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>>41609742

It will be at the very least a few weeks before you’re going to be able to attend to it again. In that time of solitude, will it wilt? You’re not even sure from which realm this fragile thing originated from, but surely it will wither disconnected from the essentials of life. You breathe heavily from its subtle aroma before it’s gone for good, over and over.

You shake your head to regain focus. You don’t know why you became so strangely fixated on this thing, but you certainly don’t like it.
Even after pulling away from the flower, your mind still feels polluted. The stain giving life to some small measure of anger, but there isn’t any time to succumb to such emotions.

You slide into your cloak and the final piece of your outfit is finally secure.

“Master…control…” A voice whispers from deep inside your mind.

Not the most opportune time for this to be happening, but you can’t say that you’re not pleased to hear its voice offering power once again. You consider how to take advantage of it this time. With a war coming up, any number of improved powers will be beneficial, but then there's the message from Ali asking you to improve your delving.

Many motivations, but in the end, the choice is still yours.

What do you wish to gain more knowledge about?

>Write in.

>>41609799
On what the Empress talked about

>>41609799
>Delving

Hello there, everyone!

>>41609847
I assume you're talking about the pyromancy, but would you mind being slightly more specific, just to be sure?

>>41609847
bro do you really think she'd give us advice that would help us kill her?

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>41609847
Pyromancy=1
>>41609872
Delving=2

>Writing the winner

>>41609993

Ali seems to be onto a way to defeat The Empress, and you’d like nothing more to be privy to that information as well. If nothing else, you’re still benefitting from whichever choice you make, so why pursue this thread to see where it ends?

You focus your mind on the untidy practice you’ve gone so long without.

Instantly, you fall upon your knees as your mind becomes exposed to completely new knowledge in quite the violent manner. You see yourself drifting in the endless darkness that connects all realms, and you instantly realize that abyssal space exists in a tangible manner. It is the bridge created by the invoker’s mind, and takes shape by thoughts deeply rooted in the subconscious.

The new knowledge shakes and jars your thoughts, as if rejecting falling into such a small container as one mind.

Completely unalike teleportation and interplanar travel, there exists a temporary state through delving, which is completely at the control of the creator’s will.

You stop immediately as you feel blood leaking from both your nose and ears, combined with a sharp stabbing pain that resounds throughout your entire head.

This exceedingly fundamental truth is what Ali wants you to master and make your own, but for what reason?

[1/2]

>>41610599

You wipe the mess from your skin and take a moment to regain composure.

“Are you alright?”

The young concerned voice exists so central to your being, that you feel it more than you hear it.

“I’m better than alright.” You assure Izu and walk to your mirror to clean yourself up. “Nothing I haven’t been through before.”

“…Something felt different this time. You felt different this time.”

You do your best to rub away the blood that landed on your hair. “Did I now? How so?” You ask, entertaining the boy’s worries.

“…When are you coming to visit again?”

He already knows the answer.

“Probably not any time soon. Why?” His line of questions are actually concerning you now.

“Then how about I come to you?”

You sigh to yourself. “Can you just tell me what’s wrong?”

“…Nothing.” He pouts.

You laugh to yourself. Maybe the answer is clearer than it seems, he’s just a boy after all and Marissa is can only do so much for him. But circumstances certainly make what you want, very difficult, but when has that ever stopped you?

>”Stay strong.”

>”Well then, you’ll just have to tell me in person.”

>Write in.

>>41610638
>”Stay strong.”

>>41610786
Patience is a virtue

>Writing~

>>41610830

There’s too many variables that can go wrong. Your role here can be jeopardized if you fall to your desires. “You’re my apprentice, aren’t you? You can stay stro-“

“Forget it!” His voice shouts in your mind and then it’s gone.

That was the first time you’ve ever seen him angry…

Well it’s not at all the wisest choice to have some kid following you around, and how dare he interrupt you when you’re speaking.

The door to your quarters explodes open when you tear the seal from its body. On the other side of the open entryway stands a stupefied Virgil, ear pointed to where the door once stood. He instantly snaps his back once he sees you standing across from him.

He stands aside as you emotionlessly walk through the door and the door slams shut behind you as you replace its seal.

You turn your eyes toward his own. “Never do that again.”

Virgil does very well to mask the fear he holds and speaks as if nothing happened. “I was sent to come get you. Time to depart.”

You lost track of the time for various reasons, but you don’t even bother with any more words, instead choosing to walk down the empty marble hall, trying to clear your mind.

~

[1/2]

>>41611432

“There isn’t much to say that hasn’t been already.” Zarn scowls as both councils assemble in the dusk light of the living fields. “We’ll assemble to the hills south of the palace where we’ll be safe from their defensive weapons.”

He sniffs loudly and looks toward the vast empty fields under which tens of thousands of your soldiers have assembled. “They’ll likely detect movements in the ground, so our first element of surprise will be minimal. And in response they’ll dig in and guard the roads leading to the surrounding cities and the palace.”

Everyone nods their understanding.

“If only we had someone to scout the area before our arrival.” Virgil laments.

“They’ve been on heightened security since these ladies’ missions.” Disgur explains. “For anything effective, a scout would need to be able to fly.”

“You don’t suppose we could ask The Empress to do it?” Justina suggests.

Anger, incredulity, and disappointment are all pointed to her direction.

At least your birthright is hidden from everyone, or at the very least they're very good at pretending not to know. Perhaps owning it would prove beneficial, or perhaps not.

>Stay silent.

>Volunteer yourself to scout.

>Write in.

>>41611483
>Volunteer yourself to scout.
But take the relevant general aside, no sense flaunting it to certain people.

>>41611483
>Volunteer yourself to scout.
Stealth armor ftw

>>41611483
Now THIS feels like a trap. Still, gotta hope that Stealth armor is enough.

>>41611544
>>41611561
Helping on a need to know basis.

>Writing~

>>41611663

You can’t let your resources go to waste if it means the difference between winning and losing this battle, but there’s no need to tell anyone that doesn’t need to know.
Carefully you lock eyes with Zarn, and he scowls at you in response. You signal for him to move away from the group, which thankfully he understands, and a few moments later you approach where he now stands.

“This better be important, girl.” He mutters underneath his breath.

“You’re the one who chooses where our troops are going to surface, right?” Your words don’t match the angry expression you show on your face to whoever might be watching.

“Yes.” He responds crossing his arms, and clearly growing impatient.

“I’m a Caelumnite.” You sigh. “I can scout ahead.”

His brow furrows and you stop him before he has a chance to speak. “I keep the wings hidden, but The Empress knows.”

His eyes show his heavy thought. “Then stop wasting fucking time, girl. I’ll let our Empress know your plan, but other than that, I see no reason to spread your secret.”
You nod and then begin reciting the words The Empress used to transport you to Impel, aiming for well outside the view of the palace.

~

[1/2]

>>41612248

A brief moment of falling is instantly replaced when you find yourself submerged in water. For the second time in your life, you pull yourself from the shallow river leading away from Impel capital.

Unfortunately, there’s no time to wait to dry before you tear into the sky, gaining as much altitude as you can while still having a view of the terrain below you.

Heavy patrols march through the lands surrounding the city and inside the city itself, but thus far there’s nothing to indicate that they’re expecting an attack.

However, you do note something quite odd on the enormous road that you once saw Impel’s armies parading through. The peculiar thing is the absence of any patrols at all on the vast stretch of road.

The attack plans call for a significant amount of your soldiers to surface on the road given its strategic location, so it might warrant investigating.

>Investigate the road. (Specify how.)

>Note the peculiarity, but don’t investigate further.

>Write in.

>>41612271
>>Investigate the road. (Specify how.)
Hover via close to the ground, using stealth armor and wings, plus shirt distance teleporting.

Feel around and look for magic.

>>41612271
>>Investigate the road. (Specify how.)
I think it's currently rigged as a killzone, either with explosives, or hidden mages/turrets pointed at the most strategic point.

>>41612325
>>41612271
works

>>41612271
investigate it.

It's probably booby trapped and mined all to hell.

>>41612325
>>41612346
>>41612352
>>41612381
Easy does it.

>Writing~

>>41612459

There’s no reason not to have soldiers on that road unless it’s for a damn good reason, and you have a few suspicions as to what that reason could be.

You approach and descend closer to the ground. Floating just a few feet above the ground, you can see that its integrity has been massively disturbed in the past few days. Something familiar screams out toward you, and you pull away from the ground immediately.

Pyromancy, massive amounts of it.

You can feel the energy of immense clusters of violent flames wanting to break free underneath the ground. A slight disturbance would likely trigger an extensive chain reaction, much less thousands of burrowing flesh soldiers.

This amount and complexity of Pyromancy couldn’t be obtained by the resources available to Impel, they had outside help. Which brings up a distressing questions as to whether or not those Pyromancers who helped in this endeavor are still in the realm.

Regardless, you need to report back immediately so you head for the outskirts of the town and travel back to your own army.

~

[1/2]

>>41613229

“Where are those soldiers supposed to surface if we can’t use that road?” Virgil asks impatiently.

It took you little time to report your findings back to The Empress herself, and thankfully for your secret, when she states something as fact, most everyone accepts it as so.

The Empress holds a hand up to calm the riled general. “Never does everything go according to plan, Virgil. Improvisation is necessary if you wish to overcome this simple nature of the world.” She turns to the rest of you. “Anyone care to share any suggestions. Perhaps you, Sophia. As a Pyromancer yourself, how would you get around their surprise?”

She asks already knowing an answer to her own question. She wants to see if you learned anything from her earlier lesson.

You’ve come to understand the nature of most flames more so since then and your flame has adapted slowly since then. Most flames are indiscriminate, hungry, and simple, a solution must take advantage of these facts and do so efficiently.

So, what is your strategy to counter this?

>Write in.

>>41613266
Either weak seals that direct the conflagration towards Impel

or

A continuous line of flesh soldiers all the way to Impel

or

I dunno, channel all the fires into the dagger and cleave a wall in two?

Aya's got some good teachers/kinsmen

>>41613266
>>41613266
Send only a small number of soldiers to set off all the explosions, then transport the rest when its safe.
Efficient and effective.

>>41613266
>>41613393

>>41613393
>>41613471
The brave few sacrifices.

>Writing~

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>>41613509

That gigantic conflagration they have planned for you relies heavily upon your usual strategy of an overwhelming rush of soldiers. Their flames would be triggered by ten soldiers or a thousand soldiers all the same.

The Empress’s past words ring all the more true. What an incredible waste of energy.

You smile slightly. “Send small numbers of our soldiers spread out along the entirety of the road to accept their gifts. The rest will have to go without.”

A small flash of pride appears upon The Empress’s face before she turns back to address both councils. “We’ve tarried long enough, don’t you think?”

The surroundings instantly change before your eyes and now you gaze upon the dizzying stretch of buildings that make up the palatial city. Your high vantage point is shared with only a small guard of flesh soldiers and Virgil. For a brief moment you begin to wonder if perhaps you were sent to the incorrect location.

“Let’s show them who was meant to rule.” The Empress voice announces seemingly from the bodies of the flesh soldiers themselves.

Blinding red light fills the entire scope of your massive view as a brilliant pillar of pure flame rises high in front of the palace walls. The raw energy is felt through heat even from where you stand and you can’t help but laugh at the display of power.

They must be celebrating right now, a massive blow to the armies of The Empress, a statement that they will not go without a fight. All of this painstaking effort to kill all of maybe fifty mindless soldiers.

You laugh even as you can’t bear to look at the brightness anymore, and the best part is that the entire joke was executed entirely thanks to you.

[1/2]

>>41614395

In a few minutes, the flames dissipate into the sky, leaving red trails as the rise higher and higher.

Tens of thousands of your soldiers rise like a furious plague from everywhere in the city. Most of them are directed to counter the forces pouring out from the palace garrison.

“Hey!” Virgil’s voice snaps you from your distraction. “There’s more than we expected in the palace itself.” He shouts to rise above the noise of the fighting happening below you. “Justina’s unit wants to know if they should still go through with the supply destruction plan now.”

You turn back to your vast view. It’s true that there is a surprising amount of their soldiers still in the garrison themselves, but it’s likely at the lowest it’s going to be, since the shock of attack has yet to wear off. This is the best it's going to get, unless you can come up with something to lure them out even faster.

>Have Justina's unit proceed with their plan immediately.

>Write in.

>>41614449
>>Have Justina's unit proceed with their plan immediately.

>>41614449
>>41614449
>Have Justina's unit proceed with their plan immediately.

>>41614449
>Have Justina's unit proceed with their plan immediately.
Of course. More soldiers means supplies are used faster.

We just have to be more defensive on the main front and more offensive with tactics that reduce moral and waste supplies.

>>41614507
>>41614561
>>41614596
Acting swiftly.

>Writing~

>>41614647

Acting upon their morale at this point in time will serve numerous benefits, but mostly it will allow for Justina’s plan to have a higher chance of success.

“Divert a fraction of our troops to tearing through the noncombatants in the city, and tell Justina to proceed with her plan immediately.” You shout to Virgil.

His face lightens as he immediately understands your meaning. “Small units spread out in the residential areas closest to the palace will be the most effective.”

You nod your agreement and he immediately runs back to give orders through the messenger flesh soldier.

“Tell Justina to keep us constantly updated on her unit’s progress.” You hear him finish his order and walk back to you. “You see that legion marching to meet our troops on the main road?”

You turn your attention toward the group of a few thousand soldiers ready to pincer those troops emerging from the ground. Beyond that, you see a panicked stream of guards rushing back to protect their homes and families.

“Any minute now…” He leans forward in anticipation.

As the Impel legion locks into tight formations to greet the assaulting forces, huge clouds of thick white gas erupt upon their ranks. The brutal screams of pure choking agony reach your ears in a few seconds, and the once fierce soldiers scatter the best they can, like ants from water.

You take a moment to feel the heading of the wind, and breathe a sigh of relief knowing that gas is headed toward the opposite direction.

Virgil laughs. “That’s already been accounted for, and if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be standing here.”

You watch for a long time as the battle ensues, countless soldiers fall on both sides, slowly but surely their numbers begin to cluster around massive entrances to the palace grounds.

[1/2]

>>41615439

Nearly an hour after the invasion began, Virgil yells back to you the news about Justina, as messenger mindlessly mimics the words assigned to him. “She’s nearly there! There was resistance, but not enough to slow them down too much.”

Good to see that your plan helped them along the way.

A few minutes later another report comes in. “She’s there, as well as more than a few guards…This part is going to be tricky, she says. So she’ll need focus until the end.”

No more reports until it’s done. Virgil approaches to overlook, as the both of you tensely watch the entirety of the palace for any signs of detonation.

Let it be enough…

Heavy smoke begins billowing through one of the many portholes along the palace exterior. The explosion went off, at the very least, but did it hit its mark?

The messenger arrives, but this time you’re not going to let the news be dictated to you. You approach to hear the emotionless words for yourself.

“…We did it.”

~

>>41615468

Okay, that's where I'm going to end it for tonight. As always, I want to thank everyone that played today! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to post them in the thread and I will do my best to respond to them.

If not, then I wish you a good day/night, and I hope to see you again next time!

>(Twitter)
https://twitter.com/QM_Auri

>>41615496
Thanks for running!


How bad is impel shitting itself?

>>41615468
wait, we killed him? What happened to orchestrating his disappearance?

or learning necromancy, for that matter?

>>41615496
Are we going to flashback next thread?

>>41615496
thx 4 runin budi gud thred

>>41615511
You're very welcome!

Most of Impel is an state of extreme distress, but there are always a few that run counter.

>>41615516
The second explosion that occurred was aimed at their supplies, to make the siege as short as possible. Necromancy will be learned the next time you and Justina have a decent period of free time.

Why would we flashback next thread in particular?

>>41615524
You're also very welcome!

>>41615615
I was wondering if you were planning on depicting events going well, then having the next thread as a "heist" where we manipulate the uncle out of Impel while all this is going on.

>>41615656
That could be possible, but there are numerous factors to consider: A heist to remove Aya's uncle would be a risky endeavor, especially in terms of seeming like a traitor. Because of that, I would have to leave it to a vote somewhere in the next thread.
Beyond that, Nahldol might not want to leave with someone that he doesn't really know. So, I'd try to discuss the risks vs. the rewards with the other players before deciding on this first.

>>41615787
well, it was just a guess. No need to do it if you had your own plan of going about this.


fyi guys, with school starting up I might not be around. Good luck with those write-ins.

>>41615856
Decisions/votes made constantly change the events of this war so my plan to go ahead on this is quite limited. So please don't consider anything off the table.

Also, thank you very much for taking the time with write-ins!

Okay, I'll be stepping out for the night. Until next time!