>>25933392
"No, I don't think we can afford the loss of time, and if it IS Matoya she already knows.
"But I don't think we should blindly assume that Matoya is behind this; better to put the eye into a bag, until Matoya contacts us to let her scrying eye out of the bag."

"If it was Matoya she'll likely send us some sort of message for killing her toy, otherwise I'd like to stay on track and keep heading toward our goal. We can take the item to an alchemist along the way."

>>25933538

"If you say so." Conara shrugs as she tosses the eye to you.

>>25933683

A slow grin creeps across her lips. "I s'pose we could shift it in Dorter. That'd really grab her by the horns."

The rest of the night goes thankfully without incident. Ferra studies her tome as metal clangs on metal, Conara proving to learn her sword skills much faster than you, the longsword still heavy and clumsy in your hands. You eat from the forest and the river, Conara teaching you how to fish with your newly made spear as Shang hunts down from fresh boar. As shallow as the wood is, it is spread wide, so you never see or hear the hunting party sent from the village.

The next day has you on the river again. By the time night rolls around, you're thoroughly bored of fish and peaches, but Ferra insists that the longer you can travel without feeding from the rations, the better. Besides stopping to gather dry wood for the cook fires, you have no need to stop and the travelling goes quickly. By your estimate, it will take four days to reach Dorter. Would you like to fast travel?

>>25933732
Yes, fast travel.
We need a way to get more money somehow, though.

fast traveling is fine

>>25933773

Your concerns are shared by the White Mage. Although you save some gil on not having to feed yourselves, the chocobo require food even if they're not being used to pull the caravan.

"Surely there will be some manner of work in Dorter," Shang adds as he shoves his spear into the river, banging the captured cod's head on the raft before depositing it into the bag with the other dead fish.

"I'm sure the White Church would be willing to make a contribution, if we reveal ourselves." Ferra nods. "And you still have those Bomb Fragments. It's been weeks since Lord Erstspear questioned us at Calim, I imagine those accusations are firmly behind us, now. After all, we did travel under the protection of the White Way."

When you arrive in Dorter, two weeks after you had last left, you find the city not in a riotous uproar, as the White Mage had been concerned over. Rather, it seems to be business as usual. Although the sailors chuckle and point at your raft as you pull in, all the same you are questioned as to your purpose in Dorter by the sigil-bearing guardsmen. After giving the same answer, you make your way to the town centre, leaving your chocobo in the dockside stables for the moment.

"Are we staying long?" Ferra asks as she sticks close to your side, her eyes fluttering from side to side as she pulls her hood up once again. It's not hard to tell that this particular city makes her uncomfortable.

>>25933949
"No, just for a short trip to the shops."

Let's sell the remaining Bomb Fragments, make sure to get receipts for them in case Lord Erstspear still comes after us.

Also, that special weapons shop, it had a stave, didn't it? Did it have any metal on it? A properly magically reinforced stave would be more useful to us than a rough-cut spear in the Lodestone Cavern.

Can we ask around to see if theres an alchemist to examine the red jewel we found?
We don't really know what it does

>>25934035

Selling the Bomb Fragments at the Traveller's Shop gains you another 400 gil.

>>25934113

The blue-goattee'd man fishes for a looking glass as you show him the gemstone, inquiring where you might be able to find one with a knowledge for it.

"Hrrm... well, it's a queer stone, to be sure, but I wouldn't know much about its ilk. If it has any hidden properties to it, someone with a more etheric disposition would be better suited to figuring it out. Perhaps Moline of the Fortune's Favour might be of more assistance?"

When you find the Black Mage proprietor of the window-shop, she stands with a long pipe hanging from the darkness beneath her hat. Her glowing, yellow, pupil-less eyes glance from you to Ferra.

"I'm having a certain sense of deja vu," she sighs, the sigh only deepening as you ask to see the staff again. Indeed, it does have metal, in the form of a steel ring at the top, other, smaller rings hanging from that, too. When you show her the eye, however, her eyes widen with interest. That interesting being more noticeably hinted by the long lean she takes over the counter, her gloved fingers reaching to almost take the gem.

"Oh my... an Ahriman's Other Eye... I'll give you 20,000 for it."

>>25934265
"Sorry, but I don't think Matoya would appreciate us selling off one of her baubles. At least, we think it's Matoya on the other end. Is there any way to know who's using this to watch our progress?"

>>25934317

"The Witch of the Marsh? Oh my." The Black Mage stands up straight once more, fingering one of the blonde braids appearing from the dark of her hat. "I can write a quick spell to rid it of the glamour, cutting it off from whomever is currently using it. But divining the source of said magic would require a greater talent than mine. Such a talent would not be found in Dorter, that's for sure."

"I think we should see it," insisted Ferra, tugging at your sleeve. "Even if it is Matoya's, a Sahagin was used to bear it. A beast of Chaos. Who knows what other dark magics the owner might wield?"

>>25934491
I'm leery of just selling it, since it could come back to bite us if Matoya is pissed.
And I'm wondering if it might be needed in a sidequest later on.
I'm also curious about who is on the other end.

"Where would we have to go for someone with enough expertise to find out who's on the other end of this Eye?"

>>25934617

"Amarestes," she replies matter-of-factly. "There are fewer Black Wizards on the Western Continent, and fewer still who have reached the levels of knowing the Voice so well that they would be able to see what you seek. Perhaps the White Wizard of Corneria, or Orbonne... but I couldn't speak with full confidence to that end. I know less about their school of magic..." Her eyes slide to Ferra for a moment, before blinking back at you. "I'm afraid that's all I can tell you."

"We cant go much further at the moment then... Thank you for your help"
Will the magic affecting metal weapons due the same to armor?

>>25935046

"I imagine it wouldn't make much distinction," she shrugs. Then, one eye narrowing, she sets her hands on her hips. "You're not thinking of heading for the cursed cavern up north, are you? If so, then you should know that any metal, any iron, steel or mythril, will do you no good. Weapon, armour, chastity belt, it'll all be ripped right from you. So every over-confident adventurer comes back to admit."

At that moment, you feel a hard hand clasp on your shoulder. When you twist round, Ferra with her metal-tipped rod at the ready, it is Shang's face you meet, pulled in a taut frown.

"Cecil, I fear we might have a problem. Come."

He leads you, with some haste to the tavern, The Wonderous Tale. Raucous sound, song and cheer and laughter, echo from inside, even though the sun is still high in the sky. The situation is made only more confusing when the door opens.

The scene inside, as one might expect, is one of revelry. Men swing tankards, women dance on tables and a great throng of people pour toward the centre of the room. It is then that you see Conara. Not only is she standing on a chair, teetering as she holds up a tankard of ale, but said chair is being lifted and passed around by the crowd in the middle of the tavern. It is then that some of the song's words reach your ears.

"Warriors of the Light, assemble,
With Lady's holy might in hand,
Save our sons from war and tremble,
Restore Cosmos's peace to our fair land!"

>>25935082
Facepalm.
"And I'M supposed to be the one with loose lips.
"Do you know what she said, Shang? And how quickly can we get going north?
"I need to get Leather Armor from the Armor Shop first since this Chainmail will just be useless there."

"This isn't much of a problem really, you can join her high up there on a chair while I'm out getting my armor."

>>25935132

"It wasn't her who said anything. She was recognised. A Calim girl who witnessed our... troubles." He pulls you aside, making you slightly less visible, minimizing your own chances of being recognised. "Well... she didn't exactly deny it, either. But I say we get on the road as soon as we can. And you might be able to stint the price of the leather, too, if you sell your own, ruined set. I'm sure you'll be able to get a few gil for just the material."

>>25935242
"Alright. You make the arrangements for the rations, I'll get my armor."
Let's go to the armor store.

And I wonder if putting the Ahriman's Eye in a bag is enough.

>>25935278
I think we should get the Black Mage to cut the connection. We don't know who set that Sahagin on us, and if it was Matoya she'll send another one after us. Otherwise we have to assume it's someone who has hostile intentions.

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>>25935278

The new set of leather armour costs you 160 gil, the tattered set selling for 50 gil. Shang meets you in the market square, having bought rations for the journey.

"Alright... I suppose we should try get Conara out of the mess she's stuck in, then?"

"Which way will we be taking?" Ferra asks. "Are we riding north right away, or will we docking the raft at Goldor and travelling from there?"

She pores over the map, trying to figure out the distance between each location, before showing it to you for your own take on things.

(Sorry for the wait, folks. Thought I had posted and tabbed, only to find the captcha had reset...)

>>25935633
Let's head straight for the cave from here.
There's not difference in distance or terrain, and going to Goldor would just increase the amount of time by making us take an unnecessary water route.

Theres not much point in taking the water route, just head north.

>>25935909
>>25935696

Shang manages to dart in and snatch Conara, despite the protests of both the red-faced Onion Knight and her tavernful of admirers. When you arrive to take the chocobo from the stables, the portside captain agrees to keep an eye on your raft and let the small craft stay in the harbour for free, given that traffic has decreased drastically over the past weeks.

There is but a small, rough path leading north of Dorter, the chocobo tittering as they gingerly lead you across a rickety wooden bridge stretching over the River Gungnir. The land is flat, but some plains, dotted with farmlands, small thickets of woods but little else. It will take you about eleven days to reach the supposed location of the Lodestone Cavern. Would you like to fast travel? Or perhaps make some sort of plan with your fellow Warriors of Light?

>>25935924
Make a plan.
Because, shit, did we bring enough torches?
Maybe we should make some more while we travel.
Then there's the training with the wooden spear we need to do, as well as getting Conara's sword skill up.

When we go into the caverns, we'll want Shang in front, and Conara in the back, so that our front and rear are well defended.

Has Ferra learned haste yet? It would help to take down enemies quickly before they can call for help.

>>25936014
Seconding this well-thought-out plan.

>>25936066

(Ferra's currently learning Placate, not Haste.)

>>25936014

"Torches?" Conara blinks. Then smacks her forehead. "Oh right, it's a cave... well, like you say we can simply make some when we next pass some trees. Good call, though..."

Shang nods sagely, as if he was the one to make it. During the nights of your travel, you practise at the spear instead of the two handed sword. However, after the first night, it becomes apparent you won't be able to become fully proficient in the time it will take you to reach the cavern. In the night, you eat the last of the fish you caught from the river. Would you like to fast travel from here on or is there anything else to add/discuss?

I'm not sure if the enemies are dumb enough to fall for it, but we could try gathering rocks/pebbles to throw as sound distractions.

>>25936183
Is there any way to have Shang's Staff training help us, and for us both to help Conara's 1H Sword training? She's at 80%, and I'd rather finish that above anything else, since it doesn't look like we'll be that proficient with a spear/staff.

>>25936259

"Hm... I could give you some drills, but you'd have to understand I'd be teaching you to wield it as a staff, not the spear it is. If I were a Dragoon, I'd be able to teach you how to truly wield it, but I am not. And the wood might not be sturdy enough to handle it. Perhaps... you should take more of a support role, this time? Provide magic cover and healing whilst Conara and I deal with foes."

>>25936380
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. I'll have to be careful with my magic usage, then."

Let's help Conara with getting her 1H Sword skill up in the most efficient manner.
Also, during the day, let's stretch our Mana Pool by using up our mana casting Blizzard on the landscape. Ferra is reading Placate, though, so I suppose she won't be getting her MP up too much.

>>25936478

"A single good spell can turn the tide of battle." He replies, surprising you by considering that anything but his own fists can do just that.

In the nights, you help Conara practise with her sword, at the same time honing your skills with your longsword, given that the spear would be useless for that instead.

Unfortunately, your attempts to work out your mana pool like working out a muscle proves futile. Ferra, wearing a small, amused smile, glances up from her tome.

"I'm afraid that won't work, Cecil... only accessing the higher mysteries of the Voice will open more of your body's mana to you."

Nine days have passed, rations have been dipped into and torches have been prepared. At the campfire, Ferra releases a pleased sigh, uncharacteristically tossing the now empty Placate tome over her shoulder.

"Phew. I feel like I'm learning all kinds, lately! Next up: Haste!"

Would you like to fast travel the rest of the way or do you have aught else to plan/discuss?

>>25936668
Discuss with Ferra how we can delve further into learning the Voice. We have a measly 3MP; this is pathetically low.

>>25936706

"By learning higher level spells, of course." She chuckles, as if you had asked how to tie your bootlaces. But upon seeing your disappointment at your own abilities, she frowns deeply and turns to reach into her bag.

"Here. You should learn this. Matoya gave it to you and you have need of higher magical power just as I do. Please, you learn this, instead."

Outstretched from her hands, she holds a white bound book with an illustration of a feathered sandal on the front.

>>25936795
"versatility first, I gotta get bet with our only weapon in the cave" (work harder with the spear)

>>25936848
Being able to support Conara and Shang and increasing our mana will probably be more effective than a wooden spear.

>>25936848

"Well... I'll leave it with you, still. I still have Holy Tome, after all. Such a powerful spell will doubtlessly be of use to us, down the line."

The Umber Mountains loom over you now, and a day's travel takes you to their feet. A couple hours more and you can see the entrance to the caves, marked by a hastily erected wooden sign.

"The Lodestone Cavern, Hideout of the Fugitive Elf, Nomurus," reads Conara aloud. "We should camp a night, before heading in."

The others agree. Watching Conara with her sword makes it clear the girl will certainly be able to handle her own in a fight now, especially with her enchanted bone blade. The only question what you wish to spend your last night practising.

[ ] Two handed sword
[ ] Spear
[ ] Learn Haste

>[ ] Learn Haste m8

>>25937143
>[ ] Learn Haste

>>25937365
>>25937425

You spend your last night sitting down with the Haste Tome. The session is infuriatingly unproductive. Besides the usual difficulty of reading through the symbols in a single run, on the first page alone, you come across a letter you've never seen before. A little mental gymnastics reveals it is an off-shoot of a character you've encountered before and, upon seeing the symbol glow as you inwardly chant through a series of syllables, you let out a little sigh of relief, only to realize it is followed by yet another new character soon after.

The night darkens the sky too soon and, given the task you're to undertake tomorrow, you know rest is imperative. The gaping maw hangs overhead, stalactites like fangs threatening to swallow whatever sets foot inside, making a foreboding final sight before you head to sleep.

>>25937572

(Sorry to cut it short tonight, folks, but I have a doctor's appointment in the morning, so I have to do just that. Next session will be on Saturday, starting at 15:00 chantime/EST. Hoping to do an extended session covering the whole of the Lodestone cavern, so be there, clear your schedules, hide your kids, call the cops, do all that, but be here and be prepared for ADVENTURE.)