Good point, I hadn't thought of that.
Could someone roll a d6 for me please?
Fire Emblem: Last of the Manakete
- Thread starter SoaringHawk218
- Start date
- Fantasy
Could someone roll a d6 for me please?
Good indeed
Peace In Our Time
[X] See if you can find a library of some kind. This place is supposed to be a center of learning and culture, you're curious what they've got. Maybe they even have some old manakete scrolls!
Though Sol Invicta grants us free will and rarely intervenes in the business of Her mortal subjects, in moments of extraordinary crisis She will bestow upon a sufficiently faithful individual a sliver of Her blessing, granting them abilities beyond those of ordinary men. These blessings, be they flashy or subtle, we know as miracles, and we honor the wielder as being among Her most beloved."
Sun-Speaker Jeanne
Honestly, there are many things you're interested in. You want to know about your cloak, you haven't really felt comfortable doing a deep study of it with so many people who see it as some sort of holy relic to be locked in a vault somewhere. True, those people are here as well, but with such a big place it'll be easier to avoid them. You also just want to explore, to see this strange, beautiful place from top to bottom. Who knows what sorts of fascinating sights you might come across, maybe even new friends!
However, in your heart you're a scholar. You like learning new things, and wherever you go there is always one place you want to see. "Is there a library I can look around in?" you ask Glinda as she guides you out of the way of the acolytes caring for horses and pushing carriages into storage alcoves. "Preferably a big one?"
You half expect some sort of fond chuckle or performative eye-roll, the sort of thing Kelton and Belle and even Artemis to an extent would have done had they heard you ask that. However, (somewhat disappointingly) Glinda just gives a firm nod. "Of course, Mistress Levinheart," she says seriously. "There are several libraries in the Cathedral, but as you are here on the personal invitation of the Sun-Father you will be permitted to peruse the one normally reserved for higher members of the clergy."
As she says this, you glance over towards Missionary Jogby's retreating back, but thankfully he either didn't hear that comment, heard it but agrees with Glinda, or heard but decided it wasn't worth making a stink over. You frown slightly, you're not entirely sure why you're so wary of him. It's probably just because of all the times he's tried to stop you from doing something you thought was important because it doesn't fit within the Divine Realm's rules. Which you intellectually know is fair, you're a guest in his home after all, but it's still kind of frustrating.
be wary of him. He is loyal to his faith, and to an extent that will protect…
Well, even if he's not your favorite person, he's far from your least favorite! After all, the Regent still exists, as does Baron Cicenco and Master Blitzbolt. Hopefully now that Sol Invicta/the Mother has proven that you have her favor, he'll settle down.
"Thank you," you say, giving Glinda a smile. "You've been a big help."
She smiles back, though hers is slightly dry. "I am a Mother of the Clergy; I am well within my right to give my opinions upon Her will in a theological debate," she says. "Especially insofar as dealing with an outsider who is at least partially in a wartime mind, that is my area of expertises."
You frown as you walk with her out of the stables and into long, marble corridors with golden decorations and tapestries and paintings lining the walls. "Is the Divine Realm in a wartime mind?" you ask.
"No, and Sol willing we will not be," Glinda says. "But the Solar Knights have our own rumor network and social groups, so we talk."
Carefully, you glance around to make sure the Missionary or someone else hadn't snuck up on you. "Can… can you tell me what's happening?" When she hesitates, you give her your best puppy eyes. "Please, my friends are in danger. I… I can't be with them right now, since this is important, but at least I want to know what's going on while I'm away."
Information Gathering DC: 11-3+2=10 Rolls: 19, 18, 10, Total Success.
Glinda stares down at you, seemingly unmoved by your big green eyes but still considering your words, before giving a long sigh. "That… is fair," she says softly. "Believe me, I know what it means to step away from one you are sworn to protect: there are times when Missionary Jogby had commanded that Luxann and I stand aside so that he might speak candidly with Imperial representatives that, were it my choice, wouldn't even be in the same room as him." She sighs again. "Alright. Just… you didn't hear any of this from me."
You nod quickly. "Thank you," you say.
"For the past few weeks, an Imperial Army under Marquess-General Williams of the Meridiem has been camping uncomfortably close to our border," Glinda says. "While they have strictly stayed in the Empire save for approved messengers, the maneuvers and preparations we have observed have led some of the more militant wings of the Clergy to believe that they intend to invade us… whatever the diplomats the Regent sends say." You nod, that fits with the plan that the informant in the Regent's Council exposed. "However, it is still the official policy of the Divine Realm that there will be peace in our time, and that any movements of either Imperial armies or Solar Knights does not change that fact."
"What about the Northlands army?" you ask, frowning. While you wholeheartedly support the idea of wanting peace, sticking ones head in the sand and insisting that it will happen no matter what the other side does seems… ill-advised.
'I think you mean stupid.'
She gives a grim smile. "They were originally pointed at us, but at around the time the Meridiem force arrived they shifted their focus to the Northern Kingdoms… where you and your allies promptly made them regret that choice," she says. "I do not know what the Meridiem army will do, but I spoke briefly with a Solar Knight messenger passing through the rest station near the Lady's Lake and was informed that they were starting to pull back after a pair of wyverns arrived, one of whom was clearly a Sealed rider. Judging by the timing, I believe they were relaying the news of what had befallen the Northlands Army, and based on my own knowledge of military strategy I can only assume that they will reposition towards the Northern Kingdoms. After all, a state of war exists between the Empire and the Kingdoms, while it does not between the Empire and the Divine Realm."
On the one hand, you're glad that the Regent won't be sending his goons to hurt anyone new, but at the same time you remember the sheer size of the Meridiem army as you saw it marching! You're not sure that Artemis and the rest of the Kingdoms would be able to drive them off even if they could perfectly repeat the surprise attack you all pulled off last time! "And what happens… if they win?" you ask, hoping against hope. "If they're able to beat us and take over the Northern-"
Glinda raises a tired hand. "You are preaching to the choir, Mistress Levinheart," she says. "I agree, it would be in the Divine Realm's military interests to unite with the Kingdoms and prevent an Imperial victory… but we are not a militant nation. Whereas the Empire's nobility is based around their ability to fight, and so tend to see military force as a tool to be used freely, we are a theocracy of a peaceful goddess. Priests make the decisions, and I firmly believe that in the vast majority of cases they make the right ones. In this case… well, I have faith that Sol Invicta will see us through." The two of your hold each others gaze for a few long seconds before she glances around and lowers her voice. "That being said… there are a few Sun-Speakers who were once Solar Knights themselves, and they usually hold on to the thoughts and worldviews of our organization. You were called here for a reason; I know not what the Sun-Father wishes but if it is important enough to contact an outsider, to bring you into the innermost circles of the Church… then perhaps it is important enough that you can ask for help and be granted aid. We likely wouldn't declare war for you, but a demonstration of force, even a denouncement of the invasion and an offer to mediate an immediate peace… that might give Regent Justinian pause."
You hope so. "Thank you," you say, offering a hand.
She takes it, giving you a squeeze. "If nothing else, I will pray for you and your friends, that you may find victory against the darkness," she says. "But we are here."
You're distracted from your worries as Glinda opens the ornate doors in front of you, allowing you to get your first glimpse of the Divine Realm's library. "Wow…" you gasp, staring around gleefully. Mother, it's almost as big as one of the Marble Hall ones! Maybe even bigger, depending on the size of those rooms beyond the doors you see scattered around! You could spend hours here! Days here! The shelves are all tall and wide, with room for countless books and scrolls even though they waste space on decorative gold imagery and relief carvings of scenes that you're sure come from their religion. Still, there's more than enough knowledge to keep any self-respecting bookwyrm happy for ages! You'll even have some privacy since you only see a few people around!
Glinda laughs quietly, her tension fading away as you trot into the room to get a better look. "You love this place, don't you?" she asks.
You nod. "Yes!" you say. "I love learning new things! Some of my happiest memories are being with Father as he looked for something in our library, or reading stories with Mother, or just curling up with a scroll or two of my own!"
A gentle cough comes from your right. "I am gladdened to hear that you are a child of learning, but do please keep your voice at a reasonable volume," a woman says, her long black hair braided so that it don't get in the way even as you can see it brushing at her hips. A pair of glasses glints from where they're perched on the bridge of her nose, giving her a slightly severe expression that's undermined by the smile lines around her cheeks. She is wearing a priestly garment, and her chest bears the symbol of an open book with a sun over it.
"Sister… Mary, yes?" Glinda says. "This is Ryza Levinheart, a guest of the Sun-Father. She wishes to spend time in the library while she waits for the Noon Sermon to begin, will that be a problem?"
The librarian immediately shakes her head, her eyes widening slightly as she looks over your cloak. "Of course not," she says, making the symbol of the sun over her heart as she gives you a little bow. "Blessings of wisdom be upon you, Mistress Levinheart."
You want to say that just Ryza's fine, but at this point you've said those words so many times that you know it won't work. They'll just call you that anyways, and you probably won't have time to become good enough friends with them to convince them to stop. "Thank you," you say. "And sorry, I was just excited."
Sister Mary smiles. "It is quite something," she says. "But what in particular do you wish to know more about?"
You consider your options for a second. There are so many things… but if you're going to be engaging in a big meeting with these Sun-Speakers, you should probably know what sorts of misconceptions they have about manakete so that you won't be caught limp-winged by them. "Do you have any information on manakete?" you ask. When the ravenette gives you a confused look, you sigh, the Revisionists information must not have spread quite this far yet. "Dragons. That's the proper name for dragons."
The librarian gives Glinda a look, but your Solar Knight escort nods firmly. "I see. I was not aware of that," Mary says. "Yes, I believe there are several volumes on the history of the Fell War," she says, stepping out from around her little desk and starting to lead the way towards a small section of shelves near the front.
She stops as Glinda gives a small cough. "Forgive me if it is not my place to speak," she says. "But… Mistress Levinheart is well versed in the ancient lores, likely moreso that anyone alive today. I believe it might be… prudent, for her to see the more serious section rather than the public-facing books."
Sister Mary hesitates, looking between you and Glinda. "That is an… unusual request," she says carefully. "Very few wish to go back there."
"It is not a popular or well-known topic," Glinda says, "But I do believe it is in the interests and will of Sol Invicta that we aid Mistress Levinheart on her quest for knowledge to the best of our abilities."
…Okay, seriously, Glinda is really making a push to be your new favorite Realmer!
The two women stare at each other for a few seconds before Sister Mary nods. "It is not forbidden, and you say that she is here on the Sun-Father's wishes?" she asks, and Glinda nods. "Very well. Mistress Levinheart, do you wish to see our more… ancient and theoretical collection?"
You nod eagerly. "Yes!" you say, managing to avoid shouting only with great effort (and channeling your excitement away from your dragon as she cheers in your mind). "Thank you!" Maybe this isn't quite what you intended to look for, but surely Sun-Speakers would have access to this information, so really you're just tailoring your research to your intended audience.
You know you're just justifying wanting to get the most interesting information available, but can anyone really blame you!?
Mary hesitates again, but nods to herself and turns towards the back of the library, pausing only to flag down another librarian and pointing them towards the front of the library. After that, she leads you a closed door near the very back of the large central room, opening it with a key hanging from a golden chain around her neck. "While this knowledge isn't forbidden, some of it is very old, delicate and valuable," she says seriously as she gestures you in. "So it is policy that any interaction with the material is logged. If you wish to read something, simply let me know so I can record that you have touched it."
"I will," you say, letting her lead you in as you look around.
This room is much smaller than the outer one, and the smell of dust hangs on the air. It appears that few if any people come in here, something that makes you sad. After all, surely there's a lot of useful knowledge here, things that could help humans better understand manakete, even if there's probably also a lot of falsehoods. However, you're here now, so you'll be able to help them pick out the fact from the fiction.
Looking around, you're tempted at first to hurry towards the small pile of ancient-looking scrolls piled on a shelf near the back, but you can tell that Sister Mary's still a little wary of you. So, in the interest of soothing her nerves you instead look around to find a nice, big, general-purpose-looking book that doesn't seem fragile. "Can I look at this one?" you ask as you spot a likely-looking text, going over and tapping it.
She nods, and you see her let out a tiny breath. "Yes," she says. "That is Fell, Beyond and Before, is it not?" You nod. "An excellent first choice: a little more broad than some of the more specialized scrolls we keep in here, but a good work."
You nod quickly, not wanting to waste any of the precious time before the sermon that you get the feeling you'll be strongly encourage to attend. As Sister Mary grabs a quill and makes a note of the book, you carefully pull it off the shelf, carry it to one of the little tables scattered around the center of the room, and open it up.
You've gained a lot of experience in skimming and speed-reading from all the times you've had to figure out something from the scrolls you took from home without having the time to really read them, so it doesn't take you long to process the gist of what this book has to say. The first half seems to be a relatively unbiased history of the Fell War, though it clearly only tells the human side of the story. However, rather than depicting Emperor Theodore as a perfect hero with allies that are all utterly united behind his vision, this book goes into detail about the times when he quarreled and fought with other human resistance leaders, even coming to blows on occasion. However, by and large he is depicted as being in the right, since manakete are consistently described as destructive forces of wrath that leave nothing but ruin in their wake.
That changes, however, when the book reaches the area that would become the Divine Realm. There, you see the first mentions of good manakete, those who had fought to protect those human survivors that had managed to flee destroyed cities from other manakete, monsters, and human foes. Unfortunately, the book does admit that the reasons for these manakete's actions are unknown and widely considered suspect, but at least they're given their due! Unfortunately, every one of these defenders is described as being killed by the Emperor in the aftermath of the Battle of Fell Mountain.
What really gets your attention, however, is a section of the book that seems to focus on theories and ideas about manakete themselves. While a similar section in an Imperial book would go into nauseating detail about all the horrible ways a dragon will kill a human who dares to exist in their presence, once again this Divine Realm tome is more nuanced. True, manakete are described as being aloof and unapproachable, but there are some stories of humans seeing manakete hunting or foraging and not being harmed or harassed (still only describing their dragon forms, though maybe those times when human and heart form met were simply not recognized for what they were and weren't included in the book). There are also none of the truly ridiculous lies and slander about your people, no mentions of princess eating, gold eating, or gold sleeping. There are a few silly misconceptions, such as one theory about how dragons are related to plants because they get their energy from the sun, spending long hours simply sitting in the brightest spots with their wings held out to catch every possible ray.
'That's just 'cause the sun feels nice!' your other self grouses. 'Humans should try it more often, maybe they'd be in better moods!'
You giggle, only to let out a little gasp as you turn the page and see a section titled language! "Dragons were known to have a written language, though all efforts to decode or translate it have failed," you read, unconsciously speaking aloud to try and keep your still-imperfect grasp of Common from missing anything important. Sister Mary and Glinda glance over from the quiet conversation they're having, but neither comments as you continue. "However, it has appeared in enough places and contexts that it is clearly intended to convey information, rather than being simple decoration. While Emperor Theodore the First went out of his way to destroy every example of the dragons' writings that he could find, even he could not find every scrap. Over the centuries, more and more fragments have been recovered, including the most complete on that will be shown here!" Eagerly, you eyes fly to the next page, wondering what the writing has to say! You can probably earn some favor with the Divine Realm by translating it for them, that'll prove you can-
'…wat?' your dragon-self thinks you stare at the next page, only to see something about diet. 'Where's the writing?'
Confused, you re-read the note promising Makai, you've seen some human books that put things like that at the end, nope, they said it would be here. You flip a few pages, seeing if it just got misplaced somehow, no sign of it. By all appearances, the book skips over this vital piece of information it'd just said it would show! What gives?!
"Mistress Levinheart?" Glinda asks. "What is wrong?"
"This book," you say, opening the book as firmly as you can so you can take a closer look (ignoring the strangled mewl from Sister Mary) "It's missing something. It said it would show some Makai, but there's… nothing…" Your eyes widen as you figure out what happen. "Oh Mother… someone ripped the page out!"
They did! You can see it clear as day, the torn bit of the page that had gone into the spine! You can even see a small section that has a few Makai runes written on it in a beautiful, formal script that almost looks familiar. However, whatever the rest of the historical document had said will never be known, since somebody tore it out!
"WHAT!?" Sister Mary gasps, forgetting her own rules for a moment as she almost trips over herself in her haste to join you at the table. "You're certain!?" Nodding, you show her the ripped out section, causing her to let out a growl of anger. "Oh Sunfire!" she hisses, "Did you-" She shakes her head, taking a deep breath. "No, my apologies Mistress Levinheart, I was here I know it wasn't you. Thank you for bringing this to my attention…" she wrings her hands, staring at the book.
You cock your head worriedly. Oh, you're not happy about the idea of a book being damaged, and not just because it deprives you of the chance to read more Makai. Knowledge should be cherished and preserved, but Sister Mary's acting like this is the end of the world! "I'm guessing this isn't common," you say carefully as she picks the book up, tenderly turning the pages as if looking for any more signs of damage.
Glinda shakes her head when Sister Mary doesn't answer. "No, it's not," she says. "The Sisterhood of Sacred Knowledge makes a point of keeping close watch on the texts entrusted to their care, and they do a very good job of it." The ravenette nods, closing the book and peering at it edge-on as if looking for gaps. "In fact, the only large loss I've heard of was that fire fifteen years ago in one of the repositories."
Sister Mary flinches. "Don't remind me!" she groans. "I was only an acolyte when that happened, but the Mother Superior of the time was absolutely livid. People were thrown out for that example of 'gross negligence and disrespect for divine mandate!' Then, once she was done with her purge she resigned herself, claiming that she'd never be able to live down the shame of it." She swallows before taking a deep breath. "Right. Right, this is bad, but it's not that bad. Thank you for reminding me of context. Alright, we need to go to Mother Dewey, she's on duty today." Hugging the book to her chest, she turned and made her way out of the room. You and Glinda glance at each other before hurrying after her.
A few of the patrons and other librarians give Sister Mary strange looks as she hurries towards a set of stairs that you hadn't noticed along one of the walls. Following her up, you realize that there's a circle of carefully concealed balconies overlooking the entire library, with a few tables and more doors. She leads the way over to the most ornate door, one depicting a kneeling woman with outstretched hands accepting a book that seems to be floating down from the sun. Swallowing, the priestess knocks on the door, still holding the book as if it'll break at the slightest mishandling.
"Come in," an older woman's voice says. The Sister quickly obeys, but she does hold the door open long enough for you and Glinda to follow her before making her way over to the desk.
"Thank you, Mother Dewey," Sister Mary says, bowing and making a sun-sign as best she can while still cradling the book.
The older woman's eyes widen as she takes in her subordinate's stance. "Sister Mary, what's wrong?" she asks, rising quickly to her feet and pushing a few parchments carefully off to one side to clear a space for the book. "Was there some damage to one of the tomes?" You bristle slightly as her eyes flick briefly to you, why would she think you'd done it?!
Carefully, Sister Mary places the book on the desk and opens it up. "Worse," she says. "This looks to me like deliberate sabotage. Mistress Levinheart discovered it and brought it immediately to my attention, and in turn I bring it to yours."
Just like the younger priestess, Mother Dewey lets out a horrified gasp as she sees the remnant of the torn page. "Th-this…" she whispers, taking the book and carefully turning the page back and forwards a few times just like you had. "Yes, I find myself forced to agree," she says. "That page… Sol above, if I remember this text correctly that is a bit of draconic writing, one of the only surviving pieces."
"Makashi," you correct automatically. "And yes, that's why I noticed it. I was curious what it said."
The head librarian blinks and shakes her head before focusing on you. "Ah, yes," she says. "I remember hearing whispers of you. You are the dragon blood that was discovered in the south, are you not?"
You force yourself not to sigh, compared to some of the things people have called you that's actually kind of accurate. "I'm a manakete," you say. "Ryza. Ryza Levinheart. It's nice to meet you, even though I wish it was under better circumstances. I was thinking I'd get to offer a translation…"
Mother Dewey sighs. "Of course, we would have been most interested in that," she says, running a finger along the book. "The task of our Sisterhood within the Church is to both preserve and expand knowledge… and it seems we have failed." She frowns. "This was from the Pre-Fell subsection, was it not?" Sister Mary nods. "Well, we must check the record, see if we can determine who might be behind this! Go retrieve it."
As Sister Mary hurries out of the office, you and Glinda share a glance. "Mother, while I respect and understand, you must admit that's a long shot," the Solar Knight says. "Surely hundreds, if not thousands, have looked at that book over the years."
Sighing, the head librarian nods as she sinks back into her chair. "I know it is," she says, giving the damaged book a morose look. "But I have to try. If it were a simple rip or tear, something accidental and then not reported as it should have been, then I would not bother. I would be annoyed, perhaps even upset, but this was sabotage. This was deliberate. We have to try, just as you would try to defend us even if all the armies of the Void were arrayed against you." Glinda nods, her face taking on an understanding air.
You glance down at the book. "Is there any chance that you can fix it?" you ask. "It said that it was simply giving an example of Makai, so while it'd take some effort, maybe you could find that text or another like it and put the book back together?"
Mother Dewey sighs. "We will be looking into that, of course, but examples of… your people's writing are few and far between, especially ones complete enough to be worthy of being added as a replacement," she says. "And… well, as of late we have even less of it than normal…"
"Because of the fire?" you ask.
The librarian jerks slightly before nodding. "Yes. Whatever mis-placed lantern or tipped-over candle started it, it hit the area of the repository dedicated to pre-Fell cultures hard. We will look, of course, and perhaps there is another copy of the book around that we can use to replace this one, though Mother Guttenberte's Ritual of Blessed Replication has only been in use for ten or so years, and to the best of my knowledge it has only been used on holy texts and sacred artwork. But scribes have existed and been copying manuscripts for as long as the Divine Realm has existed, perhaps one of them had made a copy of Fell, Beyond and Before." From the tone of her voice, she doesn't sound hopeful.
Before you can do more than note that this ritual sounds a lot like the one that old manakete would use when they were too old to get out much but still wanted to participate in the spread of knowledge, Sister Mary returns with the log she'd written in when you'd taken out the book. If the librarians make a point of recording everyone who touches one of their books, maybe they'll actually have a chance of reasoning out who did it! Curious, you stand on your tiptoes so you can peer at the log yourself as the two women start pouring over it. Even Glinda seems to be reading along!
Of course, you don't really expect to be that much help. After all, other than your own name at the bottom, you don't recognize anyone. Most of the names seem to be various priests, usually with high-sounding ranks like Father or Sun-Speaker or Hierophant or- wait a second!
"Hey, I know him!" you say, pointing at the name you'd spotted halfway up the page just before it's turned. "Hierophant Wolsenly! He works for the Regent, doesn't he?"
Glinda shakes her head. "Not in the way you're thinking, Mistress Levinheart," she says. "He is a member of the Emperor's Council, yes, but he was chosen by Emperor Thaddeus in order to aid in diplomatic efforts with the Divine Realm. Missionary Jogby spoke with the Hierophant several times over the years, and he and I have always been most impressed with him. He is a true believer of Sol Invicta, a blessed man. He would not be involved in this."
The head librarian nods. "Yes, I agree with the good Solar Knight," she says. "I have only met him once, when he was on his most recent personal visit to the Divine Realm just after the Emperor's death, but I know of him. Rarely have I seen or studied a man who is so steeped in the traditions and duties of a member of the clergy without living in the Divine Realm. It was only by his efforts that we had any hope at all for a time that the Empire might be guided down a better path, but alas, even he could not overcome the arrogance and insults of some of the Emperor's other diplomats." She sighs. "Oh, had he only been born here! Five miracles! Five!"
Sister Mary gasps and even Glinda looks deeply impressed, making you feel like you're missing something very important. "I-I'm sorry, what's a miracle?" you ask. Oh, you know what the Common word means, but you get the feeling that something's getting lost in translation between whatever the spirit that helped you think it means and what the Realmers think it means.
All three women give you a shocked look. "A miracle is a sign that someone is deeply in Sol Invicta's favor, a true believer of Her's," Sister Mary says. "So much so that she will grant them a piece of her own divinity, enough to work wonders beyond what humans should be capable of! I have only heard of a single believer having four before!"
Mother Dewey reaches over to the pile of parchments and tugs a few out. "That was the record, yes, but I had just received final word from the Sun-Father that the investigation of a fifth from the Hierophant was completed, and that the portents and evidence supported it!" she said. "I was in the process of preparing a proposal to update the official registry." She gives you a look that you can tell is intended to be soothing, but comes across as a little patronizing instead. "I know you have strong feelings about the Empire, but not all who live there are monsters. Some simply do their best to fulfill Her plan, wherever they are born."
You frown slightly, you know that! You've met some of them! "I didn't mean anything bad," you say. "I was just saying I remembered his name, I was at the Hall when-" you hesitate, right, you're not telling people about Thaddeus's loyalist within the Empire to make sure he doesn't get exposed and killed. "And I heard a bit about how the Empire was run, and Mistress Softshimmer spoke highly of him."
The Realmers look mollified. "As she should," Mother Dewey says. "Without some extraordinary evidence he is beyond reproach. No, it must have been someone else, did any of his retinue come with him when he was visiting the library?"
As Sister Mary and Mother Dewey get back to scanning the record, your eyes fall on the parchments that the older librarian had been working on. Curious, you carefully turn them around so you can take a read, glancing at her to see if she disapproves. She doesn't seem to notice, but Glinda catches your eye and gives you a little nod. Happy with her permission, you pull the stack over and start reading it.
You study the sketch of the man at the top, he looks old. Older than anyone else you've ever seen before, even Trinicus Dreamseer. As you read, however, you find yourself surprised to realize that he probably looks really young for his age!
'A hundred and eight?' your dragon thinks. 'But I thought we divided by ten to get human ages. That'd make him older than Mommy and Daddy!'
It would, wouldn't it? From what you remember reading, manakete tend to decline and eventually die at around a thousand, maybe one-thousand-one-hundred. Hierophant Wolsenly wasn't that relative age yet, but hadn't Artemis said that most humans don't live to see sixty once? So he's really old for a human!
Reading further down, you realize that's one of the pieces of evidence the Divine Realm has for saying that he's particularly favored by Sol Invicta. Apparently, living a "long, blessed life" is a sign of her approval, and he has certainly done that. You also make note of other bits of evidence that have been gathered to support the respect he's given, he's talked to spirits unaided, had visions and made predictions that have been supported by other respectable priests, shown a "deep, nuanced understanding" of the tenants of Solism. You even spot that he was offered the position of Sun-Speaker, but turned it down claiming that his place was in the Council, guiding the Empire towards Sol Invicta's light. Apparently, that was seen as both a sign of self-sacrifice and missionary work that counted as points in his favor. 'Wow, this guy is really popular!' dragon-you thinks. 'I wonder if we'll ever get to mee-'
Your breath leaves you as your eyes find his list of miracles. "Four times, the Archfather/Hierophant has been granted the miracle of being permitted to wield divine magic to a grand degree without tome, staff or Seal…" you whisper. That… that shouldn't be possible. Jenna had told you that was impossible, Lacroix had told you that was impossible, humans didn't have that much innate energy! Okay, maybe once, if they were desperate, they could maybe burn themselves to do that, but four times!
Swallowing and ignoring the confused look Glinda gives you, you try to think. It's possible he is honestly blessed by Sol Invicta/the Mother. Maybe she looked at him, saw a good person, and gave him a vision like yours, one that pushed him towards goals she thought might help make the world a better place. However… you glance back at the record of his conversations with his spirits, and you see no sign that was considered shockingly exceptional. Oh, they're taken as signs of Sol's favor, but the short notes don't describe any of the things you experienced. He certainly didn't get a new cloak out of the deal.
There is, however, another possibility.
Swallowing, you look back over the evidence, wondering if you're just grasping at breezes. A long life… for a human, 108 is exceptional, but you're only fifteen years younger. Talking to spirits? The Lady had said that was, if not common for your people, at least something she thought she could count on. Visions? Okay, that one doesn't fit perfectly, nor does the last miracle of being able to command a gwyllgi to retreat in the name of Sol Invicta and having it slink away with its tail between its legs to save a caravan, but the casting is what really makes you think.
Could… could Hierophant Wolsenly be a manakete? A survivor?
The thought that you might not be alone sends lightning up your spine. The idea that there might be someone else who really, truly understands, who can help guide you through this dangerous world you've found yourself in… it's almost too much to hope for. Despite all your wishes and dreams, a part of you has always been bitterly sure that you're the last of your people, the Last of the Manakete. Now, though… now for the first time, you have real hope, a real clue.
Maybe he thinks he's the last too. Maybe he woke up alone, stumbling into this new human-dominated world without a clue of what to do? Or maybe there's a community of survivors, who've stayed hidden all these centuries? Who knows, maybe Emperor Thaddeus even knew that he was a manakete! Maybe that's why the old emperor was trying to make peace, under the guidance and with the help of an elder! If so, that would make it very likely that Hierophant Wolsenly is in fact the one who told Archduke Letoro about what the Regent had done and planned to do! It would have been easy for an elder manakete to ferret out a bunch of human spies and discover the Regent's plans without his knowledge! It was probably only to avoid scaring people that Hierophant Wolsenly hadn't just dealt with the matter himself!
You slump back in your chair, both heart and dragon stunned into silence as you stare down at the parchment. If… if you're right, then you have to go to Hierophant Wolsenly. You have to meet him, figure out what he knows, what plans he has. You can help him! Together, the two of you could make everything better!
If so… why didn't the Mother tell you to go to him?
You will eventually be drawn from your racing thoughts to attend the Sun-Father's sermon, and then you will be expected to meet with him and the Sun-Speakers to hear about the secret shrine they want you to translate the runes of. You intend to agree to that, you're certain that it's important, that carrying out this ritual is what the Mother wants you to do. However, since you're here, maybe you can get some sort of boon or help, either for your own objectives or for the Kingdoms.
There are a lot of things you could ask for, but you get the feeling that the more you request, the harder it will be to get any of them approved. You also have some other favors that you could offer up to try and get the Divine Realm to be more favorable to the idea of helping you out. (Please vote by plan)
What do you ask for?
[] You ask for nothing. You trust that making a deposit of good-will will prove beneficial in the future. Besides, they're already kind of helping you out by letting you do what the Mother wants you to do. (Must be chosen alone for this section).
[] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
-[] They don't have to do much! All you'll ask is that they send some food and supplies, maybe some healers, to ease the burden on the Kingdoms. Maybe it won't turn the tide today, but it'll help, and it'll set a precedent.
-[] Artemis has said time and again that the Kingdoms need military support, if not today then in the future. Glinda has said that you won't be able to convince them to actually go to war, but she did hint that you might be able to convince them to lean on the Empire a bit, to show that they're not going to let their friends be bullied by a bigger, stronger nation!
[] You want to know more about Hierophant Wolsenly. You can't shake the feeling that he's important. You won't tell them your suspicions, you don't want to put him in danger, but anything they can tell you will be helpful!
-[] Ask them to send a letter to him from you, one you will seed with some hints and messages that a manakete would surely pick up on. While you're sure he knows about you, maybe he'll be willing to write back if you reach out first.
-[] See if they can get him invited to the Divine Realm soon, so that you can meet with him without having to go to Wyrmrise (which you get the feeling is a really bad idea for you). You want… you need to talk to him face to face. To know for sure if he is one of your people.
[] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
[] Everyone you've ever talked to has said that Felicians don't like outsiders, but apparently the Divine Realm has some contact with them. Since the vision rhyme indicated you'd have to go there, maybe the Divine Realm could give you some sort of token so that you could guarantee a friendly welcome… or at least that they'll hear you out.
[] You want to talk to the Lady again, and Lacroix suggested that spirits were a potential path to helping humans cast magic without using dragonstone. Get a promise that you can have full access to any of the spirits in the Divine Realm, so long as you promise to respect them (which of course you will, why wouldn't you?)
[] It sounds a bit greedy, but surely the Divine Realm has some sort of tool or treasure that they think could help you? You're not sure what you'd get, but it would probably be at least a magical weapon or seal or something useful.
[] Write-in (Subject to veto)
What do you offer to try and make them like you more?
[] While you will not allow them to take it, you're willing to let the Realmers look closely at your new cloak when you get around to studying it (which you'll have to agree to do soon to fulfill the spirit of this agreement). Who knows, maybe they'll spot something interesting about it.
[] You brought Solariana's scroll with you, and you remember how excited Melissa was when you told her about it. The rest of the Divine Realm deserves a chance to see what their ancestors were capable of, the friendships they made and the beautiful world they built.
-[] You're loath to part with it, but… but maybe this should be its true home, among the descendants of the people she loved so much. You'll leave a copy of your Makai-Common dictionary as well, so they can read it.
-[] You have not had nearly enough time to fully read the scroll, and it is a source of comfort to you to be able to look at a time when your people and humans lived together in peace. Since you still think you can learn from it, you're not willing to give it up yet, but you will spend some time helping the Divine Realm make a copy since it's their people's history too. This could take a while, though.
[] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
[] You've done a lot of tasks for people over your time awake. Maybe the Sun-Father or some Sun-Speaker has a job that they'd like you to do? So long as it's a reasonable one that won't take too long, you're sure you could help them out.
[] You have the Seal that Belle got from the village in Starhelm. From what you've heard, those are super valuable, so offering that to the Realmers would surely make a good impression.
[] Write-in (Subject to veto)
AN: Let's just say the 5 was very interesting for the library.
To be clear, pretty much everything on the ask-for-favor list will require a roll of some sort, with penalties assigned depending on how many things you ask for, while offering stuff will give you bonuses.
EDIT: Since this is a pretty consequential vote, I'm setting a bit of a delay before voting opens.
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Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Well, that's suspicious as all hell. "Oh it couldn't possibly be him, even though he was on the list of people with access, because he's a Good Guy obviously!"
I think we just found one of the Conspiracy's actors. Quite possibly the triggerman for the Emperor's assassination even. What better cloak to hide behind than the well-liked Holy Man who's obviously too old to be Up To Some Shit.
I think we just found one of the Conspiracy's actors. Quite possibly the triggerman for the Emperor's assassination even. What better cloak to hide behind than the well-liked Holy Man who's obviously too old to be Up To Some Shit.
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Did you mean "movements"?
"denouncement"
"happiest"?
"see more serious sections"? "see the more serious section"?
"glance"
"somebody tore"? "somebody has torn"?
That end quote should not be here.
This sentence should end in a question mark.
Translation: It's totally him.
Also, the double "no"s are repetitive. I recommend removing the second one.
"spirits"
There's a word missing here.
[] Plan A Relatively Large Request
-[] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
--[] They don't have to do much! All you'll ask is that they send some food and supplies, maybe some healers, to ease the burden on the Kingdoms. Maybe it won't turn the tide today, but it'll help, and it'll set a precedent.
--[] Artemis has said time and again that the Kingdoms need military support, if not today then in the future. Glinda has said that you won't be able to convince them to actually go to war, but she did hint that you might be able to convince them to lean on the Empire a bit, to show that they're not going to let their friends be bullied by a bigger, stronger nation!
-[] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
-[] Everyone you've ever talked to has said that Felicians don't like outsiders, but apparently the Divine Realm has some contact with them. Since the vision rhyme indicated you'd have to go there, maybe the Divine Realm could give you some sort of token so that you could guarantee a friendly welcome… or at least that they'll hear you out.
-[] You want to talk to the Lady again, and Lacroix suggested that spirits were a potential path to helping humans cast magic without using dragonstone. Get a promise that you can have full access to any of the spirits in the Divine Realm, so long as you promise to respect them (which of course you will, why wouldn't you?)
-[] While you will not allow them to take it, you're willing to let the Realmers look closely at your new cloak when you get around to studying it (which you'll have to agree to do soon to fulfill the spirit of this agreement). Who knows, maybe they'll spot something interesting about it.
-[] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
-[] You've done a lot of tasks for people over your time awake. Maybe the Sun-Father or some Sun-Speaker has a job that they'd like you to do? So long as it's a reasonable one that won't take too long, you're sure you could help them out.
Trying to get in contact with Wolsenly screams "BAD IDEA" to me, so that's out, and asking for magical stuff seems like adding extra difficulty to the checks for too little gain in my opinion.
As for the boons I am asking for, help against the Empire should require no explanation, the Revisionists are a propaganda boost, our vision seems to be pointing us to the Felicians, and the spirits help us with our longer-term goals.
Now for the things I'm offering in return. The cloak is not something I am exactly fond of letting them look at, but I'm not completely opposed to it since we are not agreeing to outright give it up, translating more Manakete text is beneficial to us as well, and doing something for the DIvine Realm (within reason) strikes me as an acceptable price for better odds of them agreeing to our requests.
With that said, I have also made another plan that cuts a couple requests for better odds of getting the rest accepted.
[] Plan A More Modest Request
-[] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
--[] Artemis has said time and again that the Kingdoms need military support, if not today then in the future. Glinda has said that you won't be able to convince them to actually go to war, but she did hint that you might be able to convince them to lean on the Empire a bit, to show that they're not going to let their friends be bullied by a bigger, stronger nation!
-[] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
-[] Everyone you've ever talked to has said that Felicians don't like outsiders, but apparently the Divine Realm has some contact with them. Since the vision rhyme indicated you'd have to go there, maybe the Divine Realm could give you some sort of token so that you could guarantee a friendly welcome… or at least that they'll hear you out.
-[] While you will not allow them to take it, you're willing to let the Realmers look closely at your new cloak when you get around to studying it (which you'll have to agree to do soon to fulfill the spirit of this agreement). Who knows, maybe they'll spot something interesting about it.
-[] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
-[] You've done a lot of tasks for people over your time awake. Maybe the Sun-Father or some Sun-Speaker has a job that they'd like you to do? So long as it's a reasonable one that won't take too long, you're sure you could help them out.
Healers and supplies, while helpful, strike me as less important than making sure the Divine Realm is ready for war when they inevitably get drawn into the conflict, and the spirits are kind of not pressing right now.
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Hidden text. More fuel for Alcetai's theroy, it seems. Interesting chapter.
Assuming Ryza's theory is right... My theory is that Wolsenly is a villain working with the Regeant's conspiracy willingly. He very well could've been the one to kill the Emperor as part of the plan. However, he's not actually a diehard for Shyrlonay or the Empire or anything like that. He's probably a member of the former Solariana's Union that saw all his people slain and is seeking his own vengenace and return. This pares with his interest in Ryza during that meeting with the Empire's bigwigs upon seeing Ryza's illustration - he did NOT expect another Manakete to be running around. This could mean he could be turned to the side of good, but that's a longshot.
It is also possible that Jogby is in with Wolsenly on this, though there's no way to be sure and its equally possible Jogby is more likely to be an opponent to the idea of Solariana's Union than deliberately in with the Empire. Either way, with Wolsenly having access to the Divine Realms means that any information we give about the prophecy is going to be open knowledge to the Empire as well, for good or for ill. If the higher-ups are compromised, this means that they can predict Ryza's movements, potentially while Ryza's separated from literally all of her allies, and gives the conspiracy means to know where to go themselves.
That is a disaster waiting to happen. Ryza's already leaked too much information.
[]Plan: Kindness and Knowledge
-[] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
--[] They don't have to do much! All you'll ask is that they send some food and supplies, maybe some healers, to ease the burden on the Kingdoms. Maybe it won't turn the tide today, but it'll help, and it'll set a precedent.
-[] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
-[] Everyone you've ever talked to has said that Felicians don't like outsiders, but apparently the Divine Realm has some contact with them. Since the vision rhyme indicated you'd have to go there, maybe the Divine Realm could give you some sort of token so that you could guarantee a friendly welcome… or at least that they'll hear you out.
-[] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
We may need to get to the Felicians, but we cannot do so without returning to Artemis first, so we could probably nix the Felician-related request. Of course, ideally that token isn't time-limited. And we have no reason not to spread the influence of the Revisionists wherever we go. We should also reign in any military support ideas; the Divine Realm can justify humanitarian aid to their neighbors a lot better than deliberately sending in troops, both internally and externally.
As for boons, translating the Makai is directly related to our goals and we may pick up something along the way, and doesn't carry a significant risk of literally spelling out Ryza's next steps to any potential enemies.
Ryumancer
Dragons Are Romance
As a less useful but still potentially relevant note... if the fire from back then hit the section on pre-Fell cultures the hardest... and we know there's been at least one attempt to sabotage one of the unbiased books on Dragons... I wonder if the fire was deliberate instead of accidental?
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
I was taking it as a given that it was purposeful, given the focused destructive efforts elsewhere to try to control the narrative, particularly because its cause has not been sourced and it's superlatively convenient for an enemy who we know to be interested in doing these sorts of things.
How long is Solariana's scroll, and would it be plausible to offer to have it copied and leave a copy of the dictionary to read it? I realize that's having one's cake and eating it too, but any sort of...knowledge tradition like this would probably have some means of creating a new copy of an old text.
Now that you've brought the idea up, I'm actually inclined to disagree with you on the highlighted part, because to me it seems more like a trade-off. Take a look at the options we've been given.
Translating Makai and doing something for the Sun-Father or Sun-Speaker don't involve us giving any of our things to the Divine Realms, but they do involve spending more time in the Divine Realms instead of going back to the Kingdoms to help Artemis, whereas the Seal and Solariana's… Scroll… Oh, shit, I think I just realized something, but that can wait, the point right now is that those are physical objects in our possession that we can just hand over and be on our way with negligible time lost (if any). Copying Solariana's Scroll (regardless of whether or not we translate it) would almost certainly require us to spend more time in the Divine Realms.
Now, as for my realization, Ryza has been working under the assumption that Sol Invictus (which should really be Sol Invicta, because "Invictus" is masculine unless I'm badly mistaken) is the Mother, but what if she's actually Solariana instead?
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After a quick check, you're right. Currently debating whether I should go back and fix them all or just say the rules of Not-Latin are different in this world because I'm lazy.
Welp, the thread is saying that the vote is open, but @SoaringHawk218, I think an answer to Baron's question would be a good idea before we start voting, because if we can do that, that changes things a bit.
@JAGwin Yeah, that makes sense.
So Solariana's scroll is one of the biggest Ryza's seen. It is portable, and thus it would be possible to make a copy, but it's heavy and will take a while to copy by hand, probably longer than whatever other bits of text the Divine Realm might have kicking around.
I will, however, add a sub-vote to that one the same as the Hierophant and Aid the Kingdom votes, so that players can decide if they want to spend some more time but keep the scroll, or leave it in good hands so as to get back to Artemis faster.
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[X] Plan A Relatively Large Request
-[X] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
--[X] They don't have to do much! All you'll ask is that they send some food and supplies, maybe some healers, to ease the burden on the Kingdoms. Maybe it won't turn the tide today, but it'll help, and it'll set a precedent.
--[X] Artemis has said time and again that the Kingdoms need military support, if not today then in the future. Glinda has said that you won't be able to convince them to actually go to war, but she did hint that you might be able to convince them to lean on the Empire a bit, to show that they're not going to let their friends be bullied by a bigger, stronger nation!
-[X] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
-[X] Everyone you've ever talked to has said that Felicians don't like outsiders, but apparently the Divine Realm has some contact with them. Since the vision rhyme indicated you'd have to go there, maybe the Divine Realm could give you some sort of token so that you could guarantee a friendly welcome… or at least that they'll hear you out.
-[X] You want to talk to the Lady again, and Lacroix suggested that spirits were a potential path to helping humans cast magic without using dragonstone. Get a promise that you can have full access to any of the spirits in the Divine Realm, so long as you promise to respect them (which of course you will, why wouldn't you?)
-[X] You brought Solariana's scroll with you, and you remember how excited Melissa was when you told her about it. The rest of the Divine Realm deserves a chance to see what their ancestors were capable of, the friendships they made and the beautiful world they built.
--[X] You have not had nearly enough time to fully read the scroll, and it is a source of comfort to you to be able to look at a time when your people and humans lived together in peace. Since you still think you can learn from it, you're not willing to give it up yet, but you will spend some time helping the Divine Realm make a copy since it's their people's history too. This could take a while, though.
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
-[X] You've done a lot of tasks for people over your time awake. Maybe the Sun-Father or some Sun-Speaker has a job that they'd like you to do? So long as it's a reasonable one that won't take too long, you're sure you could help them out.
[X] Plan A More Modest Request
-[X] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
--[X] Artemis has said time and again that the Kingdoms need military support, if not today then in the future. Glinda has said that you won't be able to convince them to actually go to war, but she did hint that you might be able to convince them to lean on the Empire a bit, to show that they're not going to let their friends be bullied by a bigger, stronger nation!
-[X] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
-[X] Everyone you've ever talked to has said that Felicians don't like outsiders, but apparently the Divine Realm has some contact with them. Since the vision rhyme indicated you'd have to go there, maybe the Divine Realm could give you some sort of token so that you could guarantee a friendly welcome… or at least that they'll hear you out.
-[X] You brought Solariana's scroll with you, and you remember how excited Melissa was when you told her about it. The rest of the Divine Realm deserves a chance to see what their ancestors were capable of, the friendships they made and the beautiful world they built.
--[X] You have not had nearly enough time to fully read the scroll, and it is a source of comfort to you to be able to look at a time when your people and humans lived together in peace. Since you still think you can learn from it, you're not willing to give it up yet, but you will spend some time helping the Divine Realm make a copy since it's their people's history too. This could take a while, though.
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
-[X] You've done a lot of tasks for people over your time awake. Maybe the Sun-Father or some Sun-Speaker has a job that they'd like you to do? So long as it's a reasonable one that won't take too long, you're sure you could help them out.
Most of my previous reasoning still stands, but I've swapped the cloak for copying Solariana's Scroll, both because of Nonexistent Tazz's concerns and because, frankly, I prefer this to letting them look at the cloak regardless.
-[X] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
--[X] They don't have to do much! All you'll ask is that they send some food and supplies, maybe some healers, to ease the burden on the Kingdoms. Maybe it won't turn the tide today, but it'll help, and it'll set a precedent.
--[X] Artemis has said time and again that the Kingdoms need military support, if not today then in the future. Glinda has said that you won't be able to convince them to actually go to war, but she did hint that you might be able to convince them to lean on the Empire a bit, to show that they're not going to let their friends be bullied by a bigger, stronger nation!
-[X] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
-[X] Everyone you've ever talked to has said that Felicians don't like outsiders, but apparently the Divine Realm has some contact with them. Since the vision rhyme indicated you'd have to go there, maybe the Divine Realm could give you some sort of token so that you could guarantee a friendly welcome… or at least that they'll hear you out.
-[X] You want to talk to the Lady again, and Lacroix suggested that spirits were a potential path to helping humans cast magic without using dragonstone. Get a promise that you can have full access to any of the spirits in the Divine Realm, so long as you promise to respect them (which of course you will, why wouldn't you?)
-[X] You brought Solariana's scroll with you, and you remember how excited Melissa was when you told her about it. The rest of the Divine Realm deserves a chance to see what their ancestors were capable of, the friendships they made and the beautiful world they built.
--[X] You have not had nearly enough time to fully read the scroll, and it is a source of comfort to you to be able to look at a time when your people and humans lived together in peace. Since you still think you can learn from it, you're not willing to give it up yet, but you will spend some time helping the Divine Realm make a copy since it's their people's history too. This could take a while, though.
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
-[X] You've done a lot of tasks for people over your time awake. Maybe the Sun-Father or some Sun-Speaker has a job that they'd like you to do? So long as it's a reasonable one that won't take too long, you're sure you could help them out.
[X] Plan A More Modest Request
-[X] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
--[X] Artemis has said time and again that the Kingdoms need military support, if not today then in the future. Glinda has said that you won't be able to convince them to actually go to war, but she did hint that you might be able to convince them to lean on the Empire a bit, to show that they're not going to let their friends be bullied by a bigger, stronger nation!
-[X] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
-[X] Everyone you've ever talked to has said that Felicians don't like outsiders, but apparently the Divine Realm has some contact with them. Since the vision rhyme indicated you'd have to go there, maybe the Divine Realm could give you some sort of token so that you could guarantee a friendly welcome… or at least that they'll hear you out.
-[X] You brought Solariana's scroll with you, and you remember how excited Melissa was when you told her about it. The rest of the Divine Realm deserves a chance to see what their ancestors were capable of, the friendships they made and the beautiful world they built.
--[X] You have not had nearly enough time to fully read the scroll, and it is a source of comfort to you to be able to look at a time when your people and humans lived together in peace. Since you still think you can learn from it, you're not willing to give it up yet, but you will spend some time helping the Divine Realm make a copy since it's their people's history too. This could take a while, though.
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
-[X] You've done a lot of tasks for people over your time awake. Maybe the Sun-Father or some Sun-Speaker has a job that they'd like you to do? So long as it's a reasonable one that won't take too long, you're sure you could help them out.
Most of my previous reasoning still stands, but I've swapped the cloak for copying Solariana's Scroll, both because of Nonexistent Tazz's concerns and because, frankly, I prefer this to letting them look at the cloak regardless.
It's highly unlikely, but I think the best-case scenario for the torn pages in the book is that the fire (which I just assume was intentional arson as a matter of course) happened first, and someone sympathetic/a possible ally realized the library was no longer safe and "stole" the pages to protect them - realizing that manakete history/pre-Fell War history was the target.
The simpler explanation though is that the book was torn first to take those pages and the fire was a cover-up/distraction since it's a lot less likely the librarians would notice the sabotage if they had all their attention busy with sorting out the damage after the fire - after all this would be a tome that was seemingly intact and survived the fire safely at a glance.
[X]Plan: Kindness and Knowledge
This mostly aligns with my thinking - go for humanitarian aid, an in/introduction to the Felicians, and helping smooth the spread of the Revisionists in the Divine Realm since at least based off our experience at the library things have been slower here (by design maybe?) I think I'm willing to add letting them looking at our cloak if we think this is asking for too much in comparison to what we're giving. A bit less keen on the other options we can offer because most have a "this will take time" component and this trip has already been an unplanned detour.
The simpler explanation though is that the book was torn first to take those pages and the fire was a cover-up/distraction since it's a lot less likely the librarians would notice the sabotage if they had all their attention busy with sorting out the damage after the fire - after all this would be a tome that was seemingly intact and survived the fire safely at a glance.
[X]Plan: Kindness and Knowledge
This mostly aligns with my thinking - go for humanitarian aid, an in/introduction to the Felicians, and helping smooth the spread of the Revisionists in the Divine Realm since at least based off our experience at the library things have been slower here (by design maybe?) I think I'm willing to add letting them looking at our cloak if we think this is asking for too much in comparison to what we're giving. A bit less keen on the other options we can offer because most have a "this will take time" component and this trip has already been an unplanned detour.
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[X] Plan Sharing is Caring
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[X]Plan: Kindness and Knowledge
-[X] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
--[X] They don't have to do much! All you'll ask is that they send some food and supplies, maybe some healers, to ease the burden on the Kingdoms. Maybe it won't turn the tide today, but it'll help, and it'll set a precedent.
-[X] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
-[X] Everyone you've ever talked to has said that Felicians don't like outsiders, but apparently the Divine Realm has some contact with them. Since the vision rhyme indicated you'd have to go there, maybe the Divine Realm could give you some sort of token so that you could guarantee a friendly welcome… or at least that they'll hear you out.
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
There are two other variants of this plan that I feel comfortable with, for the record...
[X]Plan: Manakete's Morning
-[X] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
--[X] They don't have to do much! All you'll ask is that they send some food and supplies, maybe some healers, to ease the burden on the Kingdoms. Maybe it won't turn the tide today, but it'll help, and it'll set a precedent.
--[X] Artemis has said time and again that the Kingdoms need military support, if not today then in the future. Glinda has said that you won't be able to convince them to actually go to war, but she did hint that you might be able to convince them to lean on the Empire a bit, to show that they're not going to let their friends be bullied by a bigger, stronger nation!
-[X] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
I think Artemis can stomach Ryza's delayed return if it means that the Divine Realms offer the best possible military support given the circumstances. Revisionist spread is still given, but the Felician out is removed so we don't push it too far.
[X]Plan: Radiant Dawn
-[X] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
--[X] They don't have to do much! All you'll ask is that they send some food and supplies, maybe some healers, to ease the burden on the Kingdoms. Maybe it won't turn the tide today, but it'll help, and it'll set a precedent.
--[X] Artemis has said time and again that the Kingdoms need military support, if not today then in the future. Glinda has said that you won't be able to convince them to actually go to war, but she did hint that you might be able to convince them to lean on the Empire a bit, to show that they're not going to let their friends be bullied by a bigger, stronger nation!
-[X] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
-[X] Everyone you've ever talked to has said that Felicians don't like outsiders, but apparently the Divine Realm has some contact with them. Since the vision rhyme indicated you'd have to go there, maybe the Divine Realm could give you some sort of token so that you could guarantee a friendly welcome… or at least that they'll hear you out.
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
-[X] You brought Solariana's scroll with you, and you remember how excited Melissa was when you told her about it. The rest of the Divine Realm deserves a chance to see what their ancestors were capable of, the friendships they made and the beautiful world they built.
--[X] You have not had nearly enough time to fully read the scroll, and it is a source of comfort to you to be able to look at a time when your people and humans lived together in peace. Since you still think you can learn from it, you're not willing to give it up yet, but you will spend some time helping the Divine Realm make a copy since it's their people's history too. This could take a while, though.
Again: Artemis would love to stomach a delay if it meant she could rely on the Realmers leveraging their power against the Empire a little bit. This amps up the delay further in exchange for the Felician entry pass. I am of the opinion that no more than two 'time-consuming' boons should be put forth, and I also don't think any of the other boons are seriously necessary.
Also because I can, and because it might be interesting, I have one other idea, though I suspect this one won't be popular.
Plan: From a single seed
-[X] You ask for nothing. You trust that making a deposit of good-will will prove beneficial in the future. Besides, they're already kind of helping you out by letting you do what the Mother wants you to do. (Must be chosen alone for this section).
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
This plan basically relies entirely upon Ryza's acts of kindness gathering their own home-grown sort of positive reputation. She's just a kind girl trying her best between her obligations and wouldn't force anything on anyone. This has the upshot that it's guarenteed to work and will bolster Ryza's standing in the Divine Realms, which means they may offer military support without prompting. "Taking" an unnessecary delay is deliberately helping the spread of knowledge and furthering the image: Ryza's one desire is simply to challenge the old 'dragons kill everyone' stories, and the Makai might be useful. All said though, it's a big gamble, bigger than the rest, and offers no guarentees, but this is Fire Emblem, it's an idealistic setting. Who knows what might happen?
-[X] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
--[X] They don't have to do much! All you'll ask is that they send some food and supplies, maybe some healers, to ease the burden on the Kingdoms. Maybe it won't turn the tide today, but it'll help, and it'll set a precedent.
-[X] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
-[X] Everyone you've ever talked to has said that Felicians don't like outsiders, but apparently the Divine Realm has some contact with them. Since the vision rhyme indicated you'd have to go there, maybe the Divine Realm could give you some sort of token so that you could guarantee a friendly welcome… or at least that they'll hear you out.
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
There are two other variants of this plan that I feel comfortable with, for the record...
[X]Plan: Manakete's Morning
-[X] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
--[X] They don't have to do much! All you'll ask is that they send some food and supplies, maybe some healers, to ease the burden on the Kingdoms. Maybe it won't turn the tide today, but it'll help, and it'll set a precedent.
--[X] Artemis has said time and again that the Kingdoms need military support, if not today then in the future. Glinda has said that you won't be able to convince them to actually go to war, but she did hint that you might be able to convince them to lean on the Empire a bit, to show that they're not going to let their friends be bullied by a bigger, stronger nation!
-[X] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
I think Artemis can stomach Ryza's delayed return if it means that the Divine Realms offer the best possible military support given the circumstances. Revisionist spread is still given, but the Felician out is removed so we don't push it too far.
[X]Plan: Radiant Dawn
-[X] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
--[X] They don't have to do much! All you'll ask is that they send some food and supplies, maybe some healers, to ease the burden on the Kingdoms. Maybe it won't turn the tide today, but it'll help, and it'll set a precedent.
--[X] Artemis has said time and again that the Kingdoms need military support, if not today then in the future. Glinda has said that you won't be able to convince them to actually go to war, but she did hint that you might be able to convince them to lean on the Empire a bit, to show that they're not going to let their friends be bullied by a bigger, stronger nation!
-[X] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
-[X] Everyone you've ever talked to has said that Felicians don't like outsiders, but apparently the Divine Realm has some contact with them. Since the vision rhyme indicated you'd have to go there, maybe the Divine Realm could give you some sort of token so that you could guarantee a friendly welcome… or at least that they'll hear you out.
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
-[X] You brought Solariana's scroll with you, and you remember how excited Melissa was when you told her about it. The rest of the Divine Realm deserves a chance to see what their ancestors were capable of, the friendships they made and the beautiful world they built.
--[X] You have not had nearly enough time to fully read the scroll, and it is a source of comfort to you to be able to look at a time when your people and humans lived together in peace. Since you still think you can learn from it, you're not willing to give it up yet, but you will spend some time helping the Divine Realm make a copy since it's their people's history too. This could take a while, though.
Again: Artemis would love to stomach a delay if it meant she could rely on the Realmers leveraging their power against the Empire a little bit. This amps up the delay further in exchange for the Felician entry pass. I am of the opinion that no more than two 'time-consuming' boons should be put forth, and I also don't think any of the other boons are seriously necessary.
Also because I can, and because it might be interesting, I have one other idea, though I suspect this one won't be popular.
Plan: From a single seed
-[X] You ask for nothing. You trust that making a deposit of good-will will prove beneficial in the future. Besides, they're already kind of helping you out by letting you do what the Mother wants you to do. (Must be chosen alone for this section).
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
This plan basically relies entirely upon Ryza's acts of kindness gathering their own home-grown sort of positive reputation. She's just a kind girl trying her best between her obligations and wouldn't force anything on anyone. This has the upshot that it's guarenteed to work and will bolster Ryza's standing in the Divine Realms, which means they may offer military support without prompting. "Taking" an unnessecary delay is deliberately helping the spread of knowledge and furthering the image: Ryza's one desire is simply to challenge the old 'dragons kill everyone' stories, and the Makai might be useful. All said though, it's a big gamble, bigger than the rest, and offers no guarentees, but this is Fire Emblem, it's an idealistic setting. Who knows what might happen?
ImperatorV
The Laughing One
- Location
- The Voyaging Realm
[X]Plan: From a single seed
-[X] You ask for nothing. You trust that making a deposit of good-will will prove beneficial in the future. Besides, they're already kind of helping you out by letting you do what the Mother wants you to do. (Must be chosen alone for this section).
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
[X]Plan: Kindness and Knowledge
I like from a single seed's raw idealism, but kindness and knowledge is also pretty simple. I'm not as much of a fan of the really big plans, though that might just be because reading them takes too long.
-[X] You ask for nothing. You trust that making a deposit of good-will will prove beneficial in the future. Besides, they're already kind of helping you out by letting you do what the Mother wants you to do. (Must be chosen alone for this section).
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
[X]Plan: Kindness and Knowledge
I like from a single seed's raw idealism, but kindness and knowledge is also pretty simple. I'm not as much of a fan of the really big plans, though that might just be because reading them takes too long.
- Location
- USA
[X]Plan: Kindness and Knowledge
- Location
- Florida
[X]Plan: Kindness and Knowledge
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
[X] Plan Sharing is Caring
-[X] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
--[X] They don't have to do much! All you'll ask is that they send some food and supplies, maybe some healers, to ease the burden on the Kingdoms. Maybe it won't turn the tide today, but it'll help, and it'll set a precedent.
-[X] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
-[X] Everyone you've ever talked to has said that Felicians don't like outsiders, but apparently the Divine Realm has some contact with them. Since the vision rhyme indicated you'd have to go there, maybe the Divine Realm could give you some sort of token so that you could guarantee a friendly welcome… or at least that they'll hear you out.
-[X] You brought Solariana's scroll with you, and you remember how excited Melissa was when you told her about it. The rest of the Divine Realm deserves a chance to see what their ancestors were capable of, the friendships they made and the beautiful world they built.
--[X] You have not had nearly enough time to fully read the scroll, and it is a source of comfort to you to be able to look at a time when your people and humans lived together in peace. Since you still think you can learn from it, you're not willing to give it up yet, but you will spend some time helping the Divine Realm make a copy since it's their people's history too. This could take a while, though.
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
Asks: Foreign aid to the Kingdoms to make it easier for the Kingdoms to fight the Empire. Supporting a free world not dominated by the Empire. Revisionists being supported by the Church. Because they've gotten to meet a Manakete and clearly she isn't a ravening monster trying to destroy everyone. She wants to go have a peaceful talk with the Felicians after all, and that's not a crazy thing.
Gives: Copying Solariana's scroll will take time but letting them know that we're interested in sharing our knowledge and that we have learned and know things they don't demonstrates value that is only retained while we are alive to do so. Translating the Makai does more of the same--we know things and we can help them learn and know things.
What's betting Wolsenly is the one we bring all the other manaketes to see in the Empire at the end to be able to melt his old bitter heart and help him see a bright future again?
-[X] You ask for help in the fight against the Empire. The Divine Realm is one of the most powerful groups that has reason to oppose the Regent's plan to take everyone over, yet they do nothing.
--[X] They don't have to do much! All you'll ask is that they send some food and supplies, maybe some healers, to ease the burden on the Kingdoms. Maybe it won't turn the tide today, but it'll help, and it'll set a precedent.
-[X] While the Revisionists of the Empire promised they'll work to spread your story and uphold the good name of manakete-kind, you're sure that more can be done. There are Revisionists here in the Divine Realm too, but if the Church officially backs them up, you're sure they can spread their message even further.
-[X] Everyone you've ever talked to has said that Felicians don't like outsiders, but apparently the Divine Realm has some contact with them. Since the vision rhyme indicated you'd have to go there, maybe the Divine Realm could give you some sort of token so that you could guarantee a friendly welcome… or at least that they'll hear you out.
-[X] You brought Solariana's scroll with you, and you remember how excited Melissa was when you told her about it. The rest of the Divine Realm deserves a chance to see what their ancestors were capable of, the friendships they made and the beautiful world they built.
--[X] You have not had nearly enough time to fully read the scroll, and it is a source of comfort to you to be able to look at a time when your people and humans lived together in peace. Since you still think you can learn from it, you're not willing to give it up yet, but you will spend some time helping the Divine Realm make a copy since it's their people's history too. This could take a while, though.
-[X] You'll be translating the Makai in the shrine for the Sun-Father, surely there are some other pieces of your people's writing that survived. You could spend some time translating those so that the Divine Realm could learn from your people's wisdom, even if it delays your return a little.
Asks: Foreign aid to the Kingdoms to make it easier for the Kingdoms to fight the Empire. Supporting a free world not dominated by the Empire. Revisionists being supported by the Church. Because they've gotten to meet a Manakete and clearly she isn't a ravening monster trying to destroy everyone. She wants to go have a peaceful talk with the Felicians after all, and that's not a crazy thing.
Gives: Copying Solariana's scroll will take time but letting them know that we're interested in sharing our knowledge and that we have learned and know things they don't demonstrates value that is only retained while we are alive to do so. Translating the Makai does more of the same--we know things and we can help them learn and know things.
What's betting Wolsenly is the one we bring all the other manaketes to see in the Empire at the end to be able to melt his old bitter heart and help him see a bright future again?