"More than that, despite their vast plantations, I'm not sure that the Aspitis could even feed themselves if they didn't import large quantities of food. And their fishing fleet, of course."
An attempt to interrupt the work of a fishing fleet is essentially an attempt to starve the other nation out. And it certainly isn't the army who will suffer most because of it.
Still, we are at war, and we have to do damage to their economy to diminish their ability to wage war back at us.
Outright attacking their civillian population is probably not the way to do it, though. I briefly entertained the idea of taking their fishermen prisoner as we sink their ships... the sea probably wouldn't lack for space to keep them in, or fish to keep them fed, but it sounds like too much of a headache.
[x] At night, send his Deep Ones to destroy the fishing vessels while they are docked and have no one aboard. (Some risk of disaster, increase Warscore by a small amount.)
[x] Talk to the Wranni who have joined Mishrak's military coalition.*
Sorry to hear, Changadnac! Lets hope the MRI returns helpful results.
I think I'll stand by my vote. It's subtle enough that the Aspitis won't notice anything's up until far too late, and the resources needed to counter that would be highly in Mishrak's favor.
Today, I went to the hospital and was given some very bad news: because I had a seizure five or six weeks ago, they want me to have an MRI scan and various other tests; until they know the results of those tests, they've told me that I can't drive. And I can't go in the bath and I have to sit down in the shower. Well... okay, it's not the worst thing in the world – there are plenty of people who are much worse off – but it came as a bit of a shock. Even the doctor apologised to me: I guess that I must have been looking kinda stressed out.
@Chandagnac, yikes about the stroke. Cracking one's head open in a shower makes for one of the least epic gravestone epitaphs ever. Seriously, be careful with yourself.
The idea wouldn't be to give the Aspitis any money. But their fishermen are probably not the most well off caste/group of their civilization, so if given enough wealth can probably be convinced to just abandon the Aspiti empire and settle somewhere else.
An attempt to interrupt the work of a fishing fleet is essentially an attempt to starve the other nation out. And it certainly isn't the army who will suffer most because of it.
The Aspiti Empire is fabulously wealthy. Disrupting their fishing fleet isn't going to push them into starvation: they can just buy as much food as they need. However, it will make them even more reliant on imports.
Mishrak's Deep Ones have been attacking Aspitolm's trade ships, trying to prevent them from bringing supplies back to Aspitolm. Eventually, if they are successful enough, they will push the Aspitis to the brink of starvation and… as you have said, poor people will be the first to suffer. Mishrak is aware that what he is doing to weaken the Aspiti Empire' military strength is likely to cause suffering for ordinary folk, which is why he just gave a speech about how ruthless actions may be necessary to win the war. (However, Elys is an idealistic sweetie, so of course she is horrified by the idea.)
The Deep Ones are servants of Mishrak. They worship him as their God. Elys is Mishrak's Chosen. They would probably treat her with a lot of respect, if not outright veneration.
Well, I don't know when my next hospital appointment will be, but I hope so too. For the next few months, getting to work every day is going to be a massive pain.
I think I'll stand by my vote. It's subtle enough that the Aspitis won't notice anything's up until far too late, and the resources needed to counter that would be highly in Mishrak's favor.
Since no one else has voted for it, I don't think it's going to happen. Instead, Mishrak will focus on sending his Deep Ones out to destroy the Aspiti fishing vessels at night.
In my entire life, I have had two seizures, spaced ten years apart, and both times there was an obvious reason for why I had a seizure (the first time was a stress reaction; the second time was because I am absolutely terrible at swallowing vitamin tablets and started choking).
However, any more than one seizure is considered to be 'too many', so now I have to undergo a full battery of tests before they'll allow me to drive and so on. I very much doubt that I'm in any real danger, but… well, I guess they have to do things properly.
"It has been suggested to me that I should destroy Aspitolm's fishing fleet. I haven't done it yet," says Mishrak. "Nor have I allowed my Deep Ones and their fastitocalons to do so. But perhaps I should."
"But that would be wrong!" you cry, dismayed. "You'd be killing innocent people!"
"To what extent can any of them be called 'innocent'? They have all benefited from Aspitolm's trade in human flesh, if only indirectly. They all contribute to their vile empire's continued ability to maintain itself, enabling it to conquer and enslave other nations. They all wilfully ignore the horrible atrocities that have been – and continue to be – committed by their lords and masters, the rich and powerful, every single day." He pauses. A rumble of frustrated rage causes his avatar's tiny body to shake. "Besides… in order to win this war, the Aspiti Empire will do whatever is necessary, no matter how heinous. I am not suggesting that we should stoop to their level; but, in order to win this war, we may need to act ruthlessly."
"That's awful!" you protest.
"No. It's war," he replies. "Long ago, I learned from my father, Vlakoroth, how wars can be won and lost. I hated my father, but... perhaps I need to emulate some of his methods. He was wrong about many things, but he understood war."
"War crimes, maybe." You shake your head, uttering a contemptuous snort of laughter. "That's why Telthalus stabbed him in the head."
Before you can go through the portal and back to the Academy, you come across a pair of familiar faces heading in the opposite direction.
"Pretty good fight," says one of them, a tall and rangy man with very dark skin. You recognise him as Jorantul, one of the mercenaries your parents hired from the Clipped Copper Coin tavern just before they announced that they were going to send you to boarding school. Although you don't know him very well, every time you've seen him before, he has tended to be rather taciturn.
"The Aspitis weren't looking for a fight," his partner, a pale Mercadian named Sildar, disagrees. "They were looking for easy pickings. As soon as they realised that they were up against more serious resistance than they'd been expecting, they tried to flee."
"But you stopped them. Wrecked their ship," says Jorantul with a wolfish grin. "Then, they had no choice but to fight."
"Cornered rats can be very dangerous. They fought desperately," says Sildar with a nod.
"And ruthlessly." Jorantul's grin fades and is replaced with a scowl. "Pity for those villagers who got caught in the crossfire."
"They're still alive, they didn't lose anything irreplaceable, and they haven't been taken as slaves." Sildar shrugs his muscular shoulders. "That's better than the alternative, even if they're traumatised by what they've seen and experienced today."
"Still…"
"Yeah, I know." Glancing over to you, Sildar acknowledges your presence for the first time. A smile spreads across his face. "Well, look who it is: the Chosen of Mishrak herself! All hail the glorious princess of a tiny nation that doesn't even exist anymore!"
"Shouldn't you be in school, young lady?" asks Jorantul.
"It's the weekend," you reply, a little defensively.
"Is it really? I often find myself losing track of time down here," says Sildar. "Under the sea, in the Dragon God's palace, where the ambient light levels are always the same, it can be difficult to tell one day from any other."
"Imagine how difficult it is for someone who doesn't have your magic powers," says Jorantul.
Sildar looks thoughtful for a moment, then changes the subject. "So, what does it mean to be the Chosen of Mishrak? Are you taking part in the war against Aspitolm?"
You shake your head. "No, my parents sent me away to boarding school because they wanted me to be safe."
"And yet you're still here." Sildar gives you an appraising look. "I heard what you did when the Aspitis invaded Ismar: you burnt their warships down to the waterline and killed hundreds of their soldiers. How did that make you feel?"
"I… I try not to think about it," you murmur. "Anyway, it was the island's automated magical defences did that, not me. All I did was activate them."
He seems disappointed by your response. "Why feel guilty about what you did? The Aspitis came very close to killing your parents that night. Didn't you deserve a little revenge?"
"I… uh…" You hesitate, unsure of how to respond.
Mishrak, still in his tiny dragon form, stirs from where he seemed to have gone to sleep on your shoulder. "Elys is a kind person. She does not like to think about killing anyone, not even Aspitis," he says. "I think your questions are causing her some distress. That needs to stop, immediately."
Holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender, Sildar says, "That was not my intent. I merely… I had hoped that she would be amenable to joining us on one of our future escapades."
"What sort of escapades?" asks Mishrak, suspiciously.
"We've been defending Rivayni coastal villages from Aspiti slave raids," Sildar explains. "I am a seer: I have the gift of Far Sight and have been using it to keep track of Aspiti ships heading in to Rivayni coastal waters. It was easier when Madam Samaya was still here – she could just teleport us to wherever we needed to go – but we have our own tricks for getting around quickly, so we can usually manage to get to the villages before they come under attack, warn the villagers, and set an ambush for the slavers."
"Sometimes, we're too late," says Jorantul, grimacing. "Today, we were slightly too late: we couldn't warn the villagers in time."
"None of them died," Sildar says quickly. "But I think they were traumatised as much by what we did – how quickly and brutally we killed the slavers – as by what the slavers did."
"There was a lot of collateral damage," Jorantul adds.
"They'll be safe in Truinon or one of the other cities," says Sildar, a little dismissively. "Anyway, I was thinking… Elys, I've heard that can fly and use an Invisible Shield just like your mother's. How would you like to come with us to foil an Aspiti slave raid? Jory and I will handle the fighting; you can fly around saving the poor villagers and preventing them from getting hurt. Of course, if we get there in time, they won't be in any danger so long as they listen to our warnings, which they don't always do… but maybe you could help us with that as well? What do you say?"
"I'll think about it," you reply, blinking dazedly. "Wait… I thought my parents hired you to help with their investigation into whatever is going on with King Marc of Rivayne?"
"In a way, we are helping with that," says Sildar. "While your parents get on with the detective work, we're trying to defend Rivayne so that their efforts will actually matter."
"If the Aspitis succeed in conquering Rivayne, only scholars will care about whatever was going on with King Marc," says Jorantul.
"But why is it just the two of you who are doing this?" you ask. "Shouldn't you have an entire army of people helping you to defend the Rivayni coastline?"
"I'm a powerful mage, Jorantul is the mightiest warrior I've ever heard of, and it's easier for two people to get around quickly than it is to transport an entire army," Sildar explains. "We can easily handle whatever the Aspitis throw at us."
His partner frowns at that. "The fighting, at least," he mutters. "We're good at killing, not so good at saving people. That's where you could help us. Reckon you'd be good at that."
"I'm only eleven years old," you tell him. "I'm not supposed to be getting involved in a war."
Jorantul shrugs. "You're already involved, like it or not. Think the Aspitis will leave you alone because you're only eleven? Won't put a slave collar around your neck because you're only eleven? Think that, you'd be wrong."
"I've met your… your adopted sister, is it? Bellona Kachalskey," says Sildar. "She's had a difficult life, in many ways. Do you know her story?"
Surprised by this apparent non-sequitur, you say, "Um… I know she was a child my parents rescued from slavers."
"Her parents were members of the Guild of Necromancers, from the Dragon Empire in the far west. They and some other members of their family travelled to Vashiira, to the north of here, to minister to the souls of the people there. However, after only a few years, they died during an outbreak of plague. Their little daughter went to live with her uncle. When she was six years old, her uncle was murdered by slavers and she was taken captive. Luckily, your parents rescued her almost immediately. Aren't you glad of that?"
"I'm amazed that you got Belle to tell you anything about her past," you say. "How ever did you manage it?"
"She was curious about us. I told her what she wanted to know; she was kind enough to let me ask a few questions in return," says Sildar. "However, I think you're missing my point: slavers didn't hesitate to chain up your sister when she was much younger than you. I shudder to think what they would have done with her: there is only a small market for child slaves–"
"Elys doesn't want to think about that," Mishrak says warningly.
"It doesn't matter whether you want to think about it or not: it happens. But you can do something about it." By this point, Sildar is almost yelling. "You can prevent slavers – at least a few of them – from hurting any more innocents!"
"I already said I'd think about it," you say. "Please don't pressure me any further."
He subsides. "Yeah, all right. Sorry about that."
"You look older than eleven years," says Jorantul, a curious note in his voice. "I suppose that's what being Chosen does for you." A look of puzzlement flickers across his face, just for a moment, as if he's struggling to remember something.
"Well, I think we've delayed you for long enough," says Sildar, bowing his head to you. "Goodbye for now. Enjoy your evening, whatever you get up to."
"Farewell," says Jorantul, giving you a nod.
"Yes, goodbye to you both," you say, waving to them.
After that, it takes less than a minute for you to get back through the portal and for Uncle Mishrak to fly you back to the Engelram Academy of the Magical Arts. This time, no one seems to have noticed that you were gone.
Because of Sildar's and Jorantul's efforts to defend the Rivayni coastline from Aspiti slave raids, the Coalition's Warscore increases by 2 (to a total of 5).
Because this is the end of the second month, the Aspiti Warscore increases by 1 (to a total of 2).
Mishrak will send his Deep Ones to destroy the Aspiti fishing vessels at night while there is no one aboard. You will find out the consequences of that next time you visit him.
What do you want Elys to do next? (Choose one)
[] Ask Mishrak to arrange a meeting with Samaya.
-[] Ask her to create a permanent portal so that Elys can visit the Tyrepheum Academy of the Magical Arts anytime she likes.
[] Visit her parents (Gareth and Yslena) and ask how they are getting on with their investigation. (+Warscore)
-[] Complain about how much she hates boarding school and wishes she was at home with them.
[] Visit Mishrak again. (+Warscore?)
-[] Find out what progress Catharne is making in learning how to shapeshift.
--[] Meet Mishrak's Deep Ones and find out more about them. (+Warscore?)
---[] Meet the Wranni who have joined Mishrak's military coalition (+Warscore?)
[] Join Sildar and Jorantul in one of their attempts to defend the Rivayni coastline from Aspiti slave raiders. (+Warscore)
-[] Fly around protecting innocent civilians while the Chosen of Mawroth do the fighting.
[] Visit her grandfather, Lymond Sayce, Count of Norrange. (Note: Elys has never actually met her grandfather.)
-[] Visit her uncle, Elward, and his wife, Raene.
--[] Visit her cousin, Jesric.
[] Visit the hospital for soul-damaged victims of the Sea Ghouls (in Mishrak's undersea palace).
-[] Meet her 'big sister', Bellona Kachalskey, and find out how she is getting on.
--[] Ask about the story that Sildar told her.
[] Finish deciphering and reading Professor Elthonar's notebook.
[] Finish reading Kelamon Dumar's How to Enter the Underworld.
[] After Professor Elthonar's disappearance, his magic mirror was put into storage. Find out where it is.
[] Spend time with Jana at the Engelram Academy of the Magical Arts. (This will unlock the option to take her with you on your subsequent adventures.)
[] Travel to the Tyrepheum Academy of the Magical Arts.
-[] Spend time with Dorian, Isolia, Philander, and Venta.
--[] Find out their problems, hopes, and fears.
---[] Figure out what you can do to help them.
OR
-[] Interview Archironaeus about when he has seen people use the magic mirror before.
OR
-[] Ask Green Flame some more questions.
(Elys can't do any of these things until she has a reliable means of transportation. She can't keep asking Uncle Mishrak to carry her back and forth.)
[] Do something else (write in)*.
*If there's anything I've forgotten to add to this list, that doesn't mean that you can't do it.
For now I think that we should alternate building Warscore with actions focused on Elys' court.
[X] Spend time with Jana at the Engelram Academy of the Magical Arts. (This will unlock the option to take her with you on your subsequent adventures.)
This has my vote. Not only will Jana provide another viewpoint character, but she'll provide a reroll once per turn. Since turns are only one action long, this is pretty powerful.
[] Ask Mishrak to arrange a meeting with Samaya.
-[] Ask her to create a permanent portal so that Elys can visit the Tyrepheum Academy of the Magical Arts anytime she likes.
I'm worried about the politics of permantly connecting two countries that don't like each other that much.
[] Visit her parents (Gareth and Yslena) and ask how they are getting on with their investigation. (+Warscore)
-[] Complain about how much she hates boarding school and wishes she was at home with them.?
I'll vote for this next turn, I think. It's guaranteed Warscore and allows an 11 year old to see her parents for the first time in months.
[] Visit Mishrak again. (+Warscore?)
-[] Find out what progress Catharne is making in learning how to shapeshift.
--[] Meet Mishrak's Deep Ones and find out more about them. (+Warscore?)
---[] Meet the Wranni who have joined Mishrak's military coalition (+Warscore?)
This has both the opportunity to gain Warscore and the opportunity to gain Catharne as a companion in Elys' court. I like it.
[] Join Sildar and Jorantul in one of their attempts to defend the Rivayni coastline from Aspiti slave raiders. (+Warscore)
-[] Fly around protecting innocent civilians while the Chosen of Mawroth do the fighting.
Her parents will FLIP if they find out (and they will) that despite putting Elys somewhere away from the war, she went to the war anyway. If you were afraid of losing an action because of detention, you should be afraid of losing an action because of being grounded.
[] Visit her grandfather, Lymond Sayce, Count of Norrange. (Note: Elys has never actually met her grandfather.)
-[] Visit her uncle, Elward, and his wife, Raene.
--[] Visit her cousin, Jesric.
Mystery box?
[] Visit the hospital for soul-damaged victims of the Sea Ghouls (in Mishrak's undersea palace).
-[] Meet her 'big sister', Bellona Kachalskey, and find out how she is getting on.
--[] Ask about the story that Sildar told her.
I'd be tempted by this if it was part of the 'visit Mishrak' option, but by itself I'm not sure. Bellona is busy and there's so much to do.
[] Finish deciphering and reading Professor Elthonar's notebook.
I bet a lot of people would be interested in this.
[] Finish reading Kelamon Dumar's How to Enter the Underworld.
This might help teach Elys portal magic.
[] After Professor Elthonar's disappearance, his magic mirror was put into storage. Find out where it is.
An alternative to creating a permanent portal. We know that the one in Tyrepheum Academy is unused and forgotten, so Green Flame wouldn't have much trouble transferring it to her office so Cadre 1F doesn't has to risk themselves to use it.
elys wont learn portal nagic overnight, but i think its critical that she learns it. the real question is when. we want it both for travel reasons, and tactical ones. we need a fast, independent way to the sambia school, and we need teleportation to even begin to face mystic path.
so near term goals;
get the gang back together (jana, catharne)
up warscore
start work on portal magic and mystic mystery
link up with alt squad, cadre f (gtgbt2)
norrange might be an idea, if only for squad growing. wed have to get the measure of that side of the family. imo the bulk of norrange stuff would be most interesting as a fully fledged adult and seasoned adventurer, say 30ish. would be worth establishing some roots there as a kid, but its a low priority for me. side effect of going though might be to get some more knightly credentials, atm we are shaping up as roguish wizard crew, nothing wrong with that, but i think rounding out into (armoured) battle mages would better square elys's background with her development. i do like the dialects going on with the allardyne family, noble nights, mercenaries, pirate kings, paranormal investigators, powerful wizards, divine champions, and so on. its delightful.
[X] Spend time with Jana at the Engelram Academy of the Magical Arts. (This will unlock the option to take her with you on your subsequent adventures.)
this turn, then visit mishrak again, then read books, then investigsations, then visit sambia. this is my working plan so far
edit: i dont want elys in the war zone, she's not ready for it yet, and i dont want her with those two jokers when she decides to start helping out. much as those civillians need *someone* to keep them out of harms way. issa no from me
I think the most immediately important actions are getting Jana on board, and acquiring a method of portal travel to the Green Flame squad. We want our previous quest characters on board.
However, we also need to take warscore-building actions periodically, because we really want to be ahead of the Aspits on that. As such, I propose:
Jana this turn.
Some kind of Warscore builder next turn (this could be any of the choices)
Next turn, go for a method of international portal-ing. The mirror or investigating one of the books.
[X] Spend time with Jana at the Engelram Academy of the Magical Arts. (This will unlock the option to take her with you on your subsequent adventures.)
Because when our parents browsed the Divine Phone Book picking what god to call to their aid, they passed the right 'M' over.
...I made that joke before, haven't I?
But there may be truth in it. For all that Elys is naturally kind-hearted, she's been influenced by her Uncle who is a deity of creating life rather than taking it. His two most important gifts to us are Catharne, whom he made for us, and Jana, whom he resuscitated when she drowned. That may have changed some things.
She probably won't shy from death (how can we? Teryn is our second-best acquaintance god and Belle's patron!), but it likely won't be her go-to response to problems.
"You look older than eleven years," says Jorantul, a curious note in his voice. "I suppose that's what being Chosen does for you." A look of puzzlement flickers across his face, just for a moment, as if he's struggling to remember something.
Well, you look younger than... how old are they, a hundred? More? So, clearly, that proves that you are in no way a Chosen!
Not sure about the action yet. An adventure with Sildar and Jorantul sounds interesting, but we'd either need to ask permission from our parents first, or make sure they never find out.
i like the mirror plan, assuming the professor's mirror still exists. best to read the diary first though, dont want to be bumping into mystic path people, who knows when one of them will dust off an old mirror to wherever that place they both connect to is. it is however, secure from interference by either acadamy or sorrounding area, and mirrors can be moved. a fixed portal is a security risk. (but also, no way of bumping into people mid transit)
Mishrak said it would take months for Catharne to master her shapeshifting powers, so if we time our next visit to Mishrak to be in a few months, we could raise Warscore and add Catharne to the court at the same time. Mishrak might also give Elys something extra if we visit the same month as her birthday.
How about this for a plan for the following turns?:
Jana
Visit Parents (+Warscore)
Read Professor Elthonar's notebook
Find out what happened to the mirror
Visit Mishrak (this coincides with Elys' birthday (+Warscore)
Meeting with Samaya with information about mirror portals?
Send message to Greenflame about mirror portal so she can transfer it to her office?
Last turn of the school year
Joranul and Siladar were saying that, while precognition let them know where the Aspiti are going to attack, without Samaya present the have difficulty getting there in time to stop them. Samaya has her own agenda, and can't be there all the time to help them, so they need another method of fast transportation, and are desperate enough for it to ask an 11 year old for help. A network of portal mirrors sounds like the perfect solution.
Elys is in the right place to find our what's going on with the mirrors (with the late professor's notebook), find an example of the mirror (already an action), persuade Mishrak to buy the mirror for her, and bring in Samaya (an expert in portal magic) to examine it. I think that it would be worth a lot of Warscore.
Yeah, getting Jana back as a full time party member strikes me as top priority too.
[X] Spend time with Jana at the Engelram Academy of the Magical Arts.
...still think it's weird that this one in particular takes a monthly action, since it's one that can actually be done at the academy, but whatever.
After that's done with, I dunno, almost everything is good options. Helping save civilians alongside Sildar and Jorantul, hanging out with various family members, deciphering notebooks, meeting with Samaya to open a portal, finding out what's up with the Deep Ones... it's all good.
Hmm... the complaining about boarding school to her parents seem like it could possibly have an interesting and maybe potentially useful effect, since the boarding school is Elys's biggest and most unpleasant timesink, but I'll just take things one update at a time for now.
[x] Spend time with Jana at the Engelram Academy of the Magical Arts. (This will unlock the option to take her with you on your subsequent adventures.)
Definitely Jana first. I can feel her narrative absence. That said... would deciphering the journal take a month? Elys did one page in a few minutes. Maybe that could be folded under something else? Or is there an implied afterparty of sorts to the decryption?
[X] Spend time with Jana at the Engelram Academy of the Magical Arts. (This will unlock the option to take her with you on your subsequent adventures.)
[X] Spend time with Jana at the Engelram Academy of the Magical Arts. (This will unlock the option to take her with you on your subsequent adventures.)
This has my vote. Not only will Jana provide another viewpoint character, but she'll provide a reroll once per turn. Since turns are only one action long, this is pretty powerful.
Bear in mind that 'one turn' can stretch over multiple posts. For example 'The Mirror Monster' story arc took place over a single turn, but consisted of eleven updates.
Her parents will FLIP if they find out (and they will) that despite putting Elys somewhere away from the war, she went to the war anyway. If you were afraid of losing an action because of detention, you should be afraid of losing an action because of being grounded.
There is a reason why Sildar and Jorantul have been exiled from many different countries all over the world (and why their patron, Mawroth, finds them so gutwrenchingly hilarious): they can be somewhat irresponsible.
They are more than two hundred years old, although they still look the same age as they did when Mawroth made them his Chosen. He gave them immortality at a price: they can never age, but at the same time they can never learn from their mistakes or keep any new memories for longer than a few years. They're still under the impression that they are forbidden to enter the Avanni Empire, despite the fact that they were exiled from it more than a hundred and fifty years ago and no one else remembers or particularly cares. Also, they're not actually aware that they are Mawroth's Chosen: they have been informed about it multiple times, but they just keep forgetting. Their 'immortality' is really a form of perpetual stasis.
Hmm... the complaining about boarding school to her parents seem like it could possibly have an interesting and maybe potentially useful effect, since the boarding school is Elys's biggest and most unpleasant timesink, but I'll just take things one update at a time for now.
Well, whatever happens, you're not going to get more than one action per month, so...
(However, I have been thinking that if you recruit Cadre 1F as party members, they could go away and complete minor actions that don't require Elys's direct involvement.)
Definitely Jana first. I can feel her narrative absence. That said... would deciphering the journal take a month? Elys did one page in a few minutes. Maybe that could be folded under something else? Or is there an implied afterparty of sorts to the decryption?
It will take some time for Elys to finish reading and digesting the contents of the notebook. I'm tempted to split it over multiple updates, to be honest.
Anyway, here's the vote tally:
Adhoc vote count started by Chandagnac on Jul 11, 2021 at 1:13 PM, finished with 10 posts and 7 votes.
[X] Spend time with Jana at the Engelram Academy of the Magical Arts. (This will unlock the option to take her with you on your subsequent adventures.)
It will take some time for Elys to finish reading and digesting the contents of the notebook. I'm tempted to split it over multiple updates, to be honest.
Also, they're not actually aware that they are Mawroth's Chosen: they have been informed about it multiple times, but they just keep forgetting. Their 'immortality' is really a form of perpetual stasis.
After that, it takes less than a minute for you to get back through the portal and for Uncle Mishrak to fly you back to the Engelram Academy of the Magical Arts. This time, no one seems to have noticed that you were gone.
Over the next few weeks, you are surprised by how difficult it is to find a good opportunity to talk with Jana in private. Unlike you, she seems to be thriving at the Engelram Academy of the Magical Arts; whereas you are forced to attend classes with fifteen-and sixteen-year-olds who are in their final year at school, most of whom regard you with a mixture of resentment and jealousy, she was put with second-year pupils, who are around the same age as her. Bold and confident as she is, she had no difficulty in making new friends among them. Whenever you see her, she is surrounded by chattering young teenage girls who have adopted her into their clique.
You almost feel as if you have been replaced. She is the only friend you have at the Academy, but she doesn't need you: she has plenty of other friends. She is supposed to be your handmaiden, but you rarely cross paths with her these days: you attend different classes, far away from each other; you have your own room whereas, she sleeps in a dorm with the other second-year girls; and you are kept so busy with schoolwork and detentions that you don't have nearly as much time for socializing as you would like. At mealtimes, she usually sits with you, but it's not a good time or place to talk about things that you'd rather not share with the entire world.
Finally, losing patience, you march over to her when you next see her in the corridor. "Jana, I need to talk to you in private," you announce.
Then, you notice that she has her arm around a blonde girl with creamy white skin and the rosiest cheeks you have ever seen. You wonder if she deliberately pinches them to make them look like that.
"And… who is this?" you ask, suddenly uncertain.
"Hi Elys," says Jana, giving you a nod. "This is my girlfriend, Mel."
"You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend!" you cry, feeling rather betrayed: Jana is your best friend, you used to share everything with each other – but now she is keeping secrets from you?
"I haven't been with her for very long," Jana explains. "I saved her from some bullies – she's a scholarship student, from a poor family – and then we got chatting, I asked her out, and… well, here we are."
"Jana is very brave," says Mel in a subdued tone of voice.
Turning to her, Jana indicates you with a pointed forefinger and says, "This is my sister, Elys. While you're with me, you'll be seeing a lot of her, probably."
"What do you mean 'probably'?" you ask, offended. "Jana, I miss you. I want to spend time with you like we used to. You're my best friend! By all the gods, you're supposed to be my handmaiden!"
Mel looks distrustfully at you and asks, "Your 'handmaiden'?"
"She's a noble lady. The princess of Ismar and Windskil," Jana explains. "Her parents chose me to be her handmaiden. And they sort-of adopted me as well, in the end."
"I… I've heard stories about what noble ladies get up to with their handmaidens. You know, in bed," says Mel, as if picking at a scab.
"Don't you believe those stories!" Jana says fiercely. "She's my sister!"
"Adopted sister," says Mel.
"What difference does it make?" asks Jana.
Taking a deep breath, Mel says, "Well… since we've been together, I've realised… I don't like girls in the same way that you do. You'd be better off with her. Or anyone. But not me."
Jana looks blankly at her for a moment. She takes a step back, retracting her arm from around Mel's waist. "You're breaking up with me?" she says, questioningly, as if she doesn't understand the meaning behind those words. "But… we had fun together, didn't we? You told me that you enjoyed kissing me!"
"It was all right," says her new ex-girlfriend, with a small shrug. "They say 'don't knock it until you've tried it' and… um, it was fun to experiment. But I didn't really like it. Not like you did."
"Were you just waiting for a chance to dump me?" asks Jana, in a tone edged with bitterness.
"Kind of," Mel admits. "I'm grateful for what you did, I didn't want to disappoint you, and… um, you can be scary sometimes, so–"
"So what?! Did you think I was going to force you to do anything you didn't want to do?!" asks Jana, in a fury. Her nut-brown face takes on a coppery tinge as blood rushes to her head. "You should have just said 'no'!"
"And… you'd have been fine with that, would you?"
"Yes! What do you think I am?!" Jana's voice wobbles. She scrapes a hand across her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Never mind."
"I think it would be for the best if you just left," you say, giving Mel a reproachful glance.
She turns to you, nods, and then scurries away as quickly as her legs will carry her.
"I'm sorry, Jana," you say, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Putting on a brave smile, she blinks a few times, shrugs her shoulders, and says, "Oh well. Plenty more fish in the sea, and so on."
"I know that. My uncle created most of them," you joke.
Her smile grows a little wider. "I've missed you, Elys."
"What happened to us? Why have we spent so much time apart?" you ask. "Was it because of her?"
"No… well, maybe," she admits. "You haven't been around much, so… I haven't been paying as much attention to you as I should have: I've been thinking about other things. I'm sorry, I'm a bad handmaiden."
"I don't think you're to blame for that. Like you said, I haven't been around much." You sigh. "Anyway… can we talk somewhere privately, please?"
Turning your head, you glare around at various other pupils who have stopped in the corridor to watch this impromptu drama.
"Can't you just use telepathy to tell me exactly what you want me to know?" asks Jana. "Wouldn't that be more private than any physical location could possibly be?"
"Well, yes… but it's not the same as actually talking to you in person. I've missed talking to you. And I thought it would be impolite to just drop my thoughts into your head without asking your permission first," you say.
"Fine, we'll talk," says Jana, taking you by the hand. "I know a place."
But before she can lead you there, you turn back to glare for a second time at the other pupils who are still watching and listening in, and have started to make mocking kissy noises.
"Wow, you've been busy," says Jana, after you've told her about your adventure with the magic mirror, the alternate dimension, and how you ended up in the Tyrepheum Academy of the Magical Arts. "I wish I'd been there."
"Next time, I'll make sure to bring you along," you tell her. "Also… I went back home to see Catharne. She's learning how to shapeshift. Maybe she'll be able to join us here next year?"
"By 'home' you mean Mishrak's undersea palace?" she asks, looking curious. "Huh. I don't really think of it as home."
"Our home was stolen from us." You think of Ismar, of Seawatch Keep, and the happy childhood memories you left behind there. "But we can help get it back."
"I don't see how visiting the Sambian Empire is going to help us get Ismar back."
"Well, not immediately, but I have a plan," you tell her. "If we can learn how to use the mirrors, we might be able to teleport an army to Aspitolm, take them by surprise, and win the war before they know what's hit them."
"Or you could just get Madam Samaya to teleport an army to Aspitolm without needing the mirrors," she suggests.
"Samaya is busy. Mishrak hasn't seen her for a while." You hesitate, for a moment, embarrassed. "And… uh, I haven't made any new friends here, but I made some friends while I was in Tyrepheum. They need my help, so I want to help them as much as possible."
"Yeah, that's more like what I expected of you," she says, giving you a fond smile. "All right, you can count on my help. Just let me know when."
"Thank you, Jana," you say, wrapping your arms around her and giving her a tight hug.
To save time, from now on, I'm going to automatically assume that Elys will take Jana with her on all of her adventures unless you specify otherwise.
Because this is the end of the third month, the Aspiti Warscore increases by 1 (to a total of 3).
What do you want Elys to do next? (Choose one)
[] Ask Mishrak to arrange a meeting with Samaya.
-[] Ask her to create a permanent portal so that Elys can visit the Tyrepheum Academy of the Magical Arts anytime she likes.
[] Visit her parents, Gareth and Yslena, and ask how they are getting on with their investigation. (+Warscore)
-[] Complain about how much she hates boarding school and wishes she was at home with them.
--[] Visit the hospital for soul-damaged victims of the Sea Ghouls.
---[] Meet her 'big sister', Bellona Kachalskey, and find out how she is getting on.
----[] Ask about the story that Sildar told her.
[] Visit Mishrak again. (+Warscore?)
-[] Find out what progress Catharne is making in learning how to shapeshift.
--[] Meet Mishrak's Deep Ones and find out more about them. (+Warscore?)
---[] Meet the Wranni who have joined Mishrak's military coalition (+Warscore?)
[] Join Sildar and Jorantul in one of their attempts to defend the Rivayni coastline from Aspiti slave raiders. (+Warscore)
-[] Fly around protecting innocent civilians while the Chosen of Mawroth do all the fighting.
[] Visit her grandfather, Lymond Sayce, Count of Norrange. (Note: Elys has never actually met her grandfather.)
-[] Visit her uncle, Elward, and his wife, Raene.
--[] Visit her cousin, Jesric.
[] Finish deciphering and reading Professor Elthonar's notebook.
[] Finish reading Kelamon Dumar's How to Enter the Underworld.
[] After Professor Elthonar's disappearance, his magic mirror was put into storage. Find out where it is.
[] Travel to the Tyrepheum Academy of the Magical Arts.
-[] Spend time with Dorian, Isolia, Philander, and Venta.
--[] Find out their problems, hopes, and fears.
---[] Figure out what you can do to help them.
OR
-[] Interview Archironaeus about when he has seen people use the magic mirror before.
OR
-[] Ask Green Flame some more questions.
(Elys can't do any of these things until she has a reliable means of transportation. She can't keep asking Uncle Mishrak to carry her back and forth.)
[] Do something else (write in)*.
*If there's anything I've forgotten to add to this list, that doesn't mean that you can't do it.
"Well, not immediately, but I have a plan," you tell her. "If we can learn how to use the mirrors, we might be able to teleport an army to Aspitolm, take them by surprise, and win the war before they know what's hit them."
...one at a time? And to some kind of magical academy (where else would they keep theirs?), which probably has all kinds of alarms set up to prevent unwanted visitors coming through portals, since, for mages, it is both a concern and a thing they can do something about.
Your best bet would be to teleport Sildar and Jorantul and then watch as they go on an adventure. I suspect it may end up more devastating than actual warband.
[x] Finish deciphering and reading Professor Elthonar's notebook.
[X] Visit her parents (Gareth and Yslena) and ask how they are getting on with their investigation. (+Warscore)
-[X] Complain about how much she hates boarding school and wishes she was at home with them.
--[X] Visit the hospital for soul-damaged victims of the Sea Ghouls (in Mishrak's undersea palace).
---[X] Meet her 'big sister', Bellona Kachalskey, and find out how she is getting on.
----[X] Ask about the story that Sildar told her.
I thought Jana and Elys were the same age. Aren't they both 11 like Cadre 1F?
I really like the new quest style. It's brisk, easier to vote form and Elys' allies don't feel like afterthoughts even when they're less powerful than her.
Elys is 11, but Jana's always been about a year older than Elys.
Anyway the vote!
...
...hmm, nope, this is still a really tough choice, everything is good options.
Let's see... it still seems a bit too early to do
[] Visit Mishrak again. (+Warscore?)
-[] Find out what progress Catharne is making in learning how to shapeshift.
--[] Meet Mishrak's Deep Ones and find out more about them. (+Warscore?)
---[] Meet the Wranni who have joined Mishrak's military coalition (+Warscore?)
when there are other options, so instead, voting for either
[X] Visit her parents, Gareth and Yslena, and ask how they are getting on with their investigation. (+Warscore)
-[X] Complain about how much she hates boarding school and wishes she was at home with them.
--[X] Visit the hospital for soul-damaged victims of the Sea Ghouls.
---[X] Meet her 'big sister', Bellona Kachalskey, and find out how she is getting on.
----[X] Ask about the story that Sildar told her.
or
[X] Join Sildar and Jorantul in one of their attempts to defend the Rivayni coastline from Aspiti slave raiders. (+Warscore)
-[X] Fly around protecting innocent civilians while the Chosen of Mawroth do all the fighting.
(--[X] though of course, be ready to Dragon Breath some Aspitis if necessary, if things don't quite go according to plan)
Of the choices here, these seem like probably the two that would be best to do next.
One is a bunch of stuff, that involves visiting the rest of the family we haven't interacted with yet this quest (no, the grandfather/uncle/aunt/cousin option does not count), doing the thing where we tell our parents how much boarding school sucks, and get information.
The other increases Warscore a presumably pretty high amount, and is a legit adventure, that consists almost entirely of saving innocent civilians. And for bonus points, saving them in an extremely public way that would presumably earn Elys and possibly even her family some prestige amongst the population of Rivayne, which could be useful in the long run, might indirectly help out her parents' quest slightly or earn Mishrak another point of exp, and maybe would even make some of the students and teachers around here treat her better depending on their origins and on what news they get.
...of course, we've still gotta read/decipher those books at some point... bah, perhaps next vote.
[x] Visit her parents (Gareth and Yslena) and ask how they are getting on with their investigation. (+Warscore)
-[x] Complain about how much she hates boarding school and wishes she was at home with them.
--[x] Visit the hospital for soul-damaged victims of the Sea Ghouls (in Mishrak's undersea palace).
---[x] Meet her 'big sister', Bellona Kachalskey, and find out how she is getting on.
----[x] Ask about the story that Sildar told her.
This feels like the logical next move. I don't want to keep putting Dorian and co. off, but... well, next month. Once we're above the Aspitis by a more comfortable amount.
...one at a time? And to some kind of magical academy (where else would they keep theirs?), which probably has all kinds of alarms set up to prevent unwanted visitors coming through portals, since, for mages, it is both a concern and a thing they can do something about.
Hey, Elys came up with the idea. That doesn't mean it's a good idea. As Jana pointed out in her response, Samaya can open a portal to wherever she wants, so why do they even need the mirrors if she's on their side?
I really like the new quest style. It's brisk, easier to vote form and Elys' allies don't feel like afterthoughts even when they're less powerful than her.
Thank you. I'm glad you like it. I wish I'd come up with it earlier, to be honest. Hindsight, eh?
Here's the vote tally so far:
Adhoc vote count started by Chandagnac on Jul 13, 2021 at 12:32 PM, finished with 5 posts and 4 votes.
[X] Visit her parents (Gareth and Yslena) and ask how they are getting on with their investigation. (+Warscore)
-[X] Complain about how much she hates boarding school and wishes she was at home with them.
--[X] Visit the hospital for soul-damaged victims of the Sea Ghouls (in Mishrak's undersea palace).
---[X] Meet her 'big sister', Bellona Kachalskey, and find out how she is getting on.
----[X] Ask about the story that Sildar told her.
[X] Visit her parents (Gareth and Yslena) and ask how they are getting on with their investigation. (+Warscore)
-[X] Complain about how much she hates boarding school and wishes she was at home with them.
--[X] Visit the hospital for soul-damaged victims of the Sea Ghouls.
---[X] Meet her 'big sister', Bellona Kachalskey, and find out how she is getting on.
----[X] Ask about the story that Sildar told her.
[X] Join Sildar and Jorantul in one of their attempts to defend the Rivayni coastline from Aspiti slave raiders. (+Warscore)
-[X] Fly around protecting innocent civilians while the Chosen of Mawroth do all the fighting.
(--[X] though of course, be ready to Dragon Breath some Aspitis if necessary, if things don't quite go according to plan)
It seems like most people want Elys to spend time with her parents. However, I'm going to leave the vote open for now, at least until tomorrow, because I don't have time to write anything tonight.
