[X] "What?" You're puzzled: where did she get the idea you were artificial? You want to understand what you might have said or done that gave that impression.
[X] "…wat?" You're just lost. What even is this conversation?
"What we have here is a failure to communicate."
You slowly cock your head. '…wat?' What was she talking about? What was an artificial mage and why would that be bad?
'Whenever you're lost, my child, go back to first principles and build from there,' your father's gentle voice drifts through your mind. Tuning out whatever Artemis is saying, as it would probably just confuse you further, you do as he suggests.
Mage. You'd heard Artemis use before: from what you'd been able to reason out she meant someone who could use magic. You'd have to get an answer to how humans used magic at some point, but right now Artemis seems to think this odd conversation is important so you moved on, confident that you could understand that part.
Artificial, artificial… sounded a bit like artifact. Father and Mother had both had artifacts: old, valuable things that you weren't allowed to touch. Artificial sounded like it was saying something was an artifact, so apparently you were an old, valuable magic user that people weren't allowed to touch!
… wait a minute, was Artemis saying you were old!?
"I'm not old!" you say indignantly.
Artemis blinks. "I… where did that come from?"
"You said I was old! Artifacts are old, and you said I was like an artifact, so you were saying I was old!"
Artemis glanced at Axton and Lancel, who had stopped pretending they weren't listening at your outburst. They both shrug. "No, no, I was saying you were artificial. You know, not-" she stops mid-word, seems to consider for a few seconds, before continuing. "Forgive me if this sounds presumptuous, but when you came to be, you were… created, yes? Magically?"
That didn't sound right. It would have a few years ago (from your perspective, you still didn't know how long you'd been asleep) but when you were ninety Mother had sat you down and explained that baby manakete did not actually appear in a bolt of lightning when the Mother decided the parents were ready. Maybe Artemis's father hadn't had that conversation with her yet. "No, no, I was born like anyone else. My mother and my father loved each other very much-"
"Okay, okay, you know how babies are made," Artemis says quickly. "But… and again, if I'm making you uncomfortable, please tell me and we'll drop this, but you're… different, than most people, right? You were changed somehow?"
You're not uncomfortable, you're just confused. You didn't think you'd been… but wait, your wings were big! Mother had said that most manakete couldn't fly in their heart-forms, that you were special! Maybe that's what Artemis was talking about. You didn't think she'd seen your wings, but they had popped out a few times during the fighting, so that had to be what she was talking about. "I guess so," you say, pleased with yourself that you'd figured this strange conversation out.
Artemis nodded, seeming relieved that you'd finally gotten where she was going with this. "Now, I know that you're perfect just the way you are, but some humans might not like that you're… different, then they are."
Wait, you're confused again. You were pretty sure humans didn't have wings, so why would they care if yours were bigger than most manakete? Maybe they didn't like big things in general. That might be why Artemis had talked about magic first: you could use bigger magic spells than humans could, so maybe most humans just got jealous really easily. "So I shouldn't do big, impressive things?" you ask, doubly glad that you decided not to flaunt your wings: you didn't want Artemis to not like you.
"If there's not need to, then that might be best, at least until we're able to talk to my father," Artemis says. "Again, I'm just happy that you're kind enough to help strangers in need: I know that, whatever changes you've undergone, you're still a good, sweet person, and that's what's really important, but people… I don't want you to get hurt if someone decides that you being different means that they don't have to respect you. Just… keep your magic under wraps and don't mention that you can see in the dark to strangers, and you'll be fine."
"My lady," Lancel said from across the room. "Forgive us for overhearing, but a thought might be to find Lady Ryza a book of some sort. Most commoners can't tell the difference between a proper tome and a book, so if she were to need to use her magic, having that in hand would prevent any misunderstandings."
Artemis nods. "An excellent idea," she says. "As soon as we reach a village, I'll find you a book so you can use your magic more freely."
You didn't quite understand how that would help with humans getting jealous that you were better at magic than they were, but you decided not to argue; this conversation now made something resembling sense, and you didn't want to make things worse again. "Okay," you say. "I won't use magic or see in the dark."
Artemis pats you on the shoulder. "Thank you, Ryza. I just want to make sure you're safe: things have changed a lot since you went to sleep, and your parents would be heartbroken if something were to happen to you."
After that, the conversation turns to discussing who should keep watch when. You're able to convince the humans to let you take a turn, and you're even able to do it without reminding them that you can see in the dark better than they can!
Progress.
You wake up shivering: even thought you'd bundled yourself in your cloak and Artemis had draped her own over you, this cave is still cold.
Artemis, the last person on watch, glances over. "Ryza, you're awake, good," she says. "We should get going as soon as we can: it's almost light out. The bandits have surely realized we escaped your home by now, and they know what our ultimate destination is. They will do whatever it takes to ensure we do not reach it."
Handing her cloak back to her, you yawn widely. "So what do we do now?" you ask. "I've never been off the mountain before, so I'm not sure how much help I'll be."
Artemis pats you on the shoulder. "That's okay, Ryza," she says. "You've been more than enough help already." She looks over at Axton and Lancel. "We were just talking about what path we should take: and even if you don't know them well, any insight you might have is welcome." Pulling out one of her arrows, she sketches in the dirt, making a rough map. You don't recognize any of the place names, but you can tell this is the area just to the east of your parent's holdings.
"We're trying to get here," she says, marking her home with an X. "Agrithe. Once we get past the border, the bandits will have to retreat: my father has enough patrols that they'd be fools to risk it. The question is, what is the best way of getting there."
She traces the direct path. "Before… before the events of two nights ago, we were planning on riding through Legerius. This should be safe, as Countess Lindila is a good friend of my father, and our kingdoms have had close ties and trade relations for as long as I've been alive. There's even talk that Apollo might marry her daughter to solidify those bonds." She frowned. "However… Legerius is not a strong nation. They only recently managed to negotiate their split from the Empire, and so most of her knights are focused along the border with the Empire. As such, the bandits might feel confident enough to pursue us along the road. There's also not much cover: it's mostly open terrain."
She pauses briefly. "The good news is that it's also the path where we might run across some of Father's men. If he realizes we're late he might send a search party that would be able to help us. We can also approach Lady Lindila directly: surely she'd give us shelter and aid. Small though it is, her castle is surely strong enough to hold off some bandits."
Axton points out the second path. "If we cut through the Eternal Forest, it will take us longer," he says. "However, we'll have cover, and it would be less likely that the bandits would know where we were. I also know forest terrain well; I grew up on the outskirts of the Gold Forest in the north of Agrithe. Lady Artemis and I will surely be able to get us through with minimal difficulty, though there have always been whispers of unnatural things in the depths of the forest." He grimaced. "We would also have to pass through Rignali, which is... less friendly, shall we say. However, if we move quickly and quietly, we should be able to get through with minimal trouble."
Lancel points to the last path. "We could also try to pull a fast one on the bandits and go south, away from Agrithe. They'd never expect that, and if we were able to reach the foothills of the Icewall Mountains, there is a small Whitewing Alliance outpost. We would surely be able to hire some pegasus knights there to ferry us to Agrithe, though they would likely charge an exorbitant price."
There is a lot of debate, arguing, and worrying, little of which you are able to meaningfully contribute to. However, in the end, your band chooses the:
[] Direct Path. The most obvious choice, it will take the least amount of time to get back to Artemis's home. However, it does leave you somewhat vulnerable to the bandits. Artemis favors this option.
[] Forest Path: A more roundabout path, going through the interestingly-named Eternal Forest. You will hopefully be able to avoid the bandits, though there might be… other things, among the trees. Axton favors this option.
[] The Southern Path: Going almost the complete opposite way, you hope to utterly throw your pursuers off and reach the "Whitewing Alliance" and ask for their help. Lancel mentioned pegasi, and you remember seeing them flying around when you were little, though you were never able to catch one. Lancel favors this option.
After finalizing your choice, Artemis leads the way out of the cave and carefully peers around. "I don't see any of the bandits," she whispers back. "Hopefully they're still some hours behind us: this terrain is not good for horses, so they'd have to go back by the pass, which should give us some time." Looking down at you, she smiles. "Come on, Ryza, let's go. You'll love Agrithe, I promise."
The journey will take at least several days, and there will be plenty of time for you to do things. What do you want to focus on as you travel and rest?
[] Getting to know your companions. You've talked to Artemis, and you consider her a friend, but you don't know a lot about her. You also haven't had much time to talk to Axton and Lancel. Get to know them, and maybe they can get to know you too.
[] Reading your scrolls. You're lugging the things around, you might as well get something out of them. Spend some time looking over your scrolls, learning about things that your father didn't have time to teach you before he died.
[] Exploring. You've never been off the mountain before. Whatever path you take, this is all so new and exciting! Look around, find new things, and maybe even have a little fun.
[] Learn about the world. You don't know how long you were asleep, and even before you were put to sleep you knew little of the world outside your home. It might be a good idea to remedy that. Artemis seems smart, surely she can answer your questions.
However, you are traveling hunted. You think you've gotten a good head start, so you shouldn't have much trouble for a day or two, but you should also be on the lookout for opportunities and dangers.
Choose at least one beneficial event. For every event after the first, you must also choose a hindering event.
Please vote by plan.
Beneficial Events:
[] Your sleep is filled with prophetic dreams that give you information on your new world.
[] Kindly locals help you gather enough supplies to keep your band going.
[] A friend thought lost returns the band.
[] You meet an intriguing stranger on the road.
[] A talented newcomer joins your band of travelers.
[] You find a treasure that will aid your journey.
[] The broader world has a stroke of good fortune.
Hindering Events:
[] A large element of the bandit force catches up to you.
[] Unnatural beasts waylay your path.
[] A plea that cannot be ignored delays your travels.
[] Unexpected resistance throws events into chaos.
[] Internal tensions boil over at the worst possible time.
[] Your companions discover your nature… and they are not happy.
[] A shadow moves beyond your sight.
AN: A bit of a short chapter, though hopefully it sets future chapters up to succeed. I did go back and change a bit of terminology in the previous posts: Ryza's humanoid form is now called her "heart-form" for lore reasons.
A word of warning: even if you only choose one beneficial event, there will be struggles on the path to Artemis's home. You're just deciding if there are additional problems.
Ryza is very cute here. : >
[] Forest Path: A more roundabout path, going through the interestingly-named Eternal Forest. You will hopefully be able to avoid the bandits, though there might be… other things, among the trees. Axton favors this option.
[] Getting to know your companions. You've talked to Artemis, and you consider her a friend, but you don't know a lot about her. You also haven't had much time to talk to Axton and Lancel. Get to know them, and maybe they can get to know you too.
Get some set up for later plot! And continue hindering horses, which this group lacks.
The other consideration is to ask what kind of characters each path might recruit. The open path might recruit more lordly/noble classes like cavaliers and court mages, while the forest could have hunters or axemen or lonely witches or similar. Obviously the path down to the Whitewings might lead to some pegasus knights being roped into Artemis' orbit, even if the relationship starts mercenary.
[] Plan Early Chapter
-[] A talented newcomer joins your band of travelers.
-[] You meet an intriguing stranger on the road.
-[] Kindly locals help you gather enough supplies to keep your band going.
-[] A plea that cannot be ignored delays your travels.
-[] A shadow moves beyond your sight.
Roughly mimics the events of an early Fire Emblem chapter: after being deprived of support, the Lord and the small core of their future band assists those they come across, recruit some unexpected but welcome help, and then are able to continue on, bolstered by their good deeds. Meanwhile dastardly plotting...
I avoid Ryza having dreams precisely because her nature is most interesting for the story if she is out of place and lost, to be honest.
[] Direct Path. The most obvious choice, it will take the least amount of time to get back to Artemis's home. However, it does leave you somewhat vulnerable to the bandits. Artemis favors this option.
[] Reading your scrolls. You're lugging the things around, you might as well get something out of them. Spend some time looking over your scrolls, learning about things that your father didn't have time to teach you before he died.
[] Plan Early Chapter
-[] A talented newcomer joins your band of travelers.
-[] A friend thought lost returns the band.
-[] Kindly locals help you gather enough supplies to keep your band going.
-[] A plea that cannot be ignored delays your travels.
-[] A shadow moves beyond your sight.
@tricholysis@Eternal_0bserver I'm still trying to get the voting moratorium working, though I think I might have it. This is mostly to give me a chance to practice doing so.
[] Direct Path. The most obvious choice, it will take the least amount of time to get back to Artemis's home. However, it does leave you somewhat vulnerable to the bandits. Artemis favors this option.
[] Getting to know your companions. You've talked to Artemis, and you consider her a friend, but you don't know a lot about her. You also haven't had much time to talk to Axton and Lancel. Get to know them, and maybe they can get to know you too.
[]Gaiden Chapter
-[] You meet an intriguing stranger on the road.
-[] A talented newcomer joins your band of travelers.
-[] A plea that cannot be ignored delays your travels.
I'm actually more concerned/interested in the nations involved in the path choices here and that's what tilts me in favor of the direct path - it's the friendly one. Since we're on the road still I'm in favor of talking rather than trying to squeeze a quick study session in, and while I think after that "wat" conversation Axton and Lancel are more at ease with us - if only because we seem clueless - it's never too early for support building/allaying concerns! As for the plan section, it's similar to Early Chapter just dropping one boon/bane. "A shadow moves beyond your sight" sounds like action on the Big Bad's part and I'd prefer we at least get somewhere we can stay/a home base before the evil plotting begins in earnest. The other 3 seem to have good synergy - it's like a side quest!
[] Direct Path. The most obvious choice, it will take the least amount of time to get back to Artemis's home. However, it does leave you somewhat vulnerable to the bandits. Artemis favors this option.
[] Getting to know your companions. You've talked to Artemis, and you consider her a friend, but you don't know a lot about her. You also haven't had much time to talk to Axton and Lancel. Get to know them, and maybe they can get to know you too.
[]Gaiden Chapter
-[] You meet an intriguing stranger on the road.
-[] A talented newcomer joins your band of travelers.
-[] A plea that cannot be ignored delays your travels.
Alcor's plan sounds judicious, and quite Fire Emblem. It has my seal of approval. Let's gather companions early on and we will have less trust issues to handle everything else later. Reading sounds not optimal on the road, and if we were to learn big spells, it might draw attention.
Going through the direct path means open land. If we are cornered, it would be some good terrain to go dragon, though we would be easily noticed this way.
As for Artemis and Ryza, this is such excellent misunderstanding I can only wait for a dramatic reveal.
[X] Direct Path. The most obvious choice, it will take the least amount of time to get back to Artemis's home. However, it does leave you somewhat vulnerable to the bandits. Artemis favors this option.
