Fire Emblem: Last of the Manakete

[SoaringHawk218]

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X] Plan: The Paranoid Diplomat
-[X] Spend time talking to Missionary Jogby, trying to get to know both him and the Divine Realm in general. After all, he apparently works closely with the Sun-Father, so it's both polite and wise to understand him better.
--[X] Focus on talking about the present rather than the past. What's the Divine Realm like? How does it interact with its neighbors? All those things could be useful to know.
-[X] Keep your eyes open for anything unusual or unexpected going on. Not only does this satisfy your niggling paranoia, but being in a new place is interesting! (2/3)

"Therefore go, and bring My light to all nations, purify them by Truth, Redemption and Knowledge, and teach them to be better than their base selves as I taught you. And surely I am with you always, as My sun rises after every dark night."
-Sol Invictus, according to Canticles 19 and 20 of Sun-Father Leon I


As you settle back into the squishy seat of the carriage, glad for your small size since it keeps you from sinking too deeply into the overly-soft cushioned seats, you look around the interior curiously. It's not quite as ornate as the outside, but there's still plenty of gold glittering at you. Were it not for the curtains covering the tops of the windows, the sunlight probably would have been reflecting painfully into your eyes.

What really attracts your attention, however, is the intricate painting on the ceiling. "That's one of the steps on the Path, isn't it?" you ask, pointing at the beautiful image of a crowd of well-dressed men and women kneeling in front of a single man in rough brown robes holding up a glowing staff, a marble statue standing behind him and almost seeming to glow itself. "The one Sun-Father Leon took to create the Divine Realm?"

"Indeed it is," Missionary Jogby says. "The Exaltation, the moment when the Divine Realm reached its purest form and fully dedicated itself to Sol Invictus as the core of its national identity. You have learned of our history?"

You nod. "A little," you say. "Melissa was telling me about it, while we were talking about… about some of my people's history."

You don't know exactly why you change the answer you'd been intending to give. You and Malissa had worked together and decided that it would be best to leave the connection between the Mother and Sol Invictus unsaid for the moment, but there'd never been any concerns about discussing the Union. After all, one of the goals you've taken upon yourself is to redeem your species' name in the eyes of humans, and discussing a time when your people and theirs lived together in peace would surely help with that. Especially someone who already seems somewhat interested, or at least they work for someone who does.

However… there's just something about this Missionary Jogby that makes you a little wary. After a moment of studying your feelings to try and understand them, you think it has to do with his seeming… inflexibility. Maybe you're misjudging him, but the way he all but told Mother Marina not to send anyone to check up on what the Empire was doing because the Divine Realm is supposed to be peaceful just rubs you the wrong way. Not only could that deny Artemis and your other friends help if the Empire rallies faster than you expect, but it speaks of such a focus on making sure things stay the way that they're supposed to be that he doesn't notice that they've already changed. You hope you're wrong, that there are more robust conversations going on behind closed doors, but you can't help but wish they'd be a bit more draconic and do something about the obviously-crazy Regent and his bad habit of sending armies to conquer the people you like!

Besides, he seems to be very proud of the Divine Realm, so talking about that will probably put him in a good mood. Best to stick to safe topics for now, feel out how he'll respond to other things.

If any of your internal discussions and thought-flights appear on your face, Missionary Jogby doesn't comment. Instead, he smiles. "A well-educated child is a blessing upon her parents and the Sun," he says. "Did she discuss the rest of the Sun-Father's Path?"

You nod. "We spent a while talking about it the first time Artemis and I came to Mother Marina's place," you say. "It was a really interesting story. I liked how Sun-Father Leon worked to protect his people from that noble. I had problems with a noble who tried to bully my friends and I, but Countess Mantrae helped me out, so I know how those villagers the Imperial lord was abusing felt."

Missionary Jogby nods gravely. "Indeed. It is a sad fact of this world that those who become too engrossed in worldly power lose sight of the fact that the divine mandate of high birth is to protect and guide the people in their care." He gestures up at the ceiling. "That is why, after securing our freedom from the Empire, Sun-Father Leon's Exaltation called upon all the nobility to accept the mantle of priests and priestesses of Sol Invictus, as well as give up their special status and accept the rest of the faithful as their equals. While we do not always live up to his example or Her wishes for us, having a mistress beyond this world reminds us that we are not truly so much greater than other mortals. Not compared to the divine."

Cocking your head, you consider that. While the sentiment is nice, it does remind you of something you'd thought of when Melissa had been telling the story, but she'd just been so excited you hadn't wanted to push her. "So does everyone in the Divine Realm worship Sol Invictus?" you ask.

"For the most part," Missionary Jogby says. "There are a few who stubbornly cling on to other faiths, mostly immigrants from other lands. For example, a decade or so ago a small Felician clan was driven from their ancestral lands by a larger clan, and the Sun-Father was gracious enough to grant them sanctuary within the Divine Realm. Despite the efforts of several Missionaries, most of the clan still worship their old gods: Father Flame and Mother Moon, despite their own theology admitting that they have been dead for a millennium. However, a few have seen Sol Invictus's light and have been welcomed into the Church."

You frown. "And what about those who don't?" you ask. "What happens to them?"

Missionary Jogby looks confused for a moment before waving his hand. "Ah, I see how my words could easily be misunderstood. Worshippers of other faiths are not few because those faiths are repressed, we Solites know how that feels in the Empire and will not repeat the mistakes of others. Those Felicians who still venerate the old ones, they are free to do so, as are those Animists and Sentinalites that dwell within our borders. However, most quickly come to recognize the benefits of being part of the Church. For example, one of the Felicians who chose to accept Sol Invictus is a Missionary herself now and acts as the Sun-Father's primary representative to the other nearby clans."

"So only those who worship Sol Invictus can do that?" you ask.

"In an official capacity, yes," Missionary Jogby says. "Since the Exaltation, all government and leadership positions are filled purely by members of the clergy, and many other priests and priestesses act as teachers, healers, and protectors." You frown a little, and the Missionary must have noticed because he continued firmly before you can formulate a question. "However, that is a far more egalitarian method than other nations use. After all, in the Empire, how many of 'low birth' will ever be given the opportunity to rise to the true potential they were blessed with? In the Divine Realm, however, anyone with the will and ability to rise to the heights of Sol Invictus's favor. For example, Father Simon? Though he plays at being a rural preacher, he could easily have taken a role as a Sun-Speaker, one of the Sun-Father's closest advisors and a potential successor, despite his parents having been poor farmers. In another land, he would never have had the chance to choose to be anything other than a farmer himself, which would have been a terrible waste for one blessed such as he."

That all sounds really nice, and you suppose it does fit with some of the complaints you've heard from Belle. However… "But what about those who have a lot of ability, but deeply believe in some other faith?" you ask. "Artemis, she's brave and smart and a great leader, but she's an Animist. Would she be able to live up to that in the Divine Realm?"

Missionary Jogby chuckles. "I did say in an official capacity," he says. "We are fallible humans, of course, so the systems never work quite as perfectly as their designers intended. Thus, wise leaders learn to work around the flaws. There are plenty of advisory positions that are not the province of the clergy that are nevertheless respected, and there are some careers, such as banking and mercantilism, that can bring great wealth despite not fitting within the… skill set of a pious Solite. Besides, the Divine Realm has no interest or desire in broad expansion. We have learned from the mistakes of the Empire, trying to control the entire continent with one ruling government is folly and will lead only to suffering. No, so long as the word and light of Sol Invictus is able to flourish, we will be satisfied."

Silence falls in the carriage as you consider. All in all, compared to what you'd seen of the Empire, the Divine Realm sounds much nicer, and it did produce Melissa and Mother Marina. However… well, Bernard had also said a lot of good things about the Empire, and they were currently trying to conquer the rest of the continent. Or at least, some of them were. It could still be that, either willfully or not, Missionary Jogby's painting a rosier picture of the Divine Realm than it really had earned. However, at the moment you have no evidence to suggest anything nefarious.

"What of you, Mistress Levinheart?" Missionary Jogby asks. "As I mentioned before we left, while I have heard some stories from the Revisionists, I would not claim to be as knowledgeable as they. Might I hear your tale from your own mouth?"

You nod, this was part of the reason you had agreed to go on this journey. The more humans you can show that manakete are people like them, the better. "Sure," you say. "Well, I was born in Kepesk-Okar, down on the eastern side of the southern mountains…"

Whatever else you might have to say about him, Missionary Jogby is an excellent listener. He nods and follows along with your story, asking intelligent clarifying questions that prove he is actually paying attention and thinking about what you have to say. In the end, you only talk a little about your childhood and manakete in general, instead focusing more on your adventures with Artemis and beyond. Partially, this is because you want the Missionary to know just how much you and your friends have done to stop the Regent and his goons from taking everything over. After all, if he has the ear of the Sun-Father, then he can help you convince Mathias that the Divine Realm should help out as well.

However… you are honest enough with yourself to know that you have Melissa's words in mind as well. If Lacroix, who probably doesn't know nearly as much about Sol Invictus as one of her priests does, could spot the similarities between her and the Mother, it's likely Missionary Jogby would be able to in an instant. Thus, despite a few probing questions towards your own faith and belief systems, you're able to avoid talking about the Mother too much. You're not ashamed of her, of course, but you don't want to risk causing any problems.

Thankfully, Missionary Jogby seems to accept your less-than-complete answers, though you get the feeling he is filing away those answers for later consideration, as you do for a lot of things you hear from other people.

Eventually, you're able to nudge the conversation back to the Divine Realm, and specifically the Missionary's role in it. "As was said before, our primary purpose is to negotiate and carry messages to other realms. Originally, our purpose was to go out into the wider world and spread the truth of Sol Invictus beyond the Divine Realm, but over time we have been called more and more to act as more worldly emissaries, especially to the Empire and Northern Kingdoms. The Felicians, while they do not war with us as they do with the Empire, are still resistant to having humans enter their lands, and the other realms are too far for regular diplomatic missions. Thus, we rarely get to spread Her word farther than it has already gone." He sighs. "Some days, I do wonder if we are straying from our purpose…"

"...Well, I don't know as much as you about Sol Invicstus's commandments," you say. "But from what Melissa told me, she's a peaceful goddess, so anyone whose job it is to go out and spread peace is surely doing what she'd want, right? After all, once people stop fighting each other, then it's a lot easier to tell them about all the good things about your faith."

Missionary Jogby nods. "That is true," he says. "Do please forgive an old man's musings, they are born somewhat of disappointment. After all, it was not so long ago that Sun-Father Mathias believed that Emperor Thaddeus would finally be the one to truly guide his lineage from their less desirable traits under the guidance of Hierophant Wolsenly. Sadly, with first the disrespect of some of his Emperor-cult ambassadors, then his death, perhaps that dream was not to be."

You had been about to ask about the Hierophant, hoping to maybe sus out more about the Council so you could maybe figure out who your friend in the heart of the Regent's group was, but your other self latches onto something else. "Emperor-cult?" you ask at her prompting.

The Solite priest sighs. "Emperor Theodore is a… polarizing figure. Here in the Divine Realm, while we respect his efforts to protect humanity from the Fell Dragon, the one who led others to destroy civilizations- and yes, I am certain that many manakete were not like that, the fact that you and I are having this conversation proves that, but there is much evidence that such destruction did happen-" he says, recognizing where you were going with your opened mouth, "-we also remember the terrible destruction he wreaked on our ancestors after the Battle of Fell Mountain. For the Empire, however, his nuances are often forgotten, especially when some of his descendants have sought to deify him as a flawless savior of humanity. It was they who began calling the Fell Stone the Fire Emblem, alleging that Emperor Theodore gained power from it and used it to complete… to ensure that humanity would be safe, their words not mine. While their attempts to form a functional religion around their bloodline never caught on, the cult of personality does linger to this day."

You carefully channel your anger and pain to the side to deal with later; you're all but certain that the Fell Stone/Fire Emblem is a dragonstone, probably the "Fell Dragon's". You also know that, even in the most ludicrous of stories, there's often some pebble of truth, and that truth would be useful for you to know. "What do you mean, gained power from it?" you ask.

Missionary Jogby chuckles dryly. "The story changed depending upon which Emperor was espousing it. Some claimed that Emperor Theodore simply became stronger and wiser than other men by drawing upon the magical energies within the stone, and that blessing then passed down to his children. Others said that it completed the Fell Slayer, granting that Mastercraft the power of three stones rather than two so long as it's in "worthy hands". Others don't even bother creating a specific gift, simply claiming that by holding it, they are worthy to be lifted above other men. No, it is a story, one that they use to shore up their legitimacy." He waves a hand. "But let us not concern ourselves with such things. You mentioned that your father was a runemaker, I have always been curious about how one goes about designing the more detailed ones."

You briefly consider continuing to push, but decide that if there is a good reason he doesn't want to talk about it, you don't want to sour things too early. You will have several days to get some answers.

Besides, you like talking about magic and runewrighting.

---

Over the next few days of your journey, you alternate between riding in the carriage, talking with Missionary Jogby, and flying above and around the carriage when you need some air. The two Solar Knights and their subordinate cavaliers don't complain when you lift off, only asking that you remain close. You test the boundaries a little, flying high enough that you'd be out of reach of most spells while you could theoretically still use Bolting (not that you had any intention of starting a fight!) but the guardians don't complain about it.

Some of that could be due to the large, complex-looking Purge tome that one of the Solar Knights carries in a backpack. You remember reading about it during your study session for the White magic portion of your accreditation test, a tome that taps into light's near omnipresent nature to reach out long distances the same way as your Bolting magic uses lightning's tendency to follow the paths of least resistance.

These Solar Knights certainly came prepared…

Beyond testing what would and wouldn't be allowed by the Missionary's guards, you also get a much better look at the Divine Realm from the sky than you would through the carriage window. The sheer openness of the land is something of a shock to you, while the Northern Kingdoms had been a land of many broad plains and few clusters of trees, there had been plenty of hills and other landmarks to help you find your way around. In the Divine Realm, other than the occasional village, large grove of cultivated trees and the winding roads, the entire Divine Realm seems to be one big, flat expanse. There is the big river that you crossed to get deeper into the Divine Realm and had been following ever since, but other than that it's just plains, plains, plains.

You suppose it's beautiful in its own way, though you do wish there were more trees. You like having some shade every now and then, it means you don't have to use as much healing to get rid of the irritating sunburn that sometimes starts developing on your exposed hands and cheeks. Thankfully, your hair keeps your neck safe, and your wings don't get sunburn, but still, it's not your preferred climate.

Near the beginning of the third day of travel, you finally get your wish. "What's that?" you ask as you peer out of the carriage, having decided to take a break and continue the discussion with Missionary Jogby about the Divine Realm's educational system (he's very proud of it, apparently one of his sisters is one of the Sisters of Knowledge who dedicate themselves towards teaching children).

The man looks out his own window to look at the wall of trees you'd spotted, the most you'd seen since passing out of the border region. "The Forest of Light, the biggest forest in the Divine Realm," he says before chuckling. "Which isn't hard, seeing as it's our only big forest. Not only is it the source of most of the lumber we use, it's also home to most of the modern unicorn population. Now that we are here, it should be only another day before we reach the Lady's Lake. After that, we will cross the Northern River and travel up the Pilgrim's Path to the Divine City."

"That sounds good," you say. "Do you think we'll see any wild unicorns? Princess Alina has one, though I never really got a chance to spend much time with her." You don't mention that Luxann and Glinda, despite a few attempts to talk to them to get their opinions on some of the things Missionary Jogby had said, had mostly just directed you back to him, claiming that he was far better qualified for such discussions.

"It is possible, though most remain deeper in the woods and avoid the roads. There are some Solar Knights who are blessed enough to be accepted by the herds who follow them and ensure that no poachers or other threats harm them, but most wild unicorns are very skittish around strangers. Only a rare few present themselves to the handlers to be taken for training, and even fewer consent to be ridden by anyone other than a Solar Knight. It is believed they are drawn to particularly pious wielders of light magic."

'Probably more the White magic than the piousness,' Dragon-you thinks. 'We should go flying, maybe we can see them from the air since they probably don't look up much. Most creatures don't.'

You suppose that makes sense, and you do want to stretch your wings for a bit. "I'm going to take a flight, but if I see any I promise I'll leave them alone," you say, ignoring the disappointed noise from your other self.

"Thank you, Mistress Levinheart," Missionary Jogby says, knocking on the carriage wall as he always does to indicate for it to stop and let you out. Honestly, that seems unnecessary to you, you'd taken off from a moving carriage multiple times when you were riding with Countess Mantrae and Sypha, but the man insists on safety first. Once the caravan has stopped for the moment, you slip out, give a friendly nod to Glinda, and lift off into the air.

Sadly, as the day wears on, you don't see any unicorns, though with how thick the trees get at times it's possible they're just hidden by the canopy. However, as the sun begins to sink towards the horizon and you are considering whether to go back and ride the rest of the way with Missionary Jogby or keep flying and looking around until camp is made, you spot something that gives you pause.

'Wow, look at that!' Dragon-you says, pointing your attention towards a large lake to your south, the source of the river. You study it, wondering for a second what got your dragon-self's attention, before you notice that the reflections on it are… wrong. They're too bright, too solid, and the colors are more akin to the height of noon than to the approaching evening. 'What's going on with that?'

'I don't know,' you think back, scanning the lake. It is a huge lake, going on and on, but not that far into it you see a small island. Straining your eyes, you decide that it looks like there's a building upon the island, a church similar to the ones you'd seen in every town you passed. It's too dark and too far to get a good look, but you're pretty sure you see a few flickering lights inside, so it's inhabited. 'But I know someone who'll know!' Zipping back down, you balance yourself on the step of the carriage and poke your head in the window. "Missionary Jogby, I see the lake," you say. "And it seems to be glowing a little!"

The man looks up from his book and smiles. "A good omen, if the Lady of the Lake is feeling in an expressive mood," he says.

It takes you a second to place the name, but then you remember something you'd read at the Marble Hall. "That's one of the major White spirits that lives in the Divine Realm, isn't it?" you say.

"You are well read, Mistress Levinheart," Missionary Jogby says. "Indeed it is. One of the most powerful and active of her kind, she is also one of the few that, on rare and blessed occasions, will actually communicate with us mortals. The monastery you might have noticed on the island was built so that properly ordained monks could pray and listen to hear her whispers, as she is believed to be one of Sol Invictus's preferred vessels for communing explicitly with her faithful. If the lake is reflecting her presence enough to be noticed at a distance, then perhaps the monks are receiving some portent that will help guide the Divine Realm through these troubling times." He makes the sun-like shape with his hands over his heart as he says this.

You smile, this sounds really interesting! While it had been strange and hard to understand, communing with the major Yellow spirit that had protected you by Father's wishes had certainly been a unique experience. "Do you think I could go and see?" you ask. "I met a-"

Your smile fades as Missionary Jogby immediately shakes his head, a frown crossing his own face. "I am afraid that is impossible, Mistress Levinheart," he says. "Only those who have undergone the proper rites and blessings are permitted to set foot in that monastery and commune the Lady of the Lake, and despite your invitation from the Sun-Father you have not undergone those rites. I know that you are curious, but some things simply Are Not Done."

"But I communed with a Yellow spirit that lives near my home," you say. "Maybe I can hel-"

"No." You flinch slightly, in all your days of talking to him, Missionary Jogby had never been that short with you, and his magic had never flared like that! True, he hadn't always answered all your questions, but he had always been calm and reasonable even in non-answers. To have him completely shut the conversation down… Sighing, the man shakes his head again. "For the same reason I cannot tell you what the Sun-Father wishes to speak with you about, I cannot permit you to intrude upon that sacred space. Respected guest that you are, you are not a member of the Church. That is final." He looks out the window past you. "We made good time, though. There is a rest station near the lake, we will stop there for the night and continue on in the morning."

'This is so unfair!' Dragon-you thinks moodily as you stand on the shores of the lake a few hours later, the moon and starlight nearly drowned out by the soft glow of the water as the White spirit manifests. 'Surely it'd be a good thing to have someone who knows about how spirits work try to talk to it!'

'We don't know that the monks there don't,' you say, but you can't help but agree with your other self. Even if you couldn't help, what was the harm in just letting you look?! You know enough about magic that you know how to not disturb anything, even if you are a Yellow manakete and thus Anima by nature!

However, it seems that Missionary Jogby isn't taking any chances of you sneaking off. While he always asks one of the Solar Knights to stay with you when you wander anywhere out of the camp or rest area, tonight both of them had silently fallen in behind you as you made your way to the lake, following the nearly-visible weaves of White energy. Neither had given you any orders or even seemed upset, but you are certain that they would act to stop you if you tried to fly away.

So distracted are you by your thoughts that you almost miss the swirl of White magic. Blinking, you shake yourself and stare as the water shifts, small waves that seem to glitter building and washing against the shoreline. "Is this normal?" you ask the Solar Knights, watching as the waves seem to grow in size.

"No, it is not," Luxann says, moving to stand next to you, her hand gently gripping your shoulder. "Please, step back, it seems that the Lady is particularly-"

'Stay…'

You flinch as a coil of White magic follows a larger wave, one that washes over the bank and nearly reaches your feet. As it retreats, the dampness continues to glow, almost as if it's leaving a trail for you to follow…

'Come on, let's go!' your dragon says, and for once your heart can't bring itself to channel the emotions away… Tugging your shoulder from the Solar Knight's grip, you step forwards onto the "path" just as another wave washes up, its warmth seeming to seep through your boots even though no water gets in…

"Mistress Levinheart!" Luxann says, starting to reach forward, only to stop as Glinda hisses something you don't quite catch. Almost in a daze, you step into the lake itself, the warm waters lapping about your feet as White magic swirls around you…

You blink-

…​

Curious Statement: It has been a long time since the last one of your kind approached.

You swallow. You're not scared, you don't feel frightened, but you feel small, despite the fact that you can't seem to feel your body… "Y-you're the Lady of the Lake…" you say. "The White spirit…"

Dry Amusement: That is what they call me.

Your dragon-self, who at once feels closer than ever yet farther than normal, shifts around you, her awe leaking through your bond and nearly sending you to your knees on the non-existent ground. "You… you're so big…" she says, her scaly body seeming to brush against your smaller heart/form/mind/essence/existence/thing. "Like… bigger than Mommy…"

Gentle Reassurance: I am old, little one, but fear not, I will not harm you.

Questioning Request: What brings you to my shores?

Her shores… what had… "I… I was just curious… I wanted to know what you were saying to the monks…"

Careless Shrug: Nothing. I was just saturated with energy and was releasing it.

"So… you don't speak to them?"

Clarifying Statement: I do, on occasion.

Continuing Clarification: Sometimes, they are bright enough to draw my attention, like you are.

Sad Rumination: They interest me for a time, but they don't fully understand me.

Your other self reaches out like she would have to attract Mother's attention and touch, but the spirit pulls away.

Gentle Warning: Careful, little one, you are brighter and more mixed than most, but I am still bigger than you.

Brighter? Mixed? Frowning, you look down at yourself even though you aren't sure you really exist, and you see a light shining around you, light that seems different from lightning... "What's this?"

Surprised Admission: You know what, I don't know, I've never seen anything like it, not on one whose soul burns with lightning.

Strange Murmuring: It does seem… familiar…

Thoughtful Notation: Both your selves have it.

You do? You try to look for your dragon-self, and after a few seconds of trying you finally see her sitting next to you, her thirteen foot long soul/essence/being/body/nature/lighting/magic pressed to the ground/water/void/reality as she stares out into the bright, seemingly featureless surroundings. Indeed, after a moment, you see a similar glowing bit of light right at the base of her neck… Desperately, you try to focus through your draconic self's feelings. This feels different than the Yellow spirit that you'd spoken to before…

Weary Answer: Younger, more dedicated to his set purpose was he.

Explanatory Continuation: Less used to communing.

Oh, you guess that makes sense. Father did bind that spirit to… "Wait a minute, how did you know-"

Reassuring Answer: You told me, and I sensed a bit of another spirit's essence on you still. Your mind is your own.

Had you? You suppose that you could have accidently said that out loud. "So… why did you want to talk to me? Why did you call me?"

Curious Observance: It has been a long time since I saw one of your kind.

Regretful Statement: I was starting to miss them, they always were bright enough for me to talk to when I wanted to.

Impressed Congratulations: Though few had minds as magically gifted and thoughtfully organized as yours.

Both your halves preen a little at the compliment. "So you know about manakete? Could you tell me what happened?"

Thoughtful Choice: I could, though it would take much of the time your mind will be able to endure.

Cautionary Explanation: Even as bright and magical and mentally adept as you are, there are limits to what you can take.

Hopeful Offering: So in return for giving me someone to really talk to, if you have any questions I'll answer what I can before you're overwhelmed.

Forcing yourself to focus despite the warmth and your dragon-self's desire to simply bask in the spirit's presence. If what the spirit said is true, then this might be your only chance to get some maybe useful information out of it…


[]Ask the spirit about the manakete of the Union. Perhaps it/she/he will know something interesting. It seems knowledgeable.

[]Ask the spirit about the ideas you had about getting energy to help humans cast magic better. It seems talkative.

[]Ask the spirit about the light that it didn't recognize glowing within you. It seemed curious about that.

[]This doesn't seem safe: just talk with the spirit for a little before letting go: you don't want to risk hurting yourself.

 

[SoaringHawk218]

Spoiler: Winning Vote:

[X]Ask the spirit about the light that it didn't recognize glowing within you. It seemed curious about that.

"But more than anything else, remember that we love you, and we're so proud of you."
-???

You and your dragon are more separated than normal, but you are still one being. Thus, it is still only a matter of sharing bouncing thoughts off each other to come to a decision on what to do. "This light… do you have any idea what it is?" you ask, tapping the warm glow in your chest. Your dragon-self nods, her curiosity burning bright as she uses her tail to poke at her own light. For her, the desire to know is simply a desire to know.

Your heart-self's motivations are a little more complicated. Oh, you're curious as well, but you also recognize that this may be your only chance to find out what this light is. After all, you hadn't sensed this strange energies within yourself, let alone had anyone else notice them. While finding out about the Union and the manakete of the past is important, as is discovering how to help humans cast magic better, they are both things that you have other avenues of looking into. This… this may be the one time you'll be able to talk to a major spirit. From what you've read, they're temperamental and mercurial, so there's no guarantee that the Lady of the Lake or any like her will be in the mood to converse with you ever again.

Gleeful Curiosity: I have no idea!

Eager Interest: Let's find out, shall we?

You sense the spirt drawing closer around you, and you're once more reminded just how massive this entity is. You have no doubt that, if it wanted to, it could utterly destroy you with as much effort as it would take a dragon-form to squish a rat already pinned under its talons. Thankfully, spirits are not violent things, they have no need to be. Thus, you simply hold your breath as the Lady extends a tendril of her essence towards you, becoming almost visible in this strange not-space that you both inhabit.

Thoughtful Musings: This is not a natural part of you.

"That doesn't sound good," you say, wondering where you could have gotten a White magic addition to your being. Other than this spirit, you haven't been near any big concentrations of White magic that you can remember.

Reassuring Clarification: While it's not natural, I don't think it's harmful.

Quiet Notation: But it is strange.

Soft Murmur: It's almost as if…

Your other self's interest flares. "What do you mean?" she asks. "Almost as if what?"

Wary Note: I am old.

Further Emphasis: I am very, very old.

Nervous Tinge: I have never seen this energy's like.

Clarifying Addendum: Or if I have, I have long forgotten.

Awestruck Statement: But interestingly, it is not purely my native magical essence, it is a mixture of all five essences.

Thoughts racing, you consider that revelation. You suppose that, like light is made up of different shades all combined into what looks like white light, if a skilled enough spell caster were to combine all five types of magic, it might look similar to White magic… especially if the caster's deepest nature was closest to White magic. "Is it safe? Can you interact with it?"

Short Answer: Yes.

Short Answer: No.

Longer Answer: To your second question, I cannot, but I believe you could.

You look at your dragon-self, which is still poking at her own bundle of "White" magic. A part of you wants to be wary… but at the same time, if this thing already exists inside you, if it was harmful surely it would already have done bad things, right? Besides, such a powerful, controlled mixture of all five colors of magic… that had to be something important. Maybe it was from Gyra-Dregon's tomb, your ancient ancestor had been a powerful manakete lord after all. Maybe taking his stone had triggered some spell he'd left to advise his descendants if trouble came!

Nodding, both your selves look out at the spirit. "How do we do that?" you ask.

Pondering Answer: I am not completely certain, but I believe it would be a force of will on your part.

Continuing Explanation: After all, we're in a soul-space that is a mixture of you and I, so that body doesn't really exist.

Confident Conclusion: Yes, that should do it, just try really hard.

Well isn't that useful? 'Just think about it.' Though, you suppose the spirits' words make sense, after all it's right that nothing going on here is actually physical. Taking a deep breath, you look down at the light, focus every bit of yourself, and poke it.

Nothing happens.

Grumbling, your dragon-self scratches her claws against her upper chest and neck in a way that surely would have been painful for her real body, but here had no more effect than your own poke. "Come on, you stupid thing, tell us your secrets!" she growls at it, annoyance swirling as she claws harder.

You reach out and grab her talon, a pseudo-physical representation of channeling your emotions away from the anger that won't help in this case. "There has to be a trick to this," you mutter, staring at the light. "There has to be some…" Your hand brushes against your dragon-self's light, and you feel a blaze of warmth.

"Wait, I felt that," Dragon-you thinks. "We're the same person, but we must have each gotten half of it! We need to put it back together!"

That… makes a lot of sense. "Good idea," you say, pressing your palm against her scales as she wraps her tail around you. For a moment, you think that's going to work, but aside from a blazing heat that connects the pair of you there is no real change.

Musing Suggestion: Perhaps there is a mental key, something that represents connection…

You blink before slapping your palm to your face. Of course! "Thank you," you say, reaching into your pocket where you keep your dragonstone and pulling it out.

Concerned Recommendation: You might want to brace yourself, we don't know what will happen.

Your dragon tosses her head. "We'll be fine," she says as she presses her muzzle to the stone. "After all, you said this wasn't dangerous!" As she speaks, the light flows from her core, up her neck, and out of her mouth like a breath of lightning, causing your dragonstone to blaze bright.

You hesitate for a second before nodding: you can't explain it, but you know your other self's impulsive faith is right in this case. "Thank you for your help," you say to the Lady as you touch your stone to your own chest, drawing out your half of the light and combining them once more.

You feel-
Normally, I would not do anything like this
-and you're on your knees, hugging yourself and rocking back and forwards, shock and awe and sadness and loneliness and pain and joy and andandand-

Desperate Cry: Little one, can you hear me?!

You try to answer, to make your voice work, but you can't it's all too much your dragon's wrapped around you, her wing covering you up as you huddle together against what you saw but you don't remember you can't remember you want it but you don't want it it's agony but you're happy…
Y-you… you're both dead… Am I… is this a dream?
Relieved Gasp: I sense you, you're back! Are you hurt?
Just because this is happening in your brilliant little mind doesn't mean that it's not real.
Hurt? Are you hurt? Not physically, no, or spiritually you suppose since your body isn't here right now, it's still back in the real world, probably still standing in the lake. A part of you vaguely hopes Luxann and Glinda hadn't done anything to you, but the majority of your shared beings can concentrate enough to care about such trifling details…
…I love you...
The spirit gathers warmly around both your halves, its light shining tenderly as you rub your face and eyes, only to find your hand coming away wet. Had you… had you been crying?
...so, so proud of you…
Concerned Answer: Yes, you have been crying ever since you returned.

Sniffling, you hug your dragon-self's neck, feeling her scales slide against you as she shifts. She's crying too, but strangely her emotions are far more… muted, than you'd have expected. Had you been channeling emotions? You… don't think so; with how wet your own face is you doubt you'd have the mental control to do anything that complicated, but if you hadn't then why isn't she roaring her pain and sorrow to the non-existent skies?

"Wh-what happened?" you finally manage to ask as you slip out from under your onto your other self's wings and climb onto her back, laying amidst her hair-ridge and hugging her around the neck even more tightly.

Confused Answer: I do not know.

Worried Continuation: You combined the two halves of the light, and then you vanished.

Awestruck Explanation: You were just gone, as if some greater power pulled you…
You… you're-!
Greater power? What could possibly be greater than this spirit!? "Then what?" you ask.
That I am.
Repeated Answer: You came back.

Concerned Question: What happened, are you alright?

You giggle, feeling half mad. You don't know. You have no idea what happened. Your other self looks just as confused, shaking her head as she slumps down onto her belly, nearly dislodging you save for the way you're hugging her neck. The gentle warmth of the spirit attempting to heal your mind has no effect, which probably means you're not damaged at least, just overwhelmed. "I… I don't know…" you say. "I don't know what happened…"
We've been with you every step of the way.
Refocusing Possiblity: Maybe the cloak can tell us something?

Cloak? Shifting, you reach back to grab the yellow cloak draped around your neck… only to realize that it's different than the one that you'd gotten at the Marble Hall. It's still yellow, but now it's thicker and seems to have multiple parts, a short caplet covering the perfectly-sized wing-slits in the main cloak that replaced the rough ones you and Artemis had put into it. Despite its greater size, however, your new cloak feels far lighter than the weighty one Archmage Stormspeaker'd placed upon you, yet it still hugs you as perfectly as if it had been made for your shoulders.
Keep this, as a reminder of my faith in you.
Craning your neck, you look at the decorations on the beautiful, smooth fabric. Some of it is similar to your original cloak, especially the mountiain-like triangles Artemis had helped you stitch into the hem. However, these are larger and woven in gold rather than black threads, and lines of white are scattered throughout them to look like snowcaps. Above the mountains, other shapes cover the main body of the cloak, a seemingly random mixture of toy stormclouds, suns, buildings and stick figures that would surely look like a random pattern from a distance, but are each clear enough to your eye that you know exactly what each represents despite their minuscule size. Meanwhile, the caplet is dominated by a larger, even more detailed depiction of a rocky mountaintop. Upon it, a little girl with long golden hair is being embraced by two adults while a fourth figure stands off to the side with the sun setting behind her.
-not only keeps yourself safe, but makes the world better.
Curious Notation: There is magic in this cloak.

There is, isn't there? It's subtle, but you can sense the energies woven through every knot and thread, as if the tiny decorations also serve as runes, though they are no runes you recognize. "I wonder where I got it…" you ask yourself, sitting up on your dragon-self's back and swishing it. It swirls easily around you, almost following your will instead of your arm movements. You suppose that makes sense, since none of this is actually physical, but it still feels nice.

Quiet Admission: I do not know.

A long moment of silence stretches in this not-space before the spirit begins pulling away.

Sad Statement: I had hoped to ask you more about what happened, but you seem overwhelmed.

Hypothetical Reasoning: It's likely, whatever you saw took far more energy than talking to me would have.

Swallowing, you can't help but nod. Despite how… peaceful, you feel, wrapped in the gentle affection of a kind spirit, recovering from an experience you don't remember, you can't help but feel your essence beginning to strain. "Thank you for pointing that light out to me," you say. "I… I don't know exactly what happened, but I get the feeling it was important."

The Lady wraps tightly around you for a second, almost as if she wants to keep you here, but thankfully she pulls back a moment later.

Regretful Farewell: Goodbye, little one, and take care.

Hopeful Prediction: Perhaps we will speak again one day.

You nod. That day probably won't be anytime soon since spirits don't really think the same way mortals do, especially about time, but you'll be sure to come back and check in with her every few decades. Assuming the Divine Realm doesn't kick you out. "I hope so," you say, standing and wrapping your cloak around yourself. "Thanks again for taking the time to talk to me."

Gentle Acceptance: Of course, little one, I enjoyed it.

A moment later, you feel a soft tug on the back of your neck, and as you blink you find yourself in your body again, standing in the lake. As you begin to regather yourself, the glow of the water starts fading away save for the natural reflections of the stars and moon as the spirit returns to its natural state. Your feet and legs are soaked, but you don't feel as cold or uncomfortable as you surely would normally.

Looking over your shoulder, you blink as you realize the entire caravan is gathered around the shore of the lake. The cavaliers are all kneeling in a wide semicircle, their swords planted in front of them and their helmeted foreheads resting against the sun-stamped pommels. Missionary Jogby and the two Solar Knights are standing near the edge of the water, their heads bowed slightly and their hands glowing with White magic as they hold them in the sun-circle over their chests. Behind them, three men that you're pretty sure are scribes of some sort all sit cross-legged, wooden trays with candles and inkwells mounted on the sides and parchment open upon it, their quills at the ready. The rest of the caravan personnel (drivers, horse-tenders, both unicorns, and a few others whose jobs you don't know) are behind the cordon of cavaliers, kneeling themselves.

Feeling self-conscious, you force yourself not to reach for your dragonstone as you make your way back to shore. As soon as your feet touch land again, Missionary Jogby finally looks up. "Praise be, and thank you for your guidance," he says, and it takes you a second to realize he's speaking past you, to the lake and the spirit that lives within.

"Praise be," the other Realmers intone as one, bowing their heads more deeply to the lake.

You glance over your shoulder to see if the spirit responds, but all you see is the water reflecting the stars. "I seem to recall telling you-" Missionary Jogby's voice causes you to yelp and turn back around to see him focusing on you again, "-that only those who had been blessed and ordained were to interact with the Lady of the Lake." As you start to open your mouth to tell him that A, the Lady had wanted to talk to you and B, he'd only said not to go to the monastery, he waves a hand, letting the light magic fade from it. "Of course, we are mere mortal beings trying to decipher the will of the divine. Most of the time we are right, but on occasion Sol Invictus and her servants remind us that our understanding is imperfect. It seems that tonight, you were the vessel of that reminder." He inclines his head sightly to you.

That's a better response than you'd feared, though you can't help but wonder if you're imagining his smile not really reaching his eyes. "I hadn't really expected anything," you say. "I'd just wanted to go to the shore and look at the lake and feel the magic, then the waves started picking up and I heard a voice telling me to stay."

"Truly?" Missionary Jogby says as the three scribes start writing. "Was the voice clear? Did she specifically invite you to step into the lake, or did you sense an emotional calling rather than verbal?"

You force yourself not to take a step back as everyone's eyes bore into you. You've gotten somewhat used to staring from humans who know that you're a manakete but haven't yet figured out that you're still just a person, not some ancient sage or lurking monster. This, however… you're not entirely sure if the volley of questions is coming from a place of curiosity, or if the Missionary's still not happy you answered the spirit's call without asking him first. "The only word I heard was 'stay,'" you say. "But I knew what the spirit wanted, and she made the path to the water with some of the waves."

The Missionary nods. "Yes, Knight Flare Glinda recognized that invitation," he says, causing you to flash a small, grateful smile to the Solar Knight. "However, when it comes to interpreting divine revelation, even the slightest details are of vital importance. That is one of the reasons access is normally restricted to the properly ordained; they have undergone the training necessary to pick up on the subtle clues and messages the Lady communicates with." He pauses before softening his voice. "Forgive me, this is not an interrogation, simply an effort to understand why the Lady stepped outside her normal patterns and behaviors, so that we might learn what wisdom she bestowed upon you."

You… suppose that makes sense. "Alright," you say.

"Excellent," Missionary Jogby says. "So, there was a non-verbal invitation, a clear path to the lake, and then you stepped into the water with her blessing. What happened then?"

Frowning, you concentrate as hard as you can to try and remember. Everything's… fuzzy… "She was… lucid. More-so than the other major spirit I talked to," you say. "I think she said that spirit was younger than her, so it didn't really know how to communicate with people…" Missionary Jogby nods encouragingly as the scribes continue writing down every word. "She… she was curious, I think. She hadn't seen any manakete since… well, since the Emperor came through, and she wanted to talk to me… she warned me to be careful at one point, when I tried to get closer…"

"Could you see anything?" Missionary Jogby asks after you pause for a second to try and gather your thoughts. "Any visions?"

Shaking your head, you reach down into your dragon-self, who's still being very quiet. You need her memory! "Not really, no," you say. "I was… I was aware of a form, but I knew it was not my physical form, just my soul essence. My dragon-self was there too." You clench your fist, you know you're missing something! "Then… there was a light. The spirit pointed it out, a light that was attached to me… something someone else had put on."

"A light?" Missionary Jogby says. "What color was it? Where was it located on your form?"

"It was in my chest," you say, tapping the spot. "There was something special about it, though, it wasn't just light. The spirit and I looked at it for a little bit, but she couldn't recognize it… couldn't touch it… I did something…" You shiver as your emotions engulf you through your dragon, that same overwhelming feeling as you'd felt after combining the lights in your stone… "I think I had another vision, one the spirit didn't see, but I can't remember that one at all."

The Solites whisper to each other, and one of the scribes even pauses his work to stare for a moment before hurriedly starting to write again. "You're saying that the Lady of the Lake was simply acting as a conduit? A bridge?" Missionary Jogby asks, his voice shaking slightly as he rocks back on his heels.

Something about what he said rings a bell in your mind, but you can't grasp it. "I… I think so? Maybe? I'm not really sure she was intending to do it…" you say, hugging yourself. "It was really overwhelming… She was worried about me afterwards, asking if I was okay… and I was, I'm fine, it's just… just not something I was expecting."

"Is this when the cloak appeared?" Glinda asks softly.

"Huh?" you ask, looking over your shoulder. You gasp as you realize that the cloak you'd been wearing after the vision-within-a-vision had followed you into the waking world! That should be impossible, a piece of soul-essence suddenly manifesting a physical form in reality, not even a major spirit should have been able to do that so easily and permanently! The cloak is exactly as you remember it, more intricate yet lighter than your old one, warm to the touch and shielding you perfectly. "Y-yes, it was," you say. running a finger along the little girl on the caplet. "She didn't know what it was either, just noticing that it had some magic in it. I didn't think about it, but if I had I probably would have thought it was some spiritual mark, not something real!"

"Sunfire…" one of the women further back whispers, her eyes sweeping over the garment. "The craftsmanship alone…" One of her fellows shushes her.

Meanwhile, Missionary Jogby comes closer, clearly aiming to get a better look at your new cloak. "A gift from the light itself," he says, his eyes glinting. "And it seems to have depiction upon it! It must be the record of the vision, the message we were meant to receive! Quickly, bring it over here before it gets wet, we can't afford any damage!"

'Hands off!' your dragon snarls as you pull the cloak tight around yourself. You channel aside the worst of the impulse to snap, but you do take a step away from him.

"I don't think that's what this is supposed to be," you say hurriedly. "This isn't from the Lady of the Lake, this came through the vision from the light within me. I'm pretty sure it's meant for me." The words feel right in your mouth.

Missionary Jogby, however, frowns. "It is a sacred relic," he says. "It must be preserved, studied. It is possible you were honored with a vision from Sol Invictus herself! If that is the case, then it is imperative that we discover what message or warning she wishes to impart, she only speaks so directly to in times of extraordinary need!"

You take another step back, feeling the wet bank of the lake giving under your feet as the water laps at your heels. "Maybe so, but this is still my cloak! It- it's something I earned, that I worked and risked myself for! I'm sorry, but I can't just let you take it!"

The priest continues forwards, only for Glinda to speak up. "Forgive me, Missionary, for speaking out, but I believe Mistress Levinheart might have a point," she says. "If Sol Invictus had intended for the cloak to be a divine gift that we bring to the Great Reliquary, then surely She would have placed it in Mistress Levinheart's hands rather than upon her shoulders, replacing her mage cloak. Though we do not always understand it, She always has a plan and purpose to her guidance, and to me it seems likely that Her purpose was that Mistress Levinheart hold on to the cloak, at least for now."

Silence falls over the darkened shore save for the lapping of the waves as Missionary Jogby and Glinda stare at each other. Luxann looks between them a few times before glancing at you and subtly moving to stand a little closer to her fellow Solar Knight. After another second or two, the Missionary lets out a long, slow breath. "You are correct, Knight Flare," he says, stepping back. "She always has a plan, and we must have faith in that plan." He turns back to you. "Is there anything else you remember, any hints of what purpose Sol Invictus might have had for giving you that cloak?"

Letting out the breath you'd been holding in, you step away from the water. "I don't remember anything from the second vision," you say. "But… I feel like I should…" Almost of its own volition, your hand slips into your pocket to touch your dragonstone… only to find it burning hot!

"The first, follow the path you are on.
Light the flames to restore promised dawn.
The second, travel deep into the Dry Sea,
With help of my grandchildren, you shall find an eternal key.
The third is far, bound where created were five
Return with at least one, a last love to revive."​

It takes you a second to realize that the voice that had spoken those words had been your own.

You try not to flinch as you look around, but you're slightly surprised to see everyone bowing in your direction this time, even the scribes having lowered their heads despite still writing. "Praise be, and thank you for your guidance," Missionary Jogby says.

"Praise be," the rest of the Solites repeat.

Flushing, you kick at the ground, the warmth of the spirit's influence fading enough that your wet feet are starting to get cold. "Th-that's really not necessary," you mutter. "I don't even know what it means…"

"That is expected," Missionary Jogby says, a genuine smile splitting his face. "As I said, we are mere mortals interpreting the words of a goddess. I have always been of the faction that believes our limited minds simply cannot comprehend the grandeur of Sol Invictus's messages, and so our psyches translate them into rhyme and riddle. Others believe that She wants us to not rely on her overly much, so She phrases Her wisdom in ways that we must think about to understand. Either way, the important thing is that the message has been passed on, now it simply needs to be interpreted. That may take time, but we will figure it out." He glances at the three scribes, who all nod. "Now, is there anything else? Any other details you remember?"

After thinking for a second, you shake your head. "No, not really. The Lady just reassured herself I was okay, then told me to be careful and helped me out of the vision before my mind was overwhelmed." You look around. "How long was I in there?"

Missionary Jogby glances down, and following his gaze you see a glass timekeeper like the one Archmage Stormspeaker used during your test sitting on a flat stone. "Approximately two hours," he says. "I had just flipped it again when you resurfaced."

"Okay…" you say.

The man smiles. "Well, if you remember nothing else, then you should get some food and rest, acting as a conduit for divine revelation is a taxing blessing. If you do have any more dreams or visions, tell us at once so that they can be added to the record; as I said the slightest details can be vital to prevent misinterpretation." He nods towards the Solar Knights before turning to join the three scribes as they converge and start whispering, clearly checking each other's transcripts to ensure that they're accurate.

Glinda is slightly faster than Luxann, moving forwards and offering a hand to you. "Come, Mistress Levinheart, let's go," she says. "Do you have any extra boots or socks? Yours must be soaked."

You nod. "Socks, and the boots have a minor rune work on them that should make them dry out faster," you say, taking her hand and letting her guide you back towards the rest station, about half of the cavaliers and most of the caravan's support staff falling in a respectful distance behind you and the knights. Lowering your voice, you look up at her. "Thanks for backing me up on the cloak…"

She smiles faintly. "We are always excited when Sol Invictus sees fit to grant us a message," she says. "But while zeal and righteous faith are virtues, they must be tempered with wisdom and understanding." Luxann nods, though you wonder if that's a frown on her face, or if she's just thinking hard.

Maybe you'll be able to puzzle it out after your feet no longer feel like they're freezing and your eyes stop drooping.


The next morning, you continue on your way, crossing the river and turning north up the Pilgrim's Path towards the Divine City. What do you do on the last leg of your journey before you have to find out what the Sun-Father wanted?


[] You try to remember more of the vision, no matter how much your heart aches every time you think about it.
-[] Tell Missionary Jogby anything you figure out so long as it's not too private. That'll surely make him happy.
-[] Keep any discoveries to yourself. Whatever they might think, you're certain this message was meant for you.

[] Study the cloak, try to figure out what it is and why you were given it. It must be important for some reason.
-[] Tell Missionary Jogby anything you figure out so long as it's not too private. That'll surely make him happy.
-[] Keep any discoveries to yourself. This is your cloak, not theirs, and so you get to decide what they know about it.

[] Try to join in the discussion between Missionary Jogby and the scribes as they work to puzzle out what the vision meant. While you're not sure they're on the right track, it'll probably make a good impression to show interest, though they'll almost certainly ask you a lot more probing more questions. Hopefully, being helpful will fully smooth over any hard feelings they might hold about you going near the lake.


AN: One thing I didn't want to say too early because I didn't want to affect the vote: the only reason you all got the option to look at the light was because of a natural 100 earlier in the story.

There have been some ridiculous behind-the-scenes rolls.

 

[SoaringHawk218]

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X] Try to join in the discussion between Missionary Jogby and the scribes as they work to puzzle out what the vision meant. While you're not sure they're on the right track, it'll probably make a good impression to show interest, though they'll almost certainly ask you a lot more probing more questions. Hopefully, being helpful will fully smooth over any hard feelings they might hold about you going near the lake.

"We must always consider that we shall be a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people upon us."
-Sun-Father Winthrop


The next day, as everyone finishes their preparations and piles into the carriages, you're surprised to find yourself one of the best-rested people around. "What happened last night?" you ask Missionary Jogby, who has uncharacteristic bags under his eyes as he makes his way towards the main carriage, followed by a bald, middle-aged to older man you don't know.

Despite the clear tiredness in his stance, the priest gives a smile. "The scribes and I were conferring on the details of the revelation you brought to us," he said, gesturing to his fellow. "A few monks from the Lady's Monastery also came by, having noticed her behavior and divined that she had communed with someone on the shore. While most of them had to return to the monastery to listen for any further messages or clarifications, a revelation of this magnitude must be reported and recorded in the archives of the Divine City by the proper authorities. This is Father Dailon, and he will be accompanying us for the rest of our journey."

You turn your eyes to Father Dailon curiously. Unlike Missionary Jogby, his robes are simple brown fabric, even less ornate than Father Simon's. The only decoration upon it is a yellow-dyed circle that looks like the sun, with a blue lake below it. He gives you a nod. "Blessings be upon you," he says quietly. "Long has it been since the Lady of the Lake communed with any outside of the Brotherhood, but she sits at the right hand of the Divine, so it is not for us to question her judgement."

You force yourself not to frown, the idea of not questioning something is nearly anathema to you. "It's nice to meet you," you say, offering a hand. "I'm Ryza. Ryza Levinheart."

Father Dailon inclines his shaved head again, not taking the offered shake. "Indeed," he says. "My brothers and I wished to speak with you last night, to ask further questions and seek guidance from the Lady's chosen messenger, but the Solar Knights suggested that would not be wise." His eyes flick slightly to Glinda as he says this, the woman gently stroking her unicorn's mane as it looks longingly towards the lake.

You don't think Glinda's going to replace Melissa as your favorite Realmer, but she is making a very good case for the position! "I appreciate that," you say. "I was very tired last night."

Finally, that gets a flicker of a smile from the man. "Such is the price of divine revelation," he says. "It has been many years since any of the Brotherhood have last communed so deeply with the Lady; I was a young initiate the last time it happened. We have received guidance and visions, but those were minor things and even they took their toll on the body." His eyes flick to your cloak. "And never before has she granted a physical gift."

Missionary Jogby clears his throat. "We will have plenty of time to discuss this on the journey," he says. "Especially with the events of last night, it is vital that Mistress Levinheart be escorted to her meeting with the Sun-Father as soon as possible."

Father Dailon frowns slightly, but nods. "That is true, Missionary," he says. "Might I ride with yourself and Mistress Levinheart? While you and your scribes did an excellent job for a first interview, it is vital that further questions and discussion be carried out before memories begin to fade."

You briefly consider refusing. You're still not entirely comfortable with how intense everyone is being about your conversation with the spirit, how convinced they all seem that the message was meant for them and you're nothing more than a convenient vessel to deliver it. However, you take a second to put aside your emotions and consider the request logically. Father Dailon is not wrong that your memories of the vision will fade with time, so it'd be better to talk about it now while your memory is still fairly fresh.

After all, even though you firmly believe that the message was intended for you, there are some parts that you don't understand. Having someone who's versed in parsing out the sorts of metaphors that Sol Invictus/The Mother might use will be helpful.

"I'm fine with that," you say. "I haven't had any more dreams or visions or anything, but I can try to clarify what I remember."

The monk nods. "Excellent," he says. "You have my gratitude, young one."

Resisting the urge to point out that, even discounting the time you spent in stasis, you're probably as old as both these men put together, you clamber up into the coach. As soon as the two priests are settled in with you, the caravan sets off once more, heading north towards the Divine City.

You watch with some interest as Father Dailon pulls out not only a sheaf of parchments that you recognize as the ones the scribes had been writing, but also a large book with the same crest as is on his robe, along with several blank sheets of parchment, a bottle of ink and several quills, which he arranges along a wooden table that folds down from the wall of the carriage. "Now, for the record," he says formally. "Will you please state your full name?"

You glance at Missionary Jogby, but he simply nods and gestures towards Father Dailon. Just like the Solar Knights, he clearly views this discussion as the monk's area of expertise and responsibility, and is unwilling to interfere too much. "My name's Ryza," you say. "I took the name Levinheart because of my time in the Marble Hall and to help Artemis Cartese and Agrithe, but I see myself as Ryza."

Father Dailon nods, his quill scratching against the parchment in front of him. You try to read the writing upside-down, but he seems to be using some form of shorthand that you don't immediately recognize. "Thank you for your clarity and candor, it is very helpful," he says encouragingly. "Now, in my experience, before discussing what is seen or heard during interactions with the Lady of the Lake, it is best to describe what is felt. So please, in as much detail as you can, describe what you were feeling during the entire encounter, starting before you entered the lake and ending after the last remnants of the vision faded and you were truly back in your own mind and body."

You suppose that makes sense, after all spirits are beings of magic and emotion. "Well, I'd gone down to the lake to look at the water. I'd seen it glowing from the air on my way over, but-" you hesitate for a second, just because you don't always agree with Missionary Jogby doesn't mean you want to get him in any trouble. That would make working with him much harder! However, he gives you a little nod, and so you continue. "Well, Missionary Jogby said that since I'm not a part of the church, I wasn't allowed to go to your monastery to take a look."

The monk nods, not even glancing at the other man. "So you were feeling frustrated?" he asks.

"A bit, yes," you say. It sounds so petty, saying it out loud…

"Please, there is no judgement here," Father Dailon says. "Whatever your feelings, it is clear that the Lady and Sol Invictus saw you worthy to bear their message. Please, all I ask is your help in understanding her message so that it can be properly conveyed."

Nodding, you continue. "Well, after a few minutes, I sensed the White magic, the Lady's magic, picking up and moving in my direction. A moment later, I heard her asking me to stay, and I felt, I knew, that she wanted to talk to me. So I stepped into the lake, and after that things get a bit fuzzy."

Father Dailon continues writing even as he peers at you closely. "That is to be expected," he says. "But remember, first we must determine a baseline of feeling. That should carry through more clearly than the specifics of the vision."

"Right, right," you say. "Well, I guess the biggest feeling was awe. I was more aware than the last time I'd interacted with a major spirit, and so I could get a better grasp of how much bigger than me she was. But I wasn't afraid of her, neither my heart nor my dragon. We were… interested. Excited. Curious. And I think she was too."

Scritch scratch scritch scratch goes the quill. "And after that?" the monk presses. "After the second vision, the one that we believe came from Sol Invicstus herself?"

Shivering, you try to think back on that vision. It's… harder. "I was… sad, but in a happy way," you try to explain helplessly. "Whatever I saw hurt, but it was the good kind of hurt. The healing kind."

Missionary Jogby looks a little confused, but Father Dailon nods. "I believe I understand what you are trying to convey," he says. "Were there any other major emotions? Did the sense of awe return once you were back in the Lady's care?"

You shrug. "Not really? I mean, I still recognized that she was big and strong and to be respected, but I was still… hurting. Overwhelmed. She was able to calm me down a little, but eventually she said that my mind and soul were taking too much strain to stay, and so she helped guide me out of the vision. I woke up back in the lake, and then I talked to Missionary Jogby and the others."

Father Dailon continues writing for a few long seconds before taking the parchment, blowing on it, and offering it to you. "Do please forgive my handwriting, this initial record is intended for speed and accuracy," he says. "Are there any important points that you feel I left out or mis-recorded?"

You take the parchment gratefully, peering at the scribbles to try and interpret them. It takes a little bit, but eventually you're convinced that the monk had caught all the major feelings. "What do you think they mean?" you ask.

The two men glance at each other before Father Dailon speaks. "Forgive me if this is an impertinent question, Ryza," he says softly. "But have you… lost anyone, recently?"

You shiver. "My parents," you say. "It was a thousand years ago, but since I was asleep for most of that… it feels much closer to me." You cock your head. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, while Sentinel worshippers believe that all the dead go to his Wall, we have reason to believe that some souls, if not all of them, instead go to Sol Invictus's side," Father Dailon says. "Certainly the righteous souls. From what you described, it is possible that she permitted you to speak with your family."

The words send a jolt through your body… but it is not a jolt of anger of false hope, but… "I… I think you might be right," you say. "I was… I was crying, after the middle vision, both halves of me were. The Lady notice it, that was why she was worried."

'Then why can't we remember?!' your dragon howls in your mind, hurt and anger chasing each other's tails before you're able to step in and calm her. "I want to remember Mommy and Daddy…" You can't say anything to that, Mother you want to remember them too! Maybe, if you keep talking, keep discussing what happened with the monk, he can help you remember!

"That belief has certain implications…" Missionary Jogby says slowly before shaking his head. "But this is not the time or place to discuss those implications, forgive my intrusion."

Father Dailon nods, holding out a hand. "With the discussion of your feelings out of the way," he says. "We should proceed to the discussion of the vision itself and your memories thereof, though of course if there are any other emotions or sensations that you recall that might give further insight, please share them. As was said last night, when interpreting divine revelation even the slightest detail can be of vital importance."

You give the parchment back to him, thinking. "Well, as I said, I don't think that the Lady had any message she wanted to pass on herself," you say. "She said something about having not seen manakete for a long time, and being curious to talk to me. She then saw something, something that had been left in me, some sort of magical light. We poked at that a little, and she couldn't interact with it at all." You struggle to remember details, but everything's still fuzzy… "I did… something. I think I had to combine the bits that were in my heart and my dragon self, and once we did… the other vision started."

"Do you have any inkling of when this light was placed within you?" Father Dailon asks.

You shake your head. "No, sorry. I had no idea it was there until the Lady pointed it out to me."

"Hmmm…" the monk murmurs, his quill finally stopping as he thinks. Finally, however, he shakes his head. "Let us gather all the information first, then think about interpretations. I know in your initial report you say you don't recall anything about the second vision, but after having a night to think on it as well as discussing what you were feeling, do you remember anything specific?"

"No, sorry," you say, before stopping as you think. "…No, nothing specific, but… maybe…" You close your eyes, trying desperately to draw on your dragon's memory.

"Take your time, do not stress yourself. That way lies false memories," Father Dailon says gently.

Swallowing, you nod, still trying to focus. "I think… I think I can remember some words. No context, no tone… just… just something about being proud of me." You sniffle as a wave of emotion crashes over you, you can't be entirely certain that you didn't just prime yourself with the things that the priests were saying and suggesting, but you don't think you're wrong.

Both men remain respectfully silent as you process your emotions for a moment. "Anything else?" Missionary Jogby asks when you finally open your eyes.

You frown as you think. "I think… I think there was something else…" you say. "There was a feeling of awe, not the same as when I was talking to the Lady. Almost overshadowed…" you run your hands along the cloak. "I don't know what it means, but I think… I think I did see my… my parents, but I don't think they're all I saw." You pull the cloak around yourself, feeling its warmth fill you. "Sorry, I can't be certain…"

"That is perfectly fine, Ryza," Father Dailon says. "There is little certainty to be had in these sorts of visions, but it is still important to try and understand them. What happened next?"

"Well, after I left the other vision, the Lady was worried about me, making sure I was okay. Then we noticed the cloak, so I guess I got that in the other vision as well. After that, she said that there wasn't time for us to talk anymore, that I was more overwhelmed than if she and I had talked, and so she let me out. And that's about it, I think,"

"There is also the proclamation you made after you left," Missionary Jogby reminds you.

"Oh yeah," you say, trying to remember the phrasing. While you're certain that the Realmers wrote it down, you're sure they'd be happier if you could repeat it, just as a confirmation. Annoyingly, it doesn't flow as readily as it did last night. With a huff, you reach into your pocket for your dragonstone, hoping that would jog your memory, and once again you feel a flare of heat.

"The first, follow the path you are on.
Light the flames to restore promised dawn.
The second, travel deep into the Dry Sea,
With help of my grandchildren, you shall find an eternal key.
The third is far, bound where created were five
Return with at least one, a last love to revive."​

Panting, you're finally able to let go of your stone as your voice returns to your conscious control. "Praise be," both priests say reverently.

"I notice you reaching into your pocket," Father Dailon says, reaching over and turning one of the scribe's note-pages towards himself. "And according to this, you did so last night as well. Is there a purpose to that?"

You hesitate for a moment, but you want to get to the bottom of this mystery as much as they do, and they had said all the details were important. "I was touching my dragonstone," you say, carefully pulling the gem out and showing it to the priests. "It's something that can help to comfort manakete in stressful situations, or at least I always found it comforting. As for why it helps me remember… I'm not completely sure. The stone is a physical manifestation of the bond between heart and dragon, and dragons have far better memories for details. Maybe she remembers it clearly, and I just need her help to do it." Your dragon shakes her mental head. "Maybe not, though. Maybe… maybe the message was imprinted onto the stone itself…"

"Fascinating," Father Dailon says. "I would have thought it the opposite, since from what I understand of your nature your human self is meant for thinking and planning, but I trust you to know yourself better than I." He nods. "Now, is there anything else that you have remembered or believe you can clarify on before we take a first stab at interpretation?"

You shake your head, this is the part that you've been most interested it. "What do you think it all means?" you ask.

The monk gives a huff of laughter. "That, I'm sure, will be debated for a long time, especially once this record gets to the Divine City," he says. "But let us take it from the top. It seems clear to me that your initial instinct was right. While the Lady of the Lake is normally the primary voice of Sol Invicitus's guidance, last night she was the bridge. She could guide you to unlock the vision, but was not the origin of that vision."

You nod, that makes sense. Missionary Jogby, however, speaks up thoughtfully. "There must be a purpose behind that," he says. "If Sol Invictus wanted to send a direct message, She had many other ways to do so. While it would be well within Her power to guide and direct Mistress Levinheart to the Lady, if the message was urgent enough that She believes it necessary to speak directly, why would she not speak to the Sun-Father or one of her other people?"

You start to open your mouth to suggest that the vision might have been meant for you rather than for the Divine Realm, but Father Dailon beat you to it. "Of course, I can only give my interpretation, but if I had to guess She intended to show Her support for Ryza," he says. "After all, even in our monetary, the Brotherhood heard whispers of the Revisionists' words, and I spoke to some of the members of the caravan after our discussion with the scribes last night. There are those who remember the old stories, but it seems to me that by openly showing Her favor for Ryza in so clear a fashion, Sol Invictus hopes to remind us all that legends are not facts, and that we should trust in Her words more than propaganda."

Missionary Jogby nods. "You speak wisdom, Father," he says. "However, it is still vital that we determine what guidance she wished to convey." His eyes flick to your cloak again.

Hugging it around yourself, you force yourself not to frown and tell him to keep his eyes to himself. "I think we should focus on the wording," you say. "I mean, if th- she went to trouble of imprinting that poem so deeply into my psyche that it physically affects my dragonstone to remember it, then it must be important."

"That does make sense," Father Dailon says, pulling the page with the rhyme written on it to sit in front of him. "It is clearly a set of directions of some kind. A path for us to follow to what Sol Invictus sees as the best future." He frowns thoughtfully, tracing the first line. "It seems that we are already on the right track, which is good, but what could she mean by lighting flames…"

You half expect Missionary Jogby to jump in with some sort of metaphorical meaning about flames of faith or something like that, but he leans back, his eyes suddenly distant. "Perhaps…" he murmurs.

Both you and Father Dailon look at him expectantly as he trails off. "Missionary?" the monk asks.

The older man looks between the two of you, clearly thinking hard. "There are some things that I am sworn not to speak of," he says carefully, his lips curling into a frown. "However… it is true that Sol Invictus has shown that Mistress Levinheart has Her favor. I can see no other interpretation for how clearly She pushed for Mistress Levinheart to be the one to bear this message to us, even planting it in advance…" He finally sighs. "Sun, forgive me if I misinterpret or misunderstand."

"She is patient, She is loving," Father Dailon intones firmly, clearly quoting someone.

Missionary Jogby nods. "Praise be," he says. "Mistress Levinheart, you asked what the Sun-Father wished to speak to you about, and I told you that knowledge would have to wait until the proper time. It seems that time has arrived sooner than I had anticipated. While it is true that the Sun-Father wishes to know more about the ancients, there is more to the story." He hesitates, clearly wrestling with himself, but Father Dailon puts a hand on his shoulder and you see a slight flare of White magic pass between them. "Father Dailon, as Missionary and representative of the Sun-Father, I swear you to absolute secrecy. Without leave from the Sun-Father or Sol Invictus herself, you cannot speak of what I am about to say to anyone. If you cannot agree to this, you will have to leave, and woe be upon you if you break this oath by willful malice or gross negligence. Do you swear?"

"I swear, with Sol Invictus as my guide and witness," the monk says.

The Missionary looks at you. "I have no direct power over you, Mistress Levinheart, but I ask that you promise the same."

You nod. "I promise," you say. "Thank you for trusting me."

Missionary Jogby sighs. "Very well. Deep beneath the Grand Cathedral in the Divine City, there is a shrine. It is a shrine that only the most honored, the most trusted, the most blessed, are permitted to enter. It was the place where Sun-Father Leon, founder of the Divine Realm and Sol Invictus's most favored priest, discovered the method of completing the Sunstar and purifying it in the name of goodness. It is also… a place that has many writings and pictograms that are based upon your language, Makai I believe you call it. When the Revisionists of the Divine Realm gained access to the dictionary you made for their brothers and sisters at the Marble Hall, the Sun-Father acquired a copy and attempted to translate the writings in the shrine. However, the text was… difficult to comprehend, and we are making slow progress that we cannot have confidence in. For a task of this magnitude, that uncertainty is unacceptable. Thus, Sun-Father Mathias, in his wisdom, felt that going directly to the source would be for the best."

Frowning, you wonder just what Sun-Father Leon found there… but then you realize you can guess. "He found a dragonstone, didn't he?" you ask.

"Yes. A whole, unblemished stone, and with Sol Invictus's guidance and blessing he used it to complete the Sunstar, as only a whole dragonstone is able to power a Mastercraft." The Missionary must read the flicker of anger on your face, as he shakes his head. "The writings are all clear, and never has Sol Invictus told us the first Sun-Father misinterpreted Her visions, as She has done with other egregious errors. I know you have your own opinions, but in the Divine Realm we follow Her will, and She wished for the Sunstar to be completed."

For the first time, your theory that the Mother and Sol Invictus are one and the same takes a real hit. The Mother you knew and worshipped would never encourage a memory shrine be desecrated! Though… Gyra-Dregon's stone almost seems to flare in you pocket, maybe she just figured it would be safer as part of an honored staff than sitting there for some greedy human to damage later? "And where do the flames come into it?" you ask, more to keep yourself from saying anything rash.

Missionary Jogby nods. "Around the room are several torches. We have attempted several times to light them, but they always fade and sputter out. Perhaps there is some ritual, some prayer, that you will be able to help us enact to bring about this 'promised dawn.'"

You suppose that makes some sense, and it does fit with your own theory that this message is meant for you. "And what might that be?" you ask curiously.

The older priest sighs. "I do not know," he says.

Father Dailon, however, is studying you with a strange interest. "Forgive me, Ryza, but a thought does occur. From what little I heard of your history, you grew up in the southern mountains, in a large mountain hold, is that right? Did your family rule over the entire area?"

You shake your head. "I mean, not in the way you're thinking," you say. "Mother was Matriarch of the tribe, but it was only really her and Father and I, and while we had hunting rights over a pretty large area I wouldn't say we ruled it. Why?"

"And you said that the light was already within you, even before you met the Lady?"

"…Yes?"

Missionary Jogby's eyes light up as he looks between the two of you. "Do you think she could be the Princess who was Promised?" he asks Father Dailon.

"The Princess is sometimes called the Promised Dawn," the monk says. "And it is clear that we are heading towards a time of darkness…"

You wave your hands. "But I'm not a princess!" you say hurriedly. "Manakete don't have princesses!"

"It could be a translation error," Missionary Jogby says. "After all, it is an ancient legend, pre-dating the Divine Realm."

This just doesn't feel right. "But I don't fit a lot of the other criteria I read. I'm not Soul-Scenting, I can't perfectly understand people's hearts and emotions. Believe me, I'd have had a lot less trouble if I could do that!" Of course, you wouldn't have been able to fly in your heart form if you were, and you wouldn't give that up for anything. "And I'm not an avatar of the Light either. I'm a Yellow manakate, lightning and magic."

The two men look slightly crestfallen. "Well, either way, I am now more certain than ever that the Sun-Father made the right choice to invite you, and this revelation is something he will be able to use to convince any more recalcitrant Sun-Speakers to allow you to enter the sacred shrine. Perhaps that was Sol Invictus's reason for having you carry this message."

A long minute of silence passes as the three of you think before Father Dailon looks back at the message. "As for the second section, the Dry Sea could easily apply to the Ocean of Grass, where the Felicians live. I do not know what She means by an Eternal Key, but that strikes me as something we should ask Missionary Skyseer for her thoughts on. While she is dedicated to Sol Invictus she does remember the history of her culture, and if she does not know she can make inquiries among others of her people."

Well, assuming you're right and this message is for you, you'll have to find time to go to this Ocean of Grass. You'll have to make sure everything's alright with Artemis and the rest of the kingdoms' fight against the Empire, but hopefully you'l be able to sort that mess out sooner rather than later. "I'm afraid I don't really know anything about that, so we probably should wait for this Missionary Skyseer to weigh in. What do you think they mean by 'where created were five?'"

Missionary Jogby frowns thoughtfully. "Since we already discussed them… She could be referring to the Mastercrafts," he says. "While the Sunstar was completed here in the Divine Realm, its fellow Mastercrafts were all made in their entirety by the Old Master in Sundered Mountain. Even the Sunstar started its life there."

You remember reading that, and you suppose it does make sense. You're not entirely sure why the Mother wants you to go there… unless… "Where is Sundered Mountain?" you ask, trying to remember. You're almost certain you heard about some sort of connection between it and Manakete culture…

Missionary Jogby quickly shuffles through a small drawer in his seat, and after a few seconds pulls out a map of the continent. "Here, deep in the Empire, just north of the Icewall Mountains," he says, tapping the map.

You swallow as your worries are confirmed. "That's an old Manakete hold," you say. "Goremasa-Zez-Akvech… My father spent time there as a student." You close your eyes, trying to think. You've only seen one of the Mastercrafts in person, Mjolnir. It had clearly been leaps and bounds beyond any other tome you'd seen. Almost as if it had been made by someone better at runewrighting than any human had managed to become even after a thousand years of learning and institutional improvement…

"Ryza?" Father Dailon says. "What did you realize? Even the slightest detail could be important."

You shake your head. "I… I don't think it's related to this vision…" you say.

Missionary Jogby frowns. "But it could be. When it comes to Sol Invictus's guidance, anything could be a vital clue."

You consider refusing. After all, this is your heritage. Your history. Your sorrow. However… you're not sure you can do this alone. You've done a lot of amazing things, but you're still a child. You'll need help to get to these places, and you certainly need the Realmer's blessing to access this ritual that might answer some of your questions.

You have to have faith.

Trusting your instincts, you take the plunge. "I think the Old Master might have been a manakete."

A long silence fills the carriage save for the bumping and rustling of the wheels and the neighing of the horses. "Why would one of your people help humans make weapons to kill your people?" Missionary Jogby asks. "Why would the Fell Dragon kill one of his own?"

"I know other manakete killed my parents," you say. "Maybe my parents weren't the only ones." Your thoughts race. "I know there was a nation of humans and manakete up here, the Union. Maybe the Fell Dragon didn't like that… and I remember reading a letter the Revisionists saved about manakete living in what's now the Ocean of Grass. There has to be some connection…"

Why would the Mother point you towards those three places? Could there be some history there, something that would tell you what happened a thousand years ago, explain why your people were murdered? Maybe, perhaps even probably, but something about that thought doesn't ring right to you. The Mother loves her children, you're sure of it, but everything you'd ever heard and read about her said that she did not directly intervene in the mortal world. That she was doing so now… there had to be a very, very good reason… a reason to send you to places where other manakete lived and probably died-

Wait… what if they didn't all die? After all, you survived. Maybe… Maybe there are others out there, sleeping?

The thought rings right in your head, and you have to force yourself not to gasp.

Something must have appeared on your face, as both priests focus on you. "What is it, Ryza?" Father Dailon says. "What did you realize?"

If it had been Artemis asking you that question, you would have answered in a heartbeat, same with Belle or Kelton. Even a lot of your other friends and their families, like Sypha or Archduke Letoro or Alina, would have been told your suspicious. However… you don't know the Divine Realm as well, and this could be the single most important task you would undertake after being woken up. True, if you're right there's a good chance they'll find out when you light these flames and complete this ritual, but while usually procrastination isn't something you like doing, in this case you think delaying is the right call.

Still, you have to tell them something. "I was just thinking… the places I was told about are all old manakete homes. I wonder… do you think the message was meant for me? Are those places I'm supposed to go?"

Missionary Jogby frowns. "The Church of Sol Invictus has always been Her instrument upon this world," he says. "Whatever task She wishes carried out, we will not shy away from it."

"And I'm sure she really appreciates that," you say. "But if it's something to do with manakete, then I'm the expert, just like you're the expert on church laws and diplomacy and Father Dailon's the expert on interpreting the Lady. Maybe she wants us to work together, which is why she made a production out of giving me this revelation, so that you know she trusts me."

The lake monk nods slowly. "There is logic to her words, Missionary," he says. "And this situation is already well outside the normal methods She uses to communicate with Her people. Besides, is it not said in the Canticles of Therensen that wisdom can come from the smallest of mouths?"

"It is said that," Missionary Jogby says. "Very well, I shall concede that it is a possibility. Thus, it is all the more important that the ritual beneath the Cathedral be carried out swiftly, so that we might test this theory and see what it is Sol Invictus wishes for us to see."

As silence falls in the carriage, you hope you made the right choice in sharing your ideas. On the one hand, you now have a better idea of what to expect, as well as how vital it is that you follow through with this path the Mother set before you. On the other… you get the feeling that Missionary Jogby, at least, is not thrilled that things are going a different way than he expected. Hopefully his loyalty to the Divine Realm and its reputation would keep him from doing anything unfortunate.

…You should probably keep an eye on him, just in case.

---

The next day, as the sun rises higher into the sky, you find yourself sitting on the top of the carriage, ignoring the faint noises of voices you hear from below you. You'd listened for a little while, but when it became clear Missionary Jogby and Father Dailon were debating some esoteric bit of Solite doctrine rather than plotting against you (and isn't that a phrase that just makes you sound like the most paranoid person in the world… 'It's not paranoia if people really are out to get you!') you decide to just sit back and watch the world go by. It's not as nice as flying, but now that you're much closer to the Divine City you decide it might be good to follow Artemis's original advice and not stand out too much.

True, you do get some odd looks from other travelers on the Pilgrim's Path sitting on the roof, but nobody comments so you're sure it's fine.

You're drawn from your musings by the sight of a glint in the distance. "Is that the Divine City?" you ask Glinda, who's riding nearby.

The Solar Knight stands in her stirrups to peers down the road. "I believe it is, Mistress Levinheart," she says. Sitting down in the saddle, she guides her unicorn next to the carriage and lightly knocks on the window. "Missionary, Father, we are nearly at the Divine City."

"Thank you, Mother Glinda," the missionary says from within. "Has Mistress Levinheart returned?"

"She has been with us the whole way, Missionary," Glinda says. Despite your name being mentioned, most of your attention is on trying to get your first good look at the heart of the Divine Realm, the place that may well have once been the heart of the Union. It is all you can do not to spread your wings and fly closer.

However, even without your flight, you quickly begin to get a better idea of what the city's like. The first thing you notice is how bright it is. Like the Marble Hall, most of the larger buildings you see are made of white stone, though a lot of the shine seems to come from the golden decorations that cover the tallest towers. Even the smaller buildings that start to come into view over the horizon as you get closer shimmer, as does the wall that surrounds the city. "Wow…" you whisper.

"It is something, isn't it?" Luxann says from the other side. "It was actually founded by the Empire, back when they ruled this area. It was called Wyrm's Reach at the time. Of course, after Sun-Father Leon proved that reach had limits, we needed a new name."

You stare in awe as the shining beacon of a city gets closer and closer. Mother, there were probably twice as many people living in the Divine City as could fit in your home! Three times! You giggle as you remember back to when Miau was the largest population you'd ever seen. The whole village could probably live comfortably in that big, central building, the one that had spires reaching up as if it was trying to touch the sky.

As you get closer, you're surprised see that there are tents and carts set up around the gate into the city. "What's going on?" you ask.

It takes Glinda a moment to figure out what you mean, but when she does she chuckles. "You should see it around the holy days," she says. "It sometimes feels like there's more people outside the city than in it!" She shakes her head. "The Divine City, as you can tell, is a beautiful place. However, in its design, there was a certain focus on… form over function, especially when it comes to visitor lodging. Now, most cities would develop permanent housing outside the wall, thus expanding. However, the Divine City is as much a holy site as a settlement, thus laws have been made that there shall be no extension beyond the walls as defined by Sun-Father Leon. Of course, humans being humans, we find the workable amidst the legal, and as such there are funds and holy orders that cater to the pilgrims, both helping to transport them to the Divine City as well as providing 'temporary' accommodations."

…That all sounds needlessly complicated and quite frankly silly, but if you've learned anything about Realmers it's that they take the rules and commandments of the Solite church very seriously, so you just nod. "Okay," you say. Glancing around, you don't see any other travelers nearby save for a small caravan that's a few minutes ahead of you, so you carefully drop off the roof of the carriage, catching yourself with your wings before knocking on the door. "Can I come back in?"

"Of course, Mistress Levinheart," Missionary Jogby says. "It is likely for the best."

You nod as you slip in, nodding to Father Dailon. "So will we be going straight to this ritual chamber?" you ask once the door is closed.

"No, I'm afraid not," Missionary Jogby says. "I know you are eager to return to Lady Cartese and the Kingdoms, but even with a divine revelation indicating you have Sol Invictus's blessing, there will have to be some discussion and deliberation. However, with that revelation, it should not be nearly as long as I had expected."

"That's good," you say. "I do hope that I can return to Artemis with good news soon, while we bought ourselves some breathing room by driving off the Imperials near us, there is another army around."

"Yes, the Meridien force," Missionary Jogby says with a sigh. "They have been poking around near the border of the Divine Realm, making a very visible but strictly legal nuisance of themselves, likely as a gauche bit of pressure to go with the Regent's diplomats."

You frown. "Aren't you worried that they'll invade?" you ask. "The Empire's already attack Starhelm and a few other Northern Kingdoms, and they kind of invaded Legerius and Agrithe through their mercenaries back when they were trying to kidnap Artemis and Sypha."

Missionary Jogby waves a hand. "No, they will have to be more careful than that," he says. "Though we are loath to use them, we have soldiers and Solar Knights enough to make any invasion folly, and so long as their diplomats continue to visit, the Sun-Father has faith that they will stay their hand."

You're not sure you believe that, but that's probably a conversation you should have with the Sun-Father himself when you get to meet with him. Hopefully you can convince him that it's best for everyone to stand up to the Empire together, just like Archduke Letoro convinced the Southern Kingdoms to work together. Instead, you just nod and make a non-committal noise as you look out the window.

Despite the small worry in the back of your mind, it seems that the camp around the gate of the Divine City is organized enough that there is a clear path into the city. You see humans with all manner of dress milling about, but all of them bow towards the carriage as it passes. Finally, however, you make your way through the gates and into the city itself.

If it was impressive from a distance, the Divine City is incredible up close. The streets are clean and orderly, seemingly laid out in a planned grid pattern with circular open spaces every few hundred feet that seem to serve both as parks as well as places where carriages could turn without blocking the road. There are plenty of people around, mostly wearing various robes and garments that have sun symbols on them. There are non-robed people, but it seems that they're outnumbered by the various priests and priestesses you see.

When you point that out to Missionary Jogby, he nods. "This is the Divine City, the heart of Sol Invictus's realm upon this world," he says. "We are also upon the main Pilgrim Path, so we are not going into the parts of the city where non-believers tend to live and work."

You frown slightly. "Are they kept separate on purpose?" you ask.

Missionary Jogby shakes his head. "No, no, but they tend to congregate near the outskirts of the city. No shrines to the spirits or the Sentinel are permitted within the walls of the Divine City, it is Sol Invictus's place after all, but there are a few places to venerate outside the city proper, so it's easier for those who wish to hold on to the old ways to live near those. There are also a few districts where business that is best undertaken by those not of the faith is carried out, and those who engage in such trades dominate those districts. Like tends to keep with like, do they not? As I understood it, your people were similar, with the various colors of manakete keeping to themselves."

"Kind of," you say. "We did talk to each other, though, and visit." After all, you remember that your father grew up in a mostly Green hold.

"As do we," Missionary Jogby says.

You decide that it's probably not a good idea to keep arguing, not when you're somewhat relying on Missionary Jogby to help you convince the Sun-Father and his advisors to let you into this shrine sooner rather than later so you can figure out what the Mother wanted you to find (and you so, so hope it's another survivor…) so you can get back to Artemis, so you nod. "I guess that makes sense," you say.

Missionary Jogby nods and smiles, and a silence falls in the carriage as you look back out the window. The buildings are getting taller and more ornate, the roundabouts becoming even more beautiful, many with decently-sized trees of various sorts growing. The robes of the pedestrians are also becoming more ornate, though as you concentrate you do see a steady stream of people that seem to be going in the same direction as you, heading towards the big building in the center of the city. They are clad in clothing of all different kinds, but you notice all of them have a white hood on separate from whatever else they might be wearing.

"The Pilgrims," Father Dailon says. "Those who have come to the Divine City to pay their respects more formally to Sol Invictus. It is an expectation that every Solite will come here at least once in their life, though sadly for some who live outside the Divine Realm the trip is impossible. We pray for their souls as well."

Finally, after long minutes of navigating the increasingly-more-ornate city, the carriage pulls into an enclosed space just off the Grand Cathedral. Poking your head out, you see lots of other carriages like it, though not all of them are as ornate as Missionary Jogby's, as well as horses and even a few unicorns.

As you climb out, you watch the now familiar process of people, mainly boys and girls in their late tweens and early teens with a few adult supervisors, hurry out to tend to the caravan. They all wear clerical robes, though theirs have almost no decorations. "Welcome home, Missionary," one of the older boys says, giving Missionary Jogby a deep bow.

"Thank you, Acolyte," the missionary says, making the sign of the sun over his chest. "Has the Sun-Father given his noon sermon yet?"

"No, Missionary," the young man says. "Though I believe he will be doing so before too long." As he speaks, his eyes flick briefly to you. You give him a wave and a smile.

"Carry on," Missionary Jogby says, and the boy bows again before moving to help some of his companions. "Acolytes, wards of the Church," he says to you by way of explanation. "In addition to their classes and prayers, they have various chores to do to help keep the Cathedral running. They are absolutely indispensable." He looks up at the ceiling, which you notice is studded with plenty of small windows to let the sun in. "We made good time, I had feared that we might not make it until after the Sun-Father's sermon."

"Can we go talk to him now?"

Missionary Jogby shakes his head. "I'm afraid that will be impossible, Mistress Levinheart," he says. "Tradition dictates that the Sun-Father must pray in solitude before his sermons, in case Sol Invictus has any messages she wishes to pass onto her faithful through him. However, once he has finished, we shall meet with His Holiness and the Sun-Speakers."

'Uggghhhh…' your dragon groans. 'This could all be done so much faster!'

'True, but this is their home, so it makes sense that they have their rules,' you console yourself. "I look forward to it," you say aloud.

The man smiles. "Well, I'm sure you are curious to know more about the Divine Realm and the Grand Cathedral," he says, beckoning Glinda over. She gently nudges her unicorn towards Luxann before obeying. "Mother Glinda, would you be so kind as to help Mistress Levinheart find anything she might be interested in?"

"Of course, Missionary," she says.

…Hopefully she'll be a genuine guide and not a minder.

Or worse, a babysitter.


You estimate that you have an hour or so before noon, when the Sun-Father will be giving some sort of sermon. What do you want to do to pass the time?


[] Father Dailon is making his way out of the stable area, see if you can go with him. He probably's going to report the vision and you're curious what the other Realmers will think about it.

[] Find a quiet place to take a look at your new cloak. You haven't really had a private time to do that yet, and your curious what secrets it holds (even though you likely won't find them all in so short a time).

[] 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!

[] Just wander. The Grand Cathedral is so big, you're sure you'll find something or someone interesting.

[] Write-in (Subject to veto)


AN: Uuuughhhhh… I don't know why this chapter was so hard for me. I went through several different iterations, especially at the end, and I didn't even get as far as I'd intended.

 

[SoaringHawk218]

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[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 Invictus 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 Invictus/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 Invictus 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 Invictus 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 second 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 Invictus, 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 Invictus'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.

Spoiler: Hierophant Wolsenly

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 Invictus. 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 Invictus'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 Invictus/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 Invictus 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.