- Location
- United States
[X] Introduce yourselves to Egon. You understand Lady Adara has been gathering the remnants of the priesthoods?
- [X] ...and heal Ariel.
- [X] ...and heal Ariel.
[X] Introduce yourselves to Egon. You understand Lady Adara has been gathering the remnants of the priesthoods?
- [X] ...and heal Ariel.
Rather leave then get tangled with either group... but also would prefer to leave as little bad blood behind us as possible. Plus Adara seems reasonable and relatively nice.
- [X] ...and heal Ariel.
Rather leave then get tangled with either group... but also would prefer to leave as little bad blood behind us as possible. Plus Adara seems reasonable and relatively nice.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
We just robbed the potion vault that contained the key to control the city. We may encounter difficulties leaving the city if we let either of them know.
[x] Heal Ariel. You can't hope to avoid the Regency Council afterward, but you have both a debt and a bargaining chip if you do.
- [x] ...and strike down Egon.
[x] Heal Ariel. You can't hope to avoid the Regency Council afterward, but you have both a debt and a bargaining chip if you do.
- [x] ...and strike down Egon.
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InterstellarHobo
Cosmic Vagrant
- Location
- No Fixed Planetary System
[X] Introduce yourselves to Egon. You understand Lady Adara has been gathering the remnants of the priesthoods?
- [X] ...and heal Ariel.
So obviously this is the most "nice person" option, and others have mentioned that we can avoid making enemies.
However, I like this option because of how it positions us for being mercenaries. We've demonstrated the power and talent necessary to operate at the level of both Lady Adara and the Regency Council, we've earned a favor with both, and we've pretty strongly declared our neutrality in their conflict. Should be pretty easy from there to put our skills up for hire.
- [X] ...and heal Ariel.
So obviously this is the most "nice person" option, and others have mentioned that we can avoid making enemies.
However, I like this option because of how it positions us for being mercenaries. We've demonstrated the power and talent necessary to operate at the level of both Lady Adara and the Regency Council, we've earned a favor with both, and we've pretty strongly declared our neutrality in their conflict. Should be pretty easy from there to put our skills up for hire.
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Ultramandalore
Errant Quester
- Location
- just south of Parts Unknown
[X] Strike both down. Your potions are all the more valuable if the vault is, apparently, still deadly and impenetrable.
- Location
- US
[x] Heal Ariel. You can't hope to avoid the Regency Council afterward, but you have both a debt and a bargaining chip if you do.
- [x] ...and strike down Egon.
- [x] ...and strike down Egon.
- Location
- Nova Scotia
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Ariel just tried to warn us here. Sure, it's literally her only shot of not dying, but I'm finding myself pretty unwilling to kill her just because she was sort of rude to us before. Building a rapport with people on the other factions is advantageous even if we're flying out own flag here. Having someone in our debt is more valuable than a corpse. Fuck Egon, though, he's not being at all straight with us here and absolutely would have pulled a runner and screwed us later if Ariel hadn't warned us here. I fully intended to break this tie but here I am, making it worse:
[x] Heal Ariel. You can't hope to avoid the Regency Council afterward, but you have both a debt and a bargaining chip if you do.
- [x] ...and strike down Egon.
[x] Heal Ariel. You can't hope to avoid the Regency Council afterward, but you have both a debt and a bargaining chip if you do.
- [x] ...and strike down Egon.
- Location
- PA
[x] Heal Ariel. You can't hope to avoid the Regency Council afterward, but you have both a debt and a bargaining chip if you do.
- [x] ...and strike down Egon
I'm a tad iffy on healing someone buuuut I'm thinking the experienced voters in this option know what they're doing ( I'm mostly indecisive myself.)
- [x] ...and strike down Egon
I'm a tad iffy on healing someone buuuut I'm thinking the experienced voters in this option know what they're doing ( I'm mostly indecisive myself.)
- Location
- Nova Scotia
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Oh, great, we won!
For further comedy, Z was literally just talking to me half jokingly about "well maybe you can break this tie", spurring my catching up on his topic and voting this way. At least someone ended up breaking the tie for him.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Appreciate it, but it's a work in progress. I had a couple of bits I wasn't happy with or it would've been up Tuesday or Wednesday.
It'll be ready when it's ready, which... should be on or before Sunday.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Text file, but I didn't know about this, so thanks for the heads-up.
Ridiculously Average Guy
I'm you, but stronger
- Location
-
Damn, pity I let this sit for a few days, I would have voted to kill both.
Take his body and it could have easily been spun as Egon cutting through them, grabbing the potions, and booking it to get away from both of the major players. Also that would have netted us whatever magic items he has on him.
Take his body and it could have easily been spun as Egon cutting through them, grabbing the potions, and booking it to get away from both of the major players. Also that would have netted us whatever magic items he has on him.
A few more pockets to go through
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Calculations run through your mind. Risks, opportunities, costs. Even goodwill has a place on balance sheets, you know, as something that can be bought and sold, after a fashion. Given all that, the best option right now looks like... a chance to dictate terms while protecting your group. "Zahira? Let me have one of the healing potions." She seems hesitant, but she did promise she would be a good soldier today, so she complies readily. You look at the mundane-looking glass container in your hands for a second. Magic items can't easily be mistaken. They may look normal, but to focus one's eyes on it, to hold it in one's hands... it weighs on the mind. No one will mistake it, even if it's the first time they've ever seen such a thing.
You look up at the two fighters. Ariel isn't awake any longer, and Egon... Egon is dangerous. You know it. He knows you know it. He knows how this is going to go. You give Samir a hand signal as you walk over to Ariel. He puts another arrow in Egon. The swordsman falls. Whatever his power was, it wasn't enough to handle this. You hold up the potion, letting the little sunlight filtering in shine on it. It's reflective, from this angle. You see the others behind you, distorted in it. Dawn looks resolute. Kalju's brow is furrowed, which is close to screaming anger for him. Samir, of course, is completely unbothered.
Zahira looks confused. "He had surrendered," she says. It's more question than a complaint.
"He had," you acknowledge. "But he was still a threat. Whatever his technique was, it went through Ariel's squad like a wildfire. Without knowing the limits of it, there was no way for us to be sure he was neutralized. Stronger foes can't easily be set aside, regardless of if they were captured or surrendered or the like."
Zahira shrugs. "I see."
Ariel is face-down on the ground. You can't see the extent of her injuries from this angle, which is probably for the best. You may not be too bothered by death or injury, but it's not pleasant to look at, regardless. You think back over what you know. There's no need to ingest the potion or apply it topically. Magic supercedes such logical elements. You unstopper the potion, and pour out a little of it on her back.
Instantly, she jerks awake and alert. It's faster than you expected, so fast that the damp part of her tunic brushes against your hand. You feel a sudden rush. A harsh tingling covers your body, and the cut on your arm, the ache in your ribs, a crooked tooth you hadn't thought about for years, and one of your old training scars on your chest all feel an especially strong buzz... and then feel better.
For Ariel, it was even more dramatic. She's huddled up a little way away from you now, covering what had been a horrific gut wound that is now just a bloody rent in her clothes. The skin beneath is fine. "T-thank you? That... hurts still." She's doubled up.
"I'm not surprised," you tell her, as you re-stopper the potion. "If I judged it correctly, you're probably going to be able to have a full recovery, but not be there without some actual time to recover." That's not a very informed judgment, so you attempt to just look confident about it. Actually, you were expecting it to take even more, but the powers of the best quality potions are greater than you had realized.
Ariel considers herself, then looks across the chamber and sees Egon's body. She lets out an eek at that, then looks at you with the potion in your hands again. Her lips move as she tries to work this out. "But... what about me?"
"You're a known factor. You also have potential use to us, and you tried to warn us of a threat." The blonde nods, then looks behind you. You glance over your shoulder, too, alert in case she's suddenly trying to be clever, but she's just watching Samir and Zahira start to go through Egon's belongings. They're like kids with a birthday present. "Don't mind them, Ariel. They like to rob dead bodies."
"How... practical," is all she can offer for a moment. Eventually, though, she continues. "I'm going to want to report this incident to the Regency Council." There's a note of uncertainty in her voice. She doesn't know if that's going to make you change your mind and strike her down, too.
"That's not necessarily a problem," you say. "We're not against negotiating with the Council. As equals." You're pointedly looking 'casually' through the remainder of the healing potion. It's a most useful prop.
Ariel glances back and forth between the potion and your face a couple of times, then lowers her gaze. "I understand," she says in a whisper.
"Before you go, though," you say, "maybe you'd give us an overview of who the Regency Council is and who Lady Adara is? We haven't seen too much of either one, yet."
This seems to unnerve Ariel more than anything else. "I... how haven't you?" You give her a blank look. "I mean, it's been the biggest thing since the Great Dying." She looks around at you all nervous, then clears her throat and begins. "Um, the Regency Council is a group of concerned citizens who are trying to keep the empire together, in the name of Prince Ketut, the only surviving member of the Imperial family. Since he's only a few months old, they have to keep things together in the interim. And, uh, there's a lot of other problems? So they have to take charge and do some planning to get us through the tough times until things get back to normal. Like, the capital doesn't produce enough food by itself to feed itself, even with fishing included. The outlying islands don't want to give their food over, so the Council has to ration it. Things like that.
"Lady Adara, on the other hand, isn't a bad person, but she's... too idealistic. She was gathering a bunch of the remaining priests and mages and the like, people who were new or just didn't wield enough power to die. She's talking a lot about building a better way, but that doesn't get anywhere if people don't have food in the meantime?" She glances at the bodies around her again. Her questioning tone is pretty clear. "But now I think it's going to get worse. Both sides are trying to get Admiral General Hobi to throw the military behind them, and now I guess we're fighting openly. This is only going to get worse from here, and that's without the out islands getting worse, either, and there's rumors that they're having breakdowns of their own..." Ariel takes a a deep breath and collects herself. "That's why it's so important that we all pull together. It's why it's so important that we centralize and work together. Um, and..." she gestures towards the potions you and Zahira are holding. "You know." She can't find the words to convince you to donate your new treasure to the cause, but she wants to.
You thank Ariel and send her on her way, with arrangements in case you decide to take an invitation to meet with the Regency Council. She leaves, looking much diminished.
As for you, you breathe a sigh of relief when you're out of the vault, potions in hand, and no rotten meat smell in your nostrils.
Almost immediately, Zahira says, brightly, "I think I should get one of these Veritas' Touch potions."
You cringe. The last thing you need is any sort of argument like that. "No!" Everyone turns to look at you, startled by your vehemence. "We can't do that. Nothing like that. The value here is that we have the potions." You turn to Samir. "What do you do if someone is going to pull out a potion and use it to attack you?"
"I shoot them," he says, reflexively.
"Right. Having a group holding them is a much better way to threaten with them. If we start trying to divvy them up, split them up, instead of presenting a unified front, we're more vulnerable. The power here is in having it together."
Zahira considers this. "Can I have Egon's earrings, then?"
Your shoulders sag. "Why?" There's a defeated note in your voice that you can't quite keep out.
She displays them in one hand. "They're why he was tough. They're a sort of a protection that can be charged up with magical power, which discharges to protect the wielder. They were drained dry over the course of the fight, so I was going to try to recharge them."
"He also had this ring, which I think was how he got in," Samir adds. He's wearing the ring. He didn't ask. "I think it went something like this: Ariel's squad came in the same way we did, he walked through the wall with this to avoid being ambushed and to counter-ambush them in turn. They both postured briefly, then he cut them down before they could work through his earrings." He waves his hand around, magic ring sparkling in the early sun. "I can't make it work. It might be drained, too, or maybe I don't know how to use it."
"We'll... work it out later." You run a hand through your hair as you think.
You're committed, now. The Regency Council is going to know all about you, and doubtless Lady Adara won't be too far behind in finding out. You have the tiger by the tail, and if you can just hold on, things should reach a point you can control.
Surely.
- -
Right now, though, there's a definite way things are going to go: the Council is going to want to reach out to you. How will you go to the negotiating table?
[] With a mercenary attitude. You're no leader, but you won't be cannonfodder, either.
[] By demanding an equal seat at the Council. You're in charge, now.
[] A larger summit. Get together Lady Adara and the Council in your Temple, and work everything out.
You look up at the two fighters. Ariel isn't awake any longer, and Egon... Egon is dangerous. You know it. He knows you know it. He knows how this is going to go. You give Samir a hand signal as you walk over to Ariel. He puts another arrow in Egon. The swordsman falls. Whatever his power was, it wasn't enough to handle this. You hold up the potion, letting the little sunlight filtering in shine on it. It's reflective, from this angle. You see the others behind you, distorted in it. Dawn looks resolute. Kalju's brow is furrowed, which is close to screaming anger for him. Samir, of course, is completely unbothered.
Zahira looks confused. "He had surrendered," she says. It's more question than a complaint.
"He had," you acknowledge. "But he was still a threat. Whatever his technique was, it went through Ariel's squad like a wildfire. Without knowing the limits of it, there was no way for us to be sure he was neutralized. Stronger foes can't easily be set aside, regardless of if they were captured or surrendered or the like."
Zahira shrugs. "I see."
Ariel is face-down on the ground. You can't see the extent of her injuries from this angle, which is probably for the best. You may not be too bothered by death or injury, but it's not pleasant to look at, regardless. You think back over what you know. There's no need to ingest the potion or apply it topically. Magic supercedes such logical elements. You unstopper the potion, and pour out a little of it on her back.
Instantly, she jerks awake and alert. It's faster than you expected, so fast that the damp part of her tunic brushes against your hand. You feel a sudden rush. A harsh tingling covers your body, and the cut on your arm, the ache in your ribs, a crooked tooth you hadn't thought about for years, and one of your old training scars on your chest all feel an especially strong buzz... and then feel better.
For Ariel, it was even more dramatic. She's huddled up a little way away from you now, covering what had been a horrific gut wound that is now just a bloody rent in her clothes. The skin beneath is fine. "T-thank you? That... hurts still." She's doubled up.
"I'm not surprised," you tell her, as you re-stopper the potion. "If I judged it correctly, you're probably going to be able to have a full recovery, but not be there without some actual time to recover." That's not a very informed judgment, so you attempt to just look confident about it. Actually, you were expecting it to take even more, but the powers of the best quality potions are greater than you had realized.
Ariel considers herself, then looks across the chamber and sees Egon's body. She lets out an eek at that, then looks at you with the potion in your hands again. Her lips move as she tries to work this out. "But... what about me?"
"You're a known factor. You also have potential use to us, and you tried to warn us of a threat." The blonde nods, then looks behind you. You glance over your shoulder, too, alert in case she's suddenly trying to be clever, but she's just watching Samir and Zahira start to go through Egon's belongings. They're like kids with a birthday present. "Don't mind them, Ariel. They like to rob dead bodies."
"How... practical," is all she can offer for a moment. Eventually, though, she continues. "I'm going to want to report this incident to the Regency Council." There's a note of uncertainty in her voice. She doesn't know if that's going to make you change your mind and strike her down, too.
"That's not necessarily a problem," you say. "We're not against negotiating with the Council. As equals." You're pointedly looking 'casually' through the remainder of the healing potion. It's a most useful prop.
Ariel glances back and forth between the potion and your face a couple of times, then lowers her gaze. "I understand," she says in a whisper.
"Before you go, though," you say, "maybe you'd give us an overview of who the Regency Council is and who Lady Adara is? We haven't seen too much of either one, yet."
This seems to unnerve Ariel more than anything else. "I... how haven't you?" You give her a blank look. "I mean, it's been the biggest thing since the Great Dying." She looks around at you all nervous, then clears her throat and begins. "Um, the Regency Council is a group of concerned citizens who are trying to keep the empire together, in the name of Prince Ketut, the only surviving member of the Imperial family. Since he's only a few months old, they have to keep things together in the interim. And, uh, there's a lot of other problems? So they have to take charge and do some planning to get us through the tough times until things get back to normal. Like, the capital doesn't produce enough food by itself to feed itself, even with fishing included. The outlying islands don't want to give their food over, so the Council has to ration it. Things like that.
"Lady Adara, on the other hand, isn't a bad person, but she's... too idealistic. She was gathering a bunch of the remaining priests and mages and the like, people who were new or just didn't wield enough power to die. She's talking a lot about building a better way, but that doesn't get anywhere if people don't have food in the meantime?" She glances at the bodies around her again. Her questioning tone is pretty clear. "But now I think it's going to get worse. Both sides are trying to get Admiral General Hobi to throw the military behind them, and now I guess we're fighting openly. This is only going to get worse from here, and that's without the out islands getting worse, either, and there's rumors that they're having breakdowns of their own..." Ariel takes a a deep breath and collects herself. "That's why it's so important that we all pull together. It's why it's so important that we centralize and work together. Um, and..." she gestures towards the potions you and Zahira are holding. "You know." She can't find the words to convince you to donate your new treasure to the cause, but she wants to.
You thank Ariel and send her on her way, with arrangements in case you decide to take an invitation to meet with the Regency Council. She leaves, looking much diminished.
As for you, you breathe a sigh of relief when you're out of the vault, potions in hand, and no rotten meat smell in your nostrils.
Almost immediately, Zahira says, brightly, "I think I should get one of these Veritas' Touch potions."
You cringe. The last thing you need is any sort of argument like that. "No!" Everyone turns to look at you, startled by your vehemence. "We can't do that. Nothing like that. The value here is that we have the potions." You turn to Samir. "What do you do if someone is going to pull out a potion and use it to attack you?"
"I shoot them," he says, reflexively.
"Right. Having a group holding them is a much better way to threaten with them. If we start trying to divvy them up, split them up, instead of presenting a unified front, we're more vulnerable. The power here is in having it together."
Zahira considers this. "Can I have Egon's earrings, then?"
Your shoulders sag. "Why?" There's a defeated note in your voice that you can't quite keep out.
She displays them in one hand. "They're why he was tough. They're a sort of a protection that can be charged up with magical power, which discharges to protect the wielder. They were drained dry over the course of the fight, so I was going to try to recharge them."
"He also had this ring, which I think was how he got in," Samir adds. He's wearing the ring. He didn't ask. "I think it went something like this: Ariel's squad came in the same way we did, he walked through the wall with this to avoid being ambushed and to counter-ambush them in turn. They both postured briefly, then he cut them down before they could work through his earrings." He waves his hand around, magic ring sparkling in the early sun. "I can't make it work. It might be drained, too, or maybe I don't know how to use it."
"We'll... work it out later." You run a hand through your hair as you think.
You're committed, now. The Regency Council is going to know all about you, and doubtless Lady Adara won't be too far behind in finding out. You have the tiger by the tail, and if you can just hold on, things should reach a point you can control.
Surely.
- -
Right now, though, there's a definite way things are going to go: the Council is going to want to reach out to you. How will you go to the negotiating table?
[] With a mercenary attitude. You're no leader, but you won't be cannonfodder, either.
[] By demanding an equal seat at the Council. You're in charge, now.
[] A larger summit. Get together Lady Adara and the Council in your Temple, and work everything out.