>>14883492
Well we have a choice now. We can either say screw it and just kill the people in the towers or we can take the risk and try to salvage someone out of a tower. Resulting in someone who's going to be very messed in the head I imagine and will take a lot of work to make normal. The only solid benefits I can see are information and another life elementalist. Anything beyond that is a gamble and doing this will cost us boons with the gods and exhaust out elementalists for awhile. I'm still unsure if we should do it at this point. Thoughts?

Pax, could either you answer this question, or if we need to, fall into meditation again to ask the gods:
If we save the single soul and consciousness from the loukys hive, would they maintain a connection to the loukys hives that we could exploit to track them or know what they're doing?
Sort of like how Picard still had a link to the Borg even after he was freed from them?

>>14883559
Actually, we don't really have to do an interaction unless you feel it's necessary but would Neshai have serious problems with us actually saving someone from the towers?

>>14883559
>not a hive-mind link, but a very, VERY strong sense of what a hive, or any loukys for that matter, would want to do
>>14883578
>no, she wouldnt get angry about your current plan

>>14883596
Alright then. As this action falls within the 'not possible by mortal means' clause, I fully support the action of attempting a rescue, up to and including asking the gods for divine aid.

>>14883596
I say let's go for it then. I know I'm going to regret the use of boons like this but if we can get a chance to hunt down at least one of them before they start making hives, it might be worth it. I hope at least. I imagine the guy or girl who comes out of this will have the most messed up personality we'll ever come across and it'll be a pain to work them through it.

>>14883619
Since all of the gods are united in wanting the loukys wiped back out, I wonder if we could get all of them to put in some effort to lessen the load on any individual god's power reserves.

>>14883492

Whoa, this life elementalist has helped us out so much these past few days and we don't even know his name yet? That needs to change.

"We go in, and drag out one of the brains whither they want to or not. In the most simplest terms i ean, we wouldnt literally be yanking the brain out of the wall... unless that'd work..."

>>14883637
Haha. Fair point. He does need a name soon. Especially since he's actually going to be pretty important amongst our life elementalists.

>>14883630
I'll second this.

Okay, so we try and save the conjoined life elementalists? How will that even work? Can we even return them to a human form?

Well, whatever we do we should keep our life elementalists away from the hive while we work. And we need to make sure we kill the prince.

>>14883651
The Prince is long gone.

>>14883651
I guess Pax will have a fun time describing how it's possible but he's confirmed it is. It's just it'll be one person with 3 souls combined. And if only we could hunt those princes... Pretty sure they're long gone by now and we won't be finding them anytime soon. And I think we need life elementalists for this.

>>14883641
Can we just drag out one though? Or since they are hive mind will we have to use the boons to merge the three into a single being?

This is all so confusing.

>>14883679
They're going to be dragged out as one person. Life goddess has said they're basically one soul now. So we get a combo package of issues in the form of one person.

You turn to face the man before replying "We take the simplest rout possible to free these women, or that woman, whichever is accurate, from her current state. If that means walking in and tearing its mind from its flesh, we will do that, if it means calling on the di-"

"Oh Justinian, you almost seem to love dramatic speeches as you do the women you hope to marry." A voice familiar to you sighs out, though the others stand in awe. Already, the manifestation of the goddess of Love and Life, considerably less splendid in this form than she is in her own realm, yet still far and away more attractive than any other woman, live or dead, is moving on. "Gorenth Crestus, child, I see your heart breaking, yet your will stronger than you care to admit. I might have something for you if you can tell me why." she asks sullen Uurlanthi, who had, until recently been standing slouched and sullen off to the side.

"I... I, it was all for my country, my king." he eventually answers, somewhere between guilty and aghast at his actions.

"And now you mourn for your lost sister, sacrificed at the alter of your truest love, or so you had thought.." she sighs, running a finger along his shoulders, the man drawing up to a rigid soldiers stance as she does so, his chest pressed out. "Such a pure example of what my clergy once called love of the Third Circle, is hard to find amongst mortals." the man looks at her, confused, as she walks over and behind Laelith, the avatar resting its head on Laeliths shoulder "Now, if you would lay down your burden, I could ease the pain the loss of a love you ignored and denied for so very long, so long as Crestus is willing to act as a conduit for me."

As the Uurlanthi soldier stands, contemplating, you realize that this may very well be your last chance to ask anything of the man.

>>14883853
"Who put you up to the summoning? Who gave you the knowledge? Was it someone who had this mark?"
Display the mark of the Cult that we've been butting heads with, and who we know has already infiltrated the Stants of Uurlanth, and Degnar's 4th Praetorian.

>>14883909
Heh. Nice idea. Definitely need to find out who told him to do this.

>>14883853
"If I can save your sister, do you have anything you want to be said to her?"

>>14883909
good idea. I also agree with Maximus' idea.

well hello there, "pax"

Woo! Commander quest!
>read thread
Woo! Nyteni!

My idea. It's alive! HAHAHAHA!

"Who convinced you that this was a sound idea, Crestus, did they bear this mark?" you ask the man, snapping him from his introspection after leaving him several minutes to think.

He cringes slightly, then sighs "A seer gave me the seeds. she said she saw, that she saw a man with those seeds leading his nation to gretness and dominance. Lord Karroll had already told those closest to him of the return of the divine and arcane, so I thought that... I..."

You nod, releasing him from the burden that train of thought was putting on his troubled mind "Should your sister emerge, is there anything you would like me to tell her for you?" you ask him.

"That, that I'm sorry, for what I put her through." he responds haltingly, before nodding to the avatar of the goddess. she leads him forward, catching Crestus, the man with the syptiounus vine by his arm as well. The avatars left arm is wrapped around the defeated knights shoulder, her right hand resting on the small of your mans back. His vine darts out, piercing the hive as if it were hundred years-old parchment. The hive wails in pain, three distinct voices, interwoven, fighting for dominance and in perfect harmony all at once. A fourth joins them, this one recognizably human, and male. Great slabs of hardened skinn begin to fall from the thing, cracking and shattering as they strike the ground. Great sloughs of flesh begin to fall and disintegrate as the last of the "wood" and "bark" break away, and the Uurlanthi nobles cry, along with that of the tower go eerily silent, even as a gentle, piercing green light begins to shine from where he stands. With a final pulse of light, and a silent roar of noise, the avatar, the corporeal form of your noble captive, and the bulk of the tower disappears. From the remaining pile of fetid, stinking, decaying flesh, a strange, terrified cry can be heard, its voice a smaller version of the first to begin screaming moments ago.

Well then. Let's go see what abomination we just made. And I guess get something to cover up said person.

>>14884147
I think the sister just came out of her shell. Get some towels to clean and cover her. But be careful, we don't know how she's gonna react to being in the midlle of a degnar army. She may get violent and injure a few of our guys so might as well get Jayne and/or the surgeon here.

>ollomus algebra
Divine maths, you don't say capcha

>>14884147
Grab a cloak or some clothes for whoever we just broke out, and get in there to find them.

>>14884147
>>14884178
...You know it occurs to me now that in becoming a hive a person might be altered to like what they become. We may have a lot of work cut out for us.

>>14884229
The only way to find out is to talk to her. It is possible, though, that since Nyteni and Crestus made contact with the hive being that she will know what's what.

You nod to your Crestus, the one who did not disappear with the goddess' avatar, who is on the ground, his right arm now just as vine-bound as his left "Rest up soldier, though I suspect whomever it is we just pulled from this most disagreeable weed will need all of ours between cleaning and protecting her decency."

Your soldier nods, tossing you his cloak, panting with exhaustion "All that work and not so much as a hug." he quips, rolling to his back. Picking through the carnage takes a few minutes, but eventually you find her, curled up in a ball, twitching moaning and whimpering, her three voices blended almost perfectly, though the difference in pitch makes it very unsettling.

You approach her, the first cloak already outstretched to wrap the slight woman in, the she wheels, shrieks in terror, and pushes herself back away from you, babbling incoherently.

>>14884325
"It's alright now. You're not stuck in that tower anymore and you're not in danger. I'm not going to harm you, so try to calm down."

Let's see if the standard approach works.

>>14884347
Sure, let's try it to see if she understands us.

>>14884325
Be as soothing as possible.
"Calm down. Everything will be alright. You're safe here."

"Shhh-shshshshsh" you interrupt her "I'm here to help you, your safe now." you manage to get out, as you wrap the cloak around her nude, albeit slime-coated form.

"No, Lies!" she replies, drawing back again, her voices falling out of synch for a moment as she does so "We could feel your intent, you would slay us, harm our children. We cannot, we we..." she looks about, and wails, the terrible heart-wrenching wail of a mother who has just seen her children murdered before her eyes. All the more horrifying with her voices falling out of synch, words incoherently conflicting and changing as they roll from her tongue.

>>14884325
>>14884347
I wonder what survived the merge? Ask her if she remembers her names.

>>14884445
"You are not loukys, you are human! Remember who you were, before the merging."

>>14884445
"I have no intention of harming you. If I did, you wouldn't be out of the tower. Those things are not your children - remember who you are and the kingdom you used to serve. Remember your real family."

Hmm. Maybe we should have asked the guy for his sisters name.

"Think. You were human once, Three humans. One of you had a brother named Crestus. He told me to tell you that he was deeply sorry for ever having put you through this. He gave up his life so you could be human again."

>>14884492
In hindsight we should have asked him to tell us everything he could about his sister.

"If I meant to hurt you, I would not have saved you from the Loukys. Look at yourself, remember what you once were, who you were, the three of you were forced together, merged into one." the woman before you continues to push back away from you, her hands and feet stabbing the earth and quickly rotting flesh more than working to move her body away from the object of her terror. "One of you had a brother, Gorenth Crestus, he tricked you into the tower, then gave his life to free you, because part of you was once his sister." you inform her, still calmly moving towards her, as non-threateningly as a fully armored soldier can.

"No, no, lies, you lie!" she responds, fer hands finding a particularly large chunk of flesh, tearing a hole in it to hid in even as she pushes herself away from you "We are Vi'Nlya'k'Ranaha, we are Loukys, we are strong, our children , our our our..." again she breaks down at the mention of her former hive, which she no doubt assumes slaughtered.

>>14884649
"Before you were loukys you were Human, Remember before the hive, before your... Children. You were once uurlanthi. Think Back"

"Please, try to remember. Before you were the hive mother, you were three women. You were never meant to be the hive. You were supposed to be human."

Need to go through the stuff we captured from the enemy camp. Crestus might have left a journal. Or maybe there's a list of the elementalists that were with them. We could get her name from that.

I wonder if the name she gave is a combination of the

>>14884649
"You're all only lying to yourselves. Just think back to the past. One of you in there must recognize the name Crestus. Think back to your memories of that name. A loukys wouldn't know a thing about that name but one of you do."

>>14884730
Seconding this.

You sigh, reaching down to pull the small woman from the large chunk of dead meat "Before that, remember, all hives start as others, taken from their homes, or tricked into dangerous places." you reply firmly holding the young woman in place as you wipe as much of the filth as you can from her nubile form. "If you were born as the hive, as the queen, why would you need to take others back to your hive?" you continue, making use of your scant knowledge on the species she had until recently been part of to try to pull her back to reality.

She rips herself free of you, clearly using her elementalism to enhance the strength of her small frame "We take the weak races to feed our young, to grow our... our, s-s-sisters." she trails off, her voice splitting to three distinct voices at the word sister.

"You remember then?" you ask, again advancing to clean her now visibly shaking body off, the cool of the mid-spring evening setting in.

"Yes" she begins, then her face falls even further, more despondent than when she though you had slaughtered her family almost "No..."

"Crestus loved you. It killed him to see you twisted like this. He gave up his life so that you three could retain yours. Not as loukys, but as Human."

>>14884873
"You have started on the road to recovering who you were, and finding out who you are.
"I will help you on that road. Come, let's get you washed off and in some clothes."

>>14884903
Good enough a response for me.

>>14884912
I think we should go with this for now. The Crestus thread was good to get her remembering but we should wait until she's a little more stable before actively touching that landmine.

I was originally going to put a paladin in the first space; I might still do it anyways.

>>14884912
Isn't that a bit abrupt though? I think she needs to be pushed a bit more before we try and bring her back.

>>14884970

Emperor Palpatine?

Are you suggesting that we're really that evil? My good sir, we are the pinnacle of martial decourum and leadership, not a cackling megalomaniac.

>>14884912


Voting for this too. Once we get her interacting with humans a little more, it might help reintegrate her into her own humanity.

>>14885031
Palpatine is a running joke on the IRC channel in regards to how we so deftly manipulated Janos' love for his beloved, to turn him from a loyal Uurlanthi noble to not only turning coat and becoming our business manager, but also helping us crush his brothers in battle, bribe Uurlanthi mercenaries to defect, and plan a destructive invasion of Uurlanthi lands.

Anyone working on burning/destroying the other remaining towers?

>>14885079

Ah, I see.

>>14885031
we're not evil, we're lawful ruthless

"Gorenth, your brother, loverd you, enought that he gave his own life that you could live on as a human, not some... creature. Come now, lets have you washed and clothed." you reply, resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Why?" she asks, all three of her voices ringing of curiosity and confusion.

For a moment you are taken aback at such a childish question coming from such an obviously mature person "The night is cold, and its proper to keep certain parts of your form... private." you manage to respond.

"But isnt this" she asks, indicating her nude form "natural?"

Finally you have a chance to actually look at the woman before you, mature, but just barely, no taller than Sansa, though her skin is the light golden-tan of folk from BleakGate, her hair gold, more at home atop the angular faces of the raiders from the northern reaches of Uurlanth than the folk her skintone came from. Her form slender, yet generously curved "Natural, but rather distracting to the men who may see you. Trust me, it is best that you go clothed."

Still curious she presses "Why would I be distracting? Its only natural, how I am, if either of us is in the wrong its you." Luckily for you, Laelith steps in to see her the rest of the way back to the city, the bathhouses, and some form of clothing.

As you reach the city wall again, Sansa strides up to you "How do you want to deal with the remaining towers?" she asks, after a salute and a quick kiss.

>>14885242
That's a thorny problem.
We would need a god's help, and a willing human vessel, to house the other souls.
We might still be able to afford the first, but we really don't have more of the second.

Unless someone else can come up with a scheme to save the others, I can only suggest burning them to the ground.

>>14885242
"Safest way will be cutting our way into the interior and killing them that way. Any other means might result in them exploding and damaging the walls. See if there are volunteers."

Laelith is gone so we can't rely on her frying them and I imagine our life elementalist is too tired to use his abilities. Looks like we're sending men in unless we want to risk earth elementalism...

>>14885242
Torch 'em lads

>>14885308
I don't think we'll be able to get two repeat performances, so we'll just have no choice but to go in and deal with the cores.

I don't think we need another one of... these. One is enough. Unless we want a spare?

Voting for burnination.

>>14885346
I didn't mean get another one. I just meant kill it by going in and killing the brains. I've been hesitant to use elementalism on them ever since that one tower exploded.

We can always repair the walls. The siege is lifted now.

Soldiers are decidedly trickier to repair.

>>14885367
Yeah but we have no clue how the line is holding the enemy at this point. More forces could come in the next few weeks in theory.

>>14885358
I'd personally prefer killing them without risking soldiers going inside, if possible.

Why don't we check over captured Uurlanthi equipment? See if they've pitch or oil, and now that the siege is lifted we can move our heavy repeaters and their incendiary ammo to better positions to take apart the hive towers.

You sigh "Burn them, our losses were heavy enough from the siege. Set them ablaze one at a time, and if the first does explode, I will lead a team in to slay the second personally."

Sansa nods, pausing before handing you the bill "High Commander Seventus wanted to see you, he's in the barracks complex his maniple occupied, I believe." she adds, before heading off to see that your orders are carried out.

From the look of it, a third of the city guards are dead, roughly half of both other maniples, plus your own losses, civilians, and damage to the city.

-196th Legionary
Gaius Rex
140/200
good
--gais death
rne-454th Legionary
Cornelius Hoursch
135/200
good
-98th Warlords
Uurist Titius
100/150
good
-76th Deadeyes
Aurelius Caspius
100/100
good
-50th Dwarven Scouts
Finian Gaurush
100/100
good
-65th Dwarven Rangers
Kyria Esfelda
70/100
good
-The Sunstorm (elves)
Tyxia Nestad
145/200
Splintmail, spears, kite shields, javelins
good
-Celtron Guard (Dwarves)
Denuk Tyshop
120/175
Surecoats over mail, longswords, tower shields
good
-Daimus Skywings
Damian Corinth
Chainmail, polearms, valkeries
7/50
low
-Neftius Spearmen
Trysha Morose
70\150
leathers, spears, circleshields
good
-Dentrus' Raiders (elfs)
Boros Klars
125/200
Leathers, combat axes, kite shields, javelins
good

>so, what do you want to work on until you get your next set of orders?

>>14885380
Relief forces arrive in about a week. I think we can hold out until then.

>>14885430
Guess we'd better go see Seventus.

>>14885430
I guess it's time to go see Seventus then.

>>14885430
>I derped, thats a note artefact, I have audio picked out for all major character deaths, but I missed that line when I cleaned up the list

>>14885430
See Seventus.

May need to release the Skywings; just 7 flyers is not enough for a combat unit, even if they are equipped with repeaters.
Though I do want to hire them again if they bring their numbers back up; they're already experienced with our repeaters, and it should be easier for the vets to train the rookies on their use.
What say we invest money, if we have any, into rebuilding the Skywings if they'll sign on with us at a discount?

>>14885430
>>14885430
If we're not going to be under continuous attack then now is a good time to organize the repair and rebuilding of city.

We also need to re-socialize Vi'Nlya'k'Ranaha (is she going to keep that name? maybe we better give her a nickname?) if she is to be of any use in combating the new hives. Test her and see if she has retained her elementaist skills too.

Oh, and we have secured that bell right? The one only necromancers seem to be able to hear?

>-196th Legionary
>Gaius Rex
>140/200
>good
>--gais death
>rne

Wait, what?

>>14885517
seconding

>>14885527
We definitely cannot use her to fight other hives. She freaked out over her own. She will not help us kill the others.

>>14885537
>>14885517
Additional from the IRC: Offer to equip them with repeaters for their entire unit if they'll rebuild their unit and sign up with us again.

Also, I have this idea: get all merc and second-line units equipped with repeaters.
Sure it'll be expensive, but the pure volume of fire we could put out is an acceptable trade, I think.

>>14885430
>>14885482
> GM is prepared for any major character to die at any time.
Well there's a cheery thought.

>>14885581
We shouldn't be surprised. It probably almost happened to Kyria early on when she got her arm injury. Were we not fighting raiders and they were Uurlanth knights, I bet she would have died.

>>14885555
But wasn't the whole point of this to get someone who would make tracking the other hives down easier?

>>14885641
Not the hives. The princes that ran away. And that was the point but that's not going to happen anytime soon. We have time until the ones that escaped can start making hives.

Damnit... I just remembered the prince one from her hive got away. That's not going to be a fun encounter in the future.

>>14885641
Some plans don't work out. She at the very least provides an interesting case for psychological study.

>>14883492
>LXXXXI
XCI

Fix'd

Get her mentally stable first. Then she can be a source of intel on Loukys. She's not going to spill the beans if she's not sure which team she's playing for.

>>14885658
>>14885670
Well, she might not be willing to help now but in the future that may be different. And again, we should run the detector over her to see if she still has any capabilities as an elementalist.

>>14885535
see
>>14885482

You make your way over to Seventus' barracks, where his second in command meets you "He's in his room... resting." is all the man says after saluting you. You find the man in his room, a few more wounds than you had expected, but it is the mans condition that causes you to miss a breath. Along the deep gash in his forearm, a deep purple and blue pus is seeping through the wrappings, his skin black closest to the wound, though further from the wound his skin is a wholly unnatural orange hue.

He coughs weekly, more of the purple pus catching on his fist as he goes to cover his mouth "I suppose there is still justice in the world" he manages, weekly "Bastards poisoned me, so I wont be getting the quick death I'd hoped for." again, the old commander coughs, even more of the unnatural pus coating his fist; and you realize that his face is firmly set against the agony he is otherwise hiding very well. "How much do you really know?" he asks after a few minutes of silence.

>>14885700
Hmm. I think we need to check our poison blade arcana when we get the chance... I wonder if Sansa has been naughty.

"I'm pretty sure everything. Unless some things have been very well hidden by you or Sansa." I think at this point we might as well go clean since he's likely to die anyways.

>>14885700
"more than I'd care to"

>>14885700
time to come clean.

"Sansa told me everything, and I did a bit of digging in the archives for other unusual 'personnel problems'"

>>14885700
"Sansa told me. As well, I looked through both her records, and the records of others you've done similar to. It's a pattern that stands out like a sore thumb."

>>14885735
I think you're probably right about the arcana.

>>14885700
Might as well be honest and open about this.

"I know that along with having Sansa's brother murdered, you had her brought up on trumped up charges and sentenced to be a part of the penal companies used in the live-weapon training exercises.
"I also know that you've had this done to a few other men and women when you were still crawled up in your bottle.
"I have a report of your actions, and a request for a court martial to be convened regarding your crimes and the striking of the charges leveled against those you wrongfully accused, to be sent to the Second Praetorian as soon as a messenger eagle is readied."

>>14885735
It also makes sense when considering Jogra's mention of her revenge.

>
Should we tell him that Sansa captured his confession on a bit piece of arcana and we intended to have him court martialed after everything was done?

>>14885756
>>14885735
Wasn't Sansa with us during the last battle though?

>>14885769
>>14885780
I'm not sure if we should tell him about our plans on what we're going to do just yet and that we have his confession on arcana. Kind of want to see what he says to us just knowing the truth. Plus this might be a chance to convince him to tell his second to tell the truth so hopefully we can help out some of the other people who have been accused.

>>14885798
I agree with Maximus.

You sigh, sitting next to the dying mans bed "Does your second know?" Seventus nods, so you continue "You had Sansas brother killed when she snubbed your advances, then sent to the penal companies on fabricated accusations to cover your trail." you pause, before adding "And I found information in the archives at DragonsReach that there were other victims of your, urges, who were not so lucky as Sansa."

"I... I suppose you will want me to write out some sort of confession so that she can become a citizen again." Seventus wheezes out.

>>14885700
As much as Sansa told us. And the rest filled in by yourself, and your actions.

Of course, she wanted to kill you herself. Personally, I would have preferred a fair trial. It seems that Uurlanth beat either of us to the punch.

*uncomfortable shift*

I suppose death in battle defending the city was... the best outcome.

As for what happens now, I suppose that depends on if this is punishment enough.

>>14885854
"I would"

"If you would agree to it, yes. Otherwise, I still have enough evidence to at least have Sansa exonerated.

To be honest, I have mixed feelings about this situation. You are someone whom I could have easily become."

>>14885854
"That and perhaps convince your second to testify to the truth of the matter. It may help ease your conscience to at least try to set things right. You've hurt Sansa and others with your actions. This is your chance to once again be the man you were."

>>14885901
Seconding this

>>14885901
seconded

>>14885854
"I am sure that such a confession will be considered, and alterations to certain records shall be made as necessary.
"I have no illusions about what will happen: you are far too valuable to the Empire as a war hero. Perhaps even better as a dead one, where any iniquities of your past can be safely locked away in the far corner of the Military Service Archives."

You nod "That I would. And perhaps have your second in command verify my claims, I intend to see that all the women you wronged who still live exonerated."

Again he coughs "No, Johan means well, he is skilled, and to back you would end his career. I will write you a list , and an admission of guilt, to go with it," another series of coughs causes his body to convulse "this damned poison is punishment enough, dont make me suffer the ridicule as well, to be forced to see all the good I did before... forgotten."

>>14886001
Simple enough request to keep, it doesn't look like he's going to be hanging around very long anyway.

>>14886001
Okay, now can we go with >>14885938
The Empire needs him as a war hero, not as a drunk rapist.
We can keep the court martial quiet, and the records of the trial hidden in the farthest corners of the Archives.

>>14886001
You died in battle, fighting the enemies of our Empire. The records will show that.

>>14886001
"To be honest, I'd rather this done quietly, as well. The Empire needs it's heroes, especially now."

I wonder if he's been treated by a life elementalist and the poison is to strong or if he's just letting himself die?

You nod "You died in battle defending the Empire and her citizens. We need heroes not drunken rapists."

Seventus turns to look at you "Thank you, you are a better man than I." another coughing fit "I suppose you have some contingency should my resolve fade with my body," he pauses, a weak gasp, almost a laugh "something She did no doubt." more wheezing and coughing, then a sigh "I suppose that since you have what you need of me you'll drop the friendly pretense and leave as soon as its proper."

While we're dealing with the after-action of the siege, we'll need to check up on our were-minotaur combat team. See if they can be let loose or not.
Though I'd rather keep them in our maniple, under our command, especially the serial killer.

>>14886087
Wouldn't be surprised if he's just letting himself die. Dude's been through a lot.

I think we should also suggest making a memorial stone for him near where he fought, something like we did for Jano's father.

>>14886133
Make sure that quill, ink, and parchment are within arm's reach of him first, then nod to him.
"I will leave you to your privacy."

>>14886134
That guy is scary, and I bet he loves his new state of being. If he can control himself, he'd be one of the most effective fighters in the whole army.

>>14886133
"only if that's what you wish, if you would like some companionship for a while I could stay"

>>14886133
*sigh

You may have done some horrible things to someone I am very close to, but I do not hate you. I can understand how loss has affected you, as I know it may affect me. While I cannot excuse what you've done, for what it's worth I do not hate you.

>>14886083
>>14886072
Hope Sansa is okay with this staying quiet.

>>14886171
I'd also like to add Laurentius's suggestion to mine.

>>14886133
"When I first heard about you from Sansa, I presumed the worst and began thinking of ways to deal with you. Meeting you has changed that opinion and I can see you're a man who regrets what has been done. If you wish, I'll remain awhile longer and stop by to see you now and then."

I figure the man has suffered enough. Let's give him some compassion before he finally dies.

>>14886166
>>14886171

These two, sounds about right.

You shake your head "When I first heard of you from Sansa, I immediately began planning your demise." you pause, sighing "Now that I know what you've been through, and how terrifyingly close it could come to paralleling my own life. While I may hate what you have allowed yourself to become, I understand why. If you wish I will remain, perhaps visit as my time allows."

now Seventus sighs "I fear I am too ill to appreciate the company. It will suffice to know that not all who know what I have done loathe me." at that he weakly salutes you, before promptly passing out.

"I will ensure that he writes the complete truth out for you. I only tolerated him as a stepping stool for my own career. He is lower than shit, if you ask me." Johan replies, saluting as you leave the room.

>so, what do you want to do now? You have about a week before you get relieved

>>14886308
Check on the wereminotaurs
Chat with Gaius
Ensure the towers are brought down relatively smoothly
Check on crazy plant lady to make sure she's adapting as well as can be expected for a plant with dissociative identity disorder.

>>14886308
We need to see about the were-minotaur combat unit, see if any of them, including the original, have gained control over their transformed selves.

We also need to talk with the Skywings commander.

We should also use this time to put together a rudimentary elementalist obstacle course to train with.

Finally, repairs of the city.

I assume that looting of the Uurlanthi camp and of the battlefield has already been done and you'll inform us of the haul later.

>>14886308
Party.
We can open up the gates to gather supplies
We can rebuild
We can crack into our own profits from this endevor

It's Party Time

Let's work on getting the last of the towers down. Then, I suppose we spend some quality time with our women so Justinian can tell them in full how much they mean to him.

>>14886308
Repairs to the city. Talking to Skywings commander. Spend time with the former hive queen and make sure she adjusts properly, check her for elementalist talent while we're at it. Check on the werebeasts. Kill any remaining towers. Combat and elementalism practice.

Jeez what don't we have to do.

>>14886308
Spend time with both our ladies and the new plant-girl. After a long siege like this we should really check up on them all, they did great and are likely mentally exhausted as well as physically.

List of things to do:
1. See if we can get a couple of them to become friends (Jayne maybe? Life elementalist) because plant-girl is going to really need to have some caring people around her to help her adapt to life again.

2. Likely going to need to have 'the marriage talk' with the group soon.

3. Sansa needs to have her plotline brought to a proper close, we most assuredly need to see to that and talk with her about her feelings on the matter.

4. Laelith and Kyria need some personal time too, of course.

Also find out the plant girl's name(s) and make sure she understands that just because something is natural you shouldn't... just go around doing it willy-nilly. Clothes stay on. Any possibly predatory instincts stay in check.

Oh crap, I nearly forgot!
Check on Lena and Wulf, as well as Bellatrix!
Lena looked like she was half-dead near the end of the siege.

>>14886404
>>14886342
I think the skywings really do deserve a bonus given both their use and the losses they took.

You head off to see to the wall first, where you find Degrian and his engineers hard at work already "How goes it?" you ask him, saluting.

He lets out a long, whistling sigh "Fix wall, they ruin it, giant plants eating stone, ruining more than have to repair with, eating holes through wall. Will be long, but will be fixed eventually." To the north a pillar of flame lights the early evening sky, Laeliths work obvious to the entire city, at least that is working well. Most of the maniple is abed by the time you make your way to your barracks to eat.

"Fuck." you hear a familiar voice announce from behind you "I think we're the only ones still awake Commander. Care for a game of Scales?" he asks, pulling a small carved wooden box from his tunic.

>>14886414
>4. Laelith and Kyria need some personal time too, of course.

We can spend time with Laelith doing both research and 'research, if you know what I mean. We can train combat elementalism together too, plus maybe just chill and hang out together reading books. Would be a nice change of pace.

We should inform Kyria we plan to help her start up a smithy with our family funds 'cause she's part of our family now. (or soon will be) She'll be on cloud 9.

Damn it. Finally get to have the chat with Seventus and i have to post like this...

Tell the dying man that we'll remember his words (about losing those we love).

>>14886503
>forgot to add that that was Gaius sat in a corner of the officers dining hall in your barracks eating his dinner

>>14886503
"Why not? I doubt that the peace will be any less busy than the siege.
"So, Gaius, not exactly the way you thought you'd be coming back to your old home town, eh?"

>>14886503
Sure thing Gaius. Glad this siege is over with.

>>14886518
Cool. Play a game with the man. Did we ever talk to him about the visions of the gods? He seemed really curious then and I bet he's even more curious now.

>>14886518
Lets have sone guy talk in here.

>>14886541
Oh i was wondering about this. Does Gaius have a significant other? Does Degrian? We know about the others being because most of the ladies are with us, but we need to know. mostly because i'm feeling nosey.

You grab some food and make your way over to his table, after a quick coin flip you end up with the second draw. "Not how you had expected your homecoming to go I suppose."

Gaius sighs "No, but it could have been worse. the house I grew up in was lost to fire years ago. My home is my barracks now." he finishes drawing his tiles, a solid line-up, but nothing you cant beat, depending on how the board is layed out. "Besides, my men know that I'm not mad for being religious now, though I am curious as to what convinced you of it."

Medals for everybody. Can we give out medals? If not, include medal requests in report to the Second Praetorian.

Blackbird and his men took out a few unit's worth of elven archers.
Wulf had his light show.
Lena and Laelith each took out several siege towers.
Vine guy poisoned and killed a siege tower.
Collin fought a Prince by himself.
Gaius took on, then took *down*, four Uurlanthi knights by himself.
Everyone fought First Age monstrosities and did not rout.

>>14886607
"well when you start having conversations with deities you have to start believing that they exist or start believing that you are insane, I choose the former"

>>14886628
Do eet!

Delicious snarky one-liner, we must quip it.

>>14886607
"I wasn't that convinced at first, to tell you the truth. I thought it was being done by hidden arcana and the like myself. But when I starting being able to feel the earth itself, that got me thinking.
"What really convinced me beyond a shadow of a doubt, was when I started speaking with them, getting answers back, and hard physical signs of their existence."

>>14886628
Or believe it's all an elaborate hoax.
Of course, if you start believing that you /may/ be too paranoid.

>>14886620
We should be able to put everyone up for Bronze Star-equivalents for meritorious actions during the siege. So probably gold phelerae.
Probably put in Gaius, Collin, Crestus, and Wulf for gold armbands.

>>14886620
>Lena and Laelith each took out several siege towers.
Indeed, and that wasn't exactly easy. Both of them performed exceptionally well. Lena for sure should get some medals.

I don't really know if Laelith would even care about the medals, but we can reward her with an extravagant date back in Dragonsreach or something. She deserves it after pulling fire duty, plus the towers, fighting on the walls, and all the other crap.

You smirk, as you pick your tiles "Well, when one starts having conversations with deities he can either accept that they are real, or assume he has gone mad. at first I preferred to think of myself as eccentric but brilliant, then I realized that they weren't in my head, well they were, but not imagined."

Gaius chuckles "Is there anything that does frighten you commander?"

You shake your head, laughing a little yourself "I cant say that there is. Though I was shocked when the captain of the guard here hinted at your record."

Gaius shrugs, placing the first part of the board "Issues with the governor, his daughters, some jewelry of questionable ownership..." he trails off chuckling.

>>14886757
Well, we were all young once.

>>14886757
I wonder if he still visits said daughters on occasion? Does Gaius have a life beyond the military? Or is his unit his family?

We should invite the guy over to our estate for dinner some time once we buy it. Seems like he might be kinda lonely.

>>14886757
"Ha! Well, THIS governor's daughters are quite capable of fending off the advances of suitors themselves, and are already spoken for, besides.
"Still funny how everyone seemed to think that Lena and Bellatrix were my daughters. In less stressful times, I might have run with that joke."

Not much I can think of talk with.

>>14886819
yup, we also have to remember to implement our "guys night" once we get everything straightened out

>>14886820
We should also ask him his opinion of how the return of the gods is going to affect the Legions and with the older career soldiers.

>>14886849
Sounds like a good idea

You bark out a laugh, as you lay the last portion of the gameboard in place "I'm certain it was all a misunderstanding, though it does sound like you had quite the youth."

Gaius just smiles "The Legion went a long way to calming me down, though most of happened after I was promoted to captain."

You nod, having led a similar youth "Did she stay with you then?" you ask nonchalantly.

Gaius sighs "No, but I'm certain I have my own pack of bastards roaming the emipire." You play a few games talking mostly about women and war with the old captain, until both of you are finally full and ready to head to your respective bunks.

-----CQ-----

The next morning you find Lena and Wulf groggily making their way to the officers dining hall. Both of them still look as good as dead days after the siege broke, but at least their moving. A respectful pace off behind them, the captain of the Skywings is stalking towards the same location, clearly deep in thought.

>>14886916
Let's go talk to the Skywings captain now. We can catch up to Lena and Wulf later.

>>14886936
this

>>14886916
Merc valkyrie captain first. We might want to offer to keep the repeaters he has and to sell him repeaters and ammo at a significant discount, to offset the fact that his unit took quite the pounding.

>>14886916
We need to speak with the Skywings captain.
We'll want to discuss whether he and his remaining men will retire, if they'll try to rebuild their unit, or if they might be willing to train a unit for us.

rolled 100 = 100

>>14886947
as long as he agrees to keep a preferred buyer's list with us at the top of it and looks forward to a more healthy and long business partnership. Don't wanna lose a dedicated air cavalry unit that we can have at a killer price so soon.

>>14886936

Seconding.

We need to be sure to ask him how his unit keeps itself on valks. If we can't convince him to stick with us, the name of a breeder to help us raise a small force of our own valks wouldn't hurt...

You acknowledge the young couple as you pass them on their way to eat. Captain Corinth is in about as good a mood as one could expect of a man whos unit had been so savaged by battle "Commander, how can I help you?" he greets you gruffly, after saluting.

You shrug, returning the gesture "I was hoping to repay you for the services your unit has rendered me during this campaign."

He forces a laugh "The repeaters free, pick of the loot, more than half the men I cont on surviving each campaign died on this one." bitterly, he forces another laugh "I suppose I should be thanking you that I have that many laugh, though half of those will most likely take their share and quit the band."

>>14887024
"You're right. I only expected 1, maybe 2 Uurlanthi air units. You fought off 3.
"I have need of experienced flyers, ones who can use the weapons I've developed.
"I'll back you with my own coin, and provide you with as many repeaters as you need, if you'll put together another band and fly for me."

>>14887077
seconded

rolled 32 = 32

>>14887077
This, pretty much this, put him on retainer and have him start making us a dedicated valk unit, though, we won't ever give that a try, I expect that we are more of a "ground" person....

>>14887024

"Do you expect the unit to disband or merge with another?"

"This one was rough on everyone. Far too many surprises for my liking. Still, we wouldn't have survived without air support."

You scratch at your chin "Your unit, preformed exceptionally, I had expected perhaps 1 or 2 units in the air for you to deal with, you saw 3 of them off. I have need of skill like yours, perhaps I could convince you to stay on retainer for me? I would ensure that you have enough time to replenish your forces of course." you propose.

the man stops mid-stride "For the right price I could see that working out. Especially with those repeaters of yours. Give me the day to think on it, talk it over with my men. we can bargain over pay on the morrow." he answers, still not moving. You nod, salute, and leave the man to his thoughts.

>damn I'm tired think I'm gonna call it for tonight.
>someone archive please
>I'll be back thursday at 9pm server time
>if you have any cq/setting questions just e-mail me at paxcomquest@yahoo.com

Archive created. Don't forget to vote.