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A cataclysmic war, referred to hereafter as the Collapse, erupted about one thousand years into creation, and all but three demigods, all but two races, and all the gods died off. The tattered remnants of the world held together through the power of the three surviving demigods, including yours; the female demigod of the elves, named Asa. Three huge alchemic weather machines keep the world habitable, while the demigods have dispensed with the use of Heralds in favor of Avatars: physical projections of themselves that can walk and talk like people.

The afterlife was dismantled in the wake of the Collapse, and now, all souls are simply ‘inverted’ in the seas of Chaos outside reality after death, and absorbed by their corresponding demigod.

You were assigned by your King to track down a gang of bandits that had sided with the secessionists in the southlands, but were ambushed and nearly murdered by the conspiracy and their ancient weapon, the Orb of the Feathered Demon. Because the weapon can kill demigods, the Pantheon survivors made you a Herald in secret, and have charged you with killing the ten conspirators who survived the battle in the woods.

Previously, you learned that an alchemic jammer can be used to disable the teleporter Soutri has acquired. You spread the jammers and blew up the building in which Soutri lived, but did so after not realizing he had taken several hostages; they all died in the blast. The King and Asa have both had stern words for you because of this.


All mechanics are based on a 1d100+modifier roll.

CHAPTER NINE: DIVINE POWER RISING

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Your fitful sleep ends abruptly. [Sister, wake up,] Asa suddenly says in your mind.

It’s pitch black out. It’s really cold out. Your brain was just healing or something. “Glrmp,” you mumble.

[Now, Elsa.]

You fumble for the Gem. {What.}

[Soutri’s backup plan just began.]

You come fully awake at that. {Start over.}

[Forest. Forest was under orders to distribute bags of gold and sealed missives to every single crier and newsman in the city if Soutri died, and I just noticed that when I was parsing his memories again,] Asa says angrily. [The missives reveal the existence of a Herald in the city, and name you specifically.]

You clench your teeth. {Shit. What do we do?}

[Your house is safe until sunrise, when the criers wake up to their mail and work orders,] Asa says tersely. [After that… we’ll see whether Soutri’s words, or Arisa’s, spread farther. I’m telling you now in case you wanted to slip out with Jerome in the morning. He’ll be safe in the castle, but you may be better served by going to the other end of the tunnel, the Utility Mage Tower in the reservoir. You can get anywhere in the city from there.]

{Good to know,} you say with a yawn. {Did you finish healing my whatever?}

[Yes. You should be alright, now. We can talk more when you get some real sleep.]

{Okay. Thanks.}

[One last thing. I thought long and hard about this, but in the end, I decided that you still deserve to be trusted with this power.] You feel a sudden surge of calm and warmth from your forehead as a new power unfolds in your mind. [Espionage may not be your strong suit, but battle suits you. Make good use of this.]


(con’t)

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ABILITY UNLOCKED: TO HARVEST THE DAMNED
New Divine Ability unlocked!

To Harvest the Damned: With a massive surge of energy from her Gem, Elsa can instantly kill one living thing she’s touching. This power is completely unblockable, but is cripplingly exhausting to use. ACTIVE X 1.


{Whoa,} you think. {Why did the old Heralds need power like this?}

[To kill other Heralds. You won’t be facing any, but if you go up against another individual as potent as Soutri – like Moor or Forest – you’ll need it.] She pauses for another moment as you blink the strange feelings away. [Elsa, it has occurred to me that you may be wondering why I thought the removal of that trauma from your mind was so important.]

{I can guess…}

[I wouldn’t, normally, you know,] she says slowly. [But this is going to be very difficult. Now that your identity is gradually going to go public – or rapidly, as the case may be soon enough – I don’t want people to treat you like a living weapon. Even if that is more or less how I’m employing you.]


>”I get the feeling that you don’t actually know how to think about me now.”
>”Do you have something else to tell me?”
>writein

>>34491254
>>”I get the feeling that you don’t actually know how to think about me now.”
I blame the stupid voices in Elsa's head.

>”I get the feeling that you don’t actually know how to think about me now.”

You flop back down on the pillow next to Jerome and glare into the darkened ceiling. {So you don’t really know how to think about me right now, I take it?}

[I suppose not. I don’t know why, really,] she says sadly. [I am sorry I berated you before, and I shouldn’t have answered your question about hell. That was uncalled for.]

{I asked.}

[But I shouldn’t have said yes,] she insists. [Heralds have done worse than that and gone straight to heaven. It’s all a question of absolution.]

You frown at the black glowlamps. {What do you mean?}

[Do you have a second? I’d like to explain in person.]

>{Fine, meet me on the porch and we’ll talk.}
>{Some other time.}
>{Just tell me!}
>writein

>>34492027

>{Fine, meet me on the porch and we’ll talk. And there's no way we can stop those missives?}

>>34492027
>>{Fine, meet me on the porch and we’ll talk.}

>>34492344
To be clear, what do you mean by missives? The dreams?

>>34492410
Nah, the things sent to the criers that they're gonna scream to the town.

>>34492027
{Fine, meet me on the porch and we’ll talk.}
That or she can hop in bed and Elsa will do her nails

You groan and struggle out of bed, pulling on your robe. {Fine. Meet me on my upstairs deck.}

Asa is waiting for you as you emerge, sitting in a chair and looking out at the city lights. “Hello, Sister,” she says softly. “Is Jerome asleep?”

“Yeah.” You cinch the robe pull and sit beside her on another chair. “He was pretty disgusted, even if he was supportive. He doesn’t hide things well.”

“Yes.” Asa drums her fingers on the armrest of her chair. “How did the meeting with Kelscik go?”

You sigh into the night. “Poorly. He didn’t offer martial aid. He did give me some kind of gem to slot into that headdress piece Haret gave me, though.”

Your patroness peers over at you. “Oh? Good idea. You should mount it on your uniform somewhere.”

“I will.” You both sit in silence for a moment longer before you break the silence. “So what did you mean before?”

Asa sits up and looks out into the starry sky. “Sister, at first, Heralds were our friends. Then they were our messengers. Then they were our champions, then generals, then nobles, then assassins,” she sighs. “More or less in that order. I’ve used you as all of those things, to some degree. I even promised that I would dissolve the Circle, your closest supporters, without even hesitating to think of whether I have any business doing that.”

“Uh…”

Asa cuts you off. “But the point is that the old Heralds had no reason to become our servants, because no matter what other role they filled, they were our servants,” she admits. She glances over at your brand and Gem, and she winces. “In hindsight, Mother thought the brands were a bad idea.”

You shrug uncomfortably. “So?”


(con’t)

“So, my point is that they became our servants anyway, because that endowed them with certain privileges, and also because we could guarantee them some specific assistance in regards to the afterlife,” Asa explains. “You saw. Poor Airo, he was guaranteed a spot in heaven despite his drinking and killing. Only because he was murdered before he could complete his tasks was he denied heaven, and even then, he only went to hell for one day.”

A strange feeling comes over you as she recites that lesson. “Wait, so I’ll still go to hell somehow?” you ask flatly.

She jerks back. “No! No no, not at all. But… I know you feel guilty over what happened, and I think if you went through the old absolution rituals, which Mother created to guarantee her favored children a place in heaven, it would make you feel far better. That, and it would certainly help win over the people, since as far as they know so far, your first act as a Herald was to blow up a building. Sorry to be blunt.”


>”Tell me more.”
>”Maybe once I’ve killed Novai and Kotrick.”
>”Not interested.”
>writein

>>34492932
>”Tell me more.”

You force yourself to look into Asa’s eyes. Their glimmering silver just plain isn’t mortal. Even your eyes don’t shimmer that much in starlight, and she gave them to you. Her hair, her skin, her eyes, even her clothes, they all ripple in starlight, even when she’s motionless. You knew from experience that the demigods’ divine roots are easiest to see at night, but it doesn’t diminish the effect.

You draw in a deep breath. “What would it entail?” you ask levelly.

She reaches over and gently rests one hand over yours. Her skin is as warm as a human’s. “Traditionally, it involves completely reversing a downward course that somebody else is taking,” she says. “Like… say… the families of the people killed in that explosion.”

You grimace as her words bring back the recollection of the blast. “Really? Those families?”

“It wouldn’t spare you hell if it were easy,” she says quietly. “There’s no hell for you to visit, now, and I would understand if you didn’t do it… but I think you should.”


>”I’ll do it after I’m done with this conspiracy. No telling if other people will get hurt in the interim.”
>”Not interested.”
>”How do I start?”
>writein

>>34493410
>”How do I start?”

It’s a distraction, no question. But is it a distraction you can’t bear? “Then… tell me where to start,” you say heavily.

Asa smiles.

Instantly, a spike of sensation arcs into your mind. You gasp and clutch the Gem, but it ends as abrupty as it started. In its place, you find fresh knowledge, unspooling into your memory like loose threads. It’s nothing like when you gain new powers. “What… what did you just do?” you groan.

“I gave you your second chance, Sister,” Asa says. “Just admitting that one is needed is enough to get you started.”

“…Did you tell me something, somehow?” you ask, feeling names and places flash past your consciousness.

“The addresses where the victims of Soutri’s hostage-taking lived,” she tells you. “When you speak to the King tomorrow, mention them. Ask him to let you help them.”

“Elsa?”

You both jerk in your seats. Your neighbor Evaline is standing up on her porch, clutching an empty wine bottle in one hand and rubbing her eyes. “Ugh… what’s going on?”


>Have Asa leave
>Have her stick around

ALSO!

>Explain
>Make shit up

>WRITEIN

>>34493982
"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

$5 says Asa disappeared and if we make anything up Elsa will just look crazier.

>>34493982
>Have her stick around
>Explain

She's gonna hear soon anyway, from Soutri's death message. Better she hears from us.

You start to turn to Asa, hoping you can convince her to leave, but she shakes her head. You blink back surprise, but roll with it anyway. “Uh, sorry if I woke you, Evie,” you stammer. Asa wants to be seen? “I was just talking with somebody.

She groans, holding her stomach. “Oh, I fell asleep on the deck?” She wobbles on her feet as she drops the bottle in the trash. “No more of those…”

“You should go lie down,” you caution. You stand up and move to stand between her and Asa, hoping that your neighbor is too drunk to notice the demigoddess on your deck. “Hey, get some real rest.”

“Mff… no, I need coffee and breakfast… even if it is midnight,” she grumbles. Her bleary, hung-over eyes focus on your guest. “What… who’s that?”

You wince, but there’s no going back. “It’s, uh… it’s an Avatar of Asa.”

“…What?” she asks, squinting at Asa, whose shimmering body is impossible to miss. “…Asa?” she asks feebly. “What?”

“Hello,” Asa says calmly. “Madam Helgur, you should be in bed.”

“But…” Evie’s eyes start to tear up as sorrow pierces her drunkenness. “Lady Asa? Here? Wait, wait,” she says, stumbling towards the railing between your porch and hers. “What happened to my husband? What happened to Dominic?”

Asa sighs slightly. “He died in the battle, madam, just as you were told.”

“But why did Elsa live?” Evie sobs. “Why her and not my husband?”


>Let Asa explain
>Writein

>>34494655
>let Asa explain

Asa stands and walks up to Evaline, who grows still as the demigoddess approaches. Her eyes grow as wide as dinner plates as Asa comes to a halt beside the railing that separates you. “Evaline, please,” Asa says quietly. “Your husband rests within Haret. He died because he was a victim of a horrible crime, not because of wrongdoing. Elsa lives because she had taken a a hit before the activation of the ancient weapon, and thus was not present.” She steps back as Evie tears up. “I won’t call it fair, but it happened,” she adds. “For what it’s worth, Elsa is working hard to ensure that it never happens again.”

“Huh?” Evaline asks through her tears.

“I serve Asa now, Evie,” you murmur. “I’m working hard to catch the murderers. Trust me, all right?”

Evie’s bleary eyes focus on your brand and Gem, and though she doesn’t seem to recognize them, she nods anyway. “O… okay,” she whimpers. “Can… did he suffer?”

“What answer would I give if he did, madam?” Asa says. “Yes? Would I make you suffer more?” She relents as Evie sobs. “But… no. He did not. None of them did. He had no time for agony or terror. He simply went to his rest.”

“…All right,” Evie mumbles through her tears. “…Can you…” she rests her hand over her stomach. “Can you at least tell if his child is a girl or a boy? And tell him, somehow?”

Asa sighs heavily. “You may not drink while carrying, madam, do you understand?”

Evie winces. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

“And no. I can’t tell until it emerges, nor can I pass messages to the dead of other races,” Asa explains. “But good luck with the baby.”

Your neighbor nods shakily. “Thanks,” Evie manages. “… I’ll turn in now.” She takes a few weak steps towards the bedroom and wobbles in.


(con’t)

Asa sighs again. “Drinking while carrying a child. Poor thing.”

You wince. “Should I have spoken up there?”

“No.” Asa turns back to you. “You should rest too, sister. You have much to do.”

An idea strikes you. “Can we stop Soutri’s messengers?” you ask.

She shakes her head. “Not without killing them.”

“Oh.”


>Ask more questions
>Turn in

>>34495317
>Turn in

Asa tilts her head. “Sister, before you retire, I should ask you one thing.”

“What?”

She leans against the railing and fixes you with her gaze. “When you go before the King, and he inevitably demands that you speak in public… do you intend to demonstrate your powers for the people? Any of them?”

>Yes (you needn’t specify which yet)
>No

>>34495674
>Not if I can help it, but if enough people demand a demonstration I'll probably use your divine voice.

“I’d prefer to avoid it,” you admit. “I don’t want to intimidate people.”

“I understand. If you’re called on to do so, however?” Asa presses.

You shift your shoulders, trying to find a good answer. “I’ll do it if I have to,” you finally admit. “I don’t want to appear in public at all, frankly, but I have to, I know.”

Asa nods. “You’ll do fine.” She straightens up and looks out over the city again. “All right, sister. Get some real sleep. I’ll be ready tomorrow, if you want me to appear.”

“Do you think you’ll have to?” you ask.

Your patroness sighs again. “I hope I’m called upon. I really do hope.”

That takes you aback. “What? Why?”

“Because…” she suddenly whirls around to face you, and you recoil at the look of plaintive anger on her face. “Because I’m sick of it! I’m sick of being a dealer, a co-ordinator, a distant and uncaring goddess! I want to appear before the people to announce something good, just once! I’ve sent mortal-kind a savior, and even if… even if we haven’t done perfectly well, we’ve done pretty bloody good!” she says, clenching her fists. “So yes, I want to be called upon. I want to see people smile again. I’m sick of just seeing the grieving, the angry, the dead!”

>wat say

>>34496397
>What if a conspirator is in the crowd with the orb?

Asa’s fierce and pained discomfort may be moving, but even in your state, you can see the problem with her desire. “Sister, what if Kotrick is there, and has the Orb?” you ask gingerly.

“What if he is?” she shoots back. “If he uses it deliberately, on me, he’ll end the world, and kill himself in the process! He’s an elf, remember? He’s not mad enough to use it on me!”

“Then why does he have it?” you ask.

Asa crosses her arms. “I’m sure he meant to take it to use against his enemies. Criminals that defied his takeovers, employees who didn’t obey, that sort of thing. It suits his function, you know, as a noble who turned to crime. I’m quite certain that he wanted a weapon that could kill me so that I could never, ever confront him, not because he wanted to actually use it against me.”


>wat say

>>34496552
this is a good point.

>>34496915
>"If he knows he's going to get caught, he might get desperate an act unwisely. Let's not take the chance. I'll use your voice."

>>34496915
If there is no threat, it is worthless.

>>34496915
Asa is getting stressed out
Let her have some fun

>>34497187
What's worthless? He has it to ensure that the Pantheon will never confront him.

>>34497231
We must get her a back massage

>>34497231
We should let Jerome massage Asa and Elsa.

And then 'massage'.

>>34497446
Jerome- "Explain further"

“That’s… fair,” you allow. “One of your abilities allows you to talk through me, right?”

“Yes.”

“So… when I go, I’ll use it. You can speak to the people directly.”

She sighs. “It’s not the same… but fine. I’ll be ready.”


[TEMPORARY END OF THREAD]

Please keep it up for tomorrow morning!

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bump

fappo

bedtime bump

i can't believe this is on page 5 already