[X] If you came here seeking wisdom, on some level you must have known you needed it. Take a year, live your own life in the city, grow to know yourself before making a decision. The suitors will either wait or they will not.
wisdom maxing. Sage grindset. Hustle your way to enlightenment.
[X] If you came here seeking wisdom, on some level you must have known you needed it. Take a year, live your own life in the city, grow to know yourself before making a decision. The suitors will either wait or they will not.
Maybe, if she wasn't described as pretty and lightheaded I would have chosen differently. But as she is she needs the wisdom, and even at the old age of 19 a pretty girl could find a good match. The people in the shrine seem to care for her, so she would probably be safe from absolutely Bad Life Choices.
[X] If you came here seeking wisdom, on some level you must have known you needed it. Take a year, live your own life in the city, grow to know yourself before making a decision. The suitors will either wait or they will not.
Maybe, if she wasn't described as pretty and lightheaded I would have chosen differently. But as she is she needs the wisdom, and even at the old age of 19 a pretty girl could find a good match. The people in the shrine seem to care for her, so she would probably be safe from absolutely Bad Life Choices.
In retrospect, 16 or 17 might have been a better age given immaturity as a character trait. That said, divorce was actually pretty common in Edo Japan, especially for non-samurai, so a girl of 19 looking for marriage wouldn't be at that much of a disadvantage, or so my reasoning went. Anyways, this update fought me tooth and nail so some weirdness is to be expected.
Pretty clear leader for this vote and writing is underway.
[] If you came here seeking wisdom, on some level you must have known you needed it. Take a year, live your own life in the city, grow to know yourself before making a decision. The suitors will either wait or they will not.
You consider Nishio, and her question, carefully. If a bit flighty and frivolous, she has been nothing but cooperative and kind to you, and the priests here seem to enjoy her company.
"You believe you have two options before you, but really, there are a lot," you say. "I don't think you really wanted to marry either boy, at least not right now. You traveled far to come to a strange city, so you are not lacking in courage, and you managed to survive the trip, so you are capable enough. Your brother - he seems to indulge you. There's nothing shameful about taking a little advantage of that."
"What do you mean?" She looks up at you with slightly wide eyes.
"You are in Edo now, one of the great cities. See things, experience things. Live and broaden your experiences. Let the city itself be your teacher. Perhaps the monks will indulge you, or perhaps you can seek work, or perhaps your brother will send you more money. Then, when you return home, you may decide if either of these boys should be your husband."
"But… I'm supposed to…"
"Who cares what you're supposed to do, girl?" Urakama snorts. "Figure out what you want." She shrugs. "Or not. Lots of people make it through life doing what other people tell them to do. Plenty of them are happy."
Nishio's eyes flick around as her mind processes messages she's probably never heard from anyone before. They land on Amaya, who regards her coolly. "Gaining in wisdom is never wrong," she acknowledges. "There is often a cost, but the benefits outweigh it. Usually. The gods may well have decided there is something you must learn in Edo, whether your fate is to be wife or not." She fingers one of the charms on the necklace she wears. "I will speak to the priests on your behalf," she says suddenly, and departs.
There is little more to say here, so you turn, but as you do, you catch a glimpse of something, a flash of movement. You find your eyes meeting those of the statue of Kannon - in Chinese, she would be Quan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy.
You do not think the statue's eyes were quite so real looking when you first observed them. They do not liked cracked or peeled like the paint on the rest of the statue. And perhaps it is a trick of perspective that its eyes seem to look directly at you, even through you.
But you do not think so.
No divine message comes forth, no voice whispers a secret in your mind. But you feel that attention on you.
"Oy!" Urakama says. "Stop lollygagging!"
With one more backward glance, you depart, leaving the temple behind you.
—
Horiuki is next. You look at the description in your hands again as you walk. Assuming her persona is not entirely a disguise, you have your doubts about this candidate. These murders, something about the affair has the sense of youth about it, of blood running hot. You would expect a woman in her thirties, wiser in the ways of the world, to wield a blade or subtle poison in pursuit of revenge, rather than a deadly witch's familiar. There is also the matter of the family. It would have to be a cover story - if Nishio had family here in Edo, she would never have ended up in the situation she was in. Of course, unless there was a reason for suspicion, the gate guards would never have followed up on this 'Horiuki's' story.
A pair of children are playing some sort of game with a ball as you approach, kicking it at each other. An errant kick sends it flying towards you, and you thump it back towards the children without missing a beat. One catches it, and they goggle at you and your companions. Between your uniform, Amaya's priestess robes and Urakama's attire you make quite a pair.
"Hello, children," Amaya says, "Can we speak with your parents?"
Within moments you are ushered into a modestly appointed residence, which would almost be charming - were it not covered in body parts. For a brief moment, your impression is of unmitigated horror - a slaughter like you've never seen, limbs and torsos and heads scattered everywhere, leering lifelessly at you - before you realize that they are all made of wood. Unpainted wood, mostly - you must be a bit on edge. You catch the eyes of your companions and guess from their posture that they each had a similar moment of disturbance.
You approach one of the dolls. Up close, you can see the facial features are articulated - you touch one eye and the entire face shifts, horns emerging from the brows and the rest of the face changing into the fanged visage of an oni.
"What do you think of her?" A voice asks. An old man stalks forward, hobbling on a cane. His body is bent with age but not broken, and his eyes are sharp and clear. He takes the bunraku puppet head from you and idly carves at a blemished spot with a knife. "I'm still not quite satisfied with her, but I think the troupe will come after me if I don't deliver soon."
"It's the horns," you say. "An oni's horns are larger, and they face forward, not to the side."
"Mmm, you say that, but it has to accommodate the transformation from woman to demon…" The old man looks at you. "You're a funny one, though, talking about oni as if you see them all the time!"
"Not all the time," you say, "but I did meet one once."
"Really?" The old man whips around to you. "Could you introduce me? A model of a real oni would be amazing. I could make such a puppet then…"
"Kinjo," Amaya said, warningly."
"Yes," you cough. "Sir, we are here for Maeko."
"Maeko?" the old man asks. "She's not in some sort of trouble, is she?"
He knows the woman, and shows no sign of being hypnotized or otherwise influenced. With that, some tension leaves your shoulders, but enters your gut.
Indeed, it takes no particular time to verify that Horiuki Maeko is a recent visitor from the countryside and knows no one by the name of Nishio. Urakama performs some simple checks for magical hypnosis - and several wilder theories, like the old man and children being animated puppets - you perform a pre-emptory check of the premises, have a conversation with a bewildered and scared Maeko, and you are done.
Either your third target will be the witch, or you will have to pursue other means of catching your target.
—
You are near the address which records show as being inhabited by a woman named Sunima Noriko, who arrived at about the right time, from the same province as Nishio. It is a tenement rental house, not unlike the one Nishio dwelled at.
"It's so small, and the neighbors would be just a wall away," you say. "Could she really have done black magic here?"
"Some, maybe," Urakama acknowledges, "but I would bet she has a lair somewhere nearby. And she's probably still there today - she'll know she's being pursued, and she wouldn't simply wait in a three-mat apartment waiting to be killed."
"There are plenty of abandoned shacks and other buildings in the tenements," Amaya notes. "It would not be difficult to find one."
"We must be close," you say. "Can either of you locate her or her familiar?"
Amaya closes her eyes. "I should be able to sense the familiar's foulness," she says after a moment. Urakama says nothing to gainsay her.
Rotating until she finds a trail noticeable only to her, Amaya begins walking slowly down one of the busy streets. The rain has disappeared, but the sky is still overcast, and there is a chill in the air. The streets are narrow, the shadows long.
You would guess the building was once a sake house, based on half a sign dangling from the awning. Why it was abandoned you cannot be sure - perhaps it was a failed busines, or perhaps the inside was damaged by fire. But you imagine that you can feel some malignant aura emanating from the place, that makes you want to quicken your pace and walk away.
Amaya nods to you. This is it.
You are hunting for a witch in her lair. How will you catch her? Answers to some anticipated questions below. I will answer additional questions, but keep in mind that even with three semi-knowledgable characters here, there's some things they just don't know. Although there have been attempts to systematize magic in Japan, including encylopedias of phenomenon and entities, they are mutually contradictory in many respects. The world beyond the firelight is scary and dangerous.
A witch's powers can involve commanding the elements, but more often involve casting curses affecting the mind, body and spirit. Without access to vectors for sympathetic magic, it is unlikely that she could simply gesture at you and make you explode. Illusions, enchantments and transformations are possible. Her power will be weaker during the day than the night, but if Urakama is correct, she will likely have imbued her centipede demon with additional power, at some cost to her soul, flesh or both. She will probably have some magical defenses in her lair, the possibilities of which are almost too myriad to guess.
The centipede can transform from spirit to a material form, but each transition will cost it in power, and it has not so far shown the speed to do so to avoid attacks by turning intangible. It can regenerate from wounds, but at a cost to its power. It is physically powerful and dangerous, and can spit acidic poison. It's capabilities *will* be increased from last you saw it - how much and in what way, you do not know. If the familiar dies, the witch will likely die or be incapacitated from magical backlash, and possibly left powerless. The same may apply to the witch, but it is possible the centipede will merely be set free.
You are a skilled warrior, far more skilled than the average combatant in the era of the Great Peace. You were previously able to keep pace with the centipede, but not easily - the fight could have gone either way. You bear a special sword said to be the weapon of a god, one that can channel the forces of wind, lightning and thunder. Using the special powers of the sword is draining.
Amaya, as a Shinto priestess, can ask the weaker local kami to intervene in a limited manner, as well as using blessings of protection and cleansing the unclean. She is also a skilled archer, and her arrows can hurt spirits because archery itself can be a Shinto rite.
Urakama is something of a witch herself. Normally her talents lie in divination, medicine, spirit-calling, and psychology, but she has some skill in the darker arts. She acknowledges she probably has less raw power than the witch, but asserts she has some dirty tricks she didn't get a chance to pull out last time. She has something called a "Six Demon Bag" which has some offensive power, and would be willing to engage Nishio mind-to-mind if necessary, and brought a "demon jar" that might be used to catch the familiar if it's sufficiently weakened. The witch's hold on the familiar is much stronger than her own, so she will have limited ability to influence it while the witch is conscious. The familiar left some ichor in the pleasure house, that could be used for sympathetic magic.
The Office of Enigmatic Affairs will deploy a squad or two of patrollers to help, if you want. As employees of the Office, they are somewhat experienced in supernatural threats, and Amaya could offer aid to ensure they are not helpless. Ultimately, however, they are nameless grunts with all that implies. Otherwise, the Office is deploying three powerful assets (a samurai with a magic sword, a priestess and a witch) to the case, and is unlikely to commit more "hero units" given the threat.
There is no masquerade - neither you nor the witch have any concern about keeping the existence of magic, witches or demons secret. Everyone knows these things exist, though they are rare. However, it is generally preferred to keep collateral damage from engaging with such things low when possible.
As the Inspector in charge of this case, it is up to you whether to prioritize arresting Nishio or killing her. No one at the Office would question either decision given the circumstances, but it might say something about Kinjo's character. You might, if you wish, get away with deciding to let her go, if her demon familiar is dealt with, but you would have to be prepared to lie to your superiors, who would probably let it go even if they found out.
What is your plan?
[General Approach] [] [General Approach] Dealing with a witch in her lair is too dangerous. You will smoke her out, literally - you will set fire to the building , using your sword to ensure the fire does not spread. (No). [] [General Approach] Attempt a stealthy, quiet approach. Nishio may have ways of watching from outside, but it is possibly you will be able to circumvent them. (Technically possible, but none of you are shinobi or equipped with especially stealthy magic).
[] [General Approach] Rush the building. Kick in the door and seize the initiative. The last thing you want is to give her time to work magic.
[] [General Approach] Attack the building at range with arrows and magic, hoping to weaken or bring your enemies down without incident.
[] [General Approach] Approach cautiously, trying to disarm any traps or defenses carefully on your way in.
[] [General Approach] Call out from outside the door. Try to negotiate. You will stake your word that the perpetrators of the crimes against her sister will receive fair trials, and perhaps, somehow, this can all be resolved peaceably.
[] [General Approach] Write-in:
Assuming this devolves into violence of some sort, what will the rest of you do?
[] [Kinjo] You will engage the centipede in combat, attempting to destroy it.
[] [Kinjo] You will go for the witch directly
[] [Kinjo] Write-in:
[] [Amaya] You will engage the demon with Shinto archery and spiritual cleansing powers
[] [Amaya] You will bolster the patrollers helping you, using blessings and talismans to increase their ability to resist magic and engage with hostile spirits. (Only available if you request patrollers to accompany you)
[] [Amaya] You will engage the witch with blessings and, if necessary, archery.
[] [Amaya] Write-in:
[] [Urakama] You will engage the demon magically
[] [Urakama] You will try to lock down the witch via mind-to-mind struggle or sympathetic magic
[] [Urakama] Write-in:
[] [Patrollers] You will ask for patrollers to lock down the streets around the block.
[] [Patrollers] You will ask for patrollers to surround the building, preventing any escape.
[] [Patrollers] The patrollers will be on call, ready to rush in to engage the demon or witch directly. (Only available if Amaya is bolstering them).
[] [Patrollers] You, Urakama and Amaya will handle this yourselves.
[] [Patrollers] Write-In:
[X] [General Approach] Approach cautiously, trying to disarm any traps or defenses carefully on your way in.
[X] [Kinjo] You will engage the centipede in combat, attempting to destroy it.
[X] [Amaya] You will bolster the patrollers helping you, using blessings and talismans to increase their ability to resist magic and engage with hostile spirits. (Only available if you request patrollers to accompany you)
[X] [Urakama] You will try to lock down the witch via mind-to-mind struggle or sympathetic magic
[X] [Patrollers] You will ask for patrollers to surround the building, preventing any escape.
The MC and Urakama gave Nishio some good advice the she seems to have taken to heart.
I like that the MC's experience was shown through how he's met an Oni and knows the sings of possession.
The taking stock of the options also shows the MC's experience with fighting and planning which was neat and it shows just how notable the whole party is.
I think it is worth attempting to talk. This witch is not the only criminal here, and any evidence we can get to have justice fully delivered is useful.
However, I would expect the familiar to go free if the witch attempted to surrender, and a backup plan is needed.
In the case of a fight, I would have Kinjo and Urukama deal with the Familiar, while Amaya uses her abilities to disrupt the Witch from doing any further foolishness.
This is not a situation where I would want grunts.
[X] Plan no deaths
-[X] [General Approach] Call out from outside the door. Try to negotiate. You will stake your word that the perpetrators of the crimes against her sister will receive fair trials, and perhaps, somehow, this can all be resolved peaceably.
-[X] [Kinjo] You will go for the witch directly
-[X] [Amaya] You will engage the demon with Shinto archery and spiritual cleansing powers
-[X] [Urakama] You will engage the demon magically
-[X] [Patrollers] You will ask for patrollers to lock down the streets around the block.
Attempt to negotiate. It is unlikely, but if the fact there was an option must mean theres a chance. maybe a negotiation vote.
And even if combat is inevitable i want the mc to be the kind of person to try kindness first.
If conflict does happen i want kinjo to occupy the witch as i believe he has the highest chance of subduing her.
The demon should be handled with both amaya and ura on them, or at least held at bay.
The patrollers will lock down the streets. Ideally this will prevent collateral damage and hostage situations. If the suspect manages to flee it should at least let us know what direction and narrow things down.
Indeed, I hoped we had enough momentum. I knew it was a risk but such is hubris. That said, there is a valid plan vote at the moment. Let me see if I can monkey with the voting function and set an actual deadline sometime tomorrow.
Alrighty, vote closed! Writing will begin tonight/tomorrow.
Adhoc vote count started by KreenWarrior on May 11, 2024 at 7:59 PM, finished with 10 posts and 4 votes.
[X] Plan no deaths
-[X] [General Approach] Call out from outside the door. Try to negotiate. You will stake your word that the perpetrators of the crimes against her sister will receive fair trials, and perhaps, somehow, this can all be resolved peaceably.
-[X] [Kinjo] You will go for the witch directly
-[X] [Amaya] You will engage the demon with Shinto archery and spiritual cleansing powers
-[X] [Urakama] You will engage the demon magically
-[X] [Patrollers] You will ask for patrollers to lock down the streets around the block.
[X] [Amaya] You will bolster the patrollers helping you, using blessings and talismans to increase their ability to resist magic and engage with hostile spirits. (Only available if you request patrollers to accompany you)
[X] Plan no deaths
-[X] [General Approach] Call out from outside the door. Try to negotiate. You will stake your word that the perpetrators of the crimes against her sister will receive fair trials, and perhaps, somehow, this can all be resolved peaceably.
-[X] [Kinjo] You will go for the witch directly
-[X] [Amaya] You will engage the demon with Shinto archery and spiritual cleansing powers
-[X] [Urakama] You will engage the demon magically
-[X] [Patrollers] You will ask for patrollers to lock down the streets around the block.
"The centipede is a distraction," you say. "The witch is what matters. No, Nishio." You wish you knew her personal name. "I will not think of her as a witch; I will think of her as a sister to a murder victim." You look at Amaya and Urakama. "If this does not work… You two will have to hold the demon at bay." You lay your hand on your chokuto's hilt, but you just stare at the deserted sake house a bit longer.
"If what doesn't work?" Amaya asks.
"I am going to speak to Nishio," you say.
"Kinjo…" Urakama said.
"I know." You raise your hand. She has warned you enough, and you are grateful, but you are the Inspector. You bear swords and the wooden badge, so you bear the responsibility for this… everything. Not for its inception, but for its outcome. Turning to the chief of the patrolmen, you say, "Surround the area. Lock it down. Let's not have any interference from anyone outside, and maybe you can catch Nishio if she tries to sneak away."
You nod to your companions. "Urakama, Amaya - if this comes to violence, distract the centipede if you can. I will seek to end this, one way or another." With the guards having cleared the area of people, the street is strangely quiet. You can hear the buzzing of insects and the call of birds that nest in the eaves of the buildings here. A cat watches you curiously from an alley, tail flicking idly back and forth.
Each step seems harder than the one before it, your senses heightened to their fullest as you wait for the slash of mandibles or the sting of venom. But it does not materialize. You do not slow. You do not falter.
You travel.
Step.
By.
Step.
Until you are near the battered wooden doorway of the sake house.
"Nishio," you call out, your voice more level than you thought it would be. "I am Inspector Kinjo. I am here to speak to you."
No sound comes from the sake house. There is no answering voice. You have no way to know if she can hear you.
"Nishio, I have spent the last two days unraveling as much of your story as I can." You pause, trying to find the words. Finally, you say, "I have a sister, too." You hope that is an adequate summary. Against the silence, you soldier on.
"I am sorry for Sani, and I am sorry that you felt you had to do what you did."
"I have no power to change the past, Nishio. But my job is to call the present to account for it."
"I am an Inspector of the city of Edo. I wield my swords in the hope of protecting those who need it. I hold that the code of bushido is no fiction, and that the name I bear, Kinjo Fusaki, doesn't just mean that an ancestor of mine did something impressive, but carries on its meaning into the modern day."
"I cannot promise you, Nishio, sister of Sani, that you will live if you come with me now. You will face trial for what you did, and I cannot save you from that fate. Nor can I promise that those responsible for your sister's death will face justice. But I can swear, by the swords I carry, and by the name I bear, that I will do what I can to see that it happens."
You can hardly bear to breathe. Your hand is on the hilt of your chokuto - for comfort more than anything else.
The door to the sake house very quietly swings open.
Darkness awaits.
You nod to Amaya and Urakama, and step inside.
The door swings closed behind you. A talisman strip flutters in the breeze - in the brief light, you can see it is written in dark red.
You can smell wood and dust and old, spilled alcohol. The darkness in here is deep, the windows shuttered and letting sharp blades of light through. Even as your eyes adjust to the darkness, you just see shades of deeper shadow.
"Pretty, pretty words." a voice says. It is young, soft and feminine, but heavy with venom and bitterness. As you watch, the figure of a young woman emerges from the darkness. You cannot make out much of her features, but her hair is long and wispy, draping down her shoulders. She walks on a crutch, with a bandaged hand and foot, and as she hobbles a bit closer, you see that one of her eyes is bandaged as well.
"Two days! It took you two days to track me down! All I did was bring justice! Justice to the parasite who fed on my sister's blood, and would have fed on her flesh as well! And then you stopped me from killing a serpent who tossed my sister to a wolf like so much meat." Her voice rises, unsteadily, in a manic rhythm, and as she speaks, you hear a noise unsettling like scuttling in the background. You can't be sure if the hints of movement your eyes catch are real, or your imagination. "It has been months since Sani died! What were you doing then, Inspector Kinjo? Where was your Office when my sister died?"
Your older brother had taken you hunting a few times, and had taught you how to deal with predators, especially wounded ones. It was vital not to back down or show weakness. You look her cooly in the eyes. Your body is relaxed. Your breathing is even. "May I know your personal name, Nishio?"
She laughs, a rich, echoing sound with a hint of madness to it. "Why not? We're beyond being polite, aren't we? You may call me Teruko," she says.
"Well, Teruko… I am here. What happens now?"
"What happens? You are asking me what happens?" She shakes her head. "Sani would know. Sani… Sani was so witty. She had an answer for everything! I was so excited for her when she decided to move to Edo. She had such grand dreams. We spoke about them every night, when she was home. We thought it would be a grand adventure, you see? She made it seem so easy. She would become a servant at a high-ranking household, meet some handsome man, perhaps a bit dangerous - perhaps an actor, or even a samurai. I don't think our parents approved, not really, but they held their peace. After two marriages, well… they just didn't care."
There is no point in in arguing in the defense of two people you don't know, even if you are not sure Teruko is reporting accurately.
"You cared for her." you prompt.
"I read her letters. I saw how they turned from happy, to distant, to sorrowful. She tried to shield me from what was happening, but I could read her pain in the brushstrokes." She brushed her face, perhaps wiping away a tear. "I snuck her money when I could. That's how it started, you know? I made Hashi to be a thief, not a murderer. He stole coins and things for me, and I sent them to Nishio. That's when she knew how much trouble she was really in - when that leech took the money and told her she still owed more." She spits to one side. Perhaps it is the shadows, but you do not like the color of it.
"There was no one else to turn to?"
"Do you think she didn't try? She told me of her attempts to contact the magistrate's office. A girl in a tenement house, complaining of mistreatment? No one made time for her. No one would help her." You wince. Another thing that would have to be investigated, answered for.
"No one except you."
"She was my sister! She was my blood! Our father would not do it. Our brothers would not do it. It was up to me to help her, and…" she chokes suddenly, a sob breaking through her fury. "I failed. And so I knew when I came to Edo, I would not fail again."
You hear more scuttling, sense more movement in the shadows behind Teruko. A spear of cold, alien killing intent pierces your gut. You resist the urge to shift your weight or grasp your sword.
"Teruko… I want to help. Truly I do. Tell me. What do you want to happen now?"
"I want my sister back."
"I know."
"I want justice."
"That will happen."
"How could I possibly trust you?"
"You let me in here. You didn't have to do that. I think some part of you wants to trust me."
"I should kill you." She almost whispers. "Have Hashi kill you. But... I'm so tired." She sags, resting more of her weight on the cane. "There is a part of me that wants… just wants it to end. Wants to join Sani, on the path of reincarnation. Perhaps we will meet again, in the next life."
She stares at you, and her gaze drops to your sword, then returns to your face. A resigned expression is in her eyes. You are sure that in this moment, if you struck, she would not stop you.
But you are aware of other things too. Teruko has undergone incredible stress over the past few months, and suffered an emotional wound equal to any protagonist of a blood-soaked revenge play. Rest, sleep, and spiritual guidance might work wonders.
On the other hand, she has tread the path of the black arts and taken a life, endangered innocents and created a monstrous centipede demon that has fed on human flesh.
What do you do?
[] Send Teruko to her next life in a single stroke. It will be over before she knows it, and in its way it is kinder than any other option.
[] Strike Teruko down, but let her live. This can all be sorted out later. It will take more concentration and skill to knock her unconscious in a single stroke, but you are sure you can do it. Pretty sure.
[] Push her further. She must be almost ready to stand down. If she surrenders, she can likely prevent her familiar from causing any further harm to anyone.
-[] Optional Write In: What do you say? (if there is no write-in, Kinjo will use his best judgment).
I wasn't really able to square the circle of executing both a battle plan and negotiations - it was a quirk of how I structured the vote. I hope this played out in an acceptable way.
Hmm... Executing or even knocking Teruko out seems likely to unleash the familiar.
Teruko may not live much longer, but she should be there for a proper funeral for Sani, if it can be done.
Do we know where Sani's body is?
Perhaps we can bargain for the familiar to be dismissed with the promise of giving Sani a proper funeral.
Bit quiet. How does this sound? I am not sure of the proper cultural aspects of this. (Or the magical ones :S )
[X] Push her further. She must be almost ready to stand down. If she surrenders, she can likely prevent her familiar from causing any further harm to anyone.
-[X] 'You need rest, and your sister deserves a proper funeral, with her sister present. But first, there must be no further deaths. Please banish your familiar. Your sister would not want responsible for innocent lives should it run wild. We can assist as you require. Then tomorrow, the scales of justice will be balanced.'
[X] Push her further. She must be almost ready to stand down. If she surrenders, she can likely prevent her familiar from causing any further harm to anyone.
-[X] 'You need rest, and your sister deserves a proper funeral, with her sister present. But first, there must be no further deaths. Please banish your familiar. Your sister would not want responsible for innocent lives should it run wild. We can assist as you require. Then tomorrow, the scales of justice will be balanced.'
[X] Push her further. She must be almost ready to stand down. If she surrenders, she can likely prevent her familiar from causing any further harm to anyone.
-[X] 'You need rest, and your sister deserves a proper funeral, with her sister present. But first, there must be no further deaths. Please banish your familiar. Your sister would not want responsible for innocent lives should it run wild. We can assist as you require. Then tomorrow, the scales of justice will be balanced.'
[X] Push her further. She must be almost ready to stand down. If she surrenders, she can likely prevent her familiar from causing any further harm to anyone.
-[X] 'You need rest, and your sister deserves a proper funeral, with her sister present. But first, there must be no further deaths. Please banish your familiar. Your sister would not want responsible for innocent lives should it run wild. We can assist as you require. Then tomorrow, the scales of justice will be balanced.'
[X] Push her further. She must be almost ready to stand down. If she surrenders, she can likely prevent her familiar from causing any further harm to anyone.
-[X] 'You need rest, and your sister deserves a proper funeral, with her sister present. But first, there must be no further deaths. Please banish your familiar. Your sister would not want responsible for innocent lives should it run wild. We can assist as you require. Then tomorrow, the scales of justice will be balanced.'
