort out what's going on with the Rivayni royal family, demon cultists, and the upcoming trial.
-[X] Rescue them from a difficult situation.
Sometimes I forget that portal magic isn't something normal people have access to, and a large part of why Keladon Dumar (if I am remembering Agon Hurondus's given name correctly) is such a big problem is that he managed to get that portal magic and start using it as he pleased, where before it was controlled by Nymandor's elves, Raef and Samaya included. And the rest of their gang.
Well, there were more people who knew portal magic; Raef presumably taught a whole bunch of students, before, alongside, and after Dumar. Then Dumar came back to hunt down and murder all his peers, before moving on to capture or kill his old teacher and teacher's entire family, just so he'd be the only one left with access to it. Because that's just the kind of guy Hurondus is.
I didn't think of the mole monsters that would come from this! Maybe they'll resemble pink fairy armadillos because of the wartime footing! And he can borrow from mole crickets and mole crabs!
Yes, but it hasn't happened yet. (And I'm toying with the idea of it not happening until you actually go to visit the shrine, much like how your Warscore doesn't go up unless Elys actually checks up on how well the anti-Aspitolm coalition has been doing.
Note that the Gareth and Yslena one is now officially vital, we are running out of time with it and will need to do it soon. If not this month, next month.
My intuition is that we can get Simony to roll on the cultists if we figure out a way to protect him from his father (which is tied to helping Philander), since he became a demon worshipper to protect himself from whatever his father is doing.
Bear in mind that Simony is an Achamat cultist, not a Melphior cultist, so he may be willing to supply information about them without the need for much of an incentive: Melphior and Achamat are rivals, sort of.
Btw, it was a fairly major plot point in A Hedge Maze Is You that the meaning and importance of a god's domains partly depends on how they choose to interpret them (as well as how their worshippers interpret them). I decided to bring that back for this quest. Considering that one of Mishrak's domains is 'the depths of the sea', it seemed fairly natural to stretch that to 'the depths of the earth' as well. (And if you disagree, well... he's probably got a few domain slots left open.) And, earth dragons like Lavokthagua used to be are already a thing, so it's easy to imagine what the 'depths of the earth' incarnation of Mishrak would look like.
Well, there were more people who knew portal magic; Raef presumably taught a whole bunch of students, before, alongside, and after Dumar. Then Dumar came back to hunt down and murder all his peers, before moving on to capture or kill his old teacher and teacher's entire family, just so he'd be the only one left with access to it. Because that's just the kind of guy Hurondus is.
I didn't think of the mole monsters that would come from this! Maybe they'll resemble pink fairy armadillos because of the wartime footing! And he can borrow from mole crickets and mole crabs!
Honestly if I wasn't concerned that doing a bunch of warscore-y options in a row might not be palatable to all voters, I would vote to do Yslena and Gareth right away too.
Weird question, does Creation have tectonic plates, and also, magma? If so, Mishrak could lay claim to the mantle, too. There's no body of liquid deeper, y'know?
Honestly if I wasn't concerned that doing a bunch of warscore-y options in a row might not be palatable to all voters, I would vote to do Yslena and Gareth right away too.
Well, the next story arc will focus on Gareth and Yslena. Elys will be spending time with them and preventing them from getting themselves killed helping them to solve the mystery of what's going on with the Rivayni royal family, the upcoming trial, and so on.
Weird question, does Creation have tectonic plates, and also, magma? If so, Mishrak could lay claim to the mantle, too. There's no body of liquid deeper, y'know?
Yes, the world of Oath has tectonic plates. However, magma is so thick and under so much pressure that, until it spills out, it almost seems like a solid. It doesn't flow in the same way that water does, y'know?
Hmm. It occurs to me that by posing as the god of 'the depths of the earth', Mishrak will be taking over one of the domains that used to belong to the Elder Goddess Oa/Narra/Dynarra. Considering that he already holds a domain that used to belong to the Elder God Rynn/Ymgar, as well as having inherited his father Vlakoroth's domain of monsters, I should imagine that a lot of other gods will start getting worried that he's in a position to become a very powerful greater god, on par with the Elder Gods themselves…
Maybe that'll lead to some interesting confrontations fairly soon. Or not. I'll have to think about it.
*
Something Rotten in Rivayne (Part One)
Raef guides you through the process of setting up a permanent portal between the military base in Keshpydar and the undersea palace you now call home. Then, over the next month or so, the Night Blades have sent a steady stream of soldiers through the portal. Apparently, they are assiduous in paying their respects to Mishrak before advancing along the corridor to the other portal, which leads to Tyrepheum. By now, you imagine that they've thoroughly infiltrated Tyrephi society and submerged themselves in the local goblin population; perhaps Melphior's cultists have had a few nasty surprises when they've gone out looking for fresh victims?
However, you don't know much about that. For most of the intervening time, you've been away at school. Raef is usually willing to share a few titbits of information whenever you have lessons with him, but not enough to satisfy your curiosity. Still, it is some consolation to think that you've done something to improve the lives of the poor, downtrodden goblins of Tyrepheum. There's still a lot more that needs to be done, but you've made a start, at least.
Elys gains 1xp for this. And so does Mishrak. He will gain more xp later on when you visit Keshpydar again.
You are concerned about your parents, both of whom seem to be spending most of their time in Rivayne, embroiled in the events surrounding the trial of Prince Kristan for the murder of his brother, Barathar. They seem to think that they could prove his innocence if they could get hold of a crucial piece of evidence that… Well, you're not really sure what's going on. But you've seen very little of them over the past couple of months, so you make sure to spend time with them while you can, during one of the weekends when you have no schoolwork to catch up on.
"I'm sure Gerrod Burntree had a hand in the murder of my sister, Joyzelle, and her entire family," says your mother, a haunted look in her eyes. "He was an illegitimate son, born to some woods witch, but he inherited Greygor Keep while they all died. More than a hundred people in all."
"He's been forcing people off his lands," says your father, who looks almost as old as he did before Mishrak healed him; fatigue has etched fresh lines upon his face. "Entire villages razed, the people given no choice but to leave. For what purpose, I wish I knew."
"And why did he spend so much time and energy trying to convince the King to extend his hunting grounds?" asks your mother. "It doesn't make sense."
"Would one of the Demon Lords care about that sort of thing?" you ask, trying to prove that you've been listening. "Ghanosfane, perhaps, since he's the lord of corruption and defilement?"
Your mother nods. "It's a possibility."
"And then there's Alfonse Raynott, the Baron of Loignon," says your father, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Until recently, he was very close to the King and had an enormous amount of influence. And I'm fairly sure he's a demon cultist. Some of those friends of his…"
"We could break into his townhouse, in the dead of night, and ransack his office," your mother suggests. "Or search among the residue of those 'parties' of his. Maybe we'll find evidence of their…" She yawns, blinks rapidly, and then shakes her head. "Their human sacrifices and so on. That sort of thing."
"Maybe you should get some rest?" you suggest, looking worriedly at them both.
"Yeah, maybe," says your father, without much enthusiasm. "I haven't been sleeping well lately. Too much to think about."
What will Elys do or say next?
Yeah, it's only a short update, but I wanted to get the next storyline started.
Anyway, I had started to write a list of vote options before I remembered that I don't do that anymore (at least, not in the middle of a storyline).
But if you want some ideas, here's what I had so far:
[] Tell Gareth and Yslena to go to bed.
-[] While they sleep, enlist the help of Jana, Catharne and various others (write in) and then go and sort out this mess yourself.
[] Ask them for more information about Burntree and Raynott.
[] Promise to go with them to confront one of the men.
-[] Write in: which one?
[] Promise to back them up when Gareth breaks into Raynott's town house.
EDIT: I do want Gareth and Yslena to be involved in this storyline, but I also think it would be hilarious if Elys decided to go behind their back and solve all their problems for them without their input.
So yeah. Feel free to take some ideas from that list, but I'm not asking you to vote. Instead, we'll have a discussion, as usual.
Well, I am now suspecting I might have forgotten more than I thought during the hiatus. At some point, wasn't there a thing about having Mishrak rejuvenate Yslena like he did Gareth? Did that already happen and I somehow forgot? If not, this seems like it would be a good time to bring it up. After that, assuming she agrees to it (and seriously, why wouldn't she?), then time for sleep.
As for how to handle the main issue here... since they're already suggesting breaking and entering, I think Elys's portal magic has advanced enough that she could bypass the "breaking" part of that completely. It gets harder at range, but is now roughly manageable at country-sized distances with some help, so if they could just get outside the grounds of the buildings they want into Elys probably wouldn't even need the help for that.
Another advantage that Elys would have over her parents here is, Yslena and Gareth are high profile known powerful enemies of these guys, while Elys is a mostly unknown seemingly-helpless-until-it's-too-late child. So I think we should focus on that here; Jana and Catharne would be good choices for allies, but others probably would not be (unless we can somehow convince Raef and/or Samaya to join in schoolgirl form, or get Cadre 1F away from their own various personal and local crisises for long enough to consider helping out).
Having others help out either indirectly or by being backup or extraction when things inevitably go to shit anyway, that would be a good idea though. For this, Bellona would be my first choice, both because her necromancer powers seem like they could be good for that sort of indirect help, and because as Yslena and Gareth's adoptive first child she would presumably not take much convincing. Aside from her, I dunno, maybe Sildar and Jorantul as a last resort for fighting? They seem like a bit of a nuclear option though, so maybe not the best choice for what is supposed to be an information gathering mission.
If we're gonna do stuff while Yslena and Gareth are asleep rather than wait for them, I would suggest maybe just doing some cursory initial reconnaissance during that time, so we both have more of an idea of what to expect, and can give them more of an idea of what to expect for when we join back up with them to work alongside them. But this does run into the issue of, we will then have to convince them to let us help with this obviously very dangerous mission. So, could go either way on this bit.
I think that doing things while her parents are asleep might make them less inclined to bring Elys in on this, while conferring with her allies about how she could aid her parents by working with them would both be more likely to have them agree to accept her health, and show some character growth as she's recognized from her past experiences that there's usually something important going on under the surface that she could miss. Plus it's an opportunity to spend more time learning how to be sneaky from her dad.
You know, I just realized that wealth falls down to the depth of ocean floor in shipwrecks, wealth rises up from the depths of the earth in ore veins and gems, so Mishrak's getting a kind of cycle of wealth thing going on by taking on the earth aspect. This actually goes really well with his recent efforts at investing in poor magic students to bring them up, the cycles prevalent in bodies that he's really good at manipulating, ocean currents being cyclical, and even his beloved monsters through the ouroboros symbol.
It's a really neat organic growth of a character's themes and domains.
Hmm. It occurs to me that by posing as the god of 'the depths of the earth', Mishrak will be taking over one of the domains that used to belong to the Elder Goddess Oa/Narra/Dynarra. Considering that he already holds a domain that used to belong to the Elder God Rynn/Ymgar, as well as having inherited his father Vlakoroth's domain of monsters, I should imagine that a lot of other gods will start getting worried that he's in a position to become a very powerful greater god, on par with the Elder Gods themselves…
Well, elder gods, sure, but personally, I would be more worried if a earth/water god picked up monsters than the other way around. As it stands he is wheeling his way around to a sort of Mycenaean Greece Poseidon, though obviously a much ethically better god, and much less destructive domains. Really, there's a lot of differences, but there's few comparable gods of land and sea.
Maybe we'll see a new Dynarra-like manifestation from Mishrak if they take up that mantle, eh?
This, I think we could look into without much trouble. A hunt requires horses, hunters, weapons, dogs - with so many people involved, someone is bound to have seen something. A good place to start, in my opinion.
You know, I just realized that wealth falls down to the depth of ocean floor in shipwrecks, wealth rises up from the depths of the earth in ore veins and gems, so Mishrak's getting a kind of cycle of wealth thing going on by taking on the earth aspect.
It's thematic! It all flows together! I am hoping it doesn't mean the demon lords will go on the move, because I pray they are not yet ready to do so on a large scale, but integrating the depths of the earth seems lile a natural outgrowth for Mishrak.
[X] Tell Gareth and Yslena to go to bed.
[X] Promise to back them up when Gareth breaks into Raynott's town house.
If they're dead on their feet, they need to take the advice and accept the care they give Elys and Co, which is getting enough rest and such. After that, with appropriate guilt tripping as needed out of concern for them, I think breaking into an office sounds like a useful family bonding event.
Well, I am now suspecting I might have forgotten more than I thought during the hiatus. At some point, wasn't there a thing about having Mishrak rejuvenate Yslena like he did Gareth? Did that already happen and I somehow forgot? If not, this seems like it would be a good time to bring it up. After that, assuming she agrees to it (and seriously, why wouldn't she?), then time for sleep.
So I think we should focus on that here; Jana and Catharne would be good choices for allies, but others probably would not be (unless we can somehow convince Raef and/or Samaya to join in schoolgirl form, or get Cadre 1F away from their own various personal and local crisises for long enough to consider helping out).
Having others help out either indirectly or by being backup or extraction when things inevitably go to shit anyway, that would be a good idea though. For this, Bellona would be my first choice, both because her necromancer powers seem like they could be good for that sort of indirect help, and because as Yslena and Gareth's adoptive first child she would presumably not take much convincing. Aside from her, I dunno, maybe Sildar and Jorantul as a last resort for fighting? They seem like a bit of a nuclear option though, so maybe not the best choice for what is supposed to be an information gathering mission.
You know, I just realized that wealth falls down to the depth of ocean floor in shipwrecks, wealth rises up from the depths of the earth in ore veins and gems, so Mishrak's getting a kind of cycle of wealth thing going on by taking on the earth aspect. This actually goes really well with his recent efforts at investing in poor magic students to bring them up, the cycles prevalent in bodies that he's really good at manipulating, ocean currents being cyclical, and even his beloved monsters through the ouroboros symbol.
It's a really neat organic growth of a character's themes and domains.
I'd like to take the credit, but it's come about fairly naturally as a result of what's happened in this quest (and its predecessors) and the choices you've made. It's been a group effort.
So, it seems like you all want Elys to tell Gareth and Yslena to go to bed. And for her to promise them that she'll back them up when they break in to Lord Raynott's townhouse and start looking for evidence of his wrongdoing.
This, I think we could look into without much trouble. A hunt requires horses, hunters, weapons, dogs - with so many people involved, someone is bound to have seen something. A good place to start, in my opinion.
I wouldn't even know why Yslena would need convincing about something like that in the first place, but okay. For one thing, she is in the middle of both a war and a demon-related investigation, both of which would require her to be at her best, not weakened and slowed down by age. For another thing, the most common argument against increasing one's lifespan, not wanting to outlive loved ones, does not apply here, since all the family she is close to are either much younger than her or have already been rejuvenated just like she would be.
Anyway, make sure to point out to them both that even though they are both far more experienced at this sort of thing, Elys can do plenty of things they can not. Such as portals, at least over a small distance (so they don't have to break in, thus making it easier to avoid alerting security). Or sound manipulation, to further assist stealth. Flight and telepathy (well, fish telepathy, but its better than nothing), for scouting. Force Fields and illusions for support in battle. Long range attacks with her magic. Healing if something goes wrong. Being a cute kid that no one sane would suspect of being a threat and plotting against them. Maybe even calling on Mishrak if things really fall apart.
I'd like to take the credit, but it's come about fairly naturally as a result of what's happened in this quest (and its predecessors) and the choices you've made. It's been a group effort.
Yeah, they are looking super ragged - Yslena expects to fight someone before this has run its course, and she's in no shape to do anything, really. That, and she's not a big Stealth kinda gal - we seem to want to break into the office, so both Gareth and Yslena get some much-needed sleep, Elys asks a few stablehands a couple innocent questions, then she comes back and teams up with Gareth to do some afterhours breaking and entering, with Jana also, maybe. And in the meantime, Yslena gets worked over by Mishrak's talented hands.
Yeah, I think they will be onboard if Elys promises not to go straight to the heart of things, and stays a step or two removed from any of the major players while they are taking a nap. Also, Jana (and Catharne?) is(/are) here with her. It's low-risk intelligence gathering while they sharpen their minds to actually use their intelligence.
Anyway, make sure to point out to them both that even though they are both far more experienced at this sort of thing, Elys can do plenty of things they can not.
Indeed, portals alone are a major aspect here - they solve many logistical problems inherent to the fact-finding exercises with which Gareth and Yslena have been grappling. And that's not Elys's only trick!
I agree with Tascion that Yslena shouldn't be rejuvenated until after this combat mission is over, unless you want her to stay at home; it'll take her some time to recover from the 'shock to the system'.
I wouldn't even know why Yslena would need convincing about something like that in the first place, but okay. For one thing, she is in the middle of both a war and a demon-related investigation, both of which would require her to be at her best, not weakened and slowed down by age. For another thing, the most common argument against increasing one's lifespan, not wanting to outlive loved ones, does not apply here, since all the family she is close to are either much younger than her or have already been rejuvenated just like she would be.
Well, it's been over a year since Gareth was healed and rejuvenated, but Yslena hasn't undergone that same process. It strikes me that there must be a reason for that.
Most likely, Mishrak hasn't offered it to her (at least, he hasn't spoken to her about it) and she doesn't want to seem rude or ungrateful, so she hasn't asked for it. The ideals of knighthood are very important to Yslena, so she doesn't want to seem vain or arrogant. Or maybe she didn't realise it was possible for Mishrak to rejuvenate someone without at the same time healing them from a grievous injury or illness. Either way, I feel like it would be a good idea for Elys to be ready to reassure her that this is something Mishrak is capable of, he's perfectly willing and eager to help her in this way, and if she keeps going on combat missions she's going to need to be as fit and healthy as possible.
Maybe 'persuade' was the wrong word, but I hope you understand what I meant by it.
Elys could conceivably develop her telepathic powers so that she'd be able to use them to communicate with other things than marine wildlife. But she'd need to spend time working on it.
Anyway, make sure to point out to them both that even though they are both far more experienced at this sort of thing, Elys can do plenty of things they can not. Such as portals, at least over a small distance (so they don't have to break in, thus making it easier to avoid alerting security). Or sound manipulation, to further assist stealth. Flight and telepathy (well, fish telepathy, but its better than nothing), for scouting. Force Fields and illusions for support in battle. Long range attacks with her magic. Healing if something goes wrong. Being a cute kid that no one sane would suspect of being a threat and plotting against them. Maybe even calling on Mishrak if things really fall apart.
Yeah, I think they will be onboard if Elys promises not to go straight to the heart of things, and stays a step or two removed from any of the major players while they are taking a nap. Also, Jana (and Catharne?) is(/are) here with her. It's low-risk intelligence gathering while they sharpen their minds to actually use their intelligence.
Elys could conceivably develop her telepathic powers so that she'd be able to use them to communicate with other things than marine wildlife. But she'd need to spend time working on it.
On one hand, nice that that is an option, even if it would take at least one of our extremely valuable timeslots... actually wait, isn't this like, the kind of thing that she should be able to teach herself during the time dedicated to her supposed magic boarding school? That's like, kinda what that school is for, right?
But on the other hand, if we ever did this, then I would have to stop making jokes about her having psychic conversations with random sea animals. Even though it would of course still be an option, if you have the option of telepathically talking to things other than a random nearby crab, then it just wouldn't be the same.
I agree with @Tascion that Yslena shouldn't be rejuvenated until after this combat mission is over, unless you want her to stay at home; it'll take her some time to recover from the 'shock to the system'.
On one hand, nice that that is an option, even if it would take at least one of our extremely valuable timeslots... actually wait, isn't this like, the kind of thing that she should be able to teach herself during the time dedicated to her supposed magic boarding school? That's like, kinda what that school is for, right?
Elys's time at school is divided between regular lessons (which she spends with Jana and the other third-year pupils, learning about history and arcane lore, as well as practising her basic magical skills) and self-study (which she devotes to improving her portal magic skills). She has a couple of private tutoring sessions with Raef each week.
If you want her to start developing her telepathic powers, she would need to cut back on her portal magic training. Let me know if that's what you want to do.
"I really think you should go to bed early," you persist. "We'll discuss this tomorrow. I'm sure I can be of help to you."
Your parents look somewhat uneasy at the prospect of putting you in danger. After a few moments' indecision, common sense prevails: "Very well," says your father, with a heavy sigh.
Although you can't be certain of what he's been thinking, it seems reasonable to suppose that the process went something like this: while you've been off on your various adventures, you've already triumphed over terrible peril and come out none the worse for it. If a fight breaks out, you can stay far away from it; that's one of the benefits of being a master of portals. There's that old adage about how a leader should avoid giving orders that will be ignored – presumably, it applies to parents as well. In the past, you have behaved rashly and gone haring off on your own, but you'll be safer if they can keep an eye on you. Besides, your powers will surely be useful to them.
"Goodnight, both of you," you say, meaningfully.
Before they can troop off to bed, you address your mother, saying, "There's no shame in getting older, but you're not as quick as you were a few years ago. If you're going to keep getting into fights – or situations that have the potential to turn hostile – perhaps Mishrak should rejuvenate you, like he did for Dad. That way, you can keep fighting and stay in the prime of your life for much longer."
She raises an eyebrow at you, but refrains from commenting on your choice of words. Instead, she says, "I suppose that would be wise. Would he do that for me?"
"Of course!" you assure her. "You only need to ask him. Or I could, if you prefer."
"I think it would be better if you asked him," she decides. "I don't have a close relationship with him like you do."
"I'll do that."
"But… I remember it took your father weeks to recover afterwards… although perhaps that was because he was badly injured and Mishrak needed to fully heal him as well," says your mother, screwing her eyes shut, as if she's so tired that the effort of thinking is almost too much for her. "Still, it seems likely that I'll need at least a few days to recover. Maybe it would be better if… I'll wait until after the weekend, after we've sorted out this whole mess."
You're not sure if that's wise – you'd hate it if she got herself killed in the intervening time – but you don't want to prolong this conversation and thereby keep your mother from her much-needed rest. Anyway, you can keep talking to her tomorrow, after she awakes. So, you merely nod and say, "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," she replies, waving a weary hand at you.
"Yes, goodnight, Elys," says your father.
After they've gone to bed, you head to the study room where Jana has been working on one of her school assignments. As you enter, she raises an ink-spattered hand in acknowledgement of your presence, finishes the sentence she was writing, puts down her quill, and says, "Good evening, Elys. Anything I can do for you?"
You spend the next few minutes explaining to her what your parents told you about Gerrod Burntree and Alfonse Raynott. "It seems likely that one of them was the traitor who beguiled King Marc, doesn't it? Or maybe they both did, in different ways. They may be demon worshippers, or traitors working for Aspitolm, or… well, I don't know, but I mean to find out."
"How do you intend to do that?" she asks.
"I thought we could go snooping around Lord Raynott's townhouse, like my father planned to, but it'll be easier for me because I've got illusions and portals."
"Do you know where Lord Raynott's townhouse is?"
"In Truinon, presumably. I don't know exactly where, but it shouldn't be too hard to find out."
"Probably best to leave it until tomorrow," says Jana. "Your parents agreed that you can help, didn't they? In which case, I'm sure they'll show you where to go."
"I suppose so," you agree. "Shall we get Catharne involved in this? Where is she, anyway?"
"Spending time with her dad."
"I should have known."
A short time later, you go to where Mishrak, in his sea dragon form, is busy with one of his projects: it looks rather like a giant otter. Catharne is curled up on the floor nearby and appears to be dozing.
"It seems a shame to wake her," you whisper.
"I'm not asleep," says Catharne, lifting her head and turning to look at you.
"All right, then." You nod. "We're planning another adventure. Do you want to join us?"
"What kind of adventure?"
"I'm not sure quite yet," you admit. "But we're trying to find out who ensorcelled King Marc, so it'll probably involve snooping around, some detective work, and the possibility of having to fight a few demon cultists or Aspiti agents."
"Unless it comes to a fight, I'm not sure how much help I'll be," Catharne admits. "I'm not exactly stealthy."
"Mishrak gave you the power to shapeshift. Couldn't you use it to impersonate a servant, or one of the men we suspect of being demon worshippers?" asks Jana.
"I'm not sure I could do that soon enough. It took me most of a year to work out how to look like an eleven-year-old girl. Uh, you know, my regular human form."
"Most of that time was spent making sure that you got your disguise just right, that you could act convincingly human enough that no one would guess your secret, and that you can maintain it for as long as you need to, even while you're asleep," says Mishrak. "It shouldn't take as long to discover how you can use the skills you've already learned to disguise yourself as someone else."
"But it'll probably take more than a few days," Catharne points out.
"That's true," Mishrak admits.
"Either way, it'll be useful to have you with us if it comes to a fight," you say. "And aren't you curious to find out who's really behind what's been happening in Rivayne?"
"Um, not really," she says. "I've never been to Rivayne and I don't know anyone there… or do I?"
"You've met Sir Moridan Ambros, haven't you? He's been here a few times, working with Elys's mom and dad while they've been trying to solve the mystery," says Jana.
"I suppose so," says Catharne, still looking doubtful. "Maybe I've seen him around, but it's not as if I've ever spoken to him."
"I'll introduce you," Jana promises. "Hey, maybe we should invite him to take part in this adventure? I'm sure he'd be useful."
"He's a knight, just like mom," you mutter. "He could watch her back if it came to a fight. Or…" A thought occurs to you: when you met Moridan Ambros before, you noticed that his face was horrifically scarred. It was so long ago that you're struggling to remember, but when you asked your parents about it before, they mentioned that – according to rumour – he was captured by demon cultists and horribly tortured before his colleagues could rescue him. That's the reason for his grotesque visage. But what if Mishrak were to heal him? And extend the same offer of healing to the many poor people of Truinon, the people that Sir Moridan meets and works with every day? How much would your uncle's reputation swell because of that? Would it be enough to elevate him into the ranks of the greater gods?
"Also, we should invite Belle along," Jana suggests. "I'm sure she'd be glad of the chance to get out and have some fun."
"It depends on your definition of fun," you say, dubiously.
How will Elys continue from here? Who will she talk to next?
"But… I remember it took your father weeks to recover afterwards… although perhaps that was because he was badly injured and Mishrak needed to fully heal him as well," says your mother, screwing her eyes shut, as if she's so tired that the effort of thinking is almost too much for her. "Still, it seems likely that I'll need at least a few days to recover. Maybe it would be better if… I'll wait until after the weekend, after we've sorted out this whole mess."
Not quite sure about the rest, but this is the part we can obviously ask Mishrak directly about right now. It is possible that we do not need to postpone the operation.
