A whispered plea awakens a demigod from repose. Tremble, ye hidden plotters, ye craven lords. Despair, ye twisted gods, ye loathsome monsters. For a storm of blade and Rot stirs once more.
The Blade of Miquella
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Arc 1 - A Demigod Awakens
Help-
A voice whispers, its sound not felt in the vibrations of air, but in the plucked strings of your soul. It is a voice far dearer to you than your own. One first heard when the two of you lay, limbs entwined, within the womb of one you would never again call mother.
Sister-
The word cuts off not with the sharp slice of a blade but with a slow strangled sigh. A pulse of urgency beats sharply within you, drawing you from muddled yet pleasant dreams. Up from a quagmire of crimson filth, your mind rises, snapping chains of Rot woven from chitinous flesh and fungal growth as a single coherent thought forms… Miquella… is that… where?…
Please-
You stir. Centuries of somnolence fall from the twisted, briar paths of your mind. Your head lifts. Crimson hair flows back to frame a face lined by a thousand battles. Eyes of a faded gold open, casting pale luminescence down upon a pool of gently flowing water.
For a moment only, you allow your eyes to settle upon that crystal-clear water. It is an elegy for your fallen mentor. His words ringing in your thoughts as limbs ravaged by battle and Rot propel you upright. Just as still waters turn foul, stagnation leads to decay. Warriors must remain ever drifting. Fifteen words that you had carved upon your very soul. A simple concept that had given birth to an art that had made you unbeatable. Invincible.
You step forward, the golden prosthesis attached to your hip making not a sound as you glide over damp earth and crumbling stone. The stillness of your face doesn't move as you lean forward, slender fingers wrapping around the gift that had transformed you from Malenia The Severed into what you had always truly been in your heart.
Slowly, you stand. Even more slowly, almost reverentially, unalloyed gold slots into place.
The Great Rune resting within your soul pulses, expanding out along flesh wrought from metal and consecrated in your brother's name. Centuries of loss. Of despair. Of shameful retreat into dreams. It all falls from you. Burned away by depthless love and a simmering ocean of fury.
"I am Malenia, Blade of Miquella and I have never known defeat." Your lips pull back, baring sharpened teeth. Your voice is soft and yet the words scorch the air around you. "You foul thing. You who have stolen my brother from me. Wherever you hide, know that I will find you. I will find you and I will carve that truth upon your flesh so that you can never forget."
With your oath still resounding throughout the cavernous space you had chosen to wait for his return, you walk forward, toward the soft glow of the Erdtree. You would find him. There was no other option. But until you could drown his jailers in their own blood, many things yet had to be done. You would see Elphael restored. See that his dream of a sanctuary where all were welcomed became reality.
It would be your gift to Miquella.
And your atonement.
Malenia is enormously powerful, arguably the most powerful demigod in Elden Ring (almost certainly the most difficult fight in the game). Even she, with all that power, cannot singlehandedly find her brother and alter the course of the Lands Between. To accomplish that task (and any others voters deem important) she must shore up the weaknesses both within herself and within her realm. Through the Blessing of Grace (expressed in the turn options as quests), Malenia will have guidance on how to proceed. Quests will be revealed as the story progresses and as certain events or turn results occur. Aside from that, posters can suggest potential quest options that will be incorporated into turn options at GM's discretion.
Regarding the setting itself, we are ~100 years prior to the start of Elden Ring. Additionally, while I'm perfectly fine with voters making plans based on meta-knowledge please understand: first, Malenia awakening is a rather large butterfly flapping its wings, and second, in order to act on meta-knowledge Malenia must have an in-character reason to do so.
Regarding the structure of the quest itself, turn lengths will vary from hours and days to months or (perhaps) even years. To that end, the number (as well as the scope and complexity) of actions available will also vary. Finally, to reiterate a point made above, I think that storytelling like this works best when done collaboratively. So if there's something you want to see, call it out in the thread and I'll try to include it.
For reference, see Malenia's character sheet below (she's just as absurd as one would expect, but then the Lands Between are a dangerous sort of place).
Traits
Empyrean
Born from the two halves of Queen Marika, Malenia has within her the potential to ascend beyond that of a mere demigod. Her empyrean nature has also drawn the attention of those who lurk beyond the veil of the world. [+10 to all stats]
Avatar of Rot
Within empyrean flesh seethes an ocean of Rot, held back only by the touch of unalloyed gold. With a touch, Malenia can allow that ocean to flow out from within her, though controlling its spread once released proves a far more difficult challenge. [+15 to Piety and Combat]
Great Rune of Decay
Twin to the Great Rune of Abundance held by her brother, together they form an endless cycle of abundance and decay. But for the touch of Rot, this Rune would have been the most sacred of them all. [+5 Stewardship and Learning, +10 Combat]
Abilities
Waterfowl Dance
The culmination of her mentor's art combined with Malenia's own incomparable skill. Even the Starscourge could not match the steps of her dance. [+20 Combat]
Scarlet Aeonia
Each time the scarlet flower blooms, Malenia's rot advances. It has bloomed once already. With the third bloom, she will become a true goddess. [First Bloom, +5 to all stats]
Equipment
Hand of Malenia
A prosthesis of unalloyed gold crafted by her brother. Consecrated in the Grace of the Haligtree, the Hand of Malenia can cut through even the strongest of armaments. [+10 Combat]
Turn Options
Malenia has Two actions she may take this turn. Vote for as many options as you want, the top two will win.
Quest: Secure Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree [0 of 4 tasks completed]
Awakened from slumber by her brother's desperate plea, Malenia can only lament the decayed and decaying state of his city. Before embarking on a path to rescue her lost sibling, Elphael, the capital of her brother's realm must first be secured.
[] Reach out to those still loyal to Miquella. Though centuries have passed since your brother's disappearance and your own slumber, there must still be loyal men and women who yet reside within the roots of the Haligtree. [Diplomacy. On success: gain Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree.]
[] Reunite with the remnants of the Cleanrot Knights. These knights once swore to fight at your side, even as the putrefaction of the Scarlet Rot devoured their flesh. Now that you have risen, it is only right that they return once again to your side. [Martial. On success: gain a squadron of Cleanrot knights.]
[] Take stock of Elphael. Once, the Brace of the Haligtree was the capital of Miquella's realm and a promise to all. It now a shadow of a shadow of that munificent promise, but it need not remain so. [Stewardship. On success: gain a deeper understanding of the issues plaguing Elphael.]
[] Search for hidden paths. The cowards that stole Miquella reached his cocoon unseen and left without alerting a single soul. Such a weakness in the defenses of Elphael cannot be borne. [Intrigue. On success: shore up hidden pathways into and through the Brace of the Haligtree.]
[] Take stock of Miquella's library. Once, Miquella had a library containing books gathered from the far corners of the Lands Between and even from those beyond the fog. Time has doubtless worn them down, but perhaps some may yet be recovered. [Learning. On success: gain a rudimentary library.]
[] Meet with the soldiers of the Haligtree. In the early years of the Shattering, countless men and women swore themselves to the light of your brother's benevolence. Time has doubtless worn down all but the stoutest of them, but any who have kept the faith these long years deserve a place under your wings once again. [Piety. On success: gain a platoon of soldiers.]
[] Personally patrol Elphael. It is almost certain that various threats have made themselves at home in Miquella's city. It would be a trivial task to put them to the sword. [Combat. On success: eliminate one or more threats from Elphael.]
[AN]
A short chapter to start, but all I really wanted to do was try and set the stage. That and reflect at least a mote of the sensation you get when you walk in and see her cutscene for the first time. Since we don't really have a set timeline of events, my headcanon is that Malenia leaves to fight Radahn for *reasons* -> is dragged back to the Haligtree by Finlay -> finds that her brother has been taken -> due to her injuries, and despair from her brother's loss, she succumbs to her long slumber.
I've wanted to do something based on Elden Ring almost since the game came out, but it wasn't until I picked the game back up after a several-month hiatus that an idea started to crystallize. So here we have it, a quest to reunite a girl with her brother and maybe, just maybe, resolve some of the quiet tragedy of their story.
A voice whispers, its sound not felt in the vibrations of air, but in the plucked strings of your soul. It is a voice far dearer to you than your own. One first heard when the two of you lay, limbs entwined, within the womb of one you would never again call mother.
Sister-
The word cuts off not with the sharp slice of a blade but with a slow strangled sigh. A pulse of urgency beats sharply within you, drawing you from muddled yet pleasant dreams. Up from a quagmire of crimson filth, your mind rises, snapping chains of Rot woven from chitinous flesh and fungal growth as a single coherent thought forms… Miquella… is that… where?…
Please-
You stir. Centuries of somnolence fall from the twisted, briar paths of your mind. Your head lifts. Crimson hair flows back to frame a face lined by a thousand battles. Eyes of a faded gold open, casting pale luminescence down upon a pool of gently flowing water.
For a moment only, you allow your eyes to settle upon that crystal-clear water. It is an elegy for your fallen mentor. His words ringing in your thoughts as limbs ravaged by battle and Rot propel you upright. Just as still waters turn foul, stagnation leads to decay. Warriors must remain ever drifting. Fifteen words that you had carved upon your very soul. A simple concept that had given birth to an art that had made you unbeatable. Invincible.
You step forward, the golden prosthesis attached to your hip making not a sound as you glide over damp earth and crumbling stone. The stillness of your face doesn't move as you lean forward, slender fingers wrapping around the gift that had transformed you from Malenia The Severed into what you had always truly been in your heart.
Slowly, you stand. Even more slowly, almost reverentially, unalloyed gold slots into place.
The Great Rune resting within your soul pulses, expanding out along flesh wrought from metal and consecrated in your brother's name. Centuries of loss. Of despair. Of shameful retreat into dreams. It all falls from you. Burned away by depthless love and a simmering ocean of fury.
"I am Malenia, Blade of Miquella and I have never known defeat." Your lips pull back, baring sharpened teeth. Your voice is soft and yet the words scorch the air around you. "You foul thing. You who have stolen my brother from me. Wherever you hide, know that I will find you. I will find you and I will carve that truth upon your flesh so that you can never forget."
With your oath still resounding throughout the cavernous space you had chosen to wait for his return, you walk forward, toward the soft glow of the Erdtree. You would find him. There was no other option. But until you could drown his jailers in their own blood, many things yet had to be done. You would see Elphael restored. See that his dream of a sanctuary where all were welcomed became reality.
It would be your gift to Miquella.
And your atonement.
Malenia is enormously powerful, arguably the most powerful demigod in Elden Ring (almost certainly the most difficult fight in the game). Even she, with all that power, cannot singlehandedly find her brother and alter the course of the Lands Between. To accomplish that task (and any others voters deem important) she must shore up the weaknesses both within herself and within her realm. Through the Blessing of Grace (expressed in the turn options as quests), Malenia will have guidance on how to proceed. Quests will be revealed as the story progresses and as certain events or turn results occur. Aside from that, posters can suggest potential quest options that will be incorporated into turn options at GM's discretion.
Regarding the setting itself, we are ~100 years prior to the start of Elden Ring. Additionally, while I'm perfectly fine with voters making plans based on meta-knowledge please understand: first, Malenia awakening is a rather large butterfly flapping its wings, and second, in order to act on meta-knowledge Malenia must have an in-character reason to do so.
Regarding the structure of the quest itself, turn lengths will vary from hours and days to months or (perhaps) even years. To that end, the number (as well as the scope and complexity) of actions available will also vary. Finally, to reiterate a point made above, I think that storytelling like this works best when done collaboratively. So if there's something you want to see, call it out in the thread and I'll try to include it.
For reference, see Malenia's character sheet below (she's just as absurd as one would expect, but then the Lands Between are a dangerous sort of place).
| Diplomacy | 29 | 14 + 10 (Empyrean) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Martial | 35 | 20 + 10 (Empyrean) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Stewardship | 30 | 10 + 10 (Empyrean) + 5 (Great Rune of Decay) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Intrigue | 29 | 12 + 10 (Empyrean) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Learning | 32 | 12 + 10 (Empyrean) + 5 (Great Rune of Decay) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Piety | 40 | 10 + 10 (Empyrean) + 15 (Avatar of Rot) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Combat | 85 | 30 + 15 (Avatar of Rot) + 10 (Great Rune of Decay) + 20 (Waterfowl Dance) +10 (Hand of Malenia) |
Traits
Empyrean
Born from the two halves of Queen Marika, Malenia has within her the potential to ascend beyond that of a mere demigod. Her empyrean nature has also drawn the attention of those who lurk beyond the veil of the world. [+10 to all stats]
Avatar of Rot
Within empyrean flesh seethes an ocean of Rot, held back only by the touch of unalloyed gold. With a touch, Malenia can allow that ocean to flow out from within her, though controlling its spread once released proves a far more difficult challenge. [+15 to Piety and Combat]
Great Rune of Decay
Twin to the Great Rune of Abundance held by her brother, together they form an endless cycle of abundance and decay. But for the touch of Rot, this Rune would have been the most sacred of them all. [+5 Stewardship and Learning, +10 Combat]
Abilities
Waterfowl Dance
The culmination of her mentor's art combined with Malenia's own incomparable skill. Even the Starscourge could not match the steps of her dance. [+20 Combat]
Scarlet Aeonia
Each time the scarlet flower blooms, Malenia's rot advances. It has bloomed once already. With the third bloom, she will become a true goddess. [First Bloom, +5 to all stats]
Equipment
Hand of Malenia
A prosthesis of unalloyed gold crafted by her brother. Consecrated in the Grace of the Haligtree, the Hand of Malenia can cut through even the strongest of armaments. [+10 Combat]
Turn Options
Malenia has Two actions she may take this turn. Vote for as many options as you want, the top two will win.
Quest: Secure Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree [0 of 4 tasks completed]
Awakened from slumber by her brother's desperate plea, Malenia can only lament the decayed and decaying state of his city. Before embarking on a path to rescue her lost sibling, Elphael, the capital of her brother's realm must first be secured.
[] Reach out to those still loyal to Miquella. Though centuries have passed since your brother's disappearance and your own slumber, there must still be loyal men and women who yet reside within the roots of the Haligtree. [Diplomacy. On success: gain Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree.]
[] Reunite with the remnants of the Cleanrot Knights. These knights once swore to fight at your side, even as the putrefaction of the Scarlet Rot devoured their flesh. Now that you have risen, it is only right that they return once again to your side. [Martial. On success: gain a squadron of Cleanrot knights.]
[] Take stock of Elphael. Once, the Brace of the Haligtree was the capital of Miquella's realm and a promise to all. It now a shadow of a shadow of that munificent promise, but it need not remain so. [Stewardship. On success: gain a deeper understanding of the issues plaguing Elphael.]
[] Search for hidden paths. The cowards that stole Miquella reached his cocoon unseen and left without alerting a single soul. Such a weakness in the defenses of Elphael cannot be borne. [Intrigue. On success: shore up hidden pathways into and through the Brace of the Haligtree.]
[] Take stock of Miquella's library. Once, Miquella had a library containing books gathered from the far corners of the Lands Between and even from those beyond the fog. Time has doubtless worn them down, but perhaps some may yet be recovered. [Learning. On success: gain a rudimentary library.]
[] Meet with the soldiers of the Haligtree. In the early years of the Shattering, countless men and women swore themselves to the light of your brother's benevolence. Time has doubtless worn down all but the stoutest of them, but any who have kept the faith these long years deserve a place under your wings once again. [Piety. On success: gain a platoon of soldiers.]
[] Personally patrol Elphael. It is almost certain that various threats have made themselves at home in Miquella's city. It would be a trivial task to put them to the sword. [Combat. On success: eliminate one or more threats from Elphael.]
[AN]
A short chapter to start, but all I really wanted to do was try and set the stage. That and reflect at least a mote of the sensation you get when you walk in and see her cutscene for the first time. Since we don't really have a set timeline of events, my headcanon is that Malenia leaves to fight Radahn for *reasons* -> is dragged back to the Haligtree by Finlay -> finds that her brother has been taken -> due to her injuries, and despair from her brother's loss, she succumbs to her long slumber.
I've wanted to do something based on Elden Ring almost since the game came out, but it wasn't until I picked the game back up after a several-month hiatus that an idea started to crystallize. So here we have it, a quest to reunite a girl with her brother and maybe, just maybe, resolve some of the quiet tragedy of their story.
Arc 1 - Reunited
Golden fingers clench along the hilt of your Hand as thought and recrimination both assail your mind as you stand once again under the light of the Erdtree. How long had you lain there waiting, so damnably sure that your brother's return was inevitable? That he had just wandered deep into dreams, guiding those shunned and discarded by the Golden Order to shelter beneath the boughs of the Haligtree.
Rage unfurls within you, rising along a tide of Rot. Rage at your own foolish credulity. Rage that you had swallowed such a pleasant seeming lie even when the evidence of Miquella's absence was staring back at you. The Haligtree an empty husk. The stone floor of this once great auditorium cracked and broken. Pools of Rot collected in places where the stone hadn't given way to the sea below. More than even that slowly building conflagration of rage, you feel…
Golden eyes narrow. Rage transforms into disgust.
You glide forward, golden prostheses dancing along the banks of an idly drifting river that exists only in your mind. One step. Two steps. Three. Your Hand flashes. Chitin and flesh part as though they offered no more resistance than sodden paper. An instinctive flick of your blade scatters droplets of blackened blood, the motion to sheathe your blade complete even before the Kindred of Rot can finish falling to fetid water with a series of muffled splashes.
Perhaps Miquella would say there was a place even for these loathsome creatures within his Order. Until that day came, though, their presence was one thing you would not, cannot, abide.
Vile pest exterminated, you allow your eyes drift. Past the shallow pool of Rot lapping futilely at the unalloyed gold of your feet. Past a hill of pale flowers that had doubtless slaked their thirst upon that selfsame contagion. Until they land upon a bridge wrought from the graceful bend of branch and root, where at the far end you can feel the presence of a spirit of the Haligtree, tortured and tainted by Rot.
Your Hand flexes in your grasp for a moment, before you relax. There would be time enough to dispatch the malign creatures that dared make a home of your brother's city. For now, though, you had tasks to complete.
[New turn action gained.]
Reach out to those still loyal to Miquella. Though centuries have passed since your brother's disappearance and your own slumber, there must still be loyal men and women who yet reside within the roots of the Haligtree. [Diplomacy. On success: gain Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree.]
The lift draws to a smooth, almost unnoticeable stop and you step out onto the shaded balcony that Loretta had claimed as her arena. You hear the soft clop of hoof against stone even before you see the knight emerge from between thickly woven branches laden with crimson leaf.
Perhaps the Haligtree was not in so dire a strait as you had thought.
"Your Highness," Loretta's smooth, dry voice greets you even as she slides gracefully from the back of her warhorse. "I hope your slumber proved restful."
There was an edge of something. Not quite impoliteness, but perhaps… judgment in the knight's eyes as she regards you. Rot seethes under your skin in response, but your face remains still as you respond.
"I heard Miquella's voice. He pleaded for me to save him."
Whatever Loretta had been expecting to hear, it wasn't that. The knight shifted from where she had been leaning on her mount, her legs wobbling momentarily as the curse of the albinaurics bit into her before she straightened.
"Lord Miquella is…" she pauses for a moment, jaw working soundlessly before gesturing to the piles of crimson leaves gathering in the corner of her balcony. "Even as the Haligtree changed colors, I thought he had…"
"Yes…" Your agreement comes out as a long, slow sigh. You had thought the same thing. Been fooled by the same deception.
"We must find him. I can gather some soldiers. We can be ready to ride in an hour." A spark of urgency seems to run through the knight, and she's halfway back onto her saddle before your voice stops her.
"We will find him." Your words are less a promise and more a simple truth of the world. The conviction in them enough for the knight to slide back to the ground and focus her entire being upon you.
"And whoever kidnapped him will spend an eternity dying." That is your promise, and if the glint in Loretta's eyes was anything to judge, it was a promise she'd be happy to help you keep. "The Lands Between are large. And as mighty as we are, I do not know if we alone would be enough. We need more. More eyes. More trained warriors. Enough to drown this realm in blood if need be. But even more than that, I would have my brother return to a place that fulfills the dream he has laid before us."
A long moment passes, where you can see the war of ideas clashing across the knight's face. To saddle her steed and search the Lands Between for a trace of Miquella's passage, or to follow your own plans for his rescue. Her answer, when it comes, causes your lips to split in a bloodthirsty smirk. One that's soon mirrored on the knight's face.
DC 50 vs. 29 + 26 = 54
Reunite with the remnants of the Cleanrot Knights. These knights once swore to fight at your side, even as the putrefaction of the Scarlet Rot devoured their flesh. Now that you have risen, it is only right that they return once again to your side. [Martial. On success: gain a squadron of Cleanrot knights.]
Recruiting Loretta to your cause had been, in many respects, a simple task. You had merely to lay out the facts for the knight to fall in line. In essence, re-recruiting your Cleanrot Knights back into your service should have been even simpler.
They had, to a one, after all, sworn to be the blades of your wings even as the Rot slowly devoured their flesh and their minds. It was a loyalty even the Starscourge would not have been able to claim from his soldiers. And yet.
You pace outside of a small chapel, golden feet soundless upon stone, as you feel the resonance of Rot and unalloyed gold waiting within. You hadn't noticed, maddened and insensate by turns from the injuries you had received fighting the Starscourge and the Blooming it had required to defeat him, but your once valiant knights were but a mere shadow of what they had once been.
Four knights. That was all that remained of a company that had once numbered more than three-score.
You turn, your stride having brought you to the end of the marble portico, and begin to pace back the other. Was it right to call them back to your service? When you knew all that waited for them there was the grindstone that would eventually wear them down to nothing. Perhaps it would be better to start anew. To let your beloved knights find what peace they may in this…
"Lady Malenia?" A voice, hoarse from disuse stops you mid-step.
You turn to step through the doors of the chapel as though you had always intended just that. The thoughts that had kept you from entering sink back down into the mire of your soul. Your knights deserved far more from you than to see the doubt and regret that plagued you.
"Sir Cadoc," you glide past rows of low wooden seats, as calm and serene as you had ever been. On the surface, at least. It was almost all you could do, to keep the pounding of your heart under control. "It has been some time, has it not?"
Your knight moves to stand, bracing himself on the crescent-bladed scythe Miquella had gifted him for valor in battle.
"Sit, Sir Cadoc. And you three as well: Sir Cai, Sir Bryn, Dame Eira." You wave your knights back to their seats sprawled out along the pews.
Despite your request, your knights shift upright, turning to face you with an attention that bored far deeper into you than Loretta's ever could. In each of those pale golden stares, you can feel the loyalty, the oaths, the bonds that have tied you and your knights together with chains far stronger than dragonstone.
Perhaps in your quietest thoughts, you believed your knights deserved better from you. Deserved better than you. But it seems that was something you could not offer and something they would not accept. So, instead, you offer them duty.
Your Hand sinks easily into the stone floor of the chapel as you rest both flesh and unalloyed gold atop the pommel. "A foul and blasphemous act has seen my brother stolen from his place within the Haligtree."
Four figures stop, motionless in a way that would have shamed a statue. Unlike most who dwelt within the embrace of the Haligtree, these four had sworn themselves to you. And each had glimpsed at least a fraction of the depths of the love you felt for your brother.
As one, they move. Ancient metal and even older bones creak as they kneel before you. You can't quite help the pride… the relief… that creases your face in a smile.
Despite the demands pressing down upon you. The thousand-thousand things that must be done to both rescue your brother and restore the Haligtree to its former glory. You can't quite keep yourself from lingering at that small, out-of-the-way chapel.
Eventually, though, you have to leave the warm embrace of camaraderie. And it is as you clasp hands with Sir Cadoc—most senior of your knights left—that he whispers in your ear, "Commander Finlay has not joined us in an age, but I believe she would welcome your presence, Lady Malenia."
DC 35 vs. 35 + 43 = 78
DC ?? vs. 29 + 73 = 102
[New turn action gained.]
Support units can be used in one of two ways, either assigned to actions tagged as (Can be assigned to a support unit) or added to a task to provide a bonus to that task. Units that are assigned to a task without Malenia do not count against the number of actions she can take in a turn. Multiple units may be assigned to the same task.
To tag a turn option as using these support units, please use the following format if you want them to act without Malenia's presence
[] Action 123.
-[] Cleanrot Knights
If, on the other hand, you prefer to take advantage of the bonus provided by these units then it should look like this:
[] Action 123
-[] Cleanrot Knights (supporting)
Turn Options
Malenia has Two actions she may take this turn. As we now have some burgeoning complexity in how votes work, please vote by plan. Please note that bolded options are either new or have updated text.
Traits
Empyrean
Born from the two halves of Queen Marika, Malenia has within her the potential to ascend beyond that of a mere demigod. Her empyrean nature has also drawn the attention of those who lurk beyond the veil of the world. [+10 to all stats]
Avatar of Rot
Within adamant flesh seethes an ocean of Rot, held back only by the touch of unalloyed gold. With a touch, Malenia can allow that ocean to flow out from within her, though controlling its spread once released proves a far more difficult challenge. [+15 to Piety and Combat]
Great Rune of Decay
Twin to the Great Rune of Abundance held by her brother, together they form an endless cycle of abundance and decay. But for the touch of Rot this Rune would have been the most sacred of them all. [+5 Stewardship and Learning, +10 Combat]
Abilities
Waterfowl Dance
The culmination of her mentor's art combined with Malenia's own incomparable skill. Even the Starscourge could not match the steps of her dance. [+20 Combat]
Scarlet Aeonia
Each time the scarlet flower blooms, Malenia's rot advances. It has bloomed once already. With the third bloom, she will become a true goddess. [First Bloom, +5 to all stats]
Equipment
Hand of Malenia
A prosthesis of unalloyed gold crafted by her brother. Consecrated in the Grace of the Haligtree, the Hand of Malenia can cut through even the strongest of armaments. [+10 Combat]
Quest: Secure Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree [2 of 4 tasks completed]
Awakened from slumber by her brother's desperate plea, Malenia can only lament the decayed and decaying state of his city. Before embarking on a path to rescue her lost sibling, Elphael, the capital of her brother's realm must first be secured.
[] Take stock of Elphael. Once, the Brace of the Haligtree was the capital of Miquella's realm and a promise to all. It now a shadow of a shadow of that munificent promise, but it need not remain so. [Stewardship. On success: gain a deeper understanding of the issues plaguing Elphael.]
[] Search for hidden paths. The cowards that stole Miquella reached his cocoon unseen and left without alerting a single soul. Such a weakness in the defenses of Elphael cannot be borne. [Intrigue. On success: shore up hidden pathways into and through the Brace of the Haligtree.]
[] Take stock of Miquella's library. Once, Miquella had a library containing books gathered from the far corners of the Lands Between and even from those beyond the fog. Time has doubtless worn them down, but perhaps some may yet be recovered. [Learning. On success: gain a rudimentary library.] (Can be assigned to a support unit)
[] Meet with the soldiers of the Haligtree. In the early years of the Shattering, countless men and women swore themselves to the light of your brother's benevolence. Time has doubtless worn down all but the stoutest of them, but any who have kept the faith these long years deserve a place under your wings once again. [Piety. On success: gain a platoon of soldiers.]
[] Personally patrol Elphael. It is almost certain that various threats have made themselves at home in Miquella's city. It would be a trivial task to put them to the sword. [Combat. On success: eliminate one or more major threats from Elphael.]
[] Dispatch the remaining Kindred of Rot. Some things cannot be abided. Some creatures cannot be allowed to live. Purge them with fire and blade and unalloyed gold. [Combat. On success: all Kindred of Rot purged from Elphael.] (Can be assigned to a support unit)
[] Search for Knight Commander Finlay. When you lay insensate upon the swamps of Aeonia, torn in body by the Starscourge's attacks and in mind by the Rot that you let Bloom, Finlay managed to carry you back to the safety of the Haligtree. [????. On success: gain Knight Commander Finlay, improve bonuses of Cleanrot Knights.]
[AN]
The goal with support units is to give a choice between a higher likelihood of success on fewer actions or a lower likelihood of success on more actions. Depending on how things work out, I may end up tweaking numbers either up or down.
We know very little of Malenia's character save that: she loves deeply (Miquella), she isn't power hungry or even particularly vengeful (she left Godrick alive after beating him), and she inspires great loyalty (Finlay, Blind Swordsman). That does leave a lot of space for me to fill in as we go, but I think it explains something of why I (and so many others) find her a compelling character.
Rage unfurls within you, rising along a tide of Rot. Rage at your own foolish credulity. Rage that you had swallowed such a pleasant seeming lie even when the evidence of Miquella's absence was staring back at you. The Haligtree an empty husk. The stone floor of this once great auditorium cracked and broken. Pools of Rot collected in places where the stone hadn't given way to the sea below. More than even that slowly building conflagration of rage, you feel…
Golden eyes narrow. Rage transforms into disgust.
You glide forward, golden prostheses dancing along the banks of an idly drifting river that exists only in your mind. One step. Two steps. Three. Your Hand flashes. Chitin and flesh part as though they offered no more resistance than sodden paper. An instinctive flick of your blade scatters droplets of blackened blood, the motion to sheathe your blade complete even before the Kindred of Rot can finish falling to fetid water with a series of muffled splashes.
Perhaps Miquella would say there was a place even for these loathsome creatures within his Order. Until that day came, though, their presence was one thing you would not, cannot, abide.
Vile pest exterminated, you allow your eyes drift. Past the shallow pool of Rot lapping futilely at the unalloyed gold of your feet. Past a hill of pale flowers that had doubtless slaked their thirst upon that selfsame contagion. Until they land upon a bridge wrought from the graceful bend of branch and root, where at the far end you can feel the presence of a spirit of the Haligtree, tortured and tainted by Rot.
Your Hand flexes in your grasp for a moment, before you relax. There would be time enough to dispatch the malign creatures that dared make a home of your brother's city. For now, though, you had tasks to complete.
[New turn action gained.]
Reach out to those still loyal to Miquella. Though centuries have passed since your brother's disappearance and your own slumber, there must still be loyal men and women who yet reside within the roots of the Haligtree. [Diplomacy. On success: gain Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree.]
The lift draws to a smooth, almost unnoticeable stop and you step out onto the shaded balcony that Loretta had claimed as her arena. You hear the soft clop of hoof against stone even before you see the knight emerge from between thickly woven branches laden with crimson leaf.
Perhaps the Haligtree was not in so dire a strait as you had thought.
"Your Highness," Loretta's smooth, dry voice greets you even as she slides gracefully from the back of her warhorse. "I hope your slumber proved restful."
There was an edge of something. Not quite impoliteness, but perhaps… judgment in the knight's eyes as she regards you. Rot seethes under your skin in response, but your face remains still as you respond.
"I heard Miquella's voice. He pleaded for me to save him."
Whatever Loretta had been expecting to hear, it wasn't that. The knight shifted from where she had been leaning on her mount, her legs wobbling momentarily as the curse of the albinaurics bit into her before she straightened.
"Lord Miquella is…" she pauses for a moment, jaw working soundlessly before gesturing to the piles of crimson leaves gathering in the corner of her balcony. "Even as the Haligtree changed colors, I thought he had…"
"Yes…" Your agreement comes out as a long, slow sigh. You had thought the same thing. Been fooled by the same deception.
"We must find him. I can gather some soldiers. We can be ready to ride in an hour." A spark of urgency seems to run through the knight, and she's halfway back onto her saddle before your voice stops her.
"We will find him." Your words are less a promise and more a simple truth of the world. The conviction in them enough for the knight to slide back to the ground and focus her entire being upon you.
"And whoever kidnapped him will spend an eternity dying." That is your promise, and if the glint in Loretta's eyes was anything to judge, it was a promise she'd be happy to help you keep. "The Lands Between are large. And as mighty as we are, I do not know if we alone would be enough. We need more. More eyes. More trained warriors. Enough to drown this realm in blood if need be. But even more than that, I would have my brother return to a place that fulfills the dream he has laid before us."
A long moment passes, where you can see the war of ideas clashing across the knight's face. To saddle her steed and search the Lands Between for a trace of Miquella's passage, or to follow your own plans for his rescue. Her answer, when it comes, causes your lips to split in a bloodthirsty smirk. One that's soon mirrored on the knight's face.
DC 50 vs. 29 + 26 = 54
Once a Royal Carian Knight, Loretta discarded both the prestige of her position as well as the glintstone scythe granted to her for valorous deeds in the war between Caria and Leyndell. In exchange, she searched far and wide for a home for the albinaurics, eventually finding one beneath the boughs of the Haligtree.
When assigned as either a solo unit or the most powerful unit in a group, Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree uses the following stats
Learning: 20
Combat: 16
When assigned with a more powerful unit, Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree provides the following bonuses
Learning: +10
Combat: +8
When assigned as either a solo unit or the most powerful unit in a group, Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree uses the following stats
Learning: 20
Combat: 16
When assigned with a more powerful unit, Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree provides the following bonuses
Learning: +10
Combat: +8
Reunite with the remnants of the Cleanrot Knights. These knights once swore to fight at your side, even as the putrefaction of the Scarlet Rot devoured their flesh. Now that you have risen, it is only right that they return once again to your side. [Martial. On success: gain a squadron of Cleanrot knights.]
Recruiting Loretta to your cause had been, in many respects, a simple task. You had merely to lay out the facts for the knight to fall in line. In essence, re-recruiting your Cleanrot Knights back into your service should have been even simpler.
They had, to a one, after all, sworn to be the blades of your wings even as the Rot slowly devoured their flesh and their minds. It was a loyalty even the Starscourge would not have been able to claim from his soldiers. And yet.
You pace outside of a small chapel, golden feet soundless upon stone, as you feel the resonance of Rot and unalloyed gold waiting within. You hadn't noticed, maddened and insensate by turns from the injuries you had received fighting the Starscourge and the Blooming it had required to defeat him, but your once valiant knights were but a mere shadow of what they had once been.
Four knights. That was all that remained of a company that had once numbered more than three-score.
You turn, your stride having brought you to the end of the marble portico, and begin to pace back the other. Was it right to call them back to your service? When you knew all that waited for them there was the grindstone that would eventually wear them down to nothing. Perhaps it would be better to start anew. To let your beloved knights find what peace they may in this…
"Lady Malenia?" A voice, hoarse from disuse stops you mid-step.
You turn to step through the doors of the chapel as though you had always intended just that. The thoughts that had kept you from entering sink back down into the mire of your soul. Your knights deserved far more from you than to see the doubt and regret that plagued you.
"Sir Cadoc," you glide past rows of low wooden seats, as calm and serene as you had ever been. On the surface, at least. It was almost all you could do, to keep the pounding of your heart under control. "It has been some time, has it not?"
Your knight moves to stand, bracing himself on the crescent-bladed scythe Miquella had gifted him for valor in battle.
"Sit, Sir Cadoc. And you three as well: Sir Cai, Sir Bryn, Dame Eira." You wave your knights back to their seats sprawled out along the pews.
Despite your request, your knights shift upright, turning to face you with an attention that bored far deeper into you than Loretta's ever could. In each of those pale golden stares, you can feel the loyalty, the oaths, the bonds that have tied you and your knights together with chains far stronger than dragonstone.
Perhaps in your quietest thoughts, you believed your knights deserved better from you. Deserved better than you. But it seems that was something you could not offer and something they would not accept. So, instead, you offer them duty.
Your Hand sinks easily into the stone floor of the chapel as you rest both flesh and unalloyed gold atop the pommel. "A foul and blasphemous act has seen my brother stolen from his place within the Haligtree."
Four figures stop, motionless in a way that would have shamed a statue. Unlike most who dwelt within the embrace of the Haligtree, these four had sworn themselves to you. And each had glimpsed at least a fraction of the depths of the love you felt for your brother.
As one, they move. Ancient metal and even older bones creak as they kneel before you. You can't quite help the pride… the relief… that creases your face in a smile.
Despite the demands pressing down upon you. The thousand-thousand things that must be done to both rescue your brother and restore the Haligtree to its former glory. You can't quite keep yourself from lingering at that small, out-of-the-way chapel.
Eventually, though, you have to leave the warm embrace of camaraderie. And it is as you clasp hands with Sir Cadoc—most senior of your knights left—that he whispers in your ear, "Commander Finlay has not joined us in an age, but I believe she would welcome your presence, Lady Malenia."
DC 35 vs. 35 + 43 = 78
Four knights are all that remains after the disastrous battle within the swamps of Aeonia. Though time has dulled arms and armor as well as their martial prowess, they are still a formidable force upon the battlefield
When assigned as either a solo unit or the most powerful unit in a group, Cleanrot Knights use the followings stats
Combat: 10
When assigned with a more powerful unit, Cleanrot Knights provide the following bonuses
Combat: +5
When assigned as either a solo unit or the most powerful unit in a group, Cleanrot Knights use the followings stats
Combat: 10
When assigned with a more powerful unit, Cleanrot Knights provide the following bonuses
Combat: +5
DC ?? vs. 29 + 73 = 102
[New turn action gained.]
Support units can be used in one of two ways, either assigned to actions tagged as (Can be assigned to a support unit) or added to a task to provide a bonus to that task. Units that are assigned to a task without Malenia do not count against the number of actions she can take in a turn. Multiple units may be assigned to the same task.
To tag a turn option as using these support units, please use the following format if you want them to act without Malenia's presence
[] Action 123.
-[] Cleanrot Knights
If, on the other hand, you prefer to take advantage of the bonus provided by these units then it should look like this:
[] Action 123
-[] Cleanrot Knights (supporting)
I think I'll use this space to provide lore dumps (and headcanon) that won't spoil future events and can't be naturally shoved into the narrative. @ me if you want an explanation of anything in the narrative that isn't included here.
Albinaurics are a type of homunculi crafted in Raya Lucaria. The first generation (of which I believe Loretta is) are human-shaped but have legs that make it difficult for them to walk. Many female albinaurics ride wolves and fight with bow and arrow (see Latenna).
As artificial beings, albinaurics are considered to be beyond the scope of the Golden Order since they do not follow the natural cycles of life and death defined by said Order.
Albinaurics are a type of homunculi crafted in Raya Lucaria. The first generation (of which I believe Loretta is) are human-shaped but have legs that make it difficult for them to walk. Many female albinaurics ride wolves and fight with bow and arrow (see Latenna).
As artificial beings, albinaurics are considered to be beyond the scope of the Golden Order since they do not follow the natural cycles of life and death defined by said Order.
Turn Options
Malenia has Two actions she may take this turn. As we now have some burgeoning complexity in how votes work, please vote by plan. Please note that bolded options are either new or have updated text.
| Diplomacy | 29 | 14 + 10 (Empyrean) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Martial | 35 | 20 + 10 (Empyrean) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Stewardship | 30 | 10 + 10 (Empyrean) + 5 (Great Rune of Decay) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Intrigue | 29 | 12 + 10 (Empyrean) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Learning | 32 | 12 + 10 (Empyrean) + 5 (Great Rune of Decay) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Piety | 40 | 10 + 10 (Empyrean) + 15 (Avatar of Rot) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Combat | 85 | 30 + 15 (Avatar of Rot) + 10 (Great Rune of Decay) + 20 (Waterfowl Dance) +10 (Hand of Malenia) |
Traits
Empyrean
Born from the two halves of Queen Marika, Malenia has within her the potential to ascend beyond that of a mere demigod. Her empyrean nature has also drawn the attention of those who lurk beyond the veil of the world. [+10 to all stats]
Avatar of Rot
Within adamant flesh seethes an ocean of Rot, held back only by the touch of unalloyed gold. With a touch, Malenia can allow that ocean to flow out from within her, though controlling its spread once released proves a far more difficult challenge. [+15 to Piety and Combat]
Great Rune of Decay
Twin to the Great Rune of Abundance held by her brother, together they form an endless cycle of abundance and decay. But for the touch of Rot this Rune would have been the most sacred of them all. [+5 Stewardship and Learning, +10 Combat]
Abilities
Waterfowl Dance
The culmination of her mentor's art combined with Malenia's own incomparable skill. Even the Starscourge could not match the steps of her dance. [+20 Combat]
Scarlet Aeonia
Each time the scarlet flower blooms, Malenia's rot advances. It has bloomed once already. With the third bloom, she will become a true goddess. [First Bloom, +5 to all stats]
Equipment
Hand of Malenia
A prosthesis of unalloyed gold crafted by her brother. Consecrated in the Grace of the Haligtree, the Hand of Malenia can cut through even the strongest of armaments. [+10 Combat]
Quest: Secure Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree [2 of 4 tasks completed]
Awakened from slumber by her brother's desperate plea, Malenia can only lament the decayed and decaying state of his city. Before embarking on a path to rescue her lost sibling, Elphael, the capital of her brother's realm must first be secured.
[] Take stock of Elphael. Once, the Brace of the Haligtree was the capital of Miquella's realm and a promise to all. It now a shadow of a shadow of that munificent promise, but it need not remain so. [Stewardship. On success: gain a deeper understanding of the issues plaguing Elphael.]
[] Search for hidden paths. The cowards that stole Miquella reached his cocoon unseen and left without alerting a single soul. Such a weakness in the defenses of Elphael cannot be borne. [Intrigue. On success: shore up hidden pathways into and through the Brace of the Haligtree.]
[] Take stock of Miquella's library. Once, Miquella had a library containing books gathered from the far corners of the Lands Between and even from those beyond the fog. Time has doubtless worn them down, but perhaps some may yet be recovered. [Learning. On success: gain a rudimentary library.] (Can be assigned to a support unit)
[] Meet with the soldiers of the Haligtree. In the early years of the Shattering, countless men and women swore themselves to the light of your brother's benevolence. Time has doubtless worn down all but the stoutest of them, but any who have kept the faith these long years deserve a place under your wings once again. [Piety. On success: gain a platoon of soldiers.]
[] Personally patrol Elphael. It is almost certain that various threats have made themselves at home in Miquella's city. It would be a trivial task to put them to the sword. [Combat. On success: eliminate one or more major threats from Elphael.]
[] Dispatch the remaining Kindred of Rot. Some things cannot be abided. Some creatures cannot be allowed to live. Purge them with fire and blade and unalloyed gold. [Combat. On success: all Kindred of Rot purged from Elphael.] (Can be assigned to a support unit)
[] Search for Knight Commander Finlay. When you lay insensate upon the swamps of Aeonia, torn in body by the Starscourge's attacks and in mind by the Rot that you let Bloom, Finlay managed to carry you back to the safety of the Haligtree. [????. On success: gain Knight Commander Finlay, improve bonuses of Cleanrot Knights.]
[AN]
The goal with support units is to give a choice between a higher likelihood of success on fewer actions or a lower likelihood of success on more actions. Depending on how things work out, I may end up tweaking numbers either up or down.
We know very little of Malenia's character save that: she loves deeply (Miquella), she isn't power hungry or even particularly vengeful (she left Godrick alive after beating him), and she inspires great loyalty (Finlay, Blind Swordsman). That does leave a lot of space for me to fill in as we go, but I think it explains something of why I (and so many others) find her a compelling character.
Character Sheet
Malenia
Traits
Empyrean
Born from the two halves of Queen Marika, Malenia has within her the potential to ascend beyond that of a mere demigod. Her empyrean nature has also drawn the attention of those who lurk beyond the veil of the world. [+10 to all stats]
Avatar of Rot
Within adamant flesh seethes an ocean of Rot, held back only by the touch of unalloyed gold. With a touch, Malenia can allow that ocean to flow out from within her, though controlling its spread once released proves a far more difficult challenge. [+15 to Piety and Combat]
Great Rune of Decay
Twin to the Great Rune of Abundance held by her brother, together they form an endless cycle of abundance and decay. But for the touch of Rot this Rune would have been the most sacred of them all. [+5 Stewardship and Learning, +10 Combat]
Abilities
Waterfowl Dance
The culmination of her mentor's art combined with Malenia's own incomparable skill. Even the Starscourge could not match the steps of her dance. [+20 Combat]
Scarlet Aeonia
Each time the scarlet flower blooms, Malenia's rot advances. It has bloomed once already. With the third bloom, she will become a true goddess. [First Bloom, +5 to all stats]
Equipment
Hand of Malenia
A prosthesis of unalloyed gold crafted by her brother. Consecrated in the Grace of the Haligtree, the Hand of Malenia can cut through even the strongest of armaments. [+10 Combat]
Supporting Units
Cleanrot Knights
Once again commanded by Knight Commander Finlay, the Cleanrot Knights have begun to recapture a mote of the skill and grace they once possessed. Despite her reappointment, time has been a formidable foe to the Cleanrot Knights.
When assigned as either a solo unit or the most powerful unit in a group, Cleanrot Knights use the following stats
Combat: 18
Martial: 14
When assigned with a more powerful unit, Cleanrot Knights provide the following bonuses
Combat: +9
Martial: +7
Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree
Once a Royal Carian Knight, Loretta discarded both the prestige of her position as well as the glintstone scythe granted to her for valorous deeds in the war between Caria and Leyndell. In exchange, she searched far and wide for a home for the albinaurics, eventually finding one beneath the boughs of the Haligtree.
When assigned as either a solo unit or the most powerful unit in a group, Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree uses the followings stats
Learning: 20
Combat: 16
When assigned with a more powerful unit, Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree provides the following bonuses
Learning: 10
Combat: 8
| Diplomacy | 29 | 14 + 10 (Empyrean) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Martial | 35 | 20 + 10 (Empyrean) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Stewardship | 30 | 10 + 10 (Empyrean) + 5 (Great Rune of Decay) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Intrigue | 29 | 12 + 10 (Empyrean) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Learning | 32 | 12 + 10 (Empyrean) + 5 (Great Rune of Decay) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Piety | 40 | 10 + 10 (Empyrean) + 15 (Avatar of Rot) + 5 (First Bloom) |
| Combat | 85 | 30 + 15 (Avatar of Rot) + 10 (Great Rune of Decay) + 20 (Waterfowl Dance) +10 (Hand of Malenia) |
Traits
Empyrean
Born from the two halves of Queen Marika, Malenia has within her the potential to ascend beyond that of a mere demigod. Her empyrean nature has also drawn the attention of those who lurk beyond the veil of the world. [+10 to all stats]
Avatar of Rot
Within adamant flesh seethes an ocean of Rot, held back only by the touch of unalloyed gold. With a touch, Malenia can allow that ocean to flow out from within her, though controlling its spread once released proves a far more difficult challenge. [+15 to Piety and Combat]
Great Rune of Decay
Twin to the Great Rune of Abundance held by her brother, together they form an endless cycle of abundance and decay. But for the touch of Rot this Rune would have been the most sacred of them all. [+5 Stewardship and Learning, +10 Combat]
Abilities
Waterfowl Dance
The culmination of her mentor's art combined with Malenia's own incomparable skill. Even the Starscourge could not match the steps of her dance. [+20 Combat]
Scarlet Aeonia
Each time the scarlet flower blooms, Malenia's rot advances. It has bloomed once already. With the third bloom, she will become a true goddess. [First Bloom, +5 to all stats]
Equipment
Hand of Malenia
A prosthesis of unalloyed gold crafted by her brother. Consecrated in the Grace of the Haligtree, the Hand of Malenia can cut through even the strongest of armaments. [+10 Combat]
Supporting Units
Cleanrot Knights
Once again commanded by Knight Commander Finlay, the Cleanrot Knights have begun to recapture a mote of the skill and grace they once possessed. Despite her reappointment, time has been a formidable foe to the Cleanrot Knights.
When assigned as either a solo unit or the most powerful unit in a group, Cleanrot Knights use the following stats
Combat: 18
Martial: 14
When assigned with a more powerful unit, Cleanrot Knights provide the following bonuses
Combat: +9
Martial: +7
Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree
Once a Royal Carian Knight, Loretta discarded both the prestige of her position as well as the glintstone scythe granted to her for valorous deeds in the war between Caria and Leyndell. In exchange, she searched far and wide for a home for the albinaurics, eventually finding one beneath the boughs of the Haligtree.
When assigned as either a solo unit or the most powerful unit in a group, Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree uses the followings stats
Learning: 20
Combat: 16
When assigned with a more powerful unit, Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree provides the following bonuses
Learning: 10
Combat: 8
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Arc 1 - The Haligtree Awaits
[] Take stock of Elphael. Once, the Brace of the Haligtree was the capital of Miquella's realm and a promise to all. It now a shadow of a shadow of that munificent promise, but it need not remain so. [Stewardship. On success: gain a deeper understanding of the issues plaguing Elphael.]
DC 45 vs 70 = 41 + 29
The cracked streets, broken by the uncontrolled growth of root and branch were easy enough to see. As were the shattered facades, the toppled statuary, and the topiary long since reverted to wilderness. But all that was, to you, superficial. Or at least of far lesser import when compared to the supplies needed to keep the residents of a city alive and thriving.
In the years before what would become the Shattering, your brother had undertaken a task of such terrifying complexity that you had fled for the relative safety of the Consecrated Snowfields and the monstrous beasts that dwelled within. Perhaps, if you had stayed by his side in those months, you would have a better understanding of what it meant to prepare a city the size of Elphael for a siege. But then both you and your brother had walked different paths and found different gifts. And where you had found yours in the blade, he had found one of his in a far stranger art. Logistics.
"To feed a city, Mal we must know many things. To feed one whose denizens are as varied as Elphael, we must know even more." your brother's lecture had been accompanied by a sly grin that had spoken far louder than words that he knew you were attempting to flee this battle of sums for something more sensible. Just as he had known—as he had always known—that you would never ignore him. "In fact, instead of a city like Leyndell, where we can model food consumption based upon a primarily… Golden Order approved… type of humanity, here we must instead…"
The memory draws a smile to your face, one that only widens as you see Miquella's childish face screwed up into a look of intense focus forms in your mind's eye. It was only a shame that he had learned early and well just how adorable he was—and that he had never been hesitant to use it—even after the youthfulness of his appearance no longer matched the years since his birth.
"I suppose I should have listened closer, dearest Miquella," your whisper, more a sighed exhalation than spoken words, nevertheless echoes loudly in your ears.
Still, you had listened close enough to remember a hidden lift that led down to the very deepest roots of the Haligtree. A location where a warehouse was built and stocked to serve Elphael in case of siege by… Fundamentalists. And here, at the end of a seemingly endless descent into the earth, you find yourself in a cavernous room lit by seemingly hundreds of torches that bathe the warehouse in a pale, ashen light. Long, graceful strides take you down an aisle crowded by jars of myriad different shapes and sizes. Each one is sealed in wax and marked by your brother's graceful calligraphy.
Smithing stones. Glovewort. Grain. Corn. Beans. Hundreds of jars, labeled with everything from from alchemical supplies to choice cuts of meat. And at the far end of the sprawling space, stacks upon stacks of stone and wood and metal.
A crimson eyebrow raises as you take in the bounty set aside by your brother. "How much of all of this did you foresee, Miquella?"
[] Search for Knight Commander Finlay. When you lay insensate upon the swamps of Aeonia, torn in body by the Starscourge's attacks and in mind by the Rot that you let Bloom, Finlay managed to carry you back to the safety of the Haligtree. [????. On success: gain Knight Commander Finlay, improve bonuses of Cleanrot Knights.]
DC 65 vs ??? = 72 + ??
Tracking the resting place of a knight that hadn't been seen in years was, perhaps, not a trivial task. But, not only did you have the gifts of your birth and the grace granted by becoming an empyrean, you had lived in this city since its beginning. More than that, you knew your missing knight. She had, after all, spent centuries under your command, serving as your hand and voice in places where you could not be.
So it was, that after a few missed guesses. You found her…
Or rather…
"Was this the answer you chose, Finlay?" fingers of flesh and blood trace along lacquered wood and golden inlay as a heavy weight settles within your chest. "To reject the grace of rebirth and persist here instead in this forgotten corner of Elphael?"
"I am sorry I did not reach you sooner." You exhale deeply, slowly. Regret and recrimination flow through your thoughts as your eyes are drawn to a bowl containing the Spirit Ashes of your lost knight. "But belated as it is, I am here now."
"And so I ask," your voice quavers ever so slightly as unalloyed gold reaches out to touch Spirit Ash.
There were many things you wanted to say. Many questions you wanted to ask. Yet the time for that was not now. Not as you intruded upon the rest your knight had chosen for herself. Perhaps, if the light of your brother's presence had still radiated from the Haligtree you could have left her to her rest. Or perhaps if the needle he had once wrought to silence the seething of Rot was still embedded in your flesh. Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps. But so many things had changed since you had fallen into slumber and anything that could remind you of those better days was… You sigh once again, banishing regret and recrimination as unworthy companions of the decision you had made, and reach out.
A mote of your will flows along the golden runes of your prosthesis and into the ashen remains of Finlay. It is not the tolling of a bell crafted by spirit-callers to guide a soul back from the Spirit World, but then you are not a lesser being to need such support. The radiance of your soul alone would be sufficient. "Are you willing to serve once more?"
In answer to your call, a figure, limned in ghost flame and garbed in the flowing azure of their soul materializes in front of you. For a long moment, you simply stare, your eyes drinking in the familiar shape of armor and even more familiar features. And then you wait, silent and motionless, for despite the certainty of your decision to wake your knight from death, you would not force her to serve.
"Lady Malenia?" The voice whispers across your senses, an ethereal caress that had far less to do with sound than intent and desire. "You're back…"
"I am," you reply simply, for those were all the words you could force out through the knot forming in your throat.
"My Lady, I…" Finlay trails off, seeming just as lost for words as you were. The silence reverberates, stretching out into infinity as you stare down into eyes that flicker with a pale inner light.
You cannot find words for the mixture of emotion that floods through you as your knight smiles softly and drops gracefully to one knee. Fortunately, your body remembers the rites and acts even as your thoughts are frozen.
A hand extends—the golden one, the pure one—and Finlay reaches out to grasp it. Ghostly lips press down on a ring fashioned into your prosthesis. Azure eyes filled with some unnameable emotion look up at you, "Until the Erdtree burns and all turns to the ash, I will follow you, Lady Malenia."
Finlay's hands fall from your own, as you raise your blade and let it fall upon your knight's shoulder. "Then rise once again, Dame Finlay, Commander of the Cleanrot Knights. We have work to do."
[] Take stock of Miquella's library. Once, Miquella had a library containing books gathered from the far corners of the Lands Between and even from those beyond the fog. Time has doubtless worn them down, but perhaps some may yet be recovered. [Learning. On success: gain a rudimentary library.] (Can be assigned to a support unit)
--[] Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree
DC 40 vs 30 = 10 + 20
The glintstone light hanging above Loretta's crested helmet illuminates the suite of rooms Lady Malenia had told her had once been Lord Miquella's private study. In better times, it had clearly played host to the trappings of a mind that was, perhaps, unequaled amongst all the children of Marika.
Loretta could see maps of both the Lands Between and the realms beyond the fog pinned to the walls alongside diagrams of arcane complexity such that even her own extensive training couldn't make heads or tails of them. And crammed in every corner and stuffed near to overflowing upon seemingly dozens of bookshelves are scrolls, books, and journals that had proven the foundation of Lord Miquella's own development of a new Golden Order.
Unfortunately, it was all in a state of immense disrepair. Paper had been torn from books and crumpled to provide bedding for rodents. Insects had eaten through entire volumes of leather-clad notebooks, defacing priceless collections of research into the crafting of incantations. More than their pestilential touch was the near-overwhelming stench of mold and mildew emanating from piles of books that must have sat for years in puddles of stagnant water.
Loretta is too well trained to let the loss of so much knowledge bow her shoulders, but it is a near thing. Still, she had once re-taught herself to walk when the curse of the albinaurics had paralyzed her legs. Compared to that, what were a few waterlogged books? "I refuse to let Lord Miquella's legacy fall to something as trivial as neglect."
[Gained: ruined library]
[New turn action unlocked]
[] Dispatch the remaining Kindred of Rot. Some things cannot be abided. Some creatures cannot be allowed to live. Purge them with fire and blade and unalloyed gold. [Combat. On success: all Kindred of Rot purged from Elphael.] (Can be assigned to a support unit)
--[] Cleanrot Knights
DC 30 vs 33 = 23 + 10
Cadoc scowls down at the disemboweled corpse of an insectoid creature Lady Malenia had called a Kindred of Rot. He resists the urge to spit upon it, but only barely. That such a malformed creature would dare to claim fealty to his Lady was an insult that could not be tolerated. Still, knowing these things needed to be eradicated and accomplishing the task were two completely different things.
"Sir Cai, your thoughts?" Cadoc addressed the nearest of his compatriots. Sir Bryne was busy standing lookout and Dame Eira was incanting a soothing golden light over a gaping wound in her thigh.
"Bastards can think," the other knight growled out, his voice flat with repressed anger. "Got us clean when we were trying to secure the chapel."
"Dame Eira?" Cadoc asks as he notices the knight's flesh seal up and scab over. The incantation was no substitute for rest and recovery, but it would do… for now.
"I concur. Armed with mere animal cunning their attacks would splash futilely against our consecration, and yet..." she stands with a quickly suppressed grimace before pointing down at a knee joint that had been punctured straight through, revealing the torn gambeson beneath. "They knew how and where to hit to take me out of the fight in one shot."
"Sir Bryne?" Cadoc raises an eyebrow as the last of the group of knights walks over to the impromptu strategy session.
"Weak." Sir Bryne chews on the inside of his cheek for a moment before continuing, "Uncoordinated. Cowardly. Ambush predators."
"So there are, perhaps dozens of intelligent ambush predators capable of piercing through our armor, and only four of us..." Cadoc pauses to look each of his fellow knights in the eye. Grim satisfaction crosses his face as he sees not a single mote of hesitance or fear. "We have faced worse odds before. And if they wish to hide in the shadows and strike as the cowards they have proven themselves to be, then we shall purge them with flame and golden light."
Cadoc tilts his haloed scythe into the middle of the circle between the four knights. His weapon is soon joined by Dame Eira's sword and the spears of Sir Bryne and Sir Cai. As one, four voices speak.
"For Lady Malenia."
[Cleanrot Knights are still a bit occupied eliminating the Kindred threat, unit is tapped until next turn.]
Support units can be used in one of two ways, either assigned to actions tagged as (Can be assigned to a support unit) or added to a task to provide a bonus to that task. Units that are assigned to a task without Malenia do not count against the number of actions she can take in a turn. Multiple units may be assigned to the same task.
Turn Options
Malenia has Two actions she may take this turn. Please vote by plan. Please note that bolded options are either new or have updated text.
One success from the previous quest rolls over to the current quest.
Quest: Secure the Haligtree [1 of 6 tasks completed]
While your efforts have rendered Elphael safer than it has been since you retreated into slumber, there is more work to be done before the imminent threats to the Haligtree are completely resolved.
[] Welcome the misbegotten refugees of the Haligtree. These refugees have sought shelter beneath the welcoming boughs of Miquella's tree, even as they have never been allowed into Elphael itself. In order to live up to your brother's dream, this must change. [Diplomacy. On success: gain unskilled workforce.]
[] Organize patrols of the Haligtree. It isn't enough to merely slay all the threats to your brother's beloved city. You must put into place the infrastructure to ensure those threats never return. [Martial. On success: increases DC of hostile incursion into the Haligtree.] (Requires soldiers of the Haligtree.)
[] Catalog the damage done to Elphael and the Haligtree. You have a stock of resources found in the ancient cellars of Elphael which you could put to use in restoring the broken buildings and streets of your brother's city. Before that, you have to survey the damage. [Stewardship. On success: new turn action generated once the current quest is resolved.]
[] Search for hidden paths. The cowards that stole Miquella reached his cocoon unseen and left without alerting a single soul. Such a weakness in the defenses of Elphael cannot be borne.
[Intrigue. On success: shore up hidden pathways into and through the Brace of the Haligtree.]
[] Save what books can be saved. Upon noticing the sorry state of Lord Miquella's library, Loretta knew that time would be critical to ensure that as much of his knowledge could be saved as possible. [Learning. On Success: restores ruined library to rudimentary] (Action must be taken this turn and assigned to Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree as either primary or support. If assigned as primary, will tap Loretta until the quest Securing the Haligtree is complete.)
[] Meet with the soldiers of the Haligtree. In the early years of the Shattering, countless men and women swore themselves to the light of your brother's benevolence. Time has doubtless worn down all but the stoutest of them, but any who have kept the faith these long years deserve a place under your wings once again. [Piety. On success: gain a platoon of soldiers.]
[] Personally patrol the Haligtree. It is almost certain that various threats have made themselves at home in Miquella's city. It would be a trivial task to put them to the sword. [Combat. On success: eliminate one or more major threats from the Haligtree.]
[AN]
I think the system makes sense so far. Things that would be trivial for Malenia are not necessarily so for others. Though, to be fair, Loretta and the Cleanrot knights did get a bit unlucky on their rolls. As a result of her unfortunate luck, though, we'll have another turn or so before we get to sorcery and incantations.
As always, feel free to @ me if you have any questions or comments or whatever.
DC 45 vs 70 = 41 + 29
The cracked streets, broken by the uncontrolled growth of root and branch were easy enough to see. As were the shattered facades, the toppled statuary, and the topiary long since reverted to wilderness. But all that was, to you, superficial. Or at least of far lesser import when compared to the supplies needed to keep the residents of a city alive and thriving.
In the years before what would become the Shattering, your brother had undertaken a task of such terrifying complexity that you had fled for the relative safety of the Consecrated Snowfields and the monstrous beasts that dwelled within. Perhaps, if you had stayed by his side in those months, you would have a better understanding of what it meant to prepare a city the size of Elphael for a siege. But then both you and your brother had walked different paths and found different gifts. And where you had found yours in the blade, he had found one of his in a far stranger art. Logistics.
"To feed a city, Mal we must know many things. To feed one whose denizens are as varied as Elphael, we must know even more." your brother's lecture had been accompanied by a sly grin that had spoken far louder than words that he knew you were attempting to flee this battle of sums for something more sensible. Just as he had known—as he had always known—that you would never ignore him. "In fact, instead of a city like Leyndell, where we can model food consumption based upon a primarily… Golden Order approved… type of humanity, here we must instead…"
The memory draws a smile to your face, one that only widens as you see Miquella's childish face screwed up into a look of intense focus forms in your mind's eye. It was only a shame that he had learned early and well just how adorable he was—and that he had never been hesitant to use it—even after the youthfulness of his appearance no longer matched the years since his birth.
"I suppose I should have listened closer, dearest Miquella," your whisper, more a sighed exhalation than spoken words, nevertheless echoes loudly in your ears.
Still, you had listened close enough to remember a hidden lift that led down to the very deepest roots of the Haligtree. A location where a warehouse was built and stocked to serve Elphael in case of siege by… Fundamentalists. And here, at the end of a seemingly endless descent into the earth, you find yourself in a cavernous room lit by seemingly hundreds of torches that bathe the warehouse in a pale, ashen light. Long, graceful strides take you down an aisle crowded by jars of myriad different shapes and sizes. Each one is sealed in wax and marked by your brother's graceful calligraphy.
Smithing stones. Glovewort. Grain. Corn. Beans. Hundreds of jars, labeled with everything from from alchemical supplies to choice cuts of meat. And at the far end of the sprawling space, stacks upon stacks of stone and wood and metal.
A crimson eyebrow raises as you take in the bounty set aside by your brother. "How much of all of this did you foresee, Miquella?"
Food (400)
Required to keep living and/or mortal beings alive and happy. Each full turn (starting with Arc 2) requires 100 food. Food is consumed automatically, though an option to ration supplies will be available as a free action (once Arc 2 starts).
Alchemistry (100)
Required to upgrade arms and armor as well as develop certain alchemical mixtures. Actions using alchemistry are locked until a smith or a perfumer is recruited.
Construction (300)
Required to build or repair infrastructure and vehicles. Actions using construction require a character with the stewardship stat.
Required to keep living and/or mortal beings alive and happy. Each full turn (starting with Arc 2) requires 100 food. Food is consumed automatically, though an option to ration supplies will be available as a free action (once Arc 2 starts).
Alchemistry (100)
Required to upgrade arms and armor as well as develop certain alchemical mixtures. Actions using alchemistry are locked until a smith or a perfumer is recruited.
Construction (300)
Required to build or repair infrastructure and vehicles. Actions using construction require a character with the stewardship stat.
[] Search for Knight Commander Finlay. When you lay insensate upon the swamps of Aeonia, torn in body by the Starscourge's attacks and in mind by the Rot that you let Bloom, Finlay managed to carry you back to the safety of the Haligtree. [????. On success: gain Knight Commander Finlay, improve bonuses of Cleanrot Knights.]
DC 65 vs ??? = 72 + ??
Tracking the resting place of a knight that hadn't been seen in years was, perhaps, not a trivial task. But, not only did you have the gifts of your birth and the grace granted by becoming an empyrean, you had lived in this city since its beginning. More than that, you knew your missing knight. She had, after all, spent centuries under your command, serving as your hand and voice in places where you could not be.
So it was, that after a few missed guesses. You found her…
Or rather…
"Was this the answer you chose, Finlay?" fingers of flesh and blood trace along lacquered wood and golden inlay as a heavy weight settles within your chest. "To reject the grace of rebirth and persist here instead in this forgotten corner of Elphael?"
"I am sorry I did not reach you sooner." You exhale deeply, slowly. Regret and recrimination flow through your thoughts as your eyes are drawn to a bowl containing the Spirit Ashes of your lost knight. "But belated as it is, I am here now."
"And so I ask," your voice quavers ever so slightly as unalloyed gold reaches out to touch Spirit Ash.
There were many things you wanted to say. Many questions you wanted to ask. Yet the time for that was not now. Not as you intruded upon the rest your knight had chosen for herself. Perhaps, if the light of your brother's presence had still radiated from the Haligtree you could have left her to her rest. Or perhaps if the needle he had once wrought to silence the seething of Rot was still embedded in your flesh. Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps. But so many things had changed since you had fallen into slumber and anything that could remind you of those better days was… You sigh once again, banishing regret and recrimination as unworthy companions of the decision you had made, and reach out.
A mote of your will flows along the golden runes of your prosthesis and into the ashen remains of Finlay. It is not the tolling of a bell crafted by spirit-callers to guide a soul back from the Spirit World, but then you are not a lesser being to need such support. The radiance of your soul alone would be sufficient. "Are you willing to serve once more?"
In answer to your call, a figure, limned in ghost flame and garbed in the flowing azure of their soul materializes in front of you. For a long moment, you simply stare, your eyes drinking in the familiar shape of armor and even more familiar features. And then you wait, silent and motionless, for despite the certainty of your decision to wake your knight from death, you would not force her to serve.
"Lady Malenia?" The voice whispers across your senses, an ethereal caress that had far less to do with sound than intent and desire. "You're back…"
"I am," you reply simply, for those were all the words you could force out through the knot forming in your throat.
"My Lady, I…" Finlay trails off, seeming just as lost for words as you were. The silence reverberates, stretching out into infinity as you stare down into eyes that flicker with a pale inner light.
You cannot find words for the mixture of emotion that floods through you as your knight smiles softly and drops gracefully to one knee. Fortunately, your body remembers the rites and acts even as your thoughts are frozen.
A hand extends—the golden one, the pure one—and Finlay reaches out to grasp it. Ghostly lips press down on a ring fashioned into your prosthesis. Azure eyes filled with some unnameable emotion look up at you, "Until the Erdtree burns and all turns to the ash, I will follow you, Lady Malenia."
Finlay's hands fall from your own, as you raise your blade and let it fall upon your knight's shoulder. "Then rise once again, Dame Finlay, Commander of the Cleanrot Knights. We have work to do."
Even when compared to the storied devotion the Cleanrot Knights have for their leader, Knight Commander Finlay's loyalty stands out. Indeed, it was she who carried Lady Malenia back across countless miles from the fetid battlefields of Caelid to the sanctuary of the Haligtree.
Knight Commander Finlay attaches to the Cleanrot Knights. Cleanrot Knights improve to:
When assigned as either a solo unit or the most powerful unit in a group, Cleanrot Knights use the following stats
Combat: 10 -> 18
Martial: 14
When assigned with a more powerful unit, Cleanrot Knights provide the following bonuses
Combat: +5 -> +9
Martial: +7
Knight Commander Finlay attaches to the Cleanrot Knights. Cleanrot Knights improve to:
When assigned as either a solo unit or the most powerful unit in a group, Cleanrot Knights use the following stats
Combat: 10 -> 18
Martial: 14
When assigned with a more powerful unit, Cleanrot Knights provide the following bonuses
Combat: +5 -> +9
Martial: +7
[] Take stock of Miquella's library. Once, Miquella had a library containing books gathered from the far corners of the Lands Between and even from those beyond the fog. Time has doubtless worn them down, but perhaps some may yet be recovered. [Learning. On success: gain a rudimentary library.] (Can be assigned to a support unit)
--[] Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree
DC 40 vs 30 = 10 + 20
The glintstone light hanging above Loretta's crested helmet illuminates the suite of rooms Lady Malenia had told her had once been Lord Miquella's private study. In better times, it had clearly played host to the trappings of a mind that was, perhaps, unequaled amongst all the children of Marika.
Loretta could see maps of both the Lands Between and the realms beyond the fog pinned to the walls alongside diagrams of arcane complexity such that even her own extensive training couldn't make heads or tails of them. And crammed in every corner and stuffed near to overflowing upon seemingly dozens of bookshelves are scrolls, books, and journals that had proven the foundation of Lord Miquella's own development of a new Golden Order.
Unfortunately, it was all in a state of immense disrepair. Paper had been torn from books and crumpled to provide bedding for rodents. Insects had eaten through entire volumes of leather-clad notebooks, defacing priceless collections of research into the crafting of incantations. More than their pestilential touch was the near-overwhelming stench of mold and mildew emanating from piles of books that must have sat for years in puddles of stagnant water.
Loretta is too well trained to let the loss of so much knowledge bow her shoulders, but it is a near thing. Still, she had once re-taught herself to walk when the curse of the albinaurics had paralyzed her legs. Compared to that, what were a few waterlogged books? "I refuse to let Lord Miquella's legacy fall to something as trivial as neglect."
[Gained: ruined library]
[New turn action unlocked]
[] Dispatch the remaining Kindred of Rot. Some things cannot be abided. Some creatures cannot be allowed to live. Purge them with fire and blade and unalloyed gold. [Combat. On success: all Kindred of Rot purged from Elphael.] (Can be assigned to a support unit)
--[] Cleanrot Knights
DC 30 vs 33 = 23 + 10
Cadoc scowls down at the disemboweled corpse of an insectoid creature Lady Malenia had called a Kindred of Rot. He resists the urge to spit upon it, but only barely. That such a malformed creature would dare to claim fealty to his Lady was an insult that could not be tolerated. Still, knowing these things needed to be eradicated and accomplishing the task were two completely different things.
"Sir Cai, your thoughts?" Cadoc addressed the nearest of his compatriots. Sir Bryne was busy standing lookout and Dame Eira was incanting a soothing golden light over a gaping wound in her thigh.
"Bastards can think," the other knight growled out, his voice flat with repressed anger. "Got us clean when we were trying to secure the chapel."
"Dame Eira?" Cadoc asks as he notices the knight's flesh seal up and scab over. The incantation was no substitute for rest and recovery, but it would do… for now.
"I concur. Armed with mere animal cunning their attacks would splash futilely against our consecration, and yet..." she stands with a quickly suppressed grimace before pointing down at a knee joint that had been punctured straight through, revealing the torn gambeson beneath. "They knew how and where to hit to take me out of the fight in one shot."
"Sir Bryne?" Cadoc raises an eyebrow as the last of the group of knights walks over to the impromptu strategy session.
"Weak." Sir Bryne chews on the inside of his cheek for a moment before continuing, "Uncoordinated. Cowardly. Ambush predators."
"So there are, perhaps dozens of intelligent ambush predators capable of piercing through our armor, and only four of us..." Cadoc pauses to look each of his fellow knights in the eye. Grim satisfaction crosses his face as he sees not a single mote of hesitance or fear. "We have faced worse odds before. And if they wish to hide in the shadows and strike as the cowards they have proven themselves to be, then we shall purge them with flame and golden light."
Cadoc tilts his haloed scythe into the middle of the circle between the four knights. His weapon is soon joined by Dame Eira's sword and the spears of Sir Bryne and Sir Cai. As one, four voices speak.
"For Lady Malenia."
[Cleanrot Knights are still a bit occupied eliminating the Kindred threat, unit is tapped until next turn.]
Support units can be used in one of two ways, either assigned to actions tagged as (Can be assigned to a support unit) or added to a task to provide a bonus to that task. Units that are assigned to a task without Malenia do not count against the number of actions she can take in a turn. Multiple units may be assigned to the same task.
Golden Order Fundamentalism is a philosophy created by Queen Marika. It is an order of alloyed gold (perhaps reflective of the various powers incorporated into her rule, or perhaps reflective of some more esoteric truth). It systematically oppresses and shuns any who do not fit into its order including the albinaurics and people who display traits of a time before the golden order (non-human traits like wings, feathers, tails, horns, etc.). Importantly, it is not synonymous with the Greater Will (as we can see from the endings that repair the Elden Ring, the Greater Will 'accepts' any number of variations of Order), but rather is Marika's own interpretation.
Turn Options
Malenia has Two actions she may take this turn. Please vote by plan. Please note that bolded options are either new or have updated text.
One success from the previous quest rolls over to the current quest.
Quest: Secure the Haligtree [1 of 6 tasks completed]
While your efforts have rendered Elphael safer than it has been since you retreated into slumber, there is more work to be done before the imminent threats to the Haligtree are completely resolved.
[] Welcome the misbegotten refugees of the Haligtree. These refugees have sought shelter beneath the welcoming boughs of Miquella's tree, even as they have never been allowed into Elphael itself. In order to live up to your brother's dream, this must change. [Diplomacy. On success: gain unskilled workforce.]
[] Organize patrols of the Haligtree. It isn't enough to merely slay all the threats to your brother's beloved city. You must put into place the infrastructure to ensure those threats never return. [Martial. On success: increases DC of hostile incursion into the Haligtree.] (Requires soldiers of the Haligtree.)
[] Catalog the damage done to Elphael and the Haligtree. You have a stock of resources found in the ancient cellars of Elphael which you could put to use in restoring the broken buildings and streets of your brother's city. Before that, you have to survey the damage. [Stewardship. On success: new turn action generated once the current quest is resolved.]
[] Search for hidden paths. The cowards that stole Miquella reached his cocoon unseen and left without alerting a single soul. Such a weakness in the defenses of Elphael cannot be borne.
[Intrigue. On success: shore up hidden pathways into and through the Brace of the Haligtree.]
[] Save what books can be saved. Upon noticing the sorry state of Lord Miquella's library, Loretta knew that time would be critical to ensure that as much of his knowledge could be saved as possible. [Learning. On Success: restores ruined library to rudimentary] (Action must be taken this turn and assigned to Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree as either primary or support. If assigned as primary, will tap Loretta until the quest Securing the Haligtree is complete.)
[] Meet with the soldiers of the Haligtree. In the early years of the Shattering, countless men and women swore themselves to the light of your brother's benevolence. Time has doubtless worn down all but the stoutest of them, but any who have kept the faith these long years deserve a place under your wings once again. [Piety. On success: gain a platoon of soldiers.]
[] Personally patrol the Haligtree. It is almost certain that various threats have made themselves at home in Miquella's city. It would be a trivial task to put them to the sword. [Combat. On success: eliminate one or more major threats from the Haligtree.]
[AN]
I think the system makes sense so far. Things that would be trivial for Malenia are not necessarily so for others. Though, to be fair, Loretta and the Cleanrot knights did get a bit unlucky on their rolls. As a result of her unfortunate luck, though, we'll have another turn or so before we get to sorcery and incantations.
As always, feel free to @ me if you have any questions or comments or whatever.
Arc 1 - Library Books
[] Catalog the damage done to Elphael and the Haligtree. You have a stock of resources found in the ancient cellars of Elphael, you could put them to use in restoring the broken buildings and streets of your brother's city. Before that, you have to survey the damage. [Stewardship. On success: new turn action generated once current quest is resolved.]
DC 45 vs 77 = 47 + 30
From the topmost boughs of the Haligtree, you could see many things. The hazy shimmer of what looked like land an almost unfathomable distance to the north. The cherry red glow that was all that remained of the Giant's Flame. The ruins and forts and outposts that dotted the lands, the last remnants of those that had once thrived in this mountainous land.
With a sigh, you set aside gazing at the horizon and the call of exploration made by its many far-distant landmarks, and instead turn to look down upon the almost ruined city sprawling out below you. There didn't seem to be a building or road or high arching bridge that had survived the intervening years since your slumber and your brother's abduction intact.
Even the great bulwarks that had been driven into the ocean by sorcery and trollish hands were in tatters and no longer could you see either the piers or the siege weaponry that had once bristled from those great walls. Elphael had once welcomed all who arrived before its walls, and countless thousands had braved the journey to stand before its gleaming walls. Compared to the pittance that had braved the overland routes north, teeming masses had arrived upon those piers, carried to sanctuary by shallow-bottomed river craft and great-sailed galleys alike.
In your mind's eye, you could see Elphael as it had once been: a shining monument to your brother's vision, a vibrant place where all were welcomed. A city full of life and vigor and color. That memory was a far cry from the pale drabness that now unfurled beneath your gaze. Memories of high-arched bridges and spires that had once stood tall and glittering clash with broken masonry and neglect.
As it must ever do, memory fades, defeated by reality. For you would once again see Elphael a match for what it had once been, a task that could not be completed while you let yourself remain trapped in the nostalgia of a time long since gone. And so, as you stare down from the highest boughs of the Haligtree, a list of repairs begins to form in your mind. One that grows and grows as your inspection continues.
[stewardship actions unlocked for Arc 2]
[] Save what books can be saved. Upon noticing the sorry state of Lord Miquella's library, Loretta knew that time would be critical to ensure that as much of his knowledge could be saved as possible. [Learning. On Success: restores ruined library to rudimentary] (Action must be taken this turn and assigned to Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree as either primary or support. If assigned as primary, will tap Loretta until the quest Securing the Haligtree is complete.)
DC 50 vs 54 = 12 + 32 + 10
Miquella's study is in far worse shape than even you could have imagined. That much was clear almost the instant you had stepped through the doorway and into his former suite. Your estimation of the situation drops as you take in the grim, almost angry look gracing Loretta's face.
"Your Highness, thank you for coming," pale silver hair spills loosely as the former Carian knight tilts her head in a respectful bow.
Your eyes flicker across the room, taking in the damage and devastation in the same way you had surveyed hundreds of battlefields. For a moment, you allow your gaze to settle on the knight, just long enough to issue an order, "collect the least damaged books and scrolls and place them somewhere dry. I will see what I can do to draw the rot from their pages."
"As you command."
Loretta departs with a bow and a swirl of her deep blue coak, but your focus has already moved. Your eyebrow twitches as you take in a rat's nest that had been fashioned out of the thick parchment of your brother's journals. Rot lashes out, formless and deadly as it soaks through stone and mortar, unnoticed by either Loretta or the pests that had dared breach Miquella's sanctuary.
Long, graceful strides take you from study to antechamber to bedroom, and all the while, your Rot hunts. It flows between the walls and floors, an invisible miasma searching hungrily for life. A target that it finds in a water-worn recess between irregularly shaped stone blocks: a colony of rats squirming and seething amidst the evidence of their crimes.
A single touch is all it takes to infect, to turn rodent flesh into a viscous liquid that sloughs from bone like melted candle wax. A second touch turns steaming puddles of melted flesh and viscera into dust and ash. A final touch consumes even ash, leaving behind not a single trace of life.
"There may be more that can be salvaged, but these are the best of a sorry lot," Loretta's metal-clad boots announce her presence and you watch as she spreads half a dozen books across a stone hearth framing a massive fireplace. It wasn't much, but when compared to your worst expectations when you had first seen the dilapidated state of your brother's study, it was enough.
"My brother would have protected his journals against the most common ravages of time," you kneel, picking up the most intact of the journals, your voice soft as you muse to yourself almost as much as to Loretta. "Inks that were resistant to water. Pages specifically bleached of any contaminants. Wards set to repel pests and the overly curious alike. Though I suppose we see how well the last one worked in the end."
"His Highness was wise to do so," Loretta's equally soft voice responds as she joins you in closer inspection of Miquella's journals.
A single thread of Rot unspools from your finger and weaves its way through your brother's journal. With a feather-light touch, you dissolve growths of mold that had worked its way between pages. A second brush with your power disintegrates spots of mildew that had found purchase in the binding glue and leather bound covers.
With the contamination dealt with, all that remained was the water damage, and for that, an even more delicate touch was needed. A gossamer-thin strand of Rot flows out from your hand and you watch, with senses granted by your Great Rune, as the book in your slowly begins to dry. Soon a second strand of Rot joins the first, carefully dissolving the first Rot before it could grow too bloated upon water and cause further damage.
Even for one with your inherent mastery of Rot, a mastery that had been strengthened a hundred-fold upon absorbing your Great Rune, the process was slow. The glow of the Erdtree rises and falls and rises again as you kneel, motionless save for the slightest twitch of flesh and blood fingers. Eventually, though, it is done.
You stand, graceful despite having spent days without moving. The creak of armor accompanies your rising, and you look over at Loretta, as she staggers slowly upright.
"I have done what I can here." You glance down at the golden prostheses decorating your form and a wry smile crosses your face. "Restoring something that has been broken is my brother's gift, not mine own."
"As you say, Your Highness," the knight dips her head in acknowledgment. "If you have no further need of me at the moment, I will begin weaving what wards as I can around Lord Miquella's library and also begin transcription of any scraps of information that I can find."
You nod, accepting her request to continue working in the library, and turn to leave. There was much and more that needed to be done before Elphael could be restored to even a fraction of its former glory, but restoring what knowledge could be restored from your brother's library was a worthy task indeed.
Support units can be used in one of two ways, either assigned to actions tagged as (Can be assigned to a support unit) or added to a task to provide a bonus to that task. Units that are assigned to a task without Malenia do not count against the number of actions she can take in a turn. Multiple units may be assigned to the same task.
Turn Options
Malenia has Two actions she may take this turn. As we now have some burgeoning complexity in how votes work, please vote by plan. Please note that bolded options are either new or have updated text.
Locked actions can be added to turn votes, so long as the pre-req actions are also included. Failing the pre-req action means the action does not occur and the action is not refunded. This also applies to locked actions assigned to support units with the same limitations.
Quest: Secure the Haligtree [3 of 6 tasks completed]
While your efforts have rendered Elphael safer than it has been since you retreated into slumber, there is more work to be done before the imminent threats to the Haligtree are completely resolved.
[] Welcome the misbegotten refugees of the Haligtree. These refugees have sought shelter beneath the welcoming boughs of Miquella's tree, even as they have never been allowed into Elphael itself. In order to live up to your brother's dream, this must change. [Diplomacy. On success: gain unskilled workforce.]
[] Organize patrols of the Haligtree. It isn't enough to merely slay all the threats to your brother's beloved city. You must put into place the infrastructure to ensure those threats never return. [Martial. On success: increases DC of hostile incursion into the Haligtree.] (Requires soldiers of the Haligtree.) (Can be assigned to Cleanrot Knights)
[] Search for hidden paths. The cowards that stole Miquella reached his cocoon unseen and left without alerting a single soul. Such a weakness in the defenses of Elphael cannot be borne.
[Intrigue. On success: shore up hidden pathways into and through the Brace of the Haligtree.]
[] Meet with the soldiers of the Haligtree. In the early years of the Shattering, countless men and women swore themselves to the light of your brother's benevolence. Time has doubtless worn down all but the stoutest of them, but any who have kept the faith these long years deserve a place under your wings once again. [Piety. On success: gain a platoon of soldiers.]
[] Personally patrol the Haligtree. It is almost certain that various threats have made themselves at home in Miquella's city. It would be a trivial task to put them to the sword. [Combat. On success: eliminate one or more major threats from the Haligtree.]
[AN]
I think we'll end this quest in another turn or two depending on how things go. Then we'll get into longer turns and some of the way turn options are structured will change to reflect this.
DC 45 vs 77 = 47 + 30
From the topmost boughs of the Haligtree, you could see many things. The hazy shimmer of what looked like land an almost unfathomable distance to the north. The cherry red glow that was all that remained of the Giant's Flame. The ruins and forts and outposts that dotted the lands, the last remnants of those that had once thrived in this mountainous land.
With a sigh, you set aside gazing at the horizon and the call of exploration made by its many far-distant landmarks, and instead turn to look down upon the almost ruined city sprawling out below you. There didn't seem to be a building or road or high arching bridge that had survived the intervening years since your slumber and your brother's abduction intact.
Even the great bulwarks that had been driven into the ocean by sorcery and trollish hands were in tatters and no longer could you see either the piers or the siege weaponry that had once bristled from those great walls. Elphael had once welcomed all who arrived before its walls, and countless thousands had braved the journey to stand before its gleaming walls. Compared to the pittance that had braved the overland routes north, teeming masses had arrived upon those piers, carried to sanctuary by shallow-bottomed river craft and great-sailed galleys alike.
In your mind's eye, you could see Elphael as it had once been: a shining monument to your brother's vision, a vibrant place where all were welcomed. A city full of life and vigor and color. That memory was a far cry from the pale drabness that now unfurled beneath your gaze. Memories of high-arched bridges and spires that had once stood tall and glittering clash with broken masonry and neglect.
As it must ever do, memory fades, defeated by reality. For you would once again see Elphael a match for what it had once been, a task that could not be completed while you let yourself remain trapped in the nostalgia of a time long since gone. And so, as you stare down from the highest boughs of the Haligtree, a list of repairs begins to form in your mind. One that grows and grows as your inspection continues.
[stewardship actions unlocked for Arc 2]
[] Save what books can be saved. Upon noticing the sorry state of Lord Miquella's library, Loretta knew that time would be critical to ensure that as much of his knowledge could be saved as possible. [Learning. On Success: restores ruined library to rudimentary] (Action must be taken this turn and assigned to Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree as either primary or support. If assigned as primary, will tap Loretta until the quest Securing the Haligtree is complete.)
DC 50 vs 54 = 12 + 32 + 10
Miquella's study is in far worse shape than even you could have imagined. That much was clear almost the instant you had stepped through the doorway and into his former suite. Your estimation of the situation drops as you take in the grim, almost angry look gracing Loretta's face.
"Your Highness, thank you for coming," pale silver hair spills loosely as the former Carian knight tilts her head in a respectful bow.
Your eyes flicker across the room, taking in the damage and devastation in the same way you had surveyed hundreds of battlefields. For a moment, you allow your gaze to settle on the knight, just long enough to issue an order, "collect the least damaged books and scrolls and place them somewhere dry. I will see what I can do to draw the rot from their pages."
"As you command."
Loretta departs with a bow and a swirl of her deep blue coak, but your focus has already moved. Your eyebrow twitches as you take in a rat's nest that had been fashioned out of the thick parchment of your brother's journals. Rot lashes out, formless and deadly as it soaks through stone and mortar, unnoticed by either Loretta or the pests that had dared breach Miquella's sanctuary.
Long, graceful strides take you from study to antechamber to bedroom, and all the while, your Rot hunts. It flows between the walls and floors, an invisible miasma searching hungrily for life. A target that it finds in a water-worn recess between irregularly shaped stone blocks: a colony of rats squirming and seething amidst the evidence of their crimes.
A single touch is all it takes to infect, to turn rodent flesh into a viscous liquid that sloughs from bone like melted candle wax. A second touch turns steaming puddles of melted flesh and viscera into dust and ash. A final touch consumes even ash, leaving behind not a single trace of life.
"There may be more that can be salvaged, but these are the best of a sorry lot," Loretta's metal-clad boots announce her presence and you watch as she spreads half a dozen books across a stone hearth framing a massive fireplace. It wasn't much, but when compared to your worst expectations when you had first seen the dilapidated state of your brother's study, it was enough.
"My brother would have protected his journals against the most common ravages of time," you kneel, picking up the most intact of the journals, your voice soft as you muse to yourself almost as much as to Loretta. "Inks that were resistant to water. Pages specifically bleached of any contaminants. Wards set to repel pests and the overly curious alike. Though I suppose we see how well the last one worked in the end."
"His Highness was wise to do so," Loretta's equally soft voice responds as she joins you in closer inspection of Miquella's journals.
A single thread of Rot unspools from your finger and weaves its way through your brother's journal. With a feather-light touch, you dissolve growths of mold that had worked its way between pages. A second brush with your power disintegrates spots of mildew that had found purchase in the binding glue and leather bound covers.
With the contamination dealt with, all that remained was the water damage, and for that, an even more delicate touch was needed. A gossamer-thin strand of Rot flows out from your hand and you watch, with senses granted by your Great Rune, as the book in your slowly begins to dry. Soon a second strand of Rot joins the first, carefully dissolving the first Rot before it could grow too bloated upon water and cause further damage.
Even for one with your inherent mastery of Rot, a mastery that had been strengthened a hundred-fold upon absorbing your Great Rune, the process was slow. The glow of the Erdtree rises and falls and rises again as you kneel, motionless save for the slightest twitch of flesh and blood fingers. Eventually, though, it is done.
You stand, graceful despite having spent days without moving. The creak of armor accompanies your rising, and you look over at Loretta, as she staggers slowly upright.
"I have done what I can here." You glance down at the golden prostheses decorating your form and a wry smile crosses your face. "Restoring something that has been broken is my brother's gift, not mine own."
"As you say, Your Highness," the knight dips her head in acknowledgment. "If you have no further need of me at the moment, I will begin weaving what wards as I can around Lord Miquella's library and also begin transcription of any scraps of information that I can find."
You nod, accepting her request to continue working in the library, and turn to leave. There was much and more that needed to be done before Elphael could be restored to even a fraction of its former glory, but restoring what knowledge could be restored from your brother's library was a worthy task indeed.
A library allows units to improve their combat score by learning incantations or sorcery and to create magic effects (either temporary or permanent) by researching them. A unit may learn different types of magic equal to its rank (to be discussed in Arc 2). A library may be improved by either finding new spellbooks or by existing units codifying their own spell knowledge.
The rudimentary library allows units to learn the following:
Golden Order Incantations: Journeyman (rank 3 of 5)
The rudimentary library allows units to learn the following:
Golden Order Incantations: Journeyman (rank 3 of 5)
Support units can be used in one of two ways, either assigned to actions tagged as (Can be assigned to a support unit) or added to a task to provide a bonus to that task. Units that are assigned to a task without Malenia do not count against the number of actions she can take in a turn. Multiple units may be assigned to the same task.
War in the Lands Between. It's worth noting that battles in the Lands Between were won by the might of individual champions and elite units of soldiers rather than massed troops. There were fewer than 20 Carian knights that held off the invasion of the Golden Order. Similarly, Godfrey commanded 16 Crucible Knights as he went to war with Marika's enemies (at least the Stormlord and perhaps also the Giants).
Elphael having a port. This is really the only way I can square people (re: Gowry/all the misbegotten) actually making it to Elphael when in game it requires two halves of a (well-hidden) medallion and solving that fucking black-knife infested evergaol to get there.
Elphael having a port. This is really the only way I can square people (re: Gowry/all the misbegotten) actually making it to Elphael when in game it requires two halves of a (well-hidden) medallion and solving that fucking black-knife infested evergaol to get there.
Turn Options
Malenia has Two actions she may take this turn. As we now have some burgeoning complexity in how votes work, please vote by plan. Please note that bolded options are either new or have updated text.
Locked actions can be added to turn votes, so long as the pre-req actions are also included. Failing the pre-req action means the action does not occur and the action is not refunded. This also applies to locked actions assigned to support units with the same limitations.
Quest: Secure the Haligtree [3 of 6 tasks completed]
While your efforts have rendered Elphael safer than it has been since you retreated into slumber, there is more work to be done before the imminent threats to the Haligtree are completely resolved.
[] Welcome the misbegotten refugees of the Haligtree. These refugees have sought shelter beneath the welcoming boughs of Miquella's tree, even as they have never been allowed into Elphael itself. In order to live up to your brother's dream, this must change. [Diplomacy. On success: gain unskilled workforce.]
[] Organize patrols of the Haligtree. It isn't enough to merely slay all the threats to your brother's beloved city. You must put into place the infrastructure to ensure those threats never return. [Martial. On success: increases DC of hostile incursion into the Haligtree.] (Requires soldiers of the Haligtree.) (Can be assigned to Cleanrot Knights)
[] Search for hidden paths. The cowards that stole Miquella reached his cocoon unseen and left without alerting a single soul. Such a weakness in the defenses of Elphael cannot be borne.
[Intrigue. On success: shore up hidden pathways into and through the Brace of the Haligtree.]
[] Meet with the soldiers of the Haligtree. In the early years of the Shattering, countless men and women swore themselves to the light of your brother's benevolence. Time has doubtless worn down all but the stoutest of them, but any who have kept the faith these long years deserve a place under your wings once again. [Piety. On success: gain a platoon of soldiers.]
[] Personally patrol the Haligtree. It is almost certain that various threats have made themselves at home in Miquella's city. It would be a trivial task to put them to the sword. [Combat. On success: eliminate one or more major threats from the Haligtree.]
[AN]
I think we'll end this quest in another turn or two depending on how things go. Then we'll get into longer turns and some of the way turn options are structured will change to reflect this.
Arc 1 - Back in the Fold
[] Search for hidden paths. The cowards that stole Miquella reached his cocoon unseen and left without alerting a single soul. Such a weakness in the defenses of Elphael cannot be borne. [Intrigue. On success: shore up hidden pathways into and through the Brace of the Haligtree.]
DC 50 vs 127 = 98 + 29
To be continued in interlude: An Empyrean's Shadow
[] Meet with the soldiers of the Haligtree. In the early years of the Shattering, countless men and women swore themselves to the light of your brother's benevolence. Time has doubtless worn down all but the stoutest of them, but any who have kept the faith these long years deserve a place under your wings once again. [Piety. On success: gain a platoon of soldiers.]
DC 40 vs 67 = 27 + 40
You look out at the crowd before you. Pale golden eyes take in surcoats worn by time and age, weapons failing against rot and rust. For a long moment, you study them. And they, in turn, stare silently up at you.
Ninety-seven men and women had responded to your call, to the tolling of the great cathedral bells. Not even a hundred soldiers had come, where once the ranks of those who served the Haligtree had numbered ten times that.
Still, you felt not a mote of disappointment that the numbers were so few. Rather, it was relief and gratitude that flowed through you as you stared down into the faces of those who had not broken faith even as you had failed them.
"I come here before you not to demand your obedience," your words silence the faint susurration flowing through the crowd. Nigh on a hundred soldiers stare up at you, motionless in a way that would put a statue to shame. "For loyalty compelled is mere tyranny. And it was to escape from Queen Marika's tyranny that brought each one of you to shelter in the shade of the Haligtree."
"No. Loyalty must be earned, and as I have squandered so precious a gift, so too will I work to once again earn yours." Statue-like figures seem to straighten and you watch as motes of long-forgotten pride begin to stir within them once more.
You don't smile, for you know how easy it would be to regain their trust with a word and a smile. You weren't Miquella, to so easily compel loyalty. But there were few indeed who could remain unmoved in the face of your regard. And so, you refrain from such empty things and instead offer them truth.
"We have fallen far from our heights, from our goals and dreams and ambitions." you glance away from the crowd of soldiers before you and toward the simple runes inscribed upon your prosthetic arm. "And I carry the blame for that fall."
You ignore the muffled sound of what could have only been Finlay's protest, "And so, I promise. To each of you standing here. To all those who have or will one day seek shelter beneath the boughs of the Haligtree. I will never again retreat into slumber. I will never again leave you bereft of the protection of my wings."
The crowd is still and utterly silent, but then you don't need them to voice aloud the emotions you can feel stirring in their hearts. "So I ask you, soldiers of the Haligtree. Will you allow me to lead you once again, to war and death and the promise of better days?"
[Gained soldiers of the Haligtree unit]
[] Organize patrols of the Haligtree. It isn't enough to merely slay all the threats to your brother's beloved city. You must put into place the infrastructure to ensure those threats never return. [Martial. On success: increases DC of hostile incursion into the Haligtree.] (Requires soldiers of the Haligtree.) (Can be assigned to Cleanrot Knights)
DC 40 vs 57 = 43 + 14
Finlay materializes with a swirl of ash right beside a soldier clad in a pale yellow and white surcoat and matches her stride with the soldier. For half a city block she prowls behind the feckless soldier, waiting for a response, for awareness, for any sense that the figure in front of her is more than just flesh and dead eyes. She gets nothing, not even the slightest twitch that would indicate they were intentionally ignoring her—as foolish an idea as that would be.
For a moment, she's tempted to perforate inattentive flesh with sword and spear. Though whether that temptation was to eliminate one who would so flaunt the abasement offered to them by her Lady, or merely to remind this soldier of their responsibilities, she couldn't say for sure. Eventually, though, the urge to kill subsides and she disappears with the same swirl of ash as she arrived.
Cadoc raises a closed fist and barely suppresses a scowl as the clank of armor and weapons behind him continues for another breath. His scowl deepens, almost etching his annoyance clearly on his face as he turns around and views the ragged line made by the trio of soldiers assigned to this patrol.
He exhales audibly, almost a growl. It doesn't help. A second growled exhale and he feels calm enough to speak without shouting… or stabbing. "Do you fools not understand the honor granted upon you?"
One of the soldiers, one who still carries the deep golden glow of youth in his eyes moves to speak.
"You do not!" His words crack like a whip. The youngster flinches and his mouth snaps shut. Cadoc nods, satisfied.
"Our Lady Malenia has awoken from her slumber and has decided to preside over Elphael once more. You and others like you were chosen to ensure that her Blessed city will never again fall prey to monsters or malign influence."
He is not Lady Malenia, to draw devotion and reverence from all who see her. Nor is he Commander Finlay, to silence fools with the weight of her regard. No. He will not reach such hallowed heights, but he has been a knight of his Lady for longer than these fools have been alive. And he knows how to train fools.
"An urban patrol follows three criteria distinct and different from any other," A pale golden stare pierces each of the would-be sergeants in front of him in turn. "First, are the vectors of infiltration. You must routinely inspect every potential weakness."
With a second gesture, he directs his sergeants in training toward an open storm grate. "Sewage systems are a favored point of infiltration, primarily because inept and lazy guards will typically close and lock any openings without properly investigating the tunnels beneath."
Cadoc grins as he watches understanding flicker across his sergeants' faces. "Indeed. Into the sewers. One by one. I will teach you how to reconnoiter in underground spaces like this."
Eira finishes scrawling a simple golden rune upon a paving stone set at the center of a four-way intersection. She looks up with an idle sort of amusement at the bored figure of Cai twirling his sword in an intricate clover-leaf pattern. "I'm surprised you decided to attend to the task of marking out patrol routes, Sir Cai."
Cai responds with a half-attentive grunt and spins his sword in a flourish before sheathing it at his side. "I don't think any of us really measure up against Sir Bryne and his… Bryne-ness and I hardly wanted to drag around some wet-behind-the-ears sergeants, so…"
"Ahh, was it not the pleasure of my company that drew you here?" Eira tilts her head in mock consternation.
"Dame Eira, please," Cai's focus turns toward her, and with it comes what had once been a charming smile. It still was, in all honesty, but now that smile was lent a more menacing cast as it pulled at a jagged scar carved through the meat of his cheek. "You are the fairest of us all, how could I not be drawn to the pleasure of your company?"
"I do believe that is damning with faint praise, Sir Cai," despite the words, Eira returns his smile with one of her own. "Though, perhaps if we can finish marking the patrol routes early, we might be able to find a place more amenable to… enjoy the pleasure of each other's company."
Cai's smile shifts to something slyer, but it is belied by the warmth in his eyes. "Well, how could a true knight decline such a generous offer?"
Bryne's boots land against the paving stones with a barely audible crunch. A noise that is nothing compared to the dull thunk of the blunt end of his spear colliding with an unprotected skull with a force that was just shy of killing. Just.
He disappears, vanishing back into the shadows before the guard he had ambushed finishes dropping bonelessly to the ground. Amusement flickers across his face as he watches the other two members of his patrol spin around, hands grasping frantically for sheathed weapons.
These guards were no match for him. A dozen guards wouldn't be enough. But then, his goal wasn't to overwhelm them with sheer martial brilliance, it was, instead, to train them until their vigilance never slipped. And how better to do that than to teach them to fear the shadows?
Perhaps Commander Finlay would disapprove. She was the kindest and in many respects the gentlest, of them all. But this mission had come straight from Lady Malenia, and he doubted the commander would spare a mote of sympathy or mercy for any would-be guards who couldn't measure up to the tasks assigned them.
Bryne tosses a stray pebble against a nearby wall, his lips twitching into a wolfish grin as a fearful guard moves to investigate. And far be it from him to not ensure that these prospective guards were tested to the utmost of his abilities. Surely Lady Malenia would accept nothing less.
[AN]
Wasn't expecting a crit (unmodified 95 - 100) here, but since it happened, we'll start the associated interlude next and then move on to Arc 2 afterward. So we've got a short update today and an interlude chapter or two coming up in a day or two.
DC 50 vs 127 = 98 + 29
To be continued in interlude: An Empyrean's Shadow
[] Meet with the soldiers of the Haligtree. In the early years of the Shattering, countless men and women swore themselves to the light of your brother's benevolence. Time has doubtless worn down all but the stoutest of them, but any who have kept the faith these long years deserve a place under your wings once again. [Piety. On success: gain a platoon of soldiers.]
DC 40 vs 67 = 27 + 40
You look out at the crowd before you. Pale golden eyes take in surcoats worn by time and age, weapons failing against rot and rust. For a long moment, you study them. And they, in turn, stare silently up at you.
Ninety-seven men and women had responded to your call, to the tolling of the great cathedral bells. Not even a hundred soldiers had come, where once the ranks of those who served the Haligtree had numbered ten times that.
Still, you felt not a mote of disappointment that the numbers were so few. Rather, it was relief and gratitude that flowed through you as you stared down into the faces of those who had not broken faith even as you had failed them.
"I come here before you not to demand your obedience," your words silence the faint susurration flowing through the crowd. Nigh on a hundred soldiers stare up at you, motionless in a way that would put a statue to shame. "For loyalty compelled is mere tyranny. And it was to escape from Queen Marika's tyranny that brought each one of you to shelter in the shade of the Haligtree."
"No. Loyalty must be earned, and as I have squandered so precious a gift, so too will I work to once again earn yours." Statue-like figures seem to straighten and you watch as motes of long-forgotten pride begin to stir within them once more.
You don't smile, for you know how easy it would be to regain their trust with a word and a smile. You weren't Miquella, to so easily compel loyalty. But there were few indeed who could remain unmoved in the face of your regard. And so, you refrain from such empty things and instead offer them truth.
"We have fallen far from our heights, from our goals and dreams and ambitions." you glance away from the crowd of soldiers before you and toward the simple runes inscribed upon your prosthetic arm. "And I carry the blame for that fall."
You ignore the muffled sound of what could have only been Finlay's protest, "And so, I promise. To each of you standing here. To all those who have or will one day seek shelter beneath the boughs of the Haligtree. I will never again retreat into slumber. I will never again leave you bereft of the protection of my wings."
The crowd is still and utterly silent, but then you don't need them to voice aloud the emotions you can feel stirring in their hearts. "So I ask you, soldiers of the Haligtree. Will you allow me to lead you once again, to war and death and the promise of better days?"
[Gained soldiers of the Haligtree unit]
[] Organize patrols of the Haligtree. It isn't enough to merely slay all the threats to your brother's beloved city. You must put into place the infrastructure to ensure those threats never return. [Martial. On success: increases DC of hostile incursion into the Haligtree.] (Requires soldiers of the Haligtree.) (Can be assigned to Cleanrot Knights)
DC 40 vs 57 = 43 + 14
Finlay materializes with a swirl of ash right beside a soldier clad in a pale yellow and white surcoat and matches her stride with the soldier. For half a city block she prowls behind the feckless soldier, waiting for a response, for awareness, for any sense that the figure in front of her is more than just flesh and dead eyes. She gets nothing, not even the slightest twitch that would indicate they were intentionally ignoring her—as foolish an idea as that would be.
For a moment, she's tempted to perforate inattentive flesh with sword and spear. Though whether that temptation was to eliminate one who would so flaunt the abasement offered to them by her Lady, or merely to remind this soldier of their responsibilities, she couldn't say for sure. Eventually, though, the urge to kill subsides and she disappears with the same swirl of ash as she arrived.
Cadoc raises a closed fist and barely suppresses a scowl as the clank of armor and weapons behind him continues for another breath. His scowl deepens, almost etching his annoyance clearly on his face as he turns around and views the ragged line made by the trio of soldiers assigned to this patrol.
He exhales audibly, almost a growl. It doesn't help. A second growled exhale and he feels calm enough to speak without shouting… or stabbing. "Do you fools not understand the honor granted upon you?"
One of the soldiers, one who still carries the deep golden glow of youth in his eyes moves to speak.
"You do not!" His words crack like a whip. The youngster flinches and his mouth snaps shut. Cadoc nods, satisfied.
"Our Lady Malenia has awoken from her slumber and has decided to preside over Elphael once more. You and others like you were chosen to ensure that her Blessed city will never again fall prey to monsters or malign influence."
He is not Lady Malenia, to draw devotion and reverence from all who see her. Nor is he Commander Finlay, to silence fools with the weight of her regard. No. He will not reach such hallowed heights, but he has been a knight of his Lady for longer than these fools have been alive. And he knows how to train fools.
"An urban patrol follows three criteria distinct and different from any other," A pale golden stare pierces each of the would-be sergeants in front of him in turn. "First, are the vectors of infiltration. You must routinely inspect every potential weakness."
With a second gesture, he directs his sergeants in training toward an open storm grate. "Sewage systems are a favored point of infiltration, primarily because inept and lazy guards will typically close and lock any openings without properly investigating the tunnels beneath."
Cadoc grins as he watches understanding flicker across his sergeants' faces. "Indeed. Into the sewers. One by one. I will teach you how to reconnoiter in underground spaces like this."
Eira finishes scrawling a simple golden rune upon a paving stone set at the center of a four-way intersection. She looks up with an idle sort of amusement at the bored figure of Cai twirling his sword in an intricate clover-leaf pattern. "I'm surprised you decided to attend to the task of marking out patrol routes, Sir Cai."
Cai responds with a half-attentive grunt and spins his sword in a flourish before sheathing it at his side. "I don't think any of us really measure up against Sir Bryne and his… Bryne-ness and I hardly wanted to drag around some wet-behind-the-ears sergeants, so…"
"Ahh, was it not the pleasure of my company that drew you here?" Eira tilts her head in mock consternation.
"Dame Eira, please," Cai's focus turns toward her, and with it comes what had once been a charming smile. It still was, in all honesty, but now that smile was lent a more menacing cast as it pulled at a jagged scar carved through the meat of his cheek. "You are the fairest of us all, how could I not be drawn to the pleasure of your company?"
"I do believe that is damning with faint praise, Sir Cai," despite the words, Eira returns his smile with one of her own. "Though, perhaps if we can finish marking the patrol routes early, we might be able to find a place more amenable to… enjoy the pleasure of each other's company."
Cai's smile shifts to something slyer, but it is belied by the warmth in his eyes. "Well, how could a true knight decline such a generous offer?"
Bryne's boots land against the paving stones with a barely audible crunch. A noise that is nothing compared to the dull thunk of the blunt end of his spear colliding with an unprotected skull with a force that was just shy of killing. Just.
He disappears, vanishing back into the shadows before the guard he had ambushed finishes dropping bonelessly to the ground. Amusement flickers across his face as he watches the other two members of his patrol spin around, hands grasping frantically for sheathed weapons.
These guards were no match for him. A dozen guards wouldn't be enough. But then, his goal wasn't to overwhelm them with sheer martial brilliance, it was, instead, to train them until their vigilance never slipped. And how better to do that than to teach them to fear the shadows?
Perhaps Commander Finlay would disapprove. She was the kindest and in many respects the gentlest, of them all. But this mission had come straight from Lady Malenia, and he doubted the commander would spare a mote of sympathy or mercy for any would-be guards who couldn't measure up to the tasks assigned them.
Bryne tosses a stray pebble against a nearby wall, his lips twitching into a wolfish grin as a fearful guard moves to investigate. And far be it from him to not ensure that these prospective guards were tested to the utmost of his abilities. Surely Lady Malenia would accept nothing less.
[AN]
Wasn't expecting a crit (unmodified 95 - 100) here, but since it happened, we'll start the associated interlude next and then move on to Arc 2 afterward. So we've got a short update today and an interlude chapter or two coming up in a day or two.
Interlude - An Empyrean's Shadow
You stare down at the bottom of a dried cistern, eyes picking out a thin layer of sand covered by seemingly thousands of cracked and misshapen bones. You frown, golden eyes narrowing to pinpricks of light. The Rot within you seethed, alive within you in a way that it had only been in the instant after you had bloomed over the swamps of Aeonia.
Something waited at the bottom of this cistern, something touched by the Scarlet Rot. Whatever it was lurked within shadows so thick that even your empyrean eyes could not pierce. But while you could not see the beast, you could hear it. Its heart beat loudly in your ears. A staccato rhythm that mirrored your own.
For a moment, you consider leaving. You had followed a strand of instinct and intuition down tunnels and corridors that had not seen a living soul in ages, searching for even the faintest bit of evidence of your brother's abduction. And throughout that search, you had found not a single thing.
To turn the flicker of irritation at your failed search upon the beast that dwelled at the bottom of this cistern seemed… unjust. After all, the carpet of bones that covered its lair more than proved the truth of its skill, a skill that you felt no real desire to eliminate. More than mere recognition of skill, though was another truth. The beast was an agent of decay, an ending that sparked a new beginning.
Indeed, you may well have left the beast alone to predate these forgotten ruins in peace, were it not for one thing. The pools of Rot within you were churning, reaching out as though to embrace a long-lost friend.
It was that... awareness that spurred you to action. Once, in the days after the Eternal Cities had been banished underground, your mentor had fought and sealed the progenitor of Rot deep beneath the earth. Your brother had broken with the Golden Order in search of tools to brook the touch of all eldritch beings. And you. You had fought against the influence of Rot upon you with every breath and every act since the moment of your birth. Whatever it was that so resonated with the Rot within was something that you would not allow to live.
Your Hand flickers, appearing clenched between golden fingers even as you glide gracefully down from your perch.
Golden prostheses land lightly on a thin layer of sand and bone, and you're in motion, sprinting toward the mass of impenetrable shadow before a lesser being could even blink.
"BeTrAyEd. AbAnDoNeD. KiLl." A voice like the grinding of stone upon stone cries out as the mass of shadow explodes into motion.
You dance to the side of a needle of shadow as it lances toward you, a frown crossing your face as your Hand slices through it without resistance. Your frown deepens as the tendril of shadow seemingly bounces off an invisible surface and arcs back toward you.
The faint air of melancholy that had engulfed you since you had awoken from your slumber fades from your mind. In its place rises the battle-forged intellect that had seen you undefeated through a thousand duels and as many more battles. For some, an endless array of shadowy attacks that could not be parried or blocked would be a fatal challenge. But for you…
Despite no longer desiring the thrill of battle, you cannot quite help the smirk that forms on your face. If you could not cut through the shadow you would simply have to avoid each one of its attacks.
Still waters turn foul, stagnation leads to decay and a warrior must remain ever drifting.
Your mentor's words ring in your ears as you drift toward your opponent. You duck below a pair of shadow blades, glide over a tentacle attempting to wrap around your ankles, and twist through a hair-thin gap in an oncoming wall of shadow as you approach the beast's unguarded flanks.
Your Hand flicks twice before you dart away from your opponent. A mote of intrigue filters through your thoughts as the wounds left by your Hand are slowly sealed by shadow.
The mass of writhing shadow resolves into a massive beast wreathed in tenebral armor and stone explodes into shrapnel as it smashes one massive paw into the ground. Your Hand flickers, batting a jagged piece to the side, while your prosthesis rings with a soft sound as a fragment pings harmlessly off of unalloyed gold.
Your legs shift, an almost imperceptible flexing of muscle and gold, as you explode forward. In a fluid motion, your Hand flickers as you weave through the ethereal tendrils, striking toward the beast's heart.
Runemarked gold slices through layers of shadowy armor as easily as parting paper, sending up sprays of rapidly dissipating darkness in its wake. The creature roars in agony, tendrils recoiling with a frantic speed as it retaliates.
Spears of darkness hurl toward you like a flight of arrows, reminding you momentarily of an attack that your knights had once unleashed upon the Starscourge. Unlike that maddened demi-god, who had warped gravity and let those spear-sized arrows fall upon his massive back, you glide through the rain of falling shadows without so much as a faltering step.
As you drift, unimpeded by countless shadowed attacks, the mote of enjoyment that had been forming within you begins to fade. Your opponent was a formidable one indeed. More than a match for what your knights had been at their peak, let alone what they had fallen to in the years since. Even Loretta, scion of Caria and all that entailed, would be hard-pressed to manage so many attacks without fully depleting her magic reserves.
Yet for all that, it was no match for you.
Your Hand, now an almost invisible blur, leaves an almost negligent set of wounds on the creature's shifting form that nonetheless leak thick plumes of shadowy smoke where it had been carved open. As the beast roars in pain and rage, you take a single gliding step back to the far end of the arena.
This has been an interesting diversion, but it was time for it to end. There were things that yet needed to be done, and indulging any further here would not see Miquella returned to you a moment quicker.
You flourish your Hand at your opponent and tilt your head in a gesture of appreciation for the fight. The shadow roars something on the verge of intelligible and charges forward.
Your Hand drops loosely to one side and you place your right foot out to the side and slightly angled in. It was a deceptively open stance, one you had learned from your mentor back when you were still crafting your Dance beneath his watchful gaze.
You were far greater than you had been back in those days, honed by countless battles and your brother's gifts. As you had grown stronger, so too had your Dance improved, until it reached such heights that none could withstand its steps.
"Farewell, beast. You fought with skill."
Your Hand flashes, a whirlwind of steel surrounding you as you step. Once. Twice. Three times.
Shadow dissipates, revealing the pale flesh beneath. The no-longer a beast falls to the sand. Defeated. Dying. Your heart clenches.
You recognized that face.
"You never left me, did you?" your voice is whisper-soft as you approach the dying figure of your Shadow. "Maeve."
You kneel to her side, ignoring the spatter and hiss as the Rot which leaks from a dozen lacerations comes into contact with the unalloyed gold of your prostheses. "When you and Eamon disappeared as the Haligtree began to flourish, we thought it a repudiation of our transgressions against the Golden Order."
"Wasn't… you," Maeve coughs a spray of blood and phlegm that drools wetly down her chin. "Never you. Rot… whispers…"
You reach out with mortal fingers wipe her face clean and tilt her head up so that it rests against the flesh of your thigh. "Hush, my Shadow. I am not my brother, to offer succor and sleep, but I do have some skill in healing. You will live, though I fear it will be unpleasant."
"No!" A feeble hand lifts in an attempt to stop you only to fall limply across her chest. Still, the urgency of that motion was enough to stop you. "The Rot… it whispers… rather die… than betray…"
"Hmm…" you set aside, for the moment, the emotions roiling within you at finding Maeve here and look deeper at the state she was in.
Most evident was that she was slowly dying from the scores of wounds you had inflicted upon her. Beneath that inevitability, though, you could feel something more.
The Rot within her throbbed, a malignant pulsation that beat in perfect time to the same thrumming beat that existed within you. Underneath that, you could see stagnant pools of Rot that had gathered within her and were slowly, almost infinitesimally growing larger with each beat. And finally, stretching out from those pools to every part of her body were hundreds of branching, angry red lines.
A heart of Rot and the blood vessels to carry its malefic touch throughout her body. It reminded you of your own infection. One held at bay only by the touch of unalloyed gold and adamant will. As you study the infection within your Shadow, an idea begins to form, accompanied by a mote of some emotion forming in your chest that could almost be called rueful.
After all, to one already so besieged by the foul touch of Rot, what was a little more?
"I will not allow you to die while I still have need of you, my Shadow." The matter-of-factness of your words is offset by the soft, half-smile on your face. "Malign forces have stolen my brother from his cocoon and I will need your strength to see him returned."
"Malenia… I…" you can see the moment the realization of what you intend to do crosses her eyes, but as she is now, she is far too weak to do aught but lay there. "You…"
"Hush, dear Shadow." Golden fingers begin to trace a complex symbol across her forehead. As the Greater Rune of Decay flares into life, Maeve collapses, boneless and unconscious. "You will feel better before you know it."
You reach into your Shadow, spectral threads traveling along the bond wrought between you by the Greater Will itself, and begin to pull. For a moment, the Rot resists. Then, perhaps sensing the sheer power coming for it, it begins to flee from your questing threads. Retreating into spaces formed far more from soul and metaphysics than mere flesh.
Despite that frantic retreat, the Rot is as familiar to you as your hands. Far more than that even. Every moment of your life has been accompanied by the inscrutable and chaotic motions of the Rot as it flowed through you. And so, despite its attempts to flee, it cannot escape.
Next come barriers. Flesh crafted by the Two-Fingers upon templates designed by the Greater Will begins to warp and shift into bastions of putridity and pestilence. A smirk flickers across your face, baring sharpened teeth.
In your life, you had stormed a hundred forts, both alone and at the head of great armies. While striving to cleanse your Shadow the taint of Rot wasn't the same as that, it was still a battlefield. And in battle, you have not once known defeat. A truth which you almost gleefully carve upon the walls raised to stop you.
With its barricades left in steaming ruins and pale, unbroken flesh, the Rot within her turns at last to fight. Burning pustules and fetid streams of liquid scythe toward the anchor of the connection between you and Maeve. It was a final mistake, the desperate lashing out of a cornered animal, for what threat could there possibly be in a mere puddle of Rot when compared to the ocean that dwelt within you?
Your smirk widens triumphantly as that onrushing tide of Rot is buried beneath a deluge of your own. Chased, stymied, and then utterly routed. The Rot infesting your shadow flees, flooding out of her body in geysers of viscera and gore.
A mote of that vile stream attempts to infect you, only to be cast aside almost contemptuously by the Rot that already resided within you. With a final, vindictive sort of satisfaction, you lash out with tendrils of Rot, disintegrating the last remains of that which had dared to take what was yours.
You lean back, a content sigh escaping you, as Maeve's labored breathing slows into something more normal. It would take time for her to fully recover. But delaying your plans for a day or two was a small price to pay indeed for returning her to your side.
[AN]
This took a bit longer than I had expected, mostly because I wanted to have the turn options for the next arc written as well. I'll post that either later today or tomorrow to give this update a moment to breathe on its own.
There's nothing that I can find in the game that speaks to what happens to Malenia and Miquella's Shadows (which they should have by virtue of being empyreans). It's possible they went crazy (which happens when an empyrean defies the Greater Will), but given that Malekith and Blaidd stayed loyal despite the plotting of their respective masters, I think it unlikely. And so, here's my explanation: Malenia's shadow was tainted by the Scarlet Rot through whatever links empyrean and shadow together and left to hide in its mindless state rather than go berserk in Elphael.
Something waited at the bottom of this cistern, something touched by the Scarlet Rot. Whatever it was lurked within shadows so thick that even your empyrean eyes could not pierce. But while you could not see the beast, you could hear it. Its heart beat loudly in your ears. A staccato rhythm that mirrored your own.
For a moment, you consider leaving. You had followed a strand of instinct and intuition down tunnels and corridors that had not seen a living soul in ages, searching for even the faintest bit of evidence of your brother's abduction. And throughout that search, you had found not a single thing.
To turn the flicker of irritation at your failed search upon the beast that dwelled at the bottom of this cistern seemed… unjust. After all, the carpet of bones that covered its lair more than proved the truth of its skill, a skill that you felt no real desire to eliminate. More than mere recognition of skill, though was another truth. The beast was an agent of decay, an ending that sparked a new beginning.
Indeed, you may well have left the beast alone to predate these forgotten ruins in peace, were it not for one thing. The pools of Rot within you were churning, reaching out as though to embrace a long-lost friend.
It was that... awareness that spurred you to action. Once, in the days after the Eternal Cities had been banished underground, your mentor had fought and sealed the progenitor of Rot deep beneath the earth. Your brother had broken with the Golden Order in search of tools to brook the touch of all eldritch beings. And you. You had fought against the influence of Rot upon you with every breath and every act since the moment of your birth. Whatever it was that so resonated with the Rot within was something that you would not allow to live.
Your Hand flickers, appearing clenched between golden fingers even as you glide gracefully down from your perch.
Golden prostheses land lightly on a thin layer of sand and bone, and you're in motion, sprinting toward the mass of impenetrable shadow before a lesser being could even blink.
Great Enemy:
Maeve, Shadow of Malenia
-[████████████████████████████████████]-
Maeve, Shadow of Malenia
-[████████████████████████████████████]-
"BeTrAyEd. AbAnDoNeD. KiLl." A voice like the grinding of stone upon stone cries out as the mass of shadow explodes into motion.
You dance to the side of a needle of shadow as it lances toward you, a frown crossing your face as your Hand slices through it without resistance. Your frown deepens as the tendril of shadow seemingly bounces off an invisible surface and arcs back toward you.
The faint air of melancholy that had engulfed you since you had awoken from your slumber fades from your mind. In its place rises the battle-forged intellect that had seen you undefeated through a thousand duels and as many more battles. For some, an endless array of shadowy attacks that could not be parried or blocked would be a fatal challenge. But for you…
Despite no longer desiring the thrill of battle, you cannot quite help the smirk that forms on your face. If you could not cut through the shadow you would simply have to avoid each one of its attacks.
Still waters turn foul, stagnation leads to decay and a warrior must remain ever drifting.
Your mentor's words ring in your ears as you drift toward your opponent. You duck below a pair of shadow blades, glide over a tentacle attempting to wrap around your ankles, and twist through a hair-thin gap in an oncoming wall of shadow as you approach the beast's unguarded flanks.
Your Hand flicks twice before you dart away from your opponent. A mote of intrigue filters through your thoughts as the wounds left by your Hand are slowly sealed by shadow.
DC 80 vs 106 = 21 + 85 (combat)
Maeve, Shadow of Malenia
-[████████████████████████████—————]-
-[████████████████████████████—————]-
The mass of writhing shadow resolves into a massive beast wreathed in tenebral armor and stone explodes into shrapnel as it smashes one massive paw into the ground. Your Hand flickers, batting a jagged piece to the side, while your prosthesis rings with a soft sound as a fragment pings harmlessly off of unalloyed gold.
Your legs shift, an almost imperceptible flexing of muscle and gold, as you explode forward. In a fluid motion, your Hand flickers as you weave through the ethereal tendrils, striking toward the beast's heart.
Runemarked gold slices through layers of shadowy armor as easily as parting paper, sending up sprays of rapidly dissipating darkness in its wake. The creature roars in agony, tendrils recoiling with a frantic speed as it retaliates.
Spears of darkness hurl toward you like a flight of arrows, reminding you momentarily of an attack that your knights had once unleashed upon the Starscourge. Unlike that maddened demi-god, who had warped gravity and let those spear-sized arrows fall upon his massive back, you glide through the rain of falling shadows without so much as a faltering step.
As you drift, unimpeded by countless shadowed attacks, the mote of enjoyment that had been forming within you begins to fade. Your opponent was a formidable one indeed. More than a match for what your knights had been at their peak, let alone what they had fallen to in the years since. Even Loretta, scion of Caria and all that entailed, would be hard-pressed to manage so many attacks without fully depleting her magic reserves.
Yet for all that, it was no match for you.
Your Hand, now an almost invisible blur, leaves an almost negligent set of wounds on the creature's shifting form that nonetheless leak thick plumes of shadowy smoke where it had been carved open. As the beast roars in pain and rage, you take a single gliding step back to the far end of the arena.
This has been an interesting diversion, but it was time for it to end. There were things that yet needed to be done, and indulging any further here would not see Miquella returned to you a moment quicker.
DC 100 vs 115 = 30 + 85 (combat)
Maeve, Shadow of Malenia
-[████████████—————————————————]-
-[████████████—————————————————]-
You flourish your Hand at your opponent and tilt your head in a gesture of appreciation for the fight. The shadow roars something on the verge of intelligible and charges forward.
Your Hand drops loosely to one side and you place your right foot out to the side and slightly angled in. It was a deceptively open stance, one you had learned from your mentor back when you were still crafting your Dance beneath his watchful gaze.
You were far greater than you had been back in those days, honed by countless battles and your brother's gifts. As you had grown stronger, so too had your Dance improved, until it reached such heights that none could withstand its steps.
"Farewell, beast. You fought with skill."
Your Hand flashes, a whirlwind of steel surrounding you as you step. Once. Twice. Three times.
Shadow dissipates, revealing the pale flesh beneath. The no-longer a beast falls to the sand. Defeated. Dying. Your heart clenches.
You recognized that face.
DC 120 vs 146 = 61 + 85 (combat)
Enemy Felled
Maeve, Shadow of Malenia
-[—————————————————————————]-
Maeve, Shadow of Malenia
-[—————————————————————————]-
"You never left me, did you?" your voice is whisper-soft as you approach the dying figure of your Shadow. "Maeve."
You kneel to her side, ignoring the spatter and hiss as the Rot which leaks from a dozen lacerations comes into contact with the unalloyed gold of your prostheses. "When you and Eamon disappeared as the Haligtree began to flourish, we thought it a repudiation of our transgressions against the Golden Order."
"Wasn't… you," Maeve coughs a spray of blood and phlegm that drools wetly down her chin. "Never you. Rot… whispers…"
You reach out with mortal fingers wipe her face clean and tilt her head up so that it rests against the flesh of your thigh. "Hush, my Shadow. I am not my brother, to offer succor and sleep, but I do have some skill in healing. You will live, though I fear it will be unpleasant."
"No!" A feeble hand lifts in an attempt to stop you only to fall limply across her chest. Still, the urgency of that motion was enough to stop you. "The Rot… it whispers… rather die… than betray…"
"Hmm…" you set aside, for the moment, the emotions roiling within you at finding Maeve here and look deeper at the state she was in.
Most evident was that she was slowly dying from the scores of wounds you had inflicted upon her. Beneath that inevitability, though, you could feel something more.
The Rot within her throbbed, a malignant pulsation that beat in perfect time to the same thrumming beat that existed within you. Underneath that, you could see stagnant pools of Rot that had gathered within her and were slowly, almost infinitesimally growing larger with each beat. And finally, stretching out from those pools to every part of her body were hundreds of branching, angry red lines.
A heart of Rot and the blood vessels to carry its malefic touch throughout her body. It reminded you of your own infection. One held at bay only by the touch of unalloyed gold and adamant will. As you study the infection within your Shadow, an idea begins to form, accompanied by a mote of some emotion forming in your chest that could almost be called rueful.
After all, to one already so besieged by the foul touch of Rot, what was a little more?
"I will not allow you to die while I still have need of you, my Shadow." The matter-of-factness of your words is offset by the soft, half-smile on your face. "Malign forces have stolen my brother from his cocoon and I will need your strength to see him returned."
"Malenia… I…" you can see the moment the realization of what you intend to do crosses her eyes, but as she is now, she is far too weak to do aught but lay there. "You…"
"Hush, dear Shadow." Golden fingers begin to trace a complex symbol across her forehead. As the Greater Rune of Decay flares into life, Maeve collapses, boneless and unconscious. "You will feel better before you know it."
You reach into your Shadow, spectral threads traveling along the bond wrought between you by the Greater Will itself, and begin to pull. For a moment, the Rot resists. Then, perhaps sensing the sheer power coming for it, it begins to flee from your questing threads. Retreating into spaces formed far more from soul and metaphysics than mere flesh.
Despite that frantic retreat, the Rot is as familiar to you as your hands. Far more than that even. Every moment of your life has been accompanied by the inscrutable and chaotic motions of the Rot as it flowed through you. And so, despite its attempts to flee, it cannot escape.
Next come barriers. Flesh crafted by the Two-Fingers upon templates designed by the Greater Will begins to warp and shift into bastions of putridity and pestilence. A smirk flickers across your face, baring sharpened teeth.
In your life, you had stormed a hundred forts, both alone and at the head of great armies. While striving to cleanse your Shadow the taint of Rot wasn't the same as that, it was still a battlefield. And in battle, you have not once known defeat. A truth which you almost gleefully carve upon the walls raised to stop you.
With its barricades left in steaming ruins and pale, unbroken flesh, the Rot within her turns at last to fight. Burning pustules and fetid streams of liquid scythe toward the anchor of the connection between you and Maeve. It was a final mistake, the desperate lashing out of a cornered animal, for what threat could there possibly be in a mere puddle of Rot when compared to the ocean that dwelt within you?
Your smirk widens triumphantly as that onrushing tide of Rot is buried beneath a deluge of your own. Chased, stymied, and then utterly routed. The Rot infesting your shadow flees, flooding out of her body in geysers of viscera and gore.
A mote of that vile stream attempts to infect you, only to be cast aside almost contemptuously by the Rot that already resided within you. With a final, vindictive sort of satisfaction, you lash out with tendrils of Rot, disintegrating the last remains of that which had dared to take what was yours.
You lean back, a content sigh escaping you, as Maeve's labored breathing slows into something more normal. It would take time for her to fully recover. But delaying your plans for a day or two was a small price to pay indeed for returning her to your side.
DC 100 vs 106 = 66 + 40 (piety)
You managed to remove the Scarlet Rot from Maeve, Shadow of Malenia without incurring a penalty to either her or you.
Gained: Maeve, Shadow of Malenia
In a last act of loyalty, Maeve fled for the deepest, oldest recesses of Elphael rather than allow the Rot that infested her to turn her into a weapon to feast upon those who dwelt within the city. Before the Rot grew to the point it could no longer be contained, Maeve exemplified the traits Malenia needed in a shadow. Someone to watch for hidden attacks and eliminate threats to Miquella's rule before they could grow.
When assigned as either a solo unit or the most powerful unit in a group, Maeve, Shadow of Malenia uses the following stats
Intrigue: 24
Combat: 20
When assigned with a more powerful unit, Maeve, Shadow of Malenia provides the following bonuses
Intrigue: +12
Combat: +10
You managed to remove the Scarlet Rot from Maeve, Shadow of Malenia without incurring a penalty to either her or you.
Gained: Maeve, Shadow of Malenia
In a last act of loyalty, Maeve fled for the deepest, oldest recesses of Elphael rather than allow the Rot that infested her to turn her into a weapon to feast upon those who dwelt within the city. Before the Rot grew to the point it could no longer be contained, Maeve exemplified the traits Malenia needed in a shadow. Someone to watch for hidden attacks and eliminate threats to Miquella's rule before they could grow.
When assigned as either a solo unit or the most powerful unit in a group, Maeve, Shadow of Malenia uses the following stats
Intrigue: 24
Combat: 20
When assigned with a more powerful unit, Maeve, Shadow of Malenia provides the following bonuses
Intrigue: +12
Combat: +10
[AN]
This took a bit longer than I had expected, mostly because I wanted to have the turn options for the next arc written as well. I'll post that either later today or tomorrow to give this update a moment to breathe on its own.
There's nothing that I can find in the game that speaks to what happens to Malenia and Miquella's Shadows (which they should have by virtue of being empyreans). It's possible they went crazy (which happens when an empyrean defies the Greater Will), but given that Malekith and Blaidd stayed loyal despite the plotting of their respective masters, I think it unlikely. And so, here's my explanation: Malenia's shadow was tainted by the Scarlet Rot through whatever links empyrean and shadow together and left to hide in its mindless state rather than go berserk in Elphael.
Arc 2 - Turn 1 Options
While our available turn options have ballooned—to account for turns shifting from hours to months—I think the structure remains pretty straightforward.
Malenia has Two actions she may take this turn from any category. An advisor may take One action from their specific field of expertise.
Our quests for Arc 2 are less associated with specific actions—mostly because it's simpler from an organizational standpoint that way—but they still have concrete endpoints.
Quest: Restore Elphael
You have addressed some of the most immediate concerns that plague your brother's city. That is not to say that Elphael is in a place to thrive. Far from it. Unfortunately, where your first set of actions was accomplished in a matter of days, truly restoring Elphael will be the work of months, perhaps even years
Success conditions:
Quest: Secure Elphael
Your knights have removed the vilest of the pests that still plague Elphael, however with the Kindred of Rot slain, that just magnifies the threats that remain within the walls of Elphael. And that is to say nothing of the world outside the Haligtree. For your brother's city to thrive, it must be safe from threats that linger both within and without his great tree.
Success Conditions:
Turn Options
You sit at the head of a table—in truth one of the long tables that had been scavenged from an unused mess hall—and look around at the members of your burgeoning council. Maeve, her canine face pulled back in an eternally amused smirk sits to your left. On your right is Finlay's spectral form, her eyes fixed steadily on where her interlaced hands rest on the tabletop. Finally, on the opposite side of the dining table sits Loretta, her pale stare fixed on a point just past your shoulder.
"Our numbers are incomplete," you speak first, as is your right as interim lord of Elphael. "But it is not so easy to find the expertise we need to fill our council numbers as to poll those who reside within. Nevertheless, I believe that with some luck, I might be able to find ones whose service could yet improve our work."
"Beyond that, there is much and more I must do both to ensure the safety of Elphael and to begin following in Miquella's footsteps."
"As we currently have no one capable of serving as a diplomat, I will take upon myself such duties." You continue, "In addition to the misbegotten living in the branches of the Haligtree, there are almost certainly still tribes that wander the Snowfields. If we can entice them to join the city, it would go a long way to creating a workforce that could begin repairs of Elphael."
"Similarly, I will be responsible for oversight on repairs to Elphael and ensuring that there are sufficient resources available to undertake what tasks need to be done."
"Finally, we have matters of faith… for which I am a pale substitute of my brother."
You turn toward your Shadow, who meets your gaze, her pinwheel eyes spinning with a fond devotion. "Internal security, I believe can wait. Elphael is isolated enough that it will be some time before news of your awakening spreads, and longer still until agents of other powers can insert spies into our city. External security is where I would prefer to focus, mostly on scouting the lands nearby for threats and opportunities."
Finlay is next to speak, her voice carrying a certain spectral quality, "It is as Lady Maeve says, I believe we must begin looking outward into the Snowfields. Before that, however, there are still threats that linger in Elphael."
"First, a number of giant ants wander the upper branches of the Haligtree, disposing of which would provide some good training for both my knights and our soldiers." She pauses a moment before continuing, "More troublingly are both the rumors of a misshapen beast occupying a pool of rot somewhere in the depths and the handful of city blocks we've cordoned off to keep people away from the twisted Avatar of the Erdtree."
Finally, you turn to where Loretta sits across the table from you. She dips her head in a shallow bow and begins, "We have managed to salvage the most immediately important items from Lord Miquella's study, however, I believe that with a more careful review, we might uncover more. Beyond that, I would recommend collecting any books and tomes that exist elsewhere in Elphael. Alternatively, I could begin the codification of the Glintstone sorceries that I know."
[AN]
I think I caught everything, but there's a lot here so I may have missed something. Feel free to @ me if you have any questions or if things don't make sense.
Malenia has Two actions she may take this turn from any category. An advisor may take One action from their specific field of expertise.
Our quests for Arc 2 are less associated with specific actions—mostly because it's simpler from an organizational standpoint that way—but they still have concrete endpoints.
Quest: Restore Elphael
You have addressed some of the most immediate concerns that plague your brother's city. That is not to say that Elphael is in a place to thrive. Far from it. Unfortunately, where your first set of actions was accomplished in a matter of days, truly restoring Elphael will be the work of months, perhaps even years
Success conditions:
- More food is generated than consumed
- All damage caused by lack of leadership is fixed
- A source of construction and alchemistry materials is found
Quest: Secure Elphael
Your knights have removed the vilest of the pests that still plague Elphael, however with the Kindred of Rot slain, that just magnifies the threats that remain within the walls of Elphael. And that is to say nothing of the world outside the Haligtree. For your brother's city to thrive, it must be safe from threats that linger both within and without his great tree.
Success Conditions:
- All remaining threats inside of Elphael dealt with
- The lands around Elphael scouted for potential dangers
- All major dangers in the Consecrated Snowlands dealt with
Turn Options
You sit at the head of a table—in truth one of the long tables that had been scavenged from an unused mess hall—and look around at the members of your burgeoning council. Maeve, her canine face pulled back in an eternally amused smirk sits to your left. On your right is Finlay's spectral form, her eyes fixed steadily on where her interlaced hands rest on the tabletop. Finally, on the opposite side of the dining table sits Loretta, her pale stare fixed on a point just past your shoulder.
"Our numbers are incomplete," you speak first, as is your right as interim lord of Elphael. "But it is not so easy to find the expertise we need to fill our council numbers as to poll those who reside within. Nevertheless, I believe that with some luck, I might be able to find ones whose service could yet improve our work."
"Beyond that, there is much and more I must do both to ensure the safety of Elphael and to begin following in Miquella's footsteps."
[] Search for a new advisor. Your council lacks someone who can take upon themselves the role of Diplomat, Steward, or Religious leader. Until you can find someone who you feel comfortable appointing to one of those roles, you will have to accomplish any such tasks yourself. On Success: gain a new advisor. This action may be taken once per turn. Each subsequent selection of this action significantly increases the DC. This action is repeatable.
-[] Please specify which advisor type you want.
[] Study the Golden Order. Your brother is no longer here to craft items of unalloyed gold for you. If you want to be able to still the progression of Rot within you, you will doubtless have to do it yourself. And you could do far worse than to start where Miquella once did, with the incantations of the Golden Order. On Success: advance knowledge of Golden Order to novice (rank 1 of 5). This action is repeatable.
[] Personally patrol the Haligtree. It is almost certain that various threats have made themselves at home in Miquella's city. It would be a trivial task to put them to the sword. On success: eliminate all major threats from the Haligtree.
-[] Please specify which advisor type you want.
[] Study the Golden Order. Your brother is no longer here to craft items of unalloyed gold for you. If you want to be able to still the progression of Rot within you, you will doubtless have to do it yourself. And you could do far worse than to start where Miquella once did, with the incantations of the Golden Order. On Success: advance knowledge of Golden Order to novice (rank 1 of 5). This action is repeatable.
[] Personally patrol the Haligtree. It is almost certain that various threats have made themselves at home in Miquella's city. It would be a trivial task to put them to the sword. On success: eliminate all major threats from the Haligtree.
"As we currently have no one capable of serving as a diplomat, I will take upon myself such duties." You continue, "In addition to the misbegotten living in the branches of the Haligtree, there are almost certainly still tribes that wander the Snowfields. If we can entice them to join the city, it would go a long way to creating a workforce that could begin repairs of Elphael."
[] Welcome the misbegotten refugees of the Haligtree. These refugees have sought shelter beneath the welcoming boughs of Miquella's tree, even as they have never been within the halls of Elphael itself. In order to live up to your brother's dream, this must change. On success: gain unskilled workforce.
[] Reach out to the tribes of Misbegotten in the Consecrated Snowfields. Doubtless more independent than those who have already sought beneath the Haligtree, the tribes of the Snowfields could, hopefully, provide an increase in both skilled and unskilled labor available to Elphael. On success: begin negotiations with the misbegotten tribes. Requires: Scout the Snowfields action.
[] Listen to the people. Miquella always stressed the importance of listening to those you rule over. Where he could step through dreams as Saint Trina, you will have to act more prosaically. On success: reveals morale score, unlocks new turn actions.
[] Reach out to the tribes of Misbegotten in the Consecrated Snowfields. Doubtless more independent than those who have already sought beneath the Haligtree, the tribes of the Snowfields could, hopefully, provide an increase in both skilled and unskilled labor available to Elphael. On success: begin negotiations with the misbegotten tribes. Requires: Scout the Snowfields action.
[] Listen to the people. Miquella always stressed the importance of listening to those you rule over. Where he could step through dreams as Saint Trina, you will have to act more prosaically. On success: reveals morale score, unlocks new turn actions.
"Similarly, I will be responsible for oversight on repairs to Elphael and ensuring that there are sufficient resources available to undertake what tasks need to be done."
[] Begin repair of Elphael. Before restoring the buildings and the great walls of Elphael, first, you must see to it that the streets are cleared of rubble and repaved so that both goods and people may travel easily throughout the city. Cost: 50 construction. On success: minor bonus to the generation of all goods produced within Elphael. Requires: unskilled workforce
[] Prepare farmland. Once farms dotted the thicker boughs of the Haligtree. Now they are covered in Rot and giant ants. Both of those issues may be resolved by your soldiers, but even once that is complete, it will require an attentive hand to ensure that the farms can be successfully restored. Cost: 100 construction. On success: subsistence farms created (+50 food per turn). Requires: either Personally patrol the Haligtree or Cleanse Farmland actions and unskilled workforce.
[] Find a blacksmith. Many things are reliant on a steady stream of worked metal, from simple commercial activities to improving the arms and armor of your soldiers. Given the nature of those who currently dwell within the Haligtree, you doubt it's as simple as walking out and finding one, but there are other places to look. On success: unlocks new turn actions. Requires: Negotiations with the misbegotten tribes.
[] Prepare farmland. Once farms dotted the thicker boughs of the Haligtree. Now they are covered in Rot and giant ants. Both of those issues may be resolved by your soldiers, but even once that is complete, it will require an attentive hand to ensure that the farms can be successfully restored. Cost: 100 construction. On success: subsistence farms created (+50 food per turn). Requires: either Personally patrol the Haligtree or Cleanse Farmland actions and unskilled workforce.
[] Find a blacksmith. Many things are reliant on a steady stream of worked metal, from simple commercial activities to improving the arms and armor of your soldiers. Given the nature of those who currently dwell within the Haligtree, you doubt it's as simple as walking out and finding one, but there are other places to look. On success: unlocks new turn actions. Requires: Negotiations with the misbegotten tribes.
"Finally, we have matters of faith… for which I am a pale substitute of my brother."
[] Establish a way to spread the teachings of unalloyed gold. Unalloyed gold is your brother's philosophy. One which he extended to such limits that it could even curb the excesses of those godlike beings who dwell beyond the stars. It would be a perfect thing for those cut adrift by Marika's Golden Order to take succor within. On success: improves morale, unlocks new turn actions. Requires: apprentice level Golden Order (rank 2 of 5)
[] Offer benedictions to the citizens of Elphael. Despite the Rot seething beneath your skin, you and your brother are empyrean, made sacred both by birth and by fate. As such, you could become the center of worship for those who live in Elphael. On success: improves morale, unlocks new turn actions.
[] Spread the teachings of St. Trina. While your brother slumbered within the Haligtree, he wandered the dreams of desperate souls in the guise of Saint Trina. There he offered balm for those afflicted by nightmares and succor to those tortured by their minds. A service he offered to you as well while you slumbered. In turn, you could spread the stories he's told you of his wanderings as St. Trina. On success: improves morale, unlocks new turn actions.
[] Offer benedictions to the citizens of Elphael. Despite the Rot seething beneath your skin, you and your brother are empyrean, made sacred both by birth and by fate. As such, you could become the center of worship for those who live in Elphael. On success: improves morale, unlocks new turn actions.
[] Spread the teachings of St. Trina. While your brother slumbered within the Haligtree, he wandered the dreams of desperate souls in the guise of Saint Trina. There he offered balm for those afflicted by nightmares and succor to those tortured by their minds. A service he offered to you as well while you slumbered. In turn, you could spread the stories he's told you of his wanderings as St. Trina. On success: improves morale, unlocks new turn actions.
You turn toward your Shadow, who meets your gaze, her pinwheel eyes spinning with a fond devotion. "Internal security, I believe can wait. Elphael is isolated enough that it will be some time before news of your awakening spreads, and longer still until agents of other powers can insert spies into our city. External security is where I would prefer to focus, mostly on scouting the lands nearby for threats and opportunities."
[] Recruit Scouts. "Even as your Shadow, I alone would be hard-pressed to scout the length and breadth of the Snowfields in less than a decade. I would like to recruit some among the people of Elphael who I can recruit to assist me in this task. On success: adds a non-combat scouting unit.
[] Train Scouts. "Given what I've seen of the dull-eyed men and women wandering Elphael, even if I could collect the best available, it will take time to turn them into an efficient unit." On success: improves scout unit, unlocks new turn actions. Requires: Recruit Scouts action.
[] Assess internal stability. "Just because I believe Elphael to be free of foreign agents does not make it so. I could take some time to personally root out any potential agents as well as assess the overall sense of security in the city. On success: reveals stability score, unlocks new turn actions.
[] Train Scouts. "Given what I've seen of the dull-eyed men and women wandering Elphael, even if I could collect the best available, it will take time to turn them into an efficient unit." On success: improves scout unit, unlocks new turn actions. Requires: Recruit Scouts action.
[] Assess internal stability. "Just because I believe Elphael to be free of foreign agents does not make it so. I could take some time to personally root out any potential agents as well as assess the overall sense of security in the city. On success: reveals stability score, unlocks new turn actions.
Finlay is next to speak, her voice carrying a certain spectral quality, "It is as Lady Maeve says, I believe we must begin looking outward into the Snowfields. Before that, however, there are still threats that linger in Elphael."
"First, a number of giant ants wander the upper branches of the Haligtree, disposing of which would provide some good training for both my knights and our soldiers." She pauses a moment before continuing, "More troublingly are both the rumors of a misshapen beast occupying a pool of rot somewhere in the depths and the handful of city blocks we've cordoned off to keep people away from the twisted Avatar of the Erdtree."
[] Destroy a greater threat. "I believe our troops could dispose of either the ulcerated beast or the twisted avatar given enough preparation. It would be difficult, and I would almost guarantee casualties, but if it is your wish, it will be done." On success: eliminate one of the major threats to Elphael.
-[] Please specify either Ulcerated Tree Spirit or Putrid Avatar.
[] Train a unit. "While not a top priority at the moment, both our knights and our soldiers have seen their skills degrade considerably. If we are to face hostile foes in the near future, I would prefer to spend time returning some measure of that skill to them." On success: unit advances one rank in skill. This action is repeatable.
-[] Please identify which unit will be trained.
[] Cleanse Farmland. "As you noted, the boughs of the Haligtree where we once grew all manner of crops are now infested by giant ants. With fire and blade, I believe we can cleanse those lands of this threat." On success: giant ants removed, farmland opened up.
-[] Please specify either Ulcerated Tree Spirit or Putrid Avatar.
[] Train a unit. "While not a top priority at the moment, both our knights and our soldiers have seen their skills degrade considerably. If we are to face hostile foes in the near future, I would prefer to spend time returning some measure of that skill to them." On success: unit advances one rank in skill. This action is repeatable.
-[] Please identify which unit will be trained.
[] Cleanse Farmland. "As you noted, the boughs of the Haligtree where we once grew all manner of crops are now infested by giant ants. With fire and blade, I believe we can cleanse those lands of this threat." On success: giant ants removed, farmland opened up.
Finally, you turn to where Loretta sits across the table from you. She dips her head in a shallow bow and begins, "We have managed to salvage the most immediately important items from Lord Miquella's study, however, I believe that with a more careful review, we might uncover more. Beyond that, I would recommend collecting any books and tomes that exist elsewhere in Elphael. Alternatively, I could begin the codification of the Glintstone sorceries that I know."
[] Review what remains of Miquella's library. "As I mentioned, I believe there may be useful scraps of knowledge that we can withdraw from even some of the more damaged books and journals in Lord Miquella's collection." On success: increase Golden Order knowledge from journeyman to master (4 of 5)
[] Codify Glintstone Sorcery. "It has been years since I attended Raya Lucaria, and it would take years to truly replicate the successes of that fickle academy. However, I can begin to craft the rudiments of a curriculum. On success: Increase Glintstone sorcery by one rank (currently 0 of 5). This action is repeatable.
[] Collect tomes from the city. "I cannot know what we will be able to find. Perhaps there are arcane or sorcerous tomes waiting in a forgotten room. More likely it will be mundane books, though, at this point, any knowledge will be valuable." On success: variable depending on books found. Each subsequent selection of this action significantly increases the DC. This action is repeatable.
-[] Please specify either a topic or what kind of bonus you want (e.g. bonus to farming or Fell Flame incantations).
[] Codify Glintstone Sorcery. "It has been years since I attended Raya Lucaria, and it would take years to truly replicate the successes of that fickle academy. However, I can begin to craft the rudiments of a curriculum. On success: Increase Glintstone sorcery by one rank (currently 0 of 5). This action is repeatable.
[] Collect tomes from the city. "I cannot know what we will be able to find. Perhaps there are arcane or sorcerous tomes waiting in a forgotten room. More likely it will be mundane books, though, at this point, any knowledge will be valuable." On success: variable depending on books found. Each subsequent selection of this action significantly increases the DC. This action is repeatable.
-[] Please specify either a topic or what kind of bonus you want (e.g. bonus to farming or Fell Flame incantations).
Resources
Resources are generated and consumed by actions taken during turns. Shortages in resources will lead to a rapid drop in morale and stability (especially a lack of food).
Advisors
Advisors primarily serve to accomplish the tasks that must be done that Malenia cannot devote her personal attention to. When a role lacks an advisor, Malenia must serve as that role herself.
Buildings and Improvements
This tracks both the mundane and mystical improvements made to Elphael.
Combat Units
In combat, units face off against opposing units of a similar role. If no similar role exists, they will assist the next tier down. Combat units can be upgraded or replaced, but only one will exist for each category (except for champions, of which multiple may exist).
Citizens of Elphael
These units reflect the industrial and artisanal capability of the people of Elphael.
Status of Elphael
This catalogs the state of the city itself and the people who dwell within.
Resources are generated and consumed by actions taken during turns. Shortages in resources will lead to a rapid drop in morale and stability (especially a lack of food).
| Resource | Stockpile | Change per turn |
| Construction | 300 | 0 |
| Alchemistry | 100 | 0 |
| Food | 400 | -100 |
| Runes | Will be implemented once a certain level of commerce is reached |
Advisors
Advisors primarily serve to accomplish the tasks that must be done that Malenia cannot devote her personal attention to. When a role lacks an advisor, Malenia must serve as that role herself.
| Name | Role | Relevant Stat Score |
| Diplomat | ||
| Knight Commander Finlay | Marshal | Martial: 14 |
| Steward | ||
| Maeve, Shadow of Malenia | Spymaster | Intrigue: 24 |
| Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree | Mage | Learning: 20 |
| Spiritualist |
Buildings and Improvements
This tracks both the mundane and mystical improvements made to Elphael.
| Building / Improvement | Description | Benefit Provided |
| Rudimentary Library | A sparse collection of books placed in a converted storage room and warded against both pests and the elements. |
|
| Basic Guard Patrols | Units of three soldiers have been tasked to patrol the most well-trafficked and important sites in Elphael |
|
Combat Units
In combat, units face off against opposing units of a similar role. If no similar role exists, they will assist the next tier down. Combat units can be upgraded or replaced, but only one will exist for each category (except for champions, of which multiple may exist).
| Name | Role | Upgrades | Combat Score |
| Cleanrot Knights | Elite combat unit | Panoply: 0 of 5 Spellcraft: 1 of 10 Skill: 2 of 5 Size: 1 of 3 | 18 (+9) |
| Soldiers of the Haligtree | Combat unit | Panoply: 0 of 5 Spellcraft: 0 of 5 Skill: 0 of 5 Size: 1 of 5 | 6 (+3) |
| Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree | Champion combat unit | Panoply: 2 of 10 Spellcraft: 7 of 10 Skill: 4 of 10 | 16 (+8) |
| Maeve, Shadow of Malenia | Champion combat unit | Panoply: 0 of 10 Spellcraft: 3 of 10 Skill: 8 of 10 | 20 (+10) |
Citizens of Elphael
These units reflect the industrial and artisanal capability of the people of Elphael.
| Unit | Role | Upgrades |
Status of Elphael
This catalogs the state of the city itself and the people who dwell within.
| State | Score | Description |
| Morale | ??? | Morale is a measure of the spirit of the people of Elphael. High morale provides an increase to resources produced |
| Stability | ??? | Stability is a measure of the legitimacy of Malenia's rule. High stability provides bonuses to certain actions. |
[AN]
I think I caught everything, but there's a lot here so I may have missed something. Feel free to @ me if you have any questions or if things don't make sense.
Arc 2 - Recruiting
-[] Welcome the misbegotten refugees of the Haligtree.
It was a truism of the world: when the strong spoke, the weak listened. While that somewhat grated upon your sensibilities, you had spent time—sometimes years on end—serving in just about every role an army had available to it, and so you understood the value of a singular voice of command.
You just found yourself loathe to use it. Especially when it centered around the many, many, people you had failed during your long slumber. Nevertheless, when you had asked to address the misbegotten refugees who had gathered in the high branches of the Haligtree, your request had been taken as a demand.
Even then, it had taken several days for news to travel up and down the tree and several more days for the various communities and villages to select representatives to attend your speech. The last delay before you could address these refugees, however, had been one of your own devising.
For the men and women willing to make the trek to hear your apology, it would come with a feast. But to not overly tax Elphael's reserves, you had disappeared for days on end into the wilds of the Consecrated Snowlands in search of the big game that dwelt within. Eventually, though, your preparations were completed, and shortly thereafter, the day for your speech arrived.
You stand at one end of the space that had once been Loretta's arena, watching as hundreds of misbegotten sit at tables laden down with roasted meats and vegetables as well as a wide variety of winter fruits and nuts. Knots of conversation form and dissolve with an ease that belies the far-flung and disparate communities represented at this feast.
It was strange. Abundance was your brother's nature. Acceptance his dream. Both of which you were merely borrowing. And yet, you couldn't deny the feeling in your chest as you watched these forsaken souls eat and be merry. It felt... warm.
A hush flows across the assembled crowd as you step out from the shadows cast by a branch of the Haligtree. You can see hands tightening on silverware and crude stone weaponry, but thankfully no one moves to violence.
Your voice rings out across the flagstone clearing. "When my brother founded Elphael and grew the Haligtree so that his city would always find shelter within its shade, he made a promise to the world. It was a promise to welcome all, regardless of the circumstances of their birth."
"We. No, I have not lived up to his promise," the truth of your words seems to reach out and engulf the entire arena, rendering all those within as still as stone. "You have braved hunger. The violence of those who would dare hunt you. Exposure wrought from frigid seas and even colder mountain paths. You endured indignity upon suffering upon hate to see for yourself the truth of the safety promised to you. And you found it wanting. Dying."
You bow at the waist, ignoring the strangled sounds from the crowd as well as the shame burning within you. Your ego could handle that much and more to make redress for your many failures. "I will make no promises to you. For you have seen first-hand the value of them. Instead, I would ask that you join me so that together we can make of Elphael a place that would live up to the dreams of those yet yearning for safety and freedom all across the Lands Between."
[Gained: Misbegotten refugees. See turn options for details.]
-[] Search for a new advisor
--[] Steward
You had known at the outset that finding someone capable of serving as your steward wouldn't be the simplest of tasks. Elphael was a place of respite for those cast out of society by the Golden Order. Omen, confined to the sewers beneath Lleyndell or hunted by vile omenkillers. Misbegotten, condemned to servitude, or slow death by starvation. Albinaurics, used as disposable troops until cast away for the slightest infirmity. All the many peoples discarded for the heresy of their birth.
Elphael had been built upon a noble ideal, one your brother had thought worth sacrificing the comfort of Lleyndell and the rank of his birth—and later a veritable ocean of his own blood spent in watering his Great Tree. Unfortunately, that noble ideal did not result in many of those educated in the schools and academies of the Golden Order seeking out the welcoming embrace of the Haligtree.
You had spent days ensuring that your needs and the needs of Elphael were elucidated to all who lived within its walls. And then weeks interviewing any who either thought themselves equal to the task or possessed of the ambition to reach beyond their current station.
Still, as the month had wended toward its end you had little and less to show for your efforts. At least until one cloud-covered day when something intriguing had arrived upon your desk. A messily scrawled note written on a bit of scrap paper that spoke of a curious refugee. A refugee with bright blonde hair and a certain noble demeanor.
You stare at the blonde in front of you. She was young. In appearance—though you were evidence enough of how deceiving that could be—but also in the ineffable quality those not yet worn down by the ennui of eternity seemed to possess. It reminded you of Maeve, all those centuries ago, when she had been but a pup: all nervous energy and long, coltish limbs.
Watching the girl fidget seemed to poke at that same feeling of holding a toy just out of a pet's reach so you could watch them jump for it. It was not a particularly merciful feeling. Fortunately for the girl, there was a reason for her being there, and so, you set aside amusement in favor of duty.
"You are Elodie?" Your voice pierces through the girl's nerves like the tip of a blade.
"Y-yes, I oh, apologies, Divine One." The girl drops to one knee and then lowers her head to the stone floor. "I am Elodie, El Marais."
"Rise, El Marias. You need not display such formality to me. " It had been some time since you'd seen this level of obeisance—probably since you'd left Marika's home, that bitch—and you accounted yourself better for it. "You may call me Malenia, or Lady Malenia if you prefer."
"Thank you, Div-, Lady Malenia." The girl slowly rises, but her eyes remain fixed upon the floor. "May, may I ask why you called for me, Lady Malenia?"
"House Marais once served as Marika's castellan for the lands in the northern marches of Lleyndell." Your voice softens in a way that you hoped would put the girl a bit more at ease. "I remember there was a man named Sebastien Marais with whom my brother found a kinship formed from their shared love of the applications of mathematics."
"Father," El's face twists with grief, and the story of how a scion of House Marais ended up in this frozen land unfolds in your mind. "He, I…"
You watch silently as tears spill down the girl's face, but there was little you could say in the face of grief over a lost father. While your brother had been close to Radagon, you had refused a similar affection. Even in your earliest memories, he had stank of zealotry and blind faith.
Eventually, her tears stop falling, something neither you nor she comments upon as she continues speaking. "Father. He, he taught me calculations and probabilities. When our- when I left I was able to save some of his notebooks about engineering and architecture."
That was more than you had hoped for. Far more. "If I were to ask you to oversee a project to remove the debris choking Elphael and effect repairs upon its more damaged streets, how would you begin?"
"To, to start with I would need to know the available resources, primarily supplies and workers. Then I would need a map, to plan out repairs such that no vital streets are blocked off without a detour available..."
A private smile forms on your face as you watch the girl's hesitance and grief fade in favor of solving the problem placed in front of her. While El Marias may have been young, youth was no barrier to excellence.
-[] Recruit Scouts
--[] Maeve
What does one look for when identifying someone with the potential to become a scout? Not one of the dull-eyed, listless fools that had made up Lleyndell's armies in ages past, but one fit to serve as Her eyes and ears. For none less than the most exceptional could ever be assigned such a duty.
That was the question Maeve had spent the last several days contemplating. At last, though, she had settled on several criteria, the most important of which was previous experience. Training scouts up to her own standards—let alone Hers—would be difficult enough, but to do it with truly green recruits… the very thought alone was enough to send a chill along her hackles.
Second on her list, and probably the most difficult trait to find, was situational awareness. An active state of observation that went beyond the cataloging of fact and began to make connections. Such as the connection between deepening ruts in a dirt road with an improvement in the arms and armor of a foreign entity.
Third was a thing made somewhat strange by the Queen-bitch's Golden Order. Sufficiency was an odd concept when permanent death no longer existed in the Lands Between. Still, just because the threat of death had lost much of its bite, hunger was still hunger and thirst still thirst. So those who could wander the frozen environs that surrounded Elphael and not succumb to cold and deprivation was a definite benefit.
There was a final consideration, and it was the real reason she was casually shadowing a trio of guards out on patrol. While she would be forever thankful to that ghost-bitch for rescuing Her, there were limits to how close Maeve could accept anyone else getting to Her. She had already been gifted all the shadow She would ever need, after all. So if Maeve could accomplish her task and poke at that uppity bitch at the same time… well, that was just good sense.
Your eyes rise from the book you were reading as a flicker of shadow crosses through the corner of your eye. You don't see the sharp, canine features of your Shadow as you glance around, but then you hardly need to see Maeve to know when she is nearby.
You gently fold your book closed and set it to one side. "This must be important to be worthy of interrupting Sei-i Taishōgun Kaito's conquest of the arboreal islands south of The Land of Reeds."
"Who cares about some long-dead general?" Your Shadow leans back against the worn upholstery of the couch you were currently occupying and pushes her legs up into your lap. "But no, I was just bored."
"And so you sought me out to alleviate said boredom?" Maeve's smirk only widens at your question. You sigh, a mixture of fondness and exasperation. "Did you not have a scout unit to assemble?"
"A trivial task, hardly worth mentioning." A delicate, clawed hand waves in a dismissive gesture. "Especially not when compared to how amazing your Shadow is."
"If my Shadow were truly amazing, I do not doubt that she'd have a successful report on the formation of a new scouting unit…" your voice carries a faint tone of something that no more than a handful—living or otherwise—would recognize as teasing.
Maeve was several centuries too old to pout effectively, though, the way her lower lip pushed out to reveal blade-sharp teeth made that rather difficult to tell. Still, that particular look was one you'd become inured to many years ago and it seemed that time apart had done little to reduce that resistance.
"Fine." You carefully conceal your triumphant smirk as she huffs in defeat and drops her head.
"Your people are blind and incurious." she scowls as though that failing was a personal affront. Given what you knew of your Shadow, she probably considered it so. "Even the ones who had to avoid all those giant ants wandering around the branches are little better."
"So you failed?" You tilt your head slowly to the side, eyes lidded and judging.
"What, No!" Maeve's exclamation fades into chagrin as a smirk widens across your face. "I mean it may have meant failure for a certain unnamed ghost knight, but not for a Shadow as talented as me."
"Oh?"
"Of course I succeeded." She tilts her head back in crude mimicry of Marika's overweening arrogance. That arrogant look lasts until you reach out with your mortal hand and tweak a pointed ear.
"Malenia, please."
You doubted that Maeve would ever willingly admit to the whimper you heard in her voice, but despite the urge to continue petting her, you oblige the request. "How long until they're ready?"
"A decade." your Shadow shrugs, a hint of amusement in her eyes as she sees your frown, and continues. "They could do with some training—a lot of training—but if I cut them loose in the Snowfields, I'd bet some of them would come back alive. A few might even have useful information."
"Hmm…," that sounded about as much as you could reasonably hope for, and given the standard she held such things to, you wouldn't be surprised if the squad she'd assembled was better than that. "In that case, would you like to hear about the Siege of the Coral Tides?"
"I'd rather go spar with your ghost-knight." Despite the acerbic tone, your Shadow makes no effort to move.
A soft smile crosses your face as you retrieve your book and open it back to where you had been before Maeve's interruption. "It was only in the third decade of Empress Tomoe's reign that ships sufficient to lay siege to the island fortress Coral Tides were assembled.."
[scout troupe gained. New actions unlocked.]
-[] Codify Glintstone Sorcery
--[] Loretta
There was a certain nostalgia to be found in sitting down amongst a stack of books and attempting to recreate some bits of Glintstone theory. Loretta hated it. It reminded her too much of Raya Lucaria. Of the cutthroat, frequently fatal, infighting between the Conspectus. The perverse experiments, oft performed on an unwary rival. Their betrayal of Queen Rennala.
No. There was little that she could find in the dry earthy aroma of old paper mixed with the faint scent of mildew that would trigger anything approaching fondness. But then, mayhap she need not recreate the casual violence of that worthless academy. Or rather she could rededicate that urge toward something productive. The Haima Conspectus was, before its ignominious fall, an adjudicator of law and an enforcer of peace.
There was another example she could draw from as well: the Carian Royal Knights. For though the order she had once led never numbered more than twenty it had instilled the virtues not just of sorcerous brilliance, but of justice and nobility as well within its members.
Yes. Perhaps that was the path to go. Reinvent instead of recreate. She could strip away the eldritch musings of Karolos, for research into the primeval current had ever offered little beyond another fool desperate to delve into arts forbidden even by the lax standards of the Academy. So too could she excise Olivinus, for the study of meteors led inevitably to the study of the beasts found within and from thence to the Obsidian Lords, with their far-reaching and inscrutable plans.
Instead, she could build a study of Glintstone focused on the research of the Haima Conspectus. Perhaps it would leave a would-be Glintstone sorcerer a bit poorer in esoteric knowledge, but a focus on the more applied arts of Glintstone sorcery would leave a practitioner far more martially capable than the average graduate of that useless academy.
To this more martial approach, she would add one last piece of Glintstone sorcery. An homage to her creator and former master. The Lazuli Conspectus. The arts of the full and new moon, to honor Queen Rennala and Lunar Princess Ranni.
You set down a sheaf of paper hastily bound by twine. There was a great deal of information contained in the tight, neat handwriting, but it all pointed to a singular goal. "You've chosen to focus on the martial applications of Glintstone sorcery…"
"Yes, Your Highness." Loretta's pale eyes stare at a point just past your shoulder. "It is my belief that the subordination of sorcery to the needs of Elphael is both just and in line with your desires."
"The threats to Elphael are many, and I can only be in but so many places." You muse more to yourself than to Loretta. "Still, given our current location, I wonder why you have decided not to include anything of the Astrologer's arts in your curriculum."
"The stars are…" the knight trails off, her eyes flickering as though physically searching for words. "Distant. Inscrutable. I believe that there are benefits to be gained from their study, but that must be tempered by caution and wisdom."
"Would you place similar limitations on other avenues of study?" Your question is more genuinely curious than leading. Miquella had dived deeply into the kind of lore that Loretta wanted to proscribe, but comparing your brother's gift to a sorcerer's blind flailing was truly laughable.
"For the time being, I believe any such limitations to be theoretical rather than practical. It will be years before anyone trained in the arcane or sorcerous arts will have both a sufficient breadth of knowledge and the mastery necessary to engage in that manner of research." Loretta's eyes harden as she continues. "But, if I am to continue upon this path of rebuilding the sorcerous knowledge of Raya Lucaria I will not allow its atrocities to be repeated."
It is as close as a direct challenge as could be made over a topic that was as yet theoretical, and your estimation of Loretta rises as she meets the pale gold of your stare with the moon-silver of her own. To stand on principle before a demigod, one who could not just cut her down in the blink of an eye, but infect her with a Rot that would steal from her all that she was—her mind and hopes and dreams—was impressive.
You let your eyes bore into hers, testing, in that moment, the truth of the resolve within the knight yet the steel within her remains unbent. Your brother had always been able to account himself fortunate in regards to the character of those that served him, and it seemed that a mote of that grace had fallen to you as well.
"Very well, Loretta." You accept the demand with a graceful nod. "Leash the arts and insight of the careless and the obsessed and build with it something that will serve Elphael rather than itself."
-[] Cleanse Farmland
--[] Finlay, Soldiers
Finlay stares, lips pursed in a frown rather more suited for someone within whose body blood still flowed, rather than the spirit body she currently inhabited. At least an imbalance of the humors would explain the mixture of annoyance and frustration and… failure that burned in her chest.
Clearing out an infestation of giant ants should have been a simple assignment. Something Finlay had volunteered for both because she understood the necessity of reclaiming the fallow land and also because she knew it was what her Lady wanted. A simple task to aid in the reconstruction of Elphael and earn her Lady's approval, and now it was fucked. All fucked.
The last few weeks had been going so well too. It had started when she and her knights had finally finished whittling down the scores of would-be monster slayers into a single squad that would be the—heavily chaperoned—spear on their giant-ant-slaying activities. It had gotten even better as her squad of soldiers, led by Sir Cai, had begun making steady progress in clearing out some of the ant-infested branches where once farms had grown. When they had finally reached Brannoch Fork, the intersection of several hundred-yard-wide branches that had once served as the breadbasket for Elphael and the surrounding settlements it had seemed like success stacked upon success stacked upon success. All for naught.
"Never seen one even a third that big… reckon it must be a queen or something, right?" If looks could burn, Cai would be a pile of ash and charred flesh.
Alas, the weight of her ire lacked the physical potency of her Lady. And so she could only respond to the flippant question with a sigh. "Sir Cai."
"Well, it sure seems like it's having a bit of a field day tearing at those huge red mushrooms doesn't it?"
Cai's smirk had an edge of mocking amusement to it that on another day she would have tried to put a blade through. Even as her hand twitched toward the spear tied to her back, Finlay decided to let it go. Mostly because if she didn't, she wouldn't stop until he was dead. And depending upon how her Lady would take the news, she might just need him. As a scapegoat.
Well, if she couldn't needle Cai with a spear, words would have to do. "And what do you think our Lady would have to say about you awakening a truly giant ant and its subsequent rampage throughout our erstwhile farmland?"
"Oh well… hmm…" Cai trails off, chewing at the inside of his cheek in what might have passed for thought for the fool. "I bet she'd enjoy killing it at least."
[Major threat found: giant ant matriarch. Must be dispatched before farming can commence.]
[AN]
Turn options will be up tomorrow.
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the turn results having a bit of narrative summary at the top followed by a scene at the bottom. On the one hand, I think it helps show a character's personality and motivation in a way I really can't from within Malenia's POV. On the other, it's very expository in nature.
On a different note, I didn't include a lore section here because it would likely bloat this chapter another 1 - 2k words. That said, feel free to point out anything that you think could use some extra explanation. I'll either edit this or answer in thread.
DC 45
vs.
55 + 29 = 84
vs.
55 + 29 = 84
It was a truism of the world: when the strong spoke, the weak listened. While that somewhat grated upon your sensibilities, you had spent time—sometimes years on end—serving in just about every role an army had available to it, and so you understood the value of a singular voice of command.
You just found yourself loathe to use it. Especially when it centered around the many, many, people you had failed during your long slumber. Nevertheless, when you had asked to address the misbegotten refugees who had gathered in the high branches of the Haligtree, your request had been taken as a demand.
Even then, it had taken several days for news to travel up and down the tree and several more days for the various communities and villages to select representatives to attend your speech. The last delay before you could address these refugees, however, had been one of your own devising.
For the men and women willing to make the trek to hear your apology, it would come with a feast. But to not overly tax Elphael's reserves, you had disappeared for days on end into the wilds of the Consecrated Snowlands in search of the big game that dwelt within. Eventually, though, your preparations were completed, and shortly thereafter, the day for your speech arrived.
You stand at one end of the space that had once been Loretta's arena, watching as hundreds of misbegotten sit at tables laden down with roasted meats and vegetables as well as a wide variety of winter fruits and nuts. Knots of conversation form and dissolve with an ease that belies the far-flung and disparate communities represented at this feast.
It was strange. Abundance was your brother's nature. Acceptance his dream. Both of which you were merely borrowing. And yet, you couldn't deny the feeling in your chest as you watched these forsaken souls eat and be merry. It felt... warm.
A hush flows across the assembled crowd as you step out from the shadows cast by a branch of the Haligtree. You can see hands tightening on silverware and crude stone weaponry, but thankfully no one moves to violence.
Your voice rings out across the flagstone clearing. "When my brother founded Elphael and grew the Haligtree so that his city would always find shelter within its shade, he made a promise to the world. It was a promise to welcome all, regardless of the circumstances of their birth."
"We. No, I have not lived up to his promise," the truth of your words seems to reach out and engulf the entire arena, rendering all those within as still as stone. "You have braved hunger. The violence of those who would dare hunt you. Exposure wrought from frigid seas and even colder mountain paths. You endured indignity upon suffering upon hate to see for yourself the truth of the safety promised to you. And you found it wanting. Dying."
You bow at the waist, ignoring the strangled sounds from the crowd as well as the shame burning within you. Your ego could handle that much and more to make redress for your many failures. "I will make no promises to you. For you have seen first-hand the value of them. Instead, I would ask that you join me so that together we can make of Elphael a place that would live up to the dreams of those yet yearning for safety and freedom all across the Lands Between."
[Gained: Misbegotten refugees. See turn options for details.]
-[] Search for a new advisor
--[] Steward
DC 60 - 5 (misbegotten refugees) = 55
vs.
73 + 30 = 103
vs.
73 + 30 = 103
You had known at the outset that finding someone capable of serving as your steward wouldn't be the simplest of tasks. Elphael was a place of respite for those cast out of society by the Golden Order. Omen, confined to the sewers beneath Lleyndell or hunted by vile omenkillers. Misbegotten, condemned to servitude, or slow death by starvation. Albinaurics, used as disposable troops until cast away for the slightest infirmity. All the many peoples discarded for the heresy of their birth.
Elphael had been built upon a noble ideal, one your brother had thought worth sacrificing the comfort of Lleyndell and the rank of his birth—and later a veritable ocean of his own blood spent in watering his Great Tree. Unfortunately, that noble ideal did not result in many of those educated in the schools and academies of the Golden Order seeking out the welcoming embrace of the Haligtree.
You had spent days ensuring that your needs and the needs of Elphael were elucidated to all who lived within its walls. And then weeks interviewing any who either thought themselves equal to the task or possessed of the ambition to reach beyond their current station.
Still, as the month had wended toward its end you had little and less to show for your efforts. At least until one cloud-covered day when something intriguing had arrived upon your desk. A messily scrawled note written on a bit of scrap paper that spoke of a curious refugee. A refugee with bright blonde hair and a certain noble demeanor.
You stare at the blonde in front of you. She was young. In appearance—though you were evidence enough of how deceiving that could be—but also in the ineffable quality those not yet worn down by the ennui of eternity seemed to possess. It reminded you of Maeve, all those centuries ago, when she had been but a pup: all nervous energy and long, coltish limbs.
Watching the girl fidget seemed to poke at that same feeling of holding a toy just out of a pet's reach so you could watch them jump for it. It was not a particularly merciful feeling. Fortunately for the girl, there was a reason for her being there, and so, you set aside amusement in favor of duty.
"You are Elodie?" Your voice pierces through the girl's nerves like the tip of a blade.
"Y-yes, I oh, apologies, Divine One." The girl drops to one knee and then lowers her head to the stone floor. "I am Elodie, El Marais."
"Rise, El Marias. You need not display such formality to me. " It had been some time since you'd seen this level of obeisance—probably since you'd left Marika's home, that bitch—and you accounted yourself better for it. "You may call me Malenia, or Lady Malenia if you prefer."
"Thank you, Div-, Lady Malenia." The girl slowly rises, but her eyes remain fixed upon the floor. "May, may I ask why you called for me, Lady Malenia?"
"House Marais once served as Marika's castellan for the lands in the northern marches of Lleyndell." Your voice softens in a way that you hoped would put the girl a bit more at ease. "I remember there was a man named Sebastien Marais with whom my brother found a kinship formed from their shared love of the applications of mathematics."
"Father," El's face twists with grief, and the story of how a scion of House Marais ended up in this frozen land unfolds in your mind. "He, I…"
You watch silently as tears spill down the girl's face, but there was little you could say in the face of grief over a lost father. While your brother had been close to Radagon, you had refused a similar affection. Even in your earliest memories, he had stank of zealotry and blind faith.
Eventually, her tears stop falling, something neither you nor she comments upon as she continues speaking. "Father. He, he taught me calculations and probabilities. When our- when I left I was able to save some of his notebooks about engineering and architecture."
That was more than you had hoped for. Far more. "If I were to ask you to oversee a project to remove the debris choking Elphael and effect repairs upon its more damaged streets, how would you begin?"
"To, to start with I would need to know the available resources, primarily supplies and workers. Then I would need a map, to plan out repairs such that no vital streets are blocked off without a detour available..."
A private smile forms on your face as you watch the girl's hesitance and grief fade in favor of solving the problem placed in front of her. While El Marias may have been young, youth was no barrier to excellence.
Elodie "El" Marais
A refugee from the violence and devastation wrought in the wake of Rykard's rebellion. As the Marais' ancestral home fell to invaders Elodie was able to escape with a small collection of her father's books and journals. Seeking a place free from the violence and war that had seemingly engulfed the length and breadth of Lleyndell, she heard a rumor of a tree, like unto the Haligtree that welcomed all.
Stewardship = 4d10 =3 7 5 10 = 22
A refugee from the violence and devastation wrought in the wake of Rykard's rebellion. As the Marais' ancestral home fell to invaders Elodie was able to escape with a small collection of her father's books and journals. Seeking a place free from the violence and war that had seemingly engulfed the length and breadth of Lleyndell, she heard a rumor of a tree, like unto the Haligtree that welcomed all.
Stewardship = 4d10 =
-[] Recruit Scouts
--[] Maeve
DC 50 - 5 (misbegotten refugees) - 5 (Haligtree soldiers) = 40
vs.
44 + 24 = 68
vs.
44 + 24 = 68
What does one look for when identifying someone with the potential to become a scout? Not one of the dull-eyed, listless fools that had made up Lleyndell's armies in ages past, but one fit to serve as Her eyes and ears. For none less than the most exceptional could ever be assigned such a duty.
That was the question Maeve had spent the last several days contemplating. At last, though, she had settled on several criteria, the most important of which was previous experience. Training scouts up to her own standards—let alone Hers—would be difficult enough, but to do it with truly green recruits… the very thought alone was enough to send a chill along her hackles.
Second on her list, and probably the most difficult trait to find, was situational awareness. An active state of observation that went beyond the cataloging of fact and began to make connections. Such as the connection between deepening ruts in a dirt road with an improvement in the arms and armor of a foreign entity.
Third was a thing made somewhat strange by the Queen-bitch's Golden Order. Sufficiency was an odd concept when permanent death no longer existed in the Lands Between. Still, just because the threat of death had lost much of its bite, hunger was still hunger and thirst still thirst. So those who could wander the frozen environs that surrounded Elphael and not succumb to cold and deprivation was a definite benefit.
There was a final consideration, and it was the real reason she was casually shadowing a trio of guards out on patrol. While she would be forever thankful to that ghost-bitch for rescuing Her, there were limits to how close Maeve could accept anyone else getting to Her. She had already been gifted all the shadow She would ever need, after all. So if Maeve could accomplish her task and poke at that uppity bitch at the same time… well, that was just good sense.
Your eyes rise from the book you were reading as a flicker of shadow crosses through the corner of your eye. You don't see the sharp, canine features of your Shadow as you glance around, but then you hardly need to see Maeve to know when she is nearby.
You gently fold your book closed and set it to one side. "This must be important to be worthy of interrupting Sei-i Taishōgun Kaito's conquest of the arboreal islands south of The Land of Reeds."
"Who cares about some long-dead general?" Your Shadow leans back against the worn upholstery of the couch you were currently occupying and pushes her legs up into your lap. "But no, I was just bored."
"And so you sought me out to alleviate said boredom?" Maeve's smirk only widens at your question. You sigh, a mixture of fondness and exasperation. "Did you not have a scout unit to assemble?"
"A trivial task, hardly worth mentioning." A delicate, clawed hand waves in a dismissive gesture. "Especially not when compared to how amazing your Shadow is."
"If my Shadow were truly amazing, I do not doubt that she'd have a successful report on the formation of a new scouting unit…" your voice carries a faint tone of something that no more than a handful—living or otherwise—would recognize as teasing.
Maeve was several centuries too old to pout effectively, though, the way her lower lip pushed out to reveal blade-sharp teeth made that rather difficult to tell. Still, that particular look was one you'd become inured to many years ago and it seemed that time apart had done little to reduce that resistance.
"Fine." You carefully conceal your triumphant smirk as she huffs in defeat and drops her head.
"Your people are blind and incurious." she scowls as though that failing was a personal affront. Given what you knew of your Shadow, she probably considered it so. "Even the ones who had to avoid all those giant ants wandering around the branches are little better."
"So you failed?" You tilt your head slowly to the side, eyes lidded and judging.
"What, No!" Maeve's exclamation fades into chagrin as a smirk widens across your face. "I mean it may have meant failure for a certain unnamed ghost knight, but not for a Shadow as talented as me."
"Oh?"
"Of course I succeeded." She tilts her head back in crude mimicry of Marika's overweening arrogance. That arrogant look lasts until you reach out with your mortal hand and tweak a pointed ear.
"Malenia, please."
You doubted that Maeve would ever willingly admit to the whimper you heard in her voice, but despite the urge to continue petting her, you oblige the request. "How long until they're ready?"
"A decade." your Shadow shrugs, a hint of amusement in her eyes as she sees your frown, and continues. "They could do with some training—a lot of training—but if I cut them loose in the Snowfields, I'd bet some of them would come back alive. A few might even have useful information."
"Hmm…," that sounded about as much as you could reasonably hope for, and given the standard she held such things to, you wouldn't be surprised if the squad she'd assembled was better than that. "In that case, would you like to hear about the Siege of the Coral Tides?"
"I'd rather go spar with your ghost-knight." Despite the acerbic tone, your Shadow makes no effort to move.
A soft smile crosses your face as you retrieve your book and open it back to where you had been before Maeve's interruption. "It was only in the third decade of Empress Tomoe's reign that ships sufficient to lay siege to the island fortress Coral Tides were assembled.."
[scout troupe gained. New actions unlocked.]
-[] Codify Glintstone Sorcery
--[] Loretta
DC 30 - 10 (Carian knight) = 20
vs.
16 + 20 = 36
vs.
16 + 20 = 36
There was a certain nostalgia to be found in sitting down amongst a stack of books and attempting to recreate some bits of Glintstone theory. Loretta hated it. It reminded her too much of Raya Lucaria. Of the cutthroat, frequently fatal, infighting between the Conspectus. The perverse experiments, oft performed on an unwary rival. Their betrayal of Queen Rennala.
No. There was little that she could find in the dry earthy aroma of old paper mixed with the faint scent of mildew that would trigger anything approaching fondness. But then, mayhap she need not recreate the casual violence of that worthless academy. Or rather she could rededicate that urge toward something productive. The Haima Conspectus was, before its ignominious fall, an adjudicator of law and an enforcer of peace.
There was another example she could draw from as well: the Carian Royal Knights. For though the order she had once led never numbered more than twenty it had instilled the virtues not just of sorcerous brilliance, but of justice and nobility as well within its members.
Yes. Perhaps that was the path to go. Reinvent instead of recreate. She could strip away the eldritch musings of Karolos, for research into the primeval current had ever offered little beyond another fool desperate to delve into arts forbidden even by the lax standards of the Academy. So too could she excise Olivinus, for the study of meteors led inevitably to the study of the beasts found within and from thence to the Obsidian Lords, with their far-reaching and inscrutable plans.
Instead, she could build a study of Glintstone focused on the research of the Haima Conspectus. Perhaps it would leave a would-be Glintstone sorcerer a bit poorer in esoteric knowledge, but a focus on the more applied arts of Glintstone sorcery would leave a practitioner far more martially capable than the average graduate of that useless academy.
To this more martial approach, she would add one last piece of Glintstone sorcery. An homage to her creator and former master. The Lazuli Conspectus. The arts of the full and new moon, to honor Queen Rennala and Lunar Princess Ranni.
You set down a sheaf of paper hastily bound by twine. There was a great deal of information contained in the tight, neat handwriting, but it all pointed to a singular goal. "You've chosen to focus on the martial applications of Glintstone sorcery…"
"Yes, Your Highness." Loretta's pale eyes stare at a point just past your shoulder. "It is my belief that the subordination of sorcery to the needs of Elphael is both just and in line with your desires."
"The threats to Elphael are many, and I can only be in but so many places." You muse more to yourself than to Loretta. "Still, given our current location, I wonder why you have decided not to include anything of the Astrologer's arts in your curriculum."
"The stars are…" the knight trails off, her eyes flickering as though physically searching for words. "Distant. Inscrutable. I believe that there are benefits to be gained from their study, but that must be tempered by caution and wisdom."
"Would you place similar limitations on other avenues of study?" Your question is more genuinely curious than leading. Miquella had dived deeply into the kind of lore that Loretta wanted to proscribe, but comparing your brother's gift to a sorcerer's blind flailing was truly laughable.
"For the time being, I believe any such limitations to be theoretical rather than practical. It will be years before anyone trained in the arcane or sorcerous arts will have both a sufficient breadth of knowledge and the mastery necessary to engage in that manner of research." Loretta's eyes harden as she continues. "But, if I am to continue upon this path of rebuilding the sorcerous knowledge of Raya Lucaria I will not allow its atrocities to be repeated."
It is as close as a direct challenge as could be made over a topic that was as yet theoretical, and your estimation of Loretta rises as she meets the pale gold of your stare with the moon-silver of her own. To stand on principle before a demigod, one who could not just cut her down in the blink of an eye, but infect her with a Rot that would steal from her all that she was—her mind and hopes and dreams—was impressive.
You let your eyes bore into hers, testing, in that moment, the truth of the resolve within the knight yet the steel within her remains unbent. Your brother had always been able to account himself fortunate in regards to the character of those that served him, and it seemed that a mote of that grace had fallen to you as well.
"Very well, Loretta." You accept the demand with a graceful nod. "Leash the arts and insight of the careless and the obsessed and build with it something that will serve Elphael rather than itself."
-[] Cleanse Farmland
--[] Finlay, Soldiers
DC 40 - 5 (Haligtree soldiers) = 35
vs.
8 + 14 = 22
vs.
8 + 14 = 22
Finlay stares, lips pursed in a frown rather more suited for someone within whose body blood still flowed, rather than the spirit body she currently inhabited. At least an imbalance of the humors would explain the mixture of annoyance and frustration and… failure that burned in her chest.
Clearing out an infestation of giant ants should have been a simple assignment. Something Finlay had volunteered for both because she understood the necessity of reclaiming the fallow land and also because she knew it was what her Lady wanted. A simple task to aid in the reconstruction of Elphael and earn her Lady's approval, and now it was fucked. All fucked.
The last few weeks had been going so well too. It had started when she and her knights had finally finished whittling down the scores of would-be monster slayers into a single squad that would be the—heavily chaperoned—spear on their giant-ant-slaying activities. It had gotten even better as her squad of soldiers, led by Sir Cai, had begun making steady progress in clearing out some of the ant-infested branches where once farms had grown. When they had finally reached Brannoch Fork, the intersection of several hundred-yard-wide branches that had once served as the breadbasket for Elphael and the surrounding settlements it had seemed like success stacked upon success stacked upon success. All for naught.
"Never seen one even a third that big… reckon it must be a queen or something, right?" If looks could burn, Cai would be a pile of ash and charred flesh.
Alas, the weight of her ire lacked the physical potency of her Lady. And so she could only respond to the flippant question with a sigh. "Sir Cai."
"Well, it sure seems like it's having a bit of a field day tearing at those huge red mushrooms doesn't it?"
Cai's smirk had an edge of mocking amusement to it that on another day she would have tried to put a blade through. Even as her hand twitched toward the spear tied to her back, Finlay decided to let it go. Mostly because if she didn't, she wouldn't stop until he was dead. And depending upon how her Lady would take the news, she might just need him. As a scapegoat.
Well, if she couldn't needle Cai with a spear, words would have to do. "And what do you think our Lady would have to say about you awakening a truly giant ant and its subsequent rampage throughout our erstwhile farmland?"
"Oh well… hmm…" Cai trails off, chewing at the inside of his cheek in what might have passed for thought for the fool. "I bet she'd enjoy killing it at least."
[Major threat found: giant ant matriarch. Must be dispatched before farming can commence.]
[AN]
Turn options will be up tomorrow.
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the turn results having a bit of narrative summary at the top followed by a scene at the bottom. On the one hand, I think it helps show a character's personality and motivation in a way I really can't from within Malenia's POV. On the other, it's very expository in nature.
On a different note, I didn't include a lore section here because it would likely bloat this chapter another 1 - 2k words. That said, feel free to point out anything that you think could use some extra explanation. I'll either edit this or answer in thread.
Arc 2 - Turn 2 Options
Malenia has Two actions she may take this turn from any category. An advisor may take One action from their specific field of expertise.
New / revised info in green
Quest: Restore Elphael
You have addressed some of the most immediate concerns that plague your brother's city. That is not to say that Elphael is in a place to thrive. Far from it. Unfortunately, where your first set of actions was accomplished in a matter of days, truly restoring Elphael will be the work of months, perhaps even years
Success conditions:
Quest: Secure Elphael
Your knights have removed the vilest of the pests that still plague Elphael, however with the Kindred of Rot slain, that just magnifies the threats that remain within the walls of Elphael. And that is to say nothing of the world outside the Haligtree. For your brother's city to thrive, it must be safe from threats that linger both within and without his great tree.
Success Conditions:
Turn Options
"Thank you, El," you tip a glass of ice-cold water in her direction. "For setting up this council room for us, and for clearing out some of the chambers in the governor's palace."
The blonde covers a slight flush with a dip of the head that sends strands of pale hair down to cover her face. "I, my father always taught me that the presentation of a thing could be as important as the thing itself so…"
"Well, I can't complain about the setup," Your Shadow offers a fanged sort of grin. "But if you need the extra space I can always sleep with Malenia."
You reach out and flick her ear, ignoring both her pout and the pair of scandalized looks sent your way. At least Loretta was sensible enough to ignore her. "No, Maeve. You snore."
"I do not."
You let the squawked protest from your Shadow pass in favor of getting started. "It was a sign of Grace that I was able to find El, and while we will still need both a spiritual leader and a diplomat, their continuing absence may be a more long-term concern."
"Beyond that," you let your prosthetic arm fall to rest on the dark wood of the council table. "There are a growing number of threats to the safety and stability that have well overstayed their welcome."
"With the refugees having agreed to join with Elphael, I expect that they will begin trickling into the city proper over the next few months. Once that migration is done, it may make sense to take a census of those who moved and those who chose to remain in settlements amidst the Haligtree. That said, I do not see much immediate need for either internal or external diplomatic actions."
You turn toward El who avoids your stare by looking down at a sheaf of papers annotated by an unfamiliar cipher. "Food is not critical. Not yet, at least, but as our population increases, so too will our consumption. Farming will alleviate that in the long term, but we may need to supplement that with foraging missions into the snowlands in the short term. I will be able to say more once I get a better handle on our population growth."
"Belief may not be as important as food, but it still matters," you muse once El has finished her report, "more so in Elphael than in other places. Lleyndell has Marika's Order support the spirit of its citizens. Elphael has no belief other than the rejection of that Order. If left alone too long it is almost a guarantee that some malign entity will attempt to take advantage."
Maeve still seems to be pouting over your comment that she snores—though how she could refute such a thing was beyond you—but she manages to perk up enough to offer her input. "We've got scouts. They're about as good as you'd expect them to be. If they're deployed somewhere nearby, I can be around enough to keep the worst from happening, but if you want to learn anything about the world around us, I'll need to whip them into shape first."
Finlay doesn't move when it is her turn to speak. She hadn't moved since she first sat down in the seat to your right. You reach out with your mortal hand and touch her shoulder, "the ant matriarch awakening is a setback, but I'd rather it have been found while you and my knights were there rather than defenseless citizens."
"Thank you, My Lady." Your knight doesn't relax even a little bit. The shame of her self identified failure still burning strong despite your attempt. "Assign me and my soldiers to the task and we will make amends for this setback. We will kill that ant, or die trying."
Last to report is Loretta, who tilts her head in acknowledgment as your attention turns to her. "I would continue the codification of Glintstone sorcery. What I have been able to assemble so far is the most fundamental aspects of spell theory. It will take several more months for me to convert those building blocks into something with practical applications."
[AN]
I think that's everything. As an aside, if you there's an action you'd like to see, or one you think is missing, let me know and I'll try to include it.
New / revised info in green
Quest: Restore Elphael
You have addressed some of the most immediate concerns that plague your brother's city. That is not to say that Elphael is in a place to thrive. Far from it. Unfortunately, where your first set of actions was accomplished in a matter of days, truly restoring Elphael will be the work of months, perhaps even years
Success conditions:
- More food is generated than consumed
- All damage caused by lack of leadership is fixed
- A source of construction and alchemistry materials is found
Quest: Secure Elphael
Your knights have removed the vilest of the pests that still plague Elphael, however with the Kindred of Rot slain, that just magnifies the threats that remain within the walls of Elphael. And that is to say nothing of the world outside the Haligtree. For your brother's city to thrive, it must be safe from threats that linger both within and without his great tree.
Success Conditions:
- All remaining threats inside of Elphael dealt with
- The lands around Elphael scouted for potential dangers
- All major dangers in the Consecrated Snowlands dealt with
Turn Options
"Thank you, El," you tip a glass of ice-cold water in her direction. "For setting up this council room for us, and for clearing out some of the chambers in the governor's palace."
The blonde covers a slight flush with a dip of the head that sends strands of pale hair down to cover her face. "I, my father always taught me that the presentation of a thing could be as important as the thing itself so…"
"Well, I can't complain about the setup," Your Shadow offers a fanged sort of grin. "But if you need the extra space I can always sleep with Malenia."
You reach out and flick her ear, ignoring both her pout and the pair of scandalized looks sent your way. At least Loretta was sensible enough to ignore her. "No, Maeve. You snore."
"I do not."
You let the squawked protest from your Shadow pass in favor of getting started. "It was a sign of Grace that I was able to find El, and while we will still need both a spiritual leader and a diplomat, their continuing absence may be a more long-term concern."
"Beyond that," you let your prosthetic arm fall to rest on the dark wood of the council table. "There are a growing number of threats to the safety and stability that have well overstayed their welcome."
[] Search for a new advisor. Your council lacks someone who can take upon themselves the role of Diplomat, Steward, or Religious leader. Until you can find someone who you feel comfortable appointing to one of those roles, you will have to accomplish any such tasks yourself. On Success: gain a new advisor. This action may be taken once per turn. The DC for this action has significantly increased. This action is repeatable.
-[] Please specify which advisor type you want.
[] Study the Golden Order. Your brother is no longer here to craft items of unalloyed gold for you. If you want to be able to still the progression of Rot within you, you will doubtless have to do it yourself. And you could do far worse than to start where Miquella once did, with the incantations of the Golden Order. On Success: advance knowledge of Golden Order to novice (rank 1 of 5). This action is repeatable.
[] Personally patrol the Haligtree. It is almost certain that various threats have made themselves at home in Miquella's city. It would be a trivial task to put them to the sword. On success: eliminate all major threats from the Haligtree.
-[] Please specify which advisor type you want.
[] Study the Golden Order. Your brother is no longer here to craft items of unalloyed gold for you. If you want to be able to still the progression of Rot within you, you will doubtless have to do it yourself. And you could do far worse than to start where Miquella once did, with the incantations of the Golden Order. On Success: advance knowledge of Golden Order to novice (rank 1 of 5). This action is repeatable.
[] Personally patrol the Haligtree. It is almost certain that various threats have made themselves at home in Miquella's city. It would be a trivial task to put them to the sword. On success: eliminate all major threats from the Haligtree.
"With the refugees having agreed to join with Elphael, I expect that they will begin trickling into the city proper over the next few months. Once that migration is done, it may make sense to take a census of those who moved and those who chose to remain in settlements amidst the Haligtree. That said, I do not see much immediate need for either internal or external diplomatic actions."
[] Reach out to the tribes of Misbegotten in the Consecrated Snowfields. Doubtless more independent than those who have already sought beneath the Haligtree, the tribes of the Snowfields could, hopefully, provide an increase in both skilled and unskilled labor available to Elphael. On success: begin negotiations with the misbegotten tribes. Requires: Scout the Snowfields action.
[] Listen to the people. Miquella always stressed the importance of listening to those you rule over. Where he could step through dreams as Saint Trina, you will have to act more prosaically. On success: reveals morale score, unlocks new turn actions.
[] Listen to the people. Miquella always stressed the importance of listening to those you rule over. Where he could step through dreams as Saint Trina, you will have to act more prosaically. On success: reveals morale score, unlocks new turn actions.
You turn toward El who avoids your stare by looking down at a sheaf of papers annotated by an unfamiliar cipher. "Food is not critical. Not yet, at least, but as our population increases, so too will our consumption. Farming will alleviate that in the long term, but we may need to supplement that with foraging missions into the snowlands in the short term. I will be able to say more once I get a better handle on our population growth."
[] Begin repair of Elphael. Before restoring the buildings and the great walls of Elphael, first, you must see to it that the streets are cleared of rubble and repaved so that both goods and people may travel easily throughout the city. Cost: 50 construction. On success: minor bonus to the generation of all goods produced within Elphael. Requires: unskilled workforce
[] Prepare farmland. Once farms dotted the thicker boughs of the Haligtree. Now they are covered in Rot and giant ants. Both of those issues may be resolved by your soldiers, but even once that is complete, it will require an attentive hand to ensure that the farms can be successfully restored. Cost: 100 construction. On success: subsistence farms created (+50 food per turn). Requires: Personally patrol the Haligtree or Destroy a major threat (giant ant matriarch)
[] Find a blacksmith. Many things are reliant on a steady stream of worked metal, from simple commercial activities to improving the arms and armor of your soldiers. Given the nature of those who currently dwell within the Haligtree, you doubt it's as simple as walking out and finding one, but there are other places to look. On success: unlocks new turn actions. Requires: Negotiations with the misbegotten tribes.
[] Prepare farmland. Once farms dotted the thicker boughs of the Haligtree. Now they are covered in Rot and giant ants. Both of those issues may be resolved by your soldiers, but even once that is complete, it will require an attentive hand to ensure that the farms can be successfully restored. Cost: 100 construction. On success: subsistence farms created (+50 food per turn). Requires: Personally patrol the Haligtree or Destroy a major threat (giant ant matriarch)
[] Find a blacksmith. Many things are reliant on a steady stream of worked metal, from simple commercial activities to improving the arms and armor of your soldiers. Given the nature of those who currently dwell within the Haligtree, you doubt it's as simple as walking out and finding one, but there are other places to look. On success: unlocks new turn actions. Requires: Negotiations with the misbegotten tribes.
"Belief may not be as important as food, but it still matters," you muse once El has finished her report, "more so in Elphael than in other places. Lleyndell has Marika's Order support the spirit of its citizens. Elphael has no belief other than the rejection of that Order. If left alone too long it is almost a guarantee that some malign entity will attempt to take advantage."
[] Establish a way to spread the teachings of unalloyed gold. Unalloyed gold is your brother's philosophy. One which he extended to such limits that it could even curve the excesses of those godlike beings who dwell beyond the stars. It would be a perfect thing for those cut adrift by Marika's Golden Order to take succor within. On success: improves morale, unlocks new turn actions. Requires: apprentice level Golden Order (rank 2 of 5)
[] Offer benedictions to the citizens of Elphael. Despite the Rot seething beneath your skin, you and your brother are empyrean, made sacred both by birth and by fate. As such, you could become the center of worship for those who live in Elphael. On success: improves morale, unlocks new turn actions.
[] Spread the teachings of St. Trina. While your brother slumbered within the Haligtree, he wandered the dreams of desperate souls in the guise of Saint Trina. There he offered balm for those afflicted by nightmares and succor to those tortured by their minds. A service he offered to you as well while you slumbered. In turn, you could spread the stories he's told you of his wanderings as St. Trina. On success: improves morale, unlocks new turn actions.
[] Offer benedictions to the citizens of Elphael. Despite the Rot seething beneath your skin, you and your brother are empyrean, made sacred both by birth and by fate. As such, you could become the center of worship for those who live in Elphael. On success: improves morale, unlocks new turn actions.
[] Spread the teachings of St. Trina. While your brother slumbered within the Haligtree, he wandered the dreams of desperate souls in the guise of Saint Trina. There he offered balm for those afflicted by nightmares and succor to those tortured by their minds. A service he offered to you as well while you slumbered. In turn, you could spread the stories he's told you of his wanderings as St. Trina. On success: improves morale, unlocks new turn actions.
Maeve still seems to be pouting over your comment that she snores—though how she could refute such a thing was beyond you—but she manages to perk up enough to offer her input. "We've got scouts. They're about as good as you'd expect them to be. If they're deployed somewhere nearby, I can be around enough to keep the worst from happening, but if you want to learn anything about the world around us, I'll need to whip them into shape first."
[] Scout Elphael. "There are still unexplored areas within Elphael itself. Notably the upper branches of the Haligtree as well as the depths of the undercity. While we could let the guards blunder about and awaken anything that remains sleeping, my scouts could investigate without any troublesome rampaging. On success: explores identified location, higher rolls = better rewards.
-[] please specify Upper Branches or Undercity
[] Train Scouts. "Given what I've seen of the dull-eyed men and women wandering Elphael, even if I could collect the best available, it will take time to turn them into an efficient unit. On success: improves scout unit, unlocks new turn actions. Requires: Recruit Scouts action.
[] Assess internal stability. "Just because I believe Elphael to be free of foreign agents does not make it so. I could take some time to personally root out any potential agents as well as assess the overall sense of security in the city. On success: reveals stability score, unlocks new turn actions.
-[] please specify Upper Branches or Undercity
[] Train Scouts. "Given what I've seen of the dull-eyed men and women wandering Elphael, even if I could collect the best available, it will take time to turn them into an efficient unit. On success: improves scout unit, unlocks new turn actions. Requires: Recruit Scouts action.
[] Assess internal stability. "Just because I believe Elphael to be free of foreign agents does not make it so. I could take some time to personally root out any potential agents as well as assess the overall sense of security in the city. On success: reveals stability score, unlocks new turn actions.
Finlay doesn't move when it is her turn to speak. She hadn't moved since she first sat down in the seat to your right. You reach out with your mortal hand and touch her shoulder, "the ant matriarch awakening is a setback, but I'd rather it have been found while you and my knights were there rather than defenseless citizens."
"Thank you, My Lady." Your knight doesn't relax even a little bit. The shame of her self identified failure still burning strong despite your attempt. "Assign me and my soldiers to the task and we will make amends for this setback. We will kill that ant, or die trying."
[] Destroy a major threat. "I believe our troops could dispose of either the ulcerated beast or the twisted avatar given enough preparation. It would be difficult, and I would almost guarantee casualties, but if it is your wish, it will be done." On success: eliminate one of the major threats to Elphael.
-[] Please specify either Ulcerated Tree Spirit, Giant Ant Matriarch, or Putrid Avatar.
[] Assign soldiers to non-combat tasks. "Our most pressing concern is to ensure that Elphael is liveable. To that end, my soldiers could be assigned out to aid in ongoing reconstruction efforts or farming or similar activities. Anything where more hands are needed." Tag soldiers to a stewardship action to receive a bonus to the roll itself and potentially to the magnitude of the result (if successful).
[] Extend guard patrols. "We've covered the most important areas of Elphael with regular patrols during both day and night, but there are still many areas that would benefit from the stability a patrol provides." On success: improves Basic Guard Patrols to Intermediate Guard Patrols.
[] Train a unit. "While not a top priority at the moment, both our knights and our soldiers have seen their skills degrade considerably. If we are to face hostile foes in the near future, I would prefer to spend time returning some measure of that skill to them." On success: unit advances one rank in skill. This action is repeatable.
-[] Please identify which unit will be trained.
-[] Please specify either Ulcerated Tree Spirit, Giant Ant Matriarch, or Putrid Avatar.
[] Assign soldiers to non-combat tasks. "Our most pressing concern is to ensure that Elphael is liveable. To that end, my soldiers could be assigned out to aid in ongoing reconstruction efforts or farming or similar activities. Anything where more hands are needed." Tag soldiers to a stewardship action to receive a bonus to the roll itself and potentially to the magnitude of the result (if successful).
[] Extend guard patrols. "We've covered the most important areas of Elphael with regular patrols during both day and night, but there are still many areas that would benefit from the stability a patrol provides." On success: improves Basic Guard Patrols to Intermediate Guard Patrols.
[] Train a unit. "While not a top priority at the moment, both our knights and our soldiers have seen their skills degrade considerably. If we are to face hostile foes in the near future, I would prefer to spend time returning some measure of that skill to them." On success: unit advances one rank in skill. This action is repeatable.
-[] Please identify which unit will be trained.
Last to report is Loretta, who tilts her head in acknowledgment as your attention turns to her. "I would continue the codification of Glintstone sorcery. What I have been able to assemble so far is the most fundamental aspects of spell theory. It will take several more months for me to convert those building blocks into something with practical applications."
[] Review what remains of Miquella's library. "As I mentioned, I believe there may be useful scraps of knowledge that we can withdraw from even some of the more damaged books and journals in Lord Miquella's collection." On success: increase Golden Order knowledge from journeyman to master (4 of 5)
[] Codify Glintstone Sorcery. "It has been years since I attended Raya Lucaria, and it would take years to truly replicate the successes of that fickle academy. However, I can begin to craft the rudiments of a curriculum. On success: Increase Glintstone sorcery by one rank (currently 1 of 5). This action is repeatable.
[] Collect tomes from the city. "I cannot know without searching what we will be able to find. Perhaps there are arcane or sorcerous tomes waiting in a forgotten room. More likely it will be mundane books, though, at this point, any knowledge will be valuable. On success: variable depending on books found. Each subsequent selection of this action increases the DC. This action is repeatable.
-[] Please specify either a topic or what kind of bonus you want (e.g. bonus to farming or Fell Flame incantations).
[] Train a unit. "Now that we have the basics of Glintstone sorcery codified into a training curriculum, I could begin imparting that knowledge unto any who wish to learn." On success: increases a unit's spellcraft score by 1 rank.
-[] Please specify a unit. This action is limited to units that have a spellcraft score in the tables below
[] Codify Glintstone Sorcery. "It has been years since I attended Raya Lucaria, and it would take years to truly replicate the successes of that fickle academy. However, I can begin to craft the rudiments of a curriculum. On success: Increase Glintstone sorcery by one rank (currently 1 of 5). This action is repeatable.
[] Collect tomes from the city. "I cannot know without searching what we will be able to find. Perhaps there are arcane or sorcerous tomes waiting in a forgotten room. More likely it will be mundane books, though, at this point, any knowledge will be valuable. On success: variable depending on books found. Each subsequent selection of this action increases the DC. This action is repeatable.
-[] Please specify either a topic or what kind of bonus you want (e.g. bonus to farming or Fell Flame incantations).
[] Train a unit. "Now that we have the basics of Glintstone sorcery codified into a training curriculum, I could begin imparting that knowledge unto any who wish to learn." On success: increases a unit's spellcraft score by 1 rank.
-[] Please specify a unit. This action is limited to units that have a spellcraft score in the tables below
Resources
Resources are generated and consumed by actions taken during turns. Shortages in resources will lead to a rapid drop in morale (especially a lack of food).
Advisors
Advisors primarily serve to accomplish the tasks that must be done that Malenia cannot devote her personal attention to. When a role lacks an advisor, Malenia must serve as that role herself.
Buildings and Improvements
This tracks both the mundane and mystical improvements made to Elphael.
Combat Units
In combat, units face off against opposing units of a similar role. If no similar role exists, they will assist the next tier down. Combat units can be upgraded or replaced, but only one will exist for each category.
Citizens of Elphael
These units reflect the industrial and artisanal capability of the people of Elphael.
Status of Elphael
This catalogs the state of the city itself and the people who dwell within.
Resources are generated and consumed by actions taken during turns. Shortages in resources will lead to a rapid drop in morale (especially a lack of food).
| Resource | Stockpile | Change per turn |
| Construction | 300 | 0 |
| Alchemistry | 100 | 0 |
| Food | 300 | -100 |
| Runes | Will be implemented once a certain level of commerce is reached |
Advisors
Advisors primarily serve to accomplish the tasks that must be done that Malenia cannot devote her personal attention to. When a role lacks an advisor, Malenia must serve as that role herself.
| Name | Role | Relevant Stat Score |
| Diplomat | ||
| Knight Commander Finlay | Marshal | Martial: 14 |
| Elodie Marais | Steward | Stewardship: 22 |
| Maeve, Shadow of Malenia | Spymaster | Intrigue: 24 |
| Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree | Mage | Learning: 20 |
| Spiritualist |
Buildings and Improvements
This tracks both the mundane and mystical improvements made to Elphael.
| Building / Improvement | Description | Benefit Provided |
| Rudimentary Library | A sparse collection of books and Loretta's own notes placed in a converted storage room and warded against both pests and the elements. |
|
| Basic Guard Patrols | Units of three soldiers have been tasked to patrol the most well-trafficked and important sites in Elphael |
|
Combat Units
In combat, units face off against opposing units of a similar role. If no similar role exists, they will assist the next tier down. Combat units can be upgraded or replaced, but only one will exist for each category.
| Name | Role | Upgrades | Combat Score |
| Soldiers of the Haligtree | Combat unit | Panoply: 0 of 5 Spellcraft: 0 of 5 Skill: 0 of 5 Size: 1 of 5 | 6 (+3) |
| Cleanrot Knights | Elite combat unit | Panoply: 0 of 5 Spellcraft: 1 of 10 Skill: 2 of 5 Size: 1 of 3 | 18 (+9) |
| Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree | Champion combat unit | Panoply: 2 of 10 Spellcraft: 7 of 10 Skill: 4 of 10 | 16 (+8) |
| Maeve, Shadow of Malenia | Champion combat unit | Panoply: 0 of 10 Spellcraft: 3 of 10 Skill: 8 of 10 | 20 (+10) |
Citizens of Elphael
These units reflect the industrial and artisanal capability of the people of Elphael.
| Unit | Role | Upgrades |
| Misbegotten Refugees | Can perform some forms of manual labor under the direction of someone more knowledgeable | Knowledge: 0 of 5 |
| Haligtree Scouts | Can identify points of interest, potential threats, and valuable information in and out of Elphael | Spellcraft: 0 of 3 Skill: 0 of 3 Equipment: 0 of 3 |
Status of Elphael
This catalogs the state of the city itself and the people who dwell within.
| State | Score | Description |
| Morale | ??? | Morale is a measure of the spirit of the people of Elphael. High morale provides an increase to resources produced, low morale reduces resources provided |
| Stability | ??? | Stability is a measure of the legitimacy of Malenia's rule. High stability provides bonuses to certain actions, low stability provides a malus to certain actions |
[AN]
I think that's everything. As an aside, if you there's an action you'd like to see, or one you think is missing, let me know and I'll try to include it.