>>40330964
A cry goes out from the sailors as the black ship limps across the waves. The trip had been long and painful for them, facing first the dangers of a foreign cold port and then the storm and the long-dead of the Teeth. But now the flags of home could be seen upon the horizon and the sailor’s journey was finally over.
For others on the ship, the journey was just beginning.

Where were you when the southernmost shores of Quedesh was sighted?

> Studying by myself.

> Getting some last minute preparation from Tash.

> Talking to Hiss.

> Riding the Bunyip.

> Petting the constrictor.

> Watching Oster be melancholy.

> Other

>>40330977
>> Getting some last minute preparation from Tash.
and if possible
> Petting the constrictor.

>>40330977
> Getting some last minute preparation from Tash.

>>40330977
> Riding the Bunyip.

>>40330977
>> Riding the Bunyip.

>>40331015
>>40331024
Guys we kind need the prep time. We don't speak Quedeshi, only Tash and Hiss do and the are unreliable at best.

>>40330977
>> Getting some last minute preparation from Tash.
> Petting the constrictor.

Feels like starting an essay the night before it's due

>>40330977
>> Getting some last minute preparation from Tash.

> Getting some last minute preparation from Tash

Might as well figure out what we're getting ourselves into.

> Getting some last minute preparation from Tash.
> Petting the constrictor.

You're sitting cross-legged in Tash's quarters, Tash sitting across from you with his mask pushed to the side while he spoons a bowl of green sludge into his mouth. In celebration of their homecoming, the ship had actually broken out the chefs instead of subsisting on the hardbread and biscuits that had become standard fare.
Tash had offered some to you but you had declined, subsisting on restoration potions instead.
"Are you sure you don't want some? I know the Teln palate is rather plain but this is just spinach, mustard leaves and broccoli."

You don't know what broccoli is.
"No thanks, I'm not much of a leaf eater."

Tash looks pensive or at least pretends to.
"You should probably get used to it. The roots of the earth and that which grows upon them are the bounty given to humanity. The flesh and blood of those that crawl or fly along them is...reserved."

You catch his meaning immediately and frown.
"I didn't realize that Quedesh had so many snakes, if all the meat is set aside for them."

Tash chuckles.
"Not quite that many. But it is expensive and breaks tradition. We are not quite so gifted with feeding-lands for herds as you are, it's easier to plant. Indeed, to eat that which feels no pain is considered a virtue by some."

"Uhuh."

"You're going to have to get used to eating this stuff at some point Cennen. Man cannot live on alchemy alone."

"Watch me," you joke as the constrictor uncoils itself from the fireplace and watches both of you quizzically. You pet it along the head and it tries to wrap itself around your arm.

> "So what's the deal with this lady anyway?"

> "Well how do most people live there?"

> "What do I do when I meet a snake?"

> "What are some useful words to know?"

> "Is there anything I should NOT be doing?"

> "How likely is Hiss messing everything up?"

> "What are we going to do when we dock?"

> Other

>>40331465
> "Is there anything I should NOT be doing?"
> "What do I do when I meet a snake?"
> "So what's the deal with this lady anyway?"

>>40331465
> "What do I do when I meet a snake?"
> "What are some useful words to know?"
> "Is there anything I should NOT be doing?"

>>40331465
> "So what's the deal with this lady anyway?"
> "What do I do when I meet a snake?"
> "Is there anything I should NOT be doing?"
> "How likely is Hiss messing everything up?"

>>40331465

> "What do I do when I meet a snake?"
> "What are some useful words to know?"
> "Is there anything I should NOT be doing?"
>Anything I should remind Hiss of in case you're not present to avoid a diplomatic snafu?

> "Is there anything I should NOT be doing?"
> "What do I do when I meet a snake?"
> "What are some useful words to know?"
> "So what's the deal with this lady anyway?"

> "What do I do when I meet a snake?"
> "Is there anything I should NOT be doing?"
> "So what's the deal with this lady anyway?"

You pet the pale yellow python some more, avoiding its mouth for while it might not have fangs you're still not a huge fan of those jagged backward teeth.
"There are some basics I'm going to really need to know. Like, what do I do when I meet one of your snakes? I assume it won't be like this one."

"No, she's special. If you meet a serpent lord you must first grovel and throw yourself to the ground until they give you permission to rise, if ever. You must never speak unless spoken to. When you do speak, it must be as polite as possible and you must refrain from referring to them by any sort of name unless you have been invited to."

"Will I need a mask?"

Tash shakes his head.
"Oh no, this is a mark of office. I am a Snakecharmer and marked by my master, I am afforded some liberties."

"I'm marked too, you know."

"Yes and for that you might get away with some impropriety. You are a barbarian servant of a barbarian princess, you will be expected to be impolite. Whether that will be forgiven however, is a different matter entirely. But it is not something you need to worry about just yet."

"Eh? Why not?"

"Because the port we are approaching is Lombai, of the Talwi satrapy. It is a backwater far from Qesh, the homeland of the empire. It is in Qesh where our masters reside. The rest is governed by naught but mortal...dynasties? Clans? No,...Houses. Houses I think, is the best term. There will be no serpents awaiting us and for that you may be thankful."

"So just humans to deal with, hm? That doesn't seem so hard."

Tash sighs.
"Quedesh does not have such a lassez faire approach to nobility as Teleran does, where coin alone can make a man equal to lords. You must observe the correct decorum at all times."

"Well, is there anything I absolutely should NOT be doing?"

1/2

>>40331892
2/2

He ponders for a moment.
"I believe you have some permission as not just a barbarian but as a marked servant of a serpent. You should theoretically outrank even a mortal satrap. But still...when speaking with the Houses, do not accept any favor, food or drink. Take no body as your own and turn aside all gifts. Silence is probably your greatest course of action should you be present at all."

"So if a snake offers me something, I should say no?"

Tash near spits out the last of his meal.
"No! That was for mortals! If a snake gives you something, take it! Take it lest your own scaled lady wishes you not to. You must do honor to all serpents and must be ready to defend the glory of your lady with your life."
He puts the bowl down.
"But when presented from human hands, take no gifts you can't immediately repay. Anything else invites weakness and weakness on your part will reflect badly upon your princess. If you show her up in the eyes of the masters, she may be obligated to eat you in order to show that she is untouched by your flaws."

You swallow nervously. Hiss wouldn't kill you just to absolve herself, would she? She wouldn't. But would she do so when her ultimate goal is on the line?

The constrictor wraps around your arm and nearly drags you down under its bulk.
"Oof. You know, you paint a picture of your snakes being so very dignified but then you have this doof-...lady. What's her deal?"

"You'll have to control your words better when we make land, Cennen. But yes, she is different. She is pale and albino. Her kind are not given to become rulers, they are holy and are sequestered away from humanity. They learn no shifting Art and never speak with any man."

"And yet she's here?"

"Because she wanted to visit Snakehome and as a human I cannot turn down her request. You should get used to that. The highest of men is but a servant to even the lowliest of serpents."

"But what'll happen to her when we land?"
2/3

>>40332085
3/3
"The lady will be placed back into her box so that she may travel hidden away from both the sun and mortal sight. She will travel with us but I imagine not for long. The lady may be called away to face her peers and punished because an oracle not only leaving but departing for foreign lands is a rather impolite slip in propriety."

"So then why did you take her?"

He looks at you as if you were an idiot.
"Because she asked me to."

"Right."

> "So it doesn't matter what Hiss says or does to human lords right?"

> "Could you tell me how to say hello and whatnot?"

> "I don't think that's very fair."

> "How many satrapies are there and where is Qesh?"

> "What exactly IS your position again?"

> Other

>>40332183
>> "Could you tell me how to say hello and whatnot?"
>How far can Hiss push her positions as a snake princess before bad things happen?
> "What exactly IS your position again?"
>How is Alchemy viewed here?

>>40332183
>"Could you tell me how to say hello and whatnot?"

>>40332183
> "So it doesn't matter what Hiss says or does to human lords right?"
> "Could you tell me how to say hello and whatnot?"
> "What exactly IS your position again?"

>>40332183
> "What exactly IS your position again?"
> "How many satrapies are there and where is Qesh?"
> "So it doesn't matter what Hiss says or does to human lords right?"
> "What kind of welcome should we expect from the snake lords?"

>>40332183
>> "Could you tell me how to say hello and whatnot?"

> "So it doesn't matter what Hiss says or does to human lords right?"
> "Could you tell me how to say hello and whatnot?"
> "What exactly IS your position again?"

"Sooooo, I don't have to worry that much about Hiss pushing her position as snake princess then?"

Tash waves his hand in a noncommittal fashion.
"As a snake alone she should get plenty of respect from humans. But among the masters themselves...none of them will respect her title. She'll probably be considered nothing but a novelty."

You spend approximately one second thinking about how Hiss will likely take that before blurting out.
"I think we have a problem."

"There's nothing that can be done. She'll have to learn sometime. We cannot save her from herself."

Eugh. You're asking the wrong person for advice. He doesn't want to help Hiss, he only wants to screw her.
"What exactly is your position again?"

"I am the Snakecharmer and bard to my own lady in Qesh, who is a rising star in the courts of the Highmost."

"And you were selected as ambassador because..."

He smiles.
"Because nobody else in the court cared. A treaty in a southern land too far to bother and a nest of old enemies who have been left behind by history."

"Shouldn't there be somebody else to make that decision then? For all Quedesh?"

"I don't think you understand. Quedesh is only unified to the eye of the unobservant or the foolish. The satrapies are slaves to the masters and the Highmost Court focuses more on ending each other and playing games then they ever look outward, for there is nothing left on this land that is not Quedesh. And they ARE Quedesh. Quedesh devours Quedesh, biting its own tail for eternity."

For the first time you hear something different in his tone. Is that a hint of condemnation? Surely he wouldn't dare.

"Uhuh."
You probably shouldn't delve into that right now.
"Well, can you teach me how to say, like, hello or whatever? Just some useful words."
1/2

>>40332477
2/2
You and Tash spend the rest of the trip drilling words of greeting and goodbye, words that should be said to men and words that should be said to snakes. A limited vocabulary at best but you can at least convey that you do not speak Quedeshi.

In the end, you are interrupted by the ship nearing the dock. The sailors are bustling, happy to finally be home and to leave their queer passengers behind.
Up on the deck, the palanquin is being prepared, already draped in the white spiral banner.

"Alas," Tash says as the two of you reach the dock. "I fear I will be walking this time."

You don't parse his meaning immediately until you realize that the palanquin is already occupied.
"Cennen," Hiss calls out. "Get in!"

You see Tash shake his head almost imperceptibly in the background.

> Refuse. Tell Hiss that it would not reflect well on her to anyone watching.

> Refuse. Make up an excuse.

> Accept.

> Use Potion (Specify)

> Other

>>40332577
> Refuse. Tell Hiss that it would not reflect well on her to anyone watching.
In this society it'd make you look weak, Which would complicate things greatly. I'd love to Hiss, but I'd rather not start a political incident as soon as we hit the ground. Besides while everyone watches you I can watch them. It may be informative.

>>40332577
> Refuse. Tell Hiss that it would not reflect well on her to anyone watching.

>>40332577
> Accept.

>>40332636
This. Let's figure out what to do with the bunyip and then hang out with Oster.

> Refuse. Tell Hiss that it would not reflect well on her to anyone watching.

"Thanks but no thanks, Hiss. It wouldn't reflect well on you to be riding with a human."

She narrows her eye at you.
"And who exactly is judging me? Humans? I don't care about them."

"I was more referring to other sna-"

"What if I order you to join me, hmm?"

Welp. You can't disobey without making her look bad either. But what else can you do that saves face? Is there a right answer at all?

> Accept.

> Decline. Disobeying now is still not as bad as anyone seeing it later in the city.

> Decline and claim that you need time to brew.

> Pray to her that you don't want to do this.

> Decline and say that you're taking care of the constrictor's chest, something of equal honor and thus avoid any issues entirely.

> Use Potion (Specify)

> Other

>>40332834
>> Accept.

>>40332834
> Accept
We tried to advise her, thats really all we can do

>>40332834
>> Accept.
Well hope you can stand the other snakes who aren't nice like the albino mocking you Hiss.

>>40332834
> Accept.
Fuck it. Let's see what she's planning on doing next.

>>40332918
I'd rather we didn't say that, she'd probably get offended.

We're going to get our shit wrecked soon, our alchemy is shit tier and we haven't been improving it and we can barely fight with a sword, befriending the soul eating snake is great and everything but it's gonna get our shit wrecked if we don't actually try to improve

>>40333101
Still a long way to Quesh

> Accept

You sigh. You really hope that Hiss isn't letting all of this freely offered subservience go to head and who are you kidding, you know she is. There's absolutely no doubt.

You climb up into the palanquin's box beside her. It's a bit of a tight fit but that doesn't seem to bother her.
If her smirk was any wider she'd have to unhinge her jaw.
"Oh dear, what's that? Now that we're finally somewhere with the proper idea of things, you have to do what I say?"

"I thought we were over this, Hiss."

"I am, I am."
She pulls the curtains shut, cutting the two of you completely off from the world before you even reach the dock.
"There, now nobody will see us. All your worry is for naught."

You're not sure if that's exactly how it works.
"Aren't you worried about how the snakes here will think of you? You have to prepare for that sooner or later."

Hiss sticks her tongue out, flickering between a human tongue and one that is long and forked.
"And why would I have such concerns? I am of the royal line, descendant of the highest and above all other snakes. They won't be a problem."

> "Of course, I'm sorry to have doubted you."

> "I don't mean disrespect but uh, I'm not sure if they care about these things here."

> "Nobody gives a shit about that outside of Snakehome, Hiss."

> Other

>>40333154
> "I don't mean disrespect but uh, I'm not sure if they care about these things here."

>>40333154
>> "I don't mean disrespect but uh, I'm not sure if they care about these things here."
In fact given what I've learned from Tash Since you're not from here they'll ignore you, or treat you as a novelty, not in a good way.

>>40333154
> "I don't mean disrespect but uh, I'm not sure if they care about these things here."
I think we should find a way to gain a little renown while we're in quedesh before we reach the constrictors

>>40333154
> "Nobody gives a shit about that outside of Snakehome, Hiss."

Although let's soften it a bit:
"This isn't Snakehome, Hiss. The constrictors don't answer to you or your father and here they are more powerful than... Us. You'll have to earn their respect if you want their help."

Ugh, sorry guys but I'm really feeling cold and sick and generally shitty today. We'll have to continue later.

>>40333334
Well thanks for running Ouro!

>>40333334
Understandable when you are snake in winter.

>>40333334
Thanks for running, man, take care.